The first clash came fast.
From the swirling fog ahead, the mutated canids burst forth—deformed, sinewy creatures with jagged bone protrusions where fur should have been. Their forms twisted unnaturally, bending mid-leap to avoid direct lines of sight. But Layla was ready.
Clang!
The lead beast slammed against her shield, the force rattling up her arms. She absorbed the hit with a grunt, digging her boots into the cracked stone floor.
"Engaging first wave!" she called sharply.
Irina moved first. A burst of fire cracked outward from her palm, controlled but vicious, igniting the ground just beyond Layla's shield. The flames forced the canids back, their twisted forms screeching at the sudden blaze.
Jasmine flanked left, blade cutting through the mist in clean arcs. Her strikes weren't wild; they were measured, designed to harry rather than outright kill—giving Sylvie time to layer speed glyphs along their advance.
