Armageddon
Chapter 5.4

The pelt was removed, and her body was abruptly Human, with a good twenty-foot fall beneath her. Michael fell back and stared in shock as she came soaring to the earth. Vladimir howled in fear while Jaya quickly angled his body to fall in her direction. The ground came quicker and quicker and at the last moment, she felt someone grab her waist. A green hand stretched out in front of her and impacted with the earth, forcing them to roll to the side in the next instant. The sound of bone snapping was drowned out by the rolling of their bodies against the sand. Hot blood coated her until finally they stopped and she sat up, looking down at the injured Orc. Jaya grunted and held his arm, the bone protruding from his flesh.

“I still hate you,” she spat, the lie obvious in her expression, before jumping up and running towards Michael.

“It is you,” he gasped, racing to meet her. They hugged on impact before Tia quickly spun out of his grip, coming to stand between him and the wolf before them.

A moment of silence passed between them as Vlad’s gaze held Tia’s in a battle of the wills.

“Michael, please meet my boyfriend. Vlad, please meet my ex-fiancé.” She growled, standing strong.

“What?” Michael’s voice was a note higher.

Vlad snapped his jaw and began pacing again, his eyes now focusing on the man behind her. “Do not play games with me, Tia. You know what needs to happen,”

“Nothing needs to happen expect the safe delivery of Michael back home. No one needs to die! Why are you doing all this over me? What more do I need to do to get this through your thick skull? You want me, I’m yours! Whatever happened to ‘Save the Humans’?” She challenged. He hesitated, regarding her with an empty look.

Cleo stepped forward then, coming to stand by Tia she lowered her head to her brother. “Prince Vladimir, please listen to her. Why must you make a spectacle out of this? She’s not of royal blood...”

“Tiana is royal,” Michael chimed in. Tia restrained herself from smacking him. “She’s the President’s daughter,”

“Shut up. Now,” she warned.

“Your majesty!” Jaya called out, trying to stand. Vlad spared him a glance and snarled in rage - rage directed at the circle of monsters now encompassing them. Drool hung from their open jaws, their sharp teeth and claws pointing at the two Humans. Michael drew more attention from some than the others and Tia, realizing it too, pressed her back against him.

“Let’s finish this!” Diaval roared, leaping out of nowhere and latching onto the back of a half humanoid snake. Cloe charged the closest one to them with a roar of her own as Vlad lunged at the Humans.

Tia smacked him, and the crowd erupted in cheers and gasps. Vladimir came back without a moment to lose and Tia hit him again. He lunged up at her from the ground, his body shifting in an instant. His hand caught her wrist as she tried to hit him again and he hugged her tightly. Hot tears burned her eyes and she tried to push him off.

“Let me protect you,” he pleaded, hearing three beasts quickly approaching them. Michael grabbed her shoulder, ripping her away from him the moment he released her and took his wolf form again. Vladimir lunged at the closest monster, ripping out its throat in one sweep.

“What are you doing?” Tia demanded, slapping Michael’s hand away.

“We need to escape!” He barked, glaring down at her. “Why are you getting all cozy with these creatures?!”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she spat, grabbing his wrist and yanking him forward. “Pick up your feet, we’re about to run!”

“Alexander!” Vladimir roared, jumping onto the top of a monster with many tentacles. The Gargoyle swooped down and landed next to Tia, making sure to bow before wrapping his arms around her.

“So sorry, Mistress.” He apologized, his wings stretching upwards.

“Uh-huh, I don’t think so.” She growled, hitting him in the jaw. His grip faltered and she quickly slipped out of it. He rubbed the side of his face, looking back at the two retreating Humans. Tia gripped Michael’s wrist tightly as a long snake with many hands slithered its way towards them. She jerked herself to a stop and tried not to be too horrified looking at it. Its lack of lips exposed a mouth of sharp fangs. It opened it as it approached, a green tongue hanging out.

“Oh my god,” Michael breathed. Both steeled themselves and lunged at it. Michael brought his elbow down upon its head as Tia kicked up under its chin. The jaw snapped shut and its skull slit open, the brains and blood spraying upwards with Tia’s strike. A few smaller creatures near them backed away, suddenly no longer interested.

“You’ve still got it,” Tia joked as they jogged off back towards the main entrance.

“You’ve gotten better, you kicked open its head!” He said excitedly.

She shrugged, coming to a pause as the lizard from earlier slinked into their path. Its tongue tasted the air. “Ohhh, I don’t have a good feeling about this one.” They both took a stance, waiting for it to attack first.

“Release the Guardians!” Vladimir’s howl pierced the area. The crowd began to chant and sing at the same time, smacking their feet against the stadium floors.

Multiple doors all around began to groan and the entire coliseum shook. The lizard instantly shrunk away as it looked around in fear. Nearly a dozen half-men, half-horses stepped into the light. Armor glittered off their chests and their spears were held tightly in their grips. With one loud cry they charged into battle, their spears held high. They circled in around their prey, facing off against the monsters in groups of three.

“Now’s our chance!” She gasped, grabbing Michael again and running through the fight. They dodged between legs and parried random attacks. A few rocks nicked at their faces and arms as bodies dropped left and right, cutting them lightly, but they kept up their swift pace. At one point something was slain just over them, its blood coating Michael’s torso. He spat and stumbled, unable to see. Tia ran to him and began to wipe his face, looking around wildly. They were so close.

“Lady Tiana,” A familiar voice seemed to purr. She looked up and froze under the weight of such an ancient gaze. A massive gray wolf, his black fur lightened with age, stood before her. So many horns protruded from the fur along its head and back, longer than any she had yet seen. They resembled more like tree branches burnt and turned to coal. Flames licked at his heels, larger and yet more transparent than Vladimir’s.

“Your Majesty,” she whispered, suddenly timid. Michael managed to open his eyes, freezing before the beast of a wolf.

“You should learn to keep your pretty mouth shut, should you sit on my wife’s throne.” He spoke softly, yet the threat was there. There was a look to his eyes that seemed to glow with disapproval.

“With all due respect-,”

“Respect is something you seem to lack; I will have it that our instructors carve it into your bones. You are a doll and nothing more, used as the object of my son’s campaign to become King.”

The harsh words seemed to cut through her very being. Shaken, she opened and closed her mouth, unable to replace any words. Her grip tightened on Michael’s sleeve, suddenly wanting to escape with him. As if snapped out of his moment of shock by the sudden jester, he dropped his gaze to her. His blue eyes widened slightly, seeing the hurt carved into her expression. Angrily he scowled at the wolf, sizing up his opponent.