Twenty minutes earlier...
The deeper they traveled, the narrower the passage became. Jagged rocks protruded from the walls on either side like the teeth of some ancient stone beast.
Despite the treacherous terrain and oppressive shadows pressing in from all directions, Sera and Mira moved quickly, leading their group of reluctant nobles through the gorge's winding passages. Their eyes remained sharp, constantly scanning. Their feet never faltered despite exhaustion.
Kael was still behind them, battling the Lord Arid. Though every instinct screamed at them to turn back and help, they knew that wasn't an option. Not with the royals in tow. Not when retreat was the mission.
Sera's jaw tightened as she navigated a particularly difficult stretch. She had faith in Kael, he could handle himself in a fight better than most. Her task right now was getting these people out alive.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of climbing and scrambling, a clearing emerged from the rocky gorge. It was relatively large, with sparse trees providing minimal shade beyond the opening.
Long, untamed grass brushed against their ankles. For the first time in a long time, the air didn't feel like it was closing in, like a trap about to snap shut.
Sera motioned for Mira to lead the others toward the tree line, where they could catch their breath and...
"Well, well... what do we have here?"
The voice was smooth, lazy, carrying the tone of someone commenting on mildly interesting weather.
Sera's heart plummeted.
She spun around, hand instinctively reaching for her weapon.
At the entrance to the clearing stood fifteen figures arranged in a loose formation.
The one who'd spoken stood at the front, a young man with striking golden eyes and a smile that radiated confidence bordering on arrogance. His posture screamed control, amusement, and something far more dangerous lurking beneath the surface charm.
Sera didn't need to know his name to recognize trouble when it appeared.
"Dorian Valthorne," Mira breathed beside her, recognition and dread mixing in her voice.
Their eyes met briefly. The same worry flickered in both their gazes.
Sera lifted one arm slightly, making a subtle gesture behind her back. A silent command to retreat slowly.
The royals began backing away carefully, trying not to draw attention.
But Dorian caught the movement immediately. His smirk widened into something predatory.
"Bring me my prize," he said casually, as if ordering wine at dinner.
"Yes, Young Master!" came the immediate, eager response from his followers.
Five of Dorian's fifteen followers surged forward without hesitation, trained, equipped, confident in their numbers and skill.
Sera turned sharply toward the royals. "Run!" she barked. "Now!"
Prince Dain grabbed his sister's arm and they bolted toward the trees. King Eldrin followed with surprising speed for his age.
Sera and Mira didn't follow. They planted themselves firmly between the fleeing royals and the advancing enemies, hoping to buy precious seconds.
The pursuers were fast, mercenaries or elite soldiers, judging by their coordinated movement. Well-armored, well-trained, and clearly confident.
But so were Sera and Mira.
Mira moved first.
Her eyes flashed brilliant blue as she extended her right hand. Crackling arcs of lightning danced across her skin, illuminating her face with eerie light.
The first enemy was a towering Storm Mancer wrapped in black and silver robes that whipped in a wind of his own creation. He raised both arms, summoning a swirling gust meant to knock her back and off balance.
But he was too slow.
Mira ducked under the wind blast and slid forward across the grass. Lightning surged through her staff, concentrating at the tip.
She sprang upward with a spinning kick that slammed into his chest, simultaneously discharging a penetrative bolt that sent him skidding ten feet across the grass, smoking lifelessly.
Another attacker came at her immediately, a Hexblade Swordmaster. Curses shimmered visibly along the edge of his sword, dark runes glowing with malevolent energy.
Mira brought up her staff defensively, parried his first strike, then his second. On the third exchange, she stepped inside his guard and drove her elbow into his throat with brutal precision.
The man choked, breath caught, but he didn't fall. His cursed sword hummed with dark energy as he swung wide, trying to catch her with the backswing.
She ducked smoothly and spun low. Her lightning-infused staff found his exposed side. The electrical discharge dropped him instantly, not dead, but definitely en route.
A wall of flame erupted to her left.
The Fire Mage stood with arms outstretched, fingers splayed dramatically. A trail of fire curled toward her like a living serpent.
Mira twisted her wrist, drawing ambient static electricity from the air itself. Power surged through her body as she raised her hand.
BOOM.
A crackling sphere of concentrated lightning burst forward, colliding with the flames head-on. The opposing elements canceled each other out in a violent explosion, steam hissing in the aftermath.
To her right, Sera was already engaged.
The archer's twin short swords gleamed silver in the afternoon sun as she weaved between two enemies, a Frost Mancer and a Shadow Swordmaster.
The Frost Mancer conjured spears of ice rapidly, throwing them in rapid succession like deadly projectiles.
Sera dodged low, rolled smoothly through the grass, came up on one knee and flung one of her blades. It embedded itself deep in the mage's thigh. She collapsed with a pained grunt, frost forming along the wound reflexively.
Sera didn't pause. She leaped forward, reclaimed her embedded blade mid-motion, and pivoted to face the Shadow Swordmaster.
He vanished into darkness, reappearing directly behind her...
She spun just in time, steel meeting shadow with a sharp 'clang'.
His blade shimmered with dark energy as it descended. She blocked with both weapons crossed, the impact jolting painfully through her arms. He was fast, faster than the others by a significant margin.
But she was lighter, more agile.
Sera ducked under his next swing and kicked hard at his knee. He faltered, staggering backward with his stance broken.
She darted forward and stabbed, not to kill, but to disable. Her blade dug into his shoulder joint. He hissed in pain and vanished again into shadow.
Behind her, Mira was now holding off three opponents simultaneously.
The Storm Mancer had recovered from his earlier shock, though he moved more cautiously now. The Fire Mage circled around, flames rebuilding along his arms. A Stone Mancer joined them, the ground rumbling ominously beneath his heavy boots as earth magic gathered.
"Company!" Mira called out sharply.
Sera glanced back, saw the trio advancing in coordination, and cursed under her breath. "Fall back to the trees!"
Mira didn't argue or question. They both understood tactical retreat when necessary.
They ran, not in panicked flight, but in controlled repositioning. The grass parted as they moved. Sera reached over her shoulder, grabbed an arrow from her quiver in one smooth motion, and nocked it to her bow.
She slid to a stop, turned, and loosed the arrow in a single fluid breath.
Thwip!
The projectile struck the Fire Mage's shoulder. He staggered, flames flaring wildly and uncontrolled before dying out completely.
Another arrow followed immediately, this one aimed at the Stone Mancer.
But he raised his hand defensively. The ground rose in front of him, a wall of packed earth that blocked her shot completely.
Mira struck next.
Lightning arced along the ground in a brilliant blue line, slamming into the Stone Mancer's feet. He stumbled but didn't fall. His body began hardening visibly, stone crawling up his skin like living armor.
Sera's eyes narrowed with calculation.
She reached for a special arrow, one with a red tip.
She nocked it, drew, and fired at the base of the earth wall.
BOOM!
The wall shattered spectacularly, dust and smoke billowing outward in a choking cloud.
Mira rushed through the obscuring haze without hesitation.
The Stone Mancer barely had time to raise a defense before Mira's fist, crackling with concentrated electrical energy, struck his chest dead center.
The lightning surged through his stone armor. Cracks spiderwebbed across the hardened surface, and he collapsed with a groaning crash like a falling statue.
That left only the Storm Mancer.
He spun into view through the clearing smoke, arms raised high. Wind howled around him, and lightning coiled along his body like living serpents.
Mira's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Your element," she muttered, gathering her own power. "My domain."
She raised both hands high.
Blue-white lightning surged from her core, climbing into the sky and forming a connection with the natural storm energy above. Two waves of electrical power clashed in the air, his wild and untamed, hers sharp and precisely controlled.
With a primal scream of effort, Mira pushed forward with everything she had.
Her focused lightning punched straight through his chaotic discharge and struck him square in the chest with devastating force.
The Storm Mancer dropped instantly, body twitching like a broken puppet whose strings had been suddenly severed.
For a brief moment, everything went still.
Sera exhaled slowly, blood running down both arms from various cuts. Mira stood panting heavily, shoulders heaving with exhaustion. A deep, bleeding gash ran across her side, but adrenaline kept her from feeling it yet.