The Crimson Legacy (In Progress)

Chapter 12: The Hunters of the West

—

The night air was crisp as Clara moved like a shadow through the streets of Aragon Town. Her body, still sore from the healing and the recent battles, moved with a grace that belied her exhaustion. Her scarlet eyes, hidden beneath the hood of her dark red cloak, scanned the quiet town one last time. 

There were no farewells, no lingering gazes back. Clara was a ghost, slipping away under the cover of darkness, her movements silent, her presence undetectable.

The town had been kind to her, perhaps the first place in years where she had not felt the weight of suspicion or hatred from the people. 

But Clara knew better than to grow comfortable. 

The world was still hunting her. 

The Shadow Coven was still watching. Zephyr's betrayal burned fresh in her mind, and the path ahead was filled with uncertainty.

She moved swiftly, leaving no trace of her passing as she exited the town and disappeared into the wilderness beyond.

—

The calm that had settled over the town broke sharply as the door to the mayor's office burst open. A messenger, out of breath and wild-eyed, rushed in, clutching a worn piece of parchment in his hands. The mayor, seated behind his desk, looked up from his papers, his heart sinking at the look of urgency on the man's face.

"What is it?" the mayor asked, rising slowly from his chair.

The messenger handed him the parchment, his voice shaky. "It's about her. The Mysterious Sorceress."

The mayor's brow furrowed in confusion as he took the parchment from the man's trembling hands. He unrolled it, his eyes narrowing as he saw what it was: a wanted poster. 

His gaze traveled down to the image—Clara's face, her eyes hidden beneath her mask, her silver hair peeking out from under the hood of her cloak.

But it was the bounty written beneath her likeness that made the mayor's heart stop.

His eyes widened in shock. "This... this can't be right."

The messenger nodded, his expression grim. "It's true, sir. Her bounty's been raised. She's now ranked fourth on the most-wanted list in all of Eldrid. They're calling her one of the most dangerous fugitives in the land after killing Frostheart brutally, and taking Sadir and Talon head to head."

The mayor's hands trembled slightly as he stared at the poster. 

The Mysterious Sorceress—the woman he had seen battle with impossible strength and resolve—was now hunted by the entire realm. The rise in her bounty would not go unnoticed. And worse yet, her newfound infamy had drawn the attention of a group whose name sent chills through his bones.

His voice dropped to a whisper. "The Hunters of the West..."

The messenger nodded gravely. "Hellfires, they call them. They've been hunting rogues and wanted criminals for decades. And sir, they rarely fail."