Her body acted without thought, closing the distance between her and Amila as the tail loomed larger with every second. Twenty feet. Ten. Almost there.
Kira braced seconds before impact. She hit the other woman, sending them tumbling through the air, the tail crashing into the space they'd just been.
Kira let go, letting Amila spin away from her.
The oshota glanced at the disaster that could have been before giving Kira a sharp nod of thanks.
It was all they had time for, the lu-ong already gearing up for another attack, vicious in its defense. Kira and Amila immediately split, racing away from each other and forcing the lu-ong to choose its target.
Light and energy that Kira was beginning to associate with ki rent the air, shields snapping into shape as the lu-ong attacked. Whatever ability existed in the Tuann to shape the energy of the world around them, also existed in the lu-ong—only magnified.
They were going to lose unless something changed.
That was unacceptable.
Come on, Kira. See what isn't obvious. There was always a way. She just had to find it.
Kira studied the lu-ong and frowned. There was something about the way it was arranged around the boat. Almost protective. She swung wide for a better look, forcing herself to ignore the battle.
Sometimes you served on the front lines. Other times you had to take a step back and see what others couldn't.
Raider broke off, dropping into place beside her. Their formation tight. "What do you see?"
"It's almost as if she is protecting something."
The rightness of those words settled into place. There was something down there. Something desperate and afraid and needing help.
"Jin, can you tell me anything about what's below the surface?" Kira asked.
The lizard unwound, perching on her shoulder and staring at the spot the lu-ong guarded with zealous intensity. After a long moment, the lizard shook its head. "No, I think she's doing something to disrupt my sensors."
"Shouldn't that be impossible?" Raider asked, voicing Kira's thoughts.
"I'm beginning to think there is a lot more to these creatures than the Tuann want us to know," Jin responded.
Kira agreed, but their questions would have to wait until the danger had passed.
Kira studied the fishing boat, her mind sifting through the information. The lu-ong rearranged its coils to cover that pool. Her gaze caught on something she hadn't noticed before, a line stretching from the boat into the water.
Suspicion dawned.
Kira broke off, looping up and around before darting toward the lu-ong, her path not straying even as the lu-ong’s eyes locked on her.
"Kira, what are you doing?" Raider asked in her comms, sounding tense as she headed straight for that small dot of water the lu-ong guarded.
"Not to side with the meat sack—because bleh—but I'd kind of like to know that myself," Jin said from his spot on her shoulder.
Kira was silent. He wasn't going to like this plan and she didn't have time to argue.
"Why are you flying directly over that energy field the lu-ong is creating?" Jin asked, sounding more alert
"What better way to see what it's hiding?"
The lizard spun, its mouth dropping so it stared at her in consternation. "Are you crazy?"
Her grimace told the answer.
"You are," he wailed.
"Sometimes I wonder that myself," she confided.
She'd learned a long time ago to listen when her instincts whispered. Right now, they were telling her that what the lu-ong protected was of vital importance. There was a pounding in her head, a rock-solid belief that something needed her help.
It whispered and gasped, its cries echoing in her ears.
It was possible she was imagining things. If so, what a time for her mind to break.
Graydon and his oshota diverted the lu-ong’s attention just then, allowing Kira to close the distance, Raider right behind her.
"I hope you know what you're doing because there won't be any way we can help you once you're down there," Raider said.
"Have I ever let you down?"
There was a brief pause and then an answer from both Jin and Raider. "Yes. Frequently."
Kira ignored the two sourpusses. It was go time.
Ten feet.
The postage stamp area she needed to investigate beckoned. Its dark depths whispering of safety.
She hoped she didn't break her neck doing this. Maybe they were right—this wasn't the best idea.
Five feet.
"Jin, you think you can fly this thing?" Kira asked.
There was a pause. "Of course, I can. I'm a better pilot than you."
"I would argue with the truth of that statement," Raider grumbled.
Jin ignored him, asking suspiciously "Why?"
Kira didn't answer. There wasn't time. Two feet. Her timing needed to be perfect.
Graydon's horrified expression caught her attention. He looked incredulous, then furious. "Don't you dare."
"Wish me luck," Kira said with a crooked smile.
She stepped off the board, Graydon's roar surrounding her.
She plummeted. Gravity and the speed she had been flying at pulling her down in a soft arc.
Water rushed up to meet her. Closer. Closer.
Kira pressed her legs together, pointing her feet and crossing her arms over her chest. She braced. This might hurt a bit. She'd intentionally slowed before the jump, so she didn't crush her bones on impact. Hopefully, it would be enough.
The roar of a board approached. Graydon's face was intent and set as he arrowed to intercept her. The lu-ong’s head rose on Kira's other side. She spat a thin stream of fire that crackled, splitting into two serpentine bodies only feet away from Kira, bypassing her before crashing together on her other side.
Graydon broke off, evading an unfortunate barbecuing.
Part of the serpentine body of the lu-ong rose. Only an impossible flip and a hard shove of Graydon's own ki saved him from death.
An enraged cry escaped Graydon at his failure to reach her.
Kira took one last deep breath, filling her lungs seconds before she hit.
The water closed around her like a fist. The satisfaction she felt at landing nearly dead center in the circle was fleeting.
Nothing had prepared her for this.
Panic and fear wrapped around her. She fought against gasping as everything she hadn't picked up on above came crashing down all at once.
For a moment, her focus wobbled, overwhelmed by what the creature below was projecting. Her vision darkened as she struggled. Faltering now would mean death.
From somewhere, she rallied reserves she didn't know she had, pushing out with her mind as Joule had taught her. The manipulation of ki was only constrained by the imagination. Form a picture, exert your will. The ki would answer, he had promised.
She pushed out with her mind, imagining a thin, permeable barrier between her and the owner of those feelings. Not enough to block them, but enough so she could create space to breathe.
There was the smallest lessening of pressure on her mind. Enough to realize the mind encroaching on hers was young. A babe compared to the ancient creature attacking the boat above.
A child. In danger. Scared and alone.
Even as Kira struggled to adapt to the sudden onslaught, she sensed the child weakening. The mother raged, and Kira got the briefest of glimpses of the battle above, a sheet of fire surrounding the mother and boat even as the Tuann and Graydon fought to follow Kira.