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Chapter 48 - The Battle of Blood and Feathers 2

The Harpy Queen's wings unfurled like a hurricane given form, vast and terrible, each feather gleaming under the twin suns as if forged from glass. The air itself trembled around her, shaking and bending to her will, a living extension of her will. Her talons, black as obsidian, flexed against the cursed pole, splintering the wood beneath her grip. The remaining harpies circled above in a frenzied, shrieking vortex, their cries harmonizing with the rising gale, a chorus of bloodlust that sent chills down the spines of those below.

Femi swallowed hard, his throat dry as dust, his fingers tightening around his spear. The flames that had once danced along the weapon's edge had died, but the tip still glowed faintly.

Don't die, she says.

Yeah, well, easier said than done when the enemy controls the damn sky.

Though, I plan on dying after sixty years, in my small house, close to a warm fire.

Wait, how long does this rat body live for anyway? Femi thought, despite the tension clawing at his ribs.

The Harpy Queen's ember eyes locked onto them, burning with an intelligence that seemed both ancient and cruel. Her full lips curled into a smile that was equal parts seduction and savagery, a predator savoring the hunt. Then, with a single, thunderous beat of her wings, she summoned a burst of wind so violent it sent snow, debris, and loose weapons hurtling toward them like shrapnel from a cannon.

"DOWN!"

Varga's voice cut through the chaos as she tackled Femi to the ground just as the gust slammed into everything around the queen, shredding the snow into a blinding white mist and flipping carts, barrels, and even a half-buried spear into the air. The world became a whirlwind of noise and pain as they were thrown back, skidding through the frostbitten earth until they came to a stop, half-buried in the powdery drift.

Femi spat out a mouthful of snow, his ears ringing. "Okay, new plan," he wheezed, "we don't let her sneeze on us."

Then the Queen moved.

One second she was perched atop the pole, regal as a monarch surveying her domain; the next, she was a blur of iridescent feathers and razor-edged talons, slashing toward Varga's throat with the speed of a striking viper.

Varga barely dodged, twisting mid-air with the grace, but the Harpy Queen's claws still grazed her shoulder, drawing a thin line of crimson. She retaliated instantly, her Kuros-blessed blade leaving a trail of emerald light in its wake as she aimed for the queen.

The Harpy Queen snorted, amused, as the enchanted steel missed, diverted at the last second by an unseen gust of wind, before she struck back with a movement too fast to follow, sending Varga hurtling through the air like a ragdoll.

Femi didn't wait for an invitation.

He lunged, driving his spear toward the Harpy Queen's exposed side with every ounce of strength he had. But her wing snapped out like a living shield, deflecting the strike with a metallic clang that sent vibrations up his arms. Before he could react, her other wing backhanded him with the force of a battering ram, sending him skidding through the snow, his ribs screaming in protest.

"Gah—!"

Victim, the little pup, snarled at the Harpy Queen's feet, his fur bristling with defiance. She barely glanced down before flicking him away like a bothersome insect. The pup yelped, tumbling, before crashing into a snowdrift, whimpering but alive.

Femi's cursed.

"Victim, don't come back or you might become casualty!"

At his side, Varga staggered back to her feet, her blade flaring anew with Kuros' eerie green light. "Distract her," she hissed through gritted teeth. "I need an opening."

"An opening? We'd be lucky if she doesn't open me," Femi grumbled, but he scrambled up anyway, ignoring the throbbing in his ribs, and charged again. This time, he zigzagged through the snow, going left before darting right, trying to flank her for an ambush.

But the queen just smiled, a grin so wide it split her face unnaturally, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.

Then, as if asserting her dominance, she threw back her head and let out a deafening screech, a sound so piercing it felt like daggers driving into Femi's skull. He buckled, clutching his ears as he screamed in agony. What kind of terrible shouting is that?!

But before an answer came, he heard two more screeches to his side.

"Oh no."

He barely dodged forward in time as talons from one of the harpies whizzed past his head, close enough to slice a few strands of his fur. Another one lunged at him from the opposite side, its crooked maw wide open, still dripping with blood from some earlier kill. It went straight for his throat.

Femi, one palm pressed to his ringing ear, the other gripping his spear, let out a mental curse as he tried to fend off the harpies now flanking him. They were fast, relentless, and suddenly, he was the one surrounded.

"Ah, nonsense trouble," he thought, his mind racing as chaos unfolded around him.

Unknown to Femi, the queen's form loomed over him, her ember eyes fixed on him with cold calculation. Without a sound, she raised her talons, poised to gut him like a fish...

...Only for Varga to slam into her from the side, her shoulder driving into the Queen's ribs with enough force to crack stone. The Harpy Queen staggered, her wings flaring for balance, and Varga pounced, her sword carving a burning arc toward the creature's throat.

The Harpy Queen caught the blade in her talons.

Blood dripped from them as she held the enchanted steel, her muscles straining against Varga's strength. The two women locked in a brutal contest of power, emerald light hissing against dark talons, neither willing to yield.

Femi, still oblivious to how close death had been, continued dodging and weaving between the harpies, his focus solely on survival.

But before he was overwhelmed by the two attackers, a roar erupted from the side.

A Krag, massive, and clad in battered amour and furs, slammed into one of the harpies with a shield bash, sending it squawking in pain as it crashed to the ground. The other harpy shrieked, realizing its mistake too late as a second Krag, younger but no less deadly, decapitated it with a swift slash of his short blade.

The two Krags, one grizzled looking, the other lean and fierce, stood tall amidst the chaos.

The younger one had a frame that looked like it was built for speed, his dark hair tied in a braid, with dark eyes gleaming with mischief, as he wielded twin short swords.

The elder was a mountain of muscle, his grey hair wild, his tusks yellowed with age, gripping a shield and a wooden club with a strange, axe at his side. Both scanned the battlefield, searching for danger with practiced ease and composure of people who had seen too many battles to count.

"That was a close one," the younger one said, flashing Femi a grin.

"Good to see you still alive, wild ratling," the elder rumbled. "There's no time for dying now, not with all the blood that still needs spilling."

"Oh, thanks for the help. I appreciate," Femi responded a little confused, still trying to process the sudden turn of events.

These two Krags are strange, he thought. But allies were allies, and in a fight like this, he wasn't about to question it.

Hisssssss!

The sound came from above, the remaining harpies, seeing their queen in danger, descended upon the battlefield like a swarm of locusts. But just as they were about to engulf the defenders, another figure emerged from the other side of the now ruined camp, his voice booming like thunder:

"MARCH, KRAGS! FOR WE ARE DESCENDANTS OF KRAGGOTHS, AND WE SHALL NOT FALL TO HARPIES TODAY! DEFEND OUR CAMP! SLAUGHTER THEM ALL!"

Tarlak, finished with a roar.

The remaining Krags, battered but still willing, roared in responsetheir spears, swords and axe at the ready, all gleaming in the twin suns, giving them the appearance of heroes of old tales. The harpies met them in a frenzy of talons and steel, and the battlefield erupted into pure chaos.

The battlefield devolved into a messy, frenzied melee, with krags trying to kill Harpies and Harpies trying to kill krags. A swirling melee of screams, clashing metal, and the wet thud of blades finding flesh.

But amidst the chaos, Femi saw an opportunity. He realized that....

.....The Queen and Varga fight was forgotten for a moment.

He turned to the old Krag, eyeing the strange axe at his side. As if reading his mind, the elder smirked and unhooked it, tossing it to him.

"I think you'll be needing this more than me," he said with a chuckle. "I can still smash a few harpy skulls with my club."

Then, turning to the younger warrior, he barked, "Boy! Let's go find our own kills!"

With a roar, the old Krag charged into the fray, his shield deflecting a diving harpy before he crushed its skull with a single swing. The younger one lingered just long enough to flash Femi a smirk.

"See you later, ratling...if you survive, that is."

Then he was gone, vanishing into the din of battle.

"Yep, very strange Krags."

Femi hefted the axe, feeling its weight and balance in his arm. It looked like a hatchet with a straight shaft. The strange-looking axe seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

"Okay, let's do this," he said, gripping the axe tightly.

He turned his head to face the duel between varga and the Harpy Queen.

The fight was a blur of steel and motion, with the queen exchanging fast blows with her opponent varga. Sparks flew as talons and blade clashed, creating a mesmerizing display of speed and agility. Both combatants dodged and weaved, their movements a testament to their skil and strength.

The Harpy Queen was a vision of elegance, her movements fluid and precise as she switched and dodged, staying airborne with a mischievous smile on her face. Her eyes blazed with intensity, but her face remained calm, as if she were merely playing a game.

Varga's blade sliced through the air, cutting and tilting in an attempt to hit the queen. But it seemed as though the queen was protected by the very air, her defenses impenetrable as she parried and riposted with ease.

The fight was a beautiful, deadly dance, with both combatants wanting for nothing less than victory.

Femi sighed.

"Well time to get back to work, unfortunately."

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