Velkath – The Calm Before the Storm
The city of Velkath was unusually quiet.
Rumors spread like wildfire—the battle at Eryndor Estate, Draymore’s crushing defeat, and *The Whisper* failing to kill his mark. Every noble, crime lord, and mercenary group watched from the shadows, waiting for the next move.
Leon Eryndor didn’t intend to keep them waiting.
In the ruined halls of his estate, plans were being set in motion.
---
Eryndor Estate – Gathering the Wolves
Leon leaned over a large wooden table, a map of Velkath spread before him. Celica stood beside him, arms crossed, while Aldric sharpened his axe in the corner.
"The attack on us wasn’t just Draymore’s doing," Leon muttered, tracing his finger along the map. "He had backing—resources, mercenaries, and assassins willing to fight a war. That means allies. And allies mean *weak links*."
Celica smirked. "You want to *break* his foundation before he can strike back."
Leon nodded. "We don’t just defend—we *hunt*. We take away his resources, one by one, until he has nothing left."
Aldric grunted. "And where do we start?"
Leon’s eyes gleamed with cold determination.
"*The Black Veil Syndicate*."
Celica’s smirk faded. "They supply Draymore with smuggled weapons and hired blades. If we hit them first—"
"He bleeds before he even draws his sword," Leon finished.
Aldric grinned. "Finally. A proper fight."
Leon turned to the others in the room—his remaining forces, the survivors of the battle. They were fewer than before, but their eyes burned with resolve.
"The war isn’t over," Leon said, voice steady. "This is just the beginning. If you stay with me, we *destroy* Draymore, piece by piece. If you leave—" He gestured to the open doors. "Now is your chance."
No one moved.
Celica grinned. "Looks like we’re all in."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Leon nodded. "Then let’s begin."
---
The Black Veil Syndicate – The First Strike
Night fell over Velkath.
In a hidden corner of the city, the Black Veil Syndicate’s hideout sat within an old warehouse, its doors guarded by men in dark armor, their weapons gleaming under the torchlight. Inside, crates of contraband were stacked high—illegal firearms, stolen artifacts, and untraceable poisons.
They never saw it coming.
Leon’s men struck like ghosts.
Silent knives slit throats.
Crossbow bolts found targets in the dark.
Guards collapsed without a sound, their bodies dragged into the shadows.
Then the real attack began.
Aldric led the charge, smashing through the warehouse doors like a battering ram, his axe carving through the nearest enemy. Leon followed, his saber cutting down a man before he could even raise an alarm.
Celica danced through the chaos, her daggers flickering under the dim torchlight, slicing tendons and throats with lethal precision.
The syndicate’s men fought back, but they were outmatched—Eryndor’s forces *were* battle-hardened.
Within minutes, it was over.
The warehouse burned.
Leon stood among the flames, watching as the Black Veil Syndicate was reduced to *ash*.
"One down," he murmured. "Many more to go."
Celica wiped blood from her blade. "Draymore’s going to feel this."
"That’s the point."
Aldric kicked a corpse aside. "So what’s next?"
Leon turned, his expression unreadable.
"We pay a visit to Draymore’s *financiers*."
---
House Draymore – The Response
Kain Draymore sat in his dimly lit study, listening as his advisor delivered the news.
The Black Veil Syndicate—*gone*. Their operations destroyed, their leaders *dead*.
Leon Eryndor had moved faster than anticipated.
Kain’s fingers tapped against the wooden desk, slow and deliberate. His face betrayed no emotion, but the air in the room grew heavy with tension.
His advisor hesitated. "Do we retaliate, my lord?"
Kain smiled.
"No."
The advisor blinked. "No?"
Kain stood, walking to the window overlooking his vast estate.
"Leon fights like a *warrior*," Kain said. "But wars aren’t won on the battlefield alone. He thinks he’s in control—cutting my allies, limiting my resources."
He turned, eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"But he’s forgetting one thing."
The advisor swallowed. "And what’s that, my lord?"
Kain’s smile widened.
"*I have something he doesn’t.*"
His gaze fell to a single letter resting on his desk—sealed with the insignia of *The Silent Order*.
A name. A bounty. A death sentence.
Leon Eryndor had just *declared war on a shadow*.
And Kain was about to introduce him to the darkness.
---
Eryndor Estate – The Assassin Approaches
Leon sat in his chambers, his saber resting against the table. The night was quiet—too quiet.
Celica had already gone to scout their next target. Aldric was reinforcing their defenses.
But Leon felt it.
A presence.
A *watching* gaze.
He exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around his weapon.
Then—
The candlelight flickered.
A whisper of movement.
Leon rolled *just in time* as a blade slashed through the air where his throat had been.
His attacker was fast. *Too fast.*
Leon barely caught the next strike, his saber clashing against a curved dagger. The force behind it sent him skidding back.
He saw his opponent for the first time.
Dark clothing. A mask covering the lower half of their face.
And eyes—cold, empty, *merciless*.
Leon smirked.
"*So he finally sent someone worth killing.*"
The assassin said nothing.
They lunged.
The room became a storm of steel.
Leon Eryndor had won many battles.
But tonight, he fought for his *life*.
---
End of Chapter Seventeen
