Chapter 85: Hunt Begins [4]
Whoosh—!
Whoosh—!
The northern winds howled louder than ever, biting through layers of clothing like they were nothing.
The weather in the north was never kind, but tonight, it had turned brutal. The wind had picked up as the night deepened, making the cold all the more unforgiving.
The bandit group, including Bjron, managed to trudge forward without much issue—northerners, after all, were used to this kind of weather. But for the others, those not born in this frozen land?
It was a nightmare.
Inside one of the crude cages carried by two of the bandits, Lila the merchant shivered uncontrollably. Her teeth chattered as she bit her nails—not just from fear, but from the cold that gnawed at her bones.
Fen and Rusk were in even worse condition.
The two mercenaries looked pale, their lips turning blue as the wind sliced through their worn clothes. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, each step more sluggish than the last.
Their leader, Halven, was still unconscious. If he didn’t wake up soon, he might not make it. The cold was merciless to the weak and the still.
Only Mira and Eren seemed to be in somewhat better shape. Both were bound tightly with ropes, stumbling through the snow as Rook held the leash that tethered them like animals.
Mira’s face was pale, but her eyes were alert. Eren walked beside her, his expression calm, unreadable—his breath visible in the freezing air.
It took them nearly thirty minutes to reach the abandoned mine, their destination tucked deep within the icy wilderness.
Bjron led the group, his heavy steps steady as ever despite the thick snow.
Soon enough they were inside the abandoned mine.
Bjron hide out.
Creak—!
Bjron slammed open the rusted iron gate with a heavy grunt, the creaking echo bouncing down the dark stone corridor of the abandoned mine.
The mine was cold—colder than the forest outside—but it wasn’t empty. Wooden torches flickered faintly along the damp walls, casting dancing shadows over makeshift iron bars and reeking piles of hay and bone.
"Get in," he growled.
With a shove of his massive arm, he sent Fen and Rusk tumbling into one of the cages carved into the stone wall.
Thud!
Thud!
Their frozen bodies hit the ground with dull thuds, groaning in pain but too weak to resist.
"And the other one."
Rook and another bandit dragged Halven forward like a sack of grain, his unconscious form barely stirring. His breath was shallow. Bjron didn’t even look as they threw him in beside the others.
Clang—!
The cell door clanged shut behind them.
"Not gonna last long," one of the bandits muttered under his breath, glancing at the mercenaries.
Bjron grunted. "Good. Less trouble later."
Then he turned, his one eye landing on Eren and Mira.
"Separate cell for those two," he ordered without a hint of emotion. He eyed Eren for moment and glanced down at his thigh that was stab by Eren earlier in the fight.
He bandged it but the pain still stung every now and then.
"That one’s dangerous."
Rook yanked their rope harshly and tugged them forward.
Eren stumbled but didn’t resist. Mira narrowed her eyes, but she, too, stayed quiet, calculating.
Their boots crunched on the frost-laced floor as they were shoved into a cell across the corridor—still visible, but far enough to make escape or coordination near impossible.
As Rook locked the gate behind them, Bjron finally turned toward the last remaining prisoner.
The merchant. Who was out of her cage now.
Lila stood frozen near the entrance, trembling violently, her thin fur cloak offering little defense against the cold—or the eyes now staring at her.
Bjron approached slowly, like a predator who already knew its prey couldn’t run.
He tilted his head and let out a low, guttural laugh.
"It’s been more than three months," he muttered, licking his cracked lips with a twitch of hunger in his eye, "since I last had human meat."
Lila’s breath caught in her throat.
She stumbled back, only to hit the stone wall. "W-what...? What are you saying...?"
Bjron leaned in, close enough that she could smell the blood and smoke on his breath.
"You have beautiful eyes....and blonde hair too...A women with the smell of noble. Hmm, I’ll start with you. You are the type of meat that I liked to eat the most."
Lila’s breath hitched. Her legs buckled, but she didn’t fall—her back was already pressed tightly against the stone wall.
Her eyes, wide with disbelief and terror, darted around the darkened corridor of the mine, but there was nowhere to run. No one to help. Only the flickering torchlight and the damp cold pressing in from every direction.
Bjron stepped closer.
Thud.
His boots struck the stone with slow, deliberate weight, like the tolling of a funeral bell.
"N-No—please," Lila whimpered, raising her trembling hands in front of her. "You... you don’t have to do this. I-I can pay you—anything! Gold, silver, artifacts—jewels! I have them! I swear—!"
Bjron didn’t even blink. His one good eye gleamed like a blade catching moonlight—sharp, amused, and hungry.
"You think I’ve not heard that before?" he said, voice low and guttural, like a dog growling before the bite. "Every noble brat and merchant rat offers gold when death gets close."
"I-I’m not a noble!" she cried, tears streaking down her frozen cheeks.
"I’m just a merchant! I can get you more than gold—trade routes, supplies, connections—anything you want!"
Bjron’s grin widened, teeth yellow and crooked, but strong enough to crack bone.
"I already have everything I want, little pig." He sniffed her, slowly, obscenely. "Mmm. You stink of perfume and fear. Rich fear. Tender meat."
Lila broke.
She dropped to her knees, hands clasped together. "Please! Please, I beg you! I’ll be your servant! I’ll do anything! I-I’ll cook for you, clean—sleep with you, if that’s what you want! Just don’t eat me—please!"
Bjron tilted his head slightly, as if considering. His massive hand reached out, curling around a lock of her blonde hair, lifting it gently like a prized silk thread.
She whimpered at the contact.
"You talk a lot. That’s good. Makes it more fun when the screaming starts," he said, and suddenly yanked her hair back, forcing her to look into his single, monstrous eye.
She let out a sharp cry.
"Tender meat always begs," he whispered. "But don’t worry—I’ll savor it."