Velkar – Safehouse Rooftop
Kael sat on the edge of the rooftop, watching the city below. The aftermath of the Smuggler’s Wharf raid still lingered—Black Talon bodies littering the docks, the smell of gunpowder hanging in the air.
Lyria joined him, handing over a small flask.
"Drink. You look like you need it."
Kael accepted, taking a slow sip. The burn of strong liquor spread through his chest, grounding him.
"Lotus got away again," he muttered.
Lyria sat beside him, pulling her knees up. "She’s good. But next time? We finish it."
Kael stared at the rooftops across the city, lost in thought. "No. Next time, I make sure she doesn’t *have* a next time."
Lyria glanced at him. "You’re taking this personal."
Kael smirked. "Wouldn’t you?"
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she tossed something into his lap—a sealed letter.
Kael raised a brow. "What’s this?"
"Got it from a Talon runner before he bled out," Lyria explained. "It’s from Draymore."
Kael’s smirk faded.
Draymore.
The real power behind the Black Talons. The one who wanted him **dead.**
Kael broke the seal, scanning the message. His grip tightened.
"*Summon the Bloodhounds.**"
His jaw clenched. "Draymore’s done playing."
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Lyria frowned. "You know what that means?"
Kael sighed, standing. "Yeah. It means we just stepped into hell."
---
The Bloodhounds Arrive
Three figures stood in the moonlight, just outside Velkar’s slums.
They weren’t ordinary assassins.
They weren’t even human.
Shrouded in enchanted armor, their eyes glowed a sickly red. Their bodies pulsed with dark energy.
The Bloodhounds.
Draymore’s personal executioners.
The tallest one, a figure clad in obsidian-black plating, stepped forward. His voice was a growl.
"Kill the Arcane Marksman."
No hesitation.
No mercy.
They disappeared into the city’s shadows—
Hunting Kael.
---
Velkar – The Trap is Set
Kael and Lyria moved through the city’s underbelly, weaving through narrow alleys. They had to disappear—*fast*.
But Kael felt it.
A presence.
Lyria cursed. "*They found us.*"
Kael spun, gun raised—
A metallic fist slammed into his chest,sending him crashing through a wooden stall.
Lyria dodged back, daggers flashing. "*Kael!*"
He groaned, pushing himself up—**just in time to see the Bloodhounds closing in.**
Three of them.
And they weren’t waiting.
Kael fired—a headshot.
The bullet stopped mid-air, caught between the armored fingers of the lead Bloodhound.
Kael’s eyes widened.
"*Oh, that’s just unfair.*"
The Bloodhound **crushed** the bullet between its fingers.
Then they attacked.
---
A Fight Against Monsters
Kael **barely** dodged as a blade sliced past his face.
He rolled, firing again—**this time with Arcane Rounds.**
The lead Bloodhound **shattered through** the magical bullets like glass, lunging with *inhuman* speed.
Kael twisted—**but the second Bloodhound caught him mid-air.**
A fist slammed into his ribs.
Pain exploded through his body as he crashed against the alley wall.
Lyria moved in, twin daggers cutting **fast and precise**—but the third Bloodhound **caught her wrist**, lifting her off the ground.
She **kicked hard,** breaking free. But Kael could see it—
They were **too strong.**
*Damn it.*
Kael wiped blood from his mouth, eyes flashing. "*Alright, new plan.*"
He reached into his coat—**pulling out a small, silver detonator.**
Lyria’s eyes widened. "*Kael, you didn’t—*"
Kael grinned. "*Oh, I did.*"
He pressed the button.
---
The Alley Explodes
A **chain of arcane explosives** detonated, shaking the ground.
Flames roared, debris flying in all directions.
Kael grabbed Lyria, pulling her behind cover as **fire engulfed the alley.**
The force sent the Bloodhounds **crashing backward.**
Smoke filled the air.
Kael coughed, gripping his revolver. "*That bought us time. But not much.*"
Lyria groaned, wiping soot from her face. "*Tell me next time before you nearly kill us.*"
Kael smirked. "*Where’s the fun in that?*"
Through the flames, the Bloodhounds rose.
Their armor was cracked, but not broken.
Kael cursed.
"*We need to run.*"
Lyria nodded. "*Agreed.*"
They vanished into the city, shadows at their backs—
And the hunt had only just begun.
---
End of Chapter Twenty
