Femi sighed.
"Well, time to get back to work, unfortunately,."
Still, at least the queen was too focused on Varga to notice him. The Harpy queens ember eyes locked onto varga with murderous intent, her massive wings flared wide as she and Varga clashed once more, their movements turned into blurs of flashing sparks and feathers as talons and blade clashed.
In that moment Femi saw his chance.
Gritting his teeth against the white-hot pain radiating through his battered body, he reared his back, and threw his new axe with all his might. The weapon spun through the air, its sharp edge seemed to be looking for blood as it hurtled toward the queen's exposed back. Time seemed to slow, the battlefield's shrieks and clashing steel fading into a dull sound, as the axe streaked toward its target. For a single, breathless moment, it seemed nothing could stop it. Has my ancestors finally intervened.
Yet, unsurprisingly, the his ancestors powers seems to be lacking because the queen's reflexes were simply better.
Her head snapped to the side with an inhuman speed. Her slitted pupils dilating as she caught sight of the spinning axe mid-flight. With a flick of her wings, she conjured a localized gust of wind that diverted the weapon's trajectory, sending it veering off course. The axe missed her by a hair's breadth, embedding itself into the snow.
"How disappointing."
The queen's amber eyes flashed with fresh, undiluted fury as her gaze locked onto Femi, he saw his death in that moment, but that was what he was planning. For that split-second distraction was enough.
Varga seized the opening.
With focused effort, she wrenched her blade free from the queen's faltering grip and slashed horizontally, creating a silver arc aiming to decapitate the queen.
The Harpy Queen dropped like a stone, her body bending backward in an imitation of a boneless chicken as the blade whistled mere inches above her throat. Then, with a powerful snap of her wings that kicked up a whirlwind of snow, she kicked upward, her razor-sharp talons raking across Varga's stomach in a spray of shocking crimson.
Varga gasped, a wet, choked sound, stumbling back as blood spilled through her furs, her face contorted in a mask that spoke of pure, searing pain.
"Varga!" Femi's spirit nearly dislodge form his body through his throat. For at that moment a terrible thought came to mind; If Varga falls, we are all dead. The thought brought a cold spike of terror in his mind.
The Harpy Queen didn't give varga any time to recover. She lunged forward rapidly closing in for the kill, her talons aimed straight for Varga's heart...
"My friend, move."
Femi barreled into her side, his body tackled Varga out of the way just in time, as the queen's claws gouged deep furrows into the snow where they had been moments before.They both tumbled through the snow in a graceless heap.
"You're welcome," Femi wheezed, still sprawled atop her, his ribs screaming in a song that was becoming too common this days.
Varga shoved him off grunting in Pain from the movement, while clutching her bleeding stomach. "Focus," she snarled, her eyes already fixed on their enemy, "we are far from done."
The Harpy Queen was already turning, her wings mantling around her like a predator cornering wounded prey, her lips peeled back from her sharp teeth in a snarl that promised a slow, agonizing death.
Femi's mind scrambled for a plan through the haze of pain and adrenaline.
They couldn't outmuscle her. Couldn't out-speed her. But maybe...
"Varga," he panted, the words coming in ragged gasps, "do you have any juju... I.. mean, Kuros that can affect this thing?"
She wiped a smear of blood from her lips with the back of her hand, her breathing even again. "I do, but I need time to gather enough Kuros for it. There's not enough time for that."
"Then, I have no choice but to distract her!"
He leaped forward, his movements fueled by sheer desperation, snatching up his spear from where it lay half-buried in the snow and hurling it like a javelin straight at the queen's chest. She sidestepped the throw effortlessly, a mocking smile twisting her features further, but the spear found another target, impaling a harpy that had been diving from above to aid its queen. The creature shrieked in agony, its wings flapping wildly as it crashed into the snow in a broken heap.
The Harpy Queen's eyes blazed with renewed fury as she whirled on Femi, her talons extended like polished scythes on a harvest day.
Femi, anticipating the attack, scrambled for the fallen axe, his numb clawed fingers closing around the now cold hilt just as the queen lunged. Their weapons clashed, the metallic clang ringing out sharply across the battlefield as bright sparks flew from the impact.
"Wait, what am I doing fighting this thing?" he cursed his own stupidity. "She was going head-to-head with Varga, am I a fool?" But it was too late to retreat now; he was in too deep to pull out now.
The queen's strength was overwhelming. What did she even eat before this fight.
With a vicious swipe of her left talon, she deflected his axe, sending it swinging wide and leaving his entire flank exposed. Her right talons raked across his shoulder, slicing through cloth, leather, and flesh alike with terrifying ease. White-hot pain lanced through his body, and Femi barely stifled a scream as he staggered back, the coppery smell of his own blood filling his nostrils.
Gritting his teeth until he thought they would crack, he whipped the axe down in a desperate, clumsy counter, but the queen was faster. She swiped again, this time aiming for his exposed throat, forcing him to abandon the attack and throw himself into a roll. Icy snow and gritty dirt filled his mouth as he tumbled, his vision swimming with black spots.
Still the Queen wanted his heart.
Her claws sliced through the remnants of his shirt and cloak, leaving him vulnerable and exposed, his luck only left him with his fur that was marred with ugly, weeping patches of blood from the deep cuts.
Seemly, amused by his pitiful struggle, she slammed him with her wing, the impact sent him flying backward, his body crashing into the snow with enough brutal force to knock the air from his lungs in a painful whoosh.
Gasping, he struggled to his feet, his legs trembling violently beneath him. His every instinct screamed at him to run, to flee, but the queen blocked his path, her wings spread wide, her smile was even more cruel.
He was profoundly weakened, his body battered and bruised, his strength fading with every intake of breath. As the queen charged forward, Femi knew he was in grave danger. He stumbled backward, his vision blurring at the edges, the bitter cold seeping deep into his bones. The queen's beautiful, terrifying face loomed before him, her eyes cold and utterly unforgiving, and in that final, crystalline moment, Femi knew...
He was going to die.
And Varga struck.
"Kuros-Partial Enchantment-GALEBREAKER!"
Her sword's emerald light exploded outward, forming a long, whip-like arc of crackling green energy that cleaved through the Harpy Queen's summoned winds. The backlash of disrupted power sent the queen reeling, her control over the air momentarily shattered into several chaotic gusts.
Femi didn't waste the opening.
He charged, axe held high in both hands, his focus solely on her wings, the source of her power and mobility.
Too bad the Harpy Queen recovered mid-stumble. With a snarl of pure rage, she clapped her wings together, unleashing a concussive blast of solid air that slammed into Femi's chest and sent him flying once more. He hit the ground hard, the impact jarring his teeth, his ribs screaming in once more in the song of agony.
My ribs will break if this continues, he thought distantly, as he watched Varga already moving.
She arrived in front of the queen like a vengeful spirit, her blade a blinding sheen of green light as she unleashed a controlled flurry of strikes. The Harpy Queen parried each one, her talons and clawed wings meeting enchanted steel with showers of orange sparks, but Varga wasn't aiming to kill it, not yet.
She was herding the queen backward, step by step, toward the camp's central fire pit, where a few stubborn embers still glowed like malevolent red eyes amidst the trampled snow.
Femi forced himself up onto his elbows, then his knees, a grim determination burning through the pain in his eyes.
We have to kill this thing, he thought, the resolve hardening into a core of stone within him. Or I won't be able to sleep at night.
A final, desperate surge of adrenaline fueled his movements.
He rummaged frantically through his belt pouch, his claws finally closing around a length of coiled rope. With quick, practiced motions born of countless chores, he tied a secure slipknot to the axe's handle, his bleeding mouth curling into a sly, grin. "Let's see how you like this."
The Harpy Queen had Varga pinned now, her powerful talons locked like vices around the Amazon's wrists, her single wings beating furiously as she lifted them both off the ground. Varga's boots left deep, furrows in the snow as she was dragged upward, as her muscles strained against the queen's strength.
"Hey, Mc Donna!" Femi bellowed, putting all his remaining breath into it.
The Harpy Queen turned her head, just in time for Femi to hurl the axe like a lasso.
The queen's wing snapped out, summoning a wall of wind to block it, but Femi's plan was already in motion. The axe was deflected, upward but Femi expected that and yanked with all his might, his feet digging in.
The axe that was deflected was brought back down and slammed into the queen. She screeched, with pure outrage, her grip on Varga loosening just enough for Varga to twist free and drop, landing in a crouch.
The queen's response was immediate.
She beat her wings harder, the powerful downdraft blasting snow in all directions, lifting her own body into the air, with Femi still clinging desperately to the rope, his body dragged upward.
"NOOO!" he screamed, his voice swallowed by the howling wind that tore at his fur. "I CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS "
As if hearing his words, the world seemed to slow.The battlefield stretched below him. Clashing bodies, spilled blood, all painted in shades of red and white. His own heartbeat pounded in his ears.
Badam.
Badam.
Badam... Badam.
And suddenly like it never happened time snapped back into focus with a violent jolt.
Femi and the queen still air- Bourne tumbled downward, their bodies twisting in midair. By sheer luck, or Heavens grace, Femi had some how ended up tangled with the Queen and he was on top, his weight driving her towards the ground.
They both screamed in shared agony as they slammed into the hard-packed snow, Femi's ribs cracking with an audible, sickening crunch, his arms and neck whiplashing under the brutal impact. The queen let out a sharp, pained cry, her body trembling beneath him.
The Harpy Queen, stunned and enraged by the ignoble turn of events, let out another pained and enraged cry, her body bucking and trembling beneath him as she struggled to throw him off. But Femi held on with every last ounce of strength left in his battered frame, his claws digging deep into her sleek feathers, his legs locking like iron bands around her waist.
She clawed at him blindly, her talons somehow bending at a grotesque angle to rake deep, burning gashes across his shoulders and back. Fresh, hot blood poured from the wounds, soaking his tattered furs, but Femi gritted his teeth until he tasted blood, refusing to let go even as his vision blurred and swam with nauseating pain.
The queen's hate-filled eyes locked onto his, he noticed something else though. A mixture of fury and pained disbelief.That triggered him.
Letting out a guttural, animalistic roar from the depths of his soul, Femi slammed his fist, again and again, into the hard muscle of her stomach.
She quacked in pained surprise, an almost comical, undignified sound from such a deadly creature. Enraged beyond measure, she thrashed wildly, trying to buck him off, but Femi held fast, with what ever determination was left in him.
The sound of cracking bones and tearing flesh filled the air, and for a long moment, it seemed as though both combatants were locked in a desperate, final bid to simply outlast the other. Femi's scream turned to a continuous, guttural growl as he pinned the queen down, his body a ruined, battered mess, but his will remained still.
"VARGA, NOW!"
He ducked his head just as Varga leaped high into the air, her blade wreathed in a dark, roiling green aura that hissed like a nest of vipers.
"Kuros-Partial Enchantment-FALLING SKY!"
She slammed down into the Harpy Queen becoming a green meteor, driving her sword down with enough force to shatter the frozen earth. Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the impact, sending plumes of snow and dirt into the air.
The Harpy Queen screeched, her wind shield faltered.. Varga's blade continued to slash downward.
Unfortunately, the weakened wind shield was still able to protect heart. Though the enchanted blade was still able to shear through her left wing.
The queen's scream of agony echoed across the battlefield, a sound so piercing and full of torment it sent the lesser harpies recoiling in terror. She stumbled back, her remaining wing flapping wildly as she tried to put distance between herself and her attackers, her balance gone.
Her eyes, wide and blazing with pure, undiluted hatred, locked onto Femi.
Before he could even register the movement, before he could raise a hand in defense..
She lunged forward with the last of her strength.
Her talons, slick with his own blood, ripped deep into his stomach.
Femi's eyes widened in shock, his mouth falling open as a torrent of hot, coppery blood poured from his lips, his body going rigid, every nerve ending alight with a pain so profound it was beyond screaming.
"FEMI!" Varga's shout was stripped of all its composure, that was terrifying to hear.
The queen tore her claws free with a wet, sucking sound, and Femi collapsed to his knees, his hands instinctively clutching the gaping, wound as his lifeblood pulsed out between his fingers, staining the snow beneath him in crimson.
The Harpies, sensing their queen's distress, abandoned their battles with the krags and swarmed to her side. Varga tried to lunge for the queen, to finish it, but a harpy slammed into her from the side, sending her tumbling away into the snow. The queen used the opportunity, propelling herself upward with a pained beat of her single wing, and was immediately caught and supported by two of her kin, her severed wing, dripping blood onto the ground below..
She looked down at the kneeling, dying Femi, her beautiful face now a demonic visage of utter, absolute hatred. Screaming once more, and with the help of her harpies, she and the swarm began to retreat.
Varga scrambled to Femi's side, falling to her knees. Her hands, stained dark with blood, pressed desperately against his stomach, trying to stem the tide, but the blood and worse, the slickness of things that should never see the light of day, spilled between her fingers.
"Oh no," she whispered, the words choked, her face was a mess of conflicting emotions.
Femi gazed up at her, his vision was already narrowing, as his body growing colder.
"I saw...my life...," he mumbled, his voice was very weak. "My life... Flashing.. I came here... it's all because of... my village people... hahah..."
Blood bubbled at his mouth as he let out a weak, broken laugh.
Varga cradled his head with her arm, laying his back flat on the now stained snow, her other hand still applying pressure to his wound.
"Gon, GON, SOMEONE GET ME GON NOW!" She called, her voice rising into a frustrated, frantic shout for the old Krag herbsman, who might, who must, be his only chance.
Femi's eyes, their focus growing soft, locked onto hers, his vision dimming at the edges into a welcoming gray mist.
"I am going to die,"
Varga frowned, but still forced a small smile. It was the last thing he saw before his eyes failed him completely.
"Don't worry, ratling. You won't.. I will make sure of it."
Hahaha....sure... I believe you...
His thoughts drifted, untethered, the sharp pain fading into a comforting numbness.
You know...i..not even... afr..aid ..i.. just... have... have.. of... of... ahh yes...
I ..I remember...now
"FEMI!"
He smiled weakly eyes closing
The ...only good thing ..out of this.... nonsense.
"FEMI!"
My joy....my .. sweet ...
"FEMI!"
jo..l..lo
Darkness swallowed him whole.