Chapter 1: Black Sword and Crimson Scales (Part - 1)

  ?Near the boundary of Thalmyris and Velkaad — The Koring Forests

  ?"Hurry it up, you fool! We must transport the cargo to the village before nightfall. I do not want to waste another second here mending this stupid carriage, Gunther!"

  ?The man in charge paced irritably, his voice cutting through the damp air of the forest. He glared at the stout man kneeling in the mud, struggling with a splintered wheel.

  ?"Gunther fix, boss... Don’t be angry... Gunther fix fast," the big man replied in a low rumble, never lifting his gaze from his work.

  ?"You better," the leader grumbled, sitting heavily on a nearby rock. He wiped the road dust from his clothes, his eyes darting toward the dense treeline. "And where are those idiots, Lance and Altos? Don’t tell me they’re off enjoying the scenery while we’re sitting ducks out here!"

  ?The forest offered no answer but the snapping of twigs. Suddenly, the bushes erupted.

  ?A man bolted into the clearing—Lance. He was bloodied, his clothes torn to shreds, his face a mask of pure, primal terror. He stumbled, collapsing into the dirt before his comrades.

  ?"Lance?! What the hell—why are you like this?!" The leader jumped up, his hand flying to the hilt of his dagger. Gunther stood slowly, his confusion turning to fear. "Where’s Altos?!"

  ?The bushes rustled again, but no one ran out this time. Instead, a shadow emerged, slow and deliberate.

  ?It was a man clad in black, his presence heavy enough to still the wind. In his right hand, he gripped a blackened sword that seemed to swallow the light. In his left, he dragged a limp, bloodied body by the collar—Altos, or what was left of him.

  ?The Black Knight tossed the body aside like a piece of refuse. His helmeted head tilted slightly, his voice a low, vibrating growl that crawled up their spines.

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  ?"The girl. Where is she?"

  The leader’s breath hitched. He looked at Altos’s mangled form, then back at the towering silhouette. "I... I don't know what you're talking about! We’re just merchants! Cargo! We just carry cargo!"

  ?The Black Knight didn't move. The rain began to hiss against the embers of the leader’s dying campfire.

  ?"Merchant's don't carry manacles forged in Velkaad," the Knight responded. He stepped forward, the mud squelching beneath his heavy boots.

  ?Gunther, driven by a sudden, desperate instinct, grabbed a heavy iron lug wrench from his tool pile and lunged. "Leave boss alone!"

  ?The Knight didn't even turn his head. With a fluid, terrifying speed, he swiped his blackened blade in a short arc. There was no clang of metal—only the sickening thwack of steel meeting flesh and bone. Gunther’s tool clattered to the ground, followed shortly by the man himself, clutching a shoulder that was now pouring crimson into the dirt. He wasn't dead, but he was broken.

  ?The leader scrambled back, tripping over the rock he had been sitting on. "Wait! Wait! The Dragon-girl with the crimson scales? The one from the village?"

  ?The Knight stopped. The tip of his sword carved a shallow line in the earth. "Speak."

  ?"She—she isn't here! We sold her off to a high-profile transport three hours ago! They’re headed for the Velkaad border. A specialized unit! Please, I’m just the middleman!"

  ?The Knight stood perfectly still. The silence that followed was worse than the screaming. The leader dared to look up, hoping for mercy, but all he saw was the cold, indifferent reflection of the forest and rain water on the Knight's visor.

  ?"I left her at the village," the Knight whispered, more to himself than the man. "... and you took her."

  ?"We were just doing a job!" the leader shrieked.

  ?The Black Knight raised his sword. "So am I."

  ?A single, muffled plea echoed through the Koring Forest, followed by the sound of heavy boots walking away into the darkness. The carriage remained, its cargo gone, its masters silenced with the grunts of Gunther, as he stared into the darkness where the Knight had vanished into.

  ---Three days earlier, the sun still set in gold...