Deep in the forest, the air was thick with the scent of damp moss and old earth. Talon and Garrett moved like shadows, careful not to disturb even the smallest twig. Every rustle felt like it echoed for miles.
They reached a narrow opening in the rocky hillside, half-hidden behind tangled roots. The entrance to the tunnels. Garrett knelt, running his fingers along the ground.
"Tracks," he whispered. "Fresh. They're already moving supplies inside."
Talon's eyes narrowed, her kinje mark pulsing faintly beneath her skin. "Then we strike now."
Garrett nodded. He rose, drew his sword, and took a deep breath. Talon stepped forward first, pushing through the darkness without hesitation.
Inside, the tunnel air was stale and cold. Their footsteps echoed against the stone walls, each sound like a challenge in the dark. Flickering torchlight danced far ahead, revealing shadowy figures hauling crates and sharpening blades.
Talon signaled with two fingers — wait. Garrett pressed his back to the wall, his breath steady but sharp. Talon watched the figures move, counting them silently. Three guards by the crates, two more checking weapons.
She nodded once. Garrett's muscles coiled like a spring. Then, in a blur, they lunged forward.
Talon slammed her elbow into the first guard's throat, twisting to sweep his legs before he hit the ground. Before he could even gasp, her blade slid across his neck.
Garrett met the next two head-on, deflecting a spear thrust and driving his sword into the attacker's ribs. The second guard lunged, but Garrett grabbed his arm, twisting until the bone cracked, then finished him with a swift upward strike.
A final guard tried to run, but Talon launched forward, her kinje flashing like a small bolt of lightning. She slammed him into the wall with a pulse of force. He slid down silently, lifeless.
They stood in the flickering shadows, both breathing hard.
Garrett glanced at Talon, a feral grin on his face. "Still think we should have run?"
Talon snorted, wiping blood from her cheek. "Not a chance."
She moved deeper into the tunnel, her steps precise and silent. Deeper inside, they found crates marked with strange runes and sealed vials of glowing liquid. Garrett bent down to inspect one, but Talon grabbed his wrist.
"Careful," she hissed. "Those aren't just poisons. That's Blackblood essence. They're planning something bigger than a raid."
Garrett's eyes widened. "How much do they have?"
"Enough to wipe out the entire Outpost," she growled.
He cursed under his breath. "We have to destroy it. Now."
Talon glanced around, eyes darting. She spotted a stack of barrels filled with oil near the crates. A plan formed instantly in her mind.
She drew her dagger and cut a long gash across one of the barrels, letting the thick oil spill and snake across the dirt floor. Garrett followed, slicing open more barrels until a small river of oil pooled beneath the crates.
"Light it and run," Talon ordered.
Garrett flicked his wrist, pulling a small striker from his belt. Sparks danced in the dark, then a flame caught. He flung it onto the oil, and fire erupted in a roaring wave.
Heat blasted against their backs as they sprinted for the entrance, the tunnel turning into a raging inferno behind them.
They burst out into the forest just as an explosion rocked the hillside, sending dirt and flaming debris into the night sky. A shockwave knocked them forward, and they rolled, coughing and gasping.
Talon dragged herself up first, coughing but laughing breathlessly. "That… was close."
Garrett sat up, shaking his head with a wild grin. "If Janzo saw that, he'd have a heart attack."
Talon wiped ash from her forehead, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "We need to get back. They'll know we're coming now."
Garrett pushed to his feet, offering his hand. She took it without hesitation.
Together, they ran back toward the Outpost, the glow of the burning tunnels lighting up the night behind them like a blood-red sunrise.
Back inside the walls, Tony and Janzo stood on the main watch platform, eyes fixed on the distant fire.
Tony clenched his fists, his voice low but burning with resolve. "They did it."
Janzo swallowed hard. "Now we prepare for the next wave."
Tony nodded. "Tonight, the real battle begins."
Below them, townsfolk peeked nervously from behind shutters, some whispering prayers, others gripping old swords and axes passed down through generations.
Talon and Garrett crashed through the main gate, breathless and alive.
"To arms!" Talon shouted, her voice echoing like a war horn through the courtyard. "They will come. But we will stand!"
Tony stepped forward, a blade in one hand, strange gadgets strapped to his belt. Janzo stood behind him, clutching a handful of vials.
Garrett smirked, wiping blood from his cheek. "Ready to make history?"
Talon raised her blade high, her kinje beginning to glow once more, casting eerie patterns across the courtyard.
"Let them come," she whispered, her eyes burning with unbreakable fire.
And in that charged silence before the storm, every heart in the Outpost seemed to beat as one. 🔥🔥