"FALL TO MY BLADES!"
Samir's daggers cleaved through many a bandit's neck, slicing heads clean off. Next to him, Ayyub cast shockwaves of pure Aether through his palms, slamming enemies off their feet, his shield bashing their skulls in. Zayna's hands blurred with fire, blasting limbs with each wave while firing in precise bursts to scatter archers. Abd covered them with ice fists and crushed spikes, while Faisal rushed in with his sword, taking on most of their attacks head-on.
They didn't have stamina for long.
They didn't have Aether to waste.
But they didn't stop.
One after another, they carved bodies into the snow.
Their robes were drenched. Their teeth clenched. Their minds fraying at the edges.
They fought not like rebels, but like animals refusing the end.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. Then two. Then five. Then eight. Then ten.
Their injuries stacked up.
