Lucia
My breath came with difficulty. It getting harder and harder to keep up with my opponents. Elle's mane flashed in my peripheral vision as she threw her head. My longsword was heavy in my hand. Sweat stuck my shirt to my back, and the dust from the trampled ground stung my eyes and throat.

This is where we die. The dark voice in the back of my mind sang as I staggered to avoid a particularly deadly blow.

Not yet! I screamed in return, gritting my teeth and keeping to defence.

You're losing. We're losing. It continued.

No. I blinked sweat from my eyes. "Elle!"

The mare responded with a whinny. She kicked out, her hooves slamming into the Conqueror's back and sending them flying.

"Thanks girl." I wiped my arm across my forehead and readjusted my grip.

The thoroughbred nickered and huffed. Her fur was wild and matted with who knows what kind of nastiness.

"If– no, when we make it out of here, I'm gonna give you a bath." I told her with a grin.

Elle pawed at the ground and sent the hare that had been scampering up to attack running for cover. She side-eyed me with a disbelieving look, as if to say, yeah, right, whatever you say.

"Oh, come on." I ducked under the swing that my next opponent aimed wildly at my head. I swept their feet from under them and knocked their sword from their hand as they went down.

They scrambled away, frantic and trying to escape.

I stepped back and relaxed for a moment. "You don't hate baths that much, do you?" I raised a brow at Elle.

She grunted rather indignantly and kicked out at the approaching Conqueror. He keeled over with a cry as her foot connected with a sickening crack to his leg.

I frowned. "Or I won't. Gosh." I rolled my eyes and raised my longsword to fend off the approaching baboon.

"On your left!" Tazi's shout startled me. He hurtled past, a cheetah hot on his tail.

Elle and I barely even had to exchange a look before the horse took off after him. I refocused, struggling as the vicious baboon advanced. I didn't want to hurt it, necessarily, but I also wanted to keep my nose attached to my face.

I parried the blows that the monkey– is a baboon even a monkey?– sent my way, but it was slowly forcing me back.

Suddenly I felt another person behind me. I glanced back and caught a flash of the gold C-symbol. Oh-uh. The Conqueror met my gaze with harsh yellow eyes and I laughed nervously. She turned, raising a cruelly sharp spear. She lunged, to stab, but I rolled aside and she hit the baboon instead.

The spear went directly through and the animal fell limp almost instantly.

Somewhere on the battlefield, someone shrieked in agony.

The Conqueror seemed to realize what she'd done. She froze and looked up at me. Her eyes were dark, unlike before. "I didn't mean– no–" she stumbled over the words, her face twisting with despair and desperation. "Help me–" she reached out toward me.

I panicked and smacked her upside the head with my sword.

She fell to the ground, unconscious.

My heart beat in my throat, and not just because of the ringing from the metal of my sword. Hoofbeats thundered up behind me and I spun warily.

Elle has returned, Tazi seated on her back. He slid off and jogged over. "Thanks for the save."

I stared at him for a moment. "Yeah, of course," I responded offhandedly.

Tazi spun his axe through his hands. "You okay?"

I shrugged and rubbed my arm across my eyes. When I finally met his gaze again, Tazi still didn't look convinced. "I just had a– look out!" I cut myself off as a huge, armoured figure loomed behind him all of a sudden. I grabbed Tazi's arm and yanked him away, just in time.

The Conqueror's mace landed on the ground with a thud that rattled the earth. They grunted and yanked it back up, glaring with yellow-gold eyes.

How many people can Gerathon control all at once? I marvelled, levelling my longsword at them.

Tazi raised his axe as well. We made eye contact and he nodded.

Together, we'd take down this monster of a Conqueror. Somehow. Even if it cost us everything. Even through that quick glance, I could see that Tazi was ready to risk life and limb to win this war. Digging deep, I suddenly found that I was, too.

Elle whinnied, as if she'd heard my thought and agreed with the revelation. A bolt of adrenaline following the sound. It thrummed through my veins, energizing me. I nodded back at Tazi, holding myself higher.

Then we attacked.

Ahhh sorry it's a bit of a short lad this time. My bad!!

I hope you enjoyed! Stay safe y'all xx