LYRIAN AND REONE
"Transform!"
Lyrian's voice rang through the clearing, her form lighting up in a flurry of blue and silver. Resonance pulsed around her like waves of sound.
Reone crouched low, his muscles tight with anticipation, ready for anything. His eyes locked on the enormous serpent gliding just a few meters away. Its scales shimmered in deep shades of green and black, catching every beam of light. It was both mesmerizing and terrifying — a creature that radiated majestic power.
A low hiss from the serpent trembled through the air, like a warning.
"Don't move. It might go away," Reone said in a low voice.
"Okay," Lyrian whispered.
Without warning, the huge serpent opened its jaws and spat a jet of liquid at them. They dodged, and the liquid hit the rocks behind them. It sizzled against the stone, eating through moss and rock alike.
Reone's eyes widened in alarm. "What the hell—?"
"We need to find cover!" Lyrian shouted. She grabbed Reone's arm, dragging him behind a huge boulder just before another acidic spurt hit them. She silently hoped the boulder could withstand the Noxshade's attack.
Hiding, they coughed as noxious fumes curled around them.
"What the hell is that thing?" Reone croaked.
"Seren once told me about it. It's a Noxshade… a rare guardian species."
The creature coiled above the pool, its movements almost hypnotic. Even through the tension, Lyrian could sense the resonance of its magic — ancient, harmonious, perfectly balanced. Its energy pulsed like a steady rhythm beneath the chaos.
"They regulate the forest's energy," she said softly, almost in awe. "Their presence keeps everything peaceful — including other creatures. That's probably why this place is so calm despite being the habitat of the most dangerous magical creatures. The Noxshade maintains it."
Reone raised a brow. "Well, it's being really peaceful right now," he muttered.
"It's not normally violent," Lyrian explained. "Unless someone enters its territory…" Her voice trailed off as realization hit. "Reone, I think we're trespassing."
"How unfortunate," Reone said, tightening his grip on his weapon. "Guess we'll have to take it down."
Lyrian's head snapped toward him. "No! We can't. If we hurt it, the balance of this forest could collapse. Everything living here would be thrown into chaos."
Before Reone could reply, the Noxshade struck again — a blur of motion and color. Lyrian raised her hand, forming a shield just in time. The acid splashed harmlessly across the shimmering barrier, leaving trails of sizzling smoke.
"Looks like we don't have a choice!" Reone shouted, springing from cover. He hurled his Spiral. It sliced through the air, but the Noxshade twisted, impossibly quick. The Spiral missed its head and disappeared into the mist. Then, like a boomerang, the weapon curved back, glowing faintly, and struck the creature from behind. The Noxshade roared in pain, rearing up.
"I think I found its weak spot!" Reone shouted as he caught his weapon mid-air.
"Go for the back of the head—"
"No!" Lyrian cried. "We can't kill it!"
The creature recovered, looking weaker but angrier. Reone barely rolled aside, a spurt of acid narrowly missing him. Thinking on his feet, he activated the pulse watch on his wrist, sending a burst of electric energy into its flank. The Noxshade spasmed, hissing in confusion.
"Now's my chance," Reone thought. He got to his feet and substituted his Spiral for his sword, then charged.
But before he could deliver the final blow, Lyrian darted between them.
"Stop!"
Reone froze mid-swing, his blade inches from her.
"Lyrian, what—what are you doing?" he barked, confused.
"I'm not letting you hurt it!"
At that moment, the Noxshade recovered, looming over them menacingly. Reone swore under his breath. "Uh-oh…"
Lyrian lifted both her hands. At the very last second, she closed her eyes and began to sing — a low, resonant note that echoed through the clearing like a living spell.
The serpent faltered, its coils loosening, movements slowing. Its eyes pulsed with the same rhythm as her song, caught in a trance.
"Run, Reone!" she gasped when it was done. "I've hypnotized it — but it won't last long!"
They sprinted out of the pool, splashing through the shallow water. But as Lyrian reached for their clothes, the hypnotizing spell broke — and the Noxshade instantly snapped out of it.
It locked onto the spot where Lyrian had been. She froze.
"Lyrian, move!" Reone shouted. He shoved her aside just as another acidic stream scorched the spot where she'd been. Then he grabbed her and dove behind a massive tree trunk. The Noxshade's acid sizzled against the bark.
The serpent let out one last, low growl, glaring at the forest around it with eerie intelligence before slithering back into the shadows.
Lyrian peeked out cautiously. "Looks like it gave up," she whispered. "It's finally over."
"Next time, I'll take your advice. No swimming," Lyrian said with a laugh.
Still looking ahead, she missed the pissed-off look on Reone's face. He stepped in front of her, fury burning in his eyes.
"What the hell was that, Lyrian?"
She blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You almost got us killed back there when you stopped me from taking that thing down." His tone was low, sharp — the kind that cut more than it yelled.
"I told you," Lyrian said firmly, "that thing is vital to the ecosystem here. I wasn't going to let you destroy it."
"Yeah? And you almost let it destroy us!" Reone shot back, caging her with his hands.
"But it didn't," she countered, determined to stand her ground and not let him intimidate her. "We're fine."
"We got lucky. Next time, things might be different. And next time," he said, voice dropping, "I expect you not to stop me from doing what needs to be done."
Lyrian's anger flared. "If you think I'm ever going to stand by and watch you do something wrong, you're horribly mistaken."
"Since when is fighting for our lives wrong?"
"It's not wrong, Reone. My problem is when you choose violence even when it's unnecessary," she snapped. "There are better ways to handle conflict, you know — ways that don't destroy everything around us. Can you understand that?"
"Oh, I understand it just fine. But you don't seem to get that our enemies are cruel and without mercy. They won't stop until we're eliminated. If you hope to win against them, you have to fight fire with fire!" he told her in a loud voice. "Stop being so naïve."
Her jaw tightened. "I'm not naïve. You're being a selfish, inconsiderate jerk, as usual."
A silence developed. The kind that hummed with tension and hurt feelings.
Finally, Reone stepped back. "You know what, Lyrian? You do what you have to do. And I'll do the same. Just stay out of my way."
"No promises," she muttered before shoving past him.
Lyrian stomped out of there when she saw the pile of wood she had collected earlier ahead of her. Stopping, she transformed back, and then picked up the pile.
She gave Reone a once-over before quickly moving on, the sound of her footsteps loud in the quiet forest.