unshakable trust || mandricardo & hana
The kind old lady down the road had needed help moving some things, so Hana had been willing to help as best as she could. It was her break, which meant she didn’t have to be back at the aquarium for about an hour. She wasn’t really needed until it was time to feed the seals, but she hoped her boss would be alright with it if she did end up being a little late. But it hadn’t been that bad, and she’d finished with plenty of time to get some lunch.
But on her way back, a strange feeling settled into the pit of her stomach, like something was watching her. There weren’t many people out and about right now, most either at work or going about their day in other ways. She furrowed her brows, glancing around to make sure no one was following her.
There was a loud bang to her left that drew a startled scream out of her, but she realized it was just a trash can falling onto its side as a calico cat rushed out and into the bushes nearby. She pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled heavily, her heart thudding against her chest. “Just a cat, that’s all,” she nodded to herself.
Until she heard the growl behind her. She froze, slowly turning. Behind her, she was pretty sure there had been a teenage girl standing there moments ago, staring at something on her cellphone, but now there was a large beast there. It seemed like it was shrouded in some sort of smoke or fog, only solid in parts, and like a dark...mass in the shape of a beast. The only features she could really make out were the paws, the shining red eyes, and gleaming white teeth.
She’d been on enough missions to know that didn’t mean anything good. “Shit,” she hissed under her breath, steeling her nerves and dashing in the direction that meant running into the least bit of people. Of course, the beast gave chase. Not like she hadn’t expected that. Why did something like this have to happen to her? She was average enough as it was when it came to magecraft, but without that..? She might as well have been a sitting duck.
A large paw swung over her head, and she found herself betrayed by her own feet as she tripped, crashing to the ground and rolling a few feet along the asphalt. The monster padded forward slowly, watching her for any sudden moves. She was no match on her own. She bit her lip, feeling frustrated with herself and her lack of ability, not that it mattered anyway if she couldn’t use it.
If only Rider were here.. she thought, stubbornly staring down the monster. Then, she felt a strange sort of tingle run through her body, and in spite of all the odds, her Command Seals had returned, glowing brilliantly. If they were back then...!
“RIDER!” she shouted as loud as her lungs would let her, channeling that cry to her command seals, “I need your help!”
