As the group resumed their journey, Layla found herself lost in thought, her mind swirling with memories of her past triggered by what Marcus told them and especially the words he directed at her, despite her efforts to focus on the path ahead, her attention was continuously drawn back to her early days under Max's protection and care.

Those memories were clear, filled with images of her younger self, bright and happy despite her past, cared for and protected by Max and his original group, and now she also recalled how she and other young members of the group were always kept at camp or in safe locations within cities, away from the realities of their guardians' secretive excursions.

Layla remembered the curiosity and frustration of her youth as she nagged anyone of the adults back then asking question after question every time they came back, back then she believed them when they said that some of them left for various reasons, but as she grew the realities of their life became clear.

No matter how often she asked, neither Max nor any other member of the group would reveal where they went during their mysterious excursions, even when she was trained in combat by various teachers, none would disclose the nature of the group's nighttime activities or the destinations they frequented under the cover of moonlight.

This secrecy had always been a part of her life, an unspoken rule within the group, but now, with Max's condition and the current situation regarding everything that has happened ever since that message a few days ago, these unanswered questions from her youth seemed more relevant than ever before, Layla pondered if understanding their past actions and kept secrets could provide insights into their present situation.

On another note, Layla grappled with the puzzle that Zindah's statement about Max being 'empty' had presented, she was well aware that beastmen, like Zindah, possessed certain unique abilities beyond even those of the elves however, Zindah, despite her exceptional skills as a fighter and ranger, was not known for her intelligence, a trait that seemed to be common among the followers of Katya.

This realization meant that extracting more detailed information from Zindah regarding her observation might be challenging… or more likely impossible as the only answer she’ll receive is ‘it’s a feeling’.

Layla sighed, mentally shelving the issue for the moment, ‘Once we're all safe, then I'll search for answers’ she thought, trying to refocus on the immediate situation at hand.

Her contemplation was interrupted when one of the elves and a feline girl emerged from the trees and bushes ahead, they quickly approached Estelle at the front of the group, engaging in a brief exchange of words before Estelle jogged back towards Layla to relay the news.

“There’s a battle up ahead, another one of our groups is being attacked” Estelle informed her.

Layla's expression hardened as she heard this information, “Let’s go” she responded decisively.

Layla took charge of the situation in an instant and swiftly moved to the front while assigning Marcus and Estelle the task of guarding Max, they all followed her as she sprinted alongside the scouts who had first noticed the battle.

Upon arriving at the scene, they were met with a standoff, five of their comrades with spears and arming swords at their hips and wearing the standard armor of Layla’s troops, were encircled by ten enemy soldiers, clad in the now-familiar armor, but now a new threat was accompanying the enemy soldiers, ‘beasts’ that immediately drew Layla's attention.

From her vantage point, Layla observed the creatures closely, they bore a superficial resemblance to dogs in their build, but it was clear that they were far from ordinary, larger than most dog breeds, these creatures had flat faces and claws that were significantly longer than those of a typical canine, their most unsettling features, however, were the green veins that pulsated visibly beneath their skin and the crystal-like organs protruding from their backs that looked as if they were grown from within unlike something being inserted from the outside, additionally, the creatures lacked eyes, instead of eyeballs, they had slits where their eyes should have been, adding to their menacing appearance.

The presence of these beasts added a new layer of danger to the confrontation, as their appearance suggested they were not natural creatures but rather the result of some unnatural alteration or enhancement, Layla quickly assessed the situation, mulling that engaging these creatures would require a different approach than dealing with human adversaries or any known canines.

Layla's decision was to launch a rapid assault even with this new risk calculated risk, driven by the urgency to assist their beleaguered comrades, she instructed her group to prioritize the human assailants before dealing with the unknown creatures.

The battle resumed its chaos as one of the hooded men lunged at a soldier, only to be thwarted by a defensive spear thrust from the soldier beside who was quick to support him, he lunged forward with his spear, but the agile assailant dodged just in time, jumping a few steps back.

As the enemy prepared for another strike on the encircled soldiers, the flow of the battle abruptly changed, one of the attackers who was advancing forward suddenly collapsed with a sword protruding from his throat, blood gashed to the ground as he gurgled a few times and with a last twitch he finally stopped moving.

At that moment, all attention turned to Layla and her group, with a swift motion, Layla charged forward and drew her sword from the body, and pointed it decisively at the hooded men that remained, her command was clear and resolute, echoing with authority across this small battlefield.

“Kill them all!” she shouted.

Her command galvanized the group into action, as they charged forward, engaging the enemy with ferocity, the battle began, and each member of Layla's group was ready to demonstrate their combat prowess to their enemies.

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The hooded men, caught off guard by the sudden and coordinated attack, struggled to regroup at that moment, only the beasts accompanying them reacted immediately and with their own ferocity.

Layla led the charge, her sword moving with precision cutting and slashing, as the group worked seamlessly together, their actions coordinated and effective.

The battle intensified as the hooded men, now recovered from the initial shock of the attack, rallied and counterattacked, their retaliation was fierce, but Layla's group was doubly fierce, and as such managed to take down two more of their assailants swiftly.

But the situation escalated drastically with the release of the creatures, one of the menacing beasts, lunged at a soldier in front of it, its jaws clamping down on his neck with brutal force.

The soldier's comrades reacted instinctively, thrusting their spears at the creature, but it was unyielding, it maintained its deadly grip until the soldier's head was gruesomely torn from his body, the last strands of flesh hanging from the creature's mouth.

The other creature focused its attack on one of the elves, who displayed remarkable agility in evading its initial charge by flipping above it and rolling on the grass as she quickly regained her footing, she crouched and pointed her sword, ready to face the creature's next attack as it turned and charged at her with alarming speed.

The battle against the men ended dramatically in favor of Layla's group as they managed to swiftly overpower and eliminate the remaining hooded men.

However, their victory was short-lived as the attention turned to the two remaining creatures, whose ferocious and relentless assault continued unabated.

One of the creatures, undeterred by the spears lodged in its body, launched itself at one of the soldiers with incredible speed and strength breaking the spears.

The soldier, caught off-guard by the creature’s sudden attack, could only brace for impact, but in that critical moment, Zindah intervened with remarkable agility as she leaped into the air and delivered a powerful kick to the creature's ribs, sending it crashing into a nearby tree with a sound of breaking bones.

Zindah's timely action saved the soldier, but her triumph was fleeting, as she stood, her smile of victory turned to one of confusion, to her and the group's shock, the creature, despite its apparent injury, staggered to its feet and began charging towards her again, its resilience was astounding, the impact that would have incapacitated most creatures seemed to have only a minor if any effect on it at all.

The group watched in disbelief as the wounded creature, driven by some unnatural force, attacked again, it was clear that these creatures were magically enhanced beasts, they possessed a terrifying endurance and a seemingly insatiable aggression.

The elves in the group, despite their combat experience, couldn't help but express their shock and bewilderment at the creature's resilience and unnatural characteristics.

"What the hell is that creature?" one of the elves asked, staring at the beast with a mix of disgust and curiosity.

"How is it still standing with all those wounds?" another called out, highlighting the creature's seemingly supernatural endurance.

As they cautiously encircled the creature, it suddenly changed its stance, lowering its head towards the ground, this abrupt shift in behavior caught the group off guard, Layla, with her keen observation skills was the first to notice a significant change, the creature's body began to emanate a stronger green glow, the same color as the veins running through its body.

Realizing the imminent danger, Layla acted swiftly "Down!" she shouted, warning the group of an impending attack, Just as they all managed to duck, a surge of green energy was discharged from the crystals on the creature's back, the energy beam, potent and destructive, sliced through the air, cutting down several trees in its path.

After the attack, the creature shook himself while looking as if it was coming apart recognized Layla as the most significant threat, and charged directly at her.

Layla's response was a display of exceptional agility and combat skills, from her position on the ground, she executed a masterful acrobatic maneuver, springing up onto her hands and lifting her legs upwards vertically, the creature charged her and so she used her legs to deliver a powerful well-aimed kick as she twisted her body in mid-air, hitting directly to the creature's jaw as it lunged to bite her.

The impact of Layla's kick was devastating, as she managed to tear the jaw off the creature's head, The beast stumbled forward, passing by Layla, who used her hands to vault back onto her feet, ready to face the creature again.

The creature, now jawless and with its tongue grotesquely hanging out, turned back towards Layla, blood dripping from its wound, it emitted a muffled, guttural sound yet despite its grievous injury, it took a step towards Layla, driven by a relentless, unnatural determination.

In that critical moment, two of Layla's subordinates sprang into action, they lunged forward, their weapons poised, and managed to deliver the final blows that pierced it from both sides, as the blood began to spill from its wounds they twisted their blades as they pulled them out.

The creature collapsed to the ground, finally defeated.

Meanwhile Zindah, in a stance that mirrored her feline nature, prepared to face the second creature uniquely, opting not to use a weapon, she chose to rely on her physical agility, fighting skills, and claws, a unique style that reflected the teachings of her leader.

She positioned herself on all fours, lowering her chest to the ground, her chin almost touching the earth, her posture was one of readiness, with her rear elevated and her tail standing erect, a predatory stance of a cat preparing to pounce its prey.

The creature, despite its lack of visible eyes, seemed to sense Zindah's challenge, it responded by adopting a similar posture, bending low to the ground in a display of primal instinct, this standoff between predator and creature was a tense and unusual sight, with Zindah waiting for the creature to make the first move.

Zindah's feline companions who came to help the injured soldiers, watched the scene unfold, one of the soldiers, concerned for Zindah's safety, suggested intervening, however, one of the felines shook her head and reassured him "It’ll be alright" she said, knowing her leader would get mad if they indeed intervened.

The encounter between Zindah and the creature was a dramatic display of primal nature, as they both charged, moving swiftly on all fours the creature growled menacingly, while Zindah remained silent, her focus evident in her narrowed, slit catish eyes.

As they closed the distance between each other, it seemed as if they would collide head-on, however, at the last moment, Zindah showcased her extraordinary skills, just as the creature lunged to bite, she leaped over it, executing a mid-air twist and landing gracefully in a squat, her hands firmly planted on the ground for balance.

The creature, having missed its target, ended up with only a piece of Zindah's cloak in its jaws, it continued forward a few steps, then abruptly stopped and collapsed to the side, lifeless.

Zindah stood up, turning to look at the fallen creature, Her smile was a sadistic with joy seeing another’s life fate away, her hand was covered in the creature's blood as she brought it close to her face and gave it a peck, and in a grim finale to the battle, the creature's guts spilled out, evidence of the fatal wound Zindah had inflicted on it during her acrobatic maneuver.

The soldiers, witnessing Zindah's victory, were both relieved and disturbed by her display, but her feline companions simply smiled.