Kajou had been sure this was the right decision.

She could not let herself think otherwise.

After Pan’s death, her sister’s words kept assaulting her. Traitor. She’d bonded Barry almost by accident, she hadn’t even considered how easy it would be, an agreement with his words that had come from within the depths of her heart and…

And now she stood in the forest, waiting for the knights of the kingdom to come. Because she couldn’t stand the thought that she’d betrayed Pan. Their cause was the thing that mattered the most to them, even if they hadn’t seen eye to eye on many things, but the one thing that mattered the most was helping the Coven.

It had been the purpose for them crossing the Craggy peaks. To solve the problem of the failing collars, to prevent the curse of ferality to fall upon their sisters. They’d hoped the Court had an answer and now…

And now Pan was dead. And Kajou was bonded to the potential solution to their problems: Barry. An otherworlder, a human with a capacity to form such strong bonds it was only comparable to the stories of old. Of the Kings that had raised their blades after the Great War, using armies of maidens bonded to them to conquer the wilderness and bring civilization back.

A story of equals, of the army splitting to find partners amongst the many humans that were saved and protected.

Now Kajou crouched in a bush, looking upon the carriages that were approaching, and her mind desperately clinging to that story. There were humans there, special ones. If she could capture one, then she could take them with her to the Coven. Barry might stay with the Court, and a part of her might desperately wish to remain here with him, but… but she had come here with a mission and she could not ignore it.

The days might not be counted for a solution to be found, but the future was bleak until one could be brought forth.

She had to do this. She had to prove Pan hadn’t died in vain.

“It’s a trap. They’re trying to pretend they have their guards down.”

The words came from the leader of the Court. The Dark Lady in armor, the strongest maiden in the forest. Her gaze looked upon the carriage, the maidens flying overhead, and she spoke the words that made Kajou’s chest tighten.

“There is no alternative.” She declared, hissing.

Pan’s sword feels heavy in her grip. Kajou can feel her sister’s memory within it.

She would rather be gone, away, on her way back to the Coven with her mission fulfilled. Not here, not with… her. Not with the woman that a part of her hated almost as much as she hated herself. But there was no other way to solve this, to accomplish their mission, to do right by her sister.

“We cannot win this fight.”

Kajou’s lips thinned. This was the woman that had so cruelly crushed them to prove a point to the human they were both bonded to?

“Then make it worth the loss.”

She’d lost Pan already. She couldn’t back down, she’d charge the carriages herself if she knew she’d be able to get something out of it. She needed just one human. Just one. Pan’s sword was practically vibrating within her grip, her eyes locked on the visor of the maiden she should be trying to kill by all accounts.

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Slowly, the large maiden glanced at the others. Embla’s intentions were impenetrable through the helmet, her body was not even tense, no, she was relaxed. She was considering facing off over a dozen knights and she was calm.

“Stay hidden, wait for my signal. Prioritize taking the humans, kill them if you cannot. Do not fight the knights unless they are attacking one of ours. Do not bother to shoot at them until it’s time.”

That was as far as her orders went.

Kajou could barely believe what she was hearing. Was the intent to fight the knights on her own to buy the others an opportunity to fulfill their mission? Watching the Dark Lady grab her gigantic ax and raise it, everyone else had moved to hide.

Lady Embla did not roar or shout, she merely tensed and took aim.

And in a single surge of strength, threw the ax at the carriage in the front. The centaur that had been pulling it screaming as she got yanked along. The massive weapon flew with the power to knock it over to the side of the road and roll further off. Embla had followed after it, even as the knights surged into formation.

Embla was a Dark Lady, a maiden whose power specialized in neutralizing the abilities of other maidens. In doing so, the large armored woman had prevented the more dangerous kinds of retaliation from the knights. Her powers had surged over them and destroyed both spells and abilities that had been about to be used.

A split second that was all she’d needed to pick up her massive ax and strike the first of the knights. The maiden had raised her shield. The very same shield that dented by the sheer force of the impact, the maiden not just getting knocked back but being sent flying towards the centaur that had seemed ready to pull her own carriage out of the area.

And even as the knights tried to take formation, Embla would move in to avoid it. Her strikes were dangerous, but she was clearly keeping them from being able to box her in or block her out. It was forcing more of the knights away from their carriages and into the battle.

Even out of formation, the knights tried to fight her off. Swords and lances thrusting and spinning. But the maidens were never quite able to get close enough to make a blow decisive enough to pierce through the armor.

The dance continued, Embla pushed her way forward to the other carriages. Her ax sought the centaurs, and the knights would only barely be able to stop her. Every time they tried to use their powers to reinforce their shields or attack, Embla’s own powers would lash out and turn their attempt into emptiness. An ability that couldn’t so much target a group of individuals but an area.

Kajou was left in stunned silence and begrudging respect for the Court’s leader powers.

The second carriage was knocked over. Then the third. Kajou heard faint muffled screams within each one. Her heart thundered within her chest and Pan’s blade tightened in her grip. She eyed the carriages, two of four had been knocked over, the centaurs pulling on them were prioritizing their protection since any attempt to get them out of the combat zone was being met with extreme violence.

And yet, even as the knights were being battered and tossed around like rag dolls, something felt off.

They weren’t panicking. There were knights in the periphery, focused on everything that was not Embla. And Kajou could spot the ones overhead flying in circles, waiting. She grimaced, this was what it meant to face off against a trained and coordinated force.

This was what it meant to fight the kingdom. Even with Embla occupying the majority of their force, it would be a tough fight.

The signal came in the form of a roar. The maiden that had quietly attacked the knights with a deathly silence had unleashed a shout that made the knights hesitate for a split second. And in that split second, the Court’s fighters and Kajou surged from both sides of the road. Arrows shot into the air and forced the flying maidens to dodge and stay out of the way, some of the maidens unleashed their powers unto the knights, others like Kajou ran forward with their blades.

The Amazoness felt the desire to fight, to cross blades, to meet the knights, test herself.

But she had a goal. She sprinted past the knights and to the nearest carriage, intent on opening the door and pulling off the first human she could reach.

The door was opened for her.

Two knights stepped out of every carriage. And suddenly their numerical advantage was not as great as they’d thought it had been.

Gritting her teeth, Kajou gripped Pan’s sword, feeling the memory of her sister that remained within the blade empowered her. She could not back down any more than the knights.

She had to win.