The moon hung high above the forest canopy, casting pale light over the winding trails. The air was thick with tension as the group stood in silence, weighing the situation. Shinryu and Raikai had already braced themselves for battle, their Eternal Arms humming with latent energy.
But then Hou Jian spoke.
"We should run."
Raikai blinked, narrowing his eyes. "You're suggesting we turn our backs on a fight?"
Hou Jian's expression was firm, his royal bearing unshaken. "Yes."
Hou Liang, standing beside his brother, crossed his arms. "We're strong. But risking a casualty—even one—is not worth it."
Their cousin, Hou Ren, added, "We've come too far to waste lives on an unnecessary battle. We should avoid conflict when we can."
Shinryu and Raikai exchanged looks. They knew these three weren't cowards. If anything, their suggestion was made out of concern. The entire group had no fear of laying down their lives in battle, but Raikai and Shinryu couldn't ignore the weight of their patriarchs' orders.
They were tasked with ensuring no one in their group died.
Even Raikai, usually the first to thirst for blood, remained silent. He understood.
Xue Mor took the opportunity to shift the discussion. "We've been moving straight toward the Death Knights, avoiding smaller clans along the way. But now we're between the Emerald Sovereignty to the north and the Obsidian Empire to the south. If we keep going straight, we'll be forced into battle."
Torra Yun frowned. "So what's the alternative?"
Xue Mor glanced at the map. "We travel northwest. The Druidic Territories are there. They aren't our allies, but their people don't pick fights unprovoked. If we move through their land, we'll avoid most threats."
Shin Keilan studied the path. "That'll add at least a week to our journey."
"A week is a small price for safety," Hou Jian said.
The decision was made.
And then, the chase began.
---
The Pursuit on Mounts
The group bolted toward their mounts—swift, powerful spirit beasts that had been resting in the underbrush. Shinryu vaulted onto his silver-maned stormrunner, its hooves crackling with faint arcs of energy. Raikai swung onto his midnight-scaled war wyvern, gripping the reins tightly as the beast snarled.
Xue Mor's icefang panther let out a low growl, its sleek body tensing as she settled onto its back.
Hou Jian, Hou Liang, and Hou Ren took point on their crimson-horned qilins, their mounts' hooves barely touching the ground as they surged forward.
Torra Yun's armored rhino-like beast stomped into motion, unshaken by the frantic energy around it.
Shin Keilan vanished first, his shadow wolf blending into the darkness as he scouted ahead. "I'll clear a path!"
Then, the trees behind them erupted with motion.
Figures mounted on obsidian warhorses, their dark armor gleaming under the moonlight, burst from the shadows. The Obsidian Empire's elite riders had realized their prey was trying to escape.
Raikai's grin returned. "Looks like they don't want to let us go that easily."
The chase was on.
The spirit beasts thundered through the forest, weaving between trees, leaping over rocky terrain. Xue Mor flicked her wrist, setting up nearly invisible ice traps along their path, hoping to slow their pursuers.
Shin Keilan's wolf darted ahead, sensing an opening. "We're nearing a ravine—steep drop, but there's a narrow crossing!"
Shinryu snapped the reins, urging his stormrunner forward. "Then we take it! Push harder!"
Behind them, arrows whistled through the air. One grazed Raikai's shoulder, but he barely noticed.
Torra Yun glanced back, his beast's heavy steps shaking the ground. "They're closing in."
Hou Jian's qilin suddenly surged ahead, its hooves glowing. "I'll clear the way. Follow me!"
With a single leap, he and his qilin soared over the ravine, landing on the other side. Hou Liang and Hou Ren followed suit, their movements fluid.
Shinryu, Raikai, and Xue Mor weren't far behind.
Torra Yun's rhino-beast bellowed, its heavy body barely making the jump, the impact cracking the stone beneath its feet.
The last to cross was Shin Keilan—just as an Obsidian rider swung his blade at him.
With a twist, Shin Keilan flipped from his wolf's back, firing a crossbow bolt mid-air. The enemy's body jerked as the bolt struck home, and Shin Keilan landed smoothly on the other side, his wolf sprinting beside him.
The Obsidian riders skidded to a stop at the ravine's edge, unwilling to risk the jump.
The group didn't slow down, vanishing into the northwestern woods.
Their escape wasn't guaranteed.
But they would not be caught.