She-Ra: Redemption

Battle for Harvest Part- Four

The first battle concluded, and the horde poured into the city like a tilde wave. Fortunately, Ella's defensive measures proved effective. The enemy forces found themselves bogged down in the twisting streets and alleyways, with makeshift blockades and ambushes delaying their advance. Four cloaked individuals skillfully maneuvered through the skirmishes, taking advantage of the heavy rain to obscure their movements and vision.

As they hear an approaching horde soldier, the team quickly dives into a nearby house.

"This isn't looking good; if we get attacked now, we'll be overrun with enemies," Orion says.

"It's not looking good because we have two lumbering oafs with us," Vixen remarks snidely.

"You want to do this now, Vixen!?" Orion says, moving to grab her.

Vixen slithers past his hand, twisting her body around him. He flinches as he feels the cold steel pressing against his throat.

"Try it, and it'll be over before your body hits the floor," Vixen hisses.

"That's enough, you two," Sprigg says, using his wooden branch hands to separate them.

"Everyone needs to relax. I get that we aren't used to working together, but we have orders. Orion, I know it isn't your fault, but try to get along with Vixen," Captain Layla says, sighing.

Orion snorts, letting out a puff of air before nodding.

"Sprigg, locate our objective," Captain Layla orders.

Sprigg gets down on one knee, letting his hand dig into the earth. His eyes glow with a flash.

"The earth is rich here, and the nature is well-kept," Sprigg says, nodding in approval, his older voice showing his age.

"Sprigg, where is it?" Captain Layla says, shaking her head.

"Oh, yes. It has just entered the city and has stopped moving," Sprigg says, remembering what he was asked.

"Gods above, why were we given the oldest damned tree?" Vixen says, exaggerating her displeasure by raising her fist to the sky.

"The older the tree, the stronger they get. Now enough chit-chat; let's get moving," Captain Layla says.

Captain Layla takes the lead with Sprigg. She isn't sure whether to be thankful for the pounding rain that obscures them from being seen while also muffling their footsteps, or worried that she can't see more than twenty feet in front of her.

She notices as they enter and exit from house to house; the streets become increasingly narrower. If someone saw this, they'd guess at most two people with their arms extended to outwards would fit. She had wanted to tell Sprigg to change their pathing to somewhere more open, but she knew he wasn't a fool. That this path must have the one with the least resistance.

Yet her skin crawled with discomfort, the type that triggers when you know what you're doing isn't going to work out but do it anyway. In the past, she had always listened to her instincts; they're what kept her alive in the hell that was her home. But she ignored them even as they screamed at her to flee. She knew the chances of this mission succeeding were next to none but still chose to press on. This was what loyalty felt like; she owed them everything, even her own life. That's what she told herself. Yet, when the ground sank and the cement beneath her feet turned to thousands of pointed teeth ready to shred her existence into paste, she felt fear and a question arise from the depths of her mind.

"Did I really survive that hell to die here?"

Unable to answer the burning question that left her dazed, she waited for her death. But as quickly as she accepted her fate, she felt a meaty hand grab her and toss her to the side.