Chapter 50: Chapter 50 - Shadows On The Riverbank
The morning air was crisp as the group continued their journey along the river. Thankfully, nothing had happened during the night, with each of them taking turns on watch.
They weren't sure of the exact path to Vesta, but the river should lead them to it eventually. Without a map, traveling was hard, and Seraphina had never encountered a proper map in her studies.
Edwin walked ahead, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword as he scanned their surroundings with vigilance, he stood in front of Seraphina, protecting her from any danger that might arise.
Samuel followed behind, still nursing the remnants of his injuries but refusing to lag, he also looked out for any ambush from behind, as for Seraphina, well she stayed in the middle of both of them but she didn't relax because of that.
They had been walking for hours when the path narrowed, forcing them closer to the riverbank. The sound of the rushing water grew louder, mingling with the crunch of their boots on gravel, the group exchanged few words, and barely stopped to rest.
Seraphina actually considered this a part of her training, with all the walking, her body was constantly pushed to the limits, whenever she had free time she would also practice the movements of the training method to perfect it.
As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, Edwin halted abruptly, raising a hand to signal the others to stop. Seraphina and Samuel froze, their hands instinctively moving to their weapons.
"What is it?"
Seraphina asked, her voice low.
Edwin pointed to the trail ahead.
"Tracks. Fresh ones."
Seraphina stepped closer, crouching to examine the prints in the dirt, they were deep and erratic, made by several people moving in haste. The marks suggested heavy boots, and the faint impression of something being dragged confirmed her suspicions.
There were only a few possibilities it could be, she ruled out travelers because of how erratic it was, and because it seemed to be dragging something large, normal travellers wouldn't do something like that.
Hunters were also out of the picture, they would know how to hide their tracks to prevent notifying animals or monsters, so it left only one likely possibility.
"Bandits. We're not alone."
Samuel tensed, his grip tightening on the hilt of his dagger.
"Do we turn back?"
"No, we're to go to Vesta anyways, and this is the safest way. Stay alert."
They pressed on, moving cautiously as the forest grew even thinner before trees could at least be seen, but as they went along the path only jagged rocks and stone could be seen.
The tracks grew more pronounced and frequent in the mud, leading them to a small clearing near the river. There, the remains of a campfire smoldered, its embers glowing faintly in the fading light, it was clear as day that people had been here recently.
Edwin moved to investigate, his eyes taking in the scattered remains of supplies and the faint smell of smoke, he bent down and felt the heat of the wood still there.
"They're nearby."
He muttered as he drew his sword.
As if on cue, the air was pierced by a sharp whistle, and from the shadows of the tree edge and jagged rocks, figures emerged, their weapons gleaming in the dim light.
There were six of them, each clad in mismatched armor and grinning with cruel intent, it was clear they were a ragtag group of bandits that had just gotten together to rob people.
Their leader, a broad-shouldered man with a scar across his cheek, stepped forward. His sword rested casually on his shoulder.
"Well, well."
The leader said, his voice thick with amusement as he looked down at them with eyes filled with a disgusting glint of playfulness.
"What do we have here? Travelers, and armed ones at that. Looks like we're in for a good night, boys."
The other bandits chuckled, their eyes gleaming with malice as they spread out to surround the group.
Seraphina's hand went to her blade, her posture shifting into a defensive stance. Edwin readied his sword, his expression cold as he glanced across all of them, before settling on the leader, while Samuel braced himself, his injured state did not dampen his resolve at all.
"We don't want trouble."
Edwin said, his voice calm but firm.
"Let us pass, and no one gets hurt."
The leader laughed, a harsh, grating sound as he mocked them.
"Oh, you'll be passing, all right— passing your gold, your supplies, and anything else we fancy. And the girl..."
His gaze lingered on Seraphina, his tone turning lecherous, and it was clear what his intentions were.
"She stays with us. Don't worry, we'll return her. Eventually."
The bandits laughed again, their confidence palpable, but Seraphina remained unmoved, the words of the leader annoyed her but she wasn't rash enough to just lash out because of that.
Her violet eyes locked onto the leader, her voice cutting through the laughter like a blade.
"That's not going to happen, let us pass through."
The leader sneered, raising his sword.
"I like your spirit, the feisty ones are always the best to break. Let's see how long it lasts."
Before he could take another step, Seraphina moved first.
Her blade flashed in the fading light, finding its mark in the throat of the nearest bandit who was trying to sneak up on them, but her violet eyes could not miss him.
He dropped without a sound, the suddenness of the attack throwing the group into chaos.
"Take them down!"
The leader roared, his grin replaced by fury as the bandits charged.
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