Elias pointed to a weathered spot that no longer had words or a symbol to mark the right location. “We are so close.”

Alice grabbed the torch. The light flickered against the walls. “We have what we came for and more. Let’s leave this place. We could try searching elsewhere but the horses are likely getting restless.”

They gathered the old documents, stuffing them into their weathered packs. Alice led the way back toward the entrance with her torch in hand. Their footsteps, though measured and cautious, seemed unnaturally loud in the stillness of the forsaken place. A deep, guttural growl reverberated through the walls, echoing off the hollow, decrepit remains of the military building. The faint crackling of the torches couldn’t mask the sounds of heavy, shambling footsteps approaching from the darkness outside.

“Monsters,” whispered Alice, her voice taut with urgency.

Thompson nodded, reaching into his quiver to ready a bolt. “Corrupted,” he added, with a steely calmness that belied the situation. Thompson moved swiftly to the rear. His crossbow is already loaded. "Keep them off me!" he barked, knowing he would need time to reload after each shot. "I'll take down as many as I can!"

Elias was first to draw his sword and Alice soon followed. They watched the edges of the halls for the creatures to show themselves. The first of the corrupted creatures lunged, its malformed limbs propelling it forward with terrifying speed. Elias met it with a precise thrust, his sword's tip piercing the monster's chest. But where a human would have fallen, the creature barely staggered, its dark blood sizzling against the blade.

Alice swung wide, her blade arcing with deadly grace. The corrupted being before her hissed, a sound that seemed almost a mockery of pain, as her sword cleaved through its flesh. She channeled her power into herself and the sword. The blade burned the corrupted creature as it sliced.

Thompson's crossbow twanged, the bolt flying true into the eye of an onrushing fiend. Elias cut into another creature while Alice dealt killing blows. Her body blurred and her blade sang as it struck enemies. The corrupted beasts could not deal with her magic. They were able to push forward into a more open area.

Thompson's crossbow was a constant in the chaos, the snap of the string a comforting sound amidst the roars and growls. He was able to get a better view of the oncoming enemies and attacked accordingly. The monsters, however, had more lines of attack as well. He let loose a bolt, the sound of the crossbow's snap almost drowned out by the melee. The bolt found its mark, and one of the creatures stumbled, its head snapping backward before it crumpled to the ground.

More of the corrupted came shambling out of the shadows, attracted by the noise or perhaps by some darker instinct. The trio fought as one, a dance of desperation and survival. Thompson’s bolts pierced the night with deadly precision, while Alice and Elias held the line, their swords flashing and cutting through the horde.

Then, a shout from Elias, "To the door! We need to break free! "We need to move!"

Alice understood instantly. "Thompson, give us cover!" she called out, her voice steady even as she parried a clawed swipe that could have been fatal. The blade glowed as power was pushed through it and the creature’s paw fell to the ground.

“I don’t have the bolts for this,” he muttered. Reaching into his bag he grabbed more bolts. He grabbed the craftsman’s chisel as well and threw it at an approaching monster. It bounced off the thing’s hide making no mark.

Elias spun on another corrupted beast. His swings had grown more precise as he saw what areas of the monster were less padded. He stabbed viciously into the creature killing it. Elias pushed the dead monster away looking for possible solutions. “Lose the torch,” he yelled while pointing to one of the corners.

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Alice nodded understanding what she needed to do. Adjusting her grip on the torch she threw it up and toward the corner wall near the door. The torch spun in the air and crashed against the old, dried wood of the roof beaten and battered by the desert air.

The old wood ignited almost instantly, the flames hungrily devouring the ancient, parched timber. It provided a fiery barrier between them and the encroaching horde of corrupted. It was an ephemeral shield, but it would buy them precious moments. As the fire began to spread, smoke billowed, and the ceiling started to groan ominously. The corrupted creatures hesitated; their twisted instincts fearful of the hungry flames that now separated them from their prey.

"Move, now!" Elias shouted, the urgency in his voice spurring them into action.

Thompson reloaded his crossbow while moving backward, his eyes darting around, watching as the fire began to catch on other flammable materials scattered throughout the decrepit structure. He fired a bolt, more as a deterrent than with any hope of stopping what was quickly becoming an unstoppable wave of corruption.

The trio reached the door, Alice, and Elias bursting through it with Thompson right on their heels. They emerged into the abandoned city. Alice took the lead, her senses heightened, alert for any movement. Behind them, the building started to collapse further. She turned to the horses. They were tied up on the other side of the street. Thunderstruck whinnied.

The fire from the building was now a roaring inferno, a beacon that no doubt could be seen for miles around. It would attract more of the corrupted, but it also served as a temporary barrier, one that gave the trio the head start they needed.

They ran across to the other side of the street. Elias watched the building as they ran. From the shadows of other buildings, more corrupted beasts emerged. Their fur was black and stick as they ran on all fours toward the group. Elias kept his sword high and pushed Thompson back. Alice got on her horse.

The monsters rushed forward, and Elias swung his sword. He slashed at the nearest monster cutting it open. Alice reached down to help Thompson up behind her, feeling the heat from the burning building on her back. She knew they had to put distance between themselves and the corrupted or the flames would only serve to delay their doom, not prevent it.

As Elias fended off another creature, he took a fleeting glance at Alice. She nodded and understood. Kicking her horse forward she moved to protect him. Taking out her sword she drew on her Sword Breath. The blade seemed to grow longer and reflected the light of the burning building. Thompson, looking over his shoulder, readied another bolt in his crossbow. The aim was difficult on the moving horse, but desperation lent him a steady hand. He fired, the bolt finding its mark in the eye of a pursuing beast. It faltered, tripping others behind it and creating a momentary barricade of thrashing limbs and snarling maws.

Elias had not yet mounted Thunderstruck. Instead, he stood his ground, ensuring that Alice and Thompson had the lead they needed. His sword moved in a deadly arc, finding the soft flesh beneath the hide of the monsters. With each fallen beast, his resolve strengthened. But even as he fought, he knew this was a fight he could not win by the sword alone. He backed towards his horse, not daring to turn his back on the corrupted beasts. Taking a quick look around he grabbed the saddle and temporarily sheathed his sword.

A sudden crash came from behind him as part of the building's upper story gave way, spewing flames, and embers into the night sky. The heat was intense, the light blinding, and for a second the corrupted halted. The fire had spread to other nearby wooden buildings.

He leaped onto his mount, a sturdy roan that had seen many battles by his side. "To the wastelands!" he shouted to Alice and Thompson. There, the open spaces would give them the advantage, and the corrupted would be easier to spot against the barren landscape.

As the horses thundered through the remnants of the city, the trio could see more of the corrupted spilling out from alleyways and broken buildings, drawn by the chaos and the prospect of flesh. They rode hard, the horses' hooves pounding against the cobblestones, echoing through the ghostly streets. The monsters trailed behind them further and further away. The city's boundary approached, the landscape transforming rapidly from the wreckage of civilization to the unforgiving expanse of the wastelands. The corrupted’s numbers thinned as they ventured farther out. Their horses rode in full gallop away from the city. Elias took the lead as they got safely away from the city. He didn’t need to double-check the map to know where to go from here.