The scenery was rushing past at high speed, forest canopy a lush green blur below.
Emerald was hugging Cinders back with arms griping on for dear life as Grale took them to their next mission.
"Cinder! Why couldn't we just have taken a Bullhead!?" Emeralds shout over the winds were almost lost on Cinder but thankfully gave her an opportunity to enlighten the uncultured masses.
"Our target would have heard a Bullhead a mile away! We are in the middle of nowhere!" Emerald mutters under her breath about something, but was impossible to make out thanks to that ever present turbulence.
Speaking of targets, the Maiden should be around this area, slowing down would be a safe bet.
Or maybe...
Cinder got Grale to start lowering altitude by gentley pushing down with both flat hands in front of the saddle.
There was a moment where Cinder shifts back her heels, motioning for him to slow down slightly, before a lapse in the canopy presented itself at a more approachable speed.
It was almost automatic for Grale to dive down into the opportunity and weave between the trees.
Mercury pipes up from behind Emerald "I could really use a handhold right now!" Poor guy didnt even get some help from Emerald who immediately responded with a "Don't dare touch me!"
Cinder ignored the peanut gallery, and instead enjoyed the heart racing experience of riding Grale through the many obstacles.
He had grown even more recently, big enough to carry heavy loads or even transport multiple people. Perfect for the latest mission profile, they needed to stealthily take out the maiden hiding alone in the woods.
Having something to both carry supplies and be faster than horseback, while simultaneously being more all-terrain was just a godsend.
Has she mentioned the stealth? Don't forget there was a stealth factor, this was an assassination after all.
Who could forget, with a clearing and road coming into view that just happen to have a horse and rider trotting along peacefully, without a single clue as to how badly she had messed up.
Cinder had forgot what her name was -Amelia or something- but regardless she was in for a whole world of hurt, as they came in hot and heavy with no plans of stoping until they were satisfied.
Wait no that sounded a little weir-
Cinders thoughts didn't have time to catch up with the ammount of speed involved, they were seconds away from colliding with the target.
Cinder swore that she heard a girly scream from further back on their own saddle just before Grale impacted the rider.
Too far back to be Emerald...
Ambrosia -or whatever her name was- went skidding like a skipping stone down the road, while everybody on board Grale had to roll with his following spin to mitigate the impacts forces.
They ended up losing Mercury in the ordeal, having been flung back and landing on the horse, who promptly hightailed it out of here.
Cinder was smug, losses were one to one, and they even got to use their element of surprise to score the first hit.
"Emerald! Semblance us!" Cinder received the biggest look of bewilderment she had ever seen "what do you mean!? She is looking right at us! This wasn't part of the plan at all!"
"Nonsense! Just tell me what you make us look like so I know how to act!" Emerald was so confused, but knew she wasn't going to get out of this without delivering.
Waving her hand in stupid humiliating motions and making awful "magic" sounds was the lowest someone has ever got Emerald to go in terms of dignity.
Amber didn't even move from her position on the floor, just watching in horror as it dawned on her that she was ambushed by complete loons... She had been worrying about competent soldiers of Salem relentlessly hunting her down... Not... These.
"So? What did you make her see?" Cinder was insistant.
"Uh... A large pink Goliath?" The obvious lie and jest was lost to Cinder who took the idea an ran with it.
"Brilliant Emerald! I could almost kiss you and your genius! Allison will be so confused she won't be able to come up with a plan!" Amber paused while getting up. Allison? Really?
"Uh... Cinder... She can still hear you..."
Amber imagines the pink Goliath scoff in place of Cinder for a split second, betraying her own integrity as a sane individual.
"It matters not, a speaking Goliath would just confuse her more."
Emerald just has to add one little thing "and this Goliath... Is speaking to itself with two different voices?"
Cinder gets out of her saddle and stands on top, just to look down on Emerald and all her intellect "never before have you displayed such talent and promise. You've now been promoted to head minion."
Emerald almost wanted to run directly at Amber just to see how fast a maiden can make the earth swallow her up.
Her negativity must have been too much, since a real Goliath pushes through the foliage and into the clearing.
Amber takes a quick look over her shoulder at the loud noise, then laughs at them "you think I am going to fall for that!? You guys are pathetic!"
No...
It can't be...
This was never going to work...
Emerald just watched in horror as Cinder started cackling wildly and monologuing about reverse psychology.
It was like watching a train steaming off a cliff, Emerald just couldn't look away.
Grale flips up his tail to cover her eyes just as the hoof of the Goliath just happens to plant instelf directly where Amber had been standing.
Heavy use of the past tense.
Considering how focused Amber had been on Cinders "evil" laughter it was no surprise that she had inherited the maiden ability, in a show of mysterious ethereal force there was a brilliant glow around Cinders eyes.
The satisfied sigh escaping Cinder was crushed before living a prosperous life, Emerald made sure of it.
"We still have to find Mercury."
"Oh for f-"
So yeah, I decided chapters will focus on their own themes.
So think of it more like a collection of oneshots.