As the night drew near, the group of slaves silently took action. Ethan swiftly broke the locks that hindered their spirits, the sound of shattering metal echoing through the night air. Thorne's hand briefly glowed in a black hue, and a moderately sized axe appeared in his hands, its blade gleaming with a faint, otherworldly light.
With swift chops, the rope that bound them gave way, and the group regained their freedom. Ethan lightly rubbed his wrists, feeling a wave of adrenaline wash over him. He gazed up at the night sky, the stars twinkling like diamonds in the darkness.
"Let's go South," Elara said, her voice barely above a whisper. "The soldiers are less concentrated there." She led the way, her eyes scanning the surroundings with a mixture of caution and determination.
The camp was moderately defended by several soldiers with Geo spirits, which allowed them to build walls of a sort that surrounded the camp. The walls were imposing, but Elara seemed confident that they could breach them.
As they approached the south wall, Ethan noticed that the guards were too alert, too focused. He exchanged a wary glance with Arin, wanting to retreat, but it was too late. Lyra emerged from the shadows, a sly smile spreading across her face.
"Welcome, slaves," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "I've been expecting you." The group spun around, realizing too late that they were surrounded. Ten Kraelion soldiers closed in, their swords drawn.
Ethan's eyes locked onto Lyra, his mind racing with anger and betrayal. How had she known they would escape? And what did she plan to do with them now?
Thorne stepped forward, his arcane spirit flaring to life. "We're not going down without a fight," he growled, his voice low and menacing. He suddenly enlarged, drawing out two axes from his back, which looked nearly invisible in the night.
Elara nodded, her aero spirit whipping up a fierce gust of wind. "Let's take them down," she said, her eyes flashing with determination. Arin's fangs suddenly enlarged, and he set himself on all fours, taking a crouching stance.
"Tiger's Stance: Patient Crouch!" he growled, his eyes fixed intently on the soldiers. Ethan followed suit, his heart pounding in his chest. They charged forward, their swords clashing with the Kraelion soldiers.
Even if he had no spirit, Ethan was at least skilled in the disabling of spirits, a forbidden technique called Nexus Severance.
"You have chosen death, eh?" Lyra spat, her eyes flashing with anger. "Finish them off!" With a loud war cry, the ten soldiers rushed in, activating their spirits. Ethan proved extremely skilled as he swiftly evaded and counterattacked, leaving a defenseless soldier with a paralyzed spirit.
Thorne's arcane spirit proved invaluable, disabling the soldiers' magical enhancements and further aggravating them. Elara's aero spirit whipped up a fierce storm, making it difficult for the soldiers to land a hit.
As they fought, Ethan noticed that the soldiers were herding them towards a specific location. He realized too late that it was a trap, set by Lyra to ensnare them. The group found themselves surrounded by a ring of flames, the soldiers closing in on all sides.
Ethan's heart sank, realizing they were trapped. But Arin was quick-thinking. He spotted a weak point in the flames and made a break for it, leaving afterimages behind that the others quickly followed.
"We're at the wall!" Elara shouted, her voice barely audible over the roar of the flames. "Gust!" Her Aero spirit summoned a gust, which kicked up the sand in the air, creating a sandstorm.
Ethan quickly scaled the wall with the assistance of the wind and disabled the soldier guarding the node. The wall crumbled, and they quickly ran, their footsteps echoing through the night air.
Their tired bodies shook violently, their lungs gasping for air. But they knew they couldn't stop now. They had to keep moving, to escape the Kraelion camp once and for all.
As they ran, Ethan could feel Lyra's eyes on them, her anger and frustration palpable. But they didn't look back, didn't dare to. They kept their eyes fixed on the horizon, their hearts pounding with determination.
They would escape, no matter what it took. They would make it out of this place, and they would never look back. The darkness seemed to press in around them, but they pushed forward, driven by their desire for freedom.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they saw a glimmer of light on the horizon. The sun was rising, casting a golden glow over the landscape. They stumbled towards it, their legs aching