Zephyr: The Elemental Clans

194 - Lioness' Hunt

Indira Astra - POV;

"Crackle!"

"Clang!"

The sounds of weapons clashing echoed throughout the land as we zipped across the skies. Our battle thus far was characterized by a seemingly unbreakable truth. We had found ourselves in a perpetual state of running all while our enemies remained hot on our heels. We could not shake them; their speed and endurance seeming to have no end. We could not engage them; any attempt would decrease our pace atleast a minute amount, during which the twins would immediately go all into a strike that while we blocked them so far, we were forced into a vulnerable position that could be exploited unless we spontaneously rushed away once more.

"What shall we do Indira? We cannot afford to maintain this situation forever!" Aquarius exclaimed.

"I know, but I can't see how we can even begin a counterattack. I don't know what they are but these two definitely aren't human. Their expressions are blank. They hold no anger nor hatred. It's like they lack emotions entirely. My gut tells me they can't simply be distracted either. They have a goal to accomplish and that is all that occupies their mind," I surmised.

"However, following us is a distraction in and of itself, is it not? Unless... Certainly you can't be insinuating that!" she glanced at me as she caught on.

"Exactly. Their primary goal... from the very beginning it was us. The barrier was a distraction. Duran Blaze sent them to put us out of commission. I guess he's still sour about us breaking into his base and freeing his captives," I muttered.

"This revelation arises many worries," Aquarius whispered seriously.

"How so?"

"Should what you say hold true, the implications are that Duran never truly planned the shield as a primary step in his schemes. From what we've borne witness to, Duran Blaze is a meticulous man. If the barrier was not his primary weapon, then he must have dealt a far more fearsome card in the Arena of the Colosseum. Xyder, Dagan and the others may be facing grave danger," she concluded.

"Shit, you're right! Damn it! What to do? What to do? Ugh, if dad was here, he'd have this all figured out!" I cursed myself under my breath as pulled at my hair in frustration, "I don't know. I guess we could try to regroup with the others? What do you think Aqua-"

I cut myself off when I looked to my left, only to find the space, previously occupied by Aquarius, now completely empty. I whipped my head around instantly, only to catch a glimpse of Neptulus' Regulus Heir being dragged right into the jaws of death.

****
Aquarius Neptulus - POV;

Those events; they'd transpired so swiftly that I hadn't even a moment to fathom the reality of it. In one moment, I had been speeding alongside Indira, then in the next I found myself unable to cry out for aid and tugged backwards by the ropes of darkness wrapped around my calves and mouth.

Having been dragged and bound by the female doll, I spiralled towards the open roof of the towering buildings beneath us, unable to control my body's motion even as the male twin dove to capitalize on my situation. With knife in hand he shot towards me in a blinding light and, with a full spin of his torso, prepared to drive his merciless blade into my cranium. In that minute window of time, my mind had gone blank. The occurrences of the outside world were almost unbeknownst to me. All I could think of were the people I let down. My friends, my family... my father. It would hurt him most of all. But, at the very least, perhaps I could meet her again that much sooner. Perhaps I could see the mother I lost eight years ago.......

*"Fight."*

"Splash!"

I found myself momentarily blinded; the sound of a warm, viscous fluid splattering across me being my only indicator that something unexpected had transpired. My fall had been interrupted by a gentle figure behind me whose mellow chest seemed to partially mould as my back pressed into it.

My vision cleared shortly to reveal the masculine doll only inches away. His left palm clutched the small blade he intended to sink into my flesh, but his devastating stike was halted as Indira had seized hold of his clenched fist, not even hesitating as his weapon pierced through her hand entirely before coming to a stop barely a hair's bredth from my face. His right arm, which he had attempted to whip around and strike me after his first attack failed, had been blocked by the Astra Heir's strong forearm.

"Asshole," Indira growled as she slowly and forcefully bent his left wrist backwards, "Don't you dare lay a hand on my woman's pretty, little face."

The doll lifted both legs off the ground and pulled his knees to his chest, preparing to extend them and deliver a firm, direct attack with his feet. Indira however, one step ahead of him spun her body into the air and around my torso and sent him reeling violently with an electrically-charged, flying kick.

"After all," Indira quipped as she landed infront me and stood upright, "her cute looks are what make her our treasured eye-candy. Without those, what would she even be?"

"What are you saying!" I blurted out, "And why would you do that?! What was going through your head?"

"I don't know. I moved before I even realized I did," she answered.

"Jeez... Just... just show me your hand!" I demanded taking hold of her fingers and lifting them towards me. As I stared at the silverware lodged in her, I couldn't help but cry out in shock.

"It's not that bad. I'm fine," she tried to assure me.

"Like hell you are! There is a KNIFE going THROUGH your HAND!" I barked. Without hesitation ripped a strip of fabric from my garments and handed it over to her as I muttered, "Use this. We can atleast try to reduce the bleeding."

"Uh... right. Thanks," she muttered, her eyes constantly glancing between the cloth and my now exposed skin. Even though it was her, it was admittedly still a bit embarrassing to know someone staring as she was. On the other hand, it was because I was aware of her glares that I noticed when her focus abruptly shifted to the area behind me, where the male doll had begun to bolt towards us.

Without warning she pushed me to the side as she wrenched her shoulder up and behind her body, causing the knife to dislodge itself from her flesh. As it floated in the air for a fraction of a second, she wrapped her fingers around its handle and, engulfed in a barrage of lightning, she fired it like a missile in his direction. The knife cut through the air effortlessly at speeds well surpassing that of sound. The raw heat and energy from it forced the air to expand rapidly, resulting in a deafening, thunderous boom which rocked me to the core. Yet somehow, Indira and the Male both appeared to be unfazed. The masculine twin burst forward in a column of light, almost seeming to phase around the blade, however Indira had already followed up her projectile. She launched herself at her foe head-on, and the two met at the centre as they clashed full-force with the power in their feet.

I was awestruck by their fearsome battle for it truly was a spectacle of the ages. Even so, I wasn't allowing myself to be so occupied that I left myself open. Without so much as a glance, I fored three arrows over my shoulder. They danced through the skies before colliding with the Dark Bullets pitched in my direction. After much struggle, the projectiles wore each other out, disintegrating into nothingness as they fell to the gound.

"Do not fool yourself with the notion that I had forgotten you for even a mere second," I said as I twisted around to face the Female Doll, "Too many people have looked out for me throughout my life and even more are depending on me to win this fight. Should I allow you to escape this battle, all of Fenix may as well fall, along with the brave souls who  defend it and its people. I owe many of those who have staked their very lives on this war. I cannot depend on my father forever. The time has come to stand our own. My father believed in me when he let me lead our people into the Tournament's battles. Forgive me dear, but right here on this day, you will fall. Every lioness must have her hunt!"