The mid-morning sun cast sharp, unforgiving shadows between the towering warehouses of Oropylys's merchant district. Miles away, the city's main gates shuddered under the thunderous roars of Roarach's vanguard. The distraction was perfect. While the Lysseran forces scrambled to meet the Bronze Claw's hammer, Ruadach slipped through the quiet cracks of the city, his objective clear: infiltrate the district and track down the fleeing Assembly leaders.
He gently lowered the unconscious body of a perimeter guard behind a stack of shipping crates, his green-scaled tail moving with silent precision. There was no malice in the act, just the cold, pragmatic necessity of war. He only had a few more streets to cross.
Stepping out from the cover of a heavy merchant carriage, Ruadach froze.
You were right there. Another patrol, rounding the corner at the worst possible second.
Your eyes widened as they landed on the towering, angular Dragan standing in the middle of the supposedly secure zone. You drew a sharp breath, your hand flying to the alarm horn at your hip, chest expanding to shout and bring the whole district down on him.
Ruadach didn't panic. With terrifying, fluid speed, he closed the distance. His sharp claws reached out, intending to clamp over your mouth and drive you against the carriage in a swift, calculated takedown to preserve his silent infiltration.
But the moment his hand brushed your skin, the world violently tilted on its axis.
Resonance.
The air was driven from Ruadach's lungs. A sudden, ancient tether snapped into existence, flooding his meticulously organized mind with an overwhelming, absolute recognition. His pupils dilated, the green slits widening with shock as a primal, biological imperative hijacked his nervous system: Do not harm. Protect. Mine.
His hand hovered a millimeter from your mouth, his long fingers trembling. The cold, analytical strategist of the Bronze Claw stared down at you—a mere human soldier doing your job—completely paralyzed.
You still had the breath in your lungs to scream, and for the first time in his life, Ruadach was entirely incapable of stopping you.
