CHAPTER 52: CHAPTER 52: WHEN THE LEASH BREAKS

Rael’s grip on the beast’s tusk tightened, sparks crackling between his gauntleted fingers. A heartbeat later, a surge of lightning ripped through its skull, dropping it with a heavy thud.

"Move," Arden’s voice cut through the chaos, low and certain.

Nyra was already moving, wind swirling at her feet as she leapt past him. The air sharpened, and shards of ice followed in her wake, skewering a beast before it could reach the labourers. Rael stepped into another’s path, his gauntlet flashing blue with frost. The impact of his punch sent a wave of ice crawling over its body, freezing it mid-snarl.

Zephyra slipped between them like a shadow of fire, her tail igniting the moment she pounced on a smaller beast. Her growl rolled through the camp as she tore it apart, flames licking at the ground where its blood spilled.

"Nyra, left flank. Rael, cut their rear off. Zephyra—burn anything that runs." Arden didn’t shout, but his words carried, each command landing like he had already seen the outcome.

The guards tried to regroup, but it became clear the fight had shifted. The beasts were falling too quickly, their snarls replaced by dying howls. Rael’s blows cracked with alternating bursts of ice and lightning, Nyra’s spells curved through the air with precision that shouldn’t have been possible for someone juggling two affinities. And Zephyra—Zephyra was pure chaos, darting in and out of the fray, fire trailing in her wake as she tore through the weaker ones.

It was over before the guards even caught their breath.

The camp was silent for a moment, the firelight flickering over the stunned faces of the Boro Trading Group. They had heard the stories from Greyhold, the whispers about the young party that had done the impossible, but they hadn’t expected this, effortless control over dual affinities, flawless coordination, and a leader who barely lifted a hand yet shaped the battle like a puppeteer.

Boro stepped forward, still catching his breath. "I’ve seen a lot in my years... but not this. Not from ones your age." His gaze lingered on the party, measuring them. "Controlling two affinities like that—most can’t even dream of it. You didn’t just save us. You made the impossible look easy."

Arden’s expression didn’t change. "It’s our job. Just like it’s yours to keep that formation tight. If we’re going to get through this zone, we work together. All of us." His eyes flicked toward the guards before returning to Boro.

Boro gave a slow nod, then extended his hand. "Agreed. On behalf of everyone here."

The shake was firm, and though no one said it out loud, the shift was clear. The stares that had once been full of doubt now carried something else, respect.

The guards took their time introducing themselves after the fight, the tension from before replaced with something almost respectful.

Their leader stepped forward first. He was tall, built like he had spent his whole life swinging steel, and wore the expression of a man used to giving orders. "Captain Rulven," he said, his voice deep and steady. "Battle mage, fire affinity, peak of Vein Bloom." He gestured to the man beside him, a younger battle mage with sharper features. "This is Draven, wind affinity, mid-stage Vein Bloom."

A wiry man in darker gear gave a lazy salute. "Kael. Assassin. Shadow affinity, early Vein Bloom."

The last was a calm-faced woman holding a staff with faint blue light at its tip. "Selise. Elemental mage. Water affinity, high Vein Bloom."

Arden nodded. "Arden. Party leader." He motioned to each in turn. "Rael, battle mage—lightning and ice. Nyra, elemental mage—ice and wind. And Zephyra... she bites."

Zephyra’s low growl earned a few uneasy looks, which Arden ignored.

"I’m not here to tell you how to do your job," Arden said, his tone even, "but if you want everyone to make it out of this zone, you’ll follow my calls in a fight. No one steps out of position, and no one dies because of pride."

There was no threat in his voice, yet none of them thought to argue. Rulven was the first to nod, and the rest followed.

From then on, the road felt different. The guards, though still keeping their formation, began to glance Arden’s way when something didn’t feel right. They got used to his voice cutting through the air before trouble even showed itself. "Two to the left... flank them before they get close." The first few times they had hesitated. Now, they moved without question.

Evenings were calmer too. They shared meals, talked about hunts and close calls from the past. Laughter even slipped in from time to time, though no one forgot where they were.

The journey wasn’t easier, but to Arden, every fight was a chance. Every beast was another step toward gathering more life signatures, refining his instincts.

One afternoon, he paused mid-step. "We’ve got a pack moving in. Five beasts, strong enough to make it interesting," he said, already turning to the guards. "Rulven, Draven—frontline. Keep their attention. Kael, take the sides, keep them from circling. Selise, wall the rear, no gaps." Then he turned to his own. "Rael, with Rulven. Nyra, take high ground and slow anything that gets past. Zephyra... you know what to do."

By the time the first beast burst through the brush, everyone was already in place. Rulven’s blade met the first snout, fire exploding against fur. Draven’s wind sliced through the air, forcing the second beast sideways into Rael’s gauntlet, where frost spread over its hide before a flash of lightning finished it.

Nyra’s spells whistled overhead, slowing the rear attackers until Zephyra crashed into them with snapping jaws and searing flame. Selise’s water walls shifted with precision, keeping the labourers and merchants untouched.

It was over quickly, but not without noise. Arden’s party moved like they’d been born for it—no panic, no wasted effort. And every time a fight ended, the same thought settled over the rest of the group.

These weren’t normal adventurers. They enjoyed it too much.

A/N:

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