“I feel strange.”
Akasha ignored Nortrom. He always felt strange. He was strange. But when he stopped, she sighed and turned towards him. “Why?” Not that she cared why, but if he didn’t continue walking, she’d be alone against whatever creature might stroll around here. She was confident about her powers but she wasn’t invincible and Nortrom was a powerful ally to have around. So she tried to be as civil as possible. She didn’t roll her eyes and she kept her tone neutral instead of showing her annoyance.
“Something is not right.” Nortrom looked around, clearly unsettled.
With another sigh, Akasha pulled her whip out and started to swing it. Nortrom might be strange and irritating, but he wasn’t stupid. When he sensed a threat, there was a high chance that there was a threat. And that it was close. For a moment she debated about simply leaving him to face whatever (or whoever) it was alone, she was way faster than him and he only slowed her down, but she’d probably be glad about his help some time in the future. So as long as she wasn’t in mortal danger, she’d stay.
“What are you doing?” Nortrom sounded suspicious as he watched her.
“Getting ready for a battle.” It was obvious, she didn’t understand why he bothered to ask. “You feel strange, so I guess we’ll be attacked soon.”
“Oh.” Even with the many layers of clothes he was wearing Akasha could see how he relaxed.
“What did you think I was doing?” Now she was suspicious. And when he looked at her whip, then at her, then at the ground in front of his feet, she swore he blushed underneath his helmet. Akasha put her hands on her hips, the whip trailing over the grass. “I see.” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, her hip moving with it, capturing Nortrom’s gaze. She sighed. “I propose you’d concentrate on the strangeness you felt, because now I feel it, too.” It had grown too quiet around them while the earth vibrated softy, which Akasha could feel with her feet. It was the vibration of several heavy bodies in the vicinity. They had maybe a few more moments. Akasha used the time to step closer towards Nortrom until she was near enough to touch him. She didn’t do that, though she’d have liked to get him to blush again and she was sure touching would have that effect. They didn’t have time.
Nortrom had to sense the same, because his gaze didn’t drift off again. Instead it was sharp and clear, his mouth a grim line, as he turned around. Back to back they would fight.
It was a typical ambush. The enemy came from three sides, first the toughest, then the strongest and last the one who’d do the magic, the healing and such. Only, against Akasha the healer wasn’t safe only because he was farthest away. “Hold out a moment,” she whispered to Nortrom. “I’ll be right back.” Before he could answer, she jumped. Forward and right up to the healer. She whirled her whip and hit him right in the face. But the three enemies had planned their ambush, had known whom they’d meet. And before she could attack a second time, one of the other two was behind her and she had to defend herself, instead of attacking. In the meantime, the healer slipped to the side, out of reach of her whip.
She let her gaze flicker towards Nortrom for a split second. He was stupid as ever, because when he had realized that she up was against two enemies, he tried to rescue her. As if she’d need him for that. But the benefit of it was that all three enemies were rather close together now. They had come from three directions, but in the rush of the battle and in their haste to save the healer, they had forgotten to stay apart. Akasha smiled, licked her lips, and then she screamed. As loud as she could. It was so loud, it did physical harm. In quick succession, the scream was followed by a sonic wave, dealing heavy damage to the enemies.
Akasha staggered when she had no breath to continue screaming. She had put everything in that attack. But Nortrom was suddenly next to her, steadying her with a hand on her lower back. As soon as he was sure she wouldn’t fall, he charged forward and attacked the clearly hurting and disorientated creatures. It was only a matter of seconds now. The beginning of the ambush had been good, the idea behind it fine, but the enemy had lost their focus too easily. Which was their death now.
“Ambush failed.” Akasha stood over the defeated enemies, whip rolled up, hip cocked out, smiling triumphantly. Nortrom ignored her and continued on the way they had been on. He didn’t acknowledge their victory and didn’t even look at Akasha. With a roll of her eyes, she jumped forward, easily catching up with Nortrom. “You could show a little happiness that we were able to defeat our enemies like that, you know?”
He didn’t answer so Akasha only rolled her eyes and joined him in his silence. She’d try to get him to blush again. But not now. Later. She smiled at that thought.