Ferah grasped, falling head down.
"Dean will be satisfied with us," the leader of the Altanas said, her smirk growing as he paced around Vardy.
The rest of the Altanas held their positions.
Ferah struggled against one of them, her fury clear in her wild movements.
Tracy and Selene, though battered, stood tense, ready for a fight they knew they couldn't win.
"Big words for a little man," Selene spat, her dagger glinting as she twirled it in her fingers.
The leader paused, her cold gaze landing on her. "Oh, you'll have your turn. But first, the Dud." He turned back to Vardy, kneeling to his level. "Dean doesn't just want you dead. He wants you broken."
Vardy's head hung low, his breathing shallow. But just as the leader reached out to grab his staff, Vardy's eyes shot open, blazing with fire.
The artifacts whispers grew louder and without a word, flames erupted from his body.
The Altanas holding him were flung backward, their armor scorching hot from the fire.
