Clash

As the battle raged on, Glazilda’s furious gaze fixed on Vera, her determination palpable. “You think you can stand against me? I will end this now!” she shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Vera felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but the pain from her wound began to dull her senses. “Zach! Max!” she called out, her voice strained as she tried to stay focused on Glazilda, who was charging toward her.

Just as the cruel blade of Glazilda’s knife aimed for her heart, Zach surged forward, tackling Glazilda to the ground. “Not while I’m here!” he roared, pinning her down with all his weight.

Glazilda writhed beneath him, rage filling her eyes. “You’ll regret this, Zach! She’s weak, a liability to your throne!”

Vera’s heart raced as she watched the struggle unfold. “Zach! Be careful!” she yelled, feeling the effects of the poison coursing through her body.

In a split second, Glazilda managed to twist free, her knife slashing across Zach’s arm, leaving a deep gash. He grimaced but didn’t falter. “You won’t take her from us!” he declared, determination lacing his words as he pressed forward once more.

Max fought alongside Zach, his sword clashing against Glazilda’s blade. “You won’t harm her again!” he shouted, fury fueling his every move. But as they fought, he caught a glimpse of Vera, who was struggling to stay upright, her expression filled with pain and desperation.

“Vera!” Max shouted, instinctively reaching for her. In that moment of distraction, Glazilda lunged for Vera again, her knife poised for the kill.

“Vera!” Max cried out, but it was too late. Glazilda’s knife grazed Vera’s side, and she stumbled back, gasping as the world around her blurred. The insignia around her neck flickered, losing its glow as she lost her balance, collapsing to the ground.

“No!” Zach yelled, his voice filled with horror as he rushed toward Vera, anger flooding his senses. He scooped her up in his arms, cradling her against his chest. “Stay with me, Vera! Please!”

Max, consumed by rage, turned his focus back to Glazilda, his heart pounding with a wild mix of fear and fury. “What have you done?” he seethed, his grip tightening on his sword. “You will pay for this!”

Glazilda smirked, brushing herself off with a wicked laugh. “Your sister was weak. She was destined to fall. You’ll see the truth soon enough, Max!”

Max’s blood boiled at the realization, the weight of her words crashing down on him like a tidal wave. “Sister?” he whispered, confusion and fury mingling in his heart. “You’re lying!”

“Am I?” Glazilda taunted, her eyes gleaming with malice. “She’s nothing but a traitor to your tribe, Max. You would choose her over your own people?”

At that moment, a surge of instinct overtook Max. The truth of Glazilda’s words ignited a dangerous spark within him. “You’re wrong!” he shouted, his voice a mixture of defiance and despair. “I will not let you hurt her again!”

Zach looked up at Max, desperation etched across his face as he held Vera close. “We need to get her out of here! She’s losing too much blood!”

But Max was already advancing on Glazilda, rage blinding him to everything but the woman who had almost killed Vera. “You will pay for this!” he growled, raising his sword.

Glazilda laughed, an unsettling sound that sent chills down Max’s spine. “Come on, Max! Show me what you’ve got!”

With a primal roar, Max lunged at Glazilda, his sword aiming straight for her heart. She dodged, but the blade grazed her shoulder, and she stumbled back, shock flashing across her face.

“You think you can defeat me?” she spat, fury igniting her features. “You’re just as weak as she is!”

In a split second, Max’s gaze flickered back to Vera, who lay motionless in Zach’s arms. Panic surged through him. “No!” he screamed, redirecting his focus back to Glazilda, whose knife gleamed with bloodlust. “I will end this!”

But before he could strike again, Glazilda lunged at Vera, her blade poised for another attack. Zach pushed Vera out of the way just in time, but he was caught off guard as Glazilda’s knife sliced through the air, barely missing him.

“Zach!” Max shouted, his voice strained with urgency.

Zach gritted his teeth, struggling to keep Vera secure. “Get her to safety!” he shouted, his protective instincts kicking in as he shielded her from Glazilda.

Max took advantage of the distraction and charged at Glazilda once more, rage coursing through his veins. “You’ll regret ever crossing us!” he yelled, determination igniting within him.

Their blades clashed again, the sound of metal ringing through the chaos. The fight intensified, and Max felt his heart racing as he fought with everything he had. Each clash of their swords echoed with the weight of his emotions—fear, anger, and an overwhelming need to protect Vera.

But just as he gained the upper hand, Glazilda twisted away, using her agility to evade his strikes. “You’re fighting for a lost cause, Max!” she taunted, her voice laced with mockery.

Max growled, swinging his sword with all his might. “I’ll never abandon her!” he shouted, his fury pushing him forward.

With a final, desperate strike, Max disarmed Glazilda, sending her knife clattering to the ground. She stumbled back, panic creeping into her expression. “You think this is over?” she spat, her eyes wild with rage.

Before he could respond, a loud horn sounded again, echoing through the courtyard, and the tide of battle began to shift. The warriors from Max’s tribe rushed forward, joining the fray with renewed vigor.

“Finish this!” one of the warriors shouted, rallying around Max as they closed in on Glazilda.

But in that moment of chaos, Vera’s voice broke through, soft and strained. “Max…” she whispered, her eyes fluttering open for a brief moment.

His heart dropped at the sight of her pale face, her body trembling with pain. “Vera! No!” he cried out, the urgency of her condition overwhelming him.

“Please,” she murmured, her voice barely audible. “Don’t… don’t let her win.”

Max’s breath caught in his throat as he turned back to Glazilda, fury bubbling within him. “You’ll pay for this,” he growled, gripping his sword tightly.

Before he could react, Glazilda attempted to escape, but Max intercepted her with a fierce determination. “You will never harm her again!”

With a swift motion, he lunged forward, the blade of his sword aiming for her heart. But as he struck, a deep, anguished scream filled the air.

“Max, stop!” Zach yelled, but it was too late. Glazilda’s eyes widened in shock as the blade pierced her, the light fading from her eyes.

Max stood frozen, the weight of what he had done crashing down on him. “What have I done?” he whispered, the horror of his actions enveloping him.

As Glazilda fell to the ground, her life extinguished, Max’s gaze shifted back to Vera, who lay unconscious in Zach’s arms. The battle continued to rage around them, but all that mattered now was her safety.

“Vera!” Max shouted, rushing to her side. He knelt beside her, panic flooding his senses as he cradled her face in his hands. “Please, wake up!”

Zach looked up at Max, his expression filled with concern. “We need to get her out of here, now!”

But as they tried to move her, Vera’s body grew limp, her breath shallow and uneven. Max’s heart raced with dread. “Please, Vera, stay with us!” he pleaded, desperation choking his voice.

Just as they began to lift her, the insignia around her neck pulsed once more, its glow intensifying. A soft warmth enveloped them, and Vera stirred slightly, her eyes flickering open for a brief moment.

“Max?” she whispered, her voice weak but filled with love.

“I’m here, Vera,” he replied, fighting back tears. “I’m here.”

And as the chaos around them faded into the background, Max knew that the fight was far from over. With the truth hanging heavy in the air and danger still lurking in the shadows, they would have to face whatever came next together.