Chapter 401: Offer
"Do you not have friends, Naira?" Nyx asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I do... Or I did... Years ago."
"Hmm? What happened? Can you tell me? A young lady such as yourself shouldn’t be out here. Were you not aware of the monster outbreak? Do you have a tribe?"
Naira didn’t answer right away; her eyes were focused on the dirt as if searching for something to say. Nyx opened her mouth to try again, but the noise of movement cut her off.
Branches swayed, then parted.
A group stepped through the undergrowth in formation, armed and alert.
At the front was a tall man in heavy armor, Jack. Behind him strode a woman with a glaive strapped to her back. Her expression was sharp, and she was sure of herself. Kaiden knew that face. Caitlyn. The B-tier glaive wielder. The one Tessa had described as a woman with a fondness for pulling rank.
Following them was Sasha, her red hair tied in a loose braid, bow raised. Next came Vaelira, blonde and composed, her steps perfectly matched by the rhythm of the puppet soldiers surrounding her. Behind them, a man with a sword kept his distance, scanning the area.
The easy air around Kaiden that came from such a great victory turned sour. He felt it settle on his tongue like iron. His expression didn’t change much, but the tension in his shoulders said enough.
Luna spoke first, her tone dry. "Didn’t Tessa promise we wouldn’t have to deal with your nonsense on this mission? Why did they have to send you?"