The ground shook, and the windows rattled.

“Feck, how big is that bastard?” Ann cursed, running to look alongside Coleen.

“Not sure, but that’s the sign it’s getting close. The scholars, Yumund specifically and annoyingly so, have been jabbering about it nonstop since we got here,” Coleen explained.

“So we’ve got a fuck knows how big Warped that can shake the ground bearing down on us and why the hell are we not running?” Ann asked, incredulous.

“Aye, point taken. Everyone we’re movin’ out! Double time so we don’t get got!”

The scholars buzzed as they were ushered up from the spot on the floor they’d dropped to. A nervous energy filled them, and they crowded the door as Kat held it open for the first.

“Thankfully, the shelves hold,” Lucia grunted to Ann.

“Yeah, don’t want to deal with the Guardian and all those zombies,” Ann nodded.

“Zombies? What’s that word?”

“Oh, sorry, I’m from up north. We have some weird names for things. Walking corpses were zombies,” Ann explained.

“Huh. Would have just called them dead ones. Like that better,” Lucia nodded.

“Got more where that came from,” Ann grinned, trying to keep up the more friendly conversation. “Kat, Rosalyn and Bren have been around me enough that they mostly stopped questioning it. Or, at least, Kat and Rosalyn have. Bren will make my ears bleed with questions if I let him.”

“Sounds like a smart man,” Lucia said, casting a glance over to where Bren was helping people through the door. “He’s… interesting.”

“Yeah, if you like books and research,” Ann scoffed. “Or history. Dude really likes his history. He’s fascinated by this place.”

“Why this place?” Lucia asked. As she did, her gaze went unfocused and then snapped back.

“Hey, you sure you’re good?” Ann asked, her brows knit in concern as she put a stabilizing hand on Lucia’s shoulder. “Think you just passed out for a second there.”

“May be worse than I thought,” Lucia admitted. “Not much sleep. Two days awake so far. Only short nap.”

“Shit, yeah, you need to get out of here as much as those researchers. You stick back, take easy shots. I’ll handle the rest, ok?”

Lucia nodded, slapping her cheeks in an attempt to raise her alertness.

They filed out behind the last of the researchers. The shelves in the store were still holding thanks to the zombies, not having the best pushing strength, and being limited in space.

Once they got out onto the main thoroughfare, a new problem arose. The birds were back, and they weren’t just firing shit.

“FECKIN’ RUN!” Kat bellowed as a massive shape hit the ground near the researchers.

It was easily ten feet tall and its wingspan double that. Maybe triple. The closest thing Ann’s horrified brain could come up with was that it looked like a harpy, but instead of the hot monster girl, it was way more bird. It was covered in grey and white feathers. Its body was vaguely humanoid, with wings where its arms should have been. Scaly bird feet replaced the lower legs, and talons clicked on the pavement. It let out a loud coo as its pigeon head slammed down and crushed a researcher in an instant. Gore sprayed over the black ground as it pecked again, ending any hope of saving the woman. It raised its head and stared at them with beady, black eyes. Ann knew pigeons were smarter than they were often perceived, and she prayed that wasn’t the case for these things.

She screamed and ran toward the one that had just landed, slamming her fist into its stomach. As she did, an impact hit it higher up, followed half a second later by the loud crack of a rifle. It staggered, made a weird noise that she was pretty sure a pigeon didn’t make, and leapt away to fly back up into the flock that had gathered.

“You have gun. Use it!” Lucia yelled, taking aim at another bird that was falling toward the crowd.

Ann kicked herself for forgetting her revolver and drew it. Seeing no point in holding back, she fired a smite infused bullet into the diving mess of feathers. It hit and smoking feathers exploded from the impact.

The diving harpy was knocked off course and hit to the side of the researchers. As they ran by, it scrambled to its feet and gave chase, clucking and cooing.

“At least they’re light!” Ann yelled over the chaos to Lucia as they ran.

“Have to be to fly,” the woman shouted back, stopping momentarily to knock another off course before running to catch up.

“Still, would have thought, cause they’re so big,” Ann panted, firing two more shots into a third bird, then dodging a splash of acid.

Lucia didn’t respond, but Ann couldn’t blame her. She was busy hitting every target in sight. A flash of lightning from ahead showed Rosalyn doing her best with what she had. The druid didn’t have a true projectile spell yet, so had to use her limited Storm charges on only the most dangerous targets.

The researchers were on the verge of panic. Ann saw the wide eyes and panicked expressions as they ran. Bren was doing his damndest to keep them from bolting uncontrollably, but there was only so much blood they could see before they’d break. This was bad. Really bad.

“The fuck are they still following us?” Ann yelled. “We should be out of their territory!”

“How should I know?” Lucia complained, fear clear in her eyes.

“Gods damnit, if we’re crossing this street,” Ann looked at the roofs and saw them. They were all fucking watching. The raccoon freaks. “Watch the roofs! More incoming!” she bellowed to the front.

She heard Kat shout something, but it was swallowed by the report of Lucia’s rifle. Her ears rang as she shot another bird, then fell back and worked to reload the revolver as fast as possible.

Lucia let out a bellow as one of the raccoon things launched itself at her. It clipped her shoulder, sending her spinning.

Ann ducked another shit projectile and grabbed hold of Lucia’s bandoleer and stabilised her. The Thrundol nodded her thanks and returned to dealing out death and injury with every shot.

Ann turned, grabbed hold of the flab on one of the raccoons, and hit it as hard as she could. A smite flowed through the purple enchantments on the gauntlet and fried the thing’s face with a satisfying crunch and sizzle. Ann grinned madly. It felt good to hit something again and despite the desperate situation, she felt alive.

She rolled to the side, more acid sailing over her, then popped up into a run and kicked hard into a harpy’s leg. Feeling that limb bend and almost break was frustrating, but she was forced to dodge back by a pecking beak before she could finish the job.

A raccoon stumbled at her, but it was far too slow now that it had landed. She ducked to the left, feeling the clawed hand grasping along her shoulder armour, then kicked its leg out from under it. Once it was on the ground, she extended her claws and rammed them into the thing’s chest. It hit bone. The ribs snapped under the force, then her arm plunged elbow deep into the thing.

She pulled back, retching as the Warped squirmed on the ground. She couldn’t focus on it, but she knew the blow wasn’t fatal, and could see the flesh inside the thing wriggling to fill the hole she’d just made.

Another bird landed hard next to her, knocking her balance off as the Guardian let out another roar from the distance. She couldn’t even give the thing any attention as she desperately hit the broad side of the harpy’s beak as it tried to peck her. She felt her fist, even through the excellent gauntlet, ache with the combined impact of the harpy’s peck and her own punch. Thank the gods, when she spun around after over committing to the hit, she saw a crack running down the shiny keratin of the beak.

Ann laughed. Even covered in gore and surrounded by hell itself, she laughed. She needed to laugh. Otherwise, she’d freak the fuck out.

Ann could see Lucia giving her a concerned glance, but still kept up her fire.

Ann danced back, paws feeling light as she moved. She remembered Remmi’s lessons, sticking when she twisted her whole body to punch, lowering her centre of gravity to better leverage her unique body. Once the hit landed, or whiffed horribly, she sprung up and skipped away. As she fought, she remembered her fight with Kearan and noticed she’d started doing similar. It felt good. Maybe Remmi was steering her toward this style? Who knew, but she loved it.

Her major departure was in her claws. Oh, those things were the best for tearing into Warped. She fell on a raccoon that Lucia had crippled and savagely ripped at its throat. It gurgled as black blood poured from the wound. Some spurted into her mouth, past the snarling muzzle of her faceplate. She tore the thing off for a moment to spit the foul liquid onto the street. At least she wasn’t having to bite the damn things anymore.

No, she was fighting. She had to get out of here and drag her friends and these researchers with her. No time for thinking about anything else.

There was just the fight.

The crunch of bone on metal as she slammed her fist into another raccoon’s knee, crippling it.

Fight and live.

Ignoring that street corner that looked vaguely like the one her dad had bought her first ice cream cone on when she was three.

Keep fighting.

Don’t worry about the almost familiar shop signs she passed. Push the memories of her mom down.

Don’t die.

Keep moving.

Survive.

You have to.

Ann killed another warped, clawed gauntlet coming back black as she pulled it away. She heard a voice.

“Fighter!”

She ignored it. Another harpy had landed next to her, and she dodged away, backpedaling until it pecked down at her, then leapt forward and drove a smite enhanced fist into the side of its head. The thing reeled and screeched as it took flight once more.

“Warrior!”

The voice was more insistent, someone behind her. If they had time to yell, they had time to run. Two raccoons this time. Five feet of blubber and claws as they hissed. One bit into her side as she failed to avoid them. She let out a cry as she ripped free, feeling blood dripping inside her armour. The other one got stuck on her gauntlet. Instead of pulling back, she pushed forward, choking it and burned its throat with another smite.

“ANNITA!” the voice roared before a green hand landed on her shoulder.

She spun to whoever was yelling at her and found Lucia. The exhausted Thrundol gave her a terrified look and then gestured over her shoulder. “They’re out. They’re safe. We leave. Now!”

Ann nodded, clearing her head, and ran. She ran as hard as she could alongside Lucia. She had lost herself in the fight. Kat would be giving her a scolding for that. Not that it mattered in the long run. She’d done her job. Her stomach turned as she avoided the broken, bleeding corpse of a researcher as they reached the barrier.

Then she was in that nauseating in between. She felt what was left of her dinner coming back up and she hurled. Tired, confused, scared, she knelt in the emptiness and retched until nothing else came up. Groaning, she wiped her mouth with her shoulder length leather glove and moved on.

The world exploded around her as she exited the Seed. People were running everywhere. A series of tents had been set up and people raced between them. She looked around, still feeling dizzy and nauseous.

“There she is! Kat! Kat!” A high-pitched yell came out from her left. Rosalyn was the most beautiful sight in the world, and Ann sank to her knees as she drew near.

Ann shook, adrenaline starting to leave her system. Her body trembled like a leaf as she was embraced. Rosalyn pulled her close, face firmly in her soft chest as she said comforting words. Ann felt tears. She sniffled and realised she was crying. Fuck.

Kat was next. She was battered, new dents in her armour and a nasty looking cut on her forehead. She ignored all of this and fell to her knees as well, joining Rosalyn in the hug.

“You bitch,” Rosalyn cursed, her voice weak and shaking too. “We were so scared.”

Kat just nodded, not having anything else to add.

“I’m sorry. I just… I think…” another wave of sobs cut Ann’s words off as she clung to her lovers. “So scared,” she managed between bouts. “It was… it was all so real… and not. I just couldn’t. Couldn’t stop. Had to keep going.”

“Feck, Ann,” Kat crooned. “I’m sorry. Didn’t know it’d hit ye this hard.”

“I… neither did I. Then, just, it all did, and it was when we were running and I just lost it.”

“Was it the city?” Rosalyn asked, removing the wolf faceplate she’d ignored when she’d hugged Ann earlier. “You said it was like home, right?”

Bren came over, kneeling with all of them. He didn’t hug, but placed a firm and comforting hand on Ann’s shoulder. She felt healing immediately begin pulsing through her. Gods. She appreciated the hell out of that man.

“Yeah. I think it was. Old memories. There was…” she cut off as she suppressed another urge to weep. “A corner. Looked like the place my dad got me my first ice cream. Good memory. I loved that day. Having that with all the rest? I just broke.” Her lip trembled as she hugged Rosalyn again.

The druid made shushing noises, removing Ann’s helmet and stroking her hair. “It’ll be ok. Shhh. You’re out. You’re safe.”

They all stayed like that for some time. Eventually, Ann got some control of her emotions. Or maybe she just ran out of them. She sniffled, wiped her nose of the really disgusting amount of snot, and sat up with a deep breath.

“I’m really hungry,” she said with a weak laugh.

“As am I,” Bren laughed, a kindly smile on his face that lit up his eyes. “Come, the support team is taking care of things now. They have a tent for us.”

Ann stood and noticed Lucia was standing not far away. The Thrundol was watching them, a curious look on her face. She approached as Ann was helped by Kat and Rosalyn, stopping just in front of them.

“Annita,” she started. Ann was definitely paying attention now that the riflewoman had used her name. “I… how to say this thing? Misjudged you. You’re a true fighter.”

“Uh, thanks,” Ann nodded back. “You too? I’m sorry, I think I’m about as tired as you are right now, so words aren’t really happening for me.”

“Funny, when so many are said,” Lucia chuckled. Then she turned to Bren.

To everyone’s shock, she knelt. “Is important I say this. Can’t wait. I owe you a life debt, Bren Hedera.”

Bren stood there, looking stunned. His eyes flicked up to the other three, who gave him unhelpful shrugs, and then back to Lucia.

“I, um,” he faltered, “I don’t think that is necessary.”

“It is,” Lucia insisted. “Saved my life. Saved lives of everyone in building. Would have been dead without the shields. Owe you much and more.”

“Lucia, I know what a life debt means to the Thrundol,” Bren said, kneeling to match her, which seemed to annoy Lucia. “I do not think you should make this decision when you are about to topple over with exhaustion.”

“Will be the same when I’ve rested,” Lucia stated defiantly. Those green eyes were fixed on Bren with an unwavering determination. “I give myself. My life to you. Until the debt is fulfilled. I swear this oath.”

“I do not accept it. I will not accept it,” Bren protested, standing and gesturing. “Lucia, this is absurd. It is an old tradition. No one observes it anymore. For good reason, as well. So many Thrundol in life debts were taken advantage of by callous and heinous individuals. Do not throw around your allegiance so lightly.”

“You think I’m stupid?” Lucia growled, standing to her full height, just over Bren. “I know what I do. I know what you did for me. Seen you with others. Seen who you associate with. I approve. I see no risk to this pact. Accept it, Bren Hedera.”

“I…” Bren faltered in the face of her argument. “I swear to Bryltia, how in the hells is this happening?” He paced, flustered, hands in his hair as he wracked his brain.

Ann watched, confused at what the fuck was happening. She knew about life debts from stories, and how they were pretty important oaths. Bren was acting like this was way more important than that, though.

“I will not relent,” Lucia said, sincerity filling her voice. “I choose this. Accept. Please.” The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel fire.net

“Blast it all, fine,” Bren said, extending his hand.

Lucia grasped his forearm, and they stared into each other’s eyes.

“I swear a life debt to you, Bren Hedera. Bryltia as witness, I will be yours to command until our debt is settled.”

“I, Bren Hedera, accept this life debt. With Bryltia as my witness, I will only direct you with honour and humility.”

A green light glowed on Lucia’s arm. The pattern of vines crept up her skin, then jumped to Bren’s. A flash of light, and a dark green tattoo of the pattern, complete with leaves, was etched into both their skin.

“Thank you,” Lucia said softly, bowing. “This was right.”

“I sure hope so,” Bren said, turning his arm to inspect the design.

Lucia turned to the rest of them, giving a small bow. “Rosalyn. Need to apologise as well. Was, am, exhausted. Temper flared at talking. I will go fix that now. Will find you all when ready.” With that, she wandered off into the camp, staggering slightly.

Bren gave them an exasperated look and ran off after her.

“Ok, so what the fuck just happened?” Ann asked.