Sophie was barely able to roll out of the way in time, Cynna's massive claws swinging for her neck. She tumbled but managed to pull her sword out its sheath. Mansi and Alexios were already moving, Alexios running and climbing up the building side, jumping up behind Cynna and pulling out his greatsword. Mansi's bow was taught and nocked, and she released an arrow. Cynna heard the whistle as the arrow cut through the wind, but wasn't fast enough to turn away. Mansi's arrow got her in the shoulder, and she roared, her entire spine arching back and her fingers twitching. Cynna pulled the arrow out of her shoulder with a snarl and turned to Mansi.

Shit.

Sophie darted forward, grabbing one of her daggers and holding it in her opposite hand of her sword. Cynna heard her footsteps and swiped at Sophie with her claws.

One scrape from those things, and it was all over. Even a little scratch of those things on Sophie's bare skin and the Medirasa poison would take her out.

Sophie ducked underneath Cynna's flying arm and swung at her stomach with her dagger, her sword going for her legs. Sophie managed to get a hit in across her stomach, but Cynna kicked Sophie in the chest before her sword could hit, causing her to fly across the dirt.

Alexios came up behind Cynna, his greatsword coming down on her back. Cynna roared, the snakes on her head hissing at him. Cynna whipped around amazingly fast, grabbing Alexios by the neck before his sword could touch her. By his neck, she swung him to the ground, screeching. On the ground, Alexios pulled at her hand as it tried to crush his windpipe. Panic settled through Sophie as she saw Alexios gasping for air.

They have never taken on something like this, they have defeated all different types of people, all different kinds of Mirthless. But both of them in the same enemy?

Mansi nocked another arrow, one drowned in Oxalite, and let it go loose. She nailed Cynna in the groove of her spine, a direct hit. Cynna screeched, letting go of Alexios's throat. Sophie's brother coughed and gasped for air, even as Cynna stood over him, pulling the arrow out and snapping it in her hand.

In not the smartest move, Sophie sprinted and tackled Cynna off Alexios, both of them tumbling down the ruined building side. Both of them screamed on the way down, landing on the rubble with a thud. Sophie groaned and tried to push herself up, but Cynna was up first, even with the Oxalite running through her.

Gods above was she immune to Oxalite?!

Cynna swiped at Sophie with her claws, trying to rip apart her gut. Luckily, Sophie's breastplate, which covered her entire front, took the hit for her. The Medirasa poison bubbled and melted against the metal, three long claw marks down the length of her stomach.

Too close.

Cynna hissed in displeasure and raised her hand to attack again. Sophie kicked her in the knees, causing her massive body to fall atop Sophie's. Sophie unlocked her hidden blade out of its gauntlet and sunk it into her rips. Cynna screamed, the snakes atop her head writhing. Sophie tossed Cynna off her, flipping around and again planting her blade in Cynna's shoulder this time. Cynna punched Sophie square in the jaw with her other hand, causing her to again fly back. Usually, the jaw was like the snooze button in a fight, one nice hit to that jawline, and you are out of the battle. Sophie managed to try to stretch away from the fist, and Cynna's blow weakened enough for it just to hurt like a bitch but not knock Sophie out. Sophie tumbled, her entire body aching and her jaw throbbing. Sophie looked up-

And Cynna was gone.

"What the hell?!" Sophie roared.

"She didn't run, Lia! She is part Medirasa, which means she probably falls to their natural instincts."

Sophie knew what those were. They get their enemies away for just a moment they lie in wait, readying for the killing blow. Even with their massive bodies, probably explaining Cynna's extreme height, Medirasa's were fast and quiet. But one thing that is natural among all Medirasa.

They never let their prey out of their sight.

Mansi remained perched at the gorge entrance, her bow ready to snipe. Alexios slid down the cliffside and readied his weapon next to Sophie.

"Where is she-"

"I don't know, once you got in your second hit, she just vanished," Alexios whispered back to her.

Oh, gods, where did she go?!

I felt the thing inside my bones want to laugh as the brown-eyed woman stabbed my rib cage. A swift punch by my fist, and she was flying backward, cursing in our home language. I set my feet on the ground, my snake-like spine cracked and contorted, and I easily rose onto my feet without the use of my hands. The Medirasa enjoyed the sizzle of my skin as the wounds started to heal and laughed at the unnatural roll of my spine, my twitching eyes and fingers. I was suddenly sprinting, the snakes whispering poisoned words and heavy orders into my ears. The towering pillars and columns scattered throughout the warm gorge hid my escape. My half cornflower blue-half viper green eyes glanced at the Inalian runes I painted on myself as I zipped through the scattered columns. Half of those runes were painted as I was trapped in those steel cages inside that awful cave, still had my mortal beauty.

The other half were drawn when this beast was already inside me, and I sat in torturous agony as it took over my body, my mind, my soul. I wanted to paint runes of forgiveness and peace, trying to fight against it, but instead, the coiled snakes in my head made me paint the promise of blood and war, pushing and pulling on my gut as it told me what it wanted to do with me.

But as I weaved through the cream-colored columns that reached towards the sky, I was no longer Cynna, and I was no longer this Medirasa beast.

I was a mutation of both, and a hollow being of all. All that I once was, all that I could've been.

The dark-haired cobalt eyed woman stood atop the ridge, waiting for me to make a mistake. The man masterfully held his greatsword in his calloused hands, ready to bring it down on my neck the minute he sees me. As they all combed through the column maze, the man grew a bit closer, but then turned away, moving right instead of left.

The golden-haired woman also grew closer. I could hear her pounding footsteps and her shining blades, the blood staining the edges seducing me into a blood rage. My eyes grew hot, and I wanted her to stop. I want her to stop in her tracks and never move again. And with my eyes hot and my blood boiling, I turned to meet her.

To turn her into another one of my stone masterpieces.

The gorge was too big for Cynna to go too far, and she wouldn't have run from a fight. Sophie's panting slowed as she listened, observed, learned. Cynna looked to be sheet white with other stone-like colorings, the snakes coiled around her head being the only form of color, stripes of yellow and red.

Blending in... stone-like coloring... tall stature...

"THE COLUMNS!" Sophie called out. Mansi focused on the various crumbling, overturned, and leaning columns scattered around the valley. Sophie and Alexios ran through the columns, trying to root her out.

"To your left!" Mansi called out. Sophie turned left and saw Cynna's mangled feet running further through the columns. Alexios flanked her while Sophie tried to go around to her right to cut her off. Sophie was getting dizzy, weaving and swirling around the columns, trying to spot even the smallest sliver of Cynna. Finally, Cynna came into view. Sophie lifted her blade-

"DON'T!" Mansi screamed. Cynna's were full of raging golden fire as Sophie neared her. Sophie obeyed Mansi in a last-minute decision, instead rolling to the side as Cynna let out a disembodied scream, and her eyes shot beams of light to where Sophie was just standing.

"Woah! Has she always been able to do that?!" Alexios called out from one of the columns.

"It is a rare ability in Medirasa, and somehow, the ability transferred to Cynna when they infused her!" Mansi explained. Sophie gaped at where she was just standing, how the grass and dirt turned to a slab of solid stone. No slow poison needed.

"How do we take her down?!" Sophie called out. Cynna's eyes shot out beams again, this time nearly nailing Alexios in the back. They both ducked behind fallen columns, Cynna's feet pounding against the gravel as she searched for them.

Get her at a distance, and she laserbeams them into stone.

Get right next to her, and she swings at you with her poisonous claws.

It seems like a lose-lose.

Cynna screeched again, the disembodied howl of the Medirasa beneath her voice. Sophie peeked over the edge of one of the columns and gasped as beams of light from Cynna's eyes shot straight for Mansi. Mansi stumbled out of the way, ducking behind some building debris, and nocking another arrow. They were scattered, and Cynna was using the columns as cover to hide from Mansi's volley of arrows. They needed to come up with a strategy and fast. Cynna's heavy breath heaved through the gorge, and Sophie managed to pinpoint where she was.

Think smarter, think faster...

A memory shifted into Sophie's head, one from when she was still a child in training. She was with her father in one of the birch forests surrounding Inalia, and they were sparring. Sophie focused so much on her offense, she was running out of stamina.

"Take it easy, you waste all of your energy on your frontal attack you won't have enough for a good defense," Allesandro argued as he deflected Sophie's bo staff with his own.

"If I take you down now, and I take you down hard," A thwack against her father's staff, "Then I don't need to worry about defense." Another hit against her father's staff, "I can see you, and I can see what your attacks are going to be." Little Sophie argued. Sophie remembered this memory. It was only a few hours before one of her dance recitals, and she was nervous, so her father recommended they work it off.

"That is a good way to get killed. They always say keep an eye on your target," Allesandro met Sophie's staff, and Sophie didn't see as Allesandro ducked and pulled back a branch. He let it go loose, and it hit Sophie straight in the forehead. She stumbled back, her bo staff flying.

"But always acknowledge if you have more then one target." Allesandro chuckled. Sophie pouted as she got up from the ground, dirt on her face. Allesandro sighed, licking his thumb and wiping away the dirt on his daughter's nose.

"You cheated." Little Sophie mumbled.

"Having multiple targets in a fight is not cheating, Candessa, it may just save your life," Allesandro argued. Sophie was still grumpy, and Allesandro smiled, picking her up with one of his arms and grabbing their bo staffs with the other.

"Come on, we have seen your fighting technique, now Ms. Ligea can see your pirouette technique." Allesandro laughed. Little Sophie giggled, wrapping her arms around her father's neck and leaning on his shoulder as they walked out of the woods.

Sophie gasped, suddenly back into reality. Cynna prowled closer and closer, and through the maze of columns, she spotted Alexios desperately eyeing her.

"Multiple targets," Sophie breathed. She looked around the cavern, her mind highlights the multiple vaulting and climbing points, perfect for hasty ambushes.

Long columns perfect for balancing and too small of areas for Cynna to fit.

Sophie met Alexios's eyes and held her thumb and pointer finger out to her right side, meaning when you see an opportunity, take it. Alexios nodded in understanding, patiently waiting for Sophie's opening. Sophie crouched around her cover, her footsteps quiet, and her entire body stiff. Soon, Cynna was prowling right in front of her, and Sophie hid behind a massive rock, trying to make her shaken breathes a little bit quieter. Sophie picked up a boulder and tossed it over her shoulder, and Cynna growled towards it.

Sophie sprinted forward, her dagger and sword unsheathed. Cynna was somewhat taken aback but was still ready as Sophie charged her. She raised both her hands in an attempt to claw Sophie down, but Sophie was just the slightest bit faster. As her poison coated nails nearly scraped across her, Sophie flung her blades against them, knocking them above her head and away from Sophie.

Alexios saw it, the opening his sister had made for him. For a short window of time, her claws were unable to hack and slash, and Cynna stumbled backward. Sophie jumped out of the way as Alexios ran and got a gnarly hit through her diaphragm. She screeched and clawed for him, but he also swung at her arms, creating an opening in her back. Mansi caught on what they were doing and shot one of her arrows into the back of Cynna's neck.

It was a heavy pattern they followed as the sunset across Egypitnat.

Arrow to the back by Mansi created an opening for Sophie.

A slice along the arm by Sophie created an opening for Alexios.

A strike to the legs by Alexios created an opening for Mansi.

Different hits to different places, across the stomach, the back, the legs, just moving in and out, and chipping away at her stamina and body.

Cynna screeched as Sophie nailed another brutal hit in her ribs, and she grappled onto Sophie, trying to peel through her armor. Sophie threw her off, and Cynna sobbed and garbled against the blood and pain.

"Cynna-"

"Please." Cynna's broken voice sobbed. Sophie's weapon faltered slightly. Even with the mutated healing powers in Cynna, she was bleeding from too many places at once.

"Please, do it." It wasn't the mutilated broken voice she previously spoke with, but the voice of a scared and tired woman.

"I can't-can't stand living," Cynna sobbed, the snakes on her head writhing, "-living with what I've done." Cynna's half green half blue eyes watched her hands, and she lifted them before her face, tears only dripping out of the cornflower blue iris.

"I can't live with knowing what these hands have done." Cynna's neck twitched, the Medirasa fighting for control. Mansi and Alexios held their weapons steady but glanced at Sophie.

"Thavma wants you home, she wants her sister back-"

"HER SISTER IS DEAD!" The mixed voice roared back, the Medirasa winning over Cynna.

Cynna fell to her knees, the snakes in covering her head going limp.

"Please," Cynna looked at Mansi, the woman who was the most in front of her.

"Please," Cynna's hands violently shook as she ran them down her face.

"Just kill me," Cynna whispered into her hands.

A broken woman lay before them, someone who has lost everything. She was so broken after she fought for her freedom and peace and loss. She lost.

The Medirasa slowly started to fill her veins again, Cynna writhing on the ground and the snakes on her head becoming violent. Cynna violently sobbed, screaming against it. Her screams were broken and shook the entire valley.

Sophie took a step towards Cynna.

And then another.

She stood right in front of Cynna, ready for Cynna to either pounce up and kill her or for her to shrivel into a mess. Cynna's eyes grew gold, prepared for another attack, and Sophie readied to run out of the way. But Cynna roared against the Medirasa, instead turning the grass around them into stone.

"I won't let it win, Amalia, I won't." Cynna gritted through her teeth, the golden eyes smoking in her sockets.

Sophie leaned down, gently taking Cynna's face in her hands. The skin was as cold as stone in her warm hands, Cynna's once beautiful face gravely and sunken. The snakes on her head snapped and hissed at her, but a look of heartbroken sorrow met Sophie. Sophie opened her mouth like she was going to say something, but instead, a gentle tear dripped past her eyelashes.

And so with no words spoken and her hands on her jaw, Sophie unlocked her hidden blades and let them sink into the soft part under Cynna's jaw, blood spurting on Sophie's wrists and hands.

The snakes screeched, but Cynna just gave her a weak hopeless smile. Her body went limp, and Sophie gently caught her, laying her down. Alexios and Mansi were suddenly behind Sophie as Cynna sputtered out her final breathes. Mansi kneeled beside Cynna, lightly taking her hand.

"Thavma... Herate..."

"They will be okay." Sophie bit her lip as another tear slipped down her cheek, "You protected them, Cynna. Just like you said you would." Sophie pathetically whispered. Cynna tried to smile back, but her eyes glazed, her face going slack.

The sunset over the horizon and a dark blanket of night covered the desert of Egypitnat as Cynna Firenze's heart stopped beating.

The three of them didn't move as Cynna remained dead until Mansi gently moved her hand, and gasped.

In her hand, wrapped in a piece of bloodstained cloth, was a golden key, placed there by Cynna in her last move of defiance against all who wronged her.

The sun was almost set behind the horizon, and the three assassins really wanted to go home, but the Medjay insisted they stay to help with the scene examination and conclusion. Without Cynna constantly attacking them from all sides, her body seems so... empty, now. She was alive merely minutes earlier.

(Here is a full image of Cynna for yall)