Her ferocity mirrors my own, and pride surges through me.
More braceaaer rush at me, and I revel in the challenge.
I leap onto a low-hanging branch and launch myself at them from above. My claws sink into their flesh, and I roar in triumph. The taste of their blood is metallic, mingling with the bioluminescent slime from the earlier fight.
The camp environment works to my advantage. I use the trees and underbrush to my benefit, ambushing them from unexpected angles. My tail whips out, sending two more crashing into a nearby boulder.
Their screams are utterly delightful.
Kira continues to provide cover fire. I see her take down another braceaaer, her expression one of grim satisfaction. Her presence is a steadying force, grounding me even as my bloodlust threatens to consume me.
The fight rages on, but we are relentless. I rip through them with a savage glee, my laughter echoing through the forest. Kira's bullets find their marks, each shot a testament to her skill. The braceaaer begin to falter, their numbers dwindling under our combined assault.
Finally, Kira lands the last shot, dropping the final braceaaer with a clean shot to its small chest. I take a moment to compose myself, letting the savagery wane. My muscles ache, and I feel the sting of multiple wounds, but we won.
Kira gives me a wry smirk, her eyes glinting with triumph and a glimmer of something else. I feel self-conscious under her gaze, the battle hormones still pumping through my veins.
"What is it?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
She looks away, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Nothing," she says, turning to the braceaaer camp. "Let's gather whatever we can from here."
I watch her walk off; my eyes drawn to her oddly enthralling backside.
I rub my face, smacking myself lightly to stave off the embarrassing influx of emotions, then deliver a sharp whack tomy midsection to stop the infuriating swelling. With a resigned sigh, I lumber off to help her gather anything of value.
The acrid stench of flesh and braceaaer innards hangs heavy in the air, a lingering reminder of the brutal fight. Stepping over a mangled corpse, I huff out a breath through my nose.
The camp is a disaster. Scorch marks mar the ground where blasts from where Kira's archaic firearm connected, and the remnants of their crude tents lay in shredded tatters.
"Looks like someone went a little overboard with the decorating," Kira quips, her voice laced with wry humor.
She gestures around at the carnage. "Though, seriously, who divides their enemies into quite so many... pieces?"
I snort. "It is no fault of mine that they're built like overripe fruit. Besides, who wouldn't want to relieve some stress after staring at your perpetually grumpy face for hours?"
She grumbles under her breath, wiping ichor off with her sleeve. My amusement abates a little. Seeing her frustration prickles at me in a way I don't quite understand.
But then, most things about Kira leave me perplexed.
We continue picking through the wreckage. The only sounds are our heavy breathing and the occasional squelch of feet sinking into the gore. My keen eyes scan the debris, searching for anything salvageable. Most of their equipment is collateral damage from our fight, but hopefully there are a couple of weapons I didn't destroy.
Plus, of course, the clips Kira is pulling from the crushed barrels of the others. Many of them intact.
My claws snag on a piece of metal partially buried in the dirt. I pull it free, brushing off the grime to reveal a battered but intact braceaaer gun. It should be a better option for her, since their hands are more similar to humans than a genali.
Relief washes over me.
From the scowl, I'd say she's about to point out my wanton destruction and start threatening me again. Hopefully a better gun is enough to distract her.
Beside me, Kira lets out a frustrated sigh. "I would have liked to gather more," she mutters, kicking a mangled hunk of metal.
"Here is this," I say, tossing the gun toward her. She catches it reflexively, surprise flickering in her eyes.
"Well, well," she says, a smile playing on her lips for the first time since the fight. "I would never say no to this little beauty. Looks like even alizardwith anger management issues can be useful sometimes."
My spikes shift at her tone. "Is that a compliment, human?"
"Don't push your luck, Drasuk," she retorts, but her tone is playful.
