Ayira gasped. The eerie silence had once again embraced the landscape, and she could hear nothing but the echo of Hatari's scream; a high-pitched scream of pure horror that sent chills down her spine.
"Oh no.." she whispered, her heart pounding. The very instant the strange yet familiar scent filled her nostrils, she knew what was going on. Danger was no longer lurking, for it had already struck. Without thinking, without hesitating..
A sudden rustle in the grass behind her made her jump. She turned around, staring panickedly right at the dark figure she could not actually see, but whose deep breaths and earthy scent made his presence quite obvious. For a few moments he seemed to watch her from afar, as if he was wondering what to do next. Then - one quick movement, and Ayira found herself lying on the ground, disoriented and trembling with fear. She felt his thick mane brush her face as he bowed down, and in that moment she was certain that she was going to die, that he was going to kill her like he'd killed Tania, that she was going to leave this world without having truly lived..
But she didn't. Only moments later, Hofu was gone, and all that remained was silence; neither peaceful nor menacing.