The plan was simple—strike hard and fast, eliminate the leader, and scatter the rest. Astra outlined the formation once more, her voice low but firm. Kalem and Serka would circle around to the right flank while Onyx, being the massive bull he was, would charge in with the frontal assault once the signal was given.
Serka pulled Kalem aside before they moved out. "You sure Onyx can handle charging into that mess? There are a lot of them."
Kalem smirked. "He's not just any bull. If they think they can stop him, they're in for a nasty surprise."
Serka grinned, giving Onyx a pat on his muscular shoulder. "Alright, big guy, you heard him. Don't get yourself killed, alright?"
Onyx let out a deep, rumbling snort, as if to say he had no intention of dying. Kalem scratched behind his companion's ear before taking a deep breath. This was going to be tricky.
Astra signaled with a flick of her hand, and the group split into their designated roles. Kalem and Serka moved through the brush on the right, creeping closer to the camp while keeping their profiles low. Onyx stayed with the main group, his powerful muscles tensing in anticipation.
The camp below remained active, crates being loaded onto carts while the leader continued giving orders. Kalem noticed a small relay device in the center of the camp, pulsing with faint magical energy. A communication link, most likely.
"That thing's probably how they're coordinating with the other cells," Kalem whispered. "We take that out, they'll lose communication."
Serka nodded. "If we can't reach the leader, hitting that should still slow them down."
As they got closer, the leader's voice rang out once more. "We're moving in ten minutes! Double-check the containment crates and secure the cores. No mistakes!"
Kalem's grip tightened on his spear. They needed to act fast. He glanced at Serka, who gestured to the far side of the camp. "I'll take out the guards by the comms. You cover me."
Before Kalem could respond, Serka was already slipping into the shadows. He adjusted his stance, ready to strike if anyone noticed her approach.
Onyx, from his position with Astra's team, gave a quiet huff. Astra looked at the bull and gave a nod, signaling that they were ready. The plan was set—once Kalem and Serka made their move, Onyx would lead the charge.
Serka moved like a whisper, silent and precise. One of the guards didn't even have time to react before her dagger found his throat. Another guard started to turn, but Kalem hurled his spear, the weapon striking with enough force to pin the man to a wooden post.
That was the cue.
"Now!" Astra shouted.
Onyx bellowed and charged down the slope, hooves pounding the ground like a war drum. The enemy camp erupted in chaos as the massive bull plowed through crates and men alike, horns glinting with crimson ichor as he tossed a man into the air.
Astra and the rest of the recon unit surged forward, weapons drawn. Kalem retrieved his spear and joined the fray, weaving through the disoriented enemies and keeping his eye on the leader.
The man in the wide-brimmed hat barked orders, cursing at his men to get organized. He swung his cane, and to Kalem's surprise, the raven skull glowed, releasing a wave of dark energy that knocked one of Astra's soldiers off his feet.
Serka danced through the chaos, using the overturned crates as cover. She flung a dagger at the comms device, striking one of its runes. Sparks flew, and the glow dimmed.
"Saboteurs!" the leader shouted, turning his glare toward her. "You think you can interfere with our operation?!"
Kalem advanced, his spear igniting with flames. "I think we already did."
The leader sneered and raised his cane, black tendrils spiraling around the raven skull. He aimed at Kalem, but Onyx barreled into him from the side, knocking the man off his feet. The cane slipped from his grasp, and Serka was on it in a flash, kicking it away.
Kalem didn't waste time. He thrust his spear at the fallen leader, but one of the guards blocked the attack, taking the hit for his commander. The leader scrambled to his feet, eyes wild.
"Retreat! Fall back to the secondary point!" he shouted.
A few of his men tried to comply, but Astra's unit cut off their escape. One of the soldiers lunged at Kalem, but Onyx intercepted, ramming the man with enough force to shatter bone.
Serka confronted the leader directly, dodging a desperate swing from his knife. She caught his wrist, twisting it until he dropped the blade, then struck him in the stomach with her knee.
"Give it up," she growled. "You're done."
The leader snarled, pulling a small vial from his coat. Kalem recognized the black substance inside—a refined parasite core.
"No, you don't!" Kalem lunged, but the leader smashed the vial on the ground. The liquid spread rapidly, forming a dark, pulsating mass. The ground trembled as the black ichor bubbled, and then it erupted, forming grotesque, elongated limbs.
The creature that emerged was twisted and half-formed, but its claws were sharp and its movements erratic. Kalem cursed, pulling Serka back.
"Kill it before it stabilizes!" Astra ordered.
Onyx charged in, horns lowered, but the creature twisted around him, digging its claws into the bull's flank. Onyx roared, thrashing wildly.
Kalem ignited his sword and jabbed it into the parasite's core. Flames licked up its body, and it screeched, writhing as the fire consumed it. Serka followed up with a quick slash to its limb, severing the claw embedded in Onyx's side.
The leader, seeing his creation fall, made a break for it, but Astra intercepted him, delivering a brutal punch to the gut. He crumpled to the ground, gasping for air.
With the parasite creature dead and the leader subdued, the remaining Corvine agents surrendered or fled into the dark.
As Astra bound the leader's hands, she looked at Kalem. "Good work. That could have gone a lot worse."
Kalem checked Onyx's wound, relieved to see it was shallow. "Yeah. But what the hell were they trying to accomplish here? Why weaponize parasites?"
The leader glared up at them, blood trickling from his lip. "You have no idea... the Syndicate will remake this war. You can't stop what's coming."
Astra silenced him with a sharp look. "We'll see about that. You're going to answer some questions."
Kalem exchanged a glance with Serka. Whatever the Corvine Syndicate was planning, it was far from over. But at least, for now, they'd stopped one of their schemes.
Onyx snorted, nudging Kalem as if to say, "Next time, leave the parasites to me." Kalem chuckled, giving his companion a pat. "Good job, big guy. You really saved us back there."
The unit regrouped, tending to injuries and collecting what they could from the destroyed camp. The fight wasn't over, but they'd made a dent in the enemy's plans—and that was enough for now.