The days after the basilisk fight carried a steady rhythm. Arden kept them moving, one beast after another, pushing his group but never wasting time on prey that didn't feel like challenge to them.
He had already given the vital ember elixirs to the rest, and the difference was clear.
Their bodies carried strength better, their cores held a smoother flow, and their skills answered sharper than before.
The elixir sat even better with him and Zephyra. Their fire affinity made the medicine hit deeper, and it showed in her battles.
She threw herself at beasts with a frenzy, her fire sharper than it had been days ago.
The cerulean form she'd once held for only heartbeats now burned longer, the flames biting harder each time she called on it. Every roar rattled the air, and every strike left the ground seared where she passed.
