The dense canopy of the Adramis Forest stretched endlessly above them, sunlight piercing through in scattered beams as Asrial and Theresia set foot onto the moss-covered soil.
The air was thick with the scent of damp wood and wildflowers, but beneath it lingered something else—a faint, metallic tang of blood from distant battles and unseen predators.
Theresia set down her heavy pack with a groan. "So, this is the infamous Adramis Forest."
Asrial glanced around, eyes sharp. "It's quieter than I expected. Too quiet."
Without wasting time, they worked together to build their camp, using fallen branches and a thick canvas to construct a sturdy, makeshift shelter. Asrial shaped the wooden beams with the precision of his earth element, and Theresia quickly secured them in place with expertly tied ropes.
By midday, their small camp stood firm, protected by a ring of sharpened wooden stakes.
"Looks like we're settled for now," Theresia said, brushing her hands off.
Asrial nodded. "We need to start hunting immediately. The sooner we finish, the better."
Theresia's eyes gleamed with determination. "Let's split up and cover more ground. Just don't die before dinner."
Asrial smirked faintly, then leapt into the air, propelled by his wind element, vanishing into the sky.
---
High above the treetops, Asrial soared like a phantom, the wind coiling around his body like obedient serpents.
His eyes scanned the landscape until he found them—a small warband of orkes, hulking green-skinned beasts with jagged tusks and crude iron weapons, lounging in a clearing.
They laughed, bellowed, and ripped apart smaller prey with savage glee.
"As good a target as any."
He tightened his grip on the air around him, summoning spiraling currents beneath his feet as he plunged downward like a falling star.
His descent was silent until the last second.
BOOM!
He landed with a thunderous blast, kicking up a cyclone of dust and leaves.
The orkes roared in shock, their laughter dying instantly as they scrambled to arm themselves.
Asrial didn't wait. With a swift motion, he spun his arm in a wide arc, flames igniting in his palm, coiling into a blazing spear.
He launched it.
The fiery projectile tore through the chest of the nearest orke, reducing it to ash in an instant.
The others charged, roaring in fury.
Three came at him from different angles.
Asrial sidestepped the first crude axe, letting the wind carry him a breath's distance away. He swung his hand in a slicing motion, sending razor-thin wind blades that cleaved through the second orke's legs, toppling it with a scream.
The third orke lunged, but Asrial met it head-on, his fist crackling with fiery pressure. He drove his burning knuckles into its gut, the explosion ripping through its back.
BOOM!
More orkes joined the fray, surrounding him now.
But Asrial's expression remained cold, composed.
He drew both hands up, the wind spiraling violently around him, fanning his flames into a vortex.
"Burn."
The combined inferno roared outward in a spiraling ring, consuming the orkes in its path. Their screams echoed briefly before the fire silenced them.
When the smoke cleared, the clearing was charred and silent.
Only the scorched corpses remained.
Asrial exhaled slowly. "Seven down."
With a flick of his wrist, he controlled the wind to lift the corpses and carry them behind him as he returned to camp.
---
Meanwhile, Theresia moved swiftly through the underbrush.
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted two orkes squatting near a stream, sharpening their blades.
Unlike Asrial, she didn't have elemental manipulation to back her.
But she had steel—and skill.
She burst from the foliage without warning, her sword flashing in a silver arc toward the nearest orke.
The beast barely raised its weapon in time, but Theresia's strike cracked the crude iron, her strength forcing the orke to stagger back.
The second orke rushed toward her, swinging a massive club.
She ducked under it, spun, and drove her blade deep into its side. The orke howled, swinging wildly, but she danced around it, agile and focused.
Blood spattered across her armor as she finished the first orke with a clean thrust to the heart.
The second orke tried to retreat.
She didn't let it.
With a fierce cry, she leapt forward, slashing the beast across its neck in one fluid motion.
Its body crumpled beside its fallen kin.
Theresia's breath came in short gasps, but her eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.
"That makes two for me."
---
By nightfall, the two reunited at their camp.
Theresia was already roasting the orke meat over the fire, its scent surprisingly pleasant despite the creature's appearance.
Asrial dropped the orke corpses with a thud. "Seven on my end."
Theresia smirked. "Only seven? I expected more from you."
"Quality over quantity."
She laughed, genuinely. "I took down two myself. Without magic, thank you very much."
Asrial sat beside her, his expression softening as the flames crackled between them.
They ate slowly, savoring the simple meal after a long day.
Theresia glanced at him. "It's strange, isn't it? This mission… I thought it would terrify me, but with you here… it doesn't feel that scary."
Asrial looked into the fire, his voice quiet. "I'll make sure you never feel that fear. As long as I'm here, you're safe."
The warmth between them lingered longer than the fire's heat.
For now, it was a peaceful night.
But the forest's true dangers had yet to awaken.