Deep within the heart of the mountains, hidden behind a thicket of twisted trees and rocks, the rogues' lair is alive with dark energy. The air was thick with heat and hunger. Fires crackled in stone pits, casting long, flickering shadows on the cave walls. Growls echoed from every corner as the outlaws gathered, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.
At the center of the chaos stood the four scouts—lean, battle-worn, and smirking with pride. They'd infiltrated both Moonveil and Lunarion, slipping through the cracks like venom in a wound. Now, they stood tall, drinking in the admiration of their savage kin.
"The day has come," the rogue leader growled, stepping into the firelight. His towering form radiated menace, and the green glow of his eyes sent a hush through the crowd. "Lunarion and Moonveil are broken. Their Alpha and Omega lie on the edge of death. This is our moment."
A roar of approval burst through the cavern, wild and deafening. Wolves shifted all around—fur erupting from skin, claws tearing through the dirt. They were ready. Hungry. Thirsting for war.
The leader raised a clawed hand, and silence fell again. "Tonight," he said, his voice like gravel dragged through blood, "we take Moonveil and next… Lunarion"
Unseen above them, tucked into the crevice of a rocky ledge, a small Moonveil bird had witnessed everything. Its beady eyes reflected the firelight, and its chest fluttered with urgency. Without a sound, it turned and launched into the night sky—wings slicing through the air, racing against time.
War was coming. And Moonveil needed to know.
—-------
Sera sat beside Liora's still body, her eyes burning with unshed tears. She had barely moved since last night, fear clutching her chest like a vice. Every shallow rise and fall of Liora's chest gave her hope, but the silence was unbearable. Moonveil warriors tiptoed around Liora's champered and peeked, whispering behind walls, their anxiety thick in the air, they wondered if their leader was alive or dead.
Then, a rustling at the window caught her attention.
The bird.
It perched on the edge, feathers damp from the storm outside. It stared at her with wild urgency, head tilting sharply. Sera's stomach dropped. She understood.
The rogues were coming. Tonight.
Her breath hitched. No time for planning. No room for mistakes. Liora, the one they always looked to, lay motionless. And now the burden was hers.
Footsteps pounded the hallway—Aldric appeared, eyes sharp despite the years in them.
"I will fight," he said without preamble.
Sera turned to him. "No. You're aged, Father. If something happens to you—Liora wouldn't survive it. Neither would I."
His jaw clenched, voice hoarse. "So I'm to just sit here while our home burns?"
She reached for his hand, squeezed it once. "Let me carry this."
Before he could argue, she was gone.
Sera shifted mid-stride, fur bursting forth as her body took wolf form. She bolted from the room, leaping through the window like a ghost into the rain-soaked night.
The forest raced past her in a blur of dark green and mud. Her instincts pushed her toward the village perimeter—toward a jagged breach in the defenses she hadn't noticed before. Small. Subtle. But big enough for rogues to slip through.
She barked once—sharp and commanding. Warriors came, eyes wide, responding to the call. They rushed to patch it, but Sera knew it wouldn't be enough.
Her pulse quickened.
If Moonveil fell tonight… Lunarion would be next.
And like it or not, they needed each other.
Without hesitation, Sera veered off course. Away from the pack, away from safety. Her paws hit the earth harder as she turned toward enemy ground.
Toward Lunarion.
Toward Kael.
She only prayed she wasn't already too late.
Sera's heart hammered in her chest as she stood before the towering walls of Lunarion, the scent of the earth mingling with the sharp tang of hostility in the air. The cold, unyielding stone seemed to reflect the tension pulsing from the warriors who surrounded her. Snarls echoed through the air like a warning, and the unmistakable glint of bared fangs was a stark reminder that she was not welcome.
"Leave," one of the warriors growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Or die where you stand."
The threat hung in the air, heavy and ominous. Sera, undeterred, stepped forward, her body tensed but her mind resolute. She lowered her head in a gesture of submission, her voice steady despite the danger. "Please," she pleaded, her words laced with urgency. "The rogues are attacking Moonveil. If we don't fight them together, they will come for you next."
For a long moment, there was silence. The warriors' eyes glinted with distrust, their muscles coiled like taut springs, ready to snap at the slightest provocation. Then, from within the crowd, a familiar figure emerged—Kael, his broad shoulders tense, his eyes burning with fury.
"You dare come here after what Liora did?" Kael spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You expect us to help you after she left Zyra to suffer?"
The accusation hit Sera like a physical blow. She took a step back, a sharp breath catching in her throat. "I know what happened," she whispered, her voice strained but determined. "I know you hate us. But this isn't about Liora or Zyra. This is about survival. The rogues won't stop. If we don't stand together now, we will all fall."
Kael's eyes flashed, an unreadable expression flickering across his face. For a moment, it seemed as if he might relent, but then the corner of his mouth curled into a cruel smirk.
"Lock her up," he ordered, his voice cold.
Sera's blood ran cold at the command, and before she could react, the warriors surged forward. Hands like iron shackles gripped her arms, pulling her toward the ground. Her body hit the dirt with a harsh thud, claws pressing into her sides as the warriors restrained her. The breath was knocked from her lungs as she struggled, her voice frantic as she fought to make them listen.
"No! You have to listen—"
But her words were drowned out by their indifference. The warriors, unmoved, continued their task, dragging her through the fortress with ruthless efficiency. The sounds of her struggle echoed off the stone walls, but no one paid her any heed.
Sera's heart sank as she was thrown into the darkness of their prison. The heavy iron gate slammed shut behind her with a finality that left her breathless. The cold, damp air of the cell pressed in on all sides, and her mind raced with the knowledge that the rogues were only growing closer.
Outside, the sharpened claws of the rogues scraped against the earth, their howls rising like a chorus of impending doom. And inside the walls of Lunarion, the silence was deafening, broken only by the distant sounds of Sera's own breath and the beating of her heart, echoing in the shadows.
The battle for survival had already begun.