"Even now, they could be under attack by a horde of monsters. You'd want us to reach them before that happens, wouldn't you?"

Naira hesitated, biting her lip as the words sank in.

The native girl's fingers twisted into the fabric of her worn tunic.

She stood frozen with her eyes darting between Bastet, Nyx, and Aria - never once landing on Kaiden. It seemed looking at his visage was too much for her heart.

The weight of their words pressed on her chest. She'd been taught since childhood that outsiders brought ruin. That speaking with them risked punishment. Not just for her, but for her whole kin. Yet the image of her poor mother eaten alive by these vile creatures… Alone in the wild, maybe surrounded right now, kept flashing through her mind.

Her breathing quickened. She looked away, torn between fear and instinct.

Bastet watched the internal struggle play across her face. Then she turned fully toward her. She rested a warm, steady hand on the girl's shoulder. When Naira finally looked up, Bastet's golden eyes met hers without a trace of impatience.

"Drastic times call for drastic measures," Bastet decreed. "Rules exist to keep peace when life is ordinary. But this isn't one of those times. You've seen what's happening. If we wait, the monsters will reach your people first. We're not your enemies, Naira, we're here to help and nothing more. I promise."

The girl's lip trembled, but she didn't look away.

Aria, seeing the ongoing internal struggles, spoke up. "If it helps, you can say we forced you. Pretend we captured you and made you tell us where they are. Or better yet, we followed you back without you knowing and captured you once we found what we were looking for. That way, you won't get in trouble for helping."

Bastet turned toward the Moon Valkyrie and lifted one brow in amusement. "That's not bad," she said with a low purr in her tone. Then her grin widened, sharp and feline. "Besides, it would make sense. We even have a monster in our midst." Her lips parted to reveal her cute feline fangs, and her tail swished behind her butt.

But Naira shook her head vehemently. "No. You saved me. I won't lie to make you look bad, you might lose your life…"

Then her gaze found Bastet again. "And you're not a monster."

That made Bastet's grin soften. She brushed a strand of hair from the girl's face and gave a small nod. "Thank you," she said simply.

Naira exhaled through her nose. The tension in her body loosened just enough to show she'd made up her mind. She glanced toward the dark stretch of forest ahead, where the traces of her people's trails still lingered.

"I will take you there," she said finally. "Please help me save the others."

…

Thomas and Diaz moved up front, their steps measured and quiet. They kept low, scanning the treeline for movement. The crunch of leaves under the tanker's boots was the only sound that broke the forest's steady rhythm. Diaz motioned once with two fingers whenever he felt something up ahead, at which point the bulky man would go and clear the path ahead.

A few paces behind came Aria, Bastet, Nyx, and Naira. The girl walked between the felinid and Space Valkyrie, each holding one of her hands. She had initiated it herself, shyly. Naira wasn't a small child, but her grip said enough; she needed the comfort more than she cared to admit.

Not only did she seem worried about the monster outbreak, but taking outsiders to her camp seemed to wreck her nerves as well.

Nyx glanced at her. "You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Naira nodded. "Everyone has."

"Are we the first Pale Ones you interacted with?"

A second nod came. "Yes… The leader and the elders forbid contact. However, I've seen other Pale Ones from a distance before."

"Oh?"

"They came to talk with the leaders of the tribe. I don't know what they discussed."

"Maybe about the dungeon that materialized in their lands," Bastet proposed.

"Could be," Nyx agreed. "Naira, you have awakened in your tribe?"

The bronze-skinned girl seemed thoughtful. "I heard you say awakened before… Do you use it to refer to the superhumans?"

"Yes. Do you have a different name?"

"The Marked. Those chosen by the world itself, changed by it, gifted with strength that ordinary folk couldn't hope to match. The leader is a Marked One… and there are a few others as well."

Naira seemed to have a sour expression as she said her final sentence. It was as if something disturbed the girl about having awakened in their midst.

"Can you tell me about the leader? Is he or she a good person?"

"…" Naira seemed reluctant to answer Aria's question.

The conversation dulled for a while afterward.

Behind them, Kaiden and Luna followed. Luna's eyes swept their surroundings with sharp attention.

Farther back, unseen among the trees, Caitlyn's team kept their distance. The woman had agreed to hang back to avoid spooking Naira or drawing the attention of any nearby sentries from her tribe. The redhead, Sasha, took point for their own formation. She moved with practiced ease, tracking Kaiden's group through broken twigs and faint footprints.

She was a trained ranger after all, even if it appeared as if she were a professional trash talker.

Kaiden's gaze wandered despite himself.

Bastet's hips moved with an easy rhythm as she walked beside Naira. Despite her casual movements, her sinful body still ensured that her curves were highlighted. She was a natural-born femme fatale.

Kaiden had a small smirk tugging at his mouth. "Who could've expected my cute, tanned kitten to be that good at socializing? She nearly outshone Nyx back there. Naira went from scared out of her mind to holding her hand as if they'd known each other for years."

Luna's voice came from his side, dry as bone. "Your eyes are too perverted to make that sound sincere."

"I was watching the path ahead," Kaiden replied without missing a beat. "We must remain aware at all times.

"Sure," Luna scoffed cutely. "Aware of the big asses jiggling in front of you. I'm sure you're studying them for tactical purposes."

Kaiden chuckled. "Observation's an important part of leadership."

"Right," she said flatly.

Kaiden's grin deepened as his hand drifted toward Luna's backside. His hand brushed her uniform pants before settling on the firm curve of her amazing butt.

She scoffed without looking at him. "Pervert." But she didn't move away either.

"Jealousy flaring again?" he asked with a tone that was lazy and teasing.

"No, you horny bastard," she growled cutely. "I'm just a professional, unlike a certain man I know who gets distracted by bouncing flesh. You're like a beast who can't control his urges."

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