Chapter 35: Exhausted Desperation

Note: Thanks to WRC 264 for beta reading this!

Zanyia

Ealaín hit the ground hard, struck by the weighted end of Keythivak’s chain. The aoi si lay in a dark heap by the fire, her sword lying before her, arm spilled out reaching for her weapon. She didn’t move. Red stained her pure-white hair.

I hissed as I threw off my blankets. I had to get into the fight. Hithina wrestled with Ava. The lamia bitch had her thighs wrapped around the princess’s alabaster body, her claws scratching at the pretty face, marring the perfection of Ava’s sculpture.

I crouched low, my limbs trembling. A wash of dizzy darkness spills across my vision as a deep chill shivers through my body. My tail twitched hard. I had to focus. I couldn’t afford to be distracted and weakened. Stupid poison.

I hissed and threw myself at Hithina.

Her head snapped around, baleful eyes glaring at me. Then she jumped away. I gasped moments before crashing into Princess Ava. She cried out in shock as I smacked into her naked breasts. Though they felt as soft as real flesh, she was still made of the alabaster. I bounced off hard, my head ringing. I hit the ground on my back, yowling.

“Zanyia!” the princess gasped.

“Slimy naga scales!” I hissed, the world spinning around me.

“Whoops,” Hithina hissed. “Did you bump your head, little kitten?”

I yowled at her and rolled over onto my hands and knees. I crouched, my tail swishing back and forth as I glared at her. She licked her lips, her ears twitching. Then, with a hiss, we sprang at each other. We crashed together.

We hit the ground and rolled. The world flipped around me as we snarled at each other. I struggled to get my claws into her flesh while fending off her gleaming nails. I remembered the burning, flesh-devouring pain of her poison.

I wouldn’t get scratched again.

But the chemical in me...

Darkness washed across my vision. I shuddered, rolling across the ground. Ava gasped, chasing after us, her hands darting in, trying to help me. We bumped into her feet and bounced off as the world spun around me.

My stomach heaved.

My body shook.

“So weak, little kitten,” Hithina snarled as I ended up on my back. She leaned over me, her hands pinning mine over my head. Our breasts pressed together as she licked her lips. Hissing, she bared her fangs.

My exposed throat quivered.

Sven Falk

I dove to grab my short sword. I snatched it up and grabbed my weapon. The world spun around me as I gained my feet. I swayed, fighting against the dizziness. My stomach churned. The acid burned at my throat. Chills rippled across my flesh.

“Las’s putrid cum!” I growled as I staggered around and—

I raised my sword, smacking the hissing chain out of the air. It hit the ground at my feet as the assassin darted in, swinging the sickle at my face. I backpedaled, swinging my blade before me, knocking back his blade.

“How long can you fight?” the assassin asked, the blade whipping at me from my right. I didn’t answer, focusing all my will on fighting. I couldn’t relent. I had the skill to be beat him. Desperation pushed me through me exhaustion.

“How long before you collapse?”

I parried the chain then blocked a swipe from his sickle. Zanyia yowled in the background, Ava screaming out her name. I backed up, leading the assassin from the fire, from Kora twitching and shuddering.

I had to keep fighting.

“Do you feel the styrchnos weighing down your limbs?” A deadly smile crossed the assassin’s limbs. “Robbing you of all your strength. How does it feel knowing you are growing weaker and weaker with every moment? That it’s only a matter of time before you collapse.”

Sparks exploded from our weapons as I blocked his sickle. I took another swaying step back. Cold sweat poured off my body.

“You’re shaking. You’re barely standing, Sven. When you collapse, I’m going to kill all your women one by one.” Such pleasure filled his voice. “You’ll lie there, helpless to do anything, shaking, wracked by the poison.”

Anger boiled through me.

My left hand darted down as I lunged forward, thrusting my blade at his guts. He swung the chain around in a sweeping, looping arc. It slammed into my sword, knocking my blade downward. He raised his sickle to slash at my face.

I hurled my throwing dagger.

He flinched back as my knife hurtled at his face. The assassin ducked his wiry body low. The thrown blade hissed over his head. Anger spilled across his features as I recovered from his parry and stabbed my shorts sword at his chest, screaming out my fury. The weakness melted away as the rage powered my limbs.

His left hand moved with blurring speed despite his wound. He grabbed a pouch off his belt and threw it at my face. I reacted. I tried to stop my thrust, but my momentum carried me forward. The bag stuck my face. A dark powder burst around it and—

Itching, burning, aching pain seared my eyes. I reeled back. The world vanished into darkness. I couldn’t see. Dizziness spun me around. I tottered and groaned, the poison surging through me as my eyes wept. I cried out at the agony stabbing into my brain.

The feyhound growled as I fell to my knees, dropping my short sword. I rubbed at my eyes, feeling the powdery grit staining my orbs, melting them. I screamed as the pain burned deeper into my mind.

Aingeal

I had to get up. I had to help my family fight. But ... I just felt so weak. My eyes wouldn’t open. I shivered beneath my blankets, my wings twitching. I felt Scáthnamhaid lying near me, whining and whimpering. He didn’t know what to do. He was newly born, only created by me three days ago.

When I was still strong.

Metal clash and rang.

Zanyia and another cat girl hissed.

“No, no!” Princess Ava cried out, the heavy footsteps of her proxy thudding through the ground. I just couldn’t open my eyelids. They were so heavy. I didn’t have the strength. My blankets strangled me. I needed to help Sven fight. He needed me. My husband was in danger. Fear clawed at my guts, but the poison...

The poison shook my limbs.

My entire body trembled. This insidious toxin had spread through sex. It settled inside of us. My spirits couldn’t root it out. Kora’s magic couldn’t heal it. It was foul and loathsome substance. I needed to get up. Sven needed my spirits and—

Sven screamed in utter pain.

The heart-rending agony shot through my body. It galvanized me. My feyhound reacted, sensing my pain. He growled and charged from my side. With a whimpering screech, I wrenched open my eyelids. I threw them up and saw the world. The fire burned to my right. Sven screamed to my left.

He knelt clawing at his face smeared in a reddish-black powder. He rubbed at his eyes as he howled in agony. He stood oblivious to the assassin striding to him, raising a curved sickle. Its edge glinted in the dancing firelight, reflecting orange and red, promising death to my husband.

My feyhound bounded closer. With a flick of the chain, the assassin sent the weighted end at Scáthnamhaid. It struck him hard. He whimpered as he flew back and sprawled on the ground, wicker legs twitching.

The assassin turned his attention back to my husband.

“NO!” The scream burst out of my throat.

Desperation cut through my exhaustion. I threw off the blankets and gained my feet ... No sickness, no cursed poison, would keep me from saving my husband. He rescued me from Queen Sidhe’s prison. I would save him now. I reached out to all the spirits in the world. They surged around me, responding to my will.

“SAVE HIM!” I screeched, voice hoarse and dry. “HEAL MY HUSBAND!”

Purple light exploded from me as the spirits responded. Evocation and enhancement spirits streaked out at the assassin. He whirled around, gasped, and reached out with his own will. He seized blue abjuration spirits out of the world, forming a haphazard shield before my onslaught. My spirits crashed into his defenses.