[WATCHERS] PROMPT 3

It had been hours, and Alowyn could feel her muscles tighten from sitting in one position for so long. Herja and Garmr didn’t feel the same strain, but only Herja noticed Alowyn’s struggles as she constantly fidgeted with a wince. Herja was going to try to distract Alowyn when Garmr’s temper flared. At first, Herja thought it was because of Alowyn, but she quickly realized it wasn’t. 

“There’s an intruder,” Garmr growled as he spit fire. His eyes looked like molten lava as his excitement for a fight took over. 

Herja jumped toward where he was looking and found a suspicious Haedian skulking in the shadows. She silently floated in the ceiling about the intruder waiting to see what the Haedian was trying to do. She quickly glanced at Garmr and Alowyn before returning to the suspect. The Haedian dressed in black fabric inched towards one of the entrances and Herja knew they had to respond. 

Alowyn watched as Herja left her post, with fire at her feet, and flew towards something Alowyn couldn’t see. Alowyn knew she couldn’t fly without bringing attention to herself with the noise her wings made so she opted to claw along the walls and ceiling. Herja and Garmr hadn’t noticed her leaving her position. 

Garmr crouched and followed a path that led towards the suspicious Haedian. He and Herja always went with the same plan when it came to subduing someone, and they both figured this time wouldn’t be any different. As they began to move ahead with their plan they both realized that they forgot about the empyrian in their company. Garmr quickly looked to where she was supposed to be and found nothing but empty air. 

“She’s gone,” Garmr growled to his partner. 

Herja released a string of curses, knowing the small empyrian would only try to help. 

“We have to change our plan,” Herja whispered as she remained hovering in the air. 

“Where is she?” Garmr asked with clenched teeth. 

“Right here,” a chipper voice replied above them. Herja and Garmr whipped their heads back to look into the shadows of the ceiling. The only thing they saw that gave away Alowyn’s position was the slight glow of the wreath above her head. 

“Get down, and wait for us to handle this,” Garmr raged as quietly as he could. 

Alowyn’s head quirked to the side as she said, “But I can help.”

Herja knew that Alowyn could handle this problem herself, but Garmr was adamant that Alowyn was nothing but a soft useless empyrian, despite all the help she had given them throughout this adventure. When Herja didn’t intervene and Garmr growled at Alowyn again, the halo that gave her position vanished. 

Garmr huffed, “Let’s get this over with, it will be easier with the two of us.”

Herja moved through the air towards the Haedian who was still looking for an entrance, unsuccessfully. Garmr got into position near the intruder and waited for Herja to give the sign to move. When no signal was given Garmr looked to Herja but found her shaking her head. She gestured to the Haedian and told Garmr to have a closer look. Garmr squinted and was surprised to see shimmering vines wrapping around the intruding Haedian holding them in place. 

Alowyn was safe in the ceiling watching her companions move with stealth through the shadows of the wall paths. She watched them go through the routine she had seen so many times throughout their journey and wondered why it was always the same. She heard Garmr mumble about working better as a pair and felt hurt. She knew there was no friendship between them, but she was hoping for some acknowledgment that her help through the adventure wasn’t useless. 

Alowyn sighed and decided to take over. Her power made this so much easier, especially when they were so close to plants. She closed her eyes and tried to connect with the roots of the flora in the area. The conversations between the plants exploded in her mind as she tried to break through the noise to ask for their help. It was only a second before she opened her eyes to see the roots shimmer and glow as they tightly wrapped around the suspicious Haedian. 

Garmr and Herja looked into the ceiling to see Alowyn’s halo reappear where they had last seen her. 

“What have you done?” Garmr roared, though Herja could see how this would play out and it began to wear on her. The clashing of personalities drained her. 

“Helped,” Alowyn shot back softly. 

“We had a plan,” Garmr continued to rage on as chunks of fire and lava fell from his body to reveal a hellhound-looking vayron. It was a form Alowyn had gotten used to seeing because when she pushed his buttons a little too far, this was the result of his anger. 

“And I helped without needing to fight,” Alowyn added. 

Herja was watching the two before she sighed, “Well let’s go talk to the intruder.” 

Garmr wasn’t sure who he was most upset with, his partner was supposed to have his back, but when he set his fire eyes on Herja he could see how tired she was. Swallowing his pride, Garmr tried to calm down so he could resemble a vayron that wasn’t made of fire. The three made their way over to the trapped Haedian and smiled at the intruder before asking what they were doing in this clan. 

[913]