Mist covered the streets as the four come up to the last junction near the western exit of the town. The roads now unpaved solid dirt. Very similar to the road of the eastern entry where the hills were. Although this time the grass and brushes around the western exit were thicker and healthier. They were heading to more fertile lands.
The distances between each house started to increase, and the houses themselves started to appear more rustic in nature.
This looks to be the area where most of the town’s farming and husbandry happens.
Sporadic groups of rebels were circling the areas near the last junction. They didn’t act in a manner that resembled “patrolling”, but Maya was not about to try and find out.
The white-haired woman veered left off the road that they were on.
“That’s not the road,” Maya states.
“I’m not following the road.”
She walked for a few more paces before coming up to a fence and elegantly bounds over it. The taller woman that has been shadowing her did the same. Her height making it look almost clumsy, but so much more effortless.
Nikolai holds out his hand as Maya used it to lever herself over. The weird feeling of having her entire body lifted up by one hand entering her stomach and making her having to focus on her landing.
Very much like the others. Effortless.
The dark of the early morning made it slightly difficult to navigate her footing. Almost every second loose rock under her feet making her question her stability. But she took solace in knowing that it won’t be as easy to be spotted in an open field under the cover of the dark - if anyone was looking for them.
Maya did not understand how the woman knew which way to go.
The pattern was almost always the same:
She inhales.
Turns.
And then moves.
Not guessing.
Hunting.
And that unsettled Maya more than the alley did.
A few more paces in before the four naturally fell into a formation - the taller woman slightly trailing behind the white-haired girl and flanking to the right. While Maya did the same to the left, with Nikolai to her left.
That small feeling of irritation began to coil in Maya again. This time from the fact that for the first time in a few days, she felt safer.
Around an hour passes before daylight broke. Its rays shooting through the mist that still lingered, albeit lower.
The group had walked for miles into the plains. Level footing a nice change from the hills that they had all endured yesterday.
Level footing, until the ground started feeling different for Maya as they came to a forest clearing that laid in front of them.
Physically, nothing had changed. The ground was still the same level of solid under the layer of grass and random bushes. But Maya could feel the energy shifting under her feet. Strange ripples that mimicked the ones that she felt in the air in the distance during their time at the inn.
The white-haired girl didn’t feel it the same way that she did, but it was obvious that she smelled it instead as her walking pace slowed.
Instinctively, her tall companion picked up her pace instead. Ensuring to stay slightly ahead.
Uneasiness crept into Maya’s stomach as she realised that there was something not right about the situation that they were walking themselves into.
The air felt thicker, the wind had picked up, but the silence felt incorrect.
There were no longer the chirps of the insects, bird calls neither. The light felt muted even though the mist had been pushed away - and the sun had also broken past the horizon so it was meant to be day time too.
The four’s walk come to a stop as they stumble across the carcass of a deer laying at the clearing, not a far walk from the first layer of trees of the forest.
Nikolai remained by her side as the white-haired girl knelt down to inspect the carcass of the deer. Looking down at it with cyan eyes that scanned the remains with burning intensity.
Like clockwork, her companion stops just a couple of steps further. Her left hand now on the sheath of her katana as her head scans the surrounding area in front of them.
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The remains of the deer laid on its side.
Not torn, neither eaten.
But a bite mark exposes its ribs to the air as faint blue ripples radiated where the wound was.
The kneeling woman hovers a hand over the wound. Inspecting the radiating signature before putting her hand to her face.
She didn’t explain what she smelled, but her jaw tightens.
It was enough to start Maya’s pulse to quicken. But she forced it down.
Remaining calm was the best option for her right now.
A shuffle of boots in front of them diverts their attention to the tall woman that had taken point.
She had gotten into her battle-ready stance. Her other hand this time clasped over the hilt of her blade, at the ready.
The three of them looking at her before looking at what she had her eyes on.
A direwolf had emerged from the forest. But its appearance far from what it used to resemble - its fur all frayed with small patches of electricity-like blue energy sporadically sparking all over it. Its eyes seemingly flickering with also the colour blue, and its chest cavity bare and hollow, dark blue light emitting from the area from something that seemed to resemble a chipped away orb around the size of a hand.
It takes another step before slinking to the ground.
The direwolf’s mouth opens, baring its fangs to its four targets in front of it.
Still low to the ground, coming closer.
And closer.
Every few steps, its overgrown claws would spark as it brushes against rocks in its stride. Crackling sounds audible as the blue energy around it pulsates and flashes. Electricity-like, but not electric.
Three distinctive sounds of blades being drawn from its sheathe rings out as Maya takes a step back and throws her hands down to her side.
Every step the creature makes takes it closer to the four.
Low to the ground, and predatory.
Maya’s hands erupt with energy - like flames - flowing around her arms and up to near the point of her elbow. Clear.
Immediately the creature snarls before letting out a roar - or what the four were anticipating if it had been a direwolf caught out in the wild.
But this was barely any longer a direwolf.
A piercing screech escaped its mouth instead. A piercing screech that stuttered near its end.
It tilts its head the moment it finishes its screech, before the energy sparks around its fur emit a short ripple of blue light and the pressure behind Maya’s eyes tighten.
In a split moment it had blinked out of existence.
And reappearing into existence again mid-ground. Stealing half the distance that had stood between them.
Maya’s mind had barely taken in what she just saw before another short burst of energy sparks around its body and the same sensation appeared behind her eyes.
It flickers out of existence again. Only this time re-appearing mid-lunge just a few paces away, targeted at her.
But Nikolai had moved first - his blade intercepting its trajectory. And just slightly off-sync by less than a breath, the white-haired girl cuts in from the opposite side. Both staggered strikes of the blade unnaturally twisting the creature mid-air.
It lands horribly.
The lower half of the creature had its hind legs pointing the complete opposite direction of where it’s naturally meant to be.
A stutter of vision.
No.
A physical stutter of where the creature laid as multiple crackling sounds could be heard during its momentary seizure on the ground.
Maya blinks once.
And the creature had right itself. Four oversized paws firmly planted on the ground.
Two deep gashes - one on opposing sides of its body - marked the precision of their strikes. Unnatural dark red - almost black - blood oozing out of the wounds, but not at the rate that it should.
Destructive High Magick Art, Raze Incantation No. 20 - just like she did during her escape from the capital - except this time Maya stamps a foot on the ground as she ushers energy from her foot into her palms.
The aura around her arms increased in intensity.
In one smooth motion, she leans forward and pushes both fists in front of her like a double-fisted punch.
A crack in the air as the creature gets thrown backwards, but still remaining upright.
It slid backwards with its claws digging into the ground as sparks like flint being struck trailed beneath it.
Maya drops one hand to her side again. Reminiscent of what she did at the bridge before she struck at the white-haired girl and her accomplice - who she has now been led by since the night before.
Destructive High Magick Art, Raze Incantation No. 15: Dragon’s Bane - only this time, the aura around her arms were of a different aura tone.
Crimson.
A momentarily lapse of concentration led to a feeling of her chest tightening and her breathing turning irregular. Subtle, but it was enough to send her thoughts spiralling into feelings of guilt, sorrow, and demise.
Maya stopped in the middle of her incantation as crimson aura engulfs her entire body, before radiating outwards beyond her intended radius. Throwing loose soil and grass into the air around her.
Her entire eyes glow a tone of light blue.
She forced a swipe with her hand for her Dragon’s Bane Raze incantation, but her arm felt like she was trying to move a boulder.
The failed incantation shooting energy missiles flying in multiple directions. Some landing far beyond her target and exploding into flames and energy, while others shot up into the sky and dissipating.
Her aura circle continued to radiate around her, extending.
Maya could feel the rest of her control slipping.
Nikolai notices immediately.
He shifts closer - not touching - but ready.
The intensity of the energy in her aura circle increases in intensity. Breaking the dry top soil and cracking and expulsing the rocks of the layer beneath.
Within an arm’s length away a boot steps into the circle - no hesitation, no flinch - as a hand that is barely the size of hers gently touches her on the forearm.
