The Void Wolf

Inside the basement of an abandoned building in the inner slums, two men, wearing only small waistcloths, lay on metal examination tables.

These two men were completely hairless and pale. If Ira was there, he would recognize them as the ones who cursed him. Both of the men had a long scar down their sides, exact same length, opposite sides. These men were born conjoined at birth.

Needless to say, their lives were hard, and after being abandoned by their own parents they struggled to survive. That's until they were picked up by Glen Marbot. For the first time in their lives, they were given a purpose, and they worshiped him for it. At first, the experiments hurt, the pain was completely unbearable, but Glen said the pain would stop, and it stopped.

They were once weak, but he said they would become strong, and it became so. At that moment he told them they might die. For them, their greatest honor was dying for their Master, his cause was to rebuild the world, and they would be the ones responsible for the beginning of his New World.

Glen stood at a table mixing various ingredients, and adjusting strange tools. Animal remains and vials of blood lined the walls above the desk.

A few days ago, after he found out Ira was injured in a sparring match, he discreetly paid someone to retrieve traces of his blood.

Glen looked at a small vial that was currently holding liquid. The amount it held was barely enough to be called two drops worth, but Glen smiled anyway.

He opened the vial, carefully, and poured a drop into a metal bowl.

Glen grabbed the other mysterious vials and dumped them all into the bowl.

Immediately a reaction took place, the mixture bubbled and pulsated, it almost looked alive. He added more ingredients and constantly stirred the mixture in the bowl. As he stirred, the color of the contents, turned into an ominous, dark crimson.

Glen then focused on a second bowl, he filled with crushed herbs and then poured the last remaining drop into it. The mixture lightly bubbled, and the color was a bright shade of white gold.

"Forget curing her sickness...With more of his blood, she'll be immortal...No more sickness for anyone...No more death..."

Glen soliloquized, with an obsessive glint in his eyes.

Glen finished stirring the mixture and grabbed thirteen syringes. He filled each of them a quarter of the way up, and then put caps on all of them.

He hesitated a little bit and then grabbed two more syringes, and filled one a quarter of the way and one 3/4ths the way up with the white gold mixture. Now the two bowls were empty.

Glen turned around.

There were fourteen examination tables, all of them except one, held an occupant, elderly, men, women, children.

With the exception of the two men in red, everyone else had dull eyes. It was clear they were most likely hypnotized.

"Rise!" Glen shouted as he rung a bell.

One by one, each occupant slowly sat up. He walked past each one and placed a syringe in their hands.

"When the time comes, use it." Glen looked over the occupants and ordered, shaking his bell.

"You have your instructions. Now go." On his cue, each occupant stood up and grabbed a cloak, each one was a different color as to not draw attention. They lethargically shuffled out of the room and up the stairs.

The two pale hairless men didn't follow the crowd but stayed behind.

"Around this evening or so, they should be in position. When one of you find the boy, the other will give the signal. Bring him back by whatever means possible, and use the chaos as cover," Glen said gently as he hugged the two hairless men tightly as if they were his own children.

"Yes..." "...Master" The two men responded, restraining the emotion in their voices. They climbed up the stairs and left Glen alone in the room.

Glen sighed before he grabbed the white gold syringe and tucked it into his chest pocket.

.......................

"Show me the log of prisoners brought in the auction, everything under Marbot," Avery spoke plainly as she took down the hood of her black cloak.

Currently, she stood inside the Kingdom's department of commerce, specifically the record room. After the altercation with Lauren and Casey, the Kingdom allowed Avery high-level clearance, in hopes of getting in her good graces.

"Yes, Ma'am." An old woman went into the backrooms and handed Avery a single sheet of paper.

Avery examined the paper, "Just this?" She asked.

The old woman nodded in response.

The paper recorded the most recent purchases from Glen Marbot, a man accused of using black magic, a pair of disfigured twins, and an old purchase of a female slave from Grant Marbot, Glen Marbot's, now dead, father.

Avery contemplated briefly. "Get me the purchase records of anyone accused of using black magic," she finally said.

The old woman went back into the room and came out a few minutes later with a small folder.

"Black magic is forbidden so there aren't many of people getting accused cases." The old woman explained.

Avery went through the folder and saw that there were no patterns at first glance. After looking it over a few more times she caught a small detail.

"E and A," she said aloud.

"I'm sorry?" The old woman asked.

"Nothing. Could you bring me the records of any proven Witches," Avery asked.

The woman went into the back room and came back with a single piece of paper.

"Witches are notoriously hard to capture." The old woman explained.

Avery silently compared the single sheet to the folder and a connection began to form.

"E and A," Avery said as her brows slightly raised.

It looked to be a random amount of buyers on the lists, but if she looked at the names that began with E or A as one entity, it showed they had the most buys.

"That's all." Avery reorganized the papers and handed them back to the old lady before putting on her hood and leaving the department of commerce.

Stepping into the street she looked at the sky, currently, the sun was setting, there were only a few hours left until the evening. She decided to check to go to the Registry building.

"Glen Marbot," She said to the man attending the desk as she waved the Kingdom's Warrant.

"U-Uh, yeah." The man was surprised at the beautiful woman who was standing in front of him and couldn't help but jumble his words. He quickly went into a back room and pulled out a large folder.

As Avery checked it over she noticed most of the Marbot Family were in other territories, it appeared Glen Marbot's current household was just him and an ex-slave.

"Ethel," Avery said solemnly. "That's all," she added before handing the file back and leaving the building.

Avery moved towards the direction of the Mercenaries Union.

...

On the fifth floor of the Mercenaries Union building, inside of the equipment shop, a few people browsed around.

"How much?" Ira questioned. One the counter of the shop was a complete set of black leather armor.

"Twenty-thousand Gre." The male clerk responded politely.

Ira held his chin, all of a sudden he made a crafty expression and laughed slyly. He waved his left hand and produced a pastry. He looked around and then leaned closer to the clerk, sliding the pastry onto the desk.

"How much now?" Ira asked as he winked meaningfully.

The clerk picked up the pastry and ate it before nodding his head which caused Ira to give a knowing smile.

"Twenty-thousand Gre." The clerk responded sarcastically even winking back at Ira as if it was a discount. He'd come across people trying to bribe him to get lower prices but never someone as odd as the boy in front of him.

"Figures." Ira clicked his tongue and handed over 20,000 Gre.

"Thank you for your patronage." The clerk was a little surprised, the boy didn't seem that wealthy, but apparently, he was, most Mercenaries would hesitate to spend that much on a set of leather armor. Little did he know, Ira currently only had 2,500 Gre.

As clerk slid the set armor across the counter Ira waved his left hand over it and it disappeared from sight.

"Wha-" The clerk watched in surprise, he wasn't sure just when Ira chanted the incantation for his magic.

"Ira, we're done. You ready?"

Lance appeared all of a sudden and asked. He and his party were fitted for armor and would come back to get it at a later date.

"Yeah." Ira left the store with Lance and his party.

There were no Blacksmiths within the Mercenaries Union, as to not upset the economic balance. 

The MU paid outside blacksmiths, to create armor, weapons, and equipment. It was far more convenient for the Mercenaries, to buy equipment where most of them ate, slept, and trained. The only drawback was that the MU charged more for the armor to avoid a cost deficit.

The armor Ira brought at 20,000 Gre would've been around 15,000 or less at the shop which made it. This also encouraged people to buy directly from the source, helping small crafting related businesses thrive.

"What did you get?" Gerald asked as they descended to the third floor.

"A Cerberus leather armor set," Ira answered.

"Woah, that's a lot of money,"  Lance said.

"Yeah, I hope you're paying for lunch." Ira smiled.

The group soon arrived at the cafeteria area and found an open table.

"I'll grab the usual meals, you want anything specific?" Gerald stood up and asked.

"A steak," Ira responded as he held his chin, Gerald walked to the cook.

"Make it two," Ira added.

Gerald waved his hand in response.

"You know, maybe we should spar together sometime," Sarah suggested.

"What's your rating as a party?" Ira reclined in the chair and grinned.

"B plus." She responded proudly while Valerie and Zella nodded.

"You all have to fight me at once if we do," Ira casually stated.

It would sound like arrogant grandstanding if it came from any else, but Ira was too blunt with his words and actions to be one who sought praise.

"You...What's your rating?" Lance asked.

Ira waved his hand and the status card appeared. He handed it over to Lance, by now Gerald was back with the trays of food, each one with a different dish and a cup of wine.

Ira reached the steak and tore a piece off with his hand before tossing it into his mouth.

"Ira...where'd you get this card?" Lance examined the card without looking at the information.

Ira looked at Lance while he chewed. "Secret..." He said with a mouth full of food.

"Well, it looks way more expensive than the-" Lance stopped mid-sentence. "A minus!" Lance shouted and drew the attention of everyone of in the cafeteria. He quieted down and passed the card around for the rest of the group to see causing them to stare at Ira with amazement.

Lance and Gerald saw Ira fighting firsthand, and put his severed arm back in place, which would be beyond normal, but seeing a list of his full abilities was shocking. Especially the fact that his combat rating was high, even though he wasn't skilled in swordsmanship and his martial arts weren't that proficient.

It should be noted that lycanthropes, beast people, and elves usually had ratings slightly better than humans, even with their innate abilities.

"Wait your abilities are-" Gerald started speaking in awe but was stopped by the appearance of a cloaked woman.

"Ira." A woman spoke in a serious tone. Even though she sounded apathetic, her voice was a little pleasing to hear. The party reflexively focused all their attention of the woman.

"Avery," Ira said with an excited laugh before taking a sip from his cup.

Avery took down her hood, as her silver eyes briefly traced over Lance and his friends with complete indifference, before turning her attention back to Ira.

Last time Lance and his friends saw Avery she was wearing her hood and they didn't get a good look, but now they could see her face completely. Even with her indifferent expression, she was still incredibly beautiful. They stealthily peeked at her left hand and could see a pearl-white ring similar to Ira's.

"Are we leaving right now?" Ira asked as under Avery's gaze.

"..." Avery raised her eyebrows in question.

"Right...I'll see you guys later." Ira finished his steak and abruptly stood up before tossing out 50 Gre. He followed Avery's lead as the two headed for the exit.

"Just like a married couple." Gerald nodded his head in approval. Ever since he met Ira he became more outspoken, his shy temperament didn't suit someone as big as him.

"...Yeah," Lance agreed with a dazed expression on his face.

If he was in Ira's shoes he would get engaged too. Sarah, Valerie, and Zella pouted inwardly. Most people subconsciously compared themselves to others, and they were no exception, it's just Avery's appearance left them feeling immensely flawed. 

Avery and Ira made their way out of the Union building. Judging by the sun, it was now the cusp of the evening, in about two hours the sun would be setting.

"Oh, yeah. You aren't a mercenary to my knowledge, so how'd you get past the elevator?" Ira asked curiously.

"Valkyrie mind magic," Avery said uncaringly.

Ira made a skeptical expression, but eventually gave in, "Seriously?" He asked with a trace of expectation in his eyes.

"No," Avery smiled.

Ira silently dropped his shoulders with exaggerated motions.

"We might have a problem," Avery said with a trace of anticipation.

"Yeah?" Ira asked a wolfish grin spread across his face.

...........................

On the peak of a mountain, there was a construct which was very temple-like in nature. A stone pathway led to a statue which stood in front of the palace, a steel sword was inserted into a stone and read as so:

The sword that carved this place.

The words weren't anything profound, but to carve a temple with a sword obviously wasn't something anyone could do.

Past the statue was the entrance to the Temple, which was at the very least 30 feet tall.

There were no doors, instead, a thin, transparent, membrane-like barrier covered it.

The Kingdom was still exploring the nearly unlimited applications of magic, as of right now, the door was seen as a more practical form of protection, as barriers needed a constant energy supply.

Inside the temple, a lengthy pathway stretched throughout the temple and on each side of it, tall gray marble pillars held up the ceiling.

The spaces between the pillars were metal stands, each holding a weapon with a name carved into the stand. To the outside eye, it would look like a peculiar place to store weapons. Only those who occupied the temple knew what it meant. Further down the pathway split into three sections. One lead straight down the middle, the other two lead to the left and right, respectively. each one led to a spacious doorway, covered with a solid silver barrier.

The sound of fighting faintly echoed from the right path, while the middle and left paths were silent.

Behind the middle pathway, a group of purple hair women sat at a dark brown long table made of wood. The wood wasn't ordinary, those who had the ability would be able to detect the spirit magic emanating from it.

At the head of the table, sitting in a chair, that matched the table, was Lauren Thynne. On the left side of the table, closest to Lauren sat Casey. On the close right, sat a woman who looked similar to both of them. In fact, all the seats were occupied by young women with dark purple hair and silver eyes, with strikingly similar features, a few even wore black dresses that looked alike.

"Mother, everyone has received the message, in two weeks they'll be back." The woman on the right stated.

"But I can't understand, why move the whole family after all these years?" The woman continued.

"Judith," Casey started speaking, but Lauren raised her hand to stop her.

"Do you know why I decided to hide that oath all those years ago?" Lauren asked the whole table, who in turn remained silent.

"It wasn't to teach the Kingdom some moral lesson, or to see if the Kings who come and go are more studious than the last," Lauren said, a bit of mockery present in her voice.

"Was it so they don't use us as their shields?" A Valkyrie asked.

"That's just something I told them," Lauren smiled. "Do you think they could even convince us to take a step for their benefit, let alone fight their battles?" She asked.

"Then why, Mother?" Casey asked, even she was confused.

"War and Death are coming to that Kingdom..." Lauren stated solemnly, as her eyes went cold. Her tone gave the impression of pure fact. Tension pervaded the room, a large pressure accompanied it.

"...And when it does, it'll be the perfect environment to train my granddaughters." Lauren faintly smiled, as the pressure instantly disappeared.

The power of a soul contract was immense and it was difficult to find loopholes. Lauren couldn't just tell her granddaughters to provoke the Kingdom, or else it would break the soul contract and kill everyone who took the oath. By hiding her families true status all those years ago, the Kingdom turning against them turned into an eventuality. 

"The awakenings have been slower and slower. The fourth generation of this family have had awakenings in their early twenties, that's four times longer than my own. Stopping marriages with outsiders was nothing more than a temporary solution to an ever-present problem. There are beings just as strong as us out there, and when we meet them I want us to be prepared." Lauren spoke with the grace of a queen.

"Is the training no longer enough, Mother?" Judith asked, she didn't care much about the deaths of humans, but more about the status of the bloodline.

"You should all be able to tell our abilities are suited for war, but by taking that oath, we have been the biggest obstacle in our own development," Lauren explained. Since the oath was broken she was free to speak about it without restraint.

The Valkyries in the room all showed expressions of realization. Although the lives of thousands were now in jeopardy, the Valkyries didn't any concern. A few thought that humans should be thankful. Conflict was followed by a rise in strength, peace was followed by weakness. It was simple logic, for the Valkyries at least.

The principles of the Valkyries sat inside of a moral gray area. They would feel a sense of loss if one of their own died, but the deaths humans were an inevitability to them. Whether they died today or tomorrow didn't really matter in their eyes, but that didn't mean they would go around killing humans as they pleased, well without a good reason of course, but a "good reason" was a subjective thing.

Lauren killed dozens of guards just to tell King Windsor he broke an oath he wasn't even aware of but chose not to kill them all when he ordered his guards to stand down. It was a good reference for the morality of Valkyries. They weren't upright and just, and the oath was born out of sentiment. When weighed against the growth of their own family, it became useless. If King Windsor could hear any of this, he might've come to regret the oath altogether.

"There are abilities that we all should have, and yet we don't. With the end of that oath, even we will grow more than we previously did," Lauren said elegantly, as her eyes held a trace of yearning.

The Valkyries in the room couldn't help but to get caught up in the mood and feel a sense of awe at the new prospects.

..............................

"Your Majesty." General Holchester kneeled in front of the throne. His eyes held traces of fatigue, and his overall temperament was changed, many people felt as if he wasn't his usual self.

"Speak Holchester, tell me just how far this runs." King Windsor ordered grimly.

"We've confirmed around a dozen cases, in which it was evident the Thynne family interfering. Half of the cases could've led to cities being destroyed, while the other half could've affected whole provinces."

"Such as?" King Windsor reluctantly asked.

"Your Majesty may recall thirty years ago, an Elder Dragon was on course for one of the northern provinces." General Holchester said.

"Yes, it caused the populace to stir but the dragon abruptly changed its pattern of...flight." King Windsor realized something was wrong with that statement.

Any dragon that was old enough to be called an Elder Dragon would be unrestrained in its movement. So why would it change its course?

"There were a few reports in small villages of something 'flying' towards the direction the dragon was supposed to head in." General Holchester read the Kings expression and continued speaking. "Forty years ago, when the Dark Elves showed signs of movement, a few isolated reports of a 'flying human-like' creature circulated around at the time, but because they were from small villages or people who lived away from society, they were disregarded. Shortly after the reports, the Dark Elves remained within their borders and haven't moved since," he said.

King Windsor remained silent.

"Most recently we've seen less activity from the Diavol, I suspect that-"

"That's enough, General Holchester." King Windsor breathed deeply.

"Did you gather anything good from this?" King Windsor asked rhetorically.

"Your Majesty, although things seem ominous, we've been in preparation since the black pillar incident." General Holchester said it seemed like more an attempt to reassure himself if anything.

"We both know the preparation has been half-assed." King Windsor spoke frankly.

"There is one thing we may have a lead on, Your Majesty." General Holchester responded.

"Speak, Holchester."

"Before Avery Thynne's...departure...she was investigating a noble family by the name of Fallmire if we can get the information before she does we may have a chance to get into the good graces of the Valkyries." General Holchester suggested.

"If we can earn their favor, then they may lend small assistance if the need arises." King Windsor knew better than to grow optimistic at the first sign of hope.

"You may leave Holchester...send your family my regards." King Windsor could see that it was just about the evening and decided to dismiss General Holchester.

"Your Majesty." General Holchester stood up and bowed before exiting the King's hall.

.................................

"Glen Marbot," Ira said as he held his chin.

Currently, he and Avery were sitting at a table, in an open plaza, close to the Mercenaries Union. The sky was a hazy shade of amber, the streets were busy as most people finished with work, and now made their way home. Avery explained to him in detail how she suspected Glen sent the group of assassins, and that the two men in red were most likely connected to him.

"Why would he kidnap people?" Ira asked curiously.

"Maybe to test his black magic on?" Avery hypothesized, her tone showed she was uncertain and didn't really care. "We'll go visit him and find out," she added with a meaningful tap her saber scabbard.

"You can't get your mother to...I don't know...kill him?" Ira asked jokingly.

"I can only call her if I can't handle the situation, and it's certain that the only outcome is death, " Avery responded.

"And besides, it's better this way," she said before giving a slight grin.

"I guess it is," Ira chuckled as he stood up and stretched.

He waved his hand and dropped a set of black leather armor onto the table. One by one he equipped each piece. Those who passed by looked at Ira strangely, it wasn't a normal occurrence to see someone put on armor in public. After he finished he nodded his head and moved around to get a feel for the set of leather armor.

"Right, lead the way-" Ira trailed off. He felt someone looking at him from afar.

Avery noticed his change and stood up.

On the roof of a nearby building, a man in red robes stood alone, looking directly at Ira. The man began chanting a spell.

"Something isn't right," Ira said. He scanned the crowds, trying to tune his instincts, but he couldn't see anyone within the crowd. Avery also looked around but fared no better.

"That guy again," Ira suddenly turned his gaze to the man in red robes, As he focused his vision he could see the man's lips moving.

"He's chanting something," Ira grinned as he placed his hand on the pommel of his sword.

Avery looked up at the man in red robes. The man continued chanting as he slowly raised his hand. After a few moments, a fireball, the size of a child, floated into the air, visible throughout the capital. People looked into the sky and pointed, but no other significant actions took place. The fireball eventually faded away, leaving people confused as to what was happening.

"You missed!" Ira shouted.

"I don't think he was aiming for y-" Avery began to talk but was interrupted by a loud ringing sound.

It was the sound of a bell. Most people forgot, but within the slums was a rundown bell tower, as the kingdom progressed in the use of magic, it became mostly useless when it came to informing the populace of an emergency, and as such, the tower stop being used. Civilians, Guards, Knights, Mercenaries, Students, everyone was confused. Many wondered if it was a child's prank. That was the conclusion that went through the minds of most people.

Elsewhere others found their answers.

....................

A fireball flew into the air, but while everyone looked up, one man looked elsewhere.

"Dad?" A middle-aged man approached an old man in a brown cloak, who sat on a bench in the middle of the residential district.

"Dad, it's you!" He grabbed the shoulders of the old man.

"Where have you been!?" The man grew teary-eyed. "We looked for two months but you were gone." The man went on, not noticing the old man's strange countenance.

"Dad, I have big news...You're a grandfather now." The middle-aged man laughed as tears fell from his eyes. Suddenly a bell began to ring causing his attention to shift. The middle-aged man was surprised and turned away from his dad to look at the source of the sound.

The old man reached into his cloak, pulling out a syringe. He pulled the cap off and stabbed the syringe into his arm, draining all of its contents into his body. Veins appeared all over the old man's body. They looked like hundreds of worms as they pulsated, his eyes went bloodshot, and his nose slowly dripped with dark blood. Faint groans escaped from his mouth.

"I find it hard to believe that was a coincidence... I think it was a sign that things can only get better from now..." The middle-aged spoke hastily as he turned around, but trailed off in shock.

The old man's figure grew, the originally five foot seven, gentle old man, grew to seven feet under the eyes of his son. His bones cracked and created a sound which could be likened to wood on a bonfire. The old man's arms stretched and nearly reached his feet, bones, similar to claws, protruded from the tips of his fingers, and his muscles swelled imposingly. His skin tone gradually turned into a dark red, and his actual skin began peeling in several places on his body. His face distorted, as his skull widened and became more angular, while his eyes became white if the broken capillaries were ignored. The cloak fell off the old man, leaving his son to gasp in shock.

His father turned into a hellish creature right in front of him, his mind was still attempting process things. "D...Dad."

The old man, who now only could be described as a creature, swiped his arm towards the middle-aged man.

Its claws cut through his neck instantly, beheading him. His head fell to the ground, with an expression of confusion.

The creature emitted a high-pitched and guttural roar. The small crowd that was focused on the bell turned to see a nightmarish scene. A hellish creature and a dead body at its feet. There was no need to say anymore, people broke out into a commotion. As if reacting to the noise the creature jumped towards the crowd.

"Someone get the guards-" A woman yelled but was stopped, two claws protruded from her chest.

"Euh...Auh...Euh..." The woman groaned as she feebly grabbed the claws.

The creature tore the woman in half and jumped towards the closest person.

"Gods have mercy!"

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Mommy! Mommy!"

"Guards! Get the fucking guards!"

The distressed shouts of many, resounded throughout the streets as panic took hold.

Ordinary civilians were nothing more than ragdolls when compared to the creature. The creature gave an ear-piercing screech as it ripped a man in half.

Similar scenes played out all over the capital.

...........................

Within the Capital Academy.

"I still think you should use a sword," Aldis said.

"...I would like to...but." Clark hesitated.

"It's fine. I'm just saying it's easier and probably safer in a real fight. Unless you have a lot of strength, I wouldn't recommend martial arts as a primary fighting style." Aldis said indifferently as they reached the cafeteria. Amy already was already sitting down and she waved them over.

"What were you guys talking about?" Amy's asked as her green eyes shined with curiosity.

"Nothing," Aldis said as he sat down.

"Guy stuff." Clark laughed awkwardly.

"Aldis, you should try to-" Amy pouted but noticed both Clark and Aldis looking at something. She turned around only to see a fireball floating in the air.

"Is there a celebration or something?" Clark asked.

His question was answered by the metallic ringing of a bell.

"Emergency bell?" Amy asked, a trace of sadness in her voice. The most traumatic day in her life started with a bell.

"No...The emergency bell in the capital hasn't been used in years. It's probably just a joke," Aldis stated matter of factly.

Suddenly, a horrific scream came from just over the 8-foot wall that blocked off the view outside the academy.

Three nearby instructors ran towards the cafeteria, weapons in hand.

The instructor for Amy's class shouted. "Get back to the dorms-" Before he finished, a creature climbed over the wall. The skin on its face appeared to be in reverse, and it had two long grasshopper-like legs. One of its whip-like arms seemed to drag on the ground and the other arm was more or less normal, especially considering the creature.

"Aiiiioragh!" It screamed as it pounced towards the instructors.

The instructor blocked the creatures claws and became visibly shaken by its strength. He swung fiercely at the creature, but it jumped away.

"Get to the dorms!" The instructor bellowed, waking up the shocked students. Both of the other instructors took up positions next to the overbearing one.

"You ever see anything like this before?" One of them asked the instructor.

"No...Looks like something out of a nightmare." The instructor responded.

The creature jumped towards all of the instructors again. Its attacks were wild and uncoordinated. Which made them easy to read but hard to dodge. Fortunately, these three veteran instructors were just enough to handle the creature.

Another scream came from behind the wall followed by a second creature actually bursting through the wall. Its whole body appeared as a mass of pulsating muscle, with an abnormally small head, and short legs. One arm was huge, probably as wide as the waist of a grown man, and the other arm looked like a giant curved knife. The creature ran past the instructors and towards the same direction the students retreated to.

"Shit!" The Instructor cursed. "Can you two hold this one?" He asked.

"Fine, but where the hell are the other instructors?" Another instructor asked as he dodged the lanky-armed creature.

"We're the only ones on evening duty for today," The third instructor responded wryly.

"Try to hold on," The instructor for Clark and Amy's class said fiercely as he chased the musc