The Wastes darkened as heavy clouds rolled in, the sky splitting with a jagged bolt of lightning. A fierce storm descended, forcing the task force to seek shelter in a shallow cave carved into a cliffside. Rain lashed the ground, turning the ashen earth to mud, and the wind howled with an eerie, unnatural edge. Kael and Liora barked orders in unison, guiding the team inside as the tempest raged.
Inside, the cave offered little comfort. The Solaris warriors struggled to secure their heavy armor against the damp, while the Lunari adjusted their lighter gear, their movements swift but tense. The air grew thick with the scent of wet stone and the distant rumble of thunder. Kael and Liora stood near the entrance, their silhouettes framed by the storm's fury, their earlier truce stretched thin by the day's betrayal.
"We need to keep the fire going," Kael said, his voice cutting through the wind. "Or we'll freeze."
Liora nodded, her silver hair plastered to her face. "I'll organize the Lunari to gather what's dry. Your lot can handle the heavy lifting." Her tone was clipped, but she moved to delegate, her strategic mind at work.
The team worked together, a grudging collaboration born of necessity. Solaris strength cleared debris, while Lunari agility scavenged fuel. As the fire sputtered to life, a sudden gust blew water into the cave, threatening to extinguish it. Kael lunged to shield the flames with his cloak, while Liora darted to reinforce the barrier with fallen branches. Their hands brushed briefly, a jolt of awareness passing between them, quickly masked by renewed bickering.
"Clumsy oaf," Liora muttered, adjusting the branches.
"Overcomplicating it, as usual," Kael shot back, though his eyes lingered on a scar on her arm, half-hidden by her sleeve.
The storm raged on, forcing them to huddle closer. In the flickering light, Kael noticed the scar's pattern—jagged, like his own from a childhood battle. Liora caught his gaze and pulled her sleeve down, her expression hardening. "Don't stare," she snapped, but the moment revealed a shared vulnerability neither acknowledged.
As the team settled, exhaustion settling in, Kael and Liora maintained their watch. The storm's chaos mirrored the turmoil within them—hatred tempered by reliance, curiosity stirring beneath the surface. When the rain finally eased, they remained silent, the fire's warmth a fragile bond between two reluctant allies.