With each jab he throws, I dodge or deflect with ease as I analyze his attack patterns. He is not very good, and clearly hasn't worked to increase his stamina because his hits become sloppier.
Shortly after, I see the start of one of his repeated patterns, which allows me to time a swing of my tail at his head. I strike one of his eyes. The move stuns him briefly, giving me time to kick his leg out and slam my claws into his newly exposed throat.
He stumbles back and falls to the ground, his spear falling away. The traitor looks up with fearful eyes. He goes to get up, but I knock him back down.
"Wait. Stop, brother." he pleads.
I will hear none of it. "You are no brother of mine, you inferior piece of excrement," I growl.
I let out a huff of breath as I move to finish it. Kira's speech habits are clearly invading my mind.
In a desperate last effort, the traitor extends his wrist blades and swipes at me.
I take a light blow to my chest, and then move out of the way. It only takes me a moment to transfer his abandoned spear from my tail to an arm so I can drive it through a gap in his armor through his heart.
His body jerks and spasms as I pull the spear back out. Ready to face whichever new opponent has entered the fray.
When I catch another whiff of floxis blood, I know the rest have heard us, but it still takes considerable willpower to follow our plan and not let the rage pumping through me goad me into charging at them.
I have more than myself to think of, and Ree's plan is a good one, as loathe as I am to admit it.
Instead of bellowing out my challenge, I take the time to strip the traitor of wrist knives and the plate of armor over his stomach. It is far too small, but at least it will be some form of protection.
I get it buckled on loosely, then grab the spear, activate the button that makes it retract into a smaller baton, and then click it into place in the slot made to hold it on the belly plate.
The ill-fitting straps chafe my tender underbelly as I run back toward Kira, but I ignore it. When I get to her, she has a hunkof pink hair in her hand, ready to release strands of it as I run toward the hot springs.
"You were fucking amazing," she tells me in Manticorid, and my spines quiver in pleasure at the compliment.
I rumble my appreciation as she clambers up my back, her weapons thumping against my hide. "Your shots were as unerring as always, little one."
She's grumbling some nonsense about size obsession and overcompensation as I pick up speed.
52
Kira
I'm still replaying Drasuk's ferocity through my mind as we gallop through the forest, making sure I periodically let go of a few strands of my hair. Not too many, or it might be suspicious. Just enough to make them think they are the ones hunting right now.
I had almost forgotten how satisfying it is to rely on another person. Hell, to rely on a whole group and play your role so they can play their own. He did most of the work back there, but we would have been dead without my cover fire.
If those were the easy kills, then I know for a fact that we won't have a chance of surviving the rest without the help of Ree and Thivoll.
It's like having my squad back.
That thought sends a pang of panic through me and I let a larger chunk of my hair go than planned in my moment of distraction.My heart is pounding as I push that thought to the back of my mind as violently as possible.
Fuck no. The loss of them broke me. How could I even be thinking about having another one? I can't take that sort of pain ever again.
Never.
A slow breath in as I cling to Drasuk leaves me the mental space to remind myself that this is a situation where we can't win alone. I've already tied myself to Drasuk, and let's face it, Ree has so much empathy and charisma you can't help but attach yourself to her within a few minutes in her presence.
It's too late. I can't avoid the hurt now. All I can do is fight until my last breath to protect them.
Every single hunter must fucking die.
I let out anoorah, then go back to my job of leaving a bubblegum hair scent trail.
