A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

FOUR

KATHARINE ARATHORNE

All that she cares about now is to find the oasis quickly, take a bath there, and go home. The heat doesn't bother her. Her thirstiness does. And what would she give for even a sip of water!

"Hey, could you make something like a softer version of your ice so I could chew on it?" she called Marceline who was lagging behind her. Hindi niya alam kung ilang minuto o oras na silang naglalakad but she couldn't see any oasis nearby. She has lost track of time and it was all because of the heat. The others were quick to walk and now, wala na silang makitang ibang kasamahan nila.

"I told you, it doesn't work that way. We can't eat magic," sagot naman ni Marceline sa kanya. Halata sa bosses nito na pagod ito. 

Alam niya iyon. But she is too thirsty she's getting desperate. And she isn't thinking straight. Part of the training is not to bring water. She got to taste the Assassin's ruthless training. 

"That damned old man wants us to die in here."

"We will if we don't find that oasis quick," Marceline said, her breathing ragged. She couldn't find any shadows where they could rest either. Her mouth is starting to get dry. It must be worse for Marceline. Being a fire user, heat is somewhat tolerable for Katharine but for Marceline who is an ice user—

Napalingon siya sa babae, Marceline wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Katharine scoffed and gestured her hand in her direction. "So you could do that." 

Hindi niya ito nakikitaan ng pawis but then since she's an ice user, she could easily make her body temperature cold. 

"Yes. But my magic can only balance my body temperature, it doesn't mean I won't get tired and not suffer dehydration."

It was unfair. Because she was sweating and dust is sticking to her skin. She definitely needs a bath when they find the oasis.

She was about to remove her cloak when the ground thundered. She balanced herself and her hands were coated with fire in an instant. Marceline rushed to her side.

"What on earth is happening?" Marceline asked, eyes alert. But she too has no idea what's going on. 

Wraiths? No. It was more like something huge is running in the ground. At papalapit ito sa kinaroroonan nila. 

"Katharine, look!" Marceline yelled and that's when she saw what's been causing the commotion. Her jaw almost dropped to the ground when she saw what's going on.

Several horses are running in their direction. It wasn't just any ordinary horses. Everything they step on gets wet. Their body is made of water. Their bodies, though transparent, looked sturdy and atop them were the other Assassins.

"Water horses...?" Marceline muttered.

"What the actual f**k—" Katharine muttered. Because just behind the assassins is a sand wraith, chasing them.

It flapped its wings wildly. One swing of its claw slashed a huge water ball cast by one of the assassins. The wraith had spikes on its back and its skin gleamed under the scorching sun. It bellowed when one of the assassins hit its eye. Its flying slowed down and that gave the assassins a chance to get away.

When she looked closer, Jude was the one leading the pack. And they're running towards their direction.

"Jude, you son of a b***h," Marceline breathed as an ice weapon started to form in her hand.

They both held their ground when the horses ran past by them. Jude particularly slowed down and said, "Good luck with the wraith!" And stormed off together with the other assassins, leaving them with the wraith.

And she realized, they'll be the wraith's next target if it sees them. Ngunit wala siyang makitang mapagtataguan nila. At huli na rin and lahat dahil nakabawi na and nilalang at nakita na sila nito. It screeched at them and even though it was far, she can smell its breath. Sigurado siyang naamoy din iyon ni Marceline. It reeked of dead animals or maybe people and the smell of dry sand.

Its wings flapped and sand came their way. She covered her nose and mouth with the scarf she had. They have no choice but to fight it. She doesn't know much about sand wraiths because this is the second time she'd seen one. And she has only heard about them before. And all stories didn't really end well.

"Marceline, do you know how to defeat this one?" She turned to her partner.

Marceline just shrugged and she doubts if Marceline heard her anyway. As far as she knows, sand wraiths live near or around water so the oasis must be near here. They just have to defeat it and they can go to the oasis. 

The question is: how?

The wraith charged towards their direction and the sand wrapped around them together with the flap of its wings. She can't burn sand but Marceline was there in an instant and froze the sand, creating a huge enough wall around them.

Marceline removed her scarf from her mouth. "This should be enough to buy us time. Let's plan on how to take it on."

"That is not an ordinary sand wraith," she commented, wiping the sand off her tongue. The wraith was outside their wall of ice, trying to figure out where they are. It will only be a matter of time before the wraith destroys the ice wall and kill them both. They have to think of something before that happens.

"It isn't. It is stronger than an ordinary sand wraith. It is perhaps a mother, protecting her eggs. This will be hard, but I know what to do."

"What is it?"

The ground trembled and their ice wall shook as the sand wraith tried to smash it with its spiky tail.

"We hit its eye and then we run for it."

She smirked. "That doesn't sound as hard as you make it sound." She extended her arm. "Make me a weapon. I happen to master the art of archery."

"Hindi ganoon kadali iyon, Katharine. Mother wraiths have their senses heightened to protect what they needed to protect. That means--" 

"It won't be easy throwing something on its eyes as she will sense it," dugtong niya dito. She crossed her arms. "Trust me, I will do it." 

Nakatingin lang si Marceline sa kanya bago ito nagsalita, "Of course, Your Highness." Marceline smirked before she broke the ice wall. The wraith bellowed and her fists coated with fire in an instant. She has to distract the wraith so Marceline could make the weapon they needed.

She made a fireball and threw it as strong as she can to the wraith. It roared when her fire hit the side of its eye. Ngunit dahil mabilis ito kaysa sa ordinaryong wraith, hindi niya ito masyadong napuruhan. 

But she did get its attention is on her. The ground trembled with its every step, its wings are wide open as it marched in her direction. Its green eyes glimmered under the heat of the sun. Katharine could tell the creature was mad. But she was thirsty. 

"Hi," she muttered before the wraith opened its mouth and dove straight to her. Agad siyang nakailag. She rolled to the side and pushed fire out of her palms straight to the wraith's neck. It merely groaned and with a swipe of its wings, it put her fire out.

"Holy mother of wraith babies!" She grunted as she ran towards Marceline. She just finished a bow and an arrow. They need one more arrow. She stopped in her tracks and faced the wraith. She wrapped her scarf back to her mouth and nose and flames came out of her hands in an instant. She put both her palms forward and concentrated all of her magic on her hands. The wraith was still running in her direction.

When she thought there was enough magic on her hands, she pushed fire out and hit the wraith straight to its face. It stopped and it screeched as her fire continued to pour out from her hands. But it surely does drain a lot of her energy. And she felt bad for hurting a wraith when it's only protecting her eggs.

"Katharine, catch!" Marceline yelled. She put down her hands and dove to the sand to catch the glass bow and arrows Marceline made.

She rolled to the ground and positioned herself. She waited for the fire and smoke to clear out before she fired the two ice arrows simultaneously, hitting not the eyes of the wraith but its wings. It roared in pain and before Marceline could question her last-minute change of plans, she grabbed Marceline and ran as fast as they could. 

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