The Champion's Exam (On Hold Until Further Notice)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Nira clenched her jaw, anger bubbling in her stomach as she pushed her shoulder against the trunk. Her hands slipped up the side of the bark, piercing her palms. She yelped in pain as she retracted her hands and looked at the splinters in her hand. Her eyes were pricked with tears. 

'My apologies, I thought you were a Figlias.' Nira heard the thought suddenly. She didn't understand why she had, but it was the only thing she could think about.

"Nira! You gotta keep going!" Waldo snapped, using his shoulders to push against the log also.

Zakora grunted in defeat, punching the ground. "Leave me! This thing will move it for me, I'll retreat then!" Zakora exclaimed.

"Don't be stupid! We're lifting this stupid tree!" Waldo countered.

Nira jumped over the tree, standing between them and the Babbos, arms outstretched, exposing herself to the approaching threat.

Nira's chest heaved as she watched the Babbos continue to approach her. She could feel herself becoming lightheaded by how quickly she was breathing. Why had she jumped in front of the tree? What was she expecting to happen? The sound of Waldo demanding she come back, unable to reach her without leaving Zakora, was drowned out by her heartbeat thumping in her ears.

The Babbos continued to march towards them, armed with the small tree, with the intention to smash them all. Out of anger, out of pain, out of distress.

Nira could see past the web of cracks, through the intimidating nature of the protector, and noticed sadness, grief manifesting in the form of anger.

But where she saw it, she couldn't quite say.

Nira closed her eyes, allowing herself to start sobbing out of fear, as she squealed, "Babbos!" Her weeping took the Babbos off guard, stopping meters from them. Nira spluttered, tears streaming down her face as she repeated the creature's name like she had heard the Figlias call before. "Babbos, Babbos, Babbos..." Nira continued to cry as she called its name repeatedly, pleading with it, as she forced her arms to stay outstretched, attempting to defend her friends in any way she could.

The Babbos approached slower, little steps, dropping the tree, and standing closer to Nira. Nira closed her eyes, unable to voice its name anymore as she continued to cry.

She felt something cold on her head, a gentle touch brushing against her hair. Surprised, she opened her eyes. The rough metal of the Babbos' hand was freezing against her skin as the Babbos attempted a tender touch, a thumb clearing away some hair and a tear. The protector's fatherly touch took Nira off guard, slowly dropping her arms and hugging her arms, the Babbos made a small growl. Nira uncrossed her arms and heaved a sigh, 'I am a Figlias...' she thought, 'I am a Figlias... I am a Figlias...'

She sniffed, holding her arms out to it, "Babbos." Her voice was more level now, but she could still feel her heartbeat throbbing in her eardrums.

Zakora and Waldo stayed silent. Despite the pain in his leg, Zakora didn't make a sound and remained still. The Babbos seemed to be deciding whether Nira was an unattended Figlias.

Nira sniffed again, wiping her eyes, managing to calm down as she stared at her shattered reflection on the cracked glass. She wondered what laid behind that helmet, and, perhaps worse, if she wanted to know.

The forest fell silent, the air froze as she stayed with her arms outstretched and her eyes unblinking, barely whispering the creature's name.

The Babbos' shoulder creaked as he stretched his arm forwards, resting the back of his hand flat on the ground, waiting for Nira to climb onto it. Nira gulped but obeyed, stepping onto the protector's hand, climbing up its arm and nestling in the strange nook on its back. She rested her feet into strange footholds and naturally placed her hands on conveniently placed handles on both shoulders. The Babbos rose carefully to its feet, its joints and movements moving robotically, as it turned around and made its way to the tree line, disregarding the Figlias corpse.