KiAera twirled her spear and swung again, striking a second Ravilash in the face. The Ravilash howled in pain as it stumbled back, clutching its injured eye. It glared at her, its beady eye burning with hatred. "Ravi—"
She dissected it from head to root before the Ravilash could retaliate.
The Ravilash's corpse collapsed into a pile of black particles that KiAera absorbed. She then turned her attention to the two remaining Ravilashes.
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
★ [KiAera's APeX]
Accumulated Particles: 110 Units (Previous) > 119 Units...
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
The two Ravilashes ceased their assault on the Osseods and turned their attention to KiAera. Their mouths gnarled, frightened, and their bodies tensed as they realized the predicament they had been caught in.
The Ravilashes glanced at each other briefly before one of them spoke.
"Ravish! Ravish!" The Ravilashes shouted, their vines flailing in the air. KiAera rushed towards the Ravilashes—weaving their appendages—and kicked one in the face, sending it flying into the forest.
She sprinted forward and slammed her spear into the other Ravilash. "You'll die... know that I'm not going to let you get away with this..." she muttered. The Ravilash screeched as she impaled it, its body writhing in pain.
She yanked her spear free from its form, and the Ravilash collapsed on the ground, its body dissolving into particles.
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
★ Ravilash slain...
Acquired 9.2 Abyss Particles...
★ [KiAera's APeX]
Accumulated Particles: 119 Units > 128 Units...
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
She spun around to find the other Ravilash approaching her, its vines poised to strike.
"Ravish!" The Ravilash screeched.
"Shut it," KiAera commanded as she seized the Ravilash's head, clamping its mouth shut. Clenching her teeth, an unimaginable rage surged through her, a fury she hadn't felt in ages. She lifted it by the head with a resounding crunch within the grasp of her ear's hand.
"It did not have to end this way..." she began. "But I will show no mercy..."
She crushed the Ravilash's head and thorax, killing it instantly. With a growl, she threw its corpse to the side.
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
★ Ravilash slain...
Acquired 10 Abyss Particles...
★ [KiAera's APeX]
Accumulated Particles: 128 Units > 138 Units...
૮(ᓀ‸ᓂ)ა
Her gaze softened as she turned. "You two! Are you okay?" she shouted.
Beta and Nu Osseods' eyes were wide as saucers, their mouths agape. They were trembling as they stared at her. Her approach caused them to cower in fear and back away.
"Huh...?" KiAera felt a wave of sadness wash over her as the Osseods scrambled away from her.
The two Osseods hugged each other, their eyes wide and full of terror. "Osseod... scared of... KiAera?" Nu mumbled.
KiAera's ears drooped as she approached them cautiously. She turned to note Mu Osseod paced close behind her but in a manner that she deemed respectful of her personal space. "No need to be afraid. Tell me. Are you two okay?"
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Beta nodded, but Nu continued to whimper. "Nu... scared... KiAera... strong..."
"I-I'm not going to hurt you..." she said softly as she knelt down. "You're my friends, right?"
Beta and Nu Osseods whimpered as she reached out to them. They shut their eyes tightly, as if expecting to be struck by her.
"Please don't be scared... It's me... KiAera..." she whispered as she pulled them into a hug.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you... I'm here to protect you..." she said, rubbing their backs soothingly.
"KiAera...?" Beta sniffled. "KiAera save Osseod..."
"Osseod safe now... because KiAera save Osseod," Nu sobbed, rubbing its cheeks against KiAera's fur.
"That's right," she replied gently. "You're safe now. I'll always protect you..."
The Osseods cried softly as they clung onto her. "KiAera..."
She held them close to her, trying to comfort them. "Everything will be alright..." she murmured. "I'll always be there for you..."
The Osseods sniffled, their tears subsiding as they snuggled up against her. She ran her fingers through their carapace as she hummed a soothing melody. "It's okay... it's okay..."
The Osseods soon fell asleep, their breathing calm and steady. They lay nestled in her lap as they rested, their bodies relaxed. She watched over them as she sat motionless. She wondered if she had taken away all their happiness by saving them. The thought weighed heavily upon her mind, and she sighed deeply.
Her thoughts trailed to Aria, her sister. She had always been the stronger one, the one who protected everyone.
'I wonder if I can make up for what I did to you, Aria...' she thought. She gazed at the Osseods. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." she whispered.
A tear rolled down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.
She would protect them with all her heart and soul, even if it meant giving her own life in exchange. She would never abandon them, never let them fall into the darkness of despair. She swore to herself that she would do whatever it took to keep them safe.
The Osseods' lives were her responsibility. She had failed once before, but this time she would succeed.
"I promise I'll always be there for you," she whispered softly. "No matter what..."
She stroked their carapace gently, feeling their warmth beneath her fingertips. They were so fragile, yet so strong at the same time.
She glanced at the forest around her and smiled faintly.
The sun was setting, casting a warm glow upon the trees.
"KiAera, Aera! It steals! Crystal, satchel, steal! Steal!" Mu Osseod's cry echoed through the forest. Its stubby leg pointed accusingly at something.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
★ Zeozon Detected!
Faux Nym: None
Creature: Plelepun
◦ Species: [Plelepun]
◦ Sobriquet: "Tunnel Elephant Calf"
◦ Destruction Scale: [Localized]
◦ Evolution Stage: [Fledgling] (F)
◦ Variant Grade: [Uncommon]
◦ Faction: [Neutral]
◦ Attribute Influence: [Terra]
Accumulated Particles (APeX): [393 Units]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera's head swiveled, and she saw it. The peeking head of a creature resembling an elephant calf, but with sigils etched onto its earthly skin.
Its trunk snaked out, swiftly seizing KiAera's satchel filled with light-blue crystals. And before disappearing into the earth, it shot back, "Yo! You're such a snitch!"
With a mischievous gleam in its eye, the thief vanished, leaving KiAera empty-handed and Mu Osseod fuming.
Gone, just like that.
"A thief..." she mumbled as she watched the earth swallow the thief whole.
A faint smile spread across her face as she stared at the spot where the thief had disappeared. She couldn't help but feel slightly amused by the situation.
It had been so long since she'd encountered something so unexpected, so refreshing. It almost made her forget about all her worries and troubles.
"Perhaps if the Plelepun was smarter it'd know that we're good at foraging those tasty and scrumptious crystals." She purposefully remarked aloud, knowing full well that the thief might hear her.
"I mean, it's not like it can't get crystal from anywhere, right? The fact that it has to resort to stealing makes it pretty foolish, if you ask me."
There was a moment of silence, then the earth parted.
The thief's head emerged from the ground; its brows raised in surprise. "Dumb?" It asked. "Yo? You're calling me dumb?"
"Yo! That's absurd!" It flicked its trunk.
KiAera shrugged. "If the shoe fits..."
The Plelepun glared at her. "Yo, hey, wait a minute! Calling me dumb? That's just silly! I mean, the audacity! And, um, just so you know, Plelepuns are actually really smart, like, super smart! It's all about our amazing memory and, um, our complex social structures. So, um, yeah, calling me dumb is just... ridiculous!" It concluded with a curl of its trunk.
KiAera laughed. "Okay, okay, I was kidding. Anyway, why are you stealing my satchel?"
The Plelepun huffed. "Yo! That's none of your business! I found it first, so I'm keeping it, yo! It's mine! Mine, I say!" Its head was almost her current form's size. And emerging further from where it was burrowed, the Plelepun appeared larger in its attempt to intimidate her.
Despite its efforts, KiAera noticed the "formidable" creature's quivering limbs. Its knees knocking together as if it was about to collapse at any moment. She didn't want to provoke it. It looked cute, after all. Then again, if it chose to, it could easily crush KiAera under its feet without breaking a sweat.
KiAera cleared her throat. "Listen, I don't want any trouble. How about we work together? You give me my satchel back, and we can split whatever's inside equally between us? It seems fair, right?"
The Plelepun shook its head vigorously, its large ears flopping back and forth. "Yo! No way! That sounds stupid! Why would I share with some stranger? Besides, you're probably lying, anyway! You probably just want to trick me into giving you all the crystals!"
KiAera frowned. "Hey now, that's not true. I'm being completely honest with you. I really do want to share the crystals with you. I swear!" She held up her paws solemnly. "I promise!"
The Plelepun eyed her suspiciously as its trunk curled. "Yo, how do I know I can trust you?" It leaned its head forth until their foreheads touched. "What if you're just saying that so I'll give you my crystals?"