Armageddon

Part 7

Tia jumped out of the chair once the bright rays of daylight touched her crimson locks. Her bare feet tapped softly against the lush grass in the courtyard before she dived onto it. Her hands stretched out, feeling each blade of grass brush against her flesh. She rolled onto her back, inhaling the smell of the flowers as a breeze carried past her. Next, she resumed a standing position and bent backward, curving her back till she stood on her hands and feet, her stomach pointed high into the air. Her muscles balked in defiance.

The Professor sat in the chair that had carried her out and watched her with an amused expression. She ignored her onlooker and strained herself, slowly lifting her feet into the air. Her muscles screamed in protest - something she used to be able to do easily now caused exhaustion. Still, she persisted. Beads of sweat already began to form in her hairline and across her forehead. Feet now high past her head, she felt her arms give in and she fell to the ground, rolling instantly into a sitting position as though she had meant to do it.

It was then that she noticed a silent onlooker nearby. One kneeling in the emerald grass in the shadows. She looked up, meeting the gaze of the overly still assassin she had come to know. She shifted her position in the grass, tilting her head to the side and offering a bright smile. The Orc hesitated and began to approach her carefully- like she would disappear if he were to move any quicker.

"I'm feeling really sluggish, it's hard to get a good feel of what I'm capable of now." She attempted to flex her arm, catching the dark gaze in his eyes. She hesitated, looking at him closely. "Jaya, you cannot blame yourself for my injuries."

"Nothing ya say will change my mind." His deep voice vibrated through his chest.

"I have no say at all?" His gaze held hers, something distant about it. She pondered him and jumped to her feet; feeling an overwhelming determination, unlike anything she'd ever felt before. Her hair fell forward as she leaned towards him, giving him a big smile. "Well then, I hope you can keep up with me because I'm about to do some really stupid shit!"

She jumped back, trying to flip through the air. She landed on her hands, forcing her weight to continue backward. Pain lightninged through her wrists, but she pushed herself off the ground almost as instantly as she had landed. Her gaze scanned the green grass, nearly six feet below her as she sailed through the summer air. She was a lot stronger than any Human.

Jaya caught her in that instant, dragging her back to the Earth. She laughed as he pushed her down onto the ground, forcing her to sit like a child in the corner. "Ya cannot push yourself like that!" He was angry.

"I can do whatever I want," she teased, slipping out of his grasp.

"Monkey, I will tie ya to yer hospital bed." He threatened.

"Oh, don't tease me with a good time." She winked at him as she continued to evade his grasp, rolling and skating along the silky grass like a snake. Sudden exhaustion came over her body and she fell into the grass in an instant. Her eyelids heavy, she gazed up at Jaya, who knelt calmly beside her.

His worried eyes met her gaze and she smiled softly at him. "Are you alright?" He asked, picking a strand of hair out of her face.

Tia breathed in the scent of the grass, closing her eyes. The light from the sun burned through the darkness of her eyelids. "Yes, I'm just tired." She felt herself already drifting.

The Professor's voice cut through the darkness. "She pushed herself too far, and I'd bet my hat her wrists are sprained. Will you carry her to the chair there?"

"Let me lie here for a moment more, please." Tia begged; she could feel herself fading fast. No one touched her after that, and in moments she had returned to the land of the dreams.