Fire.
Everything was on fire.
Everywhere she looked, all she could see were raging, angry, hungry flames, and the horrible burning bodies of people who had just been living their lives mere minutes ago.
Surrounded by the smell of ash and burning flesh, and the haunting screams of men, women, and children desperate for survival.
"..da"
She ran, trying her best to ignore them, trying her best to survive as well.
As she turned around the corner of a pile of rubble that had once been the local post office, she saw it.
"L….da…!"
A hideous giant snake with wings, bigger than anything she's ever seen, towering over the crumbling city hall like the adults had towered over her.
Frozen in terror, all she could do was watch as the snake once again breathe fire unto the town.
"….ada!"
Powerlessly watching, as the dragon destroyed her home and killed everyone she knew and loved.
As the dragon finishes breathing its disastrous flames, it slowly turned towards her.
When she saw its horrifying face, she understood that this is the end.
Realizing her imminent doom, all she could do was scream in terror.
"NOOOOOOOOO-"
"LADA!"
She opened her eyes in terror. Before her wasn't the terrible dragon or the burning town; it was Anna, her closest friend.
Worry showed on Anna's face, her light blue hair slightly disheveled, matching blue eyes wide behind her glasses. She wore a brown beret, a tan cardigan over her school uniform, and fluffy bear ears atop her head.
"Lada, are you alright? You were tossing around in your sleep. I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes."
Snapping out of her shock, Lada realized she was safe in her room at Anna's house. The dragon had been a nightmare, a memory of that terrible day.
The year was 1101, five years after the emergence of the great dragon Schwarzeschlange, a calamity so severe that the countries of Terra were still reeling from it. The once-thriving regions were now struggling to rebuild, with towns like Peterheim emerging from the ashes of cities like Chernobog.
"It was that nightmare again, wasn't it, Lada?" Anna's voice was filled with worry.
"Yeah," Lada admitted, glancing around the familiar room, the walls adorned with maps and drawings of the town's reconstruction efforts.
"It's getting worse again. This is the third time this week, Lada. Are you sure you still want to come with Sonya and the others?" Anna's voice was filled with concern, her brows furrowing as she looked at Lada.
Lada hesitated, feeling the weight of Anna's worry. "Of course, Anna! I have to!" Her voice was firm, but inside, doubt gnawed at her. If she didn't go, what use would she be to anyone?
Anna sighed softly, adjusting her glasses. "Lada, you already help a lot in the kitchen. You have a role here. There's no need to push yourself. Joining the Runners is dangerous," she said, her voice gentle yet insistent, as if she could read Lada's inner turmoil.
Lada bit her lip, knowing Anna was right but feeling a pull towards something greater. "I can't just stay here, Anna. I need to do more. If I don't, then—then what am I even doing?" Her voice cracked, frustration bubbling to the surface.
Anna reached out, placing a comforting hand on Lada's shoulder. "It's okay, Lada. I understand. I won't stop you if this is really what you want… Just promise me you'll come back safe," she said, her eyes softening with an unspoken plea.
Lada met her gaze, swallowing hard. "I will, I promise," she said, her voice steadier now, determination taking root.
Anna nodded, the tension between them easing slightly. "Alright. That's why I woke you up. Sonya came by earlier and told me she and the others are leaving at five. You should get ready."
Lada glanced at the clock, her eyes widening. "Oh! I'm almost late already! Give me a minute to grab my pack!" she exclaimed, scrambling to gather her things.
"Sonya said she'd be waiting on the western outskirts. If you run now, you might catch up before she leaves. I'll be heading to the school. Come find me when you get back," Anna said, her voice trailing off as she turned to leave.
"Okay then, Anna. I'll see you later," Lada replied, watching her friend go.
"School" was technically correct; the building used to be a school and was now used to teach younger kids, but there was no real curriculum, no textbooks, and only a few teachers, Anna being one of them.
The two years following the Calamity were chaotic. Society's moral compass shattered as people, driven by desperation, fought over scarce resources. Communities dissolved into anarchy, and violence became a daily occurrence. Trust was scarce, and survival instincts overrode compassion, leading to rampant looting and violence.
By the third year, the chaos began to subside. People realized the necessity of cooperation, forming small communities and establishing makeshift governance. Bartering systems emerged, and communal work projects started to rebuild what was lost. Slowly, a fragile sense of order and mutual aid began to take root.
"Alrighty!" Grabbing her backpack and shield, Lada, with her short blond hair styled in twin tails, red eyes sparkling, and candy-shaped hairpins, left Anna's house and headed to the western outskirts.
Lada wore a black and white sailor uniform under a thick brown coat, orange stockings, and carried a black tower shield on her back atop her large backpack. Her most distinctive feature was the pair of fluffy bear ears on her head.
The town bustled with activity even this early, at 4:30 AM. Through the kitchen window, she saw people preparing breakfast for the town, with cooks bustling around the giant communal kitchen, their movements precise and coordinated. The aroma of freshly baked bread and simmering porridge filled the air. Men carried construction materials to renovate a crumbling house, their voices mingling with the rhythmic thud of hammers and the occasional creak of wood. The faint glow of lanterns and the first light of dawn cast a soft, golden hue over the scene.
This little town, Peterheim, was built over the rubble of the formerly great city of Chernobog. Established half a year ago, it was named after founder Henry Peterhimmel, or Uncle Henry, Anna's dad.
Anna and her family had been camping far outside their hometown during the attack. When they returned, hours after the dragon had left, they found only Lada alive. The rest of the town had been burned, including its inhabitants.
Why did she survive? Did the dragon spare her? Was it luck? These questions plagued her since the Calamity, and she might never get answers.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she spotted Sonya. With long dark brown hair, light blue eyes, and a black choker, Sonya wore a dark brown sailor uniform under a white cardigan and a long brown fur coat. She had red stockings and carried a black axe. Sonya also had fluffy bear ears, completing her unique look.
"Sonya! I'm here!" Lada shouted to catch Sonya's attention, her voice echoing in the early morning air.
Sonya turned, her light blue eyes narrowing in mild surprise. "Huh? Oh, it's you, Lada. Thought you wouldn't make it."
Lada rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Ehehe… I kinda just woke up… But I'm here now! Let's go!" she exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over.
Sonya raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Whoa, slow down now. We're waiting on Natalya and Rosalind to bring around the truck. You can relax while they get here," she explained.
Lada nodded, her curiosity piqued. "Then, can I ask where exactly we're going?"
"Oh, I haven't told you yet?" Sonya paused, realizing she hadn't shared the plan. "We'll be headed southwest. There's a bandit camp a dozen klicks from here. Apparently, it's been there since before the town's founding and they just haven't bothered us. We're gonna go there to steal some of their loot."
Lada frowned, her concern growing. "Huh? Then why would we go there if they haven't bothered us? Wouldn't it just provoke them to attack in retaliation?"
Sonya sighed, her expression serious. "Aside from the valuables, a client asked us to steal an item from them, and if we complete the job, she'll guarantee the town's safety."
As the conversation died down, Lada couldn't help but wonder about this mysterious client who could guarantee their safety.
Several minutes passed in silence as they waited for the rest of the team. Lada shifted nervously, glancing around the quiet street.
Sonya's impatience grew, and she muttered, "Where the hell are they? The Den isn't even that far. Why are they taking so long?" Just as she spoke, a beat-up beige truck turned the corner, heading their way. Lada spotted a brown-haired girl waving at them from the truck's bed.
"HEEEEEEY! ZIMAAAAA!" the brown-haired girl yelled. "WE'RE READY TO HEAD OUT NOW!"
The truck stopped next to them, and the brown-haired girl jumped off the bed, her excitement palpable. She had short, very dark brown hair with a little bit of white on the sides of her face, and her red eyes gleamed with excitement. X-shaped hairpins adorned her hair, and she wore a white and blue cropped sailor school uniform. Her attire was completed by a short blue skirt, a red and white scarf, and a large black coat with yellow accents on the inside. She also sported a pair of red thigh-highs and shin-high boots, along with fluffy bear ears on top of her head. Additionally, she carried a bardiche on her back.
Sonya crossed her arms, unimpressed. "And what exactly took you so long?" she asked.
The brown-haired girl hesitated, then grinned sheepishly. "Ehehe… We kinda… had breakfast first…?" she admitted.
Zima, unimpressed by her answer, stared at her with a disapproving glare, then turned to the white-haired driver.
The driver looked apologetic. "I… couldn't stop her… Sorry, Zima," she said sheepishly.
The brown-haired girl, eager to change the subject, spotted Lada standing behind Sonya. "Oh, hey! You're Lada, right? I've seen you around the kitchens before! What're you doing here? Did you bring food?" she asked excitedly.
"No, you idiot, she'll be coming with us from now on," Sonya replied, smacking the brown-haired girl on the head.
"Ow—Hey, wait, you're the newbie?"
"Yes, now get back in the truck. We need to leave if we want to stay on schedule. We're late as it is!" Sonya said sternly.
As Sonya and the brown-haired girl got on the back of the truck, Lada spotted the white-haired driver.
"Lada, you can sit up front," Sonya told her.
Getting into the front passenger seat, Lada introduced herself to the driver. "H-Hello, I'm Lada. I'll be joining the Runners from today," she said nervously.
The white-haired driver turned to her with a warm smile. "You're quite young to be joining us, aren't you?" she asked kindly.
Lada blushed. "I-I'm not that young, I'm already 15!" she replied, embarrassed.
The driver chuckled. "Well, aren't you an adorable little thing," she said.
"Oi, Natalya, we need to get going," Sonya yelled from the back.
"Alright, alright, I'll go," Natalya said as she started driving.
As they drove, Natalya introduced herself as a Caster, and the brown-haired girl as Rosalind, their mid-range specialist. The three of them made up the Runners, a small party tasked with finding materials, supplies, or tradable goods for the town, sometimes taking jobs from clients. And now, Lada was one of them.
The drive wasn't too long, but by the time they arrived at their destination, the sun had already started peeking out from the trees.
Stopping at a clearing near a hill, the group got off the truck and started walking to the top. Sonya took the opportunity to explain the plan again, now that Lada had joined them.
"Over this hill is a large bandit camp, filled with supplies and valuables," Zima's voice carried a hint of anticipation as she gestured towards the sprawling camp below. "But considering our numbers, those won't be our target. Our goal is a black gem in the shape of an egg. Our client is willing to provide us with a large amount of supplies for the town if we get it to him safely in this velvet pouch." From her pocket, Zima produced a small red pouch, its velvet material catching the early morning light.
"Crucial detail," Zima continued, her tone serious as she emphasized the importance of their task. "We have to pick it up with the pouch, lest something bad happens, or so our client says. Our plan is to sneak in, grab the gem, and sneak out, simple and easy." Natalya and Rosalind nodded in silent agreement, their expressions determined.
"Lada, do you understand?" Sonya's voice was calm but firm as she turned to their newest member.
"Y-Yes, I understand and I'm ready," Lada replied, her voice betraying a mix of nerves and resolve.
"Good."
As they crested the hill, the bandit camp came into view. Nestled within the remnants of a once-thriving village, its high walls and scattered tents painted a picture of makeshift fortification. Wisps of smoke curled lazily from a few cooking fires, indicating the camp was beginning to stir with the dawn.
"There it is, the bandit camp," Sonya announced quietly, her gaze sweeping over the scene below.
The air was crisp with the morning chill, carrying the faint scent of wood smoke and damp earth. The distant sound of horses nickering and the occasional clang of metal against metal echoed from within the camp, a reminder of the dangers that awaited them.
Suddenly, Sonya turned to Lada, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Now, before we begin this mission, there's one more important thing to take care of… Lada's codename."
Lada blinked, clearly caught off guard. "Huh? Codename?"
"Yep! We've all got one. Mine is Leto, Natalya's is Rosa, and Sonya's is Zima!" Rosalind explained, her excitement bubbling over.
Lada hesitated, unsure of what to make of this new development. "Well then, I don't really know wha-"
"Oh! Since she's so sweet and cute, maybe we should call her Sugar or Honey," suggested Natalya with a playful grin.
Rosalind perked up, leaning forward. "Hey, since we're Ursus, then she's definitely a sweet little Gummy Bear!"
Sonya considered it for a moment, a small smile tugging at her lips as she glanced at Lada. "Gummy. It suits you."
Lada, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sudden attention, tried to protest. "Eh? Uh, don't I have a choic-"
"Nope, you're Gummy now. It's settled." Sonya's voice was firm, yet there was a warmth in her tone that reassured Lada.
'Gummy' nervously glanced around at her teammates, a shy smile spreading across her face. "Well, if that's what everyone thinks…"
As 'Gummy' tried to settle into her new codename, they descended the hill, the early morning mist clinging to the remnants of the abandoned village beneath the bandit camp. The eerie quiet of the place contrasted sharply with the tense anticipation among the group.
"Gummy, just follow our lead. This should be an easy job, so you won't need to do any heavy lifting just yet, okay?" Zima's voice was calm, yet there was an underlying seriousness that conveyed the importance of their mission.
"Okay," Gummy replied, her nerves palpable as she scanned the camp ahead.
Surprisingly, it was relatively easy to infiltrate the bandit camp under the cover of dawn. The guards, bleary-eyed from the night's watch, were no match for their calculated approach. When the sentries atop the wall briefly looked away, Rosa's precise shots with her harpoon-shaped Arts incapacitated them silently. Zima and Leto swiftly moved in, expertly subduing the guards before they could raise an alarm.
Taking refuge in the shadows of an alleyway within the camp's walls, the team regrouped to strategize their next move. The adrenaline of their successful infiltration mingled with the gravity of their task ahead.
"Now comes the hard part," Zima whispered, her gaze scanning the camp with a mix of determination and caution. "We need to find where the gem is stored."
Gummy nodded, her earlier uncertainty giving way to a focused resolve as she listened intently to Zima's instructions. The stakes were clear now, and each member of the team understood their role in this delicate operation.
Zima turned to each of them, her gaze firm and commanding. "We'll need to split up. Rosa and Leto, you two take the northern half of the camp. Gummy and I will take the south." The others nodded in acknowledgment. "Good. We'll meet back here in thirty minutes. Try not to get caught."
As they parted ways, Rosa glanced at Leto, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "So, what do you think of the new girl?"
Leto blinked, her expression momentarily blank as she processed the question. "Huh? Oh, she seems small and cute, I guess. Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. I wonder why Zima let her join us. Didn't you say she was already working in the Kitchen?" Rosa's tone held a hint of skepticism.
Leto shrugged nonchalantly, her attention already drifting to other thoughts. "Eh, I dunno. Maybe she's good at making sandwiches or something."
Rosa stifled a laugh, amused by Leto's simple reasoning. "Sure, Leto. Sandwiches."
Trying to steer the conversation away from speculation, Rosa shifted gears. "Well, either way, we need to find that gem quick. I want to go home early today and take a nap since I didn't get enough sleep last night."
Leto's eyes lit up at the mention of sleep. "Oh, a nap sounds nice! But wait, you're driving, right? Isn't that, like, important?"
Rosa waved a dismissive hand. "Eh, I'll manage." As she laughed it off.
Meanwhile, with Zima and Gummy...
"So…" Zima broke the silence as they navigated through the outskirts of the bandit camp. "Your first job as a Runner, what do you think so far?"
"It's, well, slightly less exciting than I thought it would be," Gummy admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of disappointment.
Zima chuckled softly. "Well, this is supposed to be a milk run, so it was never meant to be too dangerous. But sometimes, even the simplest missions surprise us."
Gummy nodded, understanding the logic behind starting with a low-risk assignment. She suppressed her eagerness for action, knowing it wasn't wise to rush into danger on her first day.
"Oh? I think we've hit the jackpot," Zima suddenly remarked, her tone shifting as they approached a small house near the camp's center. The building was heavily guarded, with two sentries at the door and more positioned on adjacent rooftops, bows at the ready.
"This is it, the storeroom. The gem should be inside," Zima stated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she assessed the situation.
"How do we get in?" Gummy asked, her gaze flickering nervously to the guards scanning the surroundings.
"This shouldn't be too hard," Zima replied, her mind already calculating their next move. "Let's go get the others first."
Returning to the alley to rendezvous, they saw Rosa and Leto already waiting for them.
"Sorry, boss! We couldn't find the place where they put their valuables!" Leto yelled out.
"Sshh! We're in the middle of a bandit camp; don't be too loud!" Zima whisper-yelled at Leto. "And we did find the treasury. It's decently guarded, but it's not too big of a problem. Let's go."
Arriving back at the guarded store room, they commence their plan of attack.
Zima and Leto sprang into action, launching a surprise attack on the two guards at the door. Leto swiftly moved in, using her agility to disarm one guard while Zima subdued the other with a quick strike. Meanwhile, Rosa aimed her harpoon magic shots at the guards on the roof, disabling them with precise shots to the legs. The guards at the door were taken out efficiently, while the ones on the roof fell to the ground face first, temporarily incapacitated but not seriously injured.
"Like I said, easy," Zima remarked confidently. Just then, a guard unexpectedly entered the area and immediately spotted them.
"Oh shi—" the guard started to yell, but before he could finish, Gummy swiftly smacked him in the head with her shield, knocking him out cold.
An awkward moment passes.
One of the guards had the keys, making it easy to unlock the door. As they opened it, the room revealed itself to be a treasure trove, with valuables glittering on shelves and scattered across the floor.
"Take what you can, but remember, our main goal is the black gem," Zima reminded them, her voice firm and focused.
Eager to contribute, Gummy began collecting jewelry and gold, carefully selecting items she could easily carry. Rosa, observant as ever, cautioned her against taking too much, emphasizing the need for a swift exit.
Spotting the gem on a shelf, Leto eagerly reached for it, but as she touched it, the gem cracked ominously.
"I-I didn't mean to," Leto stammered, surprised by the unexpected turn.
Zima's expression darkened, her voice rising in panic. "You idiot, we're supposed to use the pouch!" she exclaimed urgently.
The cracks in the gem widened, releasing a sinister aura that sent shivers down everyone's spine, except for Gummy. She recognized this malevolent presence, a feeling she had only experienced once before, a presence so chilling and ominous that it could only belong to one being.
The Schwarzschlange.
The black snake of calamity, a creature so powerful and malevolent that it had terrorized the world half a decade ago and killed 70% of Terra's population, before finally being brought down by the largest coalition ever formed in history.
It had taken the combined might of the world to destroy it, so why was she feeling its presence today? It was supposed to be dead, its body lying in the wastelands between Victoria and Laterano, far away from where she currently stood.
Why was it here? Why was its presence emanating from that small gem?
As these questions raced through her mind and the Runners remained frozen in fear, no one noticed the door quietly opening behind them.
"Vell vell, vat do ve have here?" a deep, growly voice said in Ursus, though it carried a noticeable accent. "A group of cubs haf shtumbled into our den, haf they?"
Snapping out of their fear, the Runners turned around. Standing in the doorway was a tall, dark-haired man dressed in a thick coat with a sword on his hip. His angular face was riddled with scars, and a singular horn protruded from the side of his head. He was flanked by two men.
"A Sarkaz..?" Zima questioned.
The man appeared offended. "I assure you, I am no wretched Teufel, mein Freund."
"Teufel…? That's Lethanien. You're a Caprinae." Zima adopted a confused look. "Why are you here? In Ursus? I thought Lethanien closed its borders after the Calamity."
"Hah!" The man laughed. "Zat applies only to ze law-abiding citizens, those too timid to step beyond ze protection of ze Gendarmerie. Besides, it's not as if ze Empress has ze power to enforce it zese days."
As the man continued speaking, Zima had subtly taken a flashbang out of her back pouch.
"But ve are getting off track," the man said, unsheathing his sword. "You cubs are in our camp, and made it into our treasury, no less. Honestly, I am impressed and a bit disappoint-"
Before he could finish his sentence, Zima threw one of the treasures at the man's head and the flashbang above him.
"Now! Grab it!" Zima ordered, tossing the velvet pouch at Rosa just as the flashbang exploded, stunning the three men.
Rosa immediately snatched the gem with the pouch while Zima tackled the men in the doorway. "Let's go! Head to the south!"
"Sound ze damned alarms! Ve've got robbers!" the Caprinae yelled to his men.
As they ran toward the south, a large group of bandits gathered in their way.
"This way's no good!" Zima exclaimed, throwing another flashbang at the group of bandits.
"Here, through this alley!" Zima led them into an alley, the rest of the Runners following suit after the flashbang exploded, blinding the bandits.
Running through the alleyway, Zima spotted a house with a sleeping guard in front of the door. "Perfect, we'll hide in there."
The door wasn't even locked, the guard seemed drunk, so they waltzed into the house and hid inside.
Minutes passed as the girls hid in the small house when suddenly a voice broke the silence.
"Oi, Barry!" Pim, a Pythia bandit with a bold mohawk, yelled as his group approached the small house, jolting the half-asleep guard awake. "Seen any bears come 'round here?"
Barry blinked blearily, trying to focus on the bandit leader. "Uh, Pim, most of us in the tribe are Ursus, you'll have to be more specific," someone called out from the back of the group, earning a glare from Pim.
"Shut up, Dave, no one asked for your opinion. Anyway, did ya see any cubs come 'round here or not?"
The drunk guard, Barry, still swaying slightly, straightened up with exaggerated seriousness. "Uh, no sir! I've been vigity—uh, vibigy, I mean, vigilantly standing guard here and no one's come 'round here. No one except you, at least, uh, sir."
Pim squinted suspiciously at Barry. "You sure? 'Cause you seem drunk on the job, and you smell of booze."
Barry's eyes widened in panic. "Yes, of course, sir! I take my job very seriously! I'm not drunk at all!" He straightened his posture, attempting a salute but missing the mark by a wide margin.
Pim sighed, clearly unconvinced. "Like I believe that." With a dismissive shove, he pushed Barry aside and barged into the house, scanning the room inside but finding nothing out of the ordinary.
"See? Everything's normal as it can be. No one's been here at all, no sir!" Barry chimed in, his relief palpable.
"Heh…" Pim reluctantly closed the door, shooting Barry a skeptical glance. "You got lucky this time."
"Alright, boys, let's keep looking for those cubs. They took something valuable to the big man, and we need to get it back!" Pim announced, grabbing Barry by the scruff of his shirt. "You're helping," he added, dragging the still slightly tipsy guard along with the search party.
Barry stumbled alongside Pim, muttering under his breath, "But sir, what if we find actual bears?"
"Shut up, Barry," Pim snapped, his annoyance palpable.
As the sounds of the search party faded, the girls cautiously emerged from their hiding places, tension easing into cautious relief.
"That… was close," Leto sighed, her voice a mix of nervousness and excitement. She wrinkled her nose as she glanced around the dimly lit storage room. "What is this place anyway? It smells weird." She curiously opened one of the crates, revealing multiple bottles of alcohol. "Booze?! We hit the jackpot!" Her eyes sparkled with temptation as she gingerly reached for a bottle.
Before Leto could grasp one, Zima swiftly slapped her hand away. "Oi, we're on the job here. We can drink when we're home."
Leto pouted slightly but nodded, acknowledging the seriousness of their mission.
"Actually, Zima, we might be able to use the alcohol to our advantage," Rosa interjected, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"Oh?" Zima's brow furrowed in thought, then suddenly her expression cleared with realization. "Oh…!" Her eyes lit up with understanding, a plan forming quickly in her mind.
Leto and Gummy exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of the sudden shift in conversation.
"Everyone grab a crate," Zima instructed briskly, her tone becoming authoritative. "And Gummy, we'll need that shield of yours later."
Gummy nodded, silently preparing herself for whatever Zima had in mind, while Leto scrambled to follow instructions, still eyeing the untouched bottles of alcohol with longing.
As the Runners set their plan in motion, Pim and his group continued searching for them.
"Ah, dammit! Where the hell are they?! We've been searching for half an hour now and haven't even seen a hint of them!" Pim's frustration echoed through the camp.
"Maybe they've already escaped?" Dave cautiously suggested, earning a glare from Pim.
"Shut up, Dave, no one asked!"
"But… you kinda did though…?" Dave muttered under his breath, only to be silenced by Pim's sharp look.
"Oi, I heard tha—" Pim's retort was abruptly cut off as he caught sight of Gummy's blond hair disappearing behind a tent. "Wait! There's one of 'em! Get her!"
With a shout, Pim and his bandits surged after Gummy, their footsteps thundering through the camp. As they closed in, the other Runners converged from different directions, each leading their own group of pursuers in a chaotic chase toward the camp's center.
"Give it up! There's almost fifty of us here and we've got you surrounded!" Pim bellowed triumphantly as they cornered the Runners.
Zima smirked confidently. "Oh? Is that what you believe?" She turned to Rosa with a knowing glance. "Do it."
Rosa nodded, her eyes narrowing with focus. She conjured a fiery spell and launched it toward a cluster of buildings.
"And what the hell is that gonna—" Pim's question was drowned out by the sudden explosion of flames that engulfed the area, encircling them in a ring of fire.
"Gummy, now!" Zima's command pierced through the crackling of flames.
"Got it!" Gummy hefted her shield and charged forward, Zima and the others following closely behind. "URAAAAA!" Their unified battle cry filled the air as they plowed through the disoriented bandits and dashed through the wall of flames, their determination driving them forward.
They raced toward the southern gate of the camp, their adrenaline-fueled sprint leaving the bandits trapped in the fiery chaos behind them. As they reached safety and paused to catch their breath, they turned to witness the once-bustling camp now consumed by roaring flames.
The glow of the inferno illuminated their faces, a mixture of relief, triumph, and lingering tension from the intense chase and daring escape.
"We did it! We're home free!" Leto exclaimed happily. "And I saved a bottle of vodka too!" She reached into her bag, pulling out a single bottle of vodka.
Gummy dropped her heavy shield to the ground, panting from the exertion. Rosa offered her water canteen to help her cool down.
Turning around, Zima started checking their surroundings. "Save it for when we get back. We're not completely safe… yet..." Zima trailed off, suddenly silent.
Leto put away the vodka and walked up to her, confused by the sudden stop. "What's up, Zima?"
But Zima didn't answer. She stood still, staring with a haunted look in her eyes.
"Huh?" Leto followed Zima's gaze and understood why she had fallen silent.
Further ahead was a clearing in the woods, filled with skeletons.