Chapter 5

Several days passed as Vyth continued training with Llyris. Their movements showed how perfectly they had learned to move together. During the quiet sessions, they almost understood each other without words.

For a moment they stopped. Vyth wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave Llyris a faint smile, who was catching his breath.

Then the sound of footsteps broke the silence. Both of them turned around.

The Commander was approaching. His posture was straight, his steps firm as he crossed the edge of the training ground. No escort, no formal announcement, only him.

"Commander." the two young men greeted him at once, straightening immediately.

The man gave a curt nod.

Vyth and Llyris quickly set aside their weapons and stepped forward. They were clearly surprised by his visit.

"High Priest Aryn is currently occupied, so she asked me to deliver your next assignment." he began plainly, with no formality. "In a nearby village, a well-known mercenary group has set up their headquarters. We’ve encountered them before, criminals, extortionists, smugglers. Some even have blood on their hands."

Vyth frowned. "And now they’ve taken shelter there?"

"According to reports, they’re recruiting. They might be preparing for a larger contract, but we don’t yet know what for." The Commander stopped in front of them, glancing briefly into both their eyes. "Your task is simple, infiltrate them. Assess their strength and intentions from within, and when the time comes, arrest them."

Llyris listened intently. "So we don’t attack them yet?"

"No. High Priest Aryn has decided we take a different approach this time." The Commander paused briefly, then added in a quieter tone. "It won’t be an easy mission. You’ll need to move carefully. If they discover who you are, it’s over."

Vyth and Llyris nodded in unison. The Commander stood silent for a moment longer, then turned and left. No more words were needed.

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Llyris looked at Vyth.

"So we’re blending in with mercenaries." he said quietly, though a spark of excitement was already in his voice.

"Looks like it." Vyth replied.

"And how do we do that? Just walk in and offer our services?"

"No. We’ll scout the village first. If they’re looking for fighters, we’ll make sure they notice us."

Llyris smiled. "Then all we have to do is show them what we can do."

Vyth glanced back at the training ground where they had just been sparring.

"We leave tomorrow." he said finally.

Llyris nodded.

Vyth and Llyris set out early the next morning through the streets of Glelrun. They didn’t speak much, both knew what needed to be done. Their first stop was a small weapon shop where they wouldn’t attract too much attention. The store was narrow, its walls lined with swords, daggers, and various types of blades.

Vyth took down a dark, slightly worn sword from the wall, turned the hilt in his hand, and nodded. "This one looks ordinary enough."

Llyris chose a smaller, lighter blade and picked up a few throwing knives from another shelf. "We need weapons that won’t give away who we are."

Their next stop was a clothing shop. The racks weren’t filled with Guardian armor but with simple travel and mercenary outfits, worn cloth, leather straps, and dull shades of gray and brown.

"This will do." Llyris said, holding up a dark gray hooded cloak.

Vyth chose a dark brown, slightly weathered coat with a simple shirt and breastplate underneath. "Plain enough not to draw attention."

By the time they had gone through the shops, they had gathered everything they needed, a few portions of dried food, bandages, and basic survival gear. Nothing special, nothing that would stand out. Every item served one purpose, to help them blend in among the mercenaries.

By noon, they were ready. Weapons at their sides, cloaks over their shoulders. Everything they needed for their new roles was in place. Only the mission itself remained.

They didn’t hurry. The nearby village wasn’t far, only a few hours’ walk away, yet both of them could feel that this quiet beginning was only the surface.

The path curved along the edge of the forest, then led between small hills. From time to time, they passed wild animals. A pheasant burst out from the bushes, and a fox darted across the road in the distance. Everything seemed peaceful.

"Looks like a calm area." Vyth remarked, scanning the landscape with his eyes.

"Only on the surface." Llyris replied. "According to the reports, there have been more and more attacks around here. And not by demons. Just common criminals."

Barely half an hour passed before his words proved true. Three men blocked the road, dressed in rags and holding rusty weapons, but with confident stances.

"This is a toll road." one of them said, drawing his sword.

Vyth glanced at Llyris, then drew his own blade in a single motion. The fight was brief. The three attackers were quickly knocked to the ground. They made sure not to cause fatal injuries.

"So much for the toll." Vyth said as he wiped the blood from his sword.

Llyris looked around and nodded. "No wonder the locals are afraid. If people like this roam the roads, no one is safe anymore."

They continued on. After the hills, the path sloped gently downward, following a small stream. Here and there they passed an abandoned hut or a crumbling fence, signs that this place had once been inhabited.

By late afternoon, they arrived. The village wasn’t large. It consisted of a few streets, a central square, and several small buildings. Most of the houses were made of wood, with only a few built of stone. Some were completely neglected.

The streets of the village were quiet. The people didn’t rush, but their eyes moved cautiously over the strangers. Vyth and Llyris knew they wouldn’t get answers quickly. This was not a place where people willingly shared their thoughts.

They walked around the main square, then entered a few smaller shops, a blacksmith’s workshop, and an inn. The first few conversations brought nothing. Only shrugs, lowered gazes, or curt refusals.

Finally, an aging fruit vendor, after making sure no one was watching, leaned closer from behind his stand and whispered a name.

"Black Raven... people don’t say it out loud here. No one wants trouble. But if you’re really looking for them, you’ll need to go through a middleman. They don’t speak to anyone directly."

"A middleman?" Vyth asked quietly, leaning forward slightly.

"They say there’s someone in the village, but I don’t know who it is."

Vyth nodded. "Thank you."

The man didn’t answer. He just lowered his gaze and began arranging his goods quickly, as if they had never spoken.

Llyris spoke softly.

"Black Raven... I’ve heard that name before. But I never thought they had such deep roots around here."

"If they’re really hiding this well, it won’t be easy to get in." Vyth said. "But if they want to make sure only those with serious intentions reach them... well, then that’s exactly what we’ll show them."

An hour later, as they walked along a dusty side street, three men blocked their way. A middle-aged, stubbled man stepped forward from the center. His clothes were simple, but his movements carried a raw confidence. The two men behind him stayed close, one resting an axe on his shoulder, the other watching with crossed arms.

"I heard two wanderers have been asking about the Black Raven." the man in the center said, his voice dry and coarse. "And I don’t like strangers poking their noses where they don’t belong."

Vyth looked back calmly. "We’re not poking around. We’re looking for work."

"We heard there’s a mercenary group operating in this village." Llyris added. "We’re not here to ask questions. We just do our job."

The man’s eyebrows rose. There was a brief silence.

"You want to be mercenaries?" he asked finally.

"If the pay is good." Vyth replied.

The man smiled. "We are looking for new members. But with us, things are decided by skill... and by who survives the test."

With a single gesture, the two men behind him stepped forward. They didn’t ask, didn’t warn. They simply attacked.

Vyth and Llyris reacted instinctively. Swords flashed, blades clashed. The fight was short, but fierce. Their opponents were skilled, not amateurs. Yet Vyth’s movements were precise. He shifted from defense to offense, swiftly parrying the strikes before countering with a quick twist that sent one man to the ground.

Llyris was no less capable. He moved lightly, and though his opponent relied on brute strength, he changed rhythm, sidestepped, and struck across, knocking the weapon out of his hands. None of the attackers were seriously hurt, but the outcome was clear.

The middleman had watched the entire fight in silence. When it was over, he glanced at the two fallen men for a moment, then lifted his gaze back to Vyth.

"Not bad." he said finally. "Definitely... not bad."

With that, he turned and left without another word.

Vyth and Llyris stood silently where they were. Neither spoke.

A few minutes later, another man approached. He was tall, wearing a black coat, with two blades at his side. His movements carried the calm precision of trained strength. His face was lean, his gaze sharp.

"You’re the ones who just defeated my men?" he asked.

"That would be us." Vyth replied.

The man nodded. "I lead the Black Raven. And it seems... there’s a place for you in the group."

He studied them in silence for a long moment, then turned and gestured for them to follow.

Vyth and Llyris exchanged a glance, then followed him without a word.

The man led them along a narrow path that wound beyond the village, toward a secluded, bush-covered rise. There stood the Black Raven’s temporary camp. A few tents, a rack of weapons, a fire pit, and a rickety stable.

Their leader stopped and glanced back.

"This is one of our hideouts. Small contracts start from here. And yours starts from here now."

Vyth and Llyris said nothing, they just listened.

"Today’s job was ordered by a local gang. They have long been at odds with another group, but now they’ve had enough. They want us to take care of it for them."

"What exactly does take care of it mean?" Vyth asked cautiously.

The man’s eyes flashed. "Kill everyone who is there."

Silence fell. Without a word, Vyth and Llyris looked at each other, then nodded. They did not object.

The man left them, and they were left alone.

For a while they stood by the campfire, while the mercenaries around them paid no attention. Someone was roasting meat on a rusty grate, elsewhere the sound of a card game drifted through the tents. In the background a man laughed, but none of the sounds sounded sincere.

Llyris spoke first, quietly. "This is not a scouting job. This is murder."

"It is." Vyth nodded. "But if we refuse, we blow our cover."

Llyris looked at the ground, then added softly. "Criminals..."

"If we do not kill them, someone else will." Vyth’s voice was stern but calm. "We have a mission. We do what must be done."

Llyris nodded, but his movement was tense. He did not like the decision either.

The departure took place after nightfall. There were five of them. Vyth, Llyris, and three other mercenaries. All three were experienced, fast, and carried out their orders without question.

The target was a deserted outpost made up of crumbling buildings, where the rival gang was hiding. They reached the first house in silence. One of the mercenaries entered first, then signaled. Two men were inside, one sleeping, the other writing something. Not a single word was spoken. The blades did the work.

Vyth hesitated for a moment when they stepped out.

Llyris was pale, but said nothing. He knew there was no turning back.

They took the houses one by one. There was someone in every building, and everywhere they left bodies behind. A man tried to escape through the window, but one of the mercenaries pinned him to the ground with a throwing knife. Another pulled a weapon from behind the door, but Vyth struck him down on instinct.

The gang members were not prepared for this. Some never even grabbed their weapons, others tried desperately to flee or fight back. But the mercenaries moved in perfect coordination. One always covered the entrances, another watched the back exits, and Vyth, though he fought against himself with every strike, made no mistake.

The assault was swift and merciless.

As the gang’s numbers dwindled, they drew closer to the central building, an old two-story house that served as the gang leader’s residence. Its door was locked, but one of the mercenaries broke it open with his shoulder. Inside, it was dark. From deeper within the house came faint sounds. Whispering, movement, the murmur of magic.

"Now comes the hard part." Llyris said quietly.

An explosion shook the entry hall. Fire burst from the doorway, throwing the intruders back. The walls trembled as the gang leader stepped out of the shadows. A cloak over his shoulders, a curved blade in his hand, fury burning in his eyes.

"Filthy assassins." he hissed, and with a single motion of his hand, fired a bolt of magic lightning at one of the mercenaries. The man dove to the side, but the lightning still burned away half of his cloak.

"Now they know we're here." Vyth remarked, stepping forward.

Inside the house, at least six gang members stood behind the leader, ready to fight. The corridor was narrow, and the battle turned chaotic. Llyris tried to flank them through the back door, while Vyth and the others held the attackers from the front.

The gang leader cast another spell. The floor cracked, a column of fire erupted, and one of the mercenaries was thrown against the wall. Vyth felt the wave of heat, but did not stop. He wanted to get closer. This kind of magic was dangerous only from a distance.

With a single burst of movement, he lunged forward, blocking another spell and slashing his blade toward the leader’s arm. The man stumbled back, his magic faltered. Llyris was already behind him.

They struck together. The leader tried to defend himself, but he had no chance. His body fell to the floor, and the house slowly grew silent around him.

The remaining gang members began to back away, dropping their weapons. Vyth did not pursue them. The contract was clear, but there was no point in continuing.

The battle was over, but no one rested. The mercenaries immediately scattered and began searching through the buildings. They kicked down every door, checked every corner. The weapons, purses, and tools that had fallen to the ground were all collected.

Vyth and Llyris stayed in the gang leader’s house, where the body still lay on the floor. One of their fellow mercenaries discovered something behind a cabinet. He tapped it, hit it a few times, then called the others.

"Something’s behind it." he said.

Within minutes, they found the hidden door. The latch clicked, and it slowly opened. A narrow corridor led to a separate room.

Inside, the light was dim, but what they saw took everyone’s breath away. The room was packed with gold, silver, gems, and coins. Along the walls, shelves were lined with dusty books and strange relics. Among them were several sealed chests, some protected by magic.

Llyris pointed to an ornate box from which a faint light was shining.

"This... is a Holy Relic." he said quietly to Vyth. "I can feel its power."

The mercenaries stared for a moment, then began gathering everything. They clearly had no idea what they had found, nor did they care. The loot was all that mattered.

Vyth stepped closer to one of the shelves, where an amulet made of strange metal was lying. He did not touch it, just stared.

"This might be a Holy Relic too." he thought.

By the time they packed everything, the night had grown late. They started back toward the camp, with heavy bags, bloodstained clothes, and exhaustion in their eyes.

Not long after their return, they were already on the road again. The loot was left behind at the hideout, and they took only one bag with them. The client’s gang was waiting at an abandoned outbuilding on the edge of the village.

The meeting began in silence. One of the mercenaries placed the bloodied bag on the ground, then stepped back with his arms crossed.

"It’s done. The gang is finished, just as you asked." he said.

The client, a thin man with a mustache, stood in the back with several of his associates. None of them moved.

"Good work." the man replied, but he did not reach for the bag. "However... I regret to inform you that there will be no payment."

Silence followed.

"What?" one of the mercenaries asked quietly.

"If I’m not mistaken, you kept much of what they had gathered. That is far more payment than what we agreed upon."

Another mercenary tightened his grip on his weapon. Vyth and Llyris exchanged a glance. It was not hard to guess what was about to happen.

The clients did not wait. The first arrow came from the side, striking one of the mercenaries in the shoulder. Then everything happened at once. A dozen armed men rushed out of the outbuilding, attacking the Black Raven with full force.

The fight was chaotic, swift, and brutal. The mercenaries defended themselves, but the enemy outnumbered them. Two of them fell within the first minute. One was crushed under the collapsing wall after a magical explosion tore through the yard.

Vyth stepped forward, cut off an attacker’s path, then dodged a strike. Llyris covered his back, his blade constantly moving. The remaining members of the Black Raven tried to hold their ground, but their numbers kept dwindling.

The clients had not expected the two new members to possess such strength.

Vyth fought two opponents at once, while Llyris battled three men in the open. One tried to strike from the side, but Vyth noticed in time and drove his blade through the man’s chest before he could attack.

The mustached man retreated and tried to turn the tide with magic, but his spell was too slow. A mercenary got behind him and struck him down.

The attackers finally faltered. Some fled, others surrendered. The battle was over.

The Black Raven had won. But at a heavy cost.

Only a few of the mercenaries remained alive. The rest either lay dead or wounded on the ground.

Vyth slowly looked around, then silently walked toward the clients’ supplies. Coins, jewelry, weapons, everything they found went into the bags. It was no longer payment, only reparation.

Llyris watched quietly, then helped him pack.

Soon after, they set off back toward the hideout. The sound of bags dragging through the mud, the smell of smoke on their clothes, and the weight of their losses wrapped them in silence.

The hideout remained dark and quiet. The survivors sat around the fire in exhaustion, spending the night tending their wounds in silence.

Vyth and Llyris moved aside, but they did not wait long. When they saw the time had come, they stepped out of the shadows, weapons in hand.

"This is the end." Vyth said. "In the name of the Guardians, we are placing you under arrest."

Only the crackling of the fire could be heard. Surprise, then anger appeared on the mercenaries’ faces. Their leader, his clothes stained with blood, slowly stood up.

"You... are Guardians?" he spat on the ground. "You deceived us."

"Surrender." Llyris said.

"I will not surrender." the man said, then gave a signal.

Some of the remaining mercenaries drew their weapons. The fight became inevitable. The sides were not balanced, but fatigue, wounds, and losses had taken their toll.

Vyth clashed with an attacker who moved with surprising speed. Their blades struck, sparks flew, but Vyth finally overpowered him and knocked him down.

Llyris held off two attackers, his blade moving fast, deflecting blows until one of them fell to his knees.

The leader fought to the very end. He charged at Vyth and with a powerful strike almost tore the sword from his hand. Vyth jumped back, then with a sudden movement struck from the side. The man staggered, fell to his knees, but did not die. Llyris approached from behind and finally knocked him out.

When the battle ended, the area around the hideout grew silent again. Three mercenaries lay motionless, the others either surrendered wounded or could no longer stand.

Vyth and Llyris tied up the survivors, including the leader, then took all of them with them.

Upon returning to Glelrun, they brought the prisoners straight to the Commander. The man looked over them silently, then raised his eyes to Vyth.

"You have succeeded."

"Yes." Vyth nodded. "The Black Raven is finished. We captured their leader and we know where their headquarters is. There are Holy Relics there, a lot of gold, and various artifacts."

The Commander nodded.

"I will inform High Priest Aryn. You have done well."

Vyth did not answer. Neither did Llyris.

They simply stood in silence as the prisoners were led away.