Rena Tharford, adjutant of the Throne Guard of Veridia, stood near the mouth of the Silent Flow River where it met the Great Indoris Basin. The official border of the Lawless Land, though it sounded like a joke, an oxymoron, was still half a day's ride away. They had ridden west nonstop for seven days from Solara, tracking along the foot of the Iron Peaks until the mountains were cut by the river. From there, they picked their way north along a narrow ledge carved into the gorge.
It was a treacherous path. The roar of the water drowned out their footsteps and the low growls of the wolves. For the first time, the humans realized why riding direwolves instead of warhorses was the right call. A horse would have panicked on the narrow ledge, but the wolves showed no fear at all.
By early morning, the seven passed the mountains and reached the vast flatlands beyond the Iron Peaks. On Rena's order, they stopped at the edge of the riverbank, lying low in the grass instead of pitching tents. Rena refused to set up a camp that would stick out and draw unwanted eyes in the open field.
The week-long journey had forged a strong bond among the seven- Jax Nightclaw, Zot'r, Nid'r, Cet'r, Justicar Commander Maeve Sterling, Cillian Vance, and their leader, Rena. They had rehearsed their names, backstories, and roles down to the last detail. Midway through the trip, a sparring match between Rena and Maeve had settled the question of who was fit to lead. Though Rena lost to Maeve's superior combat skills, the focus and grit and strategy she showed earned her the team's deep respect.
Along with trust, however, she unintentionally earned something else- Cillian Vance's persistent, open admiration. While she kept shutting him down for acting unprofessional, she didn't mind the attention quite as much as she pretended. Even Maeve and the demihumans got in on the joke, with Zot'r happily offering to guide the "human" in winning her heart.
Yet, as they drew closer to the border of the Lawless Land, the lighthearted mood evaporated like frost under a midday sun. A cold unease crept into their minds- and even the fearless Black Riders weren't immune. It made little sense. There were no towering walls or iron fortresses ahead of them, just an empty stretch of land with tiny dark shapes dotting the horizon. They were seasoned warriors with enough coin in their pockets to buy power, prestige, or even a life.
As they rode closer, the black dots on the horizon grew into farmhouses. Fields of wheat surrounded them, looking more like wild brush than tended crops, as if they had been left unharvested for a long time. The seven wondered if the place had been completely abandoned.
"The wolves are actin' funny," Zot'r muttered.
"Hmm," Jax grunted, his face was serious.
"What?" Rena asked, nudging her wolf closer to his.
"The air," Jax said flatly, "It reeks of blood."
Maeve overheard, and her stomach dropped. Something in the air made her want to turn tail and run back to safety. But none of them showed it, forcing themselves to look brave for the others.
They reached the nearest farmhouse. True to their guess, no one was outside. Still, the place didn't look entirely wrecked; the grass was trimmed short, and the roof was in decent shape.
"Is anybody here?" Cillian called out.
Only silence answered him.
Nid'r swung down from his wolf and walked toward the courtyard, "Anybody home?"
Still nothing. Then, a feint metallic click echoed from inside, freezing them in their tracks. Hoping to impress Rena, Cillian hopped down and motioned for Nid'r to help him check the door. They crept up quietly. On count of three, Nid'r jerked the door wide open. Cillian instinctively yanked Nid'r back by his collar, pulling him clear of the frame just a second too slow. A heavy bolt punched straight through Nid'r's shoulder. If Cillian was late for a fraction of second, the bolt would have pierced the half-orc's heart.
The rest of the group rushed forward. Rena and Jax kicked the door open, lunged inside, and hauled a frantic old man out by his collar. He was still wrestling with his crossbow, but when Jax's claws pressed into his neck, he froze. Jax hurled him out onto the dirt.
"What do you want, you wretched hellspawn?" the old man spat, wiping blood from his lip, "You've taken everything from me- my wife, my kids, everything... You want me too?"
Rena grabbed his collar and hoisted him up, "You just tried to kill my friend, and now you're spinning a sob story to save your skin?"
"Hand him over, miss," Nid'r grunted, pressing a dirty rag to his bleeding shoulder, "I'll tear his arms off, and then he's all yours!"
A wicked smirk touched Rena's lips, "True. I don't need his hands to make him talk anyway."
"Leave me alone, you maniac demons!" the old man cried, "Have you no shame picking on an old man?"
"Hold up," Jax said, his voice dropping low, "Old man says he lost everything, but he's fighting like a cornered dog. He ain't scared of dying, either."
"What are you getting at?" Maeve asked.
"He's hidin' something in there. Or someone." Jax bared a claw toward the door, "Move aside. I'm going in."
"STOP!" The old man thrashed in Rena's grip, his eyes wide with blind panic, "Don't you dare step inside, or I'll... I'll- "
Jax turned his cold gaze down at him, "Or you will what?"
"I'll... I'll- " The old man swallowed hard as reality crashed down on him. His voice cracked, and he burst into tears, "Please... in the name of whatever gods or demons you serve, let us go! Leave us alone!"
The team's harsh edge softened. Rena lowered him back to his feet, "You tried to kill my friend."
"Because you were breaking into my home!" the man shouted, "Was I supposed to roll out a red carpet?"
"Oh, come on," Cillian snapped, "We called out. You didn't answer."
"Just because nobody answers doesn't mean you smash down someone's door!"
"That's the perk of the Lawless Land," Rena smirked, "There are no laws here to save you."
The old man dropped to his knees, burying his face in his hands as he sobbed, "I know, I know... it's all my fault."
Jax stepped up behind him, reaching for his neck with a cold grip, "Old bastard's lost his head. He's useless to us. Let's just snap his neck and move on…."
"STOP IT, YOU MONSTERS!"
A sharp, frightened voice cut through the doorway as a small shadow stepped out from the dark.