Reincarnation of the Magicless Pinoy.
From Zero to Hero
"No Magic? No Problem!"
Encounter 9 : On The Run!
POV: The Asher Hawks — Deeper Into the Night
Hours slipped by with nothing but harsh breathing and the crackle of branches underfoot. Cold wind clawed through the trees. Every shadow felt too sharp, every rustle too loud. They were all running on fumes now.
Tessa finally raised her fist again.
"Stop. We rest. Ten minutes."
Brag almost dropped to his knees in relief. Solis leaned against a tree, coughing up soot. Ren climbed up a low ridge to watch their back trail while Mira and Leto carefully lowered the injured.
Elara knelt beside her brothers, brushing sweat from Elian's forehead, checking Marcellus's pulse. She tried to keep her hands steady but couldn't. "They're burning up," she whispered. "We need a healer… gods, we need—"
"We'll get one," Mira said, though her voice wavered. "Once we get to Northcrest Fort—"
"Northcrest is gone," Ren called down from the ridge. "I saw smoke earlier. Big plume. Black. Thick."
Everyone froze.
Solis stared at him. "Are you sure? Northcrest is miles from Greyhold."
"Yes," Ren said. "Something hit it hard."
A heavy silence fell.
Elara's voice cracked. "So even the outer forts… they're all falling…"
Tessa's jaw tightened. "That means Vermorth planned this from the start. He didn't want just the duchy—he wants the north broken."
Brag punched the ground. "Bastards… how many families were in Northcrest? How many—"
Tessa cut him off. "Don't think about it. Focus on who we can still save."
But even she sounded like she was forcing it.
Pete took a shaky breath. "Leader… what if the capital doesn't believe us? What if they think we're exaggerating?"
Ren scoffed. "When a duchy vanishes in a night? When an entire dragon-slayer goes missing? When a border fortress burns to ash? They'll believe us."
Solis looked down at Marcellus's limp form. "And we have witnesses. The heir of Grey House… if he wakes."
Elara touched Elian's face. "He will. He has to…"
The silence grew heavy again, broken only by the crackle of distant burning.
Finally, Tessa turned to Ren. "How far until the ridge road? If we take it, we can reach the nearest allied garrison."
Ren exhaled. "Maybe half a day… if we push. A full day if we stay cautious."
"We don't have a full day," Brag muttered.
They all knew he was right.
Suddenly—
Ren's posture snapped upright. His hand flew to his bow.
"Movement."
Everyone froze.
Brag grabbed his shield. Solis and Pete readied spells. Mira pulled Elara behind her, while Tessa stepped forward with both blades drawn.
A shape moved between the trees.
Three shapes.
Heavy footfalls. Purposeful.
Tessa held her ground, heart climbing up her throat. "Identify yourself!"
Silence stretched too long. Ren pulled his bowstring back, ready to fire—
Then the shapes broke through the brush:
Imperial soldiers—bloodied, limping, armor cracked.
The first one collapsed to his knees. "T–thank the gods… survivors… I thought we were the only ones…"
Tessa ran to steady him. "Who are you? From which unit?"
"Fourth Northern Legion… stationed at Frostpath… We—we barely escaped when the demons hit us."
Pete's eyes widened. "Demons? Thane's men?"
The soldier shook his head violently. "No. Not Thane. Something worse. Something that came with him. They tore through our lines… like ravens through wheat."
Another soldier, pale and trembling, whispered,
"There were too many. And one… one was leading them. A tall man. Masked. Sword black as night."
Ren stiffened. "Masked? Not Luke?"
"No… not him. This one… this one was taller. Rough voice. Brutal." He swallowed. "He ordered the demons to leave none alive."
Leto whispered, "They've unleashed something new…"
Tessa helped the soldier sit. "How many escaped?"
"Maybe fifty… maybe fewer. We scattered. Most won't make it."
Elara hugged her arms, shivering. "How is all this happening so fast…?"
Brag looked around the forest, suddenly feeling exposed. "We need to move. Now. The longer we stay in one place, the more likely something finds us."
Ren jumped down from the ridge. "I agree. Whatever's sweeping the north… it's not slowing down."
Tessa nodded. "Pack up. We're leaving."
But right as they began lifting the injured again—
A sound drifted through the trees.
A howl.
Deep.
Wrong.
Like bones scraping inside a throat too large for any beast.
The Imperial soldier's face drained of blood. "N-no… they followed us…"
Tessa turned, blades trembling in her hands as she forced her composure.
Ren whispered, "Leader… those weren't wolves."
"I know."
Brag lifted his shield. Pete's sparks flickered between his fingers. Solis steadied himself, sweat rolling down his face.
Elara held her breath, gripping Marcellus's hand.
The howl came again—closer.
Then branches snapped. Heavy footsteps shook the ground.
Tessa whispered, "Everyone ready to run on my—"
Something massive moved just beyond the treeline.
Ren's voice cracked.
"Too late…"
A silhouette stepped out—towering, hunched, eyes burning orange.
A demon hound.
Twice the size of a horse.
Dripping red-black steam.
It growled, lowering itself to pounce.
Tessa gritted her teeth.
"Run."
The monster lunged first.
Its claws tore up dirt and stone as it pounced straight at them. Tessa didn't think — she shoved Elara aside and swung upward. Her blade scraped across the beast's jaw, but the impact felt like hitting a mountain. The creature barely flinched.
"MOVE!" she shouted.
Brag was already charging, planting himself between the demon and the wounded. He slammed his shield into its muzzle with everything he had. The clang rang like a church bell, and Brag's feet skidded trenches into the earth. The hound snapped its head, teeth scraping along Brag's shield edge, trying to rip it from his grasp.
"Like hell!" Brag roared, muscles bulging as he held the monster back by sheer stubbornness.
Pete fired the first spell—
"Pyro Lance!"
The fiery spear streaked across the clearing and exploded against the beast's flank. Smoke burst, flames licked its skin—
And the demon just turned its head, eyes burning brighter.
"Pete!" Solis snapped. "Use higher-tier spells!"
"I'm TRYING!" Pete's hands shook. "Mana's running low!"
Mira and Leto hauled Elian and Marcellus farther away, dragging them behind trees.
The hound swiped at Brag. The blow lifted him off his feet like a toy and sent him crashing through a fallen log. Wood exploded around him.
"BRAG!" Tessa yelled.
He coughed, rolled, and somehow forced himself up again. "I'm… I'm good… mostly…"
Ren leapt in beside Tessa, drawing back two arrows. He fired both into the creature's eyes. The first arrow struck true, sinking into the glowing socket with a sickening squelch. The beast staggered, letting out a distorted howl.
The second arrow was caught between its teeth and snapped.
Ren muttered, "Great. Smart AND ugly."
The demon rounded on him, jaw splitting wider than any wolf could. Its breath steamed like acid.
"Tessa, now!" Ren shouted.
Tessa dashed in. She slashed deep into its leg, carving along the tendon. The hound buckled on one side.
"Pete! Solis! Hit it while it's down!"
Solis lifted his staff, voice cracking as he forced mana into it. A ring of glowing sigils spun around him.
"Arc Lightning!"
Bolts crashed down, ripping into the monster's spine. The beast convulsed, howling as dark smoke rolled off its flesh. Pete followed up with a fireburst—
But the hound didn't fall.
It turned.
Fast.
Faster than anything that size should move.
Its tail — long, skeletal, and barbed — whipped horizontally. The strike hit Pete and Solis both, hurling them aside like rag dolls.
They hit the ground hard. Solis didn't get back up.
"NO!" Ren sprinted toward them, loosing another arrow mid-run.
The demon snapped the arrow from its neck and sprinted after Ren.
Tessa's heart lurched. "REN—!"
Brag barreled in again, shield-first. He slammed into the hound with a desperate roar. The impact made the beast stumble, giving Ren just enough time to roll out of the way. Brag tried to swing his axe, but the demon bit down on the blade and flung it aside.
Then it bit Brag's shoulder.
Brag screamed. Blood sprayed across the leaves.
Elara covered her mouth, trembling. "Gods… gods no…"
Tessa charged, reckless and furious. She drove both blades into the demon's ribs. The hound thrashed, dragging her with it. She forced one sword deeper, up to the hilt, twisting until hot blood gushed over her gauntlet.
The beast finally shrieked and released Brag.
Leto and Mira dragged the wounded tank back desperately.
Ren fired again—an arrow through its nostril, sinking deep.
The demon staggered, trembling, breath wheezing.
Elara whispered, "Is… is it dead?"
Tessa didn't relax.
"Everyone step back…" she warned. "These things don't die easy—"
The hound's body convulsed.
Bones cracked.
Its spine twisted.
Its torso inflated, swelling with unstable mana.
Ren's eyes widened. "TESSA! IT'S GONNA—!"
"DOWN!" Tessa tackled Elara to the dirt.
The demon hound detonated in a burst of corrupted flame and gore. The explosion shook the trees and showered the clearing with burning ichor.
Brag shielded the others as best he could. Pete crawled over Solis, trying uselessly to heal him. Mira held the unconscious Elian close while Leto shielded Marcellus with his own body.
When the ringing in their ears faded, the forest was quiet again.
Too quiet.
Tessa slowly pushed herself up, covered in black soot. She looked around at her team—
battered, burned, bleeding, barely standing.
She exhaled shakily.
"That was one," she whispered. "Just one."
Ren wiped blood from his lip. "We can't keep fighting like this…"
Brag, pale and sweating, gave a weak laugh. "Good thing I'm too stubborn to die…"
Solis suddenly coughed. Mira gasped. "He's alive!"
Tessa didn't let herself feel relief. Not yet.
She looked down the dark forest path.
The trail ahead felt endless.
The world behind them was dying.
And somewhere out there… Sophia had been taken. Rolien was missing. Edric was dead. Greyhold burned.
She tightened her grip on her blades.
"We move," she said quietly. "We don't stop until we reach someone who can help. This… this is just the beginning."
Ren nodded, though fear lingered in his eyes.
Brag staggered back to his feet.
Pete dragged Solis along, murmuring shaky words of encouragement.
Mira and Leto lifted the brothers again.
Elara took one last look at the ashes behind them…
Then followed.
As they disappeared into the dark trees, none of them noticed the tall figure watching from the branches high above—
A silhouette with a broken mask.
Breathing softly.
Following silently.
The hunt had begun.
Tessa pushed the pace as they moved deeper into the forest. Every few steps she glanced back, checking on Elin slumped over Brag's massive shoulder. His breathing stayed shallow, almost soundless. It made her chest tighten.
"Ren, how far till we hit the riverbank?" she asked.
Ren didn't stop moving. He hopped over a fallen branch and scanned the dark ahead. "If we keep this speed, maybe ten minutes. But…" He lifted his hand, signaling the group to keep their voices low. "There are movements to the east. Not close, but enough to bother me."
Mira flinched at the mention, hugging her bruised arm. Leto slid a bit closer to her, eyes darting. "Is it soldiers? Or those things?"
"Doesn't matter," Brag muttered, breathing heavy under Elin's weight. "If they follow, we fight. But can we get this guy to wake up soon? He's burning up."
Elara walked beside him, her steps uneven but determined. Dirt streaked her cheeks. Her eyes were hollow, but she refused to break. "He lost too much blood," she said quietly. "Vormorth's blade… it wasn't just steel. Something else was on it. It felt like it was eating him from the inside."
Solis, who had been silently reciting healing incantations under his breath, finally spoke. "It's a curse wound. A nasty one. I'm keeping it from spreading, but I can't do much more while we're running."
Pete jogged next to him, clutching his spellbook tight. "If the riverbank is clear, we can set up a barrier. Let me and Solis work on him together. Two casters is better than one."
"Assuming we get a chance to breathe," Ren replied.
Tessa raised a hand for silence. Something caught her ear—distant cracks, like branches snapping under heavy steps. Everyone stiffened.
Brag's grip tightened on Elin. "They're following."
Ren crouched, scanning behind them. "Multiple. Not armored. Too light on their feet to be knights." His voice dropped. "Hunters."
Elara's breath hitched. "Then… then they're after Rolien too?"
Tessa didn't answer. The truth was there was no way to know. But given what Vermorth did at the manor, it was clear the Grey family was being erased piece by piece.
"Eyes forward," Tessa ordered. "If we hit the river, we cut downstream. We're not stopping until we reach a safe house or regrouping point."
Brag huffed out a breath. "Name one safe house that wasn't burned."
Tessa didn't argue. She couldn't. The estate was gone. Their allies scattered. Their messenger birds shot down. Every fallback plan Grand Duke Edric had set up… compromised in a single night.
She looked at Elara. The girl was walking on instinct alone now, clinging to whatever remained of her family.
"Elara," Tessa said softly. "If Elin wakes up, what's the first thing he'll want us to do?"
Elara swallowed, voice trembling. "Find Rolien."
"Then we're doing just that," Tessa said. "But we can't find him if we're dead."
Ren suddenly raised a fist. Everyone froze.
Voices drifted through the trees—laughing, mocking, and far too close.
Hunters.
Mira grabbed Leto's sleeve. "We can't fight them. Not now."
Pete flipped open his book. "If we have to, I'll blind them. Buy us time."
"No," Tessa whispered. "Silence spells. Now."
Solis lifted a hand. Pete mirrored him. A soft shimmer rolled over the group, cutting their sounds to faint muffles.
They crouched low. The hunters' shadows passed between the trees—three, maybe four, carrying crossbows and hooked blades, hunting for stragglers.
Elara pressed a hand over her mouth, tears pooling. Leto wrapped an arm around Mira, steadying her shaking.
After almost a minute, the shadows faded, their voices drifting away.
Tessa let out a careful breath. "Move. Quiet. Fast."
They slipped through the underbrush, guided only by Ren's hand signals. The trees began to thin, and a pale glimmer of water appeared—finally, the river.
Just as they approached the bank, Elin stirred.
Brag nearly stumbled. "Hey—he's waking!"
Elara rushed to her brother's side. "Elin? Can you hear me?"
Elin's eyes cracked open, unfocused and glassy. His lips parted, and a faint whisper escaped.
"…Rolien… did he… make it out?"
Tessa met Elara's eyes. She didn't dare answer.
A sudden splash sounded from across the river.
Ren's hand flew to his dagger.
Everyone froze.
They weren't alone.
To be continue.