The jungle erupted into chaos as the dragons descended upon them, massive shadows blotting out the sky before they streaked down like living missiles. The air crackled with heat as one of the beasts unleashed a torrent of blue flame, scorching the treetops and turning the dense underbrush into an inferno. The roar of the flames mixed with the mechanical hum of exosuits powering up, railgun rifles charging, and the relentless screech of the dragons as they prepared to rip apart their prey.

  Daniels barely had time to react before a massive clawed foot crashed down where he had been standing just moments ago. He threw himself sideways, rolling across the dirt as the dragon’s talons gouged deep scars into the ground. Hayes pulled him up roughly by the arm.

  "Keep your head in the fight!" Hayes barked, shoving Daniels forward just as another dragon swooped low, its wings sending a shockwave through the jungle.

  Sergeant Walker was already on the move, his exosuit enhancing his speed as he vaulted over the wreckage of the dropship, leveling his rail shotgun at the nearest beast. He fired, the kinetic slug slamming into the dragon’s shoulder with a deafening CRACK! The creature snarled in pain, but the shot had only left a shallow wound in its thick scales.

  "Shit!" Walker growled. "These things are tough—aim for the joints and eyes!"

  Reynolds, the squad’s heavy gunner, was already setting up his position. He crouched low, bracing himself as the barrels of his minigun spun to life with a high-pitched whine. Then, with a roar of fire and fury, he unleashed a hailstorm of hyper-velocity rounds at the nearest dragon. The bullets slammed into its wing membranes, tearing through the delicate tissue. The beast shrieked, its flight faltering as it struggled to stay airborne.

  Vance took the opening, locking onto the wounded dragon with his missile launcher. The projectile roared from the tube, spiraling through the air before slamming into the creature’s chest. The explosion sent a shockwave through the battlefield, the dragon plummeting into the jungle with a deafening crash, its body tearing through trees like paper.

  Daniels and Hayes worked in tandem, their training taking over as they moved from cover to cover, firing precise bursts at another dragon that was circling overhead. Its speed was unnatural—far beyond anything a normal living creature should have been capable of.

  Daniels gritted his teeth. "How the hell is it moving that fast?"

  Hayes barely dodged a tail swipe. "I don't know, man! Ask the spook!"

  Lokei, however, was already showing them why he was far more than just an intelligence officer.

  As one of the dragons lunged at him, its massive jaws snapping forward to crush him in a single bite, Lokei didn't dodge. Instead, he took a step forward and punched the beast square in the snout.

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  The impact was like a thunderclap. The dragon's head snapped backward, its entire body following as it was launched off the ground and slammed into the dirt, leaving a deep crater where it landed.

  The battlefield momentarily went silent.

  Daniels, Hayes, and even Walker stopped mid-fight, staring at the agent in complete disbelief.

  "...What the fuck?" Daniels finally managed.

  Lokei simply flexed his fingers, as if testing his own strength. "Huh. Not bad."

  Before anyone could react, another dragon roared in fury and lunged at him from behind. Without even turning, Lokei grabbed it mid-air, twisting his entire body and hurling the beast like a ragdoll. It crashed through the jungle, shattering tree trunks before tumbling to a stop in the distance.

  Walker blinked. "You wanna tell me what the hell you are?"

  Lokei smirked. "Nope."

  The remaining dragons, realizing that they were being overwhelmed, started to pull back. Their massive wings beat against the air as they ascended into the clouds, retreating into the cover of the storm brewing overhead.

  Walker exhaled, gripping his shotgun tighter. "Alright, regroup! Check for wounded!"

  Daniels slumped against a fallen log, panting. "Holy shit... We actually survived."

  Hayes ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. "Yeah. Barely."

  Lokei stretched, looking completely unfazed. "Not bad, boys. Not bad at all."

  Walker checked his comms. "Alright, we regroup and radio the Liberty. They need to know we’ve got serious company on this rock."

  As they collected their wounded and prepped their gear, Daniels glanced at the sky where the dragons had vanished. Something about this felt wrong. These weren’t just wild animals. They fought like trained hunters, like soldiers.

  And that meant someone—or something—was controlling them.

  Walker looked up at the sky, where the dragons had vanished.

  Deep within the dense jungle of the island, a lone figure stood atop a ruined stone temple, the shadows of the canopy casting eerie patterns across his sharp, angular features. His pointed ears twitched slightly as he observed the sky, his golden eyes reflecting the distant flashes of battle.

  A grin slowly spread across his face.

  "So… the heavens finally stir," he murmured, his voice smooth as silk, yet carrying an edge of malice. He had felt the disturbance long before he had seen it—an unnatural presence, machines that soared through the sky like metal birds, fire and thunder waging war against his children.

  His fingers twitched, tapping against the hilt of a wickedly curved dagger at his hip. He could sense them—his dragons—wounded, retreating, their rage simmering beneath their scales. They had not expected resistance. Nor had he.

  "Interesting."

  His dark cloak billowed as he turned, stepping down from the crumbling platform into the heart of the temple ruins. Massive stone carvings lined the ancient chamber he now entered—depictions of serpentine beasts locked in battle with divine warriors, their wings stretching towards the heavens.

  Before him, an altar of obsidian pulsed with a dim, crimson glow. The air around it shimmered with an unnatural energy, the very fabric of reality bending at the edges. The runes engraved into the stone flickered, whispering secrets only he could hear.

  He placed a hand upon the altar, closing his eyes as he focused.

  "The gods of old stir in their slumber… but not yet. Not yet."

  His grin widened.

  These newcomers—these metal-clad warriors—were a complication. A nuisance. But nothing more. They may have delayed his plans, but they could not stop what was already set into motion.

  The dragons were merely his first test.

  Now, it was time to see what these so-called warriors were truly capable of.

  "Let them believe they have won," he whispered, his golden eyes burning with hidden knowledge. "It will make their fall all the sweeter."

  The jungle trembled with the low, distant growl of something awakening.