Chapter ten:The Deadly Pursuit

**RAYAN'S POV**

"Huff! Huff!" I panted, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

Those bastards had reinforcements. I cursed my luck for being ill-equipped on such a crucial day. To evade their hounds, I had no choice but to navigate the treetops, using the cover of darkness to my advantage. The mercenaries were working together, their collaboration suggesting they had discovered my involvement in the bounty.

A group of twenty warriors passed beneath me, their torches flickering and swords glinting ominously. The barks of their dogs reverberated through the forest, urging me to act swiftly. The absence of my trusty bow weighed heavily on my mind, knowing how invaluable its deadly accuracy would be in this moment. Nevertheless, I pressed on, leaping deftly from branch to branch, my movements as agile and silent as a stalking predator.

My initial plan was to isolate one of their archers and confiscate their bow, but the archers remained tightly grouped, making it difficult to single one out. However, I knew their formation would eventually falter as they spread out in their search for me, trying to cover more ground. Patience became my ally as I observed their every move with keen eyes.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of tracking their clumsy steps, the group began to disperse. Their voices faded into whispers, and the sounds of their footsteps grew distant. It was the young and inexperienced archer who caught my attention. He clumsily mimicked tracking movements, his gaze darting anxiously in all directions. It was clear that he was more preoccupied with maintaining appearances than focusing on the search.

Seizing the opportunity, I readied my sword, tightening my grip as if preparing for a lethal strike. With calculated precision, I launched myself from the branch, descending upon him with swift and lethal intent. In one fluid motion, I drove my blade through his head, the tip piercing his mouth and emerging from his chin. Blood spurted forth, mingling with his startled gasp as life left his body. His limp form crumpled to the ground, the silence broken only by a muffled thud.

Without hesitation, I rifled through his belongings, swiftly retrieving his bow, a quiver brimming with arrows, and a hidden six-inch dagger concealed within his boot.

I ascended back into the safety of the treetops, my mind focused on locating the man leading the hounds. If my memory served me right, he had two dogs on a leash. With the dogs' heightened sense of smell, I needed to eliminate them before dealing with the rest of the mercenaries.

As the dogs came within range, I notched two arrows on my bowstring, taking careful aim at their heads. With a practiced release, the arrows found their mark, swiftly dispatching the hounds. Their lifeless bodies fell to the ground, their menacing presence now silenced.

With the obstacle of the dogs removed, the true slaughter could begin. There was no one left who could pose a threat if they were all dead.

**UNKNOWN'S POV**

When Harry sent the letter requesting my assistance, I initially hesitated. I had other plans and aspirations, including securing the hundred thousand coins. However, his mention of the bounty piqued my interest. Gathering as many of my men as possible, we joined him, unknowingly stepping into a deadly game. The man we were after possessed an uncanny familiarity with the forest, making him incredibly elusive.

He managed to evade not only us but also our trained hounds. I couldn't deny that the prideful asshole must have faced significant challenges to seek my aid. Yet, he was just one man.

"Do you hear that?" one of my men whispered, alerting the rest of us.

Straining my ears, I focused on the symphony of nature, hearing nothing but the chirping of crickets and the rustling of leaves beneath our feet.

"I don't hear anything," another voice joined in.

"Exactly. Why are the dogs silent? They haven't made a sound in a while," the first man pondered.

His observation struck a chord within me. We hadn't heard a single bark throughout our pursuit.

"Ah!"

The sudden cry pierced the air, echoing through the forest. Had they finally found him? Without hesitation, my men and I raced towards the source of the scream. There, we discovered one of our own, impaled with a massive sharpened log through his chest and gut. He knelt on the ground, blood pouring from his wounds and mouth.

"Over here! We found him!" I shouted, driven by a desire to make the perpetrator pay for this act of brutality.

Sending four men to the front, I positioned three more to flank the right and two to flank the left, forming a tight formation to corner our elusive target. We moved toward the area where he had last been spotted, only to find five more of my men sprawled lifelessly on the ground, their throats viciously slit, revealing bones amidst the gushing blood.

Panic coursed through my veins, a primal instinct urging me to flee. My comrades, equally terrified, attempted to escape, but their efforts were in vain. Four arrows whizzed through the air, finding their marks with lethal precision. The cries of my men filled the air, their pain and desperation echoing through the night.

In that moment, it became painfully clear—we had been deceived. We were the prey, not the hunters. Fear gripped me like never before, my heart pounding in my chest. With a surge of adrenaline, I sprinted forward, the haunting scene behind me showcasing fallen bodies, some bearing arrow wounds, others horrifically decapitated.

A quick glance over my shoulder revealed a ghastly sight—a figure resembling a beast, effortlessly leaping from one victim to another. Each touch he bestowed extinguished a life, leaving behind motionless corpses. My breath caught in my throat, a mixture of terror and adrenaline propelling me forward.

In the midst of my frantic escape, I felt a sudden yank on my ankle, sending me sprawling upside down. Suspended in the air, my disorientation only amplified the vulnerability that gripped me. I helplessly observed the assailant—a creature of fluid movement, his actions resembling a deadly dance. He flung his dagger with chilling precision, impaling one of my comrades in the leg, incapacitating him.

Without a moment's hesitation, the monster closed in, swinging his sword with ruthless efficiency. The unfortunate victim met a grim fate, cleaved in two from head to abdomen. The carnage unfolded before my eyes, my heart pounding with a mixture of fear and disbelief.

One by one, my comrades fell, their valiant efforts futile against the relentless onslaught. The assailant retrieved his dagger, stained crimson with blood, and approached me with calculated steps. His face obscured, his hair matted with the evidence of his brutality, and his eyes devoid of any trace of humanity. It couldn't be...

As he drew near, I struggled to utter the words, my voice trembling, "The... the Grim Reaper's assistant..."

A slight twitch of his hand, and my vision shifted, fixated on his feet. A liquid substance splattered across my face, a chilling reminder of the grim fate that awaited me. The sensation in my hands faded, stolen away by an unseen force. The man turned and walked away, leaving me suspended in silence, an overwhelming drowsiness gradually consuming my senses.