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III.The Hum of Ravangers
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The fire had dimmed to embers, casting long, flickering shadows across the clearing. Quintin stirred on his bedroll, the warmth of the fire no longer comforting as he slowly opened his eyes. The quiet of the night pressed in around him, and a chill crept down his spine.
He sat up, his senses alert. Selena’s bedroll was empty, but her belongings still neatly arranged nearby. None of his own gear had been touched, and their horses were still tethered, calmly grazing on the grass.
“She didn’t rob me,” he studied, “But where is she?”
Quintin scanned the perimeter of their makeshift camp, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword. The air felt heavier than before, and the distant hoot of an owl was the only sound that broke the silence.
With a low sigh, he rose to his feet, slipping his sword free from its sheath. If she was in trouble, she couldn’t have gone far.
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Selena crouched low, her daggers drawn, the cold steel glinting faintly in the moonlight. She’d heard the noise, a guttural growl closing in on their camp, so she had ventured cautiously to investigate.
She stood up in a small clearing, surrounded by a pack of wolves. Eight of them, their matted fur clinging to their emaciated frames, eyes gleaming with hunger and malice. Their teeth bared as they circled her, a low, collective of growls reverberating through the air.
Selena tightened her grip on her daggers, as her heart pounded. These weren’t ordinary wolves. They were desperate, mangy beasts, driven to madness by hunger.
“Stay back,” she muttered, though her voice wavered.
One wolf lunged, snapping at her leg. She spun, her blade slicing through the air to open its side causing it to miss her. The beast yelped and collapsed, but the others only grew more agitated. Their growls intensifying.
Selena’s breathing quickened as the wolves closed in. She knew their game. They’d wear her down. Force her into making mistakes, because she couldn't take all of them. But as she scanned their bloodthirsty eyes, she realized they were already done waiting. They were coming all at once from all directions.
Her grip faltered for a moment with fear tightening in her chest. “This is it,” she thought grimly, preparing for the worst.
A sharp whistle pierced the air, followed by the solid thunk of a rock striking one of the wolves square in the head. The beast whimpered and stumbled, drawing the pack’s attention just long enough for another stone to hit its mark.
Selena’s eyes darted to the edge of the clearing, where Quintin emerged from the shadows. His sword gleamed as he closed the distance, his steps quick and deliberate.
“Thought you could handle yourself,” he said, his tone dry as he swung his blade, severing a lunging wolf mid-air.
Selena smirked, her confidence returning as she spun to strike down another wolf with a clean slash across its throat, “I was giving them a chance to back off. Don't believe in animal cruelty.”
Quintin snorted, cutting down another wolf as it lunged at him. Two wolves remained, snarling and snapping, but their movements were less coordinated now, disoriented by Quintin’s precise rock strikes.
Selena took the opportunity to charge, slashing one wolf across the face and stabbing it through the heart. The last wolf hesitated, its growl faltering before it turned and bolted into the woods, followed closely by its wounded companion.
The two stood in the clearing, their breaths coming fast, surrounded by the mangled remains of the wolf pack. Selena wiped her daggers on the grass and sheathed them, glancing at Quintin with a wry smile.
“Guess I owe you one,” she said, her voice lighter now.
Quintin wiped the blood from his sword with a cloth, “Just one? I’m keeping count. It's not the first time I've had to put a rabid wolf down.”
Selena chuckled, though there was a faint tremor in her voice, “Either way. Thanks for showing up. For looking for me.”
Quintin raised an eyebrow, “I’m the one who should thank you for not robbing me. Though, I did wonder if you’d skipped out.”
“Skipped out? Me?” Selena feigned offense, “Never. I agreed to the job. I don't break contracts.”
Quintin smirked, shaking his head as they began walking back toward their camp.
When they reached the clearing, Quintin stoked the fire back to life while Selena checked on the horses. The warmth of the flames soon filled the space again, and they sat across from each other, the tension of the fight slowly melting away.
The fire crackled softly as Selena settled back onto her bedroll. Her eyelids drooped, exhaustion from the night’s ordeal finally catching up to her. Quintin sat on a nearby log, his sword resting across his knees as he kept his eyes on the shadows beyond the firelight.
“You should get some rest,” he said in a whisper.
Selena yawned, pulling her cloak tighter around her, “Fine then. Don’t let anything eat me, parchment pooch.”
He smirked faintly, “Not tonight, I suppose.”
Selena chuckled lightly before sleep claimed her. Quintin remained vigilant, his gaze sweeping the darkness. The night was calm now, but the encounter with the wolves lingered in his mind. He glanced at Selena, who slept soundly despite the danger they had faced earlier.
“Trusting me already,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head in amazement.
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Selena stirred as the first rays of dawn pierced through the canopy of trees. She sat up, stretching as she noticed the fire had been extinguished, their camp neatly packed. Quintin stood nearby, adjusting the straps on his horse’s saddle.
“Good morning,” she said groggily, rubbing her eyes.
“Morning,” Quintin replied, handing her a piece of dried meat, “Eat fast. We should move.”
Selena nodded, quickly gathering her things after eating. They mounted their horses and continued on their journey.
The early morning air was crisp and refreshing, but by midday, the sun was high, casting long shadows over the countryside as they rode along a dirt path that wound through rolling hills. The heat was tolerable, but the humidity was an annoyance. To take her mind off of it, Selena broke the silence, trying once again to be conversational.
“There’s a village not far from here. Knoxorn. Small, out of the way, but the inn’s decent. We could rest there overnight. What do you think?”
Quintin didn’t answer immediately, his head tilting slightly as if listening to something.
“Quintin?” Selena prompted, frowning.
He held up a hand to silence her for the moment, “Do you hear that?”
Selena paused, listening to nothing, “Hear what?”
“There’s a noise. A hum. Like beats in the distance,” Quintin was sure of it, but his expression was perplexed.
Selena strained to listen again, but the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and the soft clatter of their horses’ hooves, “I don’t hear anything.”
Quintin seemed to lock onto the direction of the sound as he turned his gaze and swept the horizon, “We need to get off the road. Now.”
Without waiting for an argument, he urged his horse toward a thicket of tall bushes. Selena followed, guiding her horse into the cover alongside him.
Moments later, the sound of hoofbeats filled the air, growing louder until a group of riders appeared on the road. Their armor gleamed with a faint teal tint, and each chestplate bore the macabre emblem of a skull. The riders moved with precision. Their presence commanding and ominous.
Quintin watched them intently, his eyes narrowing, “Who are they?”
Selena’s face was pale, “Demis,” she whispered.
Quintin frowned in confusion, “Demis?”
“Demi-revenants, the ravangers,” Selena explained, her voice low, “You’ve never seen one? How do you not know this stuff? Been living under a rock?”
Quintin didn’t answer immediately, but gave in, “Something like that.”
Selena studied him for a moment before continuing, “Do you know the revenants?”
Quintin’s heart skipped a beat, but he masked his reaction with a curt nod, “I’ve heard of them.”
“There were thirteen,” she said, her tone taking on a dark edge.
*Eleven now*. Quintin thought silently to himself.
Selena went on, “Seven of them formed a council called The Council of Seven. Real original, right? They started training willing men in their ways, but only the basics. None of the secretive stuff. Just enough to make them dangerous. So not full revenants, but scary enough.”
Quintin stayed quiet, but his grip on his reins tightened.
“Twenty years ago, everyone feared a revenant showing up. When they came knocking, someone usually had to die for them to get information to find their targets. You’d think the world would’ve found peace after the kingslayer king fell, but no.”
Quintin finally spoke, his voice firm, “It’s best to avoid them.”
Selena nodded, “Agreed.”
They waited in tense silence as the ravengers rode past. Even after they disappeared down the road, Quintin remained still, his gaze following where they had gone.
“Can you… still hear them?” Selena asked.
Quintin shook his head after a moment, “No. Let’s move.”
The two continued their journey, following Selena’s lead toward the village of Knoxorn. As they rode, Quintin kept his senses sharp, his mind turning over what he had seen and heard. Selena, meanwhile, stole glances at him, her curiosity about her traveling companion only growing.
“You’ve got secrets,” she muttered under her breath, a sly smile playing on her lips.
Quintin didn’t respond, his focus fixed on the trail ahead.
The road stretched on, winding through sparse woodlands as the sun dipped lower in the sky. Quintin and Selena rode in silence for a while, but Selena broke the silence once again, “So, you never really answered my question.”
Quintin glanced at her, “Which one?”
She smirked. “Why Mount Scion? Really?”
Quintin exhaled, choosing his words carefully, “Curiosity.”
Selena scoffed, “No one goes to Mount Scion out of curiosity. You’re looking for something. Or someone.”
Quintin didn’t respond, and Selena rolled her eyes, “Keep this up warden pup and you'll be looking for different company…”
As they crested a small hill, Quintin suddenly pulled his horse to a stop. His gaze locked onto the sky ahead, where dark smoke curled into the air.
Selena followed his gaze with shock, “That’s coming from Knoxorn.”
Without hesitation, they urged their horses forward, galloping toward the village.
Knoxorn was eerily quiet when they arrived. The scent of charred wood lingered in the air, and scattered embers smoldered in the remains of what had been small rooftop fires. Several villagers moved about cautiously, some tending to the damage while others knelt beside lifeless bodies.
Quintin slowed his horse, his eyes sweeping over the grim scene. A handful of bodies lay in the dirt, all young men, with their expressions frozen in shock or pain.
Selena dismounted and approached the group of villagers, “What happened here?” she asked, trying to be firm but not unkind, “Who did this?”
Most of the villagers exchanged wary glances, unwilling to speak, but a man kneeling beside a lifeless boy finally broke the silence. His voice was hollow, grief-stricken, “It was them ravangers.”
Quintin tensed. He scanned the bodies more carefully, realizing the dead were only young men. Boys barely old enough to be called men, but still, they were close to his age all the same.
His chest tightened. They weren’t just hunting anyone. The ravangers or even the revenants themselves, were hunting for him.
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End Part 3
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