Amira's SUV hummed quietly as it neared the edge of the grove, morning light streaming through the leaves and casting long, dappled shadows.
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowed as she scanned the road ahead. The forest was dense here, the thick canopy creating a shifting blend of light and dark.
Her instincts prickled, a familiar sensation warning her to stay alert.
"Alright, ease up here," she murmured through the radio, her tone low but firm. "Sophie, I need you to scout the area. Get out, see what's up ahead. We'll hold position here."
Sophie nodded, slipping silently out of the car. The team waited, each moment stretching longer as they listened to the soft rustling of leaves in the distance.
Amira's hand tapped rhythmically against the steering wheel as she kept her gaze locked in the direction Sophie had gone. The feeling that something was waiting for them was growing stronger.
Finally, Sophie appeared again, sprinting back to the SUV, her face grim.
"There's a fight going on near the grove," she whispered. "Looks like a military squad. They're up against three wild dogs… and a large hound."
As Amira thought about what she had learned, her heart rate went up.
"Alright, everyone, masks on," she instructed, pulling her own mask over her face. "Remember, we're mercenaries hired to clear out beasts. Keep it casual, no showing off."
The team adjusted their masks, each shifting into a tougher, more unbothered stance.
She took a steadying breath, letting herself slip into character, "Let's go check it out."
It was very quiet as they moved through the trees, moving from one shadow to the next until the sounds of battle grew louder.
As soon as they came into view, she stopped and fixed her attention on one of the people in the chaos.
It was Aiden. His fire-based attacks were unmistakable as he faced off with the large hound, his movements sharp and powerful. Shock rippled through her, "What is he doing here?"
But she had no time to dwell on it.
"Alright, everyone," she said, keeping her voice steady. "Help them out, but stay low-key. Remember, we're mercs; no doing anything that'll tip them off. Got it?"
She shot a look at Asher, Sophie, and Mira, her voice a touch sharper.
"Especially you three. No powers, keep it subtle."
The team moved in, blending into the fight. They struck down the beasts that lunged too close to Aiden's group, keeping their movements controlled, ensuring they remained indistinct and unremarkable.
While she herself navigated through the battle, her focus zeroing in on Aiden and the beast he was fighting. The creature was enormous, its horn blazing with flames as it circled Aiden.
Observing the beast's movements, Amira realized it wasn't just some mindless monster. It had a level of intelligence, something rare in mutated beasts this early on.
It was commanding the other wild dogs with calculated howls and precise movements.
Lost in thought, she wondered if her actions had somehow accelerated the evolution of these creatures.
According to Alex's memory, beasts with this level of intelligence shouldn't appear until the second wave. But before she could process it further, Aiden's voice broke through her thoughts.
He noticed her lingering presence and called out with a playful grumble, "Are you here for the show? Because it really can't get much better than this."
His words were tinged with sarcasm, but she shot him an unbothered look, her attention locked on the hound's movements.
Just as Aiden was about to unleash a powerful strike, assuming she'd stay on the sidelines, She raised her hand, murmuring the words "Ice Burst!"
Aiden paused, puzzled, watching as a massive chunk of ice materialized above the beast, exploding with a powerful force that knocked the hound hurtling in the opposite direction away from the other beasts.
"Let's draw it away from here," she told him, her tone all business.
"It's more than just a mindless brute, it's commanding the others; the further we pull it away, the easier it'll be to handle the rest." With that, she moved confidently toward the beast.
Aiden, momentarily stunned by the blast of ice, hesitated but quickly followed her as she moved in the hound's direction.
The hound staggered to its feet, its growls growing fiercer as it fixed a deadly gaze on them.
Amira's eyes narrowed, sensing something unusual as fiery energy sparked to life in the beast's horn. The previous glow had been a mere warning; now, it was clearly charging an attack.
Just as the fireball erupted toward them, Aiden shouted,
"Watch out!" and in one swift motion, he pulled her to the side, a sizzling fireball whizzing past them and leaving a scorch mark on the ground.
They tumbled to the ground together, with Aiden unintentionally landing in an awkward position, his hand pressed against her chest.
Amira, still catching her breath, gave him an irritated look.
"Get off me, will you?" she snapped, her tone sharp with embarrassment, "And stop… touching."
Aiden, realizing he had accidentally touched her chest in the scuffle, scrambled to his feet, his cheeks reddening.
Amira cut him off with a hand as he was trying to apologize.
"Save the apology," Amira muttered, brushing herself off. "Focus on the hound. It's not exactly waiting around."
Grateful for the redirection, Aiden quickly pointed to the beast. "That thing's got fire abilities," he informed her. "Its horn can blast fireballs, and it looks like it can absorb fire thrown at it. Be careful with your attacks."
Amira considered it for a moment, then gave a quick nod.
Amira glanced at Aiden, a determined gleam in her eyes. "Let's switch things up a bit," she said, crouching down and pressing her hand to the ground.
She channeled her energy, sending a wave of cold through the earth, freezing the ground beneath the massive hound's feet.
"I'll freeze its legs; keep it stuck in place for a bit. Once it's trapped, you can go for the weak spots on its legs with your knife; just heat it up to cut right through the ice when it tries to break free."
Aiden quickly nodded, catching onto her plan to exploit the extremes of hot and cold to weaken the beast's defenses.
They moved in perfect sync, Amira focusing her power on freezing the ground while launching icy daggers to keep the hound distracted.
Meanwhile, he slipped behind it, out of sight. The beast snarled, twisting to free itself, and with a powerful yank, shattered the ice trapping its legs; stumbling just enough to give Aiden his moment.
Taking his cue, he raised his knife, channeling his fire until the blade glowed like molten steel. He leaped forward, delivering a clean, fierce strike to the beast's back leg, nearly severing it.
The hound let out a furious howl, its horns crackling with flame as it lunged at Aiden. But Amira was ready.
With a final surge of strength, she launched a powerful blast of ice directly at the horn, colliding with its fiery energy.
The impact created a shockwave, the explosion shattering the hound's horn and sending it reeling in pain.
As the beast staggered, Amira fought to stay upright, her energy nearly depleted. She gathered just enough for one last move, forming an ice spear and hurling it at the creature's neck.
In perfect unison, Aiden unleashed a fierce burst of fire, targeting its chest. With its horn destroyed, the hound had no defense against the fire energy, and it collapsed to the ground with a heavy, final thud.
Breathing heavily, Amira, having exhausted most of her energy, felt her strength slipping.
Her vision blurred slightly as she struggled to stay on her feet, her limbs heavy from the intensity of the fight.
Just then, she felt a pair of strong arms lift her gently. Startled, she looked up and saw Aiden's steady face above her, his expression warm but focused as he carried her over to the shade beneath a nearby tree.
Despite her dizzy, weakened state, Amira tried to wriggle free, protesting, "Put me down. I'm fine."
Aiden only gave her a slight, knowing smile, enduring her feeble attempts to wriggle free.
"Just hold still for a minute, will you?" he murmured, his voice gentle yet resolute.
Something in his tone made Amira pause, and she eventually relaxed to stopped struggling, though her thoughts were spinning.
She hadn't expected to meet him like this, fighting side by side, and she'd certainly never imagined letting him take care of her.
Founding herself caught off guard by the feeling of being held, if only briefly. It was a sensation she had never expected to experience.
And yet, as much as she tried to deny it, she felt a strange warmth at the thought.
Lost in her thoughts, she barely noticed when Aiden finally eased her down, gently leaning her against the tree making sure she was steady before releasing her.
She quickly straightened, masking her momentary vulnerability as best as she could.