"Way up there?" she asks, pointing toward the vines. "Seriously? How high do you think we'll get using those?"
"I'll get higher than you can manage on your own two squishy feet," I retort, a barb creeping into my voice.
Before she can retort, I surge forward, falling on all fours as I propel myself toward the tree. After a burst of power to launch me up as high as possible, I scramble up the trunk, using the thick vines for purchase.
I reach the topmost branches in mere moments, the dense foliage offering a decent amount of cover. I peer down at Kira, who's struggling to get a foothold on the lower vines, her height working to her disadvantage.
With a sigh, I climb back down a bit before extending the length of my prehensile tail toward her.
"Grab on, little human," I rumble, sure to include enough of implied insult in my tone to get her riled.
She hesitates for a moment, then grits her teeth and reaches out, grasping the rough spines of my tail with both hands. With a grunt, I haul her up, bumping her along the tree as she curses quietly before hoisting her onto the same branch I was on before.
She lands with a huff, glaring at me but not bothering to voice a complaint.
We crouch low amongst the leaves, waiting, then we both tense and make our breath shallow when there is a crack of a stick breaking.
The rustling of the approaching creatures grows steadily louder as we wait. Soon after, I can see glimpses of the pack through the gaps in the foliage. There are at least five of them, each one just as menacing as the creature I fought earlier.
Their dark fur glistens in the sunlight, and their swirling eyes scan the forest floor with predatory hunger. They move with a chilling grace, their movements silent and deadly. Kira lets out a shaky breath beside me.
"Any bright ideas?" she whispers, her voice barely audible.
I rumble back a negative, a grim feeling settling in my gut. We're outnumbered, possibly unmatched, and with nowhere to run.
This might be the end of it for both of us.
Still, as I look into Kira's eyes, blazing with a mixture of fear and defiance, a spark of determination ignites within me. I may not be able to guarantee her safety, but if I fail, it won't be because I ran.
A Maj'Ra fights until death, and I can see the same fervor reflected in her pink-eyed gaze, a mirror of my aggression and determination, albeit in a diminutive package.
Nonetheless, both of us err on the side of caution, remaining still and hoping the group will simply move on to other prey.
Instead, they lower their dripping maws to the ground, and move closer, one of them already following the line of our movement toward the tree.
We glance over at each other, both asking a question and offering a response, then she breaks out into a gleeful grin that's reflected in my spines.
Squeezing her waist with my tail, I let out a low growl, a sound that echoes through the trees. The pack stops, their attention drawn to our hiding place.
A tense silence hangs in the air, broken only by the ragged gasps of Kira's breaths. Then, with a guttural roar, the lead creature charges toward the tree, its glowing eyes fixed on us. The others follow suit, a wave of black fur.
I clench my jaw, adrenaline surging through my veins. This is it.
We fight.
For survival. For the sheer perversity of not going down without a struggle.
A feral snarl stretches across my face and my spines shiver. For the first time since arriving on this strange planet, a thrill of anticipation courses through me that reminds me of my days as a hunter.
We both need the other to make it through, and it feels good. Just like any Maj'Ra should feel knowing another Ra will throw themselves into danger until it has passed.
A pleased rumble starts in my chest until it shakes the branch we are on. Kira lets out a long, triumphantoorahsound a moment later.
It's strange, but the sentiment is the same.
We are in accord.
There are very few things that can compare to the ecstasy of a good fight, and who would I be to say no now that the predators in this place are deciding to make things more interesting?
