"Wasnât she leaking with more fire than before?" Aether muttered, confusion drawing a crooked smile across his lips as he watched Thalia slowly stand, her wounds sealing up in an instant. Phoenix flames exploded from her body in a violent burst... so intense!
The flames she wielded now werenât the same as before.
Back then, her fire had been wild, recklessâa weapon unleashed to protect everyone she loved, to burn away all threats.
But now... the fire felt different. Now, it was as if she was reaching for something she couldnât graspâa hunger burning for the impossible, for the next height?
Aether didnât know for sure, but he wasnât planning to give her an easy victory over the bull monster... was he?
He narrowed his eyes, watching the bull monster lumber and turn.
Suddenly, the monster charged at Thaliaâs back, its hooves pounding like thunder.
Thalia, glowing in red and gold, pivoted on her heel, eyes locked on the beast. She lifted her hand. In a motion sharp as a whip, she slashed the airâflames shot toward the monster in a furious arc.
"This is for looking down on me!"
Her voice was cold as winter, deadly calm.
But before the flames could hit, a jet of water blasted from the side... cutting through the inferno.
Thuck!
"Huh?"Thalia blinked in pure surprise.
Butâ
"???"
Aetherâs eyes widened in surprise.
Her flames... they werenât out at all. Now, impossibly, they burned right on top of the water heâd sent... a surreal, flickering blue-and-red, like oil fire riding the surface of a river.
"What the..."
Aether muttered with disbelief. He watched as the flames hungrily devoured his ice-cold water.
Thalia caught on instantly.
She glanced around, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.
"So, youâre still here, huh? Fucking asshole," she said with razor-sharp. She raised her voice, eyes scanning the trees.
"If thatâs what you wantâthen fine!"
She turned, face-to-face with the charging bull, and the air split with thunder.
"MMOOOOFFF!"
"COME ON!"
Thalia roared.
She lunged forward, hands snapping out to grab the twisted horns of the bull.
For a heartbeat, the beast pushed her back, its strength monstrous, her boots scraping deep furrows in the earth.
"ARH!"
But the flames in her eyes burned even hotter.
She dug in, teeth gritted, refusing to give ground. The bull struggled, legs trembling, desperate to force her back. But it couldnât move her an inch.
Inch by inch, Thalia pushed back, her bare hands crushing the horns, the pain slicing into her palms.
But she didnât care. She leaned into the struggle, pushing harder, burning brighter!!
The world blurred around her... the only thing real was the fire and the fight, the monster and her will.
"MMMOOOOO!!"
The bull roared furiously, but it was dragged across the ground helplessly, unable to overpower Thalia.
All of a sudden, it wasnât that she had become some unstoppable titan.
No, her body still trembled with exhaustion, sweat running down her brow. The real change was inside.
The flames within her had finally started to burn again... burning hot enough to shake the world!
She was still weak!
Anyway, Thalia didnât waste the moment. She twisted at the waist, crouched low, and grabbed the bullâs thick, lashing tail.
With a snarl, she swung with all her might. The world spun... bull hooves flying up, its massive body flipping over as Thalia turned it upside down. The bullâs eyes went wide in pure shock, just before it crashed onto its back with a thunderous slam that made the earth jump.
"MMMMMOOOOOOO!!!"
The creature howled in pain and outrage.
Thalia stood over it, dusting off her hands with a sharp, confident motion. She watched, amused, as the bullâs legs scrambled helplessly in the air, kicking and flailing like a giant cockroach flipped on its back.
It looked utterly ridiculous.
She couldnât help but chuckle, a wicked grin cutting across her lips. "Pathetic," she murmured, half to herself.
But the bull wasnât done yet. After a few seconds of desperate struggling, it finally rolled and managed to stand, its nostrils flaring, its eyes narrowed with rage. It lowered its head, growling at Thalia, smoke curling from its muzzle as if it were promising revenge.
Thalia met its glare head-on. Instead of backing down, she bared her teeth and growled backâan ancient, animalistic sound rumbling from deep in her chest.
"Kyrrrrrlll!"
The bull flinched.
For a second, it saw something in her eyesâsomething older and more dangerous than anything. Her irises glowed with a savage, unnatural light.
The bullâs body stiffened, thenâtail tucked between its legs, the beast turned and bolted, galloping away!
Thalia smirked as she watched it flee. "Thatâs what you get, fucker," she called after it, breathing hard as the flames around her finally died down.
Clap~ Clap~
Thalia spun to see Aether standing nearby. He wore a small, crooked smile, slowly clapping his hands in mock applause.
"Bravo... really, bravoâOuch!"
Before he could say another word, Thaliaâs fist rocketed out, landing a punch square in his gut. Her face was a storm of fury and annoyance.
"I cannot believe you left me like that... motherfucker!"
She didnât let upâher other fist came up and thudded into him again, this one even sharper.
"Arhh! It hurts!" Aether groaned, doubling over, rubbing his stomach with a grimace.
Thalia rolled her eyes, snorting in exasperation. "Oh please, if anything, itâs my knuckles that hurt!" she shot back, shaking her hand and glaring at him. She huffed, turning her head and refusing to look at him.
Aether straightened, his smile softening, and he stepped forward to hug her, arms wrapping around her shoulders.
But Thalia jerked away, stepping back so fast she almost tripped on a stone.
"Donât you dare touch me after all this! Do you know how many times I shouted for your help, but you... You absolute fucking fuck!"
Her voice trembled with outrage!
She couldnât believe sheâd actually cried out for him. Sheâd shouted, screamed, and heâd just watched. Watched her struggle, watched her fight, as if she was nothing, as if it didnât matter whether she lived or died.
What if she had died?
Aether weakly smiled, raising his hands in surrender. "Oh, please, great Phoenix, please forgive this lowly Dragon of yours, my lady~" he said.
Thaliaâs eyes rolled back even more, but there was a small, secret smile flickering in them. She glanced at Aetherâhe was still standing there, gently smiling, arms open wide in a silent invitation.
Without needing him to say a word, Thalia stepped into his embrace.
He wrapped her up, hugging her tightly, burying his face in her wild hair.
"Iâm glad youâre back," he whispered into her ear.
Thalia just smiled as she snuggled deeper into his arms. She felt something warm move through her, a strange and lovely comfort.
There was a safety there, yes, but it wasnât just being protected physically.
No, it was different. It was the feeling that he would be there when she fell, that even if she crashed down hard, heâd offer her his handânot to pull her up, but so she could stand on her own.
"Yeah... I guess, I feel love differently," she muttered, voice barely a whisper.
Aether raised his eyebrows, catching the softness in her words. Then his smile grew, calm and true, as his gaze flickered to the water where flames still danced.
The jet of water heâd blasted was almost goneâsteam curling away as the last traces of fire slowly devoured the final droplets.
The flame only disappeared after it had erased every trace of the water, as if the battle between them was fated to finish.
Gulp~
"... Anyway, whatâs with these new flames?" he asked, curiosity brightening his tone.
Thaliaâs lips curled into a mischievous smirk. "Since you annoyed me and ignored me all that time, you owe me, darling... How are you going to repay me?" Her eyes glittered, teasing and challenging at the same time.
Aether blinked as he covered his chest with both hands, putting on a shy expression for show.
A vein popped on Thaliaâs forehead. "Pervert!!!"She smacked him sharply on the head, her face turning a little red.
"Ouch..." Aether rubbed his head with a wounded look. "What? You donât want that?"
Thaliaâs cheeks grew even hotter. "I... I mean... I do... well, fuck! FUCK YOU!!" she sputtered, embarrassment turning into frustrated laughter as she saw his deep, shit-eating grin.
Aether couldnât help it... he giggled, then swept her up into another hug. "Letâs go... I think I have a perfect way to cool you down!"
And before she could protest again, the world spun, and they teleported together!