They walked like they owned the place. Melissa cracked her neck with a cocky grin. Warren rolled his shoulders like he was preparing for a warm-up round. Both reeked of confidence—after all, they weren't just grunts. They were Velmira's newest handpicked underlings, fresh out of the academy of soldiers.
And they were about to make a name for themselves.
Until a sudden burst of wind slammed into them like a collapsing storm.
BOOM.
Both bodies were sent flying into the treeline—disappearing into the brush with a crash.
A brief silence.
Gio blinked. "Wait. Was that... them?"
Lysara dusted off her gloves, barely fazed. "Huh. Must've been bandits."
"Seriously?"
"They were walking too slow to be a real threat."
Another crash echoed from the woods.
Gio raised an eyebrow. "Should we check?"
Lysara turned back toward the evacuation line. "If they get up, they'll come back. If they don't, we saved ourselves the trouble."
