Chapter 3: Pack’s Breath

Torv "Ash" Kren hauled the sled, black sand flying, Lysa "Ember" Vey staggering beside him as Krax's pack roared closer. The Ashen Reach quaked, dunes shuddered under sled dogs' paws, twelve beasts, ember teeth glinting red, riders hunched with spears. Torv's coat snapped in the wind, gray, patched, machete slick with raider blood. Six hundred miles thrummed, Ash Runner Sense: Lv. 2, Ash Veil, sand swirling faintly around him, hid 'em briefly. Lysa gripped the Core Ember, crimson light flared, scars on her arms glowing, hand trembling. "Run," she gasped, voice raw, Torv yanked harder, sled scraping. Howls split the air, dogs fanned wide, riders shouted, spears gleaming. Torv's lungs rasped, ash crept in, water gone, two days to Free Drift. "Veil won't hold," he growled, flint eyes flicking, sand thinned, dogs gained. Lysa coughed, leathers streaked, Core pulsed hot. "Burn 'em," she rasped, hand flared, fire-dagger shot, hit a dog's flank, yelp cut short, beast tumbled. Torv's gut hummed, +100 miles, Dune Dash twitched, legs blurring. "More," he snapped, sled jolted, her fire dimmed, grip faltered. A spear flew, Torv ducked, tip grazed his shoulder, blood trickled, and drank it. The lead dog lunged, jaws snapped, Torv swung, machete sank skull, +200 miles, the beast dropped, rider rolled, spear thrust, Torv dodged, slashed throat, +300 miles. Speed surged, sled rocked, two dogs flanked, riders grinning. Lysa's Core flared, fire-dagger burned a rider's chest, fell, dog veered, Torv hacked, +400 miles, breath burned, ash clogged his throat. Riders tightened, eight left, spears arced, Torv dashed, Ash Veil flickered, sand swirled, hid Lysa's stumble. She coughed, Core whispered, "Free me, live," her eyes widened, fire flared wild, shard-dagger scorched a dog, +100 miles for Torv, rider screamed, fell. "Krax's close," she rasped, voice tight, Torv's miles hit 500, system pulsed, Lv. 3: Ember Step, short leaps, heat licked his boots. A roar, deep, sled shuddered, Krax crested the dune, spiked armor black, ember-axe glowing, hounds parted, his sled dwarf 'em, rigged with skulls. "Witch!" he bellowed, voice thunder, eyes locked Lysa, Core pulsed brighter. Torv's grip tightened, machete up, six dogs charged, Ember Step kicked, he leaped, sand flared, slashed a throat, +600 miles, landed, hacked another, +700 miles. Lysa's fire stabbed, the dog burned, the rider fell, Torv spun, spear grazed, +800 miles. Krax's axe swung, the wind screamed, Torv rolled, sand sprayed, the blade missed, sled cracked, last sack spilled, shards rolled. Lysa lunged, Core flared, fire-wall rose, Krax's dogs yelped, backed off, Torv dashed, grabbed her, ran, 900 miles. "Two thousand, go," he growled, Krax roared, axe cleaved fire, shards sank in dunes. Core burned Lysa's hand, and whisper grew, "Claim all, now," her gasp cut, eyes flickered, and something shifted. Dunes rumbled, sand split, ember-storm flared overhead, Krax's pack regrouped, six dogs, riders armed, closed fast. Torv's chest heaved, Ember Step pulsed, sand smoked, Lysa's fire dimmed, Core's glow spiked, voice loud, "Take it." Torv's hand twitched, 2,000 shards of doom, pack's breath hit his neck.