The wind shrieked through Electra’s long, blonde hair as the train accelerated, a metal beast devouring the distance. Trane Reddington, the conductor, poked her head from the cabin window, squinting up at Electra’s defiant figure on the roof. “You alright up there? Sure you don’t want to come sit inside with everyone else?” Electra didn't bother to reply. At this speed, her voice would be lost to the gale, even if she screamed. Besides, the roof was her vantage point, her launching pad, should a quick jump become necessary.

  She had been hired by the Tanzanights to defend this vital train from the mutated monsters and grotesque creatures that haunted the vast desert, a ravaged expanse separating their mines from the city. An easy task, she thought, especially with the Light Bringer humming in her hand, an enchanted war hammer that granted her immense electrical power. But it was the object clutched in her other hand that truly made Electra feel invincible today: the coveted Ether.

  Electra was perpetually in need of coin, and earlier that day, she’d decided to pawn her golden earrings at Lurelle Veilstorm’s jewelry shop. While inside, a hooded figure had sold a peculiar purple stone. After Lurelle had paid a handsome sum for it, Electra had intervened, her electrical power a silent, undeniable threat. Lurelle, wise enough not to resist, relinquished the stolen Ether. The jeweler had muttered vague threats, but Electra, with the Light Bringer a comforting weight in her grip, had dismissed them, striding out the door.

  She had considered taking the Ether to Elodie, seeking favor with the Petalcrests, but the ghost of Lyria’s disappearance still fueled a deep-seated grudge. Besides, the Tanzanights were bound to reward her more handsomely. And so, she planned to returned the stone to its rightful, or at least its original, owners.

  The train, now at maximum velocity, plunged into the desert. This scarred landscape, once teeming with small, vibrant life, had been utterly devastated by the Great Calamity, transforming its creatures into colossal monstrosities. Monsters Electra was ready, eager even, to slay. She didn’t have to wait long. Ahead, an eruption of sand heralded a towering, scaled figure launching itself skyward. A massive snake, its hiss a sound of pure malevolence, coiled, preparing to strike the oncoming train.

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  It was not prepared for Electra to strike first.

  With a surge of electrical power, she vaulted from the train, a lightning-wreathed blur. In mid-air, she swung the Light Bringer, the enchanted hammer colliding with the snake’s massive head with a sickening thud. Electra landed, legs splayed to absorb the impact, and behind her, the colossal snake crashed, sending a shockwave of sand and pulverized earth through her. She turned, preparing to finish the job, when a voice cut through the ringing in her ears.

  “Wait! Leave him alone.”

  Electra located the source, a flash of green hair belonging to Viper Mossbrook running towards her. Electra decided to do what she did best: ignore. She continued her approach to the unconscious serpent, the Light Bringer already rising for the killing blow, when a sharp crack echoed through the desert. A pistol shot.

  Did Viper dare shoot at her? Electra wheeled around. Viper stood, pistol aimed, not at Electra, but at the desolate sky. “I warned you,” Viper muttered, her face grim.

  Electra spun back to the snake. Its eyes, now wide and furious, had opened. The shot had awakened it. It didn’t hesitate. With a guttural roar, it charged, tackling Electra to the ground. The sand cushioned what would have been a bone-shattering fall, but it was enough. The Light Bringer spun from her grasp, and instantly, the electrical power vanished. She needed to retrieve it. It lay just beyond her reach, a mere whisper away, when she froze.

  The cold, unforgiving touch of a pistol muzzle pressed against her forehead. Viper’s eyes, normally so serene, blazed with a terrifying anger. The snake, now alert, retreated back into the shifting sands. The harsh sunlight glinted off the purple stone still clutched in Electra’s hand, catching Viper's attention.

  “Is that Ether?” Viper’s voice was low, dangerous.

  Again, Electra offered no reply. Instead, she slowly, deliberately, reached out and dropped the shimmering crystal at Viper’s feet. For Electra, in that moment, was smart enough to know when she had been utterly, resoundingly defeated.