Anita

Anita dove at the Alpha, ramming her spear deep into its shoulder and immediately diving to the ground. She planned to knock it to the floor before its shift but was caught off guard when the beast lashed out, catching her in the side, too fast for her to react. Anita hissed at the pain, feeling the beginning waves of corruption, and rolled to the side.

She just managed to block as the Alpha dove on top of her, its weight pressing her into the cold ground. Water soaked her flesh and she threw it to the side with her spear, watching it soar across the air. A loud thud resonated in her ears as it crashed into a building. The Herect didn’t waste a second, rotating its position and launching off the wall.

Anita jumped to her feet to meet it, spear raised to counter its assault. The force of the blow knocked her backwards a few steps and she grunted, pushing back against it. They grappled for several moments and Anita shuddered, the pain slowly spreading across her side the longer the fight dragged on.

She shoved forward and the Alpha hissed, suddenly lunging from below and Anita took the chance to ram her spear into its neck. Blood squirted from the wound and the beast let out a horrifying scream of rage. The Guardian stepped back, watching it crumple to the ground. It twitched on the ice and she moved so she was crouched over it, prodding it with her spear. The Alpha reached out and she jabbed her spear through its hand, listening to the sounds of its screams. The throbbing in her side brought her back to reality and she drove her spear into its skull, rising to her feet and stomping on its head for good measure.

She turned on her heels, her attention now drawn to the freezing wind around her and shivered uncontrollably. Meriam sprinted out the door, shedding her coat and wrapping in around her. “Oh my god, you’re going to freeze to death,” she fussed, “What even was that?”

“An Alpha.” Anita spoke through chattering teeth as Meriam led her to her car. She opened the door and Anita shook her head, “I have to,” she shuddered and started again, ” I have to pull them out.”

“Pull what out? Are you okay?”

“The crystals.” She let out a slow breath, “The corruption will spread if I don’t.” Anita shrugged off the coat, much to Meriam’s dismay and stumbled forward a few steps.

“What are you doing?” Meriam shouted.

“Just get in your car and go,” Anita hissed through gritted teeth. Spots of black danced across her vision, goosebumps growing goosebumps on her flesh.

“I’m not going to leave you here to freeze to death,” Meriam snapped, pulling Anita to her feet and supporting her weight, half carrying her back to the car.

“Please just go,” Anita whispered.

“No, what do you need?” Meriam sat her down on the passenger seat and turned on the overhead light. The human gasped quietly at the blackness spreading across her stones.

Anita glanced downwards and groaned, the corruption was spreading quickly due to her weakness and it would hurt like a bitch to pull them all out. She met Meriam’s panicked gaze and huffed out a breath. “They all need to come out, or it will keep spreading.”

“Okay.” The girl’s gaze hardened and she wrapped her hands around one of the blackened stones, “Are you ready?”

Anita nodded and braced herself, shaking her head and hissing as Meriam slowly pulled out one of the crystals. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” she cried at Anita’s pained noises.

“It’s fine, I can do it.” Anita gently pushed her away after taking the crystal and shoving it in her pocket. If she wasn’t in agony she would have laughed at the look on the human’s face. She looked terrified, eyes wide and fearful, eyebrows scrunched up on her forehead. Anita waved her away as she ripped out stone after stone, each one dulling the pain of the Alpha’s touch and replacing it with the stinging of broken nerves and pulled out roots. Sweat drenched her body by the time she was done, enhancing the feel of the cold on her skin.

Meriam stared at her for a few more seconds, waiting to make sure she was done before dashing to the other side of the car and hopping in. Her fingers fumbled with the keys, her hands shaking as she tried to turn on the car. Anita reached over and shoved the key into the slot. “Relax, it’s fine,” she mumbled, leaning back in her seat and gently shutting the door.

Meriam nodded slowly, spinning the key. Once the car was started up she cranked up the heat, opening all the vents until warm air filled the car. “You’re going to freeze to death,” she muttered, shoving her coat back at Anita.

“I’m fine, it’s fine, we’re fine. Don’t worry so much.” Anita directed her gaze to the outside. The sun had sunk a lot further down the sky, a dim orange glow the only indicator of its continued presence.

Long minutes passed by in silence before Meriam spoke, “So what the hell was that?”

Anita slowly turned to face her as she explained, “An Alpha Herect, pain in the ass.” Anita shifted her weight and winced, “Literally.”

“But...I thought they were just slow moving things? Like what the hell happened to it?”

“They freak out when you wound them, stronger, faster, and their touch is like poison.”

“And you fight them all the time? At the compounds?” Meriam scowled.

Anita shook her head. “They’re not that common, and we usually wouldn’t fight them alone. But I don’t exactly have other Guardians to call on out here.” Anita shrugged helplessly, it was done now, nothing to be done about it.

“That’s awful. They’re awful, look at you! It could have killed you!”

“Almost did,” Anita snorted, “Fuckers are fast.”

Meriam didn’t appreciate her jokes and her scowl deepened, “That’s it you’re coming with me tonight. And I’m not taking no for an answer,” she added when Anita opened her mouth to protest.

“I’m not going to lead the Herects right to your door,” Anita growled.

“You won’t,” Meriam assured her, “There are spells around all the residentials, Herects can’t cross into buildings out here.”

“And what makes you think Guardians can cross them? If Herects can’t?”

“I guess we’ll just have to see then won’t we?” She didn’t tolerate anymore protest and pushed the car into drive.