The Adapters: Army of Death (Pt 10)

This story is not directly related to the prompt.

People featured:

Varsha as Varsha

Jose as Luke

Palak as Palak

Ivy as Zoe

Felicity as Felicity

Anamy as Wish

CJ as Rainhart

Sia as Sia

Luna as Liz

Amethyst as Cirah

Celeste as Celeste

Ethan as Ethan

Danny as Scarlett

Celeste's character as Draco

Kayla as Nina

Wolfie as Treasure

Bucky as Achlys

“TREASURE!” shouted Luke, rushing to her side, blood staining her silver fur. 

I lunged for Nainika before she could go after Luke, sinking my claws into her flesh.

“Stay out of this!” hissed Nainika, tears glistening in her green eyes. 

I lifted my hands, trying to conjure the one element that a panther cannot withstand. Fire licked my fingertips, its orange and yellow flame bringing fear into Nainika’s eyes. I touched my hand to the floor, a circle of fire surrounding Nainika. She backed up, her ears perked, every step a signal of liquid grace that now failed her. She stared at me, a flurry of emotions flooding her face. “I never meant to kill her,” she choked out. “But this war… it’s done nothing but torn us apart. Siblings against siblings. Friends against friends.”

I hesitated, my hands lowering, the flames slowly dying out. 

I let the fire disperse as Nainika stared at me in shock, then ran off, her silky black tail disappearing behind her. 

I rushed to Treasure’s side, her chest slowly rising and falling as Luke frantically tried to staunch the blood flow. Varsha rushes forward, caressing Treasure’s silver fur. 

“Thank you.” Varsha whispers, tears flowing down her cheek. 

Treasure looks up at her, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. 

“I couldn’t… do it.” said Treasure, each word taking more and more effort.

“I know,” said Varsha. “I know.”

“Maybe we can still get her to Zoe and Felicity,” said Luke frantically. “Maybe they can help her. Maybe it’s not too late…”

“No,” mumbled Treasure. “It’s… no use. I’m sorry Luke… for everything.”

“No,” said Luke. “No, no, no! Don’t give up on me! Please!”

“There’s... nothing else... that can be done.”

I stayed silent, not wanting to intrude on this precious moment, when Treasure turned to me.

“He’s coming, Harper. He’s coming... after you. He has something... you don’t know about.”

“What is it?” I asked anxiously.

“He can…” she gasped, the last wisps of her life flowing away. Her body went limp as her last breath was drawn.

“No!” shouted Luke. “No, it can’t end like this! Treasure!”

Varsha placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder as he shuddered in his hands, smearing Treasure’s blood on his face.

I saw a flash of brown, and next thing I knew, I was knocked to the ground by a small girl with kinky dark brown hair and caramel colored skin. Her snake tongue flickered in and out while her brown eyes seethed with rage.

“You killed him!” she shrieked, raising the dagger in her hand. “I loved him, and you killed him!” She plunged the dagger down, and I dodged right, barely missing the blade. She raised her dagger again when Varsha pulled her off. The girl thrashed in Varsha’s hand and thrust her dagger into Varsha’s side. Luke cried out as he thrust a knife at the girl, piercing her skull. Luke rushed to Varsha’s side, the blood spilling from her body.

“NO!” shouted Luke. “Not you too! Varsha, speak to me, say something, please!”

I stared at the limp and lifeless body in Luke’s hands, guilt surging through me.

“No…” whispered Luke, pulling Varsha close to her.

“I can… take her to Zoe. To…” I hesitated.

Luke nodded. “I’ll make sure her grave is special.” He looked at Treasure’s dead body. “Treasure’s too.”

I nodded, then got up. “Need help?” 

“No,” said Luke. “I got it. And I need some time alone….”

I nodded, then raised my wings. I flew back to Zoe and Felicity’s cave, which they have turned into their makeshift hospital.

Zoe and Felicity rushed around tending to the wounded, dark circles forming under their eyes.

“Luke will be here with two more… casualties,” I told Zoe.

“Oh no… thanks for letting me know.” She continued to work with a patient who’s elbow was facing the wrong way.

“Where’s Celeste?” I asked.

Zoe pointed to a small corner in the cave. I walked over to Celeste, noticing the bandages wrapped around her torso. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, and she held a small bundle of brown fur in her hands.

“Palak, she was my best friend,” whispered Celeste. “She was always smiling, always cheering me up.” Celeste glanced back up at me. “She would always say that my best feature was my wings, because it showed the brightness inside of me. And now, even those are taken away…”

She choked down a sob as I consoled her, her purple hair dull, her antennas drooping.

“I’d like some alone time, if that’s okay,” said Celeste, fiddling with her celestine necklace.

I nodded, then made my way across the cave. I went back to where Ethan last was and found Zoe talking to him. Ethan laughed at something she said, and I felt a pang of jealousy. I was about to walk away when Ethan noticed me and waved me over.

“Harper!” he said. Zoe left, eyeing me as she grabbed more bandages.

“How’s the injuries?” I asked.

“Good. Zoe just put on a little of her magic healing feathers, works wonders.”

“That’s good…” I said. 

“Harper… is the battle over?”

I shook my head. “People are still out there fighting.”

Ethan sighed. “I wish I could go back out there and help. I already tried sneaking out once, but Felicity caught me and ordered me back.”

“Well, you are injured.” 

“It’s just a little cut.”

I sighed. “... I’m going back out there.”

Ethan’s smile dropped from his lips. “No.”

“I have to, Ethan. I can’t sit here and watch others fight while I sit here and do nothing.”

“It’s already risky enough you being out there once! You would’ve gotten killed if it wasn’t for me! Without you, Harper, there is no more war. Azazel almost wiped us out last time we went without an All-Beast.”

“Well how important am I to the war sitting here and doing nothing?!”

“You’re a lot safer here than out there!

“I can fend for myself, Ethan! I’m going out there, and there’s nothing you can do about it.” 

I turned to leave when Ethan grasped my wrist, his eyes pleading. “Please, Harper. Don’t go.”

“I have to,” I whispered as I thrust my hand from him and turned before I could see the hurt look in his eyes.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

I flew through the field and noticed Liz and Cirah standing back to back against a group of bird-like people. Cirah slashed at anyone who came too close, her usual white arctic fur stained with blood. Her fox ears were perked up, listening for any unusual sounds, shifting her metal leg. Liz had her bow raised, letting arrow after arrow fly at the winged people. One of them lunged towards Liz and knocked her to the ground before she could take a shot. Cirah stabbed the person and shoved it off of Lily as someone else shot towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders and lifting her in the air. Liz raised her bow, then hesitated, not wanting to accidentally shoot Cirah. She noticed me flying in the distance, her bright blue eyes gazing into mine. I nodded my head and flew up towards Cirah, opening my talons. I scratched at the person’s wings, causing them to lose their balance and drop Cirah. I dived down and grabbed her by the arms, carrying her away from the bird group. Liz followed behind, shooting anyone who came too close. I dropped Cirah off behind a rock formation, then flew back to Liz. Sia flew in and grabbed Liz, her blue streaked hair flowing in the wind.

“Thanks!” I shouted at Sia. She smiled and nodded at me before going behind the rock formation I had left Cirah.

Rainhart leaped out from nowhere and pounced on some of the people who were following me and Sia, the orange and black fur on her back gleaming with sweat. Her usually grey eyes were yellow with anger as she took off her shoe and smacked the downed person.

“No manners!” she exclaimed. “No manners at all! Your madre should have taught you better.” The person cried out in pain as I landed in front of her. 

“You must’ve been hitting that person pretty hard if they were crying out like that.”

Rainhart lifted her shoe, revealing the hidden spikes underneath. “This helps a bit too.”

I smiled. “Remind me not to mess with you.”

“Gladly,” she said, putting the shoe back on her foot. 

Wish flew in beside Rainhart, her hijab flapping in the wind.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, rubbing her eyes. “I was supposed to be doing the night scouting, but they called for backup when the Predators attacked.”

“At least you’re here now,” I said reassuringly. We all flew back to the center field, where the fighting had not ceased. Blood stained the ground, bodies littered the floor. I recognized so many faces on the ground. I landed next to Sia, who had just finished striking down a leopard. She glanced down the field and raised her eyebrows at me.

“Your boyfriend’s here,” she said teasingly.

“What? He is? I mean, he’s not…”

Ethan came up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. 

“Hey Harper! Finally convinced Felicity and Zoe to let me back into the battlefield.”

I nodded, too preoccupied with something else. I was feeling strange vibrations on the ground, and Ethan sensed my uneasiness.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m… not sure. But something is coming, and it’s not good.”

I flew up into the sky for a better view, and my blood ran cold as I saw a large army marching towards us with Azazel in the lead.