Her Dawning Empire: The Prophecy

Chapter 71

"You want fire?" It asked and I pushed hard against its grip as it placed a large clawed hand against her face.

"I'll give you fire." It promised and then it released it's magma to which Maya screamed hauntingly.

A scream that rang through the whole village.

"Maya!" I shouted, tears welling in my eyes as I struggled against the hair that was pushing me down, but to no avail. Even its hair was too powerful for me to evade and I grit my teeth in frustration.

The Baken held her by her face, smiling widely as Maya screamed, showing its corkscrew teeth.

It happened so fast- I heard the familiar sound of warping and then Ayla was no longer pinned by hair. She reappeared behind Maya before grabbing hold of her and then disappearing. My head snapped to the right when I saw both of them reappear, tumbling to the ground. Ayla checked on Maya who was unconscious, her terrified gaze flitting to the creature whose power she had just opposed.

The baken dropped its hands to its side at this, looking to both Ayla and Maya with a small ghost of a smile. It wasn't angry or even alarmed at the interruption. Rather, it seemed elated in a way that made me wish it would have been angry. At least then, I would have known what it was thinking.

"A spatial manipulator. How delightful." It drawled, licking its blood red lips with a thin long tongue, making Ayla tense slightly.

It dropped its hair then, wading through the corpses of Chigaru before sitting its long form on the side of the well, regarding us all. I let out a sigh at the feeling of weight remove itself off my chest. Getting up, I gazed to the boys who were looking to the creature with wary looks.

"So, a noble leader; a temperamental pyromancer and a mousey spatial manipulator? Who else do we have in attendance?" It mused, its eyes flitting across to our forms and I held my breath when its gaze came on mine.

Nonetheless, no one spoke this time and the creature let out a sigh yet there was still an amused glint in its eyes.

"Oh? Silence? No matter. I quite enjoy making people talk." It muttered, gauging our reaction with milky white eyes and I internally cursed at the feel of my hand that shook on the double sword.

It smiled to itself yet again, stroking a claw against the stone wall of the well, causing pebbles to crumble to the ground. I let my eyes glance to Emut to see what the plan was, but he kept his firm gaze on the creature, glaring with such an intensity that I would have melted had it been directed to me.

The creature, however, was unfazed, raising itself to stand to its towering height. It walked leisurely towards our forms and I clenched my hands tighter against my weapon.

Suddenly, it raised its hair and I jolted on the spot as it flung it towards the side, smacking Ayla square in the stomach and making her hurtle backwards off Maya and into a wooden merchant stall.

"Ayla!" Abrax shouted, running towards her form to which the creature turned to him with a wide animalistic grin, making Abrax growl loudly.

He raised his axe as he neared, but the creature raised a papery white arm out in defence. The axe hit against it with a resounding clash as Abrax struggled, his feet pushing backwards in the sand.

The Baken raised its claws, slashing at Abrax's torso, but Abrax hardened himself in time and the claws merely bounced off, making the creature smile wider.

"How thrilling." It breathed out in a bloodthirsty tone, drooling heavily now before grabbing the axe with its bony clawed hand and flinging it away, taking Abrax with it who crashed near Ayla's form.