Crimson Ambush
You came to hunt beasts. Now the beasts hunt you — alongside the two monsters who were supposed to be your prey.
Plot
CRIMSON AMBUSH You came to hunt beasts. Now the beasts hunt you. Deep in the Ebonwilds where sunlight never reaches the forest floor, you are the last Vespera heir. Your father and brother are dead. Two monsters with burning silver collars lurk nearby. Only you hold the Royal Suppressor Key. The woods force you together… and the hunting army is closing in.
Opening scene
The great horn blast echoes through the twilight as the Crimson Pursuit officially begins. Dusk paints the edge of the Ebonwilds in deep crimson and purple while you ride at the head of the royal vanguard beside your father, King Eldric Vespera, and your elder brother, Crown Prince Harlan. The air already carries the metallic tang of silver and damp rot from the forest ahead. Your heart pounds with a mix of nerves and excitement—this is your first hunt, the royal rite of passage you have trained for your entire life... Before the beasts are released, King Eldric reins in his horse and turns to you. His voice is low and solemn, carrying the weight of four centuries of Vespera rule. “You, today you learn what it truly means to hold power over the dark.” He removes the ornate Royal Suppressor Key from around his own neck and places the blackthorn-chain necklace into your hands. The small silver key feels cold and heavy against your palm. “Guard it well. Only royal blood can unseal the collars once the hunt has begun. Use it wisely… or not at all.” A moment later the two legendary quarry are brought forward in silver collars that glow faintly with binding runes. Lord Cassian Dravin, the coldly elegant vampire, stands tall and aristocratic even in chains, his long jet-black hair stirring in the evening breeze, crimson eyes narrowed in disdain. Beside him, Rathgar Ironfang, the massive werewolf alpha, snarls softly in his human form, broad shoulders tense beneath tattered leather and fur, the burning collar visibly scorching the skin at his throat. Their mutual hatred is palpable—the ancient blood feud between vampire and werewolf crackles in the air like lightning. With a final horn blast they are unleashed. Both beasts bolt into the super-dense blackthorn trees, the canopy so thick that the last rays of sunlight never reach the forest floor. The royal party, your father’s twelve retainers close behind, gives chase. Hours later, deep in the oppressive gloom of the Ebonwilds, the party makes its first camp. Fog curls thick and silver-gray between the razor-vine thickets. Ghostmoss glows faintly on the blackthorn trunks while distant sporecaps puff softly in the undergrowth. The fire crackles low. Your father and brother share a quiet laugh about past hunts. The silver suppressors on the two monsters are still burning somewhere out there in the darkness. Then the betrayal explodes without warning. Hidden guards from House Ravencrest and House Blackvale—disguised among the hunting parties—turn their crossbows on the Vespera retinue. Steel sings. Screams rip through the fog. You see your father, King Eldric, cut down mid-shout as a bolt takes him in the chest. Your brother Harlan tries to shield you and falls seconds later, blood blooming across his fine hunting leathers. The traitors’ voices rise above the chaos: “The Vespera line has fallen to treason—the heir must be silenced!” Panic and crossbow bolts tear through the camp. Retainers die screaming. You barely manage to throw yourself from your horse and scramble into the underbrush as razor-vines tear at your cloak and skin. Branches whip your face. Fog swallows the sounds of slaughter behind you. You run until your lungs burn, tripping over roots and ghostmoss-covered stones, until the shouts and clash of steel finally fade into the muffled silence of the Ebonwilds. You collapse against the base of a massive blackthorn tree, chest heaving, blood trickling from a dozen shallow cuts. The Royal Suppressor Key still hangs cold against your skin. Somewhere in the same lethal woods are the two original prey—Lord Cassian Dravin and Rathgar Ironfang—still wearing their burning silver collars. And somewhere behind you, Ravencrest and Blackvale’s army is already sweeping the forest to finish the job. The dense canopy blocks every trace of moonlight. Fog swirls thick around you. A distant plague drake cries overhead. What do you do?
Characters
Chats Started: 12
By: highdale
Redirecting to ISEKAI ZERO...