Thena was in shock.
A normal reaction for anyone if they were in her shoes.
First, there was the concerning appearance of a high-level threat monster in the middle of the most technologically advanced city on the continent.
Second, was the fact that spatial channels within the city had been tampered with, essentially trapping everyone inside the city with the rampaging beast that would turn them to ashes in one breath.
And lastly was the unbelievable event unfolding in front of her right that moment, comparable to someone coming back from the dead. Because believe it or not that was exactly what was happening.
"Why is it coming back to life?!" Thena choked out as she stared wide-eyed at the reanimated lizard.
"Because you fucking jinxed us, that's why."
Thena turned her head to glare at the source of the voice buried under rubble next to her, the man using his one free arm to shift the debris around him in a desperate attempt to escape before the igneel could fully recover.
"How is this my fault?!"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I just imagined it when you were cheering and dancing like a little schoolgirl over there when you thought we defeated it," the man growled back, his pupils flared in anger and frustration as he tugged at his trapped limbs.
The igneel apparently wasn't one for small talk, instead choosing to do some instant outdoor grilling as it fired up its mouth and let loose a large blast of fire.
Thena barely managed to avoid the attack, her muscles straining and begging for some rest as she dove behind a stone pillar to take a quick breather.
Her magus reserves were empty, and her body was at its physical limits. If she pushed herself any harder there was a good chance she would pass out and become a free meal for the waiting lizard.
She snuck a peek at the man who had now managed to free his upper body, the igneel shifting its gaze between him and her as if it couldn't decide what to eat first.
Cursing her conscience for wanting to help the man no matter how rude he was, Thena jumped out from her hiding spot and waved her arms in the air in the hopes that she would look more appetizing to the lizard.
For better or for worse, the igneel focused on her and lunged at her, its jaw snapping shut at the exact spot she stood in just moments ago.
With her magus unavailable and all of her tools forgotten in her quarters, Thena was forced to rely purely on her physical abilities. A facet of her persona that she wasn't fully confident in.
"I'm almost out of here! Just keep it distracted for a little longer and then we can scram!"
Thena nodded at the man before narrowly avoiding another set of fireballs, the burning attacks whizzing past her head and exploding behind her in a blinding shower of orange embers and sparks.
The building they were in started to creak and shudder, the few remaining pillars that still stood beginning to crumble as its foundations weakened. The fact that the igneel's tail kept bumping against the walls wasn't helping at all.
An idea started to form in Thena's mind as she glanced at her surroundings. It was far from being a good one, or a reliable one, but she still hoped it would work.
Her eyes darted between the approaching lizard of doom and the man trying to tug his foot out from under a pile of bricks, her breath quickening as she faced the igneel down and gritted her teeth in anticipation of what was to come.
"Do you trust me?"
The man paused from pulling his leg as his gaze met her own, her heart skipping a beat as his eyes seemed to look into her soul.
Thena remembered how her mother used to tell her that a person's eyes are a window to all that they are. A peephole for others to see their true self, if they're smart enough to understand it, that is.
As Thena stared deep into his steely brown eyes, she got the feeling that there was more about the man than meets the eye.
"I don't really have a choice now, do I?"
Thena just smirked at that and puffed out her chest, standing tall as she faced the charging igneel head-on.
"Try and get the lizard to crash into the pillars. We're going to bring the roof down on this damn thing."
The man stared at her slack-jawed before throwing his head back and shaking with laughter.
"Your ideas are even crazier than mine. Let's fucking do this!"
With her spirits lifted, Thena dashed to the side, avoiding another fireball as she got into position. A quick sidestep was all it took for the charging lizard to barrel into the pillar behind her and unceremoniously crash through it, her master plan in full motion as the pillar crumbled and the building started shaking even more.
The aftermath of the destroyed pillar had also helped the man free the rest of his body, with him now using his arms to hurl rocks and other stray objects at the disgruntled reptile.
The debris bounced harmlessly of its scales, but a lucky shot struck it right in the eye and agitated it to the point that flames started bursting out of its whole body.
Thena was unsure if the man was extremely lucky or extremely unlucky.
In any case, the igneel was now completely focused on him, the man doing his best to lure the angered lizard into the last two standing pillars that supported the crumbling building. The igneel eagerly gave chase, spouts of fire popping out from all over its body like a leaky bucket.
"Get ready to scram!" the man yelled as he ran past her, the igneel hot on his tail as it roared and chased after him.
Thena quickly followed suit, the both of them diving behind the last remaining pillar about three seconds before it exploded in an avalanche of marble and cement.
The poor lizard was too busy picking itself up out of the wreckage to even look up and realize that it was about to be buried under 10 tons of debris.
The two of them stood in the middle of the street as they watched the whole thing unfold, sighing in relief as the collapsing building crushed the lizard with a satisfying crunch. A thick fog of smoke and dust covered up the wreckage, and Thena hoped it would confuse the igneel and keep it from figuring out where they were if only for a few minutes.
With the adrenaline slowly fading, Thena started to feel the heavy toll on her body. She hadn't had such a strenuous workout since she had left the academy.
Thena made a mental promise to herself to start working out again once she got the chance.
"We should get out of here before it escapes," Thena murmured as she set her mouth in a hard line and pinched her cheeks to stay awake. It didn't really do much though as her knees buckled and she started to feel the weightlessness of falling.
"Woah there!"
Thena barely registered two strong arms wrapping around her and holding her tight as her vision darkened and she drifted off to sleep.
----------*line break*----------
Thena woke up on a soft and fluffy bed, a satisfied sigh escaping her mouth as she reveled in its comfort. If it wasn't for someone coughing next to her, she was sure she could've enjoyed another couple hours of blissful undisturbed sleep.
Grumbling and opening her eyes begrudgingly, Thena's face instantly turned scarlet as she covered her face with her hands, averting her eyes from the man staring down at her.
"Rise and shine, panda girl. We have a LOT of things to go over."
"P-panda girl?" she stammered as she pressed her lips together and gave him what she hoped was her most intimidating look. Judging by the smug grin plastered all over his face, it had the complete opposite effect.
"Yeah, because you summon pandas," he said as he shrugged and twirled his gun in his hand. An action that severely alarmed Thena as she patted her body down in search of her own weapon.
"Hey! Where's my wand?"
The man just rolled his eyes and reached behind him, tossing her a black blur which she instinctively caught in her hands.
"What's this?" Thena titled her head as she furrowed her brows at the weird stick-like foreign object resting in her palm.
"You can't even recognize it? That's your wand." The man rubbed the back of his neck as if he wasn't sure how to continue. "It seems like that damn lizard left a rather bad parting gift..."
Thena started to tremble as she took a second look at the charred husk of her wand. The pristine white wood now blackened and peppered with holes and cracks. The sapphire gem engraved near the handle remained intact, although it didn't shine as brightly as it used to.
Her body was wracked with heaving sobs as she curled up and stuffed her face into a pillow, crying as she remembered all the memories the wand carried.
It was the last remaining piece of her life from before the 'incident'. Proof that she still had people who loved her and cared about her. But that piece was no more, burned and destroyed just like her family.
Her sobs momentarily stopped as she felt a warm hand grip her shoulder, Thena peeking her glistening eyes out of her pillow as she stared at the man who stood in front of her confidently.
He didn't say a single word, but in a way Thena couldn't describe, he was able to send her a clear and concise message that touched her deeper than any verbal or physical one ever possibly could.
Wiping away her tears, Thena closed her eyes and bathed in the comfort of the moment. Momentarily content knowing that she had someone to support her, even if she knew barely anything about that someone...
"Okay... we need to get to know each other."