The road from Brimvale was quiet — too quiet for Rowan's liking.
Lynx's claws clacked lightly against the stones as she pulled the wagon, her ears flicking at every distant sound. Cass leaned back, boots on the seat, flipping a gold coin through his fingers.
"Fifty gold pieces," he muttered. "Barely enough for a tavern meal and new ammo."
Rowan smirked. "Guess we eat cheap, then."
Cass rolled his eyes. "You say that like it's a challenge."
Before Rowan could reply, Lynx's tails froze mid-sway. "Someone's nearby," she said softly. "Blood. Burned mana."
Cass immediately drew his revolver. "You sure?"
She nodded. "And it's fresh."
They stopped the wagon, weapons ready, and followed the scent off the trail. Behind a jagged rock formation, they found a man slumped in the dirt, his armor scorched black and his arm twisted with raw, glowing scars. The symbol of a crow was burned into his chestplate.
Cass whistled. "Well, if that ain't irony. A Crow roasting alive."
"Quiet," Rowan murmured, crouching down. "He's still breathing."
The man's voice cracked like dry wood. "Should've… left me to rot."
Rowan offered a canteen. "We don't leave people to die. Even Crows."
The stranger chuckled weakly. "Then you're stupider than you look." But he drank anyway.
After a few sips, his one visible eye flicked open — dull green, but sharp with suspicion. "You've got the look of him," he muttered. "Eric's kid."
Rowan stiffened. "You knew my father?"
"Knew him. Fought him. Survived him," the man said with a tired grin. "Name's Darian Vale. Crow captain. Well… used to be."
He lifted his burned arm, revealing a glowing red mark — a slave pact rune, still pulsing faintly.
Lynx's ears flattened. "That's Phoenix Family work."
Darian nodded. "Yeah. That's how they keep the Crows loyal. You disobey, your blood boils. You try to run, your heart stops."
Cass shivered. "That's messed up. How are you still alive, then?"
"Because someone cut me free." Darian looked away, touching the jagged scar on his neck. "Did it clean — no pain, no death. Just freedom."
Rowan frowned. "Who?"
The man smirked faintly. "Didn't give a name. Wore a hood. But when the moonlight hit, I saw something… familiar. A silver badge — shaped like a wolf's fang."
Rowan's breath caught. "My father's insignia. That was the mark of his party."
"Then one of his old allies is still out there," Darian said. "Still fighting."
Cass blinked. "Hold up. What about this White Raven person you mentioned earlier?"
Darian's face darkened. "Elara. They call her that now. She commands the Crows, but she's not free. I've seen her… the way her eyes glaze when they order her to kill. She's under a pact stronger than any of ours."
Rowan felt the air leave his lungs. His chest tightened. "They turned her into one of them…"
Darian nodded slowly. "She's their weapon. The Phoenix Family's 'purest vessel.' And if she breaks that pact, she dies."
Silence. Even Cass had nothing to say.
Lynx looked at Rowan gently. "You can still save her."
Rowan stared at the road ahead, fists clenched tight. "Then I'll burn the Phoenix Family to the ground if that's what it takes."
Darian smiled bitterly. "Careful, outlaw. Fire doesn't care who it burns."