The Wastes: Part 3

Aisha knew by now to trust her instincts. They weren't random, like they had been just a few years ago - the experiences she had gone through had sharpened them to a razor's edge.

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Her instincts told her to trust the voice in her head, and so instantly, Aisha began to breathe, taking in the energy from around her.

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"Gpphplk!"

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"Aisha!?"

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It was like taking molten lava into her veins. Her entire body burned intensely, agonizingly, as the unstable magics began to thrash, resisting Aisha's attempts to pull them in. Instantly, her body began to reject the influence, and her body collapsed, her limbs unresponsive as blood welled up in her throat.

.

"What's going on!?" Kaya cried frantically, rushing over to Aisha's convulsing body, as the expedition leader passed her by, casting a sympathetic, yet unwavering gaze at the group of adventurers now huddled around the Fey. The prone girl's head was quickly scooped up into Kaya's lap, while Liberta frantically shook her body to no avail, all while more and more distance was made between them and the expedition forces.

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"She just collapsed!"

"Is she poisoned!? What's going on? Is it the mist?! I-"

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As the shouts above her grew more frantic and aggressive, Aisha could only scream silently.

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(Just pick up my body and go!) She urged, unable to speak, as her body began to mend. (Come on!)

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(They can't hear you.)

(Aiyu!) Aisha demanded, helpless to do anything but watch as the ground began to shift subtly beneath the feet of the expedition. 

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(Why is our body rejecting the mana!? You were born of this place, right - why can't we-)

.

[

"It's not our body." Aiyu corrected. "It's yours."

"What?" Aisha frowned desperately. "Wha… what do you mean?"

.

"This place is home." The shadow whispered.

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Aisha just stood with her hands outstretched, mouth agape in an incredulous expression.

.

"What are you doing?" Aisha asked.

.

"This happened because you rejected me." Aiyu mumbled.

"...Rejected?"

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"You are afraid of me."

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"What?- Now's not the time for these - stupid word games!" Aisha snarled, reaching out in her mindscape, hand outstretched.

.

A shocked expression appeared on Aiushtha's face as Aisha's hands latched onto her form, gripping two shadowy wisps of form where her collar would have been. She felt no form underneath her fingertips, despite the way that the shadows licked at her hands, but even still, she could still feel the emotion. the pull that she exerted on her, the surprise that emanated from the shadow.

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The shadow's face showed nothing but sadness, but Aisha paid it no mind, her body too fraught with panic to care. Her arms trembled, and her eyes were wide, and yet, she was unable to see the shadow's eyes.

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"I'm not the one stopping you from tapping into these powers." Aiyu mumbled. "I was so happy when you started to draw from me, but…"

"Enough!" Aisha shouted, plunging her hand into Aiyu's form, ignoring the smile that infected the shadow's visage.

]

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Aisha's eyes swiveled wildly as she returned to the wakeful world, her chest aching, but Aisha paid it no mind as she took stock of the sights in front of her. Her torso shot upright violently, arms behind her for stability, the sight of which shocked the women around her.

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The expedition force was a ways into the distance - clearly, they had not waited up for them. Which her friends should have too.

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"..okay? You were spitting up blood!"

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Aisha looked into Kaya's soft face, with surprisingly less concern than she had expected, but more surprising was the sight of a familiar, cyan haired annoyance, looking herself extremely annoyed, but also desperate.

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"It… it should be nothing." She mumbled in reassurance, at Kaya's prompting, the thin girl bumping Aisha's chest softly.

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She took a careful, slow breath, letting just a tiny bit of the ambient mana into her, that toxic, volatile mixture. It rushed in like water infiltrating a hole in a ship - and AIsha grimaced, feeling the rush, but the burn was nothing compared to the agonizing rejection she had experienced earlier.

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It was like drinking hot tea. Her body could handle it in slow doses, but letting it rush in would probably kill her faster than the monsters would.

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Speaking of the monsters, though - 

"We need to hurry back!" Aisha urged, watching as the expedition force stopped, a sudden panic surging through their forces, despite nothing being in view. Orders were shouted, and equipment was quickly thrown on, bags and equipment thrown aside in favor of massive steel shields and large crossbows.

.

"Huh?" Kaya frowned. "There's nothing for miles. You should rest, Aisha, you lost blood!"

"No, the fey is right!" Akane shouted. "You- you need to-"

.

"Shut up!" Kaya shouted, her voice fierce, facial expression turning openly hostile. "It's your mission that brought us here! This is all your fault, fool!"

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At the surprising hostile reprimand, from the usually so mild-mannered Kaya, Akane flinched, and even more surprisingly, there was no retort about criminality or justice. Rather, the woman looked somewhat like a kicked dog, hurt, but trying her best to hide it - a look that wasn't helped when she stumbled backwards on the uneven ground, falling to her knees.

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"Why are you looking at us like that?" Liberta shot aggressively. "You aren't one of us! Why are you even over here?"

Aisha attempted to lift herself off the ground and out of Kaya's arms, but failed to find purchase on the ashy ground. "Guys, the expedition-"

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"I… I know, I…" Akane mumbled.

"As far as the mission goes, we're your best chance at completing it." Kaya said disdainfully. "Are you so stupid as to think that antagonizing us is the best way to do so?"

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"N-no." Akane whispered.

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"Then-"

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"ELITH FORMATION!"

Instantly, all heads turned to face the shout, piercing through the sounds of shifting backpacks and leather straps being adorned, belonging to equipment that was quickly discarded, as the nameless hurried into a circular formation, crossbows loaded, and swords drawn.

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In a split second, the slight shifting of the ashen desert turned into an earthquake, ash quaking violently as - something - tried to escape. 

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"We have to go help them." Aisha urged, clumsily rising to her feet. "We need them more than they need us!"

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Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Kaya nodded, rushing off towards the expedition group, strides even and practiced across the ashy, uneven terrain. Liberta, eyes wild and uncertain, cast a backwards glance as she followed, but nonetheless made her way over to the group.

.

Akane was slow to move, a hurt and lost look on her face as the last of her military pride seemed to fade away, the fear and uncertainty clearly having broken down the proud woman. Black dust marred the knees and palms of her uniform - Aisha, feeling sympathy, reached out a hand and offered a gentle look.

.

"Hey, come on." She said softly. "Let's go."

"Shut up! I don't need help from you!"

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Instantly, all sympathy drained out of Aisha's face, and her expression grew cold - a change that wasn't lost on Akane as she watched the fey leave, her last chance at any sort of protection.

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"Wait!" She cried hurriedly. "I-"

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It was not Akane's cry that made Aisha turn around, but the inhuman screech that erupted from the ground after, deep and beastlike. But unfortunately, she was far too late to save Akane, as a long, black spike erupted out of her midsection, blood gushing and spraying across the ash.

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The shock at seeing someone literally gored in front of her eyes was tempered slightly by the fact that it was someone so annoying, but Aisha still instinctively reached out, as if her hand could have saved the guard from her impaling.

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The captain's body was tossed aside as, from underneath her, a black body erupted out of the ash, easily eight feet in height. A monstrous, horned creature; black, jagged scales lined the entire creature's form, oddly similar to a human's in shape, but very distinctly NOT, judging by the monster's animalistic, almost draconic head, lined with thick, meter long horns, jutting out sideways like a metal sheet.

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Vaguely, Aisha recognized a similarity between her own monster transformation, and the creature in front of her, but there was no real time to think as the creature reared back, roaring in preparation for an attack.

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Aisha barely even had time to think before the massive creature's body slammed into her own, forearms colliding and struggling against each other as the Elith attempted to overwhelm her strength.

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They seemed to be similar in that regard as well - they were almost evenly matched in physical power, but the jagged spikes in the monster's arm dug into Aisha's flesh, making her wince and lose strength in her arm. Raising her other arm, she attempted to blast away the monster with one of her unrefined spells, but found her fist caught, clenched in the much larger palm of the creature in front of her.

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Locked in a fighter's grapple, Aisha swore she could almost feel a human spirit buried deep underneath all that chitin. The monster didn't snarl, or growl, despite its visage - rather, its eyeless face seemed to observe Aisha, head tilting slightly, intelligently.

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Aisha heard the sound of pressurized air being released, but before she could even prepare for an attack, her eyes caught the sight of a row of spikes in her chest, shining like little coins.

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Her eyes widened as she felt her heart and lungs stop, her body reeling backwards as pain erupted in her chest, making her take a pained gasp, the jagged spikes digging deep into her organs.

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Before she could even get up, the monster had retreated back into the ash, burrowing its way back underground. Aisha herself gasped for air, quickly ripping the spikes out of her flesh before she could lose consciousness, grimacing at the pain, but quickly relaxing, the wounds burning like dragonfire.

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Her fists clenched at the pain, a burning heat welling up in her stomach. She had been caught by surprise, but oddly enough, Aisha was more pissed off by that fact that the monster had thought she was weak enough to be killed by a couple spikes. Fire began to surge through her veins, anger-

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"H-help…"

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Aisha's head turned away from the chaos erupting in front of her, and frowned, her face immediately filling with a pitying contempt. The fire in her chest lowered, but didn't dissipate, instead simmering down into a dull hatred.

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"You're pathetic." Aisha muttered, seeing Akane kneeling, clutching the gaping wound in her stomach. "I thought you said you didn't need my help."

"I…" The guard hesitated, desperation in her eyes. "..."

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Aisha turned on her heel and ignored the screaming apology that echoed behind her - her actual friends needed her help.

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(You should go back.) Aiyu whispered.

(I don't want to.)

(She needs your help)

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(She doesn't deserve it.)

(Neither did you.)

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Aisha took a fleeting glance at the expedition force - who were, surprisingly, standing up rather well to the swarm of monsters, standing on top of a massive circle of metal as they shot volley after volley of bolts at the massive monsters, each surprisingly effective, being at least enough deterrent to make the Elith keep distance. Kaya and Liberta also looked to be defending themselves well - standing close enough to the expedition force to not get surrounded. Kaya's nimble acrobatics looked to serve her well, while Liberta's wild torrent of panicked magics, unstable and chaotic, was enough deterrent to keep the monsters at bay.

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But Aisha could tell Liberta was getting tired, and although Kaya could protect herself, the nimble girl didn't look like she had any way of protecting anybody else.

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"Fuck!" Aisha shouted, gritting her teeth as she turned back around. She didn't know why, but something inside of her made her want to give the woman another chance - a new, sympathetic part of her that she decided she didn't like.

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(I can use her.) Aisha justified. (She will owe me. Hell, I swear, I'll collar her if I have to.)

.

.

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"...-m sorry!" Akane croaked, gasping for air as she desperately clawed at the dirt, trying to drag herself closer to Aisha, who could only look down at her with pure contempt.

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"You disgust me." Aisha spat, as she knelt down, ripping Akane's hand off of her gushing wound to take a better look.

.

"I know, I know" Akane cried desperately. "But- please - please- I- I'm begging you, I…"

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Aisha didn't know anything about healing, and her desire to help the guard dwindled lower and lower. But there was something she could do.

.

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The shouting and fighting on the battlefield stopped for a moment as a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the air - even the tall, horned monsters stopped for a second to turn towards the noise, sputtering and choking, as Akane writhed in pure agony, running out of breath to even scream, forcing herself to choke and gasp for breath.

.

Aisha would have told the woman to stay still, but well, that would have been an exercise in futility at that point - she couldn't exactly blame the woman, given what she was doing to her.

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But still, a cruel, sadistic satisfaction welled up inside of her as she dripped molten dragonfire from her mouth, bubbling and searing hot, right into the hole in Akane's stomach. It wasn't just to torture her - given the deep nature of the puncture, she had to cauterize the entire wound to staunch the internal bleeding as well. But she would be lying if she said she didn't derive a little satisfaction from making the woman scream.

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Aisha watched calmly as the red edges of the wound turned ashen and dark, forcibly holding Akane in place - despite the fey's overwhelming physical strength, and Akane's weakened state, she was still surprisingly strong, thrashing and screaming, the pure intensity surely tearing her throat apart. 

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And after a few seconds, it was over. Aisha placed a hand over the wound, and just as quickly, ice covered the wound. Akane whimpered at the sensation, the burning agony replaced with an uncomfortable cold, but she was too weak to even stop the tears from flowing from her eyes.

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"Have fun with that." Aisha mumbled, as she began to sprint away, running back towards the expedition.

.

.

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Kaya yelped as an enormous shard of ice, lumpy and blunt, flew past her head, shattering harmlessly off the massive hide of the Elith next to her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, but even the small tick didn't last long as she was forced to dash away from a volley of one of the monster's spikes, the long, chitinous objects sinking harmlessly into the ashen ground.

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Sighing, Kaya glanced towards the source of the storm, the usually aloof elf turned chaotic mess, eyes wide in panic as she flung magics out of her body, some effective, but others dissipating harmlessly into the air, or arcing dangerously towards their allies.

"Liberta!" Kaya shouted. "Calm down!"

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But either the elf couldn't hear her, or couldn't process the message, or was too far away - either way, she continued to spew forth lightning, fire and ice from her fingertips, proving effective at incinerating the spikes thrown at her body, but not quite effective enough - embedded in her calf was a row of wounds, bleeding and ugly, and on top of that, Liberta breathed heavily, sweat beading on her forehead. It was difficult to tell with all the fighting and distance, but it was clear from the way the elf moved, every step labored and frantic: she was close to tiring.

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"You're going to tire yourself out, dumbass…" Kaya mumbled. "Do I really have to go help you?"

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 Kaya continued to hack and cut at the Elith next to her, but continued to keep Liberta in her peripheral vision - she didn't know where Aisha was, but in her absence, she was the only person who could help the elf when she inevitably ran out of steam.

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Kaya gave a short, mournful glance at her backpack, the straps slashed through by a stray spike. Fighting would have been much easier with it, or rather, the weapons inside, but in the initial rush of battle…

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"Sloppy." She mumbled to herself.

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But even still, the monsters weren't much of a threat to her - despite their hulking power and surprising speed, Kaya was much faster. Leaping on the back of one of the chitinous Elith, she tore a spike off the carapace of the monster and drove it into its back, black blood gushing out like a fountain.

.

Breathing perfectly even, Kaya didn't even flinch as her face and neck were stained black, jumping away before the monster could even react. Smooth and efficient and yet, the monster didn't seem to be any weaker, merely getting angry.

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"Help!"

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There it was. Fully panicked, but now also tired out, Liberta shrieked in terror as her legs crumpled underneath her, spells also waning in power. The lightning that erupted from the air was thin, the fire that spewed from her fingertips was weak, and the wind that flowed around her dulled.

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Sensing weakness, the armored creatures began to charge at the helpless elf, and Kaya grit her teeth, intense focus welling up inside of her body.

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But before she could act, a screech erupted from behind her - one of many that had come out of the battlefield, but still odd. She turned to address the threat behind - she could still Liberta if her hand was forced, but protecting herself took priority.

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Kaya whipped around and her eyes widened as they stared directly into the visage of the thing behind her. It moved far too fast to see accurately, the light distorting around the blackened spikes that lined the edges, but Kaya could tell that it was small, and different.

.

(It's already here!?) Kaya thought, reeling backwards.

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There was no time to react, not even to raise a hand to brace herself - she could only steel herself for the collision, and prepare for what followed -

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But the collision never came, and Kaya's eyebrows visibly furrowed in confusion as the blur surged ahead of her, carving a path through the horde of dark monsters, leaving behind little floating rivulets of black ichor. It was like watching a carriage crash - splinters of material flying haphazardly in every direction, the result of not an intentional strike, but a pure, out of control force, barreling indiscriminately into anything in its path.

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She made sure not to spend too much time thinking about it, although the caution turned out unnecessary. Even the monsters turned their heads to glance at the figure as it tore its way through the battlefield, towards -

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(Liberta!)

.

.

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(I'm scared.)

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(How could I have let this happen?)

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(Was compromising your ideals worth getting close to these people?)

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(...)

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Liberta grimaced as she stared down the hulking monster in front of her, dark visage peering down at her silently, almost like the thing was pitying her.

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Not that it stopped it from rearing back, intense heat gathering in its maw for a finishing spell.

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There was simply nothing she could do. Both of her legs were injured, and even if they weren't, Liberta couldn't muster up any more strength in her body. It was completely unfair. If her magics had worked properly, fighting off a thousand of these monsters would have been easy. But because of her poor decision, she was going to die. Drenched in sweat and blood, covered in dirty ash and soot - not even the full party there to see her.

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A strange serenity filled up her body as she took a deep breath. That was something she was okay with. It was the fate that she had chosen - a crappy fate, but…

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(At least it was my-)

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"Ow!"

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Liberta cried out in pain as a piece of hard exoskeleton bumped into the side of her head, sharp and jagged, but an object that was distinctly different from the thin missiles that the monsters shot out of their bodies. Following the path, Liberta was shocked to see the Elith in front of her collapse, a huge chunk taken out of its midsection by - something. Ichor splattered all over her dress, but that was hardly the first thing that was on her mind.

.

"Kaya!" Liberta choked out, eyes turning to watch the small girl jog over to her. "You came."

"No." The short girl mumbled. "I was late."

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Confused, Liberta just stared, but after a few seconds, her ears picked up on the snarling and screeching happening around her. A strange sound - the monsters didn't do any of that.

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"A competing clan?" Kaya murmured, tossing her backpack onto the ash and starting to retrieve medical supplies from out of the bag. "Or… something else?"

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Liberta just gazed intensely at the little monster, its movements incredibly fast and jerky as it literally tore through the larger Elith, claws ripping away exoskeleton like paper. It definitely looked like some strange demon, but the way that it breathed, the way that it… felt…

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"I think that's… Aisha."

"..."

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Kaya stopped her ministrations on Liberta's leg for a second as she just stared intensely at the armored monster, not moving an inch.

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"What makes you think that?" Kaya asked softly.

"It just feels like her."

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A brief look washed across the short girl's face as she continued to watch the carnage unfold in front of her - as the small monster stopped abruptly in the middle of it's path to sweep it's vision across the battlefield, before continuing its rampage.

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"...Maybe it is." Kaya whispered.

"Did you know she was..?"

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"Let's wait."

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Hesitant to join the battle and potentially put herself into the path of the dangerous creature, Kaya chose to tend to Liberta, quickly digging out a small depression in the ash to shield them slightly from the arrows and spines that were being thrown around the battlefield. Stroking the elf's head, she began to bandage up Liberta's wounds, all the while keeping an eye out for any stray projectiles, or worse, if any monsters decided to come close.

.

But it seemed even the Elith didn't want to fight the small monster, and soon enough, it had cleared a small radius around itself as the Elith retreated, turning to face the expedition forces, a much more appealing target.

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The monster didn't pursue, and for a split second, Kaya felt an intense fear as it trained its vision on her.

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But equally as fast, Kaya caught the glint of Aisha's dark red eyes, glimmering softly like warm coals in a fire. And she couldn't help but let a relieved smile appear on her face as the monster's armor cracked, drifting away into the ash and revealing a familiar, cuddly little fluff.

.

"Are you two okay?" She shouted hurriedly as she rushed over to the two.

Kaya smiled. "I-"

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"I hate you!" Liberta shouted, face upset. "I thought I was going to die!"

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"I…" Aisha's concerned expression melted away into a relieved half-smile, glad that Liberta was okay enough to be angry at her. "Sorry. Can I make it up to you?"

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"Just come here." Liberta croaked, despite the fighting going on around her, and the girl already fully devoted to tending to her.

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But Aisha still obliged, although her head continued to scan the battlefield, watching anxiously as the number of both the expedition forces and Elith began to dwindle.

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And while having the pretty elf nuzzle into her navel was nice, they were still very much in danger.

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"We should go help them." Aisha affirmed, nodding her head in the direction of the nameless, Kaya also nodding in agreement.

"No!" Liberta protested. "Stay here with me!"

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"We'll be back."

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And once more, Liberta found herself longing for the girls that she considered friends, but helpless to do anything but watch as she once more was alone.

.

.

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With the help of the adventurers, the tides began to shift in favor of the expedition forces, as Aisha and Kaya began to efficiently draw attention to themselves and take out a few monsters. Now armed with a short blade, Kaya was able to cut through the spines and exoskeletons, and before they knew it, the sounds of fighting had faded away.

.

Breaking from their strict, circular formation, the nameless began to quickly pack up their gear, hastily stuffing away shields and crossbows into bags before beginning to walk back into formation, barely even a minute passing before most soldiers were ready to march again.

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Carrying an injured Liberta on her shoulder, Aisha frowned, letting the elf down to rush up to the expedition leader, head marred with sweat and human blood as he retrieved his map from the ground.

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"Hey, you're going to force them to march already?" Aisha cried. "Your men need to rest!"

"It's not a question of needing rest or not." The man mumbled, as he unfurled the parchment. "The Elith will be back. We have to move."

.

"What about your injured?" Aisha asked, furrowing her brows. "Don't they need medical attention?"

"If they can make it to the cliffs, we will attend to them." The leader grimaced, turning towards Aisha, letting her see the burnt remains of what used to be his right arm. "But above all else the group comes first."

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Aisha could only gaze concernedly at the gruff, short man, a clear reluctance in his voice that was ignored in favor of an ironclad duty. Aisha didn't bother arguing - she knew that her opinion, as someone not even in the expedition, was probably not even worth the air it took to say it, at least to the gruff captain. Hell, he was willing to leave his own soldiers behind.

.

"Thank you for your help." He muttered, before raising his voice, turning to address the expedition forces. "FORWARD!"

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Which left Aisha with Kaya, an injured Liberta, as well as a mountain of corpses and injured nameless.

.

"Ugh." Aisha mumbled.

.

"What do you think we should do?" Kaya asked softly. "We… we have to at least get to the cliffs, right?"

"Libba, can you walk?" Aisha asked.

.

"A little." Liberta winced, shooting an upset glance at her damaged legs. "Carry me?"

Aisha rolled her eyes. "Okay, you big baby."

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"What about the nameless?" Kaya asked, nodding her head in the direction of the beaten, depressed soldiers, each wound looking more ghastly than the last. 

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Aisha watched with pity as a young man clenched his teeth around a strip of cloth he had tied around his arm, looking away as another soldier raised his sword. She looked away.

.

"And…" Kaya frowned, eyes filling with an intense disdain. "...Her."

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Looking like a hurt child, Akane visibly flinched as the attention of the conversation was brought to her, face meek and sweaty.

"I-I can walk!" Akane cried desperately. "I'll keep… don't worry about me."

.

"We had no intention of doing that." Kaya said, voice dripping with contempt, before turning to Aisha. "Why did you save her?"

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"I was thinking I might burn a slave mark on her." Aisha said casually, half-joking, half-serious. "I think she will be useful to me."

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"Fair enough." Kaya nodded, catching a strange look from Liberta out of the corner of her eye. "Liberta?"

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"Let's get out of here first." The elf whispered.

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Kaya raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless let it go, as she started to walk towards the expedition in the distance, letting Liberta rest her weight on her shoulder.

.

.

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"They're slowing down." Aisha mumbled. "Why now? We're so close."

"We're out of Elith territory."

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Aisha turned to face the nameless next to her, the same young man that she had seen the fate of an unfortunate injury. But despite the grisly state he was in, she noted a distinct hope in that sullen, weathered face.

.

"You look like you're in good spirits." Aisha noted.

"It's because this expedition has been a success." The nameless breathed out, too tired to even smile, but a clear relaxation in his posture, chest relaxed and arms swinging.

.

Looking back at the pile of at least two dozen corpses, Aisha followed the path that they had walked and grimaced, seeing a line of collapsed nameless. Some were simply too tired and could not walk anymore, their legs physically unable to move anymore. Some had bled out and died on the spot, their bodies carefully tread over by the others.

And others had simply lost hope, choosing to collapse onto the ash, letting the blackened soot of the wastes be their final resting place.

.

"How can you call this a success?" Aisha mumbled. "We walked for a day, half of you died, and now we're just walking back like a bunch of cowards."

"The purpose of the expeditions is to chart new territory." The young man explained. "We have done that, and we are to return with half of our forces? The expedition has never seen such a success before."

.

"Are you serious."

"Thank you." The soldier breathed out. "Without the help of you adventurers… we might have lost the expedition leader, or one of our mages, and wouldn't be able to make it back."

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Aisha just stared strangely at the man, prompted by the genuine words of appreciation. It was a strange thing to hear out of the soldiers, especially since they were also so grim and sullen, conversing with Aisha and her party when absolutely necessary.

.

It seemed that his happiness was genuine.

.

"What's your name?" Aisha asked softly, before frowning. "Oh. Wait."

"No, no." The soldier laughed. "We have names, nameless is just a title. My name is Byron."

"Why do they call you that?" Aisha asked.

.

"It's symbolic." Byron explained. "To be a member of the expedition is to cast aside what makes you an individual. To give up your own name, you become part of something greater. Your purpose is not to serve yourself, but the greater good of humanity. I think it is a noble purpose."

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The nameless finished his explanation with a shining look, but it was his turn to look confused when he looked back at Aisha, only to see a sad, wistful look on the adventurer's face.

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"You remind me of someone I once knew." Aisha whispered.

"What does that mean?"

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Before Aisha could answer, a screech tore through the air, inhuman and high-pitched. It sounded less like the cry of a monster, and more like the cry of some kind of bird, which -

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"The wyverns!"

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Aisha suddenly, all at once remembered the creatures that had been circling them since the beginning of the expedition. And she was helpless to watch as one of the massive, building sized beasts crashed down onto a group of wounded nameless, fangs sharp and dripping with spittle.

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The wounded soldiers stood no chance. Aisha was forced to watch as they were literally torn apart, their bodies too weak to even scream out as they were pierced through dragged into the air or eaten on the spot. Either way, though, the fate of the young men and women were the same. 

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"Get close!" Aisha shouted to Kaya and Liberta, just a few meters away.

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"You'll be fine." Byron mumbled. "You're strong. They can tell. But the others…"

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It seemed like Byron was right. The wyverns didn't so much as look at Aisha, and it looked like Kaya was able to stop them from marking Liberta as prey. Perhaps it was the intensity of their mana? Or perhaps the confidence and speed of their steps? Regardless, though, it was still a harrowing sight - seeing the rest of the injured expedition get picked off slowly, one by one.

.

"They left them here to die." Aisha whispered.

"Not necessarily." Byron shook his head. "They had a chance."

"Did they?"

.

"With you here… yeah. A little."

"..."

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Could she have saved all of them? Was there even a point?

.

"Whatever." Aisha mumbled. "Keep moving, right?"

"Yeah."

.

She didn't owe anything to these people. They acted purely out of self interest, and it just so happened that helping her also helped them. But still, if she could have saved all of them, she would have. And because of that, not being able to left a pit in her stomach.

.

"HELP!" A shrill voice shrieked, and Aisha sighed for what felt like the 1000th time as she slowly swiveled her head to gaze disappointedly at Akane, one hand gripping her side, and the other gripping her long katana. The woman was being flanked by two wyverns, one on each side, and while she was surprisingly agile for someone with a giant hole in their chest, her steps grew even more unsteady and uneven with every movement.

.

Aisha ran off in her direction, but stopped when she heard a shouting from behind her.

.

"WAIT!" Byron shouted frantically. "COME BACK! IN THE DISTANCE! KILL IT, KILL IT!"

"Just run towards me!" Aisha shouted back. "I'll deal with everything in time!"

.

"NO! IT'S NOT A WYVERN!" The young man shrieked, his voice fraught with a genuine, terrified panic. "KILL IT, BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!"

.

Aisha frowned as she turned, her attention split, and frowned as she saw a human silhouette break through the ambient fog, figure blurry.

.

"It's just one of us!" Aisha shouted, growing annoyed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

.

Akane's shrieks grew louder in volume behind her, and Aisha just groaned in exasperation. She wanted to just get this over with and sit down, she had no time for-

.

"ADVENTURER!" A voice that was neither Byron, nor Akane's, shrieked in that same panicked tone. "KILL THE HUMAN! QUICK! GO! NOW! KILL IT!"

.

Aisha frowned, but alarm bells were set off in her head when she saw the expedition leader, of all people, flanked by the rest of the company sprinting desperately through the ash, towards the misty figure.

.

"Didn't you leave..?" Aisha mumbled, now just standing completely still, confused.

.

"FIRE! FIRE! KILL IT!" The expedition leader shouted, using his full yelling voice as he gestured frantically towards the mist. "NOW!"

.

And a rain of crossbow bolts flew through the air, flying through the mist, some sinking harmlessly into the ash, and others seemingly hitting the human figure, although it was difficult to tell with the mist obscuring it from view.

.

And after a few volleys, the figure dissipated, the silhouette fading back into the mist, although the sounds of yelling and shouting only grew louder and louder.

.

"RUN!" The expedition leader shrieked. "YOU ARE ALL RELEASED FROM YOUR DUTY TO THE MARCH! LIVE!"

.

And instantly, the nameless began to panic, some sprinting away as fast as they could, others just falling to their knees, trying their best to comfort themselves, or others.

.

Aisha just stood, confused, as Kaya and Liberta began to slowly limp their way over to her, but someone made it to her first.

.

"Take it!" The expedition leader shouted suddenly, clammy hands pressing a map desperately into Aisha's open palms. "You- you might be able to live - Put it somewhere safe! You have to! For the sake of all the soldiers here - you have to - your indecision - this is your burden no-"

.

Aisha watched, with horror, as the stern, duty-bound captain, who had easily been able to lead himself into death facefirst, begged Aisha to carry the sheet of paper. But before she could even say no, the leader's body crumpled to the ground.

.

Aisha turned slowly as the mist began to dissipate before her, seeing first, the misty silhouette appear once more in the distance, and secondly, the remnants of the spell that had pierced cleanly and accurately through the expedition leader's chest.

.

The spell.

.

And as more silhouettes appeared in the mist, the ones closest to her began to de-obscure, and Aisha was suddenly made aware of the threat that was so terrifying, that even the monsters respected them.

.

500 humans stood in the mist, each dressed head-to-toe in dirty, mismatched clothing, stained with blood, ichor, of all different colors. The gear, from what had to be thousands of slain enemies, sat on top of each head, arcane beads and jewelry gleaming sinisterly in the moonlight. Weapons of all kinds were littered throughout the ranks, and Aisha recognized some of them as the same that belonged to the nameless.

.

What happened next could only be described as chaos. All at one, it felt like a thousand spells had been slung at her, the sounds of burning air, superheated plasma, deafening the yelling and screaming of nameless.

.

Aisha was instantly ready to fight, dark power rising up in her once more, but gasped as a plasma beam jerked sideways into the air, cleaving through her armor and taking a chunk out of her body.

.

"RUN!" She screamed, at nobody in particular - in the back of her head, a part of her recognized that Liberta was in danger, that Kaya couldn't carry her - but in the storm of arcane fire, Aisha could barely even find her own footing.

.

It was more important that she get to safety first. Then-

.

(You're just going to run? AGAIN?)

.

Aisha tripped as her foot got caught on something soft - the body of something, she couldn't tell, but it forced her to her knees, forcing her to stop, for just the smallest second.

.

(FOR WHAT PURPOSE HAVE YOU STOLEN ALL THIS POWER?) Aiyu shrieked in her head. (SO YOU CAN RUN AWAY WHEN THINGS GET HARD, AGAIN!?)

.

(You don't need to tell me!) Aisha snarled.

.

Aisha's body burned. With shame, most of all, the burning of knowing, that for even a split second, she had considered abandoning the people close to her. A burning so intense that it overshadowed the fire leaking out of her mouth, the lava dripping out of her chest. The burning in her eyes, in her hands, as they began to change into a form that would allow her to face the enemy.

.

The burning pride of the old dragon welled up in her chest, and a new strength began to surface in her body. One that wasn't borne out of any selfish desire or anger, but out of a righteous desperation, for the sake of someone else, for once.

.

Aisha raised her hands, palms outstretched, and took a deep breath.

.

.

.

"Please don't leave me!" Liberta begged, tears streaming down her face as the grip on her shoulder tightened. "I- I'm scared, please, I don't- *hic- don't - I-"

.

The sounds of spellfire were deafening, but even still, Kaya attempted to pick out the sounds of the battlefield, trying her best to think, to plan. Her eyes flit across the battlefield in an overdrive, unable to come even close to Aisha's ability to observe, but still, she was able to pick up a few key sights.

.

The nameless were dead, not a single one left. The humans had engaged the wyverns in battle - which was good, pulling attention away from them. Akane, somehow, was still alive, facedown on the ground, whether from exertion or because she was playing dead, it was unclear, but also unimportant.

.

(Where's Aisha?) She thought desperately. (Where is she?)

"Don't worry!" Kaya shouted, grimacing as she threw both of their weights to the side, the plasma line just barely missing her chest. "I'll get us out of this!"

"Kaya, I'm-" Liberta choked. "I can't go on. I already accepted - There's no more tu-"

.

"Shut up!" Kaya shouted. "I'm thinking!"

"I wish Aisha was here." Liberta whispered. "I wish I… I never knew, how much-"

.

Kaya felt Liberta's feet begin to slow in the sand, and snarled, a fierce grimace overcoming her features. She didn't want to leave her. Genuinely, she didn't.

.

But if she had to-

.

The sound of burning electricity and static suddenly cut through the battlefield like a thunderclap, high-pitched and sudden. Kaya jolted in surprise at the loud noise - eyes wide as she turned to face the sound.

.

"I-Is that…?"

.

A massive, green barrier, spanning almost an entire building in length, stood tall in the battlefield, spells and crossbow bolts crashing against the shield and disintegrating back into the dust that they came from. Pulsing red energy surged into the barrier as it crackled with electricity - a distinct noise that wasn't arcane, but-

.

"Machina?" Kaya mumbled, before raising her voice. "Aisha-"

.

"GO!" Aisha shrieked, her voice harsh, metallic almost, as if coming out of a blown speaker. "NOW!"

.

Kaya simply grabbed Liberta and sprinted away. No chance she would waste even a second of the time that Aisha had bought for them - to no direction in particular but AWAY.

.

And as their figures became small little blots in the distance, Aisha relaxed, letting the shield decrease in size a little bit as her arms shook with exertion. The shock of her power only stunned the humans for a little bit, and even now, a few were beginning to run sideways, to the sides where Aisha was vulnerable.

.

But it was fine. That meant their attention was now on her. Liberta and Kaya were safe. Now, all that was left was to find a way to escape.

.

"COME AND GET IT!" Aisha screamed, a draconic, inhuman roar escaping her chest as pride welled up inside of her. "ALL OF YOU!"

.

And before the green light even dissipated, Aisha was already tearing through the human clan, teeth and claws digging through flesh, through leather, metal, scale, and magic. It was all like water underneath her fingertips, and all she needed to do was swim.

.

The souls of the humans were like candy, each a different kind of sweetness to the senses. She drank them all in, absorbing their knowledge like a rush - just as fast as the plasma pierced her organs, as the blades split her skin - it mended just as fast, closing up like it had never been split.

.

It had been so long since she had gone on a proper rampage. It felt amazing. She could feel the sensation of pain slipping away, the weight of restraint, her sense of self -

.

Until, suddenly, it stopped.

.

Panting, hands and mouth dripping with blood, Aisha recognized suddenly that there was no fire coming her way. There was no flesh underneath her claws, or arrows sinking into her back.

.

The humans had scattered, running away from her. Aisha frowned, feeling a bit of satisfaction, but also confusion. It felt a little too soon for the humans to be so afraid of her. The yelling around her sounded more… urgent, then scared. What was going on?

.

And when the adrenaline wore off a bit, Aisha was suddenly hit with the immense pain of the hundreds of wounds in her body.

.

Crumpling to the ground, Aisha was suddenly made aware of the bleeding that covered her body like a full cloak, staining her skin red. She was trembling.

.

Or, no.

.

It wasn't her that was trembling, but the ground.

.

.

"You have to be kidding me." Aisha whispered.

.

Even the voices that had plagued her, the entire time she had been in the wastes, grew silent.

.

This time, there was only a single silhouette that darkened the mist. But unlike the humans, who had appeared out of the mist, suddenly, the entire battlefield was made visible, a clear view suddenly appeared in front of the moon, before it was quickly blocked, a massive shadow cast onto the entire battlefield as the shouting around her grew even more frantic.

.

A roar split the sky, and the ash and smoke around her was blown away in an instant, scattering as Aisha's hearing was instantly shot dead, replaced by a painful sensation and a quiet ringing.

.

She looked the skyscraper-sized monster in the face and felt true terror, watching as it reached down, smashing a group of at least 50 humans in an instant. The barrier that they had constructed, looking more solid than even Aisha's own, disappeared, not even like a smashed pane of glass, but like a pile of dust, blown away before the impact could even land, as if the mana in the air was terrified of the monster that appeared before it.

.

Aisha could only watch, as the beast reared its head back, the air distorting as it began to gather up energy in its mouth. And for a split second, it felt like daytime.

.

But Aisha only felt fear.