Somewhere Over the Rainbow

She screamed for all that she was worth, hoping someone, anyone would hear her and come running. Princess Zawyne could not care less right now if the vampire came after her again, not if it would save Adara. But then, as if her prayers were answered, another wolf ran out of the forest copse toward her, and Zawyne recognized her as Ambrosia, one of the newer Tempests to their troupe. Zawyne stopped screaming, but even so she could not hear anything that the Oferweder was saying - it was as if her auditories had shut down, had stopped working due to the trauma of the whole situation. Zawyne shook her head whilst she stared at the blue eyed heroine, crying, weeping as she watched the motion of the lips, unsure at all of what was being said. Her mouth hung open, and she tried to find words, but none came to her.

"I… I… um..." And that was one movement caught her eye. Heading toward the pair of them was the vampire that had torn Zawyne's nape open, and in the distance, the princess watched in horror as Adara crumpled to the ground, the entire front of her covered in blood like a red apron. The Arcus Irae nearly fell herself, and she felt her knees trembled and go weak. Adara had been like a stand in mother for her, or else a second sister. She felt the loss of her just as acutely as she felt the loss of her biological family. "No! Adara no!" But then her vision was blocked as Ambrosia put herself in front of Zawyne as any good guard would do despite Zaffy's continued cries. The next part was as if it was in slow motion as Draven galloped over the earth toward them in lengthened strides, getting ever closer. But then finally her perception of time began to speed up back to normal as she escaped the cold grasp of shock, and with that release she also finally regained control of her tongue.

"Ambrosia! We have to go, now!" Recklessly, not caring or more realistically not remembering the rules to not touch a Tempest in the high pressure of the situation, she reached out and with her incisors nipped at Ambrosia‘s shoulder. Zawyne passed through a thought as soon as they made contact, not painfully, just one of realization… It was as if as soon as Adara‘s heart stopped, Zawyne instead bonded to Ambrosia, the gods blessing her with a new guard. She hoped that the contact she had risked with Ambrosia would be worth it and had pulled the Tempest’s attention enough to convince her to run as Zaffy yelled at her one more time, suddenly fearful that the alternative would happen - that Ambrosia would turn into a vampire. " Ambrosia, you can’t protect me if you are dead too! Run! Now!"

Zawyne took one last fleeting gaze back toward Adara, another set of tears staining her cheeks. "Goodbye…" The words were quiet and nearly silent and even before the word had finished slipping between her lips she was running again, hoping she could make it to Dierne Hrof in time. She was thankful in this moment that she was light, fleet of foot… but each time she glanced over her shoulder it seemed that Draven was getting closer… Was that the thundering of his feet she heard? Or was it the pounding of her own heart? Or was it her own feet? Ambrosia‘s? She did not know exactly, but she ran until her lungs no longer were capable of taking in any more oxygen, and then she continued to run past that. With each stride her lungs gasped for air that they could not even take in. And then, finally, the trees started to get denser, and she knew she was almost to the boundary, and as soon as she slipped through it was like a relief that lifted off of her shoulders. Still, to be cautious, she backed up another step or two and watched in fear and in agony as she saw Draven and Ambrosia both running toward the boundary together… And… What was that movement for after right? Another wolf? Would it be a vampire? A tempest? Or perhaps something more mundane?

"Hurry ambrosia! He’s almost…"

Zawyne's words caught in her throat as she gasped before she screamed, an incomprehensible jumble of sounds escaping from her throat as she watched Draven pick up the pace a few strides and then leap, his paws outstretched and aiming toward Ambrosia's rump, his mouth wide as he went for her right hip… Would he collide with her? Or would he missed? All Ambrosia needed to do was to get over the boundary… She would be safe if she could only get over the boundary…

"Ambrosia!"

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