Sabir edged closer to the baby Pegasus, eyes locked on the tiny creature whose fragile wings fluttered weakly in the sand. Each step took him nearer to the deadly vortex of wind that the adult Pegasi had whipped up with their powerful wings. He could feel the sheer force of it pulling him in, his feet barely keeping their grip on the ground. The vacuum was like an invisible hand dragging everything toward a crushing end.


    “Sabir, get back! You’re gonna die!” Zabo’s voice cracked over the roar of the wind, desperation seeping into his words.


    Warren’s yell followed soon after, panic thick in his tone. “Move, damn it! It’s pulling you in!”


    Sabir wasn’t sure what drove him—perhaps it was the instinct to protect something vulnerable, or maybe the nagging idea that the Pegasi would stop if he helped their young. Either way, he was close enough now to reach for the baby Pegasus. His hands plunged into the soft sand, gripping the creature’s wing gently, pulling it free.


    Just as his fingers wrapped around the creature, the whirlwind suddenly stopped. The wind died, leaving only an eerie silence in its wake. Sabir, stunned for a moment, felt the ground beneath him steady as the Pegasi slowly ceased their wingbeats. He glanced up, watching the majestic beasts stare down at him with what felt like a mix of suspicion and relief.


    The respite was short-lived.


    From the cliff above, a loud hum vibrated through the air. Sabir’s gaze shot upward, and his stomach dropped. A monstrous creature, grotesque and terrifying, loomed over them. Its enormous wings beat with the force of a battering ram, and its segmented body shimmered with a sickening yellow hue. Smaller wasps—each about the size of a human head—swarmed behind it.


    Warren’s voice was the first to cut through the fear. “Damn bloodsuckers!” he spat, his fists clenching.


    Zabo, standing next to him, squinted at the swarm. “Bloodsuckers? Shit, those damn insects.” His voice sounded incredulous, almost as if he couldn’t believe their luck had gotten worse.


    “I’m glad you paid attention in class for once, but they must’ve been drawn to our human blood,” Warren said, his teeth grinding in frustration.


    Zabo sighed, shaking his head. “I’m starting to regret not paying attention to our monster study classes.”


    Warren glanced at him, a spark of sarcasm in his voice. “Well, let’s just try to survive, so you can pay attention next time around?” His eyes darted to the crumpled form of his sister, Maize, and the two from the Boreas family, yet he couldn’t find Frederick.


    Zabo rolled his shoulders, feeling the weight of the chains that hung loosely around his arms and chest. The heavy links rattled with every movement, each clink a reminder of the raw power he was about to channel. His muscles tensed as he inhaled deeply, drawing his awareness inward, focusing on the core of his being—his aurasphere.


    The aurasphere, nestled deep within his lower navel, pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that connected his life force to the energy that flowed through the air and ground. It was a well of power, infinite yet fragile, waiting for him to tap into it. Zabo’s breath slowed as he focused his mind, his heartbeats syncing with the rhythm of the aurasphere. Every inhale expanded the energy, filling his body with warmth, while every exhale allowed the energy to spread, moving toward his limbs.


    His hands tightened around the chains as he let the aura flow from his center, through his arms, and into the cold metal links. The shift was subtle at first, a gentle hum of energy passing from his fingertips to the steel. But as Zabo focused harder, that hum grew louder, and the chains began to vibrate with life. His aura, previously calm and contained, now surged like a torrent, flowing out of him in controlled waves.


    Zabo closed his eyes, visualizing the energy as streams of glowing light coiling around his arms and weaving into the metal links. It wasn’t just power—but an extension of his own will, bending to his control. His aura wasn’t merely a force he used; it was an integral part of him, a bridge between his body and the world around him.


    The chains, once lifeless, shimmered faintly, the glow of Zabo’s aura infusing them. They no longer felt like mere metal in his hands, but like a living, breathing extension of his own strength. He spun them slowly at first, testing the balance, feeling how the aura affected their weight and speed. Each rotation sent sparks of energy rippling through the air, a soft crackling sound following the movement like the hiss of lightning just before a storm.


    His aura coursed through the chains, amplifying their destructive potential. They felt lighter now, faster, and infinitely more dangerous. The steel links hummed with power, a radiant force that was only barely contained. Zabo smirked, satisfaction flashing across his face. This was it. The feeling of true control over his aura. The sense that he could shape the very air around him with just a thought.


    As the chains spun faster, the energy built, growing with each revolution. Zabo could feel the aura wrapping tighter around the links, coiling into them until they vibrated with barely restrained force. The destructive potential grew, and with every moment he spun them, the power became more concentrated, more dangerous. It wasn’t just brute strength—Zabo’s aura added precision, enhancing the sharpness of each link, making them capable of slicing through even the toughest armor or flesh.


    He opened his eyes, glowing faintly now with the light of his aura, and turned to Warren, his voice hard and determined. “I’ll take care of the horses and the bloodsuckers,” Zabo said, his words almost lost under the deafening hum of the chains spinning around him. His gaze was focused, unyielding, and his entire body radiated confidence, knowing that with his aura flowing into the chains, he was ready to face anything.


    The aura pulsed one last time, fully saturating the metal in his hands. The chains weren’t just weapons anymore—they were infused with the essence of his being, extensions of his soul that would lash out with devastating force at his command.


    Warren nodded, weak sparks of electricity flickering around his body as Zabo sprinted toward the oncoming chaos. “Kill the queen!” Warren shouted after him. “Their lives are tied to her! Take her down, and the rest fall.”


    Zabo didn’t respond, but his speed increased, aura flaring around him. He raced forward, chains spinning faster than ever, creating a whirlwind of steel and power. The monstrous bloodsucker queen screeched as the Pegasi, too, turned their attention toward her, recognizing the genuine threat. The air filled with the sound of hooves galloping, wings beating, and chains whipping through the air.


    Sabir, meanwhile, had his own battle to fight. The smaller bloodsuckers had honed in on him and the baby Pegasus. With no time to think, he yanked the creature free from the ground and threw himself over it, using his body as a shield. The baby Pegasus squirmed beneath him, but Sabir held tight, doing his best to protect it.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The bloodsuckers swarmed toward Sabir with terrifying speed, their black, needle-like stingers gleaming in the fading sunlight. Each one moved with unnerving precision, aiming straight for his exposed back. Sabir clenched his jaw, bracing for the inevitable agony, every instinct telling him to prepare for the searing pain that should follow. His breath hitched as he waited, but when the first stingers contacted his skin, something strange happened.


    There was no burning sensation, no sharp puncture, nothing but a faint thud as the stingers hit him and bounced off. Sabir blinked in confusion, his body tensing for an impact that never truly came. Instead of the agony he had expected, there was only a dull ache, distant and hollow, as if his body were numb to the assault.


    He could feel the bloodsuckers crawling over him, their thin, spindly legs skittering across his skin as they searched for a weakness. Their needle-like stingers repeatedly jabbed at him—his shoulders, his arms, even his neck—but none of them could pierce his flesh. He flinched out of instinct, expecting each bite to draw blood, but the sensation was muted, as though something unseen was shielding him. His skin felt... different. Tough. Resilient.


    “What the hell is going on?” Sabir thought, bewildered. His heart raced, not from pain, but from the sudden strangeness of it all. He could see the bloodsuckers latching onto him, their tiny wings buzzing in frustration as their stingers met with resistance, unable to break through. It was as if his skin had turned to iron, an impenetrable surface that defied their attack.


    For a moment, Sabir dared to hope, was this the mysterious power of aura again? It had delayed his death. Maybe it had given him this strange protection, too. He couldn’t explain it. This invulnerability wasn’t something he had ever experienced before. His skin had been as fragile as any human. But now, it was different, reinforced by some unseen force, holding the bloodsuckers at bay.


    Just as the thought crossed his mind, a sharp pain suddenly erupted from his chest, cutting through his fleeting sense of relief. It was the same pain—the tight, suffocating grip that had plagued him for days. The black veins that had once marked his skin, the creeping affliction that threatened his life, roared back to life with a vengeance.


    Sabir’s breath caught in his throat as the pain shot through his chest like a blade twisting deep within him. His hand instinctively flew to the spot, clutching at his shirt as if he could somehow will the pain away. The dull ache of the bloodsuckers’ futile attacks faded into the background as the searing tightness in his chest overwhelmed him. It felt like his ribcage was being crushed from the inside, each breath a struggle against the invisible force constricting his lungs.


    “Why now?” Sabir thought, panic rising as he stumbled backward, trying to shield the baby Pegasus beneath him. He had been so close to feeling invincible, but this—this pain—it reminded him that whatever was protecting him wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t enough to stop the curse that had been spreading through his body.


    He gasped, fighting for air as the tightness grew worse. The world seemed to dim for a moment, his vision narrowing as the pain surged. The black veins, hidden beneath his clothes, pulsed and throbbed with malevolent energy. Whatever strange force had made his skin invulnerable, it couldn’t stop the agony that came from within.


    He bit down hard, his teeth grinding together as he pushed through the pain, forcing his body to stay upright. The bloodsuckers were still crawling over him, their stingers glancing off his skin like harmless twigs against steel. But that didn’t matter now. The actual battle was inside him. Whatever was protecting his skin only increased the pain. The curse was still there, festering, and it was making sure Sabir wouldn’t forget it.


    His knees buckled slightly, but he held on, refusing to collapse. He had to protect the baby Pegasus. The little creature beneath him stirred weakly, its tiny wing twitching against his leg. Sabir’s heart twisted with a new pain—he couldn’t let the baby die, not while he could still stand.


    But the tightness in his chest wouldn’t relent. It was as if something inside him was trying to tear its way out, an internal pressure building with each heartbeat, threatening to overwhelm him. Sabir’s vision blurred for a moment, the edges darkening as his focus wavered. He couldn’t give in to the pain. Not now. Not here.


    With a shaky breath, he steadied himself, clinging to the strange protection that kept the bloodsuckers at bay. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him standing. The tightness in his chest pulsed with each beat of his heart, reminding him that his time was limited. Whatever force was shielding his skin, it couldn’t stop the inevitable.


    The world blurred for a moment, but Sabir forced himself to stay focused. He couldn’t afford to collapse, not now.


    “Sabir!” Warren shouted, still throwing weak sparks at the bloodsuckers, trying to keep them at bay. “Are you alright?”


    Sabir groaned in response, shifting to cover the Pegasus more fully. “I’m fine, just—just don’t let them get the baby.”


    The Pegasi, now working with Zabo, were locked in a brutal fight with the bloodsucker queen. Zabo’s chains were a flash of steel rocketing through the air, crashing into the ground with enough force to send tremors through the sand. Zabo infused each swing with aura, creating shockwaves that knocked the smaller bloodsuckers from the air. His strikes were devastating, though they often narrowly missed the queen as she weaved through the battlefield at unnatural speed.


    “Zabo!” Sabir’s voice carried across the battlefield, loud even through the pain of his chest. “Try not to hurt the Pegasi. I don’t think they want to hurt us!”


    Zabo turned his head towards Sabir, who was shielding the baby pegasus, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I’ll try, but it’s kinda hard when you know. They’re also trying to kill us.”


    Zabo grunted, narrowly avoiding a swipe from the queen’s venomous stinger. One of his missed strikes hit the ground near Sabir, causing a minor tremor that sent sand spraying into the air.


    With each passing second, the swarm of smaller bloodsuckers grew more relentless, swarming Sabir and the Pegasus. He could feel their sharp legs crawling over him, trying desperately to penetrate his skin, but it was useless. They couldn’t get through. Still, the sheer weight of them and the ever-present agony in his chest were wearing him down.


    Warren’s electricity crackled through the air, frying several of the smaller bloodsuckers in bursts of blue light. But his efforts weren’t enough. The swarm was too large, too fast. “We can’t keep this up,” he muttered, eyes flicking toward Zabo. “Come on, Zabo. Hurry.”


    At the center of the chaos, Zabo had his hands full with the bloodsucker queen. Her speed was unnatural, darting through the air as if reading his every move. His chains swung wide, creating devastating shockwaves, but each time, the queen dodged just in time, taunting him with her agility.


    Zabo gritted his teeth, frustration boiling inside him. “Hold still, damn it!” He poured more aura into his chains, increasing their power. With a final, desperate swing, his chain caught the queen off guard, smashing into her side. She screeched, her body plunged to the ground.


    The Pegasi, sensing the shift in battle, pounced. Their hooves and wings battered the downed bloodsucker queen, leaving her no room to escape. Zabo’s chains struck again, and this time, they landed with deadly precision. The queen screeched one last time before the sound was cut off, her body collapsing into the sand, lifeless.


    As soon as the queen fell, the smaller bloodsuckers froze mid-flight. One by one, they dropped to the ground, lifeless.


    Zabo, panting from exertion, leaned on his chains for support. “Got her,” he muttered, satisfaction laced in his words. He raised a fist in victory. “We did it!”


    But before he could celebrate further, the Pegasi shifted their attention to Sabir. They galloped toward him, hooves pounding the ground, but they stopped at a distance, watching him with cautious eyes. Sabir, still lying on the ground, felt the baby Pegasus stir beneath him. It was weak, but it was alive.


    Slowly, Sabir pushed himself up, still keeping the baby close. The adult Pegasi moved closer, their eyes trained on him, as if assessing his intentions. Their wings twitched with anticipation, but they made no move to attack. The tension in the air was thick, as though the entire battlefield held its breath, waiting to see what Sabir would do next.


    Sabir sat back on his heels, the baby Pegasus cradled in his arms. He could feel its tiny heartbeat against his chest, fragile yet determined. “It’s okay,” he whispered, more to himself than to the creature. “You’re safe now.”


    The adult Pegasi edged closer, their eyes locked on him. They slowly waltzed over towards Sabir, but then, within a split second, they changed their pace. They charged towards him.


    Zabo, still far away and tired from his fight with the queen, could only scream.


    “Get out of there!”