Of the four, Lara acted first, her movements swift and fluid as a shadow cutting through firelight. She bounded onto the platform, the heat washing over her face as flames began to lick greedily at the straws and firewood piled beneath. At its center, a woman was bound to a rough wooden stake, her eyes wide with terror, smoke curling around her like a tightening noose.
Netser, Aramis, and Logan landed in front of Lara in a practiced formation, their stances sharp and defensive, encircling her as she drew her dagger. With one decisive sweep, the blade flashed—and the ropes binding the woman slipped free. Then they jumped into safety.
"You… who are you people?" the village chief bellowed, his face twisted with indignation. "Why hide behind masks? How dare you meddle in our internal affairs?"
