Save them.
Protect them.
Those were her only objectives.
The fog cleared as Mara regained focus, somehow grasping a plan of action and coordinating every block, punch, and slash.
She snarled, knocking down the Okalri who had assaulted Vareck. The creature cried out as it crumbled to the ground. Mara sprang up, slashing out with vengeance, vowing to tear every golem apart. Tossing the broken pieces of her enemy aside, she looked to Vareck as he hissed and broke the handle of the spear off, struggling to pull it out. He reached behind him with his uninjured arm and pulled it the rest of the way through. Blood pouring from the gaping hole made her heart stop.
Movement from the corner of her eye made her turn her head. Sadie was moving to stand, none-the-wiser to the danger heading towards her. Blood pulsed in Mara’s ears as she took off running full-force, slamming her body into her sister’s, the two of them tumbling to the ground. An Okalri crushed its fists down into the unsteady ground where Sadie had been moments before.
“Behind you!” Vareck called across the dense jungle, running toward her. Spots floated around Mara’s vision, her breathing ragged as she pulled herself up from the ground, pushing Sadie opposite her as she dodged to the side. Her shoulders curled backwards as she got her footing. The hair on the back of her neck tingled and stood on end. Mara’s instincts took control, knocking a spear away from the side with her forearm without even looking.
She lunged, blocking to meet the Okalri’s rock arm. Mara didn’t flinch. She didn’t even feel herself there behind her own actions. Mind floating above her body as rage took the reins. The creature screeched out, eyes blazing an ominous bright light. The magic runes from the Okalri flared brighter than its normal glow. Some of the other tribe warriors nearby crumpled to the ground as the magical fire from within it crackled and burst.
Shadows scattered across the ground from the fallen warriors like lightning, joining at the core of the Okalri that Mara faced. Even the surface of the monster changed, almost becoming translucent in the way its skin glistened in the light. Empowered by its fallen kin, the Okalri smashed its fists against each other. A loud crack echoed as rocks carved off from either side of the creature’s fists. The Okalri roared out, bringing back both of its hands now sharpened into a point.
The Okalri attacked in a relentless nature, Mara backpedaling with every swing that attempted to slice through her. She ducked her shoulders down as a fist flew across her head. She caught the creature by the wrist, snarling as she chopped her hand down on the attacker’s arm. The rock crumbled at her touch as a red mist clouded her vision, warping her judgement.
Mara dodged to the side as a boulder smashed into the ground, the Okalri following up with a swing. She jumped back, stone scraping against her skin. Nothing that the stone golem did hurt her, and if she could make sense of the moment, she might be more amazed. But right now, something harsher than her ribs burned at her core. She staggered to one knee, the flare in her stomach piercing through her back.
Gritting her teeth, Mara doubled down at the pain that ripped through her. The Okalri took in the opportunity, five of them with the powerful chieftain in front, surrounding her. Mara screamed out as the burning in her back ignited to a new level of pain. It spurned her to move, to attack, to kill.
Shifting forward, Mara grabbed the leader by the neck, tossing it down with ease. Vareck’s figure blurred in her vision, her body not giving her enough time to know if he was there or just a figment of her mind.
Razor sharp claws swiped the head of the clan leader as the magic crackled once more before extinguishing. Mara snapped her head up toward the next target, looking from creature to creature as rage and fury fueled her every movement. All she could see in her mind was the blood pouring from Sadie’s arm and Vareck’s shoulder. These abominations would pay for every drop of blood spilled from her loved ones.
Any part of her familiar essence escaped her. One after the other, she crushed her enemy and left them as crumbled stone. An echo of a voice called behind her. It was a blur of sound; foreign to her ringing ears as she searched for her next target.
“Mara!” a familiar voice broke through the static, but Mara couldn’t place it. Friend or foe, enemy or ally, they were all just a jumbled mess behind a veil she could no longer reach. The rage of the beast burned from her very core, ready to bring the destruction to anything that breathed.
Vareck
A roar ripped through his throat and pain seared through his upper body as Vareck pulled the shaft of the spear out of his shoulder. The wound began to heal itself, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t agonizing and it would certainly slow him down.
Vareck shook his head, trying to throw the shock of the moment away and regain his focus. The healing wound was draining his magic and he felt slow, sluggish. Stumbling forward, he saw Mara from a distance as she exploded in a frenzy of rage to protect Sadie.
The sight before him was something that he had never expected from his mate. Never could he have imagined . . .
All along he hadn’t known.
She didn’t even know.
Frozen he watched as she lost herself to the bloodlust of a Harpy; beautiful, angry wings exploding from her back.
Never had he smelled such power within the core of his mate, the sensation tingling his nose. He forced his body to move, breathing out slowly as his magic rapidly repaired the gaping hole and his torn wing. Vareck could at least think now, gather himself as he shouted a warning to her and watched one Okalri after the other succumb to her fury.
Silence filled the camp as the last of the creatures shattered at the feet of his mate, its runes giving a final flicker before extinguishing fully. She turned sharply on her heel, head swiveling as her body hunched forward. Mara panted as her gaze focused in on what Vareck could only imagine as the three remaining threats: Sadie, Sebastian, and himself.
“Back up,” he commanded to the group as he stood his ground. The last thing Mara needed was to accidentally injure her sister. She would never forgive herself. He knew the rage, the chaos, and the confusion that flooded the system when the Harpy was angry and in control. There had to be a way to help her through this.
Sadie ignored the command and Sebastian stepped beside her, prepared to protect her from Mara.
“Quit being the martyr, old man winter. This is my sister; right, Mara?” Sadie let the magic of her axe fizzle away as she returned the rod to the strap at her side. She held her hands out with open palms toward Mara. The Harpy within his mate screeched, swiveling from side-to-side in manic motions. It’s like she knew deep down they weren’t a threat, but she still couldn’t calm down. Sadie stumbled a step back, Sebastian grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to his side.
“Mara, please.” Vareck held out a hand toward her, slowly extending his arm as the other cradled his side. “It’s over. We’re not going to harm you.” His tongue licked across a dry crack in his skin near his mouth as Mara seemed to tilt her head toward Vareck’s voice. “You are okay now. Everyone is safe. Everything will be al—”
His words were cut off by her snarl, the Harpy taking a few threatening steps in his direction. Vareck didn’t dare move as she approached. He couldn’t understand why she wasn’t coming out of the bloodlust.