Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Chapter 30: Wheels in Motion_2

The squad members straightened the moment they saw her approaching. A few of them exchanged wary glances—they knew what was coming. Amira’s training sessions were never easy.

She stopped near the area her team were resting and crossed her arms while she called out with her voice carrying across the space. “I will be your opponent so pair up into teams of three.”

The team let out a shocked sigh before quickly getting into formation. Three of the more seasoned fighters stepped forward, clearly eager to prove themselves.

Amira stretched her neck with a soft crack echoing in the air. “Don’t hold back and if you’re worried about hurting me then you’ve already lost.” she warned.

The first team launched a coordinated attack converging from three sides—one targeting her legs, another her torso, and the third aiming a strike from above.

Her eyes glinted as she sidestepped the first blow with fluid grace while she ducked under the second and then twisted just in time to catch the third attacker’s wrist mid-air. With a sharp tug, she threw him off balance and sent him sprawling.

“You’re relying too much on brute force,” she said, stepping back as the second attacker stumbled forward. She pivoted and caught him with a sweeping kick that sent him tumbling to the ground. “You need to be faster and unpredictable—especially against someone who can read your movements.”

The third soldier, determined not to fall like his teammates, feinted left and spun to the right. It was a good tactic—but not good enough. Amira anticipated his movement and closed the distance, tapping the center of his chest with her palm before he could react.

He froze, realizing that if it had been a real strike, it would have ended him.

“You’re thinking too much,” Amira said, her voice calm but firm. “Trust your instincts, but don’t act blindly. There’s a balance.”

The trio groaned as they picked themselves up, but there was respect in their eyes.

She trained with several more teams, each match revealing weaknesses and strengths. Amira pointed out flaws with a mix of sarcasm and encouragement. “You’re supposed to dodge the attack, not block it with your face,” she quipped at one point, earning a round of embarrassed chuckles.

By the time the sun reached its zenith, she finally called for a break. “Pair up and practice among yourselves,” she instructed, brushing stray strands of silver hair from her face.

Her squad dispersed, eager to hone their skills. Amira watched them for a moment before turning away and making her way back to the fortress wall. She needed a moment to herself to gather her thoughts.

Meanwhile at the Safe House

The convoy of armored trucks and buses lined up outside the safe house, their engines rumbling like a low hum of anticipation. The bright sun had finally pierced through the early morning clouds, promising a clear day—but it did nothing to ease the tension in the air.

Inside the main hall of the safe house, Bella paced, her arms crossed as she listened to Sam’s report. Her usually calm face was pinched with concern as Sam explained what had transpired in the village and possibility of the presence of the intelligent mutated beast that had been tracking them since yesterday.

“So that’s why you were late…” Bella exhaled, rubbing her temples as the weight of the situation settled. “We were starting to worry something happened. But now that you’re here… everything is packed and ready to go. The families are accounted for, and we’ve secured enough armored vehicles for the entire group. We even stationed guards at key points to keep things secure.”

Sam nodded, appreciating her thoroughness, but his face remained serious. “Even with all of that, we can’t afford to let our guard down. Whatever it is isn’t just following us for fun—it’s watching, waiting. Captain Amira suspects that it might try to attack when we move out in large numbers.”

Bella’s brows knitted together. “That’s… unsettling.” She stole a glance at Asher, who was sitting nearby with his arms crossed, his expression somewhere between bored and irritated. “Is that why she sent you along?”

Asher straightened at the mention of his name, narrowing his eyes.

Bella tilted her head curiously. “I mean, no offense, Asher, but your ability… it’s useful, but it’s not exactly built for large-scale defense, right? You can manipulate the earth, but I thought it was only for smaller shields. How is that supposed to help us if—”

Before she could finish, Asher let out an exaggerated groan and waved a hand at her. “Wow, thanks, Bella. I really appreciate you pointing out all the limitations of my power right off the bat.” His voice dripped with sarcasm, but there was a playful glint in his eyes. “Is that all you remember? You didn’t even mention any of the cool stuff I can do. Seriously?”

Bella blinked, caught off guard by his dramatic response, before chuckling sheepishly. “Okay, okay… my bad.”

Asher leaned back with a smug grin. “Thought so.” Then, his tone became more serious as he explained. “Look, you’re not wrong. I can’t raise massive walls or anything crazy like that. But over the past few days, I’ve been working on something different. By focusing my energy while staying connected to the ground, I’ve realized I can actually sense movements—kind of like listening to the earth’s heartbeat.”

Bella’s curiosity piqued. “You can… sense through the earth?”

Asher nodded. “Yeah. When I channel my energy and concentrate while staying grounded, I can pick up vibrations—big ones. I can tell if something massive is moving, like an awakened beast but I can’t tell if it’s a person or a small animal unless it’s huge, but I’ll know if something dangerous is coming long before it reaches us.”

“So… you’re basically a walking radar?” Astonishment filled Bella’s eyes.

“Pretty much.” Asher gave a cocky smirk.

“But there’s a catch,” he added quickly. “I can’t keep it up forever and the longer I do it, the more energy I burn also if there’s too much noise—like the convoy engines rumbling—it makes it harder to distinguish anything smaller. But massive movement, dangerous things? I’ll catch them.”

Understanding dawned on Bella’s face. “So that’s why Amira sent you. She wasn’t worried about people trying to ambush us—she’s worried about an awakened beast horde.”

Sam nodded grimly. “Exactly as we’ve got enough combat personnel to handle any regular threat, but a horde of mutated beasts? That’s a whole different level of danger. If Asher can give us a heads-up before they’re on top of us, we can reposition or even avoid a direct fight altogether.”

Bella exhaled slowly while processing everything. “Alright that makes sense so Asher, you’re going to be our early warning system.”

“Finally!” Asher slapped his hands together, and his face lit up. “It’s about time for everyone to recognize my brilliance.”

Bella rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but grin. “Don’t get cocky just yet.”

Sam crossed his arms and chuckled. “Trust me, he’s been cocky since the day he joined.”

“True.” Asher shrugged unapologetically.

Bella waved them off with a smile. “Alright, let’s not waste time. We need to move before noon.”

The trio walked outside with the fresh morning air greeting them as the convoy of trucks and buses roared to life. Bella turned to everyone in the squad while raising her voice. “Everyone final check! Weapons, supplies, radios—double-check everything we will leave out in thirty minutes!”

The squad sprang into action, their movements precise and efficient. Asher climbed into one of the middle vehicles, already preparing himself to focus his energy. Bella watched the organized chaos with a sense of pride but also a lingering worry. She cast a glance toward the tree line beyond the village.