"My eye!" The Draugr roared. "You little piece of—"
The Giant Draugr tightened its grip until Maya's shouts turned to nothing but choked cries for help.
"Do you think you have any worth to me? I can squash you whenever I want, Jezabel."
His grip on Maya intensified, shutting off Maya's cries and replacing them with the cracking of rips and gurgling of blood drowning from the corner of her mouth.
"Maya!" Val shouted. Her body flared with energy to stand, but she crumbled to her knees again again. Her lungs seized as her muscles failed.
The damn asthma she developed was getting to her now. Val wheezed uncontrollably as she clutched her throat, unable to get a single breath in.
"Hey, not now. Stand up!" Fey tried to wobble towards Val but she collapsed too over a barricade. Her one good leg was cramping. "Bad timing. Hey, Miss Handsy, do you want to let your girl be squeezed to death? If not, then do something!"
Val's eyes flickered dimly between white and amber. "What did you. Just say?" she wheezed.
"You heard me," Fey cried, seeing that Val was their best and last hope. "If you don't bust your butt some more, then she'll be paste. I've got one last trick up my sleeve, but before I can do anything, she'll be a goner." Fey pointed at the shield embedded into the ground. "Go, save her."
Val dug her bleeding fingers into the rubble and forced herself up. Pebbles and other shards buried into her bruised palms, but Val stood, barely.
Blood curled from her lips, accompanied by an angry growl. She glared at Fey, eyes turning hot white.
"I'll punish you. Later. Witch."
Val cursed, rushing towards her shield.
"Sure, sure, whatever." Fey slumped against a barrier. "Oh, I hope if we survive this that Maya will quell her mood… one way or the other—" she noticed from the corner of her eye how her creation eyed Val suspiciously and raised its sword. "Valkyrie, watch out, it-"
"Perish, fallen swan!" The Draugr's sword arced down.
The Valkyrie barrelrolled, snatching her shield as pavement exploded behind her. A wisp escaped the metal and sank through the chest window into Val. Brief revilatisation took over her, feeling her body heal before the sword slammed down on her.
Val tanked the brunt with her shield, body screaming and bones threatening to crack once more.
Her body boiled as if it was put inside an iron cauldron. The soles of her shoes tore, and her whole body screamed in agony. With each move, her options were slimming down more and more.
What should I do?
Despaire clawed at her as she saw Maya struggle against the crushing force of the Draugr.
I have to. Save. Her! Val's eyes blazed. Even if. I burn. Away.
Val felt like she was at a crossroad, willing to forgo her divinity and status of a Valkyrie if it meant to defeat that monster.
If it just meant she could save Maya.
If it was for her, she would not hesitate to put everything on the line.
The shield glowed as Val coalesced her divinity. Her eyes returned to their amber sheen, focusing it all into her shield for one last attack.
I would gladly do that and mo—
"That's a bit too hasty, don't you think?"
A raspy voice rumbled through the air. Val thought it was Fey's doing but then a mountainous hand erupted from the ground, and curled around the Draugr's arm.
The voice was coming straight from the earth.
"Need assistance?"
The enormous hand moulded from stone, mud, and asphalt tightened over the Draugr's sword arm, and pulled.
Rotten skin and green flesh tore from the sinews and ligaments, bringing the zombie Viking into a stupified stumble.
"The rest is up to you, Miss Handsy," the voice laughed as the arm disappeared back into the earth. "Love that nickname. I will remember it for later."
The Draugr staggered, struggling to realise what just happened. It then spotted Val lunging for its sword.
"No, you don't. It's mine!" It heaved up its boot. "They gave it to me!"
Val's fingertips brushed the sword just as the Draugr's foot crashed down on her. Dust riled up, followed by unnerving silence.
"Val?" Maya weakly reached out from the Draugr's grip.
A flash of light illuminated her view. The Draugr's boot was pushed back and away by Val's shield.
With a gleaming steel sword in hand and shield in the other, Val pushed the Draugr's leg away with a force of light.
A luminescent sheen enveloped her entire body, forming into a white armour, a winged helmet, and a translucent cape fluttering in the wind, and forming all over Val's body, desperately clinging to reality.
The cape reshaped around Val, releasing a pair of beautiful white and orange-tipped swan wings from her back. The Valkyrie steeled her gaze, holding a confident smile.
"Hold on, Maya." She flicked her sword to the ready position and shield up. "I'll save you now."
With a strong flap of her wings, Val aimed for the Draugr's last eye. Her sudden boost speed took it off guard, but it didn't manage to dodge entirely.
Val's sword sliced the side of its face.
Divine energy surged the wound, searing the undead's flesh and blurring its vision from fire and smoke.
Val then flew downwards, flapping her wings and keeping her flight low. In her dance around its feet, Val cut through the heavy leather boot and through the Archille's tendon.
The Giant Draugr lost its footing, struggling to swat away the pesky Valkyrie with its dwindling depth perception—thanks to Maya's discus throw.
With a heavy bash of Val's shield against its nose, the Draugr stumbled backwards towards the tunnel entrance.
"By Thor's stupid beer belly, finally!" Fey whooped, leaping from the sidelines. Slamming her hands against the concrete, she ignited her last set of runes. "This is for rebelling against me."
The runes lit up into five different circles underneath the Draugr's right foot, condensing into one larger viridian circle. Fey's eyes glowed with green mist billowing out her mouth.
"Alf Nagaz." Shoulders slouched and her voice as cold as ice. "Suffer for an eternity in Hel's darkest corners."
The ground underneath them liquified. Val dove for its neck and cut its throat, freeing the wisps and absorbing them back into her body.
Her eyes fluttered, feeling her body heal. She jumped off and headed to Maya and freed her by cutting away fingers to free her from her confines.
"Hi." Val smiled. "Need. A. Hand?"
"Yes," Maya smiled, "thank you."
Flustered, Maya took her hand and was pulled away into her arms. Wrapping her arms around Val's waist, they slowly descended until their feet touched solid ground.
But even then, they couldn't separate from their embrace.
Maya's knees buckled and she fully collapsed in Val's arms.
A gasp escaped Maya. Her ribs screamed as they were finally freed from the clutches of the Draugr. Her head fell into Val's chest, hearing her heartbeat thunder against her ear.
"Is it hot in here or is it just you?"
Maya snickered at the half-hearted attempt of the joke.
Val cocked her head at the question and just smiled.
Her armour vanished, and she collapsed into Maya's arms like a sack of potatoes, who almost fell back from the weight. It shocked Maya to touch Val's body, finding it scalding hot like a kettle.
"Val," she panicked, laying the Valkyrie down on her lap and a hand on her forehead. "You're burning up. We have to get you back and—"
"Do you think this is over!?"
It rumbled from the tunnel entrance. The booming voice of the Draugr shook the tunnel. With his mangled body, it crawled towards the girls, reaching out with his stump.
Maya shielded Val with her body.
"I'll come back," the undead cursed. "I'll crush you. I'll eat you. I'll never die! For I am—!?"
"Take a hint, will you?"
Crutch in hand, Fey hobbled into their direction. Her weary expression was all the more obvious on her slouched stance.
Haglaz," Fey put a hand to her mouth and blew a green mist into her crutch before clanging it against the ground, fissuring it and bringing the tunnel to an early collapse—burying the undead into a new cairn. "Eihwaz, never return."
Fey finally collapsed. Her clutch clattered before her. The witch was now fully and utterly out of mana.
"I'm beat," she complained with a mumble. "I could use a bath and just not come out of my apartment for a week."
Maya exhaled, cradling Val's feverish form in her arms. "We've had enough for a month. Let's go home."
‧. .ˋˏʚ♡ɞˎˊ. .‧
Content Warning: Spicy bit😳
Do not ask how Maya got herself, Val and Fey back to the apartment. Needless to say, when the girls made it back inside, they all but collapsed on the ground, piling themself on the floor.
"I'll take the first bath if there are no complaints." Fey crawled herself out of the pile first and into the bathroom. "Be done in an hour or so."
"Wha— for a whole hour!?"
Trapped under Val, all that Maya could do was watch Fey smirking and disappearing behind the curtain to the bathroom—the door was still missing from earlier incidents.
"Have fun in the meantime~" Fey called through the fabric, followed by a magical door-lock sound effect.
"No," Maya protested. "My home, my rule. You can't just—" Maya squirmed, but her freedom was pinned down under Val's dead weight on her. "Come on, Val, get off of me. The floor isn't good for—"
Val suddenly rolled atop her completely, keeping Maya pinned for good. She locked an arm around Maya's waist, and buried her cheek in Maya's chest.
Flustered, Maya tried to softly push Val away.
Then she heard purring. As if a large, orange cat just lay down on top of her.
"Val."
Maya's face reddened, she grew increasingly more flustered. Val's hands gripped Maya's back tightly.
"It's soft. Here. Warm," she purred. "I don't wanna. Let. Go."
"Val, please," Maya begged, fighting her own racing emotions. "This isn't you. Please, let go. You're being delirious again."
A ripping sound tore into Maya's ear. Under Val's grasp, Maya's acid-damaged shirt gave way. Maya yelped when Val's hands lowered under Maya's waist and picked her up, keeping her close to her overheating body.
The frenetic Valkyrie opened her eyes. A white sheen glowed in her amber irises.
"Val, what are you—"
Without listening to her protest, Val carried Maya to the bedroom.
Hip closing the door, Val deposited her gently the duvet while maintaining as much full contact as she could.
The ever-so stoic Valkyrie was turning so shameless. One hand gripped tighter on the tearing shirt while the other anchored on her thigh.
Their foreheads touched. A heated whimper escaped Maya.
"This is. Me." Val's cool, minty breath was hot. Her eyes glowed with a white halo inside of them. "Im not. Delirious."
Their foreheads separated briefly. Val's brow furrowed. A sombre expression washed over her.
"I like. You," she said. "I want. You. Maya."
"D-do you?" Maya struggled for words, shuddering from both anticipation and fear. "It's not the delirium talking?"
Val cupped Maya's cheek, gently turning her face back when she tried to hide.
"This. Is. Me," she whispered. "This state makes my feelings. Come true. To show you. What I normally. Could. Not."
"Why me?" Maya nuzzled Val's palm. "I'm nothing like you. I'm not special. Neither captivating, nor attractive." Tears welled up in Maya. Her hand found Val's cheek. "Seeing you fight like this today, getting hurt, I can't help but think I'm not good enough."
"You? Not. Good enough?" Val kissed Maya's knuckles, feeling the tears roll as well. "I worry. I'm not. Good enough… since. I don't. Understand emotions—desires."
She leaned into Maya's touch, feeling it calm herself as her eyes locked to hers.
"But with you. I don't want you away. From. Me."
Val's loose golden hair fell over her shoulder as she leaned closer to her.
"You're captivating. I can't. Take. My eyes. Off from. You smile. Your every. Being." Val couldn't hold back fiddling with the holes in Maya's shirt, making them bigger and bigger to kiss the exposed skin. "I find you. Attractive. Very. Why would you think. Otherwise?"
"Why?" Maya turned her body away from Val so she could cover her burning face. "I'm chubby. I'm fat. No one likes a woman with a body like mine."
With trembling hands, Maya lifted her over her chest to reveal her considerable paunch.
"Could you really like this?"
Val froze, dazed by Maya's sudden motion. She didn't know what to do or say from how off guard she was. Maya interpreted the hesitation in her own way.
She cried.
"I thought so. Of course, you wouldn't. No one would- Ah!"
Maya yelped as she laughed uncontrollably.
"Stop it. Stop!"
Val blew raspberries on Maya's belly, sending her into a helpless fit of laughter. She opened her lips into an O shape, brought them down on Maya's navel, and mercilessly blew at her skin again, holding her captive in her merciless pursuit.
"Please, oh gods, stop! I'm gonna pee my pants!"
Maya gasped when Val finally relented. Her ribs tingled from the treatment, but Val's soft lips made her forget the pain.
"That was awful. I hate you," she joked, barely suppressing another laugh. "What was that for?"
"To prove." Val kissed the birthmark peeking out from the side of Maya's belly, pressing her chin on Maya's side. "How much I. Like your body. You're warm. Soft. Comfy. Some days. I can't help but be. Near you. All. The. Time. Even more so. Now."
Their foreheads touched. Val exhaled a cool but feverish breath. Maya's heart paced.
"Can I. Kiss you?"
Her nod was barely perceptible before their lips met.
Val cupped Maya's head. Maya wrapped her arms around Val's neck. Neither restrained or hid their eagerness for one another.
Val's lips were chipped and bleeding, but Maya didn't mind as the sensation spread over her face and body as Val's hand went under the shirt. She pulled more on Maya's already tearing shirt and ripped another big hole into it to give Val a clearer view of her bosom, still hidden under her bra.
Her fingers tentatively reached for the hook.
They would have lost each other in the heat of the moment if Fey hadn't burst the door open, towel wrapped around her narrow waist and chest barely covered in her wet, curly hair.
"Sorry, did I interrupt? Thought you were already done. By the way, the conditioner is empty—"
"GET OUT!" The two yelled, each throwing a pillow at Fey who promptly closed the door before they could hit her.