Ruin Tribes

Chapter 2 Part 2

Kobi nodded, transforming his arm into a crossbow. "I'll handle the towers. You distract Zahuri."

Ulna smirked. "Don't take too long."

Kobi moved silently through the shadows; his crossbow trained on the first watchtower. The sentry, an Inccra armed with a spear, scanned the horizon. Before it could spot him, Kobi released an arrow, striking it through the chest. The creature collapsed without a sound.

One by one, the watchtowers fell, their sentries eliminated with precision. Meanwhile, Ulna stepped into Zahuri's path, her glowing eyes catching the Plague Mistress's attention.

"Well, well," Zahuri hissed, her voice dripping with malice. "The infamous light bearer. I've been waiting for this."

Ulna tilted her head. "Have you now? Then don't keep me waiting."

With a feral scream, Zahuri lunged, her blades spinning like a whirlwind. Ulna dodged effortlessly, teleporting behind her and sending a beam of light crashing into the ground where Zahuri had stood moments before. The Plague Mistress laughed, darting away with supernatural speed.

"You'll have to do better than that!" Zahuri taunted, disappearing into the shadows.

As Kobi finished clearing the watchtowers, he heard the clash of blades and the unmistakable hum of Ulna's light magic. He sprinted toward the sound, arriving just in time to see Zahuri's blades narrowly miss Ulna.

"Two against one? How unfair," Zahuri sneered, her eyes glinting with wicked delight. "Life isn't fair," Kobi replied, his arm shifting into a blade. "Neither is death."

Zahuri wasted no time, charging at Kobi with blind speed. He barely managed to block her strike, her blades clashing against his own. Sparks flew as they exchanged blows, Kobi struggling to keep up with her relentless assault.

Ulna joined the fray, her boomerang blades spinning through the air. Zahuri deflected them with ease, her movements blur. "Is that all you've got?" she jeered, launching a flurry of attacks at both Kobi and Ulna.

Realizing they needed a new strategy, Ulna used her light magic to create an illusion of herself, drawing Zahuri's attention. As the Plague Mistress attacked the illusion, Kobi seized the opportunity, striking her exposed side. His blade bit deep, and Zahuri let out a cry of pain.

Furious, Zahuri retaliated, her movements becoming wild and unpredictable. She unleashed a wave of razor-sharp needles from her fan blades, forcing Kobi and Ulna to take cover. Kobi used his shield arm to block the projectiles, while Ulna deflected them with her glowing barrier.

"We need to end this," Kobi said, his voice firm.

"Agreed," Ulna replied. She concentrated, summoning a beam of light that enveloped Zahuri, momentarily paralyzing her. "Now!"

Kobi dashed forward, his blade glowing red as he delivered a final strike. Zahuri's form crumbled, her body dissolving into ash.

As the camp fell silent, Kobi and Ulna explored the mining tunnels, searching for clues about Renok's next move. The tunnels were filled with caged children, their faces pale and frightened.

Ulna freed them with a wave of her hand, her light dissolving the locks. "You're safe now," she said gently. "Find shelter and stay hidden."

One of the children, a boy no older than ten, stepped forward. "They... they talked about a big gate," he stammered. "Said it would bring something terrible."

Ulna's expression darkened. "Renok," she murmured.

Kobi inspected the walls of the tunnel, his eyes landing on glyphs carved into the stone. "These markings... they're celestial," he said. "This isn't just a mining operation.

They're using these materials for something bigger."

Ulna nodded. "We need to stop them before it's too late."

As they exited the tunnel, the night sky above the plateau lit up with a fiery glow. In the distance, a massive fort came into view, its towers reaching toward the heavens.

"Renok's fortress," Kobi said, his jaw tightening.

Ulna placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're getting closer. But the real fight is just beginning."

The fiery glow of Renok's fortress cast an ominous light over the horizon, its towers looming like jagged teeth against the night sky. Kobi and Ulna stood at the edge of a dense forest; their eyes fixed on the fortress gates. The distant roars of infested creatures and the rhythmic pounding of war drums echoed through the air.

"This is it," Kobi said, his voice steady but tense. "Renok's stronghold."

Ulna nodded, her glowing eyes narrowing. "We'll need to be careful. This isn't like camps. Renok will be expecting us."

"Good," Kobi replied, his arm shifting into a blade. "Let's not disappoint him."