Interception

Deke County City was a medium-sized city. Its walls weren't tall, but they were sturdy. Beyond them stretched an open plain, dotted with only a few scattered patches of woodland that looked like inkblots frozen on the earth in the fading light.

Linley and the others arrived at dusk.

The sun sank in the west, staining the horizon dark red like silk soaked in blood. Deke County City loomed in the twilight, its outline visible, with the faint figures of patrolling soldiers atop its walls. The road outside the city was already deserted. Only the night wind remained, sweeping dust into little whirls as it raced past.

They found a secluded grove outside the city and settled in. It wasn't large, but the trees grew thickly enough to conceal them. Standing at the grove's edge, Linley surveyed the terrain. The main road stretched across the open ground to the north; a dry riverbed lay to the south; and rolling hills rose to the west. If anything went wrong, they had at least two escape routes.

"Let's stay here." Sessler looked around, his thin fingers rubbing the staff in his hand. "We're not far from the road, and the view is good. Their party should come from the north, so all we have to do is wait. This old man can set up a few undead sentries. Nothing within half a mile will escape our notice."

Linley nodded, his gaze settling on the road that stretched into the distance.

The sisters, Rebecca and her younger sibling, were settled in the depths of the grove. The two girls had been jostled along the way, and neither looked well, but they hadn't complained once. Rebecca held her sister and gently comforted her, wiping the dust from her face with a handkerchief. Jennings built a small fire nearby and boiled some rations. Every so often, he glanced at the sisters, pity in his eyes.

"Have some hot water." He handed it to them once it was ready.

Rebecca took it and quietly thanked him. Her sister had already fallen asleep against her, her little face worn with exhaustion, but she slept soundly.

Akes leaned against a tree and took a drink from his waterskin. His gaze passed over the little girl, then shifted toward the distance. He remembered that in the original story, Rebecca had been a stubborn girl who fled with her sister after their parents died, enduring countless hardships along the way. Traveling with Linley and the others meant she no longer had to worry about the Church catching up with them.

"Is Lampson's information reliable?" he asked.

"It should be." Sessler sat down beside him, his voice low. "This old man dug it out of his mind with a soul search. It can't be false. The escort is guarding five people—apparently important 'cargo' the Church values, bound for its headquarters. Lampson didn't know exactly who they were, only that they were strong, all seventh-rank warriors. That's why the escort is so powerful: two ninth-rank warriors, more than a dozen eighth-rank ones, and a Light mage leading them."

Akes said nothing, but a suspicion was taking shape in his mind.

Five people, all warriors, all seventh-rank, valued by the Church—the description was too familiar.

The five Barker brothers.

In the original story, they were descendants of the Undying Warriors, captured by the Radiant Church and later rescued by Linley. They became some of his earliest followers. For now, though, the five probably knew nothing about their bloodline and thought they were ordinary mercenaries. Their ancestors had been powerful figures in the Dragonblood Warrior era, and the blood of the Undying Warriors flowed through their veins. Even without awakening it, their bodies were far stronger than those of warriors of the same rank. The Radiant Church had likely captured them for more than just ordinary prisoners—their bodies could serve as vessels for angels to descend into.

"Let's wait," Linley said.

He sat on a rock and closed his eyes to rest. A Dragonblood Warrior's senses grew sharper at night. He could hear insects chirping in the distance, smell scents carried on the wind, and feel faint vibrations from the earth. Bebe lay across his legs, his little ears twitching as his round black eyes darted around, alert to every sound.

Night deepened.

After setting up his undead sentries, Sessler dozed against a tree. He was old, and though he was powerful, he didn't have the stamina of a young man. He needed to conserve his strength for the battle that might be coming. Jennings had fallen asleep with Rebecca and her sister in his arms. The fire had been put out, leaving only a faint glow among the embers.

Akes didn't sleep.

He leaned against a tree, holding the Soul-Fixing Bead in his hand. Moonlight filtered through the branches, coating the bead in a silvery sheen. The blood-red patterns within it flowed slowly, like living things. He could feel the vast, pure soul energy inside. If he could fully refine it, it would greatly temper his soul.

He put the Soul-Fixing Bead away and looked toward the road. Nothing was visible in the darkness; there was only the wind and the chirping of insects. But Linley had said the party would likely pass through that night. According to Lampson's memories, the escort followed a fixed route, and tonight they were certain to take this road.

Time passed, little by little.

In the latter half of the night, when the moon had begun to sink in the west and the darkness was deepest,

Akes suddenly opened his eyes.

The sound of hoofbeats came from far away. They were faint, but his senses picked them up. He stood and looked toward the road. A party was slowly approaching through the darkness, the light of their torches conspicuous as a fiery dragon winding through the night.

"They're here."

Linley and Sessler woke at the same time. Bebe leaped off Linley's legs, ears pricked, and let out a low growl.

The three of them crouched at the edge of the grove, watching the party draw closer.

The torchlight grew brighter, revealing the general size of the party. More than a dozen mounted warriors rode at the front, clad in leather armor with swords at their waists, warily watching their surroundings. In the middle was a prison carriage pulled by four horses. Its wheels creaked as they rolled along the road. Several more soldiers followed behind it, carrying spears and wearing blank expressions.

The setup was much like the last party's.

But the prisoners were different. The last carriage had held seven or eight people crammed together; this one held only five. Each was bound tightly with thick chains wrapped around his entire body, pinning his hands and feet in place. Faint magical patterns glimmered on the chains in the moonlight.

"Those chains..." Sessler narrowed his eyes, staring at the carriage. "They're engraved with sealing runes meant to restrain warriors. No matter how strong you are, you can't exert your strength while bound by them. And they cut straight into the flesh. Leave them on long enough, and even your blood won't flow properly. Those five have suffered plenty."

Linley's gaze settled on the five men.

They were too far away for him to make out their faces, but they were all burly. Even cramped inside the carriage and bound in chains, they gave off an oppressive air. The largest had broad shoulders and thick arms. Despite his chains, he kept his back straight and his head high. Another looked younger. He leaned against the bars, muttering something to himself.

"Should we attack?" Akes asked.

"Not yet." Linley kept his eyes on the party. "Let them get a little closer. Sessler, get your undead ready. When I give the signal, surround them at once. Let your undead handle the knights. Akes and I will deal with the two ninth-rank warriors and the mage."

Sessler nodded and began murmuring an incantation, reaching out to the undead below the ground.

The party drew closer and closer.

The riders at the front chatted quietly, occasionally laughing. They clearly didn't expect an ambush here, and their guard was down. This stretch of road was usually peaceful, and no bandit group would dare attack a party from the Radiant Church. These knights had escorted prisoners many times and were long accustomed to the tedious journey.

When the party came within range, Linley stood.

Dragonblood surged through him. Blue-black dragon scales burst from beneath his skin and covered his body. His aura climbed from eighth rank all the way to Ninth Rank Peak. His muscles bulged, his claws sharpened, and his pupils narrowed into slits that glimmered in the dark.

He didn't charge out right away. Instead, he looked at Sessler.

Sessler nodded and brought his staff down hard.

The ground split open, and skeletons crawled out, ghostly green flames burning in their eye sockets. Zombies followed, then wraiths, and then several enormous undead creatures: a bone wolf, two ghouls, and a rotting giant. The undead army appeared without a sound at the edge of the grove, a chilling sight in the night, yet not one of them made the slightest noise.

"Attack."

Linley was the first to charge.

He moved so fast that he reached the front of the party in the blink of an eye. His dragon claw slashed down with a shrill whistle that tore through the air. One knight was knocked flying before he could even scream. He crashed into the prison carriage, his chest caved in, and died on the spot. Blood splattered across the bars, still warm.

"Ambush!"

The remaining knights finally reacted and drew their swords. But the undead army was already closing in from both sides. Skeletons and zombies surged into the crowd, while wraiths floated overhead, shrieking sharply and disrupting their senses. Several horses panicked and reared, throwing their riders.

The battle erupted in an instant.

Akes didn't rush in. He stayed at the edge of the grove and watched. He sensed three especially powerful auras in the party, likely ninth rank: two warriors and a mage. The two ninth-rank warriors were fighting Linley. Their swords flashed and Dou Qi burst forth, but Linley's transformed body had astonishing defenses. Their blades left only shallow white marks on his scales.

The mage stood at the rear of the party, already chanting a spell. Holy light gathered in his hands, growing brighter by the moment. He was about to unleash what was probably the Radiant Church's purification spell, designed specifically to counter undead.

Akes raised his hand and fired an arrow of flame formed from the Fallen Heart Flame.

The flame carved a bright trail through the night sky, shooting straight at the mage. Sensing danger, the mage hurriedly stopped chanting and raised a holy-light shield. The arrow of flame smashed into it and exploded with a roar. Cracks spread across the shield, which shattered moments later. The mage staggered backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and stared in terror toward Akes.

But Akes's second arrow had already arrived.

It pierced straight through the mage's chest and emerged from his back in a spray of blood. The mage lowered his head to look at the hole in his chest. His lips moved, but no sound came out, and he slowly fell to the ground. The holy light faded from his body, breaking apart into tiny specks.

The two ninth-rank warriors noticed the mage's death, and their faces changed. One of them shouted, "Hold him off! I'm going to kill that mage!" He started to break away and charge toward the grove, but Linley wasn't about to let him leave. His dragon claw swept across, forcing the man to turn his sword and block.

"Do you think you can get away?" Linley sneered, intensifying his assault.

The other ninth-rank warrior seized the chance to stab Linley in the back. His sword pierced a dragon scale and sank half an inch into his flesh. Linley didn't even furrow his brow. He spun around and struck with a claw, forcing his opponent to retreat in disarray. A Dragonblood Warrior's body healed remarkably fast; a small wound like that would close within a few breaths.

Sessler's undead army had already taken control of the battle.

The seventh- and eighth-rank knights were tangled up with skeletons and zombies, struggling just to hold their ground, let alone break free. Several bone wolves darted through the crowd, biting at the horses' legs. The horses fell with a whinny, throwing their riders, who were then overwhelmed by the surging zombies. Several knights tried to charge toward the prison carriage, but the wraiths disrupted their minds, and they ended up attacking one another. Their blades struck their comrades, spraying blood across the ground.

Screams, clashing weapons, and the low snarls of the undead rang out together beneath the night sky.

Akes paid no attention to the battle around Linley. Instead, he walked toward the prison carriage.

The chains on the carriage were thick, wrapped around the bars and sealing the door shut. Complicated runes were carved into them, giving off a faint golden gleam in the moonlight. They were a sealing spell from the Radiant Church, designed to restrain warriors. He reached out and gripped the chains, then channeled the Fallen Heart Flame.

Flames instantly enveloped the chains, hissing as they burned. The metal glowed red, and the runes flickered a few times before shattering. A few breaths later, the chains snapped and clattered to the ground.

The five burly men inside the carriage stared, stunned.

They looked at the young man before them and at the flames still flickering in his hand. For a moment, none of them knew what to say. The first to react was the burly man with the injured arm. He struggled to his feet and squeezed through the broken chains. The other four followed, climbing out and stretching their stiff limbs.

"Thank you for saving our lives, brother!" the burly man said, cupping his hands. His voice was loud enough to carry clearly across the chaotic battlefield. He looked to be in his early thirties, with a stubbly beard and bloodstained cloth wrapped around his arm. His eyes were bright, and he had a hearty, forthright air about him.

Akes waved a hand without replying and turned to look at the battlefield.

The fight on Linley's side was nearly over.

Of the two ninth-rank warriors, one was dead and the other injured. Linley had knocked the injured one unconscious with a single swipe of his claw; he lay motionless on the ground. The dead man's body lay in a pool of blood, his chest pierced by Linley's dragon claw. Linley reverted from his transformed state and took several deep breaths to calm the Dragonblood surging through him.

The remaining knights were dead or wounded and no longer posed a threat. Sessler's undead continued to hunt down those who had fled, though most had been killed on the spot. Bebe chased down several who tried to escape. The Shadow Mouse was astonishingly fast, biting each one on the leg. Once the poison entered their bodies, they collapsed after only a few more steps.

The battle ended in less than a quarter of an hour.

Sessler directed the undead to clear the battlefield, dragging the bodies into the grove to dispose of them. Most of the knights' horses had bolted in fright, but he casually collected the few that remained and tied them up at the edge of the grove. They were fine horses, well trained, and didn't wander off even without riders.