Scathach sprinted through the forest. Quickly, she reached the smoldering metal wreckage, her heart pounding. She sensed it before she saw them—Three massive figures looming over a small crater in the ground. Each stood a minimum of seven feet tall and was built with imposing, almost statue-esque frames. Their skin had a metallic sheen, as if crafted from a blend of metal and flesh. The first's skin was like armor the color of oxidized chrome, gleaming under fractured sunlight. Beside him, a massive figure with skin an unnatural shade of red stepped forward, his imposing form radiating raw, brutal strength.
And then there was the girl. Scathach could see more details of her. Her hazel eyes were bright, and her expression was almost childishly gleeful. Long, messy black hair tumbled around her muscular shoulders. She had a wide, unsettling grin. Her skin, a deep green, almost blended with the foliage around them, making her seem like a spirit born of the forest itself.
Scathach snuck around a few trees, getting a better angle on what was happening. As Scathach got closer, it was like she ran into a wall. The energy in the area was so strong, it was as if her subconscious mind physically wouldn't let her get any closer. Scathach paused at the treeline, her sharp eyes fixed on the crater.
Kaly's breaths came in gasps as the smoldering wreck of metal hissed behind her. The three figures above her fixed their energy on her, binding her like invisible chains. Their unblinking eyes bore down, holding her in a relentless grip that seemed to tighten with each second. Her knees buckled, and she sank to the ground, her limbs refusing to move. Silent tears traced paths down her cheeks, and a haunting look filled her eyes as she fought against the weight crushing her.
Scathach looked on, her face impassive. She felt no reason to intervene—this was not her battle, nor her concern.
Then, from the corner of her vision, Ivy exploded from the treeline, her energy blazing around her. The red figure glanced up, watching Ivy in bemusement, but remained focused on keeping Kaly subdued. In a split second, Ivy collided with him, her dropkick connecting with full force. The impact knocked him off-balance, and his concentration faltered just enough for the energy binding Kaly to weaken.
The other two looked back, their focus breaking on Kaly.
Kaly scrambled away, dazed and wide-eyed, as she stared at the three figures and Ivy. For the first time ever, Ivy saw she was truly afraid.
Ivy's chest rose and fell as she held her ground, her intense, unblinking gaze locked onto the green-skinned girl. The girl tilted her head, her eerie grin widening as she looked Ivy up and down with gleeful curiosity, almost as though admiring a statue.
"Kaly," the girl with green skin cooed, "Who is this?" She crouched down, getting on Ivy's level, her hazel eyes dancing with amusement. Ivy stared at her with unblinking rage-filled eyes. "She's so cute!"
Scathach watched from the treeline, though she made no move to interfere. Scattered among the forest, the trainees watched. Some had their energies activated, ready for a fight, while others tried their best to hide their energy, not wanting anyone to know they were there.
The red one looked around, muttering, "It's interesting how things this weak want to fight us."
Kaly, still scrambling back on her hands, swallowed hard, her gaze darting between the three figures and Ivy. "Don't… don't touch her," Kaly managed, her voice strained. "I-I'll go back with you, okay?"
"Not happening," Ivy said, clenched her fists, every muscle in her body tensed.
The chrome-skinned one, expression cold and unreadable, took a slow step forward. Ivy, in turn, took a step forward, putting herself squarely between Kaly and the three figures, even as Kaly, visibly terrified, shook her head in silent protest, wordlessly begging Ivy to stop.
The green-skinned girl's grin froze, her hazel eyes narrowing as the playful light in them shifted, growing hard. For a long, tense moment, she studied Ivy, then leaned back and tilted her head. "Interesting…" she murmured, eyes flickering briefly over Kaly, then back to Ivy. "I see what's happened here."
The red-skinned one cackled, a shrill sound that seemed to shake the ground beneath them. He sneered, eyes gleaming with cold satisfaction. "I wanna kill her!" He raised a hand, his energy expanding around him, its intensity making the air grow hot.
"No!" Kaly screamed, jumping to her feet.
They all turned their attention to Kaly, their amusement vanishing. The green-skinned one raised an eyebrow, her cheerful expression melting away. "Excuse me?" she said softly, her voice was condescending, as if Kaly were a disobedient child.
Kaly's whole body shook, and she couldn't even look her in the eye, but she held her ground "You...you don't touch her," she repeated, her voice faltering but strong enough to echo through the tense silence. "I'll go back. I'll do whatever you want. You can put me back in that room again—just don't kill her. Please."
The chrome-skinned one cocked his head, studying her with a mixture of interest and annoyance.
The green girl tilted her head, studying Kaly with a cold, predatory stare. "Oh, Kaly…is that any way to speak to family?" Her tone was almost teasing, but there was an unsettling edge to it.
The red-skinned one sneered, his gaze returning to Kaly. "Family? Hardly." His voice dripped with contempt, as if the very idea disgusted him.
"As much as we can be! We've all been together long enough, I think we should have some sort of label. Something to call ourselves."
"Why don't we just go by our sigil, The Raktaa."
The chrome-skinned one spoke, interrupting their conversation. "We won't kill her."
The red-skinned Raktaa's lip curled in a sneer, his energy flaring hotter. "Fine. But that doesn't mean I can't break her a little," he growled, his gaze fixed on Ivy with malicious intent.
Kaly's face went pale, her body stiffening as she met his gaze. Her hands clenched by her sides as she looked between the three towering figures and Ivy. Her breaths were shallow.
Kaly's voice shook. "I'll do anything," she repeated, desperation edging into her tone. "Just don't hurt her."
The red-skinned Raktaa leaned forward, his sneer widening, clearly savoring her fear. "You know what you're asking for, Kaly?" he said, his tone mocking. "You know exactly what will happen to you if you come back with us."
Kaly nodded, his words making her tremble. She took a step, putting herself between Ivy and the Raktaa, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I know."
Ivy finally spoke, her voice low. "She's not going anywhere with you."
The green-skinned Raktaa's eyes flashed dangerously, her amusement fading completely. She leaned closer, her hazel eyes narrowed as shadowy bubbles of energy seeped from the Raktaa's skin, her aura swirling around her in a way that made the air feel heavy and thick.
The green Raktaa murmured, her voice soft but dripping with menace. "I wonder if you even understand what you're up against."
Ivy didn't flinch. Her jaw was set, her fists clenched. "I don't care. You're not touching her."
The chrome-skinned Raktaa took a step forward, "If you're so eager to protect her," his voice echoing like grinding metal, "perhaps we'll give you a taste of what Kaly's been running from."
Kaly's voice trembled as she reached out toward Ivy, her hand shaking. "Ivy… please, don't. They will kill you. The only reason they haven't wiped out this whole island is because I'm here."
"Oh, let her try," The green girl purred, her voice sickly sweet. She glanced back at Kaly, her smile was anything but friendly. "I'm curious to see if she's strong."
"I am." Ivy said.
The forest seemed to hold its breath as the tension crackled between them.
The red-skinned Raktaa's energy slowly faded, his malicious grin slipping into something almost amused. "You two are just as stubborn as each other," he muttered, shaking his head.
The chrome-skinned Raktaa tilted his head, staring at them both with irritation. "Matrika, what are you doing?"
Matrika, the green girl, looked at Kaly once more, "Why? Why are you even fighting us on this? Why even entertain this place at this point? What else is there to do here?"
Kaly's voice was so quiet, even Ivy could barely hear her, "I just...like being around Ivy."
Matrika gave a sigh, her expression of cruel amusement fading. Her dark aura dissolved into wisps around her. "Fine," she said, her tone almost playful again. "Kaly, If you insist on hanging out with this…person…Well, look, I know how you are. You'll get bored of her, eventually." She smiled again, seeing something that looked suspiciously like guilt on Kaley's face. She gave Ivy one final, piercing look. For a moment, her eyes had something almost vulnerable, a flicker of something Ivy couldn't quite name. Was it Ivy's imagination, or did Matrika look almost... hurt?
The red-skinned Raktaa let out a mocking laugh, cutting through the tense silence. "Can we go?"
Matrika hesitated a moment longer, "Kaly, you've forgotten your place. You aren't meant to have friends or anything else." They all turned, walking back to the metal craft. "Let's go back to our lands." Matrika said before disappearing inside.
On the boat ride back to the Isle of Skye, Kaly barely spoke, her gaze fixed on the churning waves. She never left Ivy's side. Pearson would even comment about how Ivy had a "second shadow."
As Scathach's training ended, Ivy and the other survivors waited in the castle courtyard. Scathach observed her trainees and gave a rare, faint nod of approval. This year's batch was resilient. Some had surprised her by making it through.
Among them, Kaly stood a bit apart, watching Ivy through the crowd. Ivy, somehow still radiant despite everything, finally spotted her. She gave a grin and made her way over.
"So, what're you going to do now?" Kaly asked, her voice dry after not having talked for what felt like ages.
"I dunno." Ivy shrugged. "Hmm… Oh, wait! I almost forgot! I was gonna go see Tobi and show him I survived! You're coming with me, right?"
Kaly's eyes widened, clearly caught off guard. She hadn't expected to see Ivy after this, let alone be invited along. "Come with you?" she echoed. She hesitated, glancing away before mumbling, "I mean… If that's okay with you…"
Ivy's grin only widened, her eyes bright with certainty. "Of course, it's okay! We're friends, right?"
The word seemed to surprise Kaly even more, as if it was something she'd never really expected to hear. Then, slowly, a genuine smile spread across her face. "Friends…" she echoed softly, savoring the word before nodding. "Alright, then. Scathach said there was gonna be several boats on the beach, each going to a different location. Where are we headed?"
As Ivy started to answer, the courtyard's chatter faded around them.
End of Part 1