Harmony and curse

—Look at those metal machines, they're huge. —Lendary pointed at a wrecked vehicle on the side of the road—. Are they some kind of carriage? Wow, Morcly would lose his mind if he saw this.
Her eyes widened as she noticed an even larger machine, almost six meters long, with a massive cylinder at the back.
—This world must be a griffon's paradise, with so much metal everywhere. —Lendary let out a laugh, clearly fascinated.

—Stay focused. —Lubazi spoke gravely, his gaze fixed on their surroundings—. Look at the destruction. One of those “carriages” was thrown against a building with enough force to go through it. We need to stay alert to whatever is capable of that.

—The mayor of this city must be more worried about all the paperwork he'll have to do to fix this mess. —Lendary rolled her eyes with a mischievous grin—. Then again, maybe he has some automated device for that.

Lubazi let out an exasperated growl.

—You really get on my nerves.

—It’s the only talent I like to use. Or maybe you’re just too easy to annoy. —Lendary shot back with a mocking smile, clearly enjoying her little victory.

Lubazi gritted his teeth, holding back a retort, but any response got stuck in his throat as they turned a corner and faced a new scene.

The street was destroyed down to its foundations. Flames spread across the ground like hungry tongues, and in the distance, an entire building had collapsed into a heap of rubble. Everything pointed to a battle that had happened here not long ago.

The zebras' steps became more cautious. They moved in silence, their hooves barely touching the cracked asphalt.

BAM!

Both froze when a body flew out from the other end of the street, hitting the ground and rolling until it crashed hard against a metal pole. The impact's sound echoed like thunder in the fiery stillness of the place.

—Take cover! —Lubazi whispered urgently, pointing to an overturned vehicle nearby.

They slid behind the wrecked car, their bodies tense and their breaths held. Lendary peeked out just slightly, her curiosity battling with her survival instinct.

—What the heck was that...? —she murmured, her eyes fixed on the motionless figure at the base of the pole.
Lubazi raised a hoof to signal for silence, his ears tilting forward as he scanned the area, alert for any sound that might reveal the presence of whatever had thrown that creature with such force.

Lendary peeked slightly from behind the vehicle, studying the fallen figure closely.

—Ouch. —She whistled softly, her voice barely a whisper—. That's gonna hurt tomorrow... or better yet, for the rest of their life.

Her gaze traveled over the deep burns marking the creature's body, a grotesque sight that only fueled her curiosity.

—And to think the mannequins didn’t do them justice. They're way weirder up close.

Lubazi quickly turned to her, his expression serious. He placed a hoof over his mouth to silence her, whispering angrily:

—Shut up, Lendary. They'll hear us.
The mare opened her mouth to retort but stopped when she saw Lubazi turn his head toward the far end of the street, his body tensing like a rope about to snap.

From the shadows of the rubble, another creature emerged. It looked similar to the first: tall, bipedal, and covered in wounds, though its movement was slow and uneven due to a noticeable limp. Despite its condition, each step it took seemed to radiate a suffocating, dense aura, like that of a predator stalking its prey.

Lendary swallowed hard as the air around her grew heavier. The creature wasn't looking directly at her, but the sense of threat was undeniable. For the first time in a long while, she felt her usual confidence waver.

—Is it... —She whispered, but the words died in her throat when the creature turned its gaze in their direction, as if it knew they were there.

For one eternal second, Lendary swore that gaze pierced through her soul right through the metal of the carriage. Time seemed to freeze as a chilling cold ran through her entire body. It was an empty gaze, devoid of emotion, but with a crushing weight that felt like it was stealing her breath away.

Then, as if they had been deemed irrelevant, the creature’s eyes shifted toward the wounded figure in front of it.

Lendary exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, her body still trembling from the impact of that brief encounter.

Lubazi remained silent, his eyes fixed on the new threat. He was in even worse shape than Lendary, struggling to keep his breathing steady as he continued to assess its movements carefully.

The creature continued advancing toward the fallen figure, ignoring them completely. But the air remained heavy, as if a storm were about to break, and they both knew that the slightest mistake could draw its attention.

—Well, weird but definitely intimidating. —Lendary let out a nervous laugh, her breathing still unsteady as she tried to regain her composure—. I'll give them that.

Her eyes returned to the creature. Each step seemed heavier than the last, but the aura it emanated remained oppressive.
In front of it, the other creature struggled desperately to get up.

Its body was covered in wounds, its condition bordering on pitiful, and yet it refused to fall. Although its limbs trembled visibly, it managed to get on its knees and raise its arms in a guard stance, as if determined to keep fighting to its last breath.

Lendary whistled softly, impressed despite the chaos surrounding them.

—And that other creature... it sure has guts. —She murmured, wiping the sweat from her forehead with a hoof—Lubazi, you said no unnecessary fights, but if that thing dies, we won't have anything to bring back..

Lubazi didn't take his eyes off the scene, his ears slightly tilted back. He swallowed, his voice trembling as he replied:

—I'm not getting anywhere near that thing.—

There was a slight tremor in his tone, one he couldn’t quite hide as he tried to ignore the crushing pressure of the creature’s aura. His body was tense, every muscle ready to react to the slightest threatening movement.

—Then what are we supposed to do—?—

GRAAAAAHHHHH

Her words were cut off by the roar of a third creature that leaped from behind, a dagger poised to strike from the shadows. What followed was a sequence of events so rapid that even for an elite soldier like Lendary, they were barely perceptible.

The creature was disarmed as quickly as it had appeared, and in the next instant, it was being held by the neck as if it weighed no more than a stuffed toy.

—There it is, the second individual detected by the rune. But... why isn’t it detecting the third? Is it possible that all that strength is purely physical?— Lendary wondered, her curiosity tinged with tension.

—I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter,— Lubazi responded firmly. —The only thing that benefits us now is if those two defeat it for us. Then we can take them when they’re exhausted. If that doesn’t happen, we leave immediately.— Lendary growled, clearly frustrated.

—You could use my damn potions! You said that if you used them all, they’d give you the strength to take on the best in the kingdom. I never thought the special forces would produce such a cowardly leader.— Lubazi whipped his head around, his eyes blazing.

—You’d better watch your tone, soldier. There’s a reason you’re not the leader: you can’t see beyond what’s right in front of your muzzle. Think for a second. If I use the potions now, then what? I’ll have, at most, four minutes. Those potions aren’t meant for battle—they’re designed for retreat.—

—If time runs out, then you can use the crystal,— Lendary grumbled under her breath.

He tried to respond, but a blood-curdling scream interrupted him. Their attention snapped back to the combatants. The burned creature was still screaming, its words unintelligible but full of urgency.

Lendary couldn’t understand what it was saying, but its intentions were clear: it was negotiating. Or at the very least, begging.

Then, it began speaking with the other two in a relaxed manner, as if nothing had happened.

—"What are they babbling about? A moment ago, they looked ready to kill each other, and now they're just chatting?"— Lendary muttered in irritation, her tail flicking impatiently.

Lubazi, however, didn’t share her curiosity. He clicked his tongue and began to back away slowly, keeping out of sight of the creatures.

—"This was a waste of time. We should leave and try our luck elsewhere. At most, we have ten minutes before the Canterlot guards arrive."—

Just as Lubazi turned to leave, a sharp, heavy sound echoed through the air.

BAM.

—"Wait!"— Lendary shouted, grabbing Lubazi’s shoulder and forcing him to turn around.

Both watched, a mix of shock and horror etched on their faces, as the threatening creature stabbed itself directly in the heart with a sharp weapon. Blood splattered across the ground, yet, to their disbelief, it continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

Not only was it calm, but it looked... relieved. One could even say it seemed happy.

The conversation among the three creatures continued for a few more moments before the dangerous one’s body fell heavily to the ground.

Lendary and Lubazi stood frozen, unable to process what they had just witnessed. While the other two approached the fallen body and began another unintelligible conversation, confusion and disbelief paralyzed them.

Finally, Lendary broke the silence, sweat dripping down her forehead.

—"Seriously... this dimension is completely insane,"— she said, forcing a smile as her gaze landed on Lubazi expectantly. —"Well, Lubazi? What do we do now? They're getting away... this is our last chance."—

Lubazi observed the motionless body of the creature on the ground, then looked at the two beings staggering away, weaving through the shadows and flames that illuminated the distant sky. He glanced down at his saddlebag, where the tracking rune flickered intermittently.

His mind raced through the possibilities. This might be the closest they’d get to completing their mission without major interference. If they played their cards right, they could leave this place undetected by other dangerous beings.

Finally, Lubazi made his decision.

—"Alright... let's do this!"— His voice was hurried and full of determination. —"You go for the less injured one; we’ll knock them out as quickly as possible."—

Without waiting for a reply, Lubazi burst from his hiding spot, charging at full speed toward the burned creature.

—"Now!"— he shouted before slamming into the being, dragging it across the asphalt and away from its companion.

Lendary shook her head, letting out a mocking sigh.

—"He always barks an order and rushes off before I can even respond,"— she muttered, her sarcastic smile reflecting a mixture of resignation and amusement.

Calmly, she stepped out from behind the overturned metal vehicle. Her deep, clear voice echoed through the air as she advanced with steady steps.

—"Well, well, what do we have here? Now that I see you up close, you look more like a hairless monkey than a scrawny minotaur,"— Lendary taunted, successfully drawing the attention of the so-called “hairless monkey.”

The creature, which had been trying to pull itself together, turned its head toward her with a mix of panic and utter bewilderment. Its ragged breathing betrayed the fear coursing through it. When it opened its mouth, what came out was:

—"何だこれ…何者なんだ？" (Nanda kore... nanimono nanda?)—
—"What is this...? What are these things?"—

Lendary tilted her head, clearly irritated by her inability to understand a single word. Even so, she continued with the same confidence.

—"Seems like you put on quite the show here. But unfortunately, you won't be going anywhere now,"— she continued, her smile radiating authority. —"You're coming with us."—

The “hairless monkey” stared at her, his eyes wavering between terror and disbelief. Finally, he spoke again in his strange language, this time louder and with a voice full of desperation:
—"何を言ってるの？わからない！" (Nani wo itteru no? Wakaranai!)—
—"What are you saying? I don't understand!"—

For Megumi, this was nothing short of a nightmare. A feverish hallucination brought on by chlorine poisoning... or at least, that’s what he wanted to believe.

The figure of the zebra before him was impossible to process. It moved with an unsettling combination of fluidity and firmness, and its deep voice echoed in his ears like a distorted reverberation.

—"Sha'rath ni'ka trahvun... ch'thunga va'ral no'thal. Si'run makra tha'kesh." (Of course, they can't even speak anything coherent. Don't worry, I'm a zebra of few words anyway).—

Megumi struggled to find any meaning in the noises coming from the zebra’s mouth. Yet all he managed was to feel even more lost, as if he were facing a world where even language defied logic.

The zebra snorted loudly and, in the blink of an eye, lunged at him with alarming speed.

Megumi grit his teeth, letting his body react instinctively while his mind screamed in chaos with questions left unanswered.

The zebra closed in on him rapidly. Judging by the trajectory and speed, Megumi assumed it was going to tackle him, just as the other creature had done to Maki. With considerable effort, he lifted his knee, aiming directly at the animal’s snout to defend himself.

BAM!

The sound echoed, but not as expected. To his shock and surprise, the zebra halted at the last second with almost inhuman agility, spinning on its hind legs. In one fluid, unnatural motion, it assumed a bipedal stance, and before Megumi could react, delivered a spinning kick straight to the right side of his face.

The impact was devastating. The force of the blow not only threw him off balance but also left him momentarily unconscious as his body was launched several meters back.

Snapping back to his senses within a split second, Megumi twisted mid-air, forcing his body to recover before hitting the ground. He landed heavily, gasping for breath, and pressed his left hand against his fractured ribs, now even more damaged. A sharp pain shot through his chest as he felt the bone fragments pierce further into his lung.

He looked up, his breathing ragged, and fixed his gaze on the zebra. The creature stood upright on two legs, its posture unnervingly firm and balanced for something with a quadrupedal physique.

—"This makes no sense,"— Megumi thought, gritting his teeth as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain. Every movement this creature made was unnatural, practically impossible for a being designed to walk on four legs. Yet there it was, moving with a fluidity that defied all logic, as if it were completely normal.

The sorcerer took a step back, trying to gain some distance, and felt his foot brush against something metallic. He glanced down quickly and saw the dagger that Toji had taken from him during their fight. His mind, still clouded by pain, reacted immediately. He bent down, grabbed the weapon, and adopted a defensive stance.

—"Yeah, you better have an advantage... or this would be too easy,"— the zebra taunted, her mocking tone echoing through the air. Without wasting time, she charged at him again, her movements swift and precise.

Megumi didn’t wait. Despite his pain and the lack of air, he ran toward her as well.

When they clashed, a frenetic battle of agility and reflexes ensued. The sorcerer, with the little strength he had left, tried to deliver precise slashes with the dagger, looking for any opportunity to land a hit. But the zebra, with unnerving ease, dodged every swing. Her movements were relaxed, almost as if she were enjoying herself, dancing around the blade’s edge.

Meanwhile, Lubazi was completely focused on his own struggle. Using all his weight, he pressed his hooves against Maki's throat, attempting to immobilize her entirely.

The sorceress growled in pain and rage, her muscles tensing as her hands gripped the zebra's front legs tightly. With each passing second, she pushed back more and more, gradually prying him off.

Lubazi was beginning to lose confidence. He looked at the human's face with growing nervousness. Her eyes, despite being much smaller than his, were filled with a fury and determination that intimidated him deeply.

—"How the hell can she still have this much strength...?"— he thought, feeling his grip begin to loosen.

—"Let go of me, you damn thing!"— Maki screamed, her voice raw with anger.

In an explosive movement, She separated Lubazi's legs and pulled them down, pulling him toward her. Before he could react, she delivered a powerful headbutt.

The impact sent Lubazi's head snapping back violently. His vision blurred for a moment, and Maki took advantage of his disorientation to free her leg and kick him in the stomach with all her might, sending him flying several meters away.

Lubazi rolled across the ground, coughing and gasping for air, while Maki, wobbling but firm, stood up once more.

Maki took deep, ragged breaths as she studied the creature before her more closely. Was it a curse? She shook her head quickly. If it were, she wouldn't be able to see it without her special glasses, and besides, she couldn't feel any cursed energy emanating from the animal.

Even so, something about its appearance kept screaming the unnatural.

—"There's no point in overthinking this,"— Maki thought impatiently. Her gaze shifted to the fight raging between Megumi and the other zebra. The sorcerer was barely standing, each movement revealing signs of extreme exhaustion.

—"I'll hit first and ask questions later."—

Wasting no more time, she bent her body with effort, and with all the strength she could muster, she launched herself at the zebra in front of her.

Lubazi, who was just struggling to his feet, opened his eyes just in time to see Maki's fist inches away from slamming into his face.

BAM!

Luckily for him, a body knocked her off course at the last second. The impact sent Maki skidding across the ground as she firmly held onto the body that had crashed into her.

It was Megumi. He had been thrown directly at her by Lendary.

Maki frowned and carefully held her companion as she lowered him to the ground, examining his exhausted face.

—"I've reached my limit, Maki-san,"— Megumi said between gasps, completely out of breath. —"We need to get out of here."—

Both sorcerers got back on their feet, taking a defensive stance, although Maki could barely hide the concern in her eyes.

—"I don’t think we can lose them if we run."— Her fists clenched tightly, her brow furrowing even more. —"We have to defeat them. It’s our only option. Let me go on the offensive, and try to support me however you can."—

Maki looked over at the zebras, who were now standing side by side.

Lendary walked over to Lubazi calmly, her expression clearly bored as she looked at him with mild disdain.

—"How did you get hit so easily?"—

Lubazi wiped the blood trickling from his nose, his tone bitter:
—"She's stronger than I thought, even with all her injuries."—

Lendary scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

—"Well, it looked like she was getting beaten up before, and unlike that suicidal fool from earlier, these two don’t intimidate me at all."—

The zebra took a firm step forward, her presence now much more imposing.

—"I'll show you why I’m the best in the kingdom."—

Maki and Megumi watched the scene with intrigue.

—"Tell me, Megumi,"— Maki said as she adjusted her stance. —"Do you have any idea what language these freaks are speaking?"—

—"No clue. It’s nothing I’ve heard before."— His voice was ragged from heavy breathing.

Megumi’s fists trembled as a wave of helplessness washed over him. Maki had volunteered to take the lead to protect him, a gesture that only confirmed how weak he was at that moment.

—"What can I even do about it?"— he thought bitterly. His cursed energy was depleted, and this wasn’t the first time he’d found himself in a similar situation—unable to make a difference. His mind briefly wandered to memories of the past, moments of failure that weighed on him like a stone in his chest.

But he shook his head vigorously, forcing those thoughts away.

—"Not now."—

He took a deep breath, focusing on his surroundings. No matter how limited he was, he would do everything he could to help.

—"Let’s go!"— Maki shouted, charging at the zebra with everything she had left.

Maki reached the zebra, throwing a punch aimed straight at her face. Lendary reacted quickly, rising on two legs once more to counter with a kick to the sorcerer's chest.

With an agile twist, Maki dodged the attack and retaliated with a kick to the zebra's side. However, Lendary blocked the strike with one of her hooves.

The impact forced both of them to stagger back a few steps, but Lendary's eyes widened in surprise. The power behind the attack had been strong enough to send her skidding a few meters across the ground.

—"She's really strong,"— the mare thought, her expression growing more serious as she adjusted her stance. —"If she weren't weakened, she'd be as powerful as the minotaur I fought years ago."—

Meanwhile, Lubazi charged forward, aiming to stop Maki's advance. However, Megumi appeared before him, intercepting with a swift slash. The zebra dodged skillfully, but the sorcerer pursued him, keeping him at bay with quick, precise movements.

The exchange continued for several seconds, with Megumi launching consecutive attacks while Lubazi dodged, carefully measuring his movements.

—"Alright, let's end this,"— Lendary declared, her voice filled with determination as she pulled something from her saddlebag. Without hesitation, she placed it in her mouth.

Lubazi, noticing the shift in the atmosphere, leaped backward to create distance from the sorcerer.

—"HAAAAA!"—

From above, Maki descended like lightning, aiming to deliver a devastating stomp on the zebra.

Once again, Lubazi was saved at the last second. Lendary dashed forward, intercepting the attack by blocking it with both front legs in a firm cross that stopped the impact inches from her companion.

The ground beneath them cracked under the force of the collision as Maki quickly retreated, assessing the situation.

Megumi reacted swiftly, his mind analyzing the chaos while formulating a desperate plan. With a decisive motion, he extended his arm, pointing the dagger at the most dangerous zebra.

—"Maki-san!"— he shouted, his gaze locking with the sorcerer’s. She nodded immediately, understanding her companion’s intention.

With all his strength, Megumi threw the dagger at the zebra while Maki approached from the opposite side. The strategy was simple yet effective: force their enemy to split her attention between the two of them.

—"LENDARY!"— Lubazi yelled as he saw the two figures closing in, each with a clear target: the mare’s head.

Lendary's lips curled into a confident smile. In a swift motion, she struck the flat side of the dagger with one hoof, deflecting it off its trajectory. Then, firmly planting her other hoof on the ground, she spun around, kicking up a cloud of debris and dust that spread in all directions, temporarily blinding the sorcerer.

Maki stumbled back, coughing as she frantically tried to clear her eyes.

—"Maki, to your side!"— Megumi shouted as he watched Lendary emerge from the dust cloud, lunging toward the sorcerer’s stomach with a devastating blow.

—"What a pity..."— Lendary muttered through clenched teeth as she closed the distance.

BAM!

The impact echoed like thunder as Lendary's hoof connected brutally with Maki's abdomen. The sorcerer spat out blood, her eyes rolling back as her body bent backward. But before she could collapse completely, her hands clamped tightly around the zebra's limb, her expression transforming into one of absolute determination.

Lendary narrowed her eyes, impressed. —"You're just like me. Your tenacity is incredible,"— she murmured with a mix of respect and seriousness. For a moment, Maki’s figure reminded her of her younger self: a warrior who never gave up, no matter how dire the circumstances.

Maki tightened her grip on the zebra's limb, throwing her head back to prepare a powerful headbutt.

WHOOSH!

The movement halted abruptly. Before Maki could complete her attack, a dart shot out from Lendary's mouth, piercing the sorcerer's neck.

Maki's eyes widened in shock. She tried to speak, even lifted a hand to pull out the object, but the substance worked swiftly and mercilessly. Her eyelids grew heavy, and her body collapsed limply to the ground.

Lendary let out a sigh, wiping the saliva from her lips as she calmly looked down at the unconscious sorcerer.

—"I would have loved to defeat you at your best,"— she murmured with a hint of respect, though her tone remained cold and calculating.

She bent down, biting the sorcerer's shirt before carelessly tossing her towards Lubazi, who moved underneath to catch her on his back.

—"Only one left,"— she declared, locking her gaze onto the last sorcerer still standing.

Megumi witnessed everything with wide, horrified eyes, paralyzed. His companion had fallen, and he couldn't do anything to stop it.

—"Maki-san..."— he whispered, his voice trembling. —"Was that... a tranquilizer dart? Or worse... poison?"— Panic surged through his thoughts. These creatures were clearly not animals, nor were they mere beasts given their cognitive abilities. They were after something, that much was certain.

His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, exhausted for the second time in this seemingly endless battle. His vision blurred, and his strength was slowly draining away.