Northstar Vale to kick around as a toy

Confident that the warrior would take out this pathetic excuse for a living thing with one snap of teeth, Hime twitched and glared at Collision when he gave orders to the contrary. Not only was he not going to kill this coyote beast, but he wanted her to be the bait? The look on her face - directed at the back of his head - went from incredulous to furious in a flash.

You - what? Her voice rose a decibel or two, shrieking like a harpy. Me? How dare you! I am no sacrificial lamb! I am the blood sister of your empress, lest you forget! You dare to order me around when this wretched thing threatens me? What kind of guardian do you think you are?! A wave of anger rolled through her as she bellowed, her fur spiking all over, puffing like a bloated cloud. Her voice startled birds from the trees; starlings which shrieked in unison and took wing to safety.

Even if she hated the idea - even tempted to refuse outright and stay planted behind Collision - her outburst was powerful and all-consuming. She was staring so intently at Collision, letting her full righteous indignation pour out of her every cell, that she didn't take heed to the arc of his trajectory away from her or more importantly, the manner in which the sickly creature lurched towards her.

Whether she wanted it or not, Hime was the perfect target.