Riverfall—a city that lay nestled between Mesarith and Valthorn—had long earned itself a reputation soaked in blood and shadow. Though it offered the shortest route to Mesright, most travelers preferred the longer path through the outer ranges, choosing safety over speed.
Why?
Because Riverfall had a secret everyone pretended not to know:
It was under the thumb of the Blood Fang Gang.
Every merchant caravan that dared to pass through its gates had to deal with smaller offshoot gangs—parasites operating openly yet fearfully—each backed by the notorious Blood Fang. These were not common thugs, but organized predators who leeched off trade and instilled dread in every whisper of their name.
If Damien had known this before…
If he had even suspected it…
He would've torn across the countryside in the dead of night without waiting for dawn.
But regrets meant nothing now.
What was done, was done.
This path—dangerous or not—was now the quickest route to where he needed to be.
