The beast lunged, claws slashing through the air like it was trying to erase Kael from existence. He barely managed to roll to the side, dirt and debris kicking up around him as the monster’s attack left a deep gouge in the earth where he’d just been standing.


    “Now, Kael.”


    Ezirah’s voice sliced through the chaos, cool as ever, as if she wasn’t watching him fight against the beast. She extended a hand, and in a flash of eerie green light, a dagger materialized in her palm. It was sleek, delicate—honestly, more of an accessory than a weapon of war—but the faintly glowing rune carved into the blade suggested it was hiding something interesting.


    Kael snatched it up, feeling an odd pulse run through his fingers. It was light, almost too light, but as soon as his grip tightened, the rune on the blade seemed to sync with his heartbeat, sending a strange warmth through his veins.


    “What’s this?” he asked, eyes flicking between the weapon and the rapidly approaching beast.


    “A simple tool,” Ezirah said with an infuriatingly casual shrug. “A life-steal rune. Every time you strike, it siphons a portion of the target’s life force back to you.” She tilted her head. “Think of it as…insurance. You’ll need it.”


    Kael’s stomach twisted. Life-steal? That sounded wildly unethical. But given the whole situation, he wasn’t about to get picky.


    The beast roared and lunged again.


    Kael moved.


    His body reacted before his brain fully processed it—sidestepping the beast’s charge with a smoothness that surprised even him. And as the creature tore past, he slashed out with the dagger.


    The blade met flesh.


    A sickening crunch filled the air.


    The moment the dagger sliced into the beast’s side, Kael felt a rush. A wave of energy flooded his limbs, like someone had just pumped liquid adrenaline straight into his veins. His vision sharpened, his pulse steadied, and for a split second, he felt invincible.


    The beast staggered back, howling in pain, its blood staining the ground. Kael stared down at the dagger, breathless. Was it the weapon? Or was it something in him?


    “You did well,” Ezirah said, sounding annoyingly pleased. “But don’t get comfortable. This is only the beginning.”


    Kael barely had time to process her words before the ground started rumbling.


    He froze.


    More glowing eyes appeared in the shadows.


    The underbrush parted, revealing more creatures—just as big, just as feral, & definitely lethal.


    Kael clenched the dagger, a sinking feeling settling in his gut. The life-steal rune pulsed again, but his body still felt too new, like a blade fresh from the forge, untested and fragile.


    “You’re going to need more than that flimsy dagger, Kael,” Zaroth’s voice echoed in his mind, dripping with amusement. “These things aren’t going to roll over just because you poked them. You need real power.”


    “Yeah, sure,” Kael grumbled. “I’ll just summon that out of thin air. Unless you’re actually planning to be helpful for once.”


    Then, the forest hummed.


    Kael’s spine went rigid. The air around him shifted, thickening with energy. A blur of movement flickered in the corner of his eye.


    And suddenly, a figure landed beside him.


    The newcomer barely made a sound—just the soft thud of boots touching earth. The very atmosphere seemed to warp around them, shimmering with barely contained magic.


    Kael turned, heart pounding.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    She was tall, her skin a dusky violet-blue, her piercing eyes a shade of deep, glacial blue that practically glowed. Her long, braided black hair cascaded over her shoulder, and her armor—dark, intricately etched with silver runes—clung to her like it had been forged for her. And, well… she was showing just enough skin to make Kael’s brain momentarilyforget about his situation.


    In each hand, she held sleek, deadly-looking blades that gleamed like they’d been carved from moonlight itself.


    “What—who are you?” Kael asked, slightly breathless.


    The dark elf flicked her gaze to him, smirking. “A friend. Or perhaps an ally of convenience.” Her voice was smooth as silk, but carried an undeniable authority that made his pulse jump. “But that hardly matters right now.”


    With a fluid motion, she raised one of her blades, and suddenly, the air cracked.


    A surge of magic erupted from her weapon, rippling through the battlefield. The closest beast—already mid-charge—froze as dark tendrils of energy wrapped around its limbs like an unholy noose.


    It let out a strangled roar, but the magic tightened, forcing it to the ground.


    Kael gawked. “You…just did that.”


    She spared him a glance, raising an eyebrow. “Observant.”


    Then, without waiting for a response, she moved.


    It was like watching a shadow come to life—graceful, fast, and lethal. She danced through the battlefield, her twin blades carving arcs of shimmering magic through the air. Each strike sent shadowy bolts lancing toward the beasts, piercing their hides with pinpoint precision.


    Kael could do nothing but stare as she dismantled the monsters with terrifying efficiency.


    “I…I don’t understand,” he finally managed, still trying to wrap his head around what he was seeing. “Why are you helping me?”


    The elf gave him a sideways look, her expression unreadable. “I’m not helping you,” she corrected. “I’m helping myself.” She sheathed one of her blades, crossing her arms. “Thalindra. In case you lack the basic social awareness to ask for my name.”


    Kael blinked. “Wow. Okay. Rude.”


    Thalindra ignored him, crouching beside the fallen beasts and efficiently gathering materials from their corpses like this was just another day for her.


    Kael exhaled, running a hand through his hair. “Name’s Kael. So…what were those things?”


    “Ravonix,” she replied casually. “Basic hunting beasts. [C] Rank at best. Honestly, barely worth my time.”


    Kael stared at her, dumbfounded. “They almost killed me.”


    Thalindra smirked. “Yes, well. You are barely worth their time.”


    Zaroth’s voice suddenly rumbled in Kael’s head, filled with warning. “She’s powerful, yes, but don’t be fooled. She’s not here out of kindness. Dark elves don’t just help people.”


    Kael frowned, turning back to Thalindra—only to find her watching him with an almost calculating expression.


    “So,” she said, stepping closer, her blue eyes glinting with something he couldn’t quite place. “How much do you have, Kael?”


    Kael blinked. “Uh. What?”


    She smirked. “Gold, obviously. You want my help, don’t you?”


    Kael opened his mouth, about to protest, but then—


    “This is ridiculous!” Zaroth’s voice boomed in his head. “She’s trying to rob you! Ezirah, are you just going to let this—”


    Kael & Zaroth both stopped.


    They glanced left.


    Then right.


    Ezirah was gone.


    Kael’s stomach dropped. “Wait—where did—?”


    “Welp,” Zaroth sighed. “Guess it’s just you now. Fortunately, I have just the spell for this situation…”


    Kael squinted. “Why do I already hate this?”


    “Relax,” Zaroth chuckled. “It’s called Tentacle Bind. Totally harmless. Just a little illusion to…immobilize her.”


    Kael groaned. Common sense screamed that anything involving Tentacle magic was bound to go terribly wrong.


    And yet… he grinned.


    “Alright, Thalindra,” he said, puffing out his chest. “I think I have a different form of payment in mind…”


    Thalindra raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Oh? And what might that be?”


    Kael tried to hide his nerves, his voice brimming with an edge of cocky confidence. “I could… give you a spell.”


    Her eyebrow arched even higher, a smirk playing at the corners of her lips. “A spell? You?”


    “Yeah,” Kael said, his grin widening. “A tentacle spell.” He paused, gauging her reaction. “You know, to…bind you in place.”


    Thalindra blinked at him, staring as if he’d lost his mind. “Tentacle…spell?” she repeated slowly, the disbelief thick in her voice. “And you think I’d fall for that?”


    Kael’s grin remained steady, a flicker of boldness in his eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he replied, his voice laced with unshakable confidence. Just as Zaroth’s voice surged in his mind—“Now, Kael! Unleash it now!”—Kael didn’t hesitate. He acted purely on instinct.


    His fingers flew through the incantation, his pulse quickening as magic surged through his veins.


    For a split second, nothing happened.


    Then, without warning, a swirl of ghostly energy erupted around Thalindra. Thick, dark tendrils shot out, wrapping around her limbs, constricting her arms, legs, and torso with an eerie precision.


    Thalindra froze, her eyes wide with shock and fury.


    Kael, just as stunned by the success of the spell, took a hesitant step back, his mouth hanging open.


    Thalindra’s voice cut through the silence, her anger palpable. “You—didn’t just…”


    “Uh, yeah,” Kael said, struggling to keep his voice cool. “I did. And now, maybe we can talk about payment. Unless you want to, you know, stay like that for a bit.”


    The dark elf glared at him, her eyes burning with rage. Her body was still trapped, held fast by the near invisible tendrils. “You’re lucky I’m not killing you right now,” she growled, her voice low and dangerous. But then, her expression softened slightly, and a hint of respect flickered in her eyes. “You may be a fool, Kael, but I’ll give you this—you’ve got some guts.”


    Kael grinned. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”