"Today, we're learning enhancement," Marina's voice echoes in Eska's mind, calm, even as Eska stares up at the towering form of the Queen before her.
"It doesn't matter how fast you are or how much punishment you can endure. If you can't deal any damage, you're fighting a losing battle," Marina continues despite the tension gripping Eska's body.
"Begin," Marina commands.
As if the Queen itself could hear the challenge, it lunges forward with terrifying speed, its bladed limbs slicing through the air like a storm of razors.
Eska barely has time to dodge, throwing herself to the side as the Queen's claws slam into the ground, sending shards of resin flying in every direction.
"Listen carefully," Marina's voice cuts through the chaos, keeping Eska focused. "Enhancement is about efficiency. Every movement, every ounce of energy, must work for you, not against you. Think of your muscles as sponges. Right now, they're only absorbing a trickle of what's available. What if they could take in more? Work faster?"
Eska rolls to her feet, narrowly avoiding another strike, her claws glowing faintly as she tries to find an opening.
"And how am I supposed to do that?" she snaps internally, her voice tinged with frustration and desperation.
Eska narrowly ducks under one of the Queen's razor-sharp claws, her glowing eyes darting for an opening as she hears Marina's voice echo in her mind.
"Your bloodcraft will make things easier," Marina says, calm despite the chaos. "Draw from the air and the humidity around you. Let your blood carry more oxygen. Let your muscles contract harder, faster. Every cell in your body can drink deeply, becoming more efficient."
The Queen lunges again, its massive claw carving through the resin floor as Eska leaps back.
The weight of Marina's words presses into her thoughts. "The harder your heart pumps, the more fuel you'll have to burn. But don't let that power go to waste. Focus it, control it. Limits mean nothing when your body can take the punishment"
Eska grits her teeth, feeling the flow of her bloodcraft intensify.
Eska steps forward with a sudden burst of speed, her claws flashing as she strikes at the Queen's carapace. The impact reverberates up her arm but the Queen doesn't even flinch.
Her blade-like claws leave no mark on the creature's hardened shell, its smooth, impenetrable surface mocking her efforts.
Frustration bubbles in her chest as the rush of power coursing through her veins proves useless against the towering monstrosity.
"You've used this before—against the wendigos," Marina's voice cuts through her thoughts calmly. "Remember what happened? Your arm was nearly burnt from the air friction. Strength alone won't help if you can't control it. Pay attention, Eska. You're doing this wrong."
Eska stumbles back a step, her chest heaving as she tries to regain focus. The Queen looms over her, unbothered by her assault, its antennae twitching as if to mock her inability to make even a dent.
The Queen rears back, letting out a deep, resonant hum as it prepares to strike again.
Eska pivots, her breath quick but controlled, as she pushes her bloodcraft further. "Don't forget to reinforce yourself this time," Marina warns. "If you don't, you'll tear yourself apart from the inside. Reinforce every joint, every muscle, every tendon."
The glow of her claws intensifies as she charges forward, meeting the Queen's strike head-on with a force that shakes the chamber but both her and her weapons are unfazed.
As Eska braces herself, her glowing claws catch her attention.
The faint blue aura enveloping them has intensified, spreading up her arms in vibrant, pulsing waves. It's brighter now, almost alive, crackling faintly against the darkness of the chamber.
For a brief moment, her mind flashes back to the fight with the Thaxil soldiers—when Marina took control. The glow surrounding her hands now is eerily similar, almost identical to the overwhelming light Marina wielded then.
Her breath hitches as realization dawns, a mix of awe twisting in her chest.
The Queen's hum vibrates through the chamber, snapping her focus back to the fight. Whatever this power was, she would need to control it accurately.
"Yes!"
Marina's voice rings out, brimming with exhilaration. That strange surge courses through Eska once more, electric and undeniable.
She doesn't just hear Marina's excitement—she feels it, pulsing through her veins, a shared thrill as if they're finally in sync.
Eska barely manages to leap back as the Queen's massive claw crashes into the resin floor, sending shards flying in all directions.
Her glowing claws flash as she blocks the next strike, the force rattling her bones but no longer throwing her off balance. Each movement feels sharper, her reflexes faster, yet her strikes still fail to do more than glance off the Queen's impenetrable carapace.
"Now focus on accuracy," Marina's voice urges, cutting through the chaos. "Reinforcement must be precise. Place it where it matters most, or your own enhancements will tear you apart!"
The Queen lunges again, its serrated claw slashing in a wide arc.
Eska ducks low, planting her reinforced leg firmly and pivoting to avoid the attack. The air hums as the blade passes dangerously close, but this time, she counters by raking her claws across the Queen's extended limb.
The strike leaves no visible damage, but it forces the creature to recoil for a split second, giving Eska enough time to reposition.
Her breath is ragged, her chest heaving as she pushes her body to its limits. She can feel the strain creeping in—her reinforced muscles pulsing with power, but at the cost of searing pain in her joints.
Another strike comes and this time, Eska blocks with both glowing arms, holding the Queen's blade at bay.
"Precision, Eska!" Marina's voice snaps. "Stop wasting energy on brute force. Control the flow—place the reinforcement where you need it, not everywhere at once!"
Eska grits her teeth, her glowing eyes narrowing as the Queen looms over her, its antennae twitching in eerie synchronization.
Eska's breathing steadies as she shifts her stance, her glowing claws sparking with intensity.
The Queen relentlessly lunges again.
This time, Eska doesn't back down. Instead, she steps into the attack, pivoting just enough to let the claw graze past her.
With a sharp twist of her torso and a burst of reinforced power focused into her arms, she drives her claws upward in a ferocious arc, aiming just below the Queen's extended limb.
The impact is immediate and brutal.
Eska's claws pierce the tough carapace beneath the Queen's arm, sending a sickening crack reverberating through the chamber. The creature lets out an otherworldly screech, its antennae snapping backward as it staggers.
Thick, greenish ichor drips from the damaged area and the Queen's enormous form recoils, taking several unsteady steps back. The sound of the blow echoes like a drumbeat and for a moment, the entire hive falls silent.
Then, as if the blow was felt across the entire network, a low hum erupts from the walls of the chamber.
The Thaxil soldiers and nurses lining the edges of the hive twitch and shift, their antennae vibrating with agitation.
Eska hears gasps and murmurs from the survivors standing close to the safe opening who had been watching the battle in awe and horror. Even Marina's voice is momentarily quiet, as if processing the magnitude of what just happened.
At the edge of the chamber, Valen stands frozen, his breath catching as he takes in the chaos before him. His eyes dart to Eska, standing in the center of it all, her glowing claws still raised, her chest heaving with exhaustion and resolve.
The cracks she left in the Queen's carapace still visible even from his vantage point. But what captures his attention most is her eyes. Unlike before, when they glowed with an unnatural, four-pronged radiance, now they're entirely normal.
Clear and focused, without the eerie shift that had accompanied her earlier transformation.
The Queen snarls, its serrated mouth opening in a grotesque grimace as it retreats further into the shadows. Its steps are uneven and its massive claws twitch as if testing their range, clearly trying to regain its balance.
Eska lowers her glowing arms, her chest heaving with exertion but her eyes locked on the towering figure retreating before her. She hears faint whispers and hums all around, as if the hive itself were reacting to her strike.
"You've done it," Marina finally speaks, her voice filled with pride but also caution. "But don't let your guard down. This is only the beginning."
Eska's glowing eyes shift back to the Queen, watching it with a mix of determination and exhaustion, as the battle momentarily pauses, the air heavy with tension.
The Queen lets out an earsplitting shriek, the sound reverberating through the chamber like a violent storm. Her antennae snap backward and her hulking frame seems to shift and expand with rage.
The crack in her carapace oozes greenish ichor, but the pain only fuels her fury.
With terrifying speed, she lunges forward, her mantis-like claws slicing through the air in a relentless barrage. Each strike hits with such force that the ground beneath quakes, shards of resin and rock flying in every direction.
The air grows suffocatingly thick as her movements become erratic yet devastatingly precise, every blow aimed to crush the defiant figure before her.
The chamber erupts in chaos, the restless Thaxil on the walls responding to their Queen's rage with frantic hums and skittering movements.