Shouts rose above the hammering rain as the Morvathi Guard Commander emerged from the tent.

The Commander's eyes narrowed against the downpour, scanning the encampment until he caught sight of dark smoke coiling through the rain, rising ominously from the west.

Through the chaos, a soldier sprinted toward the Commander, water streaming off his drenched cloak. “Commander! Murasi have breached the outer west field—more than a dozen coming in from the woods!”

The Commander grimaced, eyeing the smoke as it continued to billow into the sky. He turned his attention back to the soldier.

“Fall back from the western fields,” he barked, his coyness from the table conversation replaced by a steely resolve, “Form a guard by the refinery—we’ll push outward from there. We’ve been caught by surprise, but we won’t let that overrun us.”

Turning sharply, the Commander addressed the Pining Frost Captain. “I’m going forward to assess the breach—make your way back now. If you stay and we fall, who knows what chaos Aldarath and Morvath will make of it. I won’t have a Surelian Captain’s death on my hands. Let’s reconvene in Verael.” Without waiting for a response, he set off toward the smoke.

The Captain watched as the Commander drew his sword and disappeared between the rows of tents, the rain swallowing his figure. 

Without hesitation, the Captain unsheathed his blade and turned toward Erith. “How much time do we have before the Murasi are on us?”

“Minutes at best—there’s a few nearing the horses,” Erith replied, his voice firm.

The shouts around the encampment grew louder and more desperate, echoing through the rain.

The Captain nodded as if his mind had been made. “We make for the horses. Maeric, you take him and ride for Verael. Keep him hidden from the Morvathi. Rin and I will head back to camp. Stay in a close formation. Shout if you see something.”

Maeric hesitated, his concern seeping into his words. “We’re not staying to help them fight?”

“I don’t need the boy’s tricks to see this is lost.” With that, the Captain signaled to the group to move.

Erith kept his mind focused on extending his Kaida outward as they weaved through the rows of tents, feeling for the pulse of Mura emanating off of the Murasi. They’re much closer now… The rows of tents broke away, revealing the grove of trees where the horses were tethered.

“One—no, two from the northwest! They’re right on us!” Erith shouted to the group.

A nearby tent began to collapse as the weight of a person was thrown right through the side.  As the canvas crumpled to the ground, a Murasi stepped forward, its humanlike form distorted by a black, smoky haze. 

“Get the horses ready!” Rin shouted as he drew his sword, charging toward the Murasi. The creature turned, its faceless form locking onto him before raising a clawed arm to strike.

Rin sidestepped swiftly, the claw missing him by inches. Seizing the opening, he drove his blade into the Murasi’s side.

A flash of light emitted from the sword as Rin pressed down with all his strength, but the blade refused to pierce further. The swirling distortions around the Murasi converged on the sword. The Murasi twisted violently, raising its other arm and shoving the blade away from its body.

Maeric turned toward Erith. “Help the Captain with the horses,” he ordered. Erith hurried to untie the rope but fumbled with the knot. The sense of another Murasi drawing closer froze him in place.

Erith spun toward Maeric and Rin and swung his sword vertically toward Maeric’s side. 

The air between them rippled unnaturally. A vibrant white light erupted outward just as another Murasi had lunged at Maeric. It had collided with the distorted air, and the Murasi was hurled backward into a tent.

For a moment, the group stood frozen in the wake of what Erith had done.

Rin’s attention quickly snapped back to the Murasi in front of him, parrying another claw that came crashing down.

Maeric pushed past Erith toward the tether. “Let’s trade—keep them off us, Erith.”

Erith stepped forward, eyes locked on the two Murasi. With a stabbing motion, he swung his blade toward the one attacking Rin. The distorted, smoky air around the Murasi swelled toward the creature’s abdomen. The Murasi faltered, stumbling backwards. 

Rin glanced back at Erith, disbelief etched on his face.

“Strike it this time!” Erith shouted.

Rin nodded, but caught movement out of the corner of his eye. The other Murasi emerged from the collapsed tent, its distorted form hurtling toward Erith.

“Watch—!” Rin started, but the Murasi lunged at Erith.

Instinct took over. Erith thrust his hand forward, Kaida surging through him in a blinding wave. The light collided with the creature mid-swing, freezing it in place. With a final, violent shove, the light hurled the creature backward, sending it crashing into the tent.

“Get ready!” Erith shouted, turning his focus back on the Murasi advancing on Rin. With another stabbing motion, the distorted air surged toward the Murasi’s torso.

This time, Rin didn’t hesitate. He swung his blade with all his might at the Murasi’s neck. The sword cut cleanly through, meeting no resistance. The Murasi staggered, its body and head dissolving into the rain as it fell.

Erith shut his eyes, pulsing his Kaida outward. His eyes snapped open and flicked toward the horses. A shadow moved among them—its form wavering, threads of black smoke moved through the rain. The Murasi loomed over the panicked animals. 

One of the horses reared up on its hind legs with a shrill cry, its hooves kicking in the air. The Murasi lashed out. It cut deep into the horse’s side with its claw.

“Move, Maeric!” the Captain shouted, pulling Maeric backwards. The horse collapsed backward onto both Maeric and the Captain.

Panic surged in Erith as the scene unfolded. Without thinking, he dashed toward the Murasi. Rain lashed against his face, but his focus was absolute. Drawing in a deep breath, he swung his blade down in a sharp, diagonal arc.

The air shimmered, and the force of Kaida erupted in a blinding wave, carving through the Murasi’s form. The glow lingered for a moment, suspended amongst the rain, before the light pushed through the Murasi in an implosion of its smoky form.

For an instant, everything fell quiet but the hammering rain and the pounding of Erith’s heart.

The Captain lay face down in the dirt. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, pooling in the mud. His body was almost entirely buried beneath the collapsed horse.

Maeric’s scream shattered the stillness.

Erith’s head jerked toward the sound, his pulse quickening again. His eyes darted to Maeric, who lay in agony, leg pinned under the horse’s torso, feebly clawing at the mud, struggling to push the weight off his leg.

“Erith! Help me move the damn horse!” Reality set back in. Erith sheathed his sword and crouched beside Rin, bracing himself against the weight of the horse. With each push, Maeric howled in pain.

“Push!” Rin’s voice was strained, his breathing labored as he and Erith gave one last desperate shove. The horse’s weight shifted, and its massive torso rolled free of Maeric and the Captain. Erith staggered back, panting, mud caking his hands and knees.

“My father… How is my father…?” Maeric’s frail voice broke between heavy gasps.

Rin crouched beside him, speaking calmly. “We’ll get him help, Maeric. But first, we need to get you on a horse. Come on—on your feet now.”

Erith stepped forward, grabbing Maeric’s arm as Rin took the other side. Together, they hoisted him upright. Maeric groaned, biting down on the pain as he tried to keep the weight off his injured leg.

With the support of them on each side of him, he managed to stand.

“Easy,” Rin murmured. “One step at a time.”

With great effort, they guided Maeric toward his horse. The animal snorted and shifted nervously, but Rin steadied it with a firm hand. Erith boosted Maeric upward while Rin pulled from above, and together they managed to get him seated. 

Once Maeric was steady on the horse, Rin turned to Erith, motioning to move toward the Captain. Rin knelt down, searching for a pulse from the Captain. He shook his head as he whispered, “We can’t leave him here.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Erith spoke with a mix of sympathy and urgency. He forced himself to look away from the Commander’s lifeless body. “We can leave now or die here with him. We can’t hold off what’s coming.”

Rin’s gaze shifted to Maeric, who sat slumped over on the horse, his hands barely grasping the saddle horn.

After a heavy pause, he let out a sigh and looked up at Erith. “Get on Maeric’s horse. Follow my lead. Let’s get out of here before we can’t.”

Erith hesitated before stepping toward Maeric’s horse. Mud squelched beneath his boots as he reached up, gripping the saddle.

He swung himself onto the horse behind Maeric, who let out a faint groan as Erith shifted onto the horse.

Maeric’s voice was faint, strained with pain. “My father… What about my father?”

Erith felt his throat tighten and took in a deep breath. The words came out low, barely audible. “There’s no help for him, Maeric. I’m sorry.”

Maeric didn’t respond at first, his dazed eyes staring forward into the rain. Then he slumped further, his weight leaning into Erith as if the words had drained what little strength he had left.

Rin gave a sharp whistle, drawing Erith’s attention. “Hold tight,” Rin said as he mounted his own horse. “Follow my lead. Don’t stop for anything. And whatever it is you’ve been doing—don’t show it here anymore. Not unless we’re dead already.”

Erith nodded, gripping the reins as the rain pelted them. With a swift kick, Rin’s horse charged forward, and Erith followed close behind. 

The cold bite of the wind tore at their rain-soaked cloaks as they vanished into the storm’s depths...