While Nosill was focusing all his attention on the horse, the wolves began to flee one after another, until only Nosil and the horse remained.
The frantic thud of pounding feet echoed through the dusty plains, kicking up a brown haze that momentarily obscured the horizon.
Far from Nosil's unknown location, Aya and Vika tore across the uneven terrain, their breaths ragged gasps in the arid heat.
Anger, a molten ember glowing in her chest, fueled Aya's movements. "He'll pay for this," she muttered, her voice barely audible over the pounding in her ears,
"I will make sure of it".
Vika, ever the stoic observer, cast a worried glance at Aya's fiery expression. Questions bubbled on her tongue, but a sixth sense kept them trapped there. Prying into Aya's personal affairs was a line even she wouldn't cross.
They continued their desperate sprint, the rhythmic crunch of sand beneath their boots the only conversation they needed.
Minutes morphed into an eternity as they searched high and low for any sign of Nosil. Frustration gnawed at Aya, and she abruptly stopped, her gaze darting skyward.
With a muttered incantation, a faint blue shimmer enveloped her.
"Curse release..." she hissed, the words laced with raw power.
A surge of energy coursed through her veins, and in the blink of an eye, Aya was airborne, her form ascending like a wisp of smoke. Her eyes, usually a warm hazel, blazed with an otherworldly intensity as she scanned the sprawling landscape.
Relief washed over her when she spotted a lone shadow in the distance, his silhouette framed against the setting sun.
"Vika!" she called, a note of urgency lacing her voice. Another shimmer and Vika found herself yanked upwards, her stomach lurching with the sudden weightlessness.
A gasp escaped her lips as she materialized beside Aya in the sky, the world spread out like a breathtaking tapestry beneath them.
In the blink of an eye, Vika found herself in Nosil's place.
The landing, however, was far from graceful. Vika stumbled, her legs wobbly jelly, and collapsed onto the parched earth, gasping for air.
Using her powers at such a distance had taken a toll on Aya. Her vision blurred, the edges of her sight tinged with a menacing red. A throbbing pain bloomed behind her eye, threatening to consume her senses.
In front of them, Nosil stood oblivious, gently caressing the head of a magnificent black horse. "Took you long enough," he chuckled, his voice tinged with amusement. "Look at this beauty, isn't this what we've been searching for?"
Vika, still struggling to catch her breath, barely lifted her head to acknowledge the horse.
A fresh wave of anger surged through Aya, momentarily eclipsing the agony in her eyes. Ignoring the pulsing pain, she marched towards Nosil, her hand instinctively flying to her throbbing eye socket.
Nosil, sensing the shift in her mood, finally noticed her distress. He rose, concern etched on his face.
"What's wrong? Did you get hurt using it?"
Aya's voice, when she spoke, was a low growl. "Rushed here for a freaking injured horse?..." Her words were laced with barely contained fury.
Before he could respond, her fist lashed out, connecting with his jaw with a sickening crack.
Despite the impact of sending him flying, Nosil remained unharmed, his blood shielded him.
But Aya wasn't done. She loomed over him, her voice a ragged whisper. "We have rules, Nosil... Don't be a child... Keep this up, and this mission goes down the drain." A tear traced a glistening path down her cheek, her vulnerability a stark contrast to her fiery display.
The sight struck a chord deep within Nosil. Shame washed over him. "She's right," he conceded inwardly. "I acted on a whim, should've discussed it with Aya first... Those are the damn rules." Aloud, he added, "If it had been an enemy, it could have compromised everything."
Vika, the silent observer of their tempestuous exchange, knew better than to intervene. Sometimes, the harshest truths were best delivered in the heat of the moment. Nevertheless, a flicker of worry danced in her eyes.
"Do it again, Nosil," Aya threatened, her voice hardening to steel. "And I swear, I'm parting ways with you" The weight of her words hung heavy in the air, a silent promise that sent a tremor of fear through Nosil.
"I'm sorry... won't happen again," Nosil muttered, his voice laced with remorse. "I sensed a peculiar sensation emanating from this direction, almost as if it were beckoning me."
Vika straightened, her gaze settling on the horse. "A stallion," she acknowledged, a hint of admiration in her tone. "A magnificent capture, but alas, he's injured... Such a shame."
The stallion bristled at Vika's proximity, snapping his teeth in a warning. Undeterred, Vika, with her experience, expertly soothed the agitated animal.
"We must move on," Vika pressed, her voice edged with urgency. "We've wasted precious time... My men should have returned by now."
"What do you mean?" Nosil demanded, bewildered. "We'll take him with us! He's as exceptional as the others."
Vika countered, her voice laced with reason, "He's wounded... He might not survive the night." Aya concurred, her tone firm. "A horse without strong legs is useless... Forget it."
Vika and Aya proceeded onwards, their footsteps echoing in the stillness. Nosil lingered, his gaze fixed on the stallion, who remained stubbornly rooted to the spot. He let out a call, a plea, urging the horse to follow.
"Come on, Nosil!" Aya's voice cut through the air, laced with exasperation.
Nosil took a hesitant step forward, then another, a wave of dejection washing over him as he grasped the truth in Vika's words.
Yet, a powerful yearning gnawed at him, a desire to save the magnificent creature.
A sudden whinny pierced the silence, a sound of defiance. Nosil pivoted, his eyes widening in astonishment. The stallion stood tall, his injuries seemingly healed, radiating an indomitable spirit.
The sight reignited a spark of hope within Nosil. He sprinted towards the horse, his heart pounding with newfound determination.
Reaching the stallion, he gently cradled its head, a silent acknowledgment of its unwavering spirit.
Vika, witnessing the exchange, a flicker of respect igniting in her eyes, murmured, "You are one hell of a horse, aren't you?".
Just after a brief conversation, the trio finally decided to take the horse with them.
Though the stallion could walk, guided by Nosil, it moved so slowly that it took them a long time to reach the place where they had agreed to meet Vika's men.
"It's bothersome that he likes you so much," Aya said to Nosil. "Hey, since we've wasted all day on him... you should make him like you too faster... He's the only one you've got," Vika intervened replaying to Aya.
"You must be kidding me," Aya retorted, but Vika insisted, "He's strong... Once he's completely healed, carrying both of you will be nothing to him... Just think about that," Vika's face turned devilish, "you can't ride a horse together without holding onto each other's body".
Aya imagined the scene Vika described with her words, and it made her very embarrassed.
"In your dreams," she said, looking at Nosil.
Nosil didn't care much; he was still in a state of harmony with the stallion walking by his side.
Moments passed until they reached the meeting place. The men had worked hard and turned the imagined cage Vika had described into reality.
"Look, they already caught one... As expected, boss," the men praised their leader.
"Sorry guys, it looks like your efforts were in vain," Vika told her men, ending with a laugh. "Nicely done," she added as she began inspecting the cage.
"What does that mean? And is it just me, or is that horse wounded?" a man asked.
"He's fine... A few days and he'll be running wild again," Vika said. "Now, it's getting dark soon, and I'm starving... If I don't eat something now, I'll collapse."
"What about this cage?" the men asked. Vika didn't know what to do with it, so she just told them to leave it there.
Everyone headed home, led by Vika and her men, while Nosil was the last, marching slower to match the horse's steps.
"Aya," Nosil called to her. She turned to him. "Which name do you think is the best for him?" Aya didn't want to start that conversation as she was still mad at him. "Whatever... it's yours anyway."
Nosil began thinking of a suitable name for the horse. After a while, he picked one: Eclipse.