All five of them were exhausted, weary, and restless. Scars, mud, blood, and sweat present in their bodies telling of many battles fought. They sat down to rest for a spell keeping an eye and ear aware of their surroundings. Onyx drew his knife and cut an apple into pieces offering it to the rest of his team. They ate the slices in silence keeping a close eye of the trees to see if they weren’t followed. Their breathing became heavy. Echoes of fighting could be heard in the distance. Suddenly as if awakening them from their trance thunder and lightning echoing from above as droplets began raining down from the sky. Onyx looked up above at the clouds as the rain began to fall heavily on them. What had once been broad daylight turned into absolute darkness.

“The clouds must be pretty thick.” Said Onyx.

“Yep... So much for a cloudy day.” Said Embry.

“Well we have the advantage.” Onyx then waived his hand for them to come over. “Okay plan is still the same, and we have the weather on our side so... We use the same route it’ll be easier to sneak around them now.”

“Okay so... Landslides, mudslides not to mention that the lightning might very well reveal our positions if a Dol-Surian patrol somehow turns their heads at the right moment.” Said Tykal as she continued. “And let’s not forget the fact that I can’t shoot for shit in this weather.”

“Well it’s not our fault you opted for rifle training.” Said Tigris.

“There are times when I wish we would have never met in Tofar.” Said Tykal as she inspected her rifle. “And the powder is wet... So unless any of you guys have any clever ideas on how to oh I don’t know... Blow up an ammo dump in the rain let’s hear it.”

“The Sovereigns will provide Tykal. Just like they always do. This weather will provide us with an excellent opportunity to mask our approach. I’m sure they will also provide us with the means to accomplish our mission.” Said Lyo.

“You keep your Sovereigns Lyo... And I will keep my Gaia... At least she is more powerful than the mortal Sovereigns.” Quipped Tigris.

“Alright knock it off.” Started Embry. “We have a job to do. So stick to the plan?”

“Pretty much. Alright Embry and Tykal handle the powder. Tigris and Lyo on me we will cause a distraction.”

Onyx pulled out four little black pills from his pouch, and offered them to the team. “In case the enemy captures you.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence there Onyx.” Said Tigris as she and the rest took a pill.

“Don’t blame me. Blame the fact that you were born a woman.”

“It’s times like these I wish I were born a pig animalist those women are ugly as fuck! Great lays though...”

“You need to stop hitting the brothel.” Added Lyo.

The group split up and descended upon an unsuspecting patrol moving in earnest to aid their comrades. They hid behind the trees waiting for the patrol to pass by. Then a lightning bolt suddenly hit the ground then another, and another. Onyx and the rest looked up at the sky to see a massive tornado wrapped in lightning forming and throwing lightning bolts around it.

The tornado was headed in their direction and the only viable way to escape was through the enemy patrol. “Talk about rock and a hard place.” Onyx watched as the lightning bolts were beginning to land closer and closer.

“Agh fuck it!” Yelled Tigris.

Onyx watched Tigris transform into her bestial form and began rushing the enemy patrol. Her nails became claws, her teeth became sharper, her movements were faster and stronger, and she was as ferocious as the animal she was named after Onyx was thankful that he had an animalist on his team.

“Attack!” Yelled Onyx as he and the rest swooped down and followed Tigris into combat.

Onyx drew his greatsword and stabbed a pikeman through the chest. He pulled out the sword and watched as Lyo lunged her spear forward piercing through an enemy’s chest. Tigris was busy tearing the soldiers’ throats off as her gauntlets cut through the armor and flesh. Onyx raced to assist Lyo who was soon to be overwhelmed by two soldiers fast approaching her. Then lightning began to strike the area where they were fighting. Onyx threw himself on the floor hoping to avoid being hit by the lightning.

He felt a hand grab his arm. “C’mon Onyx we have to keep moving! Run!” Yelled Lyo.

Onyx and Tigris followed suit neglecting the remaining soldiers and following after Lyo who took the lead. Bolts of lightning began striking the trees and setting them on fire as the trio tried their best to avoid being hit. Then a bolt hit one of the trees in front of them making the tree fall blocking their path. Onyx looked behind him and saw the storm getting closer and closer. They moved around the charred tree and followed a narrow path leading to a ravine.

The trio kept sprinting nearly tripping on rocks and debris as the wind started picking up. They found a small path branching off leading towards a hill. They followed the path hoping the storm would continue on its course and leave them alone.

“Gaia is not with me today!” Exclaimed Tigris as she tried to catch her breath. “But I guess neither are your Sovereigns eh Lyo?”

“You worship a dead Divine.” Lyo spat back.

“And you worship dead mortals!”

“Guys let’s just get a move on. Sovereigns where the fuck are we?” Said Onyx in frustration.

“Don’t know.” Answered Tigris.

“Hmm... The camp was umm... It was... Fuck! We need to get to higher ground.” Onyx began scanning his surroundings until he saw a large rock standing ten feet tall. “Here give me a hand getting up.”

Tigris and Lyo boosted Onyx as he climbed up to the top of the rock. From there he finally got his eyes on the enemy camp. “Found it!”

Onyx climbed down and led the other two towards the enemy camp hoping to find a sign of Embry and Tykal along the way.

Tykal and Embry hid atop the trees looking at the enemy camp from their vantage point. Tykal reached for her spyglass and scanned the camp for their ammo supply.

“Any luck?” Whispered Embry.

“None... Wait... Hmph can’t tell, but I got eyes on a few soldiers holding up a few casks.”

“What about Onyx and the rest?”

“Hmm... None. Fucking storm. Oh that’s interesting.” Tykal saw the enemy pull out a few ballistae except these weren’t single fire they were fully automatic flechette ballistae each one able to fire thirty flechettes.

“What is?”

“Flechette ballistae they aren’t kidding around. Hmm... Okay that is definitely what we are looking for.” Tykal saw several men carrying cannonballs to the same tent they took the casks.

“Found it?”

“Yeah.”

“Now we wait for Onyx to pull through.”

Onyx and the rest began moving through the tree line surrounding the base trying to find a window of opportunity to create some sort of distraction. The trio stopped and began looking at all the ordinance the enemy was pulling out.

“Damn Dol-Sur is really pulling out the big guns.” Whispered Tigris.

“Yeah no kidding. They’ve been trying to get a hold of this place for forty days now. No matter plan stays the same we hit their ammo storage.”

“Sovereigns watch over us.” Whispered Lyo.

Onyx ordered the other two to hold back in case anything went wrong whilst he scurried through the camp trying to make his way towards their ammo storage. Onyx pulled out a knife and entered one of the tents. He saw one soldier sleeping soundly. He neared the soldier and cut his neck as he covered the soldier’s mouth with his hand. The soldier struggled for a bit trying to alert his comrades, but could not make a sound. Onyx let go and positioned the soldier face down to cover his tracks.

He left the tent and made his way towards a stack of barrels and casks to use as cover. Just as he was about to make his move he saw a few soldiers position the flechette ballistae just a few meters away. Onyx then heard the sound of clapping thunder as he felt the wind start to pick up again. Onyx opened one of the casks to see they were filled with some form of liquid. He dipped his finger in it and gave it a taste.

“Alcohol... Wonder where their water is...” Onyx looked through the casks and barrels seeing if they were marked. He saw several of them marked with a carved ‘W’ on them. He opened one of them and test tasted it. “Well then let’s see if they...”

Onyx carved holes into their water and alcohol casks and barrels ensuring that the enemy would have no refreshments so to speak. “Well it’s not much, but every little bit counts now then...”

Onyx was about to move when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see a Dolsurian soldier with her sword drawn. It was then that Tigris jumped her and snapped her neck. The soldier tumbled over the casks and barrels signaling the rest of the enemy.

“Well, shit.” Said Tigris as she saw the enemy beginning to rush their positions.

“Sounds like they’ve already begun.” Said Tykal as she stowed her spyglass. “C’mon let’s go Embry.”

Embry nodded and both of them went down to the camp to complete their part of the mission. It was relatively easy sneaking in as the enemy kept its attention to the ongoing battle in their camp. They snuck into the tent containing their munitions and saw crates and barrels filled with bullets, flechettes, cannon balls, black powder, and weapons.

“Looks like we hit the mother lode with this one.” Tykal grabbed some of the black powder and slowly let it fall back to the barrel. “Help me out here will you? They don’t have much longer.”

Embry and Tykal took the black powder and tossed it on top of every single item that could be used as a weapon in the tent. Tykal pulled out one of the rifles and took several bullets that the enemy had on stock for herself. She pulled out a wick and began to light it. Once the wick was fully lit she tossed it on the black powder, and both her and Embry ran far away from the tent.

Tykal ran towards one of the ballista and began using the crank. She aimed it at the soldiers fast approaching the others and fired the flechettes upon them. She kept cranking the ballista until she ran out of flechettes to fire.

Onyx cut down the last of the enemy soldiers, and regrouped with Embry and Tykal. “So… Where are the fireworks?” As soon as he finished his question the tent containing their munitions blew up. “Alright let’s get the fuck out of here now!”

Onyx heard the sound of clapping thunder once more and saw another tornado made of lightning beginning to form yet again. The group ran as fast as they could trying to outrun and outmaneuver their pursuers and the storm. Onyx looked behind him as he kept running through the forest looking at the lightning bolts landing on the trees, ground, and the occasional Dolsurian soldier. As Onyx and the rest kept running they approached a battlefield and saw the Dolsurians and the Karashians clashing swords. Onyx caught eye of a white haired woman with blue eyes bashing a Dolsurian’s skull with her mace.

The woman turned to look at him. “Onyx report.”

“Mission accomplished.”

“Not yet it’s not let’s finish these assholes first.”

“Yes Azura. All of you draw your weapons.” Ordered Onyx.

“Remember our motto.” Said Tigris.

“We fight together.” Said Lyo.

“We die together.” Said Embry.

Tykal then fired her rifle.