Her Dawning Empire: The Prophecy

Chapter 72

Demir moved in immediately, leaving no time for recovery. Twirling his glaive as the creature attempted to get up, he sliced through the lower leg of the Baken, making it topple to the ground in a puddle of its own blood.

It lay there for a moment with Emut and Demir towering over it with their weapons in hand. I looked down to see that its, now, chopped hair was trying to reach for their ankles, so I focused my hands yet again. Forming shields next to the hair, I pushed it inwards, until it was pushing against the hair and moving it towards the chest of the creature. It snarled as the sharp strands of hair pushed into its chest and I scowled at the look on its face. It was such a satisfactory sight after what it had done to Maya.

"Hanna! Keep it up!" Ayla's voice screamed from behind me and I nodded aggressively.

"I can!" I reassured myself, holding it in place so much so that I could feel my arm muscles quaking.

We can.

I ignored the voice, stifling as the creature held to its clawed hand that was hanging on to the arm with mere tendrils of muscle now. Its gaze snapped to me then with anger and it got up and moved to me, one foot not even touching the ground and the other stump of a leg dripping as it came with its long claws drawn.

Luckily, Emut reached in time, manouvering his sword and pushing the blade into the Baken's stomach. It gasped at this, its milky eyes white as it spit out blood. It reached its uninjured hand to touch Emut's face, but I stood behind him, holding the shield in place and it let out another growl as it couldn't pass the barrier. It banged against it aggressively with so much force that even I shook, my teeth gritting with the force.

Emut noticed this, turning to look at me with furrowed eyebrows before looking back with a stony expression.

"Demir." He called out and I looked behind the creature to see Demir, moving forward before dropping his glaive and jumping gracefully. He landed on top of the Baken, his knee against its shoulder and his hands on either side of its head.

"Ma'as-salāma." He said coldly before pulling roughly and ripping the head clean off the body. Blood was pouring in every direction and I stumbled back, feeling an arm on my shoulder.

"It's okay. You can let go now." Abrax's kind voice rang through the haze and I nodded.

Do not let go.

I ignored the voice yet again, feeling chills at the anguish in its tone before pulling the blue vapour in and shutting the oak door with a resounding slam. It echoed through the corners and depths of my mind and I let out a tired sigh before dropping to my knees.

Looking up, I could see that the Baken's headless body had now dropped to the floor as well as Demir chucking the head carelessly on top of the body before dusting his hands and grabbing his glaive.

"You didn't have to behead it, Demir." Emut spoke, looking to the body, blood staining his torso.

Demir merely rolled his eyes, but there was a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I wouldn't have had it not given me the idea. What can I say? I'm an impressionable being." He mused to which Emut tutted, but even then there was no annoyance in his tone.

I leaned back on a wall behind me and then they were both looking to me. Emut moved forward first, crouching down to look at me. The others rounded me also, looking to me with indecipherable expressions.

"Are you okay?" He murmured, his eyes tracing me for any injuries and I nodded, knowing that despite the weakness, I was completely fine.

At this, his concerned expression relaxed slightly, switching to one more of awe as he looked to me yet again, his eyes searching me as though they were looking to me for the first time.