Chapter 21 – The Report to Thornvale
The wind howled like a beast across the cliffside roads of Thornvale. Dense fog clung to the jagged rock and pine, seeping into the black stone of the keep that loomed high above the valley — Thornspire. Its towers jutted upward like spears, each torchlight flickering with a cold orange glow as a lone figure approached the gate.
Veyne moved with no sound. His cloak, tattered from battle, clung to his body. Blood soaked the cloth wrapped around his ribs. Even with a fractured wrist and bruised spine, he hadn't stopped once since the encounter. Not after tasting the power of the so-called Danger Squad.
The gate guards recognized him instantly, stepping aside without a word. They didn't salute. Thornvale didn't waste respect on spies — they lived in shadows and were rewarded with survival, not praise.
He climbed the stone staircase, passed down torchlit halls, and entered the long war chamber of King Drennan.
The room was dim, smoky, and silent save for the crackling of the fireplace. The king sat atop a throne of dark oak and wrought iron, wrapped in a cloak of grey wolf fur. His black hair fell loosely past his shoulders, and a massive scar split his left eye — a wound from a war long buried.
Drennan's one good eye turned to Veyne the moment the spy stepped in.
"You're late," the king said flatly.
"I almost died," Veyne muttered, kneeling.
"And yet you didn't. Speak."
Veyne stood straight and began his report. "I tracked the Danger Squad to Reverb's capital. Four members: Kaze, wind mage with a powerful blade. Atlas, soul-magic dual wielder. Kazuki, blind swordsman with inhuman precision. And Lyra, light mage with a tanto."
Drennan's brow twitched. "They fought you."
"Yes. They're dangerous. And coordinated."
"Do they know who you are?"
"No," Veyne lied. "But they know someone is watching them. The blind one — Kazuki — nearly cut me in half."
Drennan's lips curled slightly, not in a smile, but in grim approval. "We'll need to monitor them. Their deaths are worth gold."
He stood and walked toward a table bearing an ancient leather-bound book: the Bounty Book — forged by royal mages of old. Its pages shimmered faintly, glowing with runes that updated on command from any of the four kings.
Drennan waved a hand over it. The runes shifted, showing glowing names and numbers.
BOUNTY ENTRY UPDATE:
• Kaze – 15 Gold (Dead or Alive)
• Atlas – 15 Gold (Dead or Alive)
• Kazuki – 15 Gold (Dead or Alive)
• Lyra – 10 Gold (Dead or Alive)
Veyne raised an eyebrow. "Why is she worth less?"
"She's replaceable. The rest are not."
Drennan closed the book and looked at the spy. "Heal. Then return to the shadows. Watch them. If they leave Reverb… send word. If they rest too long… make them regret it."
Veyne bowed and turned to leave. As he did, Drennan spoke one last time:
"If they're half as dangerous as you say, then the world will learn to fear the name Danger Squad."
And then the doors of the war room closed behind the spy.
In this world, each of the four kingdoms maintains enchanted bounty books, linked by a powerful spell , created decades ago in a pact among kings. The books are synchronized across the world. When a bounty is added, edited, or removed in one, the change appears in every book instantly.
Bounties are set for crimes, danger level, or personal vendettas. Each bounty includes whether the target is wanted alive, dead, or either, and who's offering the price.
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Outside the castle, lightning cracked across the cliffs. Veyne stood watching the sea churn far below, his coat flapping behind him. Blood still ran down his ribs, but his face was calm.
He whispered to himself, "Let's see what you become, Danger Squad…"
And vanished into the smoke.
End of Chapter 21