Dreadwolf, Lord of Runes

"You're late," Nova clipped, her brows furrowed. She had clearly been waiting a while. Dressed in a casual combat outfit that hid her wolf ears and fluffy tail, she exuded a wild beauty.

Her impatience likely stemmed from the fact that, unlike Luna, Nova didn't have the protection of being a member of a powerful criminal organization, and being in the Core Formation stage was far from enough to guarantee her safety.

On his approach, Kane couldn't help but be appreciative of Nova's beauty, especially when looking so fierce in her combat outfit.

Thoughts of the recent talks about a harem flitted through his mind, but he quickly shook his head to free himself from those thoughts. It wasn't the time. He barely even knew Nova. The problem was, ever since receiving that rune, he had felt hornier than usual.

He and Luna pulled up beside the wolfling and cut the engines. Kane’s gaze locked onto Nova's stern expression, a smirk playing on his lips. "We had some… unexpected company. But all's good now!"

The street was as busy as any other street in Riftshade, with large amounts of people moving past, filling the air with a cacophony of sounds.

"Fine," Nova snorted, clearly wanting to hurry this along and get off the open road. "Let's just get going. I'm not as safe as that servile little catling of yours."

If she expected to get a rise out of Luna with that comment, she failed. Luna was confident in who she was. In fact, she revelled in it, especially after having been made his Valkyrie.

That said, the catling did realize Nova was trying to insult her and narrowed her eyes at the wolfling, promising revenge.

"Sure," Kane nodded, extending his hand, "but first…"

Nova knew what he wanted, but she was a suspicious person by nature, and narrowed her eyes at him without making a move.

Kane rolled his eyes, "Just give it to me. I'd like to avoid an awkward situation where you have to give me the token when we are already in front of the trader." He smirked tauntingly at her, "Besides, what am I gonna do? I'm right next to you; I'd never get away."

Nova growled something unflattering under her breath, but she couldn't deny he was right, so she discreetly pressed the Nether Cabal token into Kane's hands.

"Thank you," Kane smiled charmingly as he pocketed the token. He then grabbed the extra helmet strapped to his bike and handed it to Nova. "Here, put this on and hold tight."

Nova took the helmet but hesitated at the thought of hugging Kane’s body so closely. She glanced at Luna and her bike, but Kane quickly interrupted her thoughts. He shook his head, "Uh-uh. If you still want to do this, you're riding with me, not her."

Nova couldn’t help but smile a little at something in his tone. "You're quite protective of her, huh? Isn't she supposed to serve you?"

"Are those two things mutually exclusive now?" Kane asked dryly. "Just get on if you're coming. We can't afford to be late."

"Fine," Nova smirked, suddenly seeming a little more tolerant of Kane.

A few minutes later, they drove back out into the streets, now with a passenger on Kane's bike.

It was time to get their techniques.

* * *

Or at least, so they thought.

They couldn't drive more than a few hundred meters before all hell broke loose.

Tires screeched as three black vans came out of nowhere, cutting them off with precision. The metallic scent of burning rubber filled the air.

"What the fuck!" Kane exclaimed, his eyes wide with shock as he and Luna skidded to a halt. Beside and behind him, the two beastlings mirrored his reaction, hurling expletives at the imposing vehicles.

Around them, the wide road erupted into chaos. Drivers blared their horns, swerving to avoid the sudden blockade, their curses mingling with the sharp staccato of honking.

The trio on their bikes prepared to dismount and draw their weapons, a cold certainty settling over them—they were being attacked. But before they could react, the vans' doors burst open, and ten men poured out with practiced speed.

These weren't ordinary thugs. Each of the ten men exuded an aura of formidable power. The aura of third-stage Mystics. Kane, Luna, and even the second-stage Nova were hopelessly outmatched.

In an instant, the assailants overwhelmed them. Strong hands bound their wrists with unyielding force, while gags muffled their cries, and blindfolds sealed them in darkness.

Kane struggled and roared behind his gag, muscles straining against his bonds, but it was futile. The sheer power of their captors rendered resistance impossible.

Within seconds, the trio was unceremoniously dumped into the back of one of the vans. The doors slammed shut with a finality that echoed through their minds. Before they knew it, the convoy sped away, leaving behind only the acrid smell of fear and frustration.

At the scene of the crime, their two bikes lay abandoned. Bystanders hesitated, some reaching for their comm devices to report the incident to the GSA.

But in the Outer District, such efforts were often in vain. The GSA, stretched thin and prioritizing higher districts, rarely intervened in the Outer District, especially not on gang relate business.

Thus, Kane and Luna vanished into the night, their fate sealed by the indifference of a city too preoccupied with its own survival to notice their sudden disappearance.

* * *

Bound and gagged, the master and Valkyrie pair were taken for a bumpy ride. It wasn't long before they stopped struggling against their bonds. Clearly, these restraints were made for Core Awakening Mystics.

Fortunately, despite their gags, Kane and Luna could still talk to each other.

"Are you alright?" Kane calmly asked his partner telepathically. One of his strongest qualities was to remain calm under most situations, and this was no different. Fact was, if these people wanted them dead, they already would be.

"I'm fine, Master," Luna grumbled back, aggrievedly. "What do you think they want from us?"

"No idea… but I wouldn't be surprised if it was related to our trade deal with the cabal," Kane muttered thoughtfully. 'That, or perhaps the strange pink sex rune…'

Luna nodded in agreement, before they started talking about possible escape strategies and more possibilities for what they wanted from them.

* * *

About an hour later, the van stopped, and the doors opened.

Unceremoniously, the trio were tossed out of the van, yelling muffled curses through their gags.

As soon as they stood outside, the air told them where they were: the wasteland.

The wasteland was essentially anything outside of Earth's cities on the Asian continent, and technically included the slums. As the main location for the decade of war against the beastlings, this side of the world was hit far harder than the rest of it.

Although the rest of the world really wasn't that much better off, it wasn't wasteland quality yet.

Fortunately, it wasn’t an actual desert yet, but life clung to it tenuously. Sparse plant growth and skeletal remains of old buildings destroyed in the war were common sights. Even bleached human and beastling bones could occasionally be found.

Truly, the wasteland was a grim sight. It's only saving grace was the lack of radiation. At the start of the war between Mystics and Cybers, a mysterious event had disabled all nuclear weapons and power plants. Even now, they still refused to work, and the exact reasons were unclear. At least, to people like them.

But neither Kane nor Nova let it bother them. They were more annoyed by the terrible air quality than anything else. Luckily, their status as Mystics helped alleviate the problem.

Right now, they had more immediate problems to deal with, because while they now stood on their own two legs, they still couldn't move their arms, see, or talk.

Fortunately, that soon changed, when the restraints were finally removed, and Kane was able to take a look at his surroundings.