The Mercenaries of Mayhem were on the road again, heading toward the orc warband's camp to retrieve the Arcane Eye, an artifact created by the ancient legendary mage Humbleball the Arcane.
Bob marched confidently at the front. "Alright, boys, this is just a simple heist."
Jim, walking beside him, snorted. "Bob. No heist we've ever done has been simple."
Marcus adjusted his crossbow. "Technically, most of our 'heists' have ended in fire, property damage, or extreme confusion."
Bam nodded.
Derek sighed, gripping his sword. "Let's try not to cause a war this time."
They continued through the forest, closing in on orc territory, when suddenly—
WHAM.
Something large and green crashed through the bushes, swinging a massive axe.
It was an orc scout, covered in scars, roaring as he charged straight at them.
Bob, thinking fast (which was rare), raised his shield just in time to block the attack. The impact sent him skidding backward, but he held firm.
Derek lunged forward, slashing at the orc's side, forcing it to retreat a few steps.
Jim cracked his knuckles. "Alright, ugly. Let's dance."
The orc snarled and prepared to attack again—
Then suddenly—
A blast of ice-blue energy shot through the air, hitting the orc's leg.
The orc froze mid-charge, encased in solid ice, his face still locked in a look of fury.
The group blinked, then turned toward the source of the spell.
A cloaked figure stood just beyond the treeline, lowering his gloved hand, which still crackled with frost magic.
The figure pulled down his hood, revealing sharp, silver-blue eyes and messy black hair streaked with white. His cloak was worn, his boots covered in dust, and he carried a staff carved with glowing runes.
"…You guys were taking too long," he said flatly.
Bob, still holding his shield up, grinned. "Hey, we had it under control!"
Jim kicked the completely frozen orc. "…Uh-huh. Sure."
The stranger crossed his arms. "If you say so."
Marcus, fascinated, stepped forward. "That was ice magic, right?"
The mage nodded. "Yeah. Name's Kain. I specialize in ice magic."
Bam's eyes lit up. "You wield the power of frost."
Kain raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"
Bam grinned. "I wield the power of fire."
The two stared at each other for a long, tense moment.
Then Kain shrugged. "Cool."
Bam nodded. "Hot."
Bob clapped his hands together. "Alright! So, Kain, what brings you to orc-infested lands?"
Kain leaned on his staff. "I'm after the Arcane Eye."
The group blinked.
Derek sighed. "Of course you are."
Marcus rubbed his temples. "Great. Another competitor."
Kain smirked. "Well, since I just saved your butts, how about we work together?"
Jim raised an eyebrow. "And split the reward?"
Kain chuckled. "Depends. Are you doing this for money, or because someone hired you?"
Bob scratched his head. "Uh. Both?"
Kain shrugged. "Then we'll figure it out later."
Derek, narrowing his eyes, studied the ice mage. "And how do we know we can trust you?"
Kain smirked, adjusting his cloak. "You don't."
Jim grinned. "I like this guy."
Bob threw an arm around Kain's shoulder. "Welcome to the team! Temporarily."
Kain sighed. "Fantastic."
And just like that, the Mercenaries of Mayhem had a new, equally reckless ally.