The heavy transport rumbled into the misty docks, its wheels screeching in protest. Kael swerved it into the shadows between rusted cargo containers, the scent of salt and diesel hanging thick in the cold night air.
Blood trickled steadily from his wounds, staining the seat and his clothes, but his grip never loosened on the sword. He staggered out of the vehicle, boots landing heavily on the wet ground, ready to disappear into the maze of crates and steel.
But then…
A flicker.
A shadow leaping high across the misty air like a phantom.
Kael's instincts screamed louder than his thoughts could follow. Without hesitation, he threw himself sideways just as a blazing spear of flame whistled past, slamming into the metal container behind him with an explosive BOOM that shook the entire dockyard.
"WHAT THE FUCK!" Kael bellowed, skidding across the slick ground, heart hammering against his ribs.
