Wanted Posters

Gabriel POV:

The town I had arrived in was notorious for its rough characters and poor state of living. The tavern I approached was no exception, its facade cloaked in shadows, and its entrance guarded by an imposing bouncer who eyed me with suspicion.

I pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside, the warmth and dim light offering a stark contrast to the cool night outside. The air was thick with the scent of ale and hushed conversations, a symphony of murmurs and laughter. I scanned the room, searching for any sign of Luna or a familiar face. The place was bustling with people, so I chose a shadowy corner to observe from a distance.

The patrons glanced at me with a mixture of curiosity and indifference, their eyes briefly assessing the stranger who had entered their haven.

A girl approached me, her eyes sharp and cautious. She wore a fitted leather vest that accentuated her thin figure, its laces slightly undone, revealing a hint of a midnight-blue undershirt. Her trousers were snug yet flexible.

My first thought was she was a bartender and she wanted to take my orders. Instead, she sat in the empty chair in front of me. My second thought was that she was probably an escort or a thief looking for easy prey.

Her eyes, sharp and almond-shaped, held a piercing intensity that matched her confident demeanor, her hair hung loosely and wildly, emphasizing her finely chiseled jawline.

I ignored her, hoping if I did so, she would stand up and leave.

Instead, she leaned into and Her first words were " Do you have a death wish, You shouldn't be here," she said frantically, her voice low and filled with concern.

"Why?" I asked with an arched brow.

"This is a bounty hunters' den."

"So...?" I asked nonchalantly

"What do you mean so, You are wanted, that means there is a bounty on your head and quite a huge one at that. You are surrounded by people who want your head"

"No, I'm not"

"Yes, You are"

She gestured subtly towards the wall.

My heart sank as I beheld the unmistakable images of Luna and I side by side.

"The bounty on your head is worth a thousand horses, if any of those men figure out who you are, you are as good as dead"

I clenched my jaw, determined to uncover any information that could lead me to Luna.

"I'm not leaving until I find out everything I need to know," I declared."The person I'm looking for most likely went through here and could have been spotted by any of those men and worst still captured."

"Are you looking for the woman beside you?" She asked gesturing to the wanted poster.

"Yes" I replied

Isabella leaned in closer, her eyes flashing with urgency. "Your life is in danger here," she whispered, her voice tinged with genuine concern."

"I'm not leaving till I find out" I repeated "I will snuff the information out of every one of them if I have to"

She sighed heavily

"I can help you if you trust me, but first we have to get out of here"

"Tell me what you know," I implored.

"Not here" She emphasized

Isabella hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "I saw that woman earlier," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "I know where she's headed."

I eyed her suspiciously "No, you haven't. I don't believe you." I replied

I was starting to get an ominous aura from her. I had a feeling she was lying.

"She's of average height and extraordinarily beautiful. She wore white clothes. She has flaxen hair deep blue eyes and a refined demeanor. She has a low voice, She walks like a woman of high class, yet she clutches a dagger."

I stared at her blankly. All her descriptions fit perfectly, she couldn't have deduced all those from the poster alone. She has seen her.

"Does that satisfy your curiosity? Do you trust me now?" She asked.

"Where did you see her? " I demanded with a raised voice.

"Quiet" She whispered viciously "Do you want to attract attention? You just have to trust me."

"Give me something first, before I trust you?"

She sighed heavily.

"The lady asked for directions towards Hidden Rain Village, She seemed to be looking for a blacksmith there. I had shown a route to take safe from bandits and bounty hunters"

I was finally satisfied, she had seen Luna and meant no harm. The relief was short-lived. We still needed to leave the tavern discreetly.

She took off her clothes, revealing just her blue undervest, and handed it to me.

"Cover your head with that to avoid being spotted," She said

"No I'm not covering my head with that," I said eyeing her cloth, wondering where they've been.

"You don't have a choice, do you? Unless you want to fight every man in here"

I took the cloth off her hands reluctantly and covered my head with it.

We stood up and I immediately noticed a chilling change in the atmosphere. Not only was there dead silence in the tavern, but every man in the tavern rose to their with us. It was apparent they had figured me out.

"Oh shit" She cursed under her breath "We've been made"

only one option was available and it was a violent one. I broke the leg of the chair we sat on and clutched two of its legs in two hands. Their jagged edges will serve as a makeshift weapon.

"Get behind lady," I ordered, bracing myself for the inevitable brawl.

"My name is Isabella," She replied.

Her voice cut through the tension as she swiftly dispatched the first attacker with a powerful strike, sending him crashing to the floor.

"I don't need your protection,"

The tavern erupted into chaos, a whirlwind of fists, kicks, and desperate shouts. In the dimly lit space, every punch and kick played out like a violent dance. Isabella and I fought back-to-back.

The first assailant lunged at me with a drunken roar, but my reflexes were quicker. With a swift sidestep, I dodged his wild swing, leaving him to stumble and crash into a table. I crashed the leg of the chair on his head and watched him grow numb. A second man charged, his fists swinging wildly. I ducked under his clumsy attack, countering with a sharp uppercut that sent him sprawling backward.

The third man lunged at my exposed flank, I sidestepped, grabbed his arm, and used his momentum to propel him into the path of his compatriots. I watched them fall, on one of the other.

I stole a glance at Isabella to see if she needed my help. Three men had surrounded her, and instead of folding in fear, a smirk played on her lips. She sidestepped their lunges with fluid grace, disarmed one with a swift kick, sent another sprawling with a precise elbow strike, and finished the third with a dazzling spin that left him dazed and bewildered.

While I was temporarily distracted, one of them tried to sneak up on me. I picked up a chair and clattered it on his head, the whole chair broke into pieces and so did his body

I looked around to see who else was left and saw the last ones standing in the whole tavern.

"I need to know where Luna went," I said

"We'll get out of here first, before the others catch a whiff of our presence" she replied, a determined glint in her eyes. "Follow me," She said.

"I presume there's no longer a need for this," I said and threw her clothes.

She caught it mid-air and rolled her eyes.

We hurried out of the tavern. Isabella gestured me towards the couple of horses tied outside and untied two.

"Are they yours?" I asked.

"Do you care?"

"Certainly not!" I replied

She handed one to me and got on hers. I climbed on mine.

"Where are we going?" I asked

"Follow me, you'd see"

I trailed behind her as we rode out of town.