Suddenly, a woman appeared in a blur of movement, flipping over Tova and Iravan before landing directly in front of the Axol. Turning to face Tova and Iravan, the woman’s striking features came into full view. Her alabaster skin had a delicate, almost glass-like quality to it, with a blush coloring her cheeks. Her eyes were sharp and piercing, with a distinctive monolid shape that seemed to bore straight into Tova’s very being. There was an intensity and focus in her gaze that was both captivating and unsettling.
The Axol’s menacing hiss quickly diverted the woman’s attention, prompting her to whirl back around, draw her axes, and tense her lithe frame as she prepared to engage the fearsome creature in battle.
“Don’t hurt them!” Tova shouted. She stepped towards the woman when Tova realized what she was wearing, a sign of a scythe, the symbol of dishonest men.
The woman gripped her twin axes tightly in her calloused hands; the metal gleaming in the sunlight as she raised them high above her head. With a sudden, powerful motion, she brought the sharp blades together in a resounding clash that echoed through the clearing; the impact, sending a shower of brilliant sparks into the air.
As the axes collided, the friction caused the metal to heat up, creating a dazzling display of rainbow-colored lights that danced and flickered before the startled Axol creatures and thunderous sound combined the followed, sending the Axol scrambling in terror, their forms crashing through the underbrush as they fled.
“There” The woman nodded, placing her axes back on her back before turning towards Tova and Iravan.
But they abruptly turned and walked away, their backs receding into the distance as they headed towards the looming factory in the near distance. She had been in the middle of speaking to them, her words still hanging in the air, but they had simply disregarded her presence, their minds focused elsewhere as they strode with purpose toward their apparent destination.
“hey!” the woman called out for them. “how about a thank you?” she asked.
“We don’t talk to scavengers,” Iravan threw over his shoulder as they came to the opening.
“Really?” The woman looks at them with disbelief.
Tova turned to face her. “Listen, lady, we are not buying what you are selling,” she said firmly.
“Listen, sweet cheeks, I am not a scavenger and I just saved your life. Show some appreciation.” The woman crossed her arms, smirking, loving how Tova blushed at the little nickname she gave her.
“We didn’t need your help, you decided to jump in,” Tova commented, flailing her arms around. “We had it all under control, so run along now” she shooed the woman.
The woman was about to rebuttal but stopped just as Iravan grabbed Tova’s arm. “we need to leave,” he took in the atmosphere. “Now!” Iravan looked at Tova.
Tova’s heart raced as she turned to leave, but the sight before her made her freeze in her tracks. Emerging from the shadows of the towering tree was a magnificent black lionazd, its powerful muscles rippling beneath a coat of midnight-black fur. The creature’s mane, a shimmering cascade of golden strands and black scales, vibrated with a palpable energy as it fixed the group with an intense, piercing gaze.
A warning, as a deep, guttural growl, emanated from the lionazd’s chest, indicating its readiness to pounce at the slightest provocation. The group held their collective breath, scarcely daring to move a muscle as the massive predator prowled down from its lofty perch, its movements lithe and graceful yet tinged with an underlying ferocity.
Every golden-eyed glare, every flex of its powerful claws, spoke of a creature that was firmly in control, assessing the situation and waiting patiently for the opportune moment to strike. Tova knew that one wrong move could spell disaster, and she willed her trembling limbs to remain still as the lionazd continued its slow, methodical approach, sizing up its potential prey with a hunter’s keen instinct.
“Stay still,” the woman said to Tova.
“You think I don’t know how to deal with a lionazd” Tova shouted, whispering at her.
“Well, according to your ‘attire’...” The woman used air quotes. “I had some questions”
“My attire!?" this woman’s words offended Tova.
“shut up, shut up, shut the fuck up” Iravan hissed at the two women which only made the tension rise, triggering lionazd and his pride began to approach.
As the lionazd’s mane began to vibrate, its scales shuddering through the air, Tova watched with bated breath as the powerful creature shifted its weight, its long, sharp nails digging into the soft earth beneath its massive paws.
The lionazd’s chest expanded as it took in a deep, rumbling breath, its nostrils flaring wide to take in the scents of its surroundings. Tova’s gaze remained fixed on Iravan, whose own eyes stayed trained intently on the lionazd as if daring the beast to make a move. The tension in the air was palpable, the silence broken only by the faint rustling of the lionazd’s scales and the crunch of its claws against the ground, as it began to take in deeper breath, pulling the moister from the air.
Tova could feel their heart pounding in their chest, adrenaline coursing through their veins as they waited with bated breath to see what the lionazd would do next.
“follow me,” the woman commanded, jumping into a tree.
“no, thank you,” Tova hissed, slowly moving toward Iravan’s side.
“Seriously,” the woman jumped down from the tree.
Iravan’s body suddenly gave way, collapsing forward as the energy suddenly drained from his limbs. Tova’s quick reflexes kicked in, and she lunged forward, catching him before he could crumple to the ground. His warm skin radiated an almost feverish heat, and Tova could see the color draining from his face, his complexion turning pallid and ashen. Tova’s own hair, once full and vibrant, now hung limply around her face, the moisture evaporating from the air. Beads of sweat glistened on her brow, her throat parched and aching with thirst. The exertion of holding Iravan’s dead weight had sapped what little strength she had left, and Tova struggled to keep him upright, her exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her.
Desperately, she tried to summon the energy to float them both to safety, but her weary mind could barely focus, let alone channel her fading powers. Tova’s knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, Iravan’s limp form slumping beside her. In that moment, Tova’s heart raced with fear and uncertainty, unsure of what was happening or how they would escape their perilous situation. The woman’s shadow fell over them and Tova watched with trepidation as the stranger reached down and grasped Iravan’s arm, her intentions unclear but the threat palpable.
“Let me help” The woman looked into Tova’s face.
Tova looked between the woman and her paling best friend and nodded. “fine, quickly” Tova rushed her, because lava began to rise from the ground.
The woman’s movements were swift and decisive as she swiftly pulled the twin axes from their holsters on her back, the blades glinting in the dim light as she flashed them together; the metal fusing to form a single, larger, and more formidable weapon. With a firm grip on the combined axe, she reached down and hoisted the limp form of Iravan up from the ground, his body collapsed and motionless, and she effortlessly hoisted him up over her broad shoulder, his dead weight no match for her impressive strength.
Turning to face the direction of Tova, the woman’s eyes narrowed with determination, her jaw set as she prepared to make their escape, the larger ax clutched tightly in her calloused hand.
“Quickly, hold on,” she said before reaching out her arm.
Tova gripped tightly onto the woman’s waist as the vibrant, shimmering rainbow descended from the heavens, its brilliant arc of colors stretching down to envelop the group. In a dazzling display, the rainbow seemed to reach out and grasp them, wrapping them within its luminous embrace.
Tova felt a rush of exhilaration as the rainbow’s energy surged through her, tingling across her skin. With a sudden jolt, the rainbow then lifted them up, whisking the group skyward in a blur of motion. Tova’s heart raced as the ground fell away beneath them, the world shrinking into the distance as they were swept up into the vast, open expanse of the sky.