—ˋˏ✦ˎˊ—

“Hey, rotten skull-head, let go of me!” 

“Hhung?” The Draugr holding Maya grunted confused. When it looked at her, Maya rammed the back of her head against its jaw and broke it off.

Yet, it held on to her, wrapping its arms under her chest and lifting her up. 

“Lemme go, you rotten whatever warrior! Go back to your pile of rocks!” Maya struggled as she screeched like a banshee. Her focus was on Val. “Let me to her!” 

“Maya. Stop. I. Can— Argh!” 

“Val!” 

An axe grazed Val’s collarbone, and the two Draugr closed in on her. Blood trickled down her shoulder as they pushed the Valkyrie down to her knees. Val spat blood at their feet and raised her head defiantly. 

Their response was swift—a brutal kick to her chest. 

“That’s enough!! Let go of me!” shouted Maya, thrashing against the iron grip of her captor. Her struggle seemed futile, and desperation clung to her when Val choked on her blood. 

Then, by sheer luck, she brushed with the edge of her shield she held accidentally against the decaying skin of the Draugr. It recoiled. Maya seized the moment, smacking the Draugr in the skull with a satisfying, metallic clang.

Thoroughly gonged against the head, the Draugr crumbled to its knees and held its steaming face. Maya stared wide-eyed at the wound and the shield. The Draugr’s face was peeling off and disintegrating where she hit it.

The shield, this is it! Maya bonked it on the head one more time, incapacitating it for good. “Val, catch!” 

Throwing the shield like an Olympian discus athlete, Maya failed spectacularly—she was never particularly good at sports. However, it hit one Draugr on the head and ricocheted against the other, knocking both out momentarily. 

Maya grimaced. “That was not what I planned, I swear, but it worked, didn’t it?” 

“Yes.” Val touched the shield. It disappeared in a dazzling white light, only to reappear strapped around her arm. She smiled. “Thank you, Maya.” 

Maya blushed at the words. Hearing Val speaking more coherently and standing confidently with her shield made Maya crack a smile. 

“Go get them!” she shouted encouragingly.

The Draugr had recovered, but not enough to react against the Valkyrie’s attacks.

Val sent one of them flying with an uppercut from her shield and kicked the other against a tree, breaking its spine.

“That’s more like it! Woohoo!” Maya cheered for her as Val moved around gracefully in dives and jumps to avoid the attacks and struck the Draugr. 

She hit the Draugr repeatedly with her shield, and they soon turned to nothing but ash and dust. Maya clapped. Val couldn’t help but puff out her chest in triumph, though it soon dropped. 

Maya wondered what it was about and saw Val unstrapping her shield and hurling it in her direction. 

“Hgnh,” groaned the Draugr behind her. It staggered, still reaching out with its claws at Maya as the shield stuck against its chest.

“Woah, stay back you, or—” 

Maya was pulled back and into Val’s arms. She stomped her foot against her shield, pressing it against the Draugr until it disintegrated for good. 

“Finally. Hate Draugr. Annoying bunch.” Val turned her head to Maya, who remained frozen in the embrace. “Thank you. For your. Help. Are you. Alright?” 

“Nope, I mean, I’m good, I’m Gucci,” mumbled Maya, turning red from embarrassment. “We might need to get you some new clothes, though. Not that I mind, but…” 

Val looked down at her borrowed shirt and the new window it sported, revealing her cleavage. 

Seeing how Maya was avoiding staring made Val laugh and hug Maya tighter. “I agree. Though. I. Like it. The new. Look. And. Your reaction.” 

“P-please, don’t squeeze me so much,” Maya was turning red from how close they were. 

Val couldn’t help but draw her in closer and blow into Maya’s ear teasingly. “Can’t. Help it. You’re. Adorable.” 

Lost in their affectionate embrace, neither noticed a shadow slipping behind the trees.