Chapter 26: Merchant Convoy - Part 2
The valley stretched before us like a wound in the earth.
Steep slopes rose on either side, scattered with boulders and scrub brush—perfect cover for archers. The road curved through the center, forcing any convoy to commit to a path with no easy retreat. A killing ground, designed by nature and exploited by men.
Viktor's team entered first.
They moved in tight formation around the wagons, shields raised against potential arrow fire. The merchants huddled in their seats, faces pale with genuine fear. Whatever their conspiracy involved, they clearly hadn't expected to be present when the killing started.
"Good. Let them be afraid. Fear keeps them from doing anything stupid."
I watched from the treeline with Mira, my Member Locator tracking everyone's positions. Helena, Jorin, and Theron had reached their marks—three dots of warmth behind the bandit lines, waiting for the signal.
[MEMBER LOCATOR: ACTIVE]
[Viktor Crane: 150m northeast (convoy center)]
[Marcus: 148m northeast (convoy rear)]
[Helena: 220m north (behind enemy line 1)]
[Jorin: 235m north (behind enemy line 2)]
[Theron: 200m northeast (behind enemy command)]
[Mira Voss: 3m west (beside you)]
The convoy reached the valley's center.
For a moment, nothing happened. The merchants' nervous chatter carried on the wind. Viktor's team maintained formation, alert but not panicking.
Then the arrows came.
They fell like rain—a coordinated volley from both slopes, fifty bows releasing simultaneously. Viktor's shield wall caught most of them. One arrow found a gap, catching Marcus in the shoulder. He grunted but held position.
"NOW!" a voice bellowed from the northern slope. "TAKE THEM!"
Bandits poured from concealment. Not the ragged thieves I'd half-expected—these were trained soldiers, moving in formation, weapons coordinated. The military discipline Kira had reported was evident in every step.
They hit Viktor's line like a wave against rocks. Steel clashed. Men shouted. The confined space of the valley turned into a grinding melee where individual skill mattered less than collective discipline.
Viktor held the center. His sword moved in economical arcs, deflecting attacks while creating openings for counterstrikes. Marcus fought one-handed, his injured shoulder limiting his effectiveness but his determination undiminished.
"They're holding. But not for long. Time to change the equation."
I raised the signal flare, pointed it at the sky, and released.
Red light burst above the valley, casting everything in crimson shadows.
Helena's Perspective
The flare was beautiful. Terrifying. Exactly the signal we'd been waiting for.
"Now," I breathed, and broke from cover.
The bandits below had committed fully to the assault. Their backs faced me—a wall of exposed flesh and unprotected flanks. I'd never killed anyone before. Training dummies and sparring partners hadn't prepared me for this.
But Viktor's training had.
"Don't think. React. The body knows what the mind fears."
My sword found the first bandit before he knew I was there. The blade slid between ribs, met resistance, kept going. He fell without a sound.
The second turned, surprise on his face. My thrust took him in the throat.
The third saw me coming and raised his weapon. Too slow. Viktor's footwork drills saved my life as I sidestepped his wild swing and opened his belly.
Three bodies in as many seconds. The bandits' rear line dissolved into chaos as they realized death had arrived from behind.
Jorin's war cry echoed from across the valley—he was moving too, his dockworker strength turning his blade into a cleaver. Theron worked silently, methodically, targeting anyone who looked like an officer.
"We're doing it. The plan is actually working."
The bandits faltered. Caught between Viktor's shield wall and our surprise assault, their formation crumbled. Some turned to face us. Others broke entirely, scrambling up the slopes toward escape.
Then the real surprise arrived.
Finn's Perspective
I Shadow Stepped into the bandit command post.
[ENERGY: 450/500]
The leader was a scarred man in mismatched armor, shouting orders that nobody could hear over the chaos. Two bodyguards flanked him, hands on weapons, eyes scanning for threats.
They didn't see me until my blade was already moving.
The first bodyguard died with steel in his spine. The second managed to turn, raise his sword, before I Shadow Stepped again—
[ENERGY: 400/500]
—appearing behind him, silver blade finding the gap between helmet and gorget.
The leader spun, face twisted with fear and rage. "Who—"
"Your employers betrayed you," I said, sword leveled at his chest. "The merchants hired you for a job you were never meant to survive. Surrender now, or die like your men."
"You're lying."
"Am I?" I gestured at the valley below, where his company was being systematically dismantled. "This was supposed to be an easy target. A young guild, inexperienced, walking into your killing ground. Instead, you're being flanked from three directions while your officers die around you."
The man's eyes darted, calculating odds. His hand tightened on his weapon.
"Think carefully," I said. "I've killed a basilisk alone. Two bodyguards and one bandit captain aren't going to stop me."
[DANGER SENSE: MODERATE ALERT]
[Target considering attack]
He decided.
His sword swung toward my neck—fast, practiced, the attack of someone who'd killed many times. I didn't dodge. Didn't block.
I Shadow Stepped.
[ENERGY: 350/500]
The blade passed through empty air. I appeared at his side, my weapon already completing its arc. Silver met flesh. The captain fell, clutching a wound that would bleed out in minutes.
"Surrender," I called out, loud enough to carry across the battlefield. "Your captain is down. Your position is lost. Throw down your weapons and live, or fight and join the dead."
The fighting stopped. Bandits looked at each other, at their fallen leader, at the guild members surrounding them from every direction.
One by one, weapons clattered to the ground.
Viktor's Perspective
I'd seen battles turn before. Moments when one side realized defeat was inevitable and chose survival over pride.
This was cleaner than most.
The bandits surrendered in waves—first the wounded, then the wavering, finally the stubborn ones who'd fought until escape was impossible. Within ten minutes, fifty-odd men had been disarmed and corralled into a loose cluster, watched by guild members who looked as surprised as I felt.
"We won. Against five-to-one odds, we actually won."
Finn appeared from the slope, blood on his sword and his expression unreadable. He walked directly to the bandit captain—still alive, barely—and crouched beside the dying man.
"Who hired you?"
The captain laughed, blood bubbling on his lips. "Does it matter? You're dead anyway. Maybe not today, but—"
"The merchants. Aldric Vess and his consortium." Finn's voice was flat. "They paid you to kill us. Collect insurance on 'lost' cargo. Eliminate a rival they couldn't compete with honestly."
The captain's eyes widened slightly. Confirmation.
"Here's what happens now," Finn continued. "You tell me everything—names, payments, arrangements—and I ensure your men face labor sentences instead of hanging. You refuse, and I hand everyone over to the authorities with recommendation for maximum punishment."
"You'd kill fifty men for spite?"
"I'd kill fifty men for justice. But I'd prefer not to." Finn's expression didn't change. "Choose."
The captain studied him for a long moment. Whatever he saw made his decision.
"The consortium approached us three months ago. Said there was a new guild cutting into their profits. They wanted us to make an example—ambush their escort, kill everyone, leave the bodies for the crows." He coughed blood. "Two hundred crowns. Half upfront, half on completion."
"Who specifically arranged the contract?"
"Aldric Vess. He met with me personally. Showed me route maps, convoy schedules, your guild's composition." Another wet cough. "Said you were young. Inexperienced. Easy prey."
Finn stood, nodding to one of our fighters. "Bind his wounds. He lives long enough to testify."
Author's Note / Support the Story
Your Reviews and Power Stones help the story grow! They are the best way to support the series and help new readers find us.
Want to read ahead? Get instant access to more chapters by supporting me on Patreon. Choose your tier to skip the wait:
⚔️ Noble ($7): Read 10 chapters ahead of the public.
👑 Royal ($11): Read 17 chapters ahead of the public.
🏛️ Emperor ($17): Read 24 chapters ahead of the public.
Weekly Updates: New chapters are added every week. See the pinned "Schedule" post on Patreon for the full update calendar.
👉 Join here: patreon.com/Kingdom1Building