A fight erupted almost immediately. The masked figures moved to kill, attacking in ways that showed they were well trained and had a lot of battlefield experience.
Emerald drew her blade, deflecting the first attack which was aimed at her throat. The enemy was devious, fighting like rogues… no honor, no rules, just brutal efficiency designed to kill quickly and without mercy.
The thought immediately told her these were part of Alia's army, trained specifically for this kind of ambush, for hunting down targets in the wilderness.
"We need to capture one alive!" she shouted to Ares over the sounds of combat. "They might have information about Alia's plans!"
"If we survive!" Ares called back, his own blade flashing as he cut down an attacker who'd gotten too close. Blood sprayed across the grass.
Emerald found herself entering an unspoken competition with him, counting each kill and strike with a part of her mind that remained coldly analytical even in the chaos.
