Just imagining Shade running with those ridiculously small legs, she figured he'd probably get caught right up, swatted away like an annoying fly, or worse. It was a suicide mission for someone in his current state.
"Just do it! Trust me!" Shade insisted, his voice sharp with an uncharacteristic urgency, cutting through her doubts. His small hand, still clutched in hers, squeezed with a surprising amount of pressure.
Hearing the conviction in his voice, and seeing the desperate sincerity in his fevered eyes, Eirin made a split-second decision. Against all logical reasoning, she ran towards the sparkling pool, her boots splashing loudly in the shallow water near the edge.
The monster, Girak, its attention fixated on Shade and its desperate cries for "Nævi," flinched at the sudden movement, its massive head turning slowly. "No!" the monster screamed, its voice a thunderous roar, as he lumbered, chasing after the teenage girl, prioritizing the precious flower.
