Choking Hazard

“All I can think of in a moment like this is ‘rip it out of me’ and ‘I’m going to die.’”

Kitezh could only suffocate and wait for it to end one way or another. Kitezh continued to hold her throat while jerking her body forward.

“Back off! Let me do this!”

A muscular looking man shoved the other guys out of the way. Kitezh did not feel any relief at all.

“HNNG! HNNG!”

The large man grabbed Kitezh from behind, and tightly squeezed her to perform a Heimlich Maneuver.

BAM!

“OW!”

The large man suddenly lets go of Kitezh. The large man rubs his head as if someone punched him in the face. Meanwhile, Kitezh falls to her knees on the ground.

“AHK! AHK! G-GET IT- OUT! GAHK! PULL IT OUT!”

Kitezh had no hope already, but was now begging for the suffering to end. Her face was dripping with sweat, as there is so much going through her mind.

“Hold still. HNNG!”

BAM!

“OW! Which one of you fucks is doing-“

BAM!

“OW! DAMN IT!”

Kitezh looked at the man. He held her limp, as he seemed to get repeatedly punched by something.

“Fuck it, give her to me!”

A finely dressed man immediately picked up Kitezh. He bent her over so she could look at the floor.

“YAH! YAH!”

The man was pounding the back of Kitezh’s upper back.

“KAH! KAH!” Kitezh gagged

“Come on, AAAAHK!”

Once again, the finely man lost his grip, and let Kitezh drop to the ground. Kitezh rolled her eyes up. Her vision began to blur and sparkle. However, she could tell that something seemly strangled the man away. It was almost like someone yanking a businessman by the tie.

It was very clear. Someone is deliberately trying to kill Kitezh. She needed to do something to protect the guys as they try to save her.

Kitezh looked and pointed up.

“CU-CUPBOARD! CU- AHK!”

BANG! BANG!

Kitezh pounded her fist up at the barrels. The finely dressed man looked at the gesture, and opened the cupboard. Kitezh starting smacking the ground, as one of the guys pulled out her helmet.

“This is all that was in- WAH!”

Kitezh kicked one of the man’s legs, and made him fall over, dropping the helmet next to Kitezh.

Kitezh struggled to put the helmet on. She realized something was blocking it. She yanked the cat ear headband off, and put the helmet on.

Kitezh had her powers again. She gripped the muscular man from before, and made him invisible.

“What the- woah! Uh… HNNG!”

The muscular man was confused a bit, but knew he need to save Kitezh right away.

“You’re going to live! Hold on!”

With the muscular man invisible, the assailant would have a harder time attacking him. The muscular man was a bit disoriented, but continued to press hard against Kitezh. She began to feel something dislodge.

PSSSSSH!

One of the kegs of ale suddenly burst with liquid spraying out.

“What the-“

BAM!

Kitezh thought it would be over. However, the assailant seemed to be aware of what happened. He used the ale to create an outline of the man trying to save Kitezh.

“NADIA! QUICK!” yelled a voice.

“What is going- Ah! Kitezh!”

Nadia had returned from the back rooms, dealing with the mess that was handed to her. She rushed over to Kitezh.

“She’s choking! Help!”

Nadia got to the floor and tried to press on Kitezh.

“Wait, there’s also someone here shooting shit at us!”

Nadia looked around the room.

“Eveyone, clear out now!” Nadia shouted.

She reached into a skirt, and pulled out a wand. She lifted it up high, and it began to glow.

FWOOOOOOSH!

“AAAAAAAH! GET OUT OF HERE!”

Voices were screaming throughout the tavern, as they all rushed out. A violent storm brewed within the tavern itself.

Nadia casted a cyclone like spell. Just like a cyclone, the eye at the center left Nadia and Kitezh unaffected. Meanwhile, the entire tavern was completely destroyed. Tables, chairs, light, and mugs were destroyed all over the room.

“Hold still now!”

Nadia shoved her wand into Kitezh’s mouth. Kitezh continued to gag, when suddenly something shot down her throat. Nadia used a small wind down her windpipe.

“This is to save you Kitezh”

SLAM!

“GAHK! AHK! AAAAAH! HAAAAA!

Nadia punched Kitezh right in the diaphragm, forcing all the air to shoot the lodged object out of Kitezh’s throat finally.

Kitezh looked down, and breathed heavily, followed by vomiting on the floor. Kitezh slowly put her head up, and began sobbing.

“Kitezh, what happened when I was gone?” Nadia asked softly.

BAM!

“OW! Is that how you thanks someone for-“

BAM! BAM!

“IT WAS YOU! YOU’RE THE ASSASSIN!” Kitezh hysterically screamed.

“Assassin? I was the one who saved you!” Nadia angrily replied.

Kitezh grabbed a beer mug, and smashed it on the ground. She picked up a glass shard.

“Whoa, Kitezh! I-I’m serious! I don’t know what happened!” Nadia said in a panic.

“You have been using your wind powers to mess with me. Someone shot something down my throat to choke me to death. Then someone began shooting or pulling people away from me. Only someone with powers like you would purposely do such a thing!” explained Kitezh.

Nadia gasped and backed away a bit.

“I was just only trying to tease you with my wind! It was just part of the whole waitress thing tonight! I would NEVER use my powers to kill you. It’s my job to protect you from that.” Nadia replied.

Kitezh looked at the ground again. She picked up the object that was choking her earlier. It was a large cashew nut, similar to the ones that are served at the tavern.

“You knew how to use wind powers down my throat. You could have easily known how to use your powers to shoot something down my throat. How can you prove this isn’t just an act, and you’re really going to backstab me for good later?” Kitezh furiously asked.

Kitezh turned to Nadia.

“Kitezh, I was in the other room! I had to go to the basement to-“

“I’m sick of dealing with people like you!” Kitezh cut in. “You people can just go around abusing others, and as soon as someone gives you a taste of your own medicine, what do you do?”

Kitezh held up the glass shard again.

“Call things even? Learn your mistake? No. Instead, you feel you’re the victim now. You insist killing me is now your only option now.” Kitezh began to feel more rage. “WHY ARE YOU PEOPLE LIKE THIS?!”

Kitezh began to shake. She saw the fear in Nadia’s eyes. She could feel the glass starting to cut into her hand.

“You’ll be a fascinating phenomenon.”

Kitezh stopped for a moment. Those raspy words suddenly filled her head again. She began to slowly remember how this started. She remembered her last moment as being Olga in the original world.

FWOOSH!

“Ah!”

A gust of wind hit Kitezh. She dropped the glass shard in her hand. Nadia was looking down. Her hand was trembling with the wand in her hand.

Nadia drops the wand.

“I’m not the killer. If you really think I am one, you wouldn’t mind fighting in hand-to-hand combat. I don’t know who would win. However, if I wanted to win, I’d have you choking again right now.”

Kitezh looked at the wand and back at Nadia. She got back up on her feet.

“Aaaah!” yelled Kitezh as she charged forward.

BAM!

Kitezh headbutted Nadia. Her helmet flew off backwards. Nadia and Kitezh both hit the floor. However, Kitezh was actually holding Nadia from behind. She ended up falling on top of her.

“I’m sorry! Ahahaha!” Kitezh began to cry uncontrollably.

Kitezh had her face buried in Nadia’s chest. Nadia was being squeezed from behind. She wasn’t suffocating, but could feel the air being squeezed out of her.

Nadia put her hands on Kitezh’s back and started patting her.

“I sort of started this, so I’m sorry too,” Nadia said softly.

Nadia could see Kitezh’s emotions spilling out. She had learned what Kitezh had gone through before just from her words.

“Nadia. You’re going to protect me still, right?” Kitezh began to stop crying, but her face was covered in tears and snot.

“I’ll protect you, but uh…”

Nadia looked at the entire tavern. Everything was like someone took the entire building and shook it around like a dollhouse.

“I think today’s quest is over,” said Nadia

Kitezh looked behind at the exit door.

“Not quite,” Kitezh said. She walked over to the door.

“The assassin is still out there. I’m going to guess he is outside that door,” she continued.

Kitezh looked around the room.

“In fact, if we don’t leave now, we might lose the assassin. They were most likely one of the customers that came here tonight!”

Nadia got up as well. She looked down at her top and saw the wet stains left by Kitezh.

“If that’s the case, I will assist you. I’ll help you get this killer,” Nadia said.

Kitezh put her helmet back on your head.

“Aww, you’re wearing the helmet?” asked Nadia.

“Yeah. The assassin knows I’m here. Doesn’t matter if I wear it now. Plus I kind of need it to use my powers,” said Kitezh.

“That’s too bad, I wanted you to wear these!”

Nadia held up the cat ear headband that Kitezh was previously wearing.

“They fit you so well!” cheerfully said Nadia.

“Put them on yourself.”

“Well, it should only be worn by a cute girl who apologizes to her master. Oh, what was it that you did just earlier? Maybe I should be thanking this killer for making you behave like a cute, clumsy girl now! Ohoho!” Nadia laughed.

“Grrr! Don’t think I’m suddenly your friend now, you pervert with cow tits!” Kitezh angrily retorted.