Chapter 78: Red-Sash Raiders

Garris’s eyes moved across the four riders, quickly taking in their positions and the narrow road around them.

Just four men.

Garris had more than ten well armed guards at his disposal, and most were adequately skilled at fighting.

The odds were definitely in his favor.

However, a bad feeling gripped him.

Each of the four looters was composed and relaxed, despite being heavily outnumbered.

They were perched comfortably on their steeds, and their free hands held their sabers loosely as they leisurely eyed the caravan guards with mocking amusement.

It was not the air of cocky assurance worn by desperate men.

No, it was the aura of assured hunters who knew exactly what prey they were going to dine on.

A cold shudder rippled through the caravan guards.

It was not the work of common bandits.

No matter how desperate a village bandit might be, he would never willingly attempt to rob a caravan with more than ten armed guards.

Unless they had some assurance of victory.

This was evident on the faces of the four marauders.

The horseman at the front of the caravan reined his steed up to a halt, blocking the caravan’s advance.

The horseman stepped out of the fog, revealing a rugged looking man named Vane.

A jagged horizontal scar marred his left cheek, giving him the appearance of an unshaven fiend.

His eyes were cold and calculating.

There was no fear in them, only the sadistic expectation of blood.

Vane’s steed came to a halt a few feet from the lead carriage, and he dismounted with the practiced ease of a seasoned killer.

Without hurry, Vane transferred his saber to his shoulder.

The blade glinted faintly in the eerie amethyst light of the twin moons.

Vane slowly lowered the weapon, the tip of which hovered just inches from Garris’s chest.

He gave Garris a cruel little smile, and with an almost serene voice, Vane informed the caravan guards of his demands.

A quiet, emotionless voice such as his only made the threats sound more frightening.

The villagers were to abandon all pursuit, including the four carriages, the treasures they contained, and even the horses.

The villagers were to unload whatever cargo they had and abandon it on the mountain road.

As a reward for their "cooperation", Vane would allow them to live.

Not for long, as he stated in a bored tone, should they dare to refuse.

The horseman’s expressionless gaze swept over the caravan guards.

But the moment his icy blue eyes met Garris’s, a menacing smile curled his lips.

Vane tapped the flat of his saber idly against his shoulder, and said coolly, "Before dawn, every one of you will be dead."

He glanced toward the ravine alongside the road, and added, "And the animals down there can decide what to do with the bodies."

The silent threat hung heavily in the air, but not a single guard lowered his weapon.

Garris stood in the front rank, his muscles tight as he locked eyes with Vane.

The other guards fanned out around him, maintaining an uneven battle line, and keeping the wagon train behind them covered by their weapons.

Now, Vane waited expectantly for an answer.

Inside the rear carriage, Shadow One remained still.

He had not exited the compartment.

He did not intend to do so, not yet.

Shadow One kept his eyes closed, and slow steady breaths escaped his nostrils, giving him the appearance of a sleeping giant.

However, his spiritual awareness was already scanning the four marauders outside the carriage.

He could feel the power in each of their muscles, could sense the sluggish flow of mortal Qi in their veins, could even count the steady beat of their hearts.

Their weapons were no mystery to him either.

He could see past the leather scabbards to the high quality steel within, and could detect the wear and balance of each blade.

He knew what each of the four riders were capable of, and he knew how those abilities would translate on to the battlefield..

Outside the carriage, Vane was becoming impatient.

His fingers drummed restlessly against the hilt of his saber as he waited for Garris to answer his demand.

"Well?" Vane barked, his voice cutting through the dense fog.

"Have you made your decision yet?"

Inside the rear wagon, Shadow One remained silent.

The evaluation was complete.

To the caravan guards, the four horsemen were nothing more than ruthless marauders who had blocked their path with no possible escape.

To Shadow One, they were nothing more than four variables that had conveniently revealed themselves to him.

Unfortunately for Vane, he had chosen to reveal himself to Shadow One.

The long shadowy shapes of the Blackwood mountains loomed over the caravan, their jagged peaks blotting out the fitful light of Velmora’s twin purple moons.

Heavy fog rolled over the road, muffling all sound and cloaking the dark mass of the caravan in a thick blanket of concealing gray.

Along the mountain ridge, Garris stood rigidly in front of the lead wagon, his eyes locked onto the lone horseman who blocked their path.

A cold sweat had broken out on his forehead, and already the mountain chill had leached the moisture from the fluid, making it gluey and hot.

Slowly, Garris shifted his gaze from the scarred face of Vane to the blood red sashes adorning the waists of the four horsemen.

The blood drained from Garris’s face.

The Red-Sash Mountain Bandits!

They were infamous throughout the mountain provinces, and no self respecting merchant or caravan master would ever dream of crossing them.

Garris’s heart pounded furiously in his chest.

The narrow confines of the mountain road, the dense fog, the ravine, and the sight of the four horsemen suddenly fell into place in his mind, revealing the obvious.

Someone had tipped off these bandits, and now they were culling the trade route.

His mind raced, searching desperately for any opening, any weakness to exploit.

Any possible advantage.

Garris closed his eyes, and carefully pulled the precious strands of mortal Qi from his body.

His spiritual sense reached out tentatively, probing past the veil of fog until it met the four horsemen blocking the caravan.

Garris inhaled slowly, centering his being on the task at hand.

He needed to know what kind of enemy he was dealing with.