Amira moved like a ghost among the trees, barely rustling the leaves beneath her feet. Aren trailed behind her, trying his best to match her quiet steps ; though he still managed to snap every twig in his path.
"Do you practice stepping on every branch, or is that just a gift?" she hissed over her shoulder.
Aren grinned. "You know, most people pay extra for sound effects. I'm giving you a free show."
Amira rolled her eyes but didn't answer. She kept her bow ready, her sharp gaze scanning the shifting green light around them. The jungle felt different now, heavier, as if the air itself was holding its breath.
A sudden low growl echoed to their right. Amira froze. Aren's hand slid to his sword, and his grin faded.
Out of the undergrowth crawled a massive creature, its skin a mottled mix of bark and moss. Its mouth stretched open into a cavern of fangs, and milky eyes scanned the clearing.
"Spirit hounds," Amira whispered. "Guardians of the ruins."
Aren's eyes widened. "I thought spirit hounds were just scary bedtime stories."
Amira shook her head slowly. "They're real. And they never forget a scent."
The creature lunged before Aren could finish a joke. He jumped back, drawing his sword in one smooth motion, while Amira's arrow flew past his cheek and struck the hound square in its shoulder.
The beast roared, ripping the arrow out with its teeth. Another one leapt from the bushes behind, forcing Aren to roll aside. He came up swinging, blade flashing, slicing through twisted vines and narrowly missing the creature's neck.
Amira fired again and again, each arrow landing true but barely slowing the creatures down.
"Got a plan?" Aren shouted, ducking as one hound's claw sliced through the air above him.
"Run!" Amira snapped.
They turned together, sprinting through a narrow path flanked by thick roots and hanging moss. The ground shook as the hounds thundered after them, snapping branches and snarling.
Aren glanced sideways at her, even as he ran. "This wasn't quite the jungle tour I had in mind!"
Amira didn't waste breath replying. She veered sharply, pulling Aren into a hidden tunnel marked by an old stone arch. As soon as they passed under it, she pressed her palm to a carved symbol on the wall.
With a loud rumble, a slab of stone dropped behind them, sealing the entrance. The hounds smashed into it seconds later, howling and clawing at the rock, but they couldn't get through.
Silence finally settled, heavy and breathless. Aren slumped to the floor, panting and laughing at the same time.
"Best... run... ever," he wheezed.
Amira glared at him, chest rising and falling rapidly. Then she turned away, inspecting the markings on the wall.
"These are old rune seals," she muttered, tracing the patterns with her fingers. "This tunnel should lead us deeper toward the Core."
Aren slowly stood, brushing dirt off his clothes. "Good news at last. Lead the way, Queen of the Vines."
She snorted at the nickname, but he saw a flicker of a smile on her lips.
They started forward again, deeper into the tunnel. Strange symbols glowed faintly along the walls, casting long shadows across their faces.
Amira paused once, turning to look at him seriously. "You joke too much," she said quietly. "But... you fight well."
Aren raised an eyebrow, his grin returning. "Careful. You keep complimenting me like that, and I'll start thinking you like me."
She shook her head, muttering under her breath as she moved on. Aren followed, a little lighter on his feet this time.
In the depths of the ruins, the air grew colder. The echoes of their footsteps merged with the distant rumble of something waiting ahead.
Whatever was coming next, Aren and Amira were now tied together by claws, arrows, and close calls , and the Core of Muri Khan was pulling them ever closer.