Chapter 44: Retaliation

She laughed because screaming would let him win.

She moved if only to satisfy the urge to run, hide, and be alone in a place where she could cry.

Grief was an interesting thing.

Xiathia smashed the cage door with her sword, tearing away a monster’s head as it latched to her arm. With a glance towards the battle raging beside them she chucked the squishy blob at the distant wall of water.

An arrow carved through the monster behind her.

She smashed her fist through its chest, cutting its friend's legs away with a downward sweep, cutting up to split the creature in two.

“Darling could you get me down please? I don’t quite have the leg strength you do.”

A gentle smile eased her mind as she cut Hemertalia down, offering her sword for her to hold while she regained her footing. The shorter woman looked at her a moment before whirling to destroy three more monsters creeping up to the cage in a single twang of her bow.