Chapter 107: Ridge

Chapter 107: Chapter 107: Ridge

"It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." — Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Ashen Ridge was a cold, desolate expanse of jagged black basalt and howling mountain winds.

Dense gray fog rolled through the narrow canyon, swallowing the surrounding peaks and reducing visibility to only a handful of paces. Snow gathered in thin sheets across the rocks, melting wherever cracks in the basalt released pockets of residual heat.

They moved in a disciplined diamond formation.

Fen led the group, his greatsword resting against his shoulder as he carefully watched the path ahead.

Sera followed several paces behind him, her darkwood bow already in her hands as she constantly checked the high ledges for movement.

Mira remained near the center, her forehead gem glowing faintly as she monitored the surrounding terrain.

Riven brought up the rear.

Nyx moved silently beside him, her dark scales almost completely disappearing into the shadows created by the fog.

The mission had been straightforward on paper.

Investigate the missing merchant caravans.

Determine whatever monsters were responsible.

Locate any survivors.

Report back to the Guild.

None of them had expected to find anything this soon.

Riven raised a fist.

"Hold."

The group stopped.

Fen glanced backward.

Riven shook his head.

"Something’s wrong."

He closed his eyes.

The wind screamed through the canyon.

Snow scraped against the stone.

Somewhere in the distance, loose rock tumbled down a mountainside.

But beneath all of it was something else.

The faint smell of smoke.

Oil.

Blood.

Sweat.

Riven opened his eyes.

"There’s someone ahead."

Sera immediately reached for an arrow.

"Monsters?"

"No."

Riven stared into the fog.

"People."

They moved forward carefully.

A few moments later, Riven spotted the faint orange glow of a campfire through the mist.

He raised his hand again.

The group crouched behind a natural ridge of basalt.

Riven slowly leaned around the rock.

What he saw made his expression change.

A concealed encampment had been built beneath a massive cavern overhang.

Half a dozen armed men stood around a low campfire.

They were dressed in heavy runic steel armor without any visible crest or insignia. Their weapons were far too well maintained for ordinary highway thieves.

Several crates and sacks were stacked behind them.

At first glance, they looked like bandits.

But Riven immediately noticed the differences.

Their formation was too disciplined.

Their equipment was too specialized.

Their weapons were positioned so they could be drawn instantly.

These weren’t desperate criminals.

They were trained fighters.

"Bandits," Fen whispered.

Riven didn’t answer.

His eyes moved across the camp.

Then stopped.

In the center of the encampment, partially hidden behind several supply crates, sat a young woman.

She wore torn silk robes that had once been expensive.

Her wrists were bound behind her with heavy mana suppression chains.

Her clothing was stained with dirt and blood.

She was young.

Too young to be traveling alone through a place like this.

Riven narrowed his eyes.

"There’s someone tied up."

Sera carefully looked around the rock.

Her expression immediately changed.

"Is that a girl?"

Mira’s eyes widened.

"She looks like a noble."

None of them had expected that.

Their contract had mentioned missing caravans.

It had mentioned bandits.

It had mentioned possible monster activity.

It had not mentioned kidnapped nobles.

Riven studied the girl from a distance.

Something about her bothered him.

She wasn’t some ordinary traveler.

"She’s important," Riven whispered.

Mira’s forehead gem flickered.

"I’ll scan her."

Riven immediately shook his head.

"No."

Mira looked at him.

"Why?"

Riven’s voice remained quiet.

"If your gem tries to penetrate those suppression chains, they’ll notice."

Mira hesitated.

Riven continued watching the camp.

"I can sense enough."

His eyes narrowed.

"High ranking noble."

Sera glanced toward him.

"You’re sure?"

"Yes."

Fen tightened his grip around his greatsword.

"Then we get her out."

Riven nodded.

He had already made his decision.

"Fen, Sera, Mira. Stay here."

Fen frowned.

"I’m coming with you."

"No."

Riven looked at him.

"I can get through the camp without being detected. You can’t."

Fen opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

He knew Riven was right.

Riven looked toward Sera.

"Once I free her, wait for my signal."

Sera nodded.

"Understood."

"Mira, keep your barrier ready."

She nodded.

Riven turned toward the fog.

"Then we move."

He disappeared.

The fog swallowed Riven completely.

His presence vanished.

Even the faint sound of his footsteps disappeared beneath the field surrounding his body.

He moved between the rocks.

One guard stood alone near the edge of the camp.

Riven appeared behind him.

A thin black needle materialized between his fingers.

The guard never heard it.

The Umbral Needle passed cleanly through the side of his neck.

Riven caught the man’s body before it struck the ground.

He lowered the corpse carefully.

Then continued.

Another guard stood near the hostage.

Riven slipped behind him.

One step.

One movement.

The man’s eyes widened.

A blade flashed.

He collapsed silently.

Riven caught him as well.

The entire process took seconds.

He reached the girl.

Up close, she looked even younger.

She couldn’t have been much older than him.

Her face was pale from exhaustion, and there was a bruise beneath one eye.

Riven crouched beside her.

"Don’t speak."

Her eyes widened.

She stared at him in disbelief.

Riven drew his sword.

The blade passed through the chains.

Clink.

The chains fell apart.

The girl nearly collapsed.

Riven caught her before she hit the ground.

"Easy."

She stared at him.

"Who..."

"Quiet."

Riven looked toward the camp.

"I’ll get you out."

He helped her stand.

Her legs trembled beneath her.

She had clearly been restrained for a long time.

Riven shifted her arm over his shoulder.

"My party is outside."

The girl nodded weakly.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then Riven felt it.

A pressure.

Massive.

Violent.

Approaching from above.

His head snapped upward.

"Get down."

The girl barely had time to react.

The mountain air exploded.

A terrifying aura crashed over the canyon.

Snow erupted from the ledges.

Loose stones shattered against the ground.

A massive figure dropped from the cliffs above.

He landed hard enough to crack the basalt beneath his boots.

The mercenaries immediately turned toward him.

Riven’s eyes narrowed.

The man was enormous.

He wore dark runic armor covered in scars from battle.

A massive zweihander rested across his back.

His face was covered in old scars, including one that ran from his forehead to the corner of his mouth.

He looked directly at Riven.

Then at the freed noble girl.

His expression twisted with fury.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!"

Riven immediately shoved the girl behind a large basalt pillar.

"Stay down."

He drew his sword.

Behind him, Fen’s voice thundered through the fog.

"RIVEN!"

The party charged.

Fen emerged first, greatsword in both hands.

Sera followed, bow already drawn.

Mira raised her hands.

The violet gem in her forehead flashed as a defensive barrier formed around them.

Riven’s eyes remained fixed on the towering mercenary.

These weren’t bandits.

They were organized kidnappers.

And the man standing before him was their captain.

Fen stepped beside Riven.

"Sorry."

He lifted his greatsword.

"We’re already involved."

The large man’s smile disappeared.

"Kill them."

The mercenaries charged.

The first clash was violent.

Fen intercepted three mercenaries at once.

His greatsword swept across the narrow battlefield, forcing two opponents backward while his shoulder slammed into a third.

Sera fired.

Three arrows flew through the fog.

One struck a mercenary in the chest.

Another exploded against the ground beneath his feet.

The third shattered against his armor.

Mira raised her hands.

"Barrier!"

A translucent wall formed in front of Fen.

A heavy battleaxe slammed into it.

The barrier cracked.

Mira gritted her teeth.

"They’re trained"

Riven heard her.

He already knew.

Their movements were too coordinated.

Their equipment was too advanced.

And their captain’s aura was overwhelming.

Riven moved.

Phantom Step.

He vanished from Fen’s side and appeared behind a mercenary.

His sword flashed.

The man barely managed to turn.

Steel struck steel.

Riven twisted his wrist.

The man’s weapon flew from his hand.

Riven struck him with the pommel and sent him crashing into the snow.

Another mercenary rushed him.

Riven ducked.

The man’s blade passed over his head.

Riven pivoted.

One strike.

The man’s armor split.

He collapsed.

Riven turned.

Fen was fighting the leader

The difference was obvious.

Fen wasn’t a pushover.

He was much stronger than he had been three months earlier.

But that manwas operating on another level.

Their swords collided.

BOOM.

Fen was thrown backward.

His boots carved two deep trenches through the snow.

He barely regained his footing.

"Fen!" Sera shouted.

"I’m fine!"

Fen charged again.

Riven’s eyes narrowed.

"Don’t!"

Too late.

The man stepped forward.

His zweihander descended.

Fen raised his greatsword.

CRACK.

The impact shattered Fen’s weapon.

His eyes widened.

For one frozen instant, he stood completely exposed.

His second strike came immediately.

The zweihander tore through Fen’s chest plate.

The force lifted him from the ground.

Blood sprayed across the snow.

Fen collapsed.

His greatsword fell beside him in two broken pieces.

"Fen!"

Sera screamed.

She released an arrow toward The man

The shot struck his armor and shattered.

Sera froze.

Two figures emerged from the fog behind her.

She never heard them.

One drove an iron bolt through her shoulder.

Sera screamed.

The impact pinned her against the basalt wall.

"Get off me!"

She tried to reach for her dagger.

The second mercenary stepped closer.

Sera’s eyes widened.

"No..."

The blade entered beneath her ribs and was twisted.

Her body jerked.

Blood stained her purple hair as her bow slipped from her fingers.

She looked toward Riven.

Her crimson eyes were still open.

Then the life left them.

His world narrowed once again.

"Sera."

Mira screamed.

She threw herself toward the fallen archer.

A mercenary intercepted her.

Mira raised her barrier.

"Stay away from her!"

The battleaxe came down.

The barrier cracked.

Mira pushed more mana into it.

The violet gem in her forehead flashed violently.

"Please!"

The second strike shattered the barrier.

The axe tore through her robes and struck her torso.

Mira staggered.

Her spell collapsed.

She looked down at the blood spreading across her clothing.

Then she looked toward Riven.

Her eyes were confused.

Almost apologetic.

"I couldn’t..."

Her knees gave out.

She collapsed beside Fen.

The violet light in her forehead faded.

Silence followed.

Riven stood completely motionless.

Fen was dead.

Sera was dead.

Mira was dead.

Three people.

Three friends.

Three lives that had existed beside him every day for months.

Gone in seconds.

His hand tightened around his sword.

His breathing slowed.

The world around him silenced

He could hear the wind.

The falling snow.

Nyx’s distant growl.

His own heartbeat.

Riven slowly raised his head.

His eyes were no longer calm.

They were empty.

The noble girl remained hidden behind the basalt pillar, trembling silently.

Riven stepped forward.

One step.

Then another.

Blood dripped from his blade.

His expression did not change.

But the shadows around his feet began to move.

Riven said nothing.

For the first time since leaving the abyss, he felt the darkness reaching for him again.

But this time, it wasn’t madness calling.

It was rage.