Chapter 234 – Ambushing The Ambusher.

The hooves struck stone in a restless rhythm. Varkas sat tall in the saddle at the front of the formation, a black cloak draped over polished armor. Torchlight danced across his face, sharpening the lines carved there by sleepless nights and rising fury.

“They think we are prey. They think we will scatter like rats.”

His voice was not loud, yet his people heard him clearly. The group was much smaller than usual as the toll of the last few weeks took hold. Their numbers had dwindled tremendously, and many had abandoned the stronghold. They had distanced themselves once they realized someone was hunting them. The ones who remained were not afraid. They were Varkas’s most loyal men.

“While we have lost some men, we have not lost our fangs,”

Varkas continued, his gaze sweeping across the diminished ranks.

“We regroup. We rebuild. After we transport this deposit safely, we will replenish our numbers with adventurers and mercenaries there. We will find whoever is responsible for this and deal with him the way hounds deal with their prey. We will tear them limb from limb.”

A whisper of agreement rippled through the mounted Hounds. Behind them, a heavily reinforced wagon creaked forward. Iron-banded chests sat chained within, each stamped with the lord’s emblem. Gold and other treasures lay inside, and this was a mission they could not fail. There was enough gold to recruit twice their former numbers, along with capable trackers to discover who had been trying to erase them.

“Leader, are you sure about this? Once we leave the settlement…”

“I know. You do not need to tell me.”

Varkas raised his hand as a rider approached. He was larger than the others and carried a massive axe strapped across his back.

“No matter what, we must complete this mission. Our future depends on it. Once we overcome this hurdle and prove ourselves, our name will rise again.”

“… Yes, Captain.”

The man nodded and did not press further. Yet from afar, someone was already watching the group. His form blended into the shadows, and even from this distance, he could hear every word they said.

‘They are probably expecting us to be there, but this is the best and perhaps the only chance I will get.’`

Rusty remained still, watching the carriage roll out with ten horsemen surrounding it and five more guards inside for added protection. The group was no longer large, thanks to his nightly raids and careful subterfuge. With Aburdon’s help, he had turned many of these humanoids against one another. Now he only needed to finish the job.

His true target had always been Varkas, their leader. The mercenaries could be replaced in time, but that did not matter. The man had crossed him for long enough. For that, he needed to disappear.

The carriage was similar to the one he had attacked before. It carried a fair amount of wealth and appeared to be a bribe prepared by the city’s noble. Rusty had no idea who the intended recipient was, but given the political structure of these lands, it had to be someone above Borran Vexen. Likely a higher noble who helped him maintain his power in exchange for payment.

After Gleam and Aburdon examined the documents, they learned the routes the carriage would take. With that information, choosing the ideal location for an ambush was not difficult. Even so, this would not be an easy mission for their small group of four. If they failed to act now, the ranks of the Hounds would be replenished once the carriage returned, and Rusty would be forced to launch another attack. He doubted he could continue that cycle forever. Sooner or later, he would be caught or overwhelmed. This group had to be eliminated now, and their leader had to answer for his crimes.

The gates groaned as they opened, and the column of riders passed beyond the city walls. The Hounds were leaving not only to deliver gold, but to survive. Their banner fluttered in the wind as they followed the familiar trade road. Beyond the fields lay a forest, and beyond the forest another settlement, a place where coin could quickly turn into blades.

Rusty watched from the shadows of the gate tower until the last torchlight vanished down the road.

“So this is it.”

“Finally.”

Aburdon cackled inside the helmet.

“No more games. No more little hunts. Just death.”

Alexander’s voice was quieter.

“We should be careful. Even with their numbers diminished, this will not be easy.”

Gleam wiggled her antennae.

“( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و”

Rusty nodded and shrank into his miniature form so he could climb onto Gleam’s back and take flight. They soared into the sky, heading toward the place where they would set their ambush.

They flew above the mounted mercenaries and their carriage. The riders scanned their surroundings, but to them Gleam would appear to be nothing more than a bird in the sky. They could not imagine that an intelligent monster was pursuing them, and that was Rusty’s greatest weapon. He was an unknown enemy who could not be fought by ordinary means.

“Just as planned. We will strike when they cross that chasm. They will have nowhere to flee.”

Most of the journey followed the main road, but halfway through they would take a shortcut. It passed through a narrow gorge that offered the perfect ambush point and gave Rusty the high ground. At their current speed, he and Gleam arrived more than half a day earlier, leaving plenty of time to prepare the trap.

Rusty worked in his goliath frame, pushing boulders into position and hiding magical charges where Aburdon and Alexander directed for maximum impact. Once everything was in place, he turned to Gleam.

“Gleam, much of this plan depends on you. Can you do it?”

“( •̀ ᴗ •́ )و”

“Good. I knew I could trust you.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rusty secured a few straps on Gleam’s enchanted armor and adjusted the satchel fastened beneath her abdomen. It held several small tube-like attachments, each sealed with a lid.

“Do you remember how to use this?”

Gleam bobbed her head in a distinctly human nod. Soon, faint vibrations trembled through the ground. The mercenaries were approaching, their horses entering the narrow gorge.

“They are coming. It is time.”

“( •̀ ᴗ •́ )”

Gleam leaped and shot into the sky. Rusty waited a moment before stepping toward a metal plate etched with enchantments and set to activate on a timer. Using his life detection skill and Aburdon’s guidance, he calculated the precise moment, triggered the simple device, and moved into position below.

Rusty slid down into the gorge. It was not especially tall, but steep enough that horses or humans would struggle to climb it quickly. At the bottom, suits of armor already lay sprawled across the ground. Most were near his landing point, though several were positioned along the sides for a surprise attack.

“Who goes there?”