As the chopper soared through the skies, the sounds of the blades kept sounding in the air keeping a calm and quiet atmosphere. The wind passing through the windows of the military chopper was refreshing enough to make one fall asleep. Kael's gaze lingered on the ground below, his eyes empty as if lost in thought.
"We are fifteen minutes away from the drop," The pilot said, his voice calm and collected, but that was enough to wake Kael from his thoughts. Looking around, he could see the tense expressions the girls carried.
He sighed, of course they were tense, this was their first mission, and a dangerous one at that. Looking to enlighten the mood, he suddenly spoke up. "Why don't we tell each other about our specialties? After all, we will be fighting together for this period of time, so how about it?"
"Well, am in! Sheila said.
"Am in to," Cristina followed after, with a kind smile on her face.
They all turned and looked at Elara, waiting for her to respond. "Fine! Let's get this over with" She said with a sigh, her arms raised in resignation.
"Good!" Kael replied with a smile on his face, "Allow me to start first"
Kael began, his eyes gleaming with intensity. "My specialty is to create and bend Flames to my will. I can summon waves of fire, create precise blasts, or even form shields to deflect attacks. My flames can also increase my strength and speed, though for a short amount of time."
He then glanced at Elara, signaling for her to begin. She sighed seeing his gaze. "I possess the ability to control and manipulate blood. Part of my family lineage. I can create anything possible using the blood I control. I can also summon tendrils of blood to restrain and slice enemies. Due to this, I am very efficient in close combat."
Sheila's eyes sparkled, her voice carrying excitement. " I can control and manipulate the earth. I can summon boulders to crush enemies, create trenches to trap or disorient, or even sense seismic activity to predict incoming attacks. My connection to the earth also grants me superhuman strength, allowing me to lift and move massive objects with ease."
They all turned and looked at Cristina, in which by replied by giving a warm and reassuring smile. "My specialty is regeneration and superhuman strength. I can rapidly heal from injuries, regenerating damaged tissues and bone. I can also apply this regeneration on others as well. My strength allows me to lift and move massive objects, making me a valuable asset in combat and exploration."
As they assessed and formed ways in which they could use each other's specialties in battle, they began to realize the potential of their combined strength. 'So far! Our most valuable team member right now, she will be of great help thanks to her healing abilities' Kael pondered as his gaze lingered in Cristina's direction, his hand on his chin.
"We have arrived at the entrance! Prepared to be dropped," The pilot's voice echoed through the chopper, making Kael look down, only to see a vast desert, spanning over 4km. 'I can't believe we have to cross this, and this is just the first quadrant at that.' He thought, his eyes wide open. Just what kind of mission was this?
"Opening hanger doors now! Good luck kids," The pilot's voice rang out once more. Kael then turned and looked at the girls, the wind blowing his hair continuously. "You guys ready!" Kael said loudly, his voice drowned by the air currents, but they all heard him clearly, all of them nodding in reply. They had all put on their body suits prior before the hanger doors opened.
"Let's go then!" With that, Kael ran, and jumped, the others following soon after. He could feel the wind slapping the face, he spread his arms widely, to reduce the speed at which he was falling, the others following in his footsteps.
"Drop complete! PilotE24, returning back to base." The aircraft, turned and left, meanwhile, Kael and the others were still descending at a steady pace.
"Sheila! Soften our fall" Kael shouted, his voice containing a hint of distress.
"Got ya bro!" Sheila replied, her eyes glowing as the sand below them began to shape into a platform, it then began to ascend towards them at an average speed. They soon landed on the platform, face flat.
"You can take us down now! Elara said, brushing the sand of her body. The platform then began to descend slowly until it fused back to the remaining sand of the vast desert. It was already night time, and the weather was extremely cold this time of day. Luckily, the tight body suit was designed to provide warmth during cold times such as this.
Landing on the ground, they scanned their surroundings, vast golden sand dunes, littered in every direction. Kael crouched behind a sand dune, surveying the treacherous terrain ahead. His team fanned out around him, their eyes scanning the horizon for potential. Each one of them had already brought out the necessary weapons they would need, preparing for any scenario.
"Alright, we need to find a safe route," Kael said, his flames burning low in his palm. "Sheila, what's the map say?"
Sheila consulted the holographic map, her brow furrowed. "We've got two possible routes. One follows a dry riverbed, the other uses a series of rocky outcroppings for cover."
Elara's gaze narrowed. "I sense…something. A presence, watching us. We need to be careful."
Cristina's hand rested on the hilt of her sword, her eyes scanning the surrounding dunes. "I don't see anything, but I trust your instincts, Elara."
Kael nodded. "Let's take the river bed route, the sun won't beat down on us much there. Stay sharp team."
As they ventured deeper into the Aether Wastes, the terrain grew increasingly treacherous. The sun beat down relentlessly, draining their strength and spirit. The dry river bed twisted and turned, leading them through treacherous canyons and hidden oases. If not because of the tight body suits, they would've been left dehydrated and unable to move any further.
Suddenly, a faint rumbling echoed through the canyon, growing louder by the second. The team exchanged uneasy glances.
"What's that?" Sheila asked, her voice laced with concern.
Elara's eyes locked onto something in the distance. "It's a…a sandstorm? No, it's too focused. Whatever it is, it's heading straight towards us!"
Kael's flames roared to life, casting a protective barrier around the team. "Take cover! Now!"
…