Zay reached out and pulled Renzo back onto his feet.
"It's a damn Sumi fox," Zay said, his voice low. "Small and usually not aggressive, but they become vicious when someone trespasses on their territory."
A surge of pink aura enveloped the fox, slamming it into the snow. The aura then transformed into spheres of energy, which twisted and spiraled around the fox before shooting toward them like fast-moving snowballs.
Violet aura flared around Zay, his chain emerging from his glove and slicing through the snowballs as they came, the chain vanishing just as quickly as it had appeared.
Light blue aura flared around Lily, and the sky above darkened as rain began to pour down in sheets.
The fox recoiled in surprise, its red fur quickly soaked by the downpour. It howled once more, a flare of pink aura bursting around its small frame, and then it darted off, retreating into the jungle.
As the fox fled, the light blue aura surrounding Lily faded, the skies returning to their pale, overcast state, and the snow began to gently fall again.
"Why the hell did it run?" Renzo muttered, his red aura receding. Zay's aura followed suit, and he let out a long sigh.
"When a Sumi fox feels threatened, it runs back to its nest," Zay's gaze shifting to the left. Beyond the jungle, a vast body of water stretched out like an ocean, with currents of electricity and flames running across its surface. "That's all I know about them, though."
"Let's keep moving," Zay said, his chain wrapping around his body as he exhaled, the weight of the moment settling over him.
Renzo spat out a mouthful of blood, the crimson droplets staining the snow before he nodded. Without another word, the three of them continued forward, trudging through the snow-laden jungle.
As they continued walking, Lily glanced at a tree and spoke up. "Isn't that a bear claw mark?"
Zay looked back at her, following her gaze to the tree. 'A polar bear? No, the claw marks are larger than that. But why do they look so similar to a polar bear's?'
"I'm not sure what kind of beast could leave a mark like that in a tree in this frozen land," Zay mused. "There are monsters that could do it, but none of the ones I can think of like the cold weather, so it doesn't make sense for them to be here."
As he spoke, they suddenly heard loud voices coming from behind them.
"Follow me to the trees," Zay muttered, his aura flaring around his feet as he jumped and grabbed a branch, pulling himself up. Renzo followed swiftly, and then Lily jumped, but she missed the first time. With another leap, she tried again. Zay reached out, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her up.
A caravan rolled past, and one man dressed in a large black coat shouted, "THEY'RE AROUND HERE SOMEWHERE!" His voice was followed by a sinister laugh.
Three figures, dressed in heavy knight's armor, appeared suddenly. Before Zay, Lily, and Renzo could react, chains shot out from the shadows, their sharp edges slicing through the tree branches above them. The branches cracked and splintered, sending them plummeting toward the snow below.
With their auras still active, they landed gracefully in the snow, barely making a sound. Zay's chain instinctively coiled around his body, and he launched it toward one of the guards, aiming to immobilize him.
The guard grabbed the chain in midair, his grip tightening as he crushed it with ease. "GET THEM TIED!" he shouted, his voice booming through the cold air.
The other two guards immediately sprang into action, their hands summoning chains of ice. One of the chains shot toward Lily, its frozen tendrils cutting through the falling snowflakes. Lily's aura flared violently around her, and the sky above darkened as the rain started pouring down, making the icy chain slow just enough for her to react.
With a quick movement, she lifted her leg and kicked the chain with all her strength. The chain twisted midair, its trajectory thrown off by her aura. It seemed to hesitate, as if confused. But before Lily could recover, the chain seemed to have a mind of its own. It veered toward her again, faster this time, and wrapped around her waist with brutal precision. The force of the impact sent her crashing into the snow, the cold seeping into her bones as the chain tightened around her, restraining her movements.
"No!" Lily gritted her teeth, fighting against the chain, but it was no use. It tightened, pulling her toward the guard.
The first guard began to reel in the chain, his face a mask of triumph. "Got you now."
Zay lunged, his hand grabbing hold of the chain before it could retract completely. He gritted his teeth, using every ounce of strength to resist the pull. "Let her go!" he roared, his aura flaring in an attempt to break the chain's hold. But it was no use. The more he struggled, the more the guard on the other end tightened his grip.
Suddenly, the third guard—who had been observing from a distance—rushed forward. Yellow aura swirled around his fist, and before Zay could react, the punch landed squarely on his face. The blow sent him stumbling backward, disoriented, blood trickling from his lip.
Renzo, distracted by Zay's struggle, failed to notice the other chain until it wrapped around his legs from behind. The force slammed him into the snow, knocking the wind from his lungs. His aura flared in a desperate attempt to break free, but the icy chain only tightened around him as the guard started to reel him back toward the caravan.
"Dammit!" Renzo cursed, his body jerking against the pull of the chain, but it was too strong.
The two remaining guards began to move toward them, their faces devoid of mercy. The third guard, still standing tall, smirked. "Told you there were people here."
Lily struggled to breathe beneath the weight of the chain, her body beginning to freeze from the ice. "We... can't... let them take us..." Her voice was weak, her efforts to break free futile though.
But despite their defiance, the chains were already pulling them toward their captors, their struggle growing weaker with each passing second.
Zay wiped the blood from his lip, standing tall despite the weight of fatigue pressing down on him. His violet aura pulsed around him. With a grimace, he pushed forward. He threw a punch aimed at the third guard, but the guard caught his fist mid-air with an iron grip.
The guard's yellow aura flared, his smile cold as he twisted Zay's fist, with a sudden shift, the guard threw a brutal punch into Zay's gut. The force was enough to send him skidding backward through the snow, his breath ragged and his body aching.
Blood dripped from Zay's mouth, but he forced himself to his feet, glaring at the guard through narrowed eyes.
Without hesitation, Zay rushed back in, determined to keep the fight going. The guard threw another punch, aiming for his head, but Zay ducked under it, he quickly grabbed the guard's arm, using his momentum to pull the guard in close. Violet aura flared around Zay's fist as he slammed it into the guard's chest, the strike sending a shockwave through the air.
The guard looked down at Zay, unphased, "Is this really all you can do?" he taunted, laughing lowly.
Before Zay could react, the guard's free hand shot out, grabbing him by the throat with terrifying speed. With a savage twist, the guard slammed his knee into Zay's stomach, knocking the wind from his lungs. Zay gasped, his body crumpling as the guard tossed him like a ragdoll out into the snow.
Zay lay there for a moment, gasping for air, his violet aura flickering weakly around him. He barely managed to roll to the side before the next onslaught hit.
As Zay struggled to rise, the other two guards moved. They quickly grabbed Lily and Renzo, each of them pressing their hands to their mouths. A thin layer of ice formed over their lips, sealing their words as the two struggled against the restraints. Their eyes flashed with desperation, but the guards were unyielding.
Without a second glance, the guards threw both Lily and Renzo into the back of the caravan, slamming the door shut behind them. The sound of ice encasing the door sealed their fate.
"That's two more," one of the guards said, his voice cold and impassive as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The third guard, his aura crackling, stepped forward as the other two joined him, closing in on Zay like a predator surrounding its prey.
Zay's body shook as he pushed himself up, his muscles screaming in pain, but his violet aura flared brighter, a final act of defiance.
'I'm so over my fucking head with this fight.'
The guard in the middle, his yellow aura surging fiercely, took a step forward, his eyes locked onto Zay. "You're done," he said, his voice low, filled with certainty.