Arcanum - Chapter 175

“They are at the Colosseum.” Grace notified us strapping her bow to her back.

“Have they split up?” Yuna asked.

“So far mine are also in the Colosseum.” Morgana answered causing Yuna to sprint forward quickly followed by Daisy.

“Why would they be there?” I asked watching as Yuna and Daisy blast past us racing toward the Colosseum.

“It’s most likely the least populated area since there are no duels today.” Jay answered trying to keep up.

“Don’t fall behind! I’ll lead.” Grace said racing past us her showing off her Elven agility angling her body forward and her legs racing at an unfathomable pace.

“Get on!” Helen yelled to me as she went on all fours her body transforming into a silver furred giant wolf kneeling down to me as if she knew I’d won’t be able to keep up.

Quickly jumping on and bracing myself for the intense speed squeezing my thighs against her torso as hard as I could and grabbing two fists full of fur, “Okay go!” I instructed her instinctively angling my body forward readying myself for the sudden acceleration.

“What about us?!” Jun and Jay said their voices faded from distance as Helen began running at full speed keeping up with the pace of Yuna and the other. I didn’t dare look back in fear of falling off or losing my grip.

It was impressive that Daisy could keep up with Yuna and Grace despite being clad in a full set of plate armour and a heavy maul on her back and even more impressive that all three were able to run as fast as Helen in her Giant Wolf transformation.

“Don’t engage them straight away! We have protocol, only engage if I engage!” Yun ordered us shouting loudly so we could all hear her clearly.

As we neared the Colosseum the great giant circular structure constructed out of stone perfectly chiselled and kept in pristine condition brought back memories of visiting the Colosseum of Rome without the ware of time. The silhouette of five students appeared in front of us seemingly in argument, no doubt arguing about being discovered.

“Is that them?!” Yuna asked Grace as they spotted us racing towards them.

“That’s them!” Grace answered her with a stern and definitive tone.

We slowed down as we neared them, they looked absolutely normal uncorrupted at all in any way or form, no wonder why they wasn’t discovered till now. “Hey!” Yun shouted making her way towards them.

“HI!” they all greeted her back masking their intension, totally unaware that we know what they are up to. As Yuna ordered we followed her giving her a bit of distance also similarly masking our intentions showing no signs that we are ready for a fight.

“May I ask what you all are doing so far out?” Yuna questioned politely her voice soft and sweet showing no signs of suspicion.

“I thought we were allowed to go where ever we wanted Yuna.” A male voice answered her confidently with a hint of aggression in his voice showing signs of contempt.

“Ohh Gregor nice to see you again.” Yuna replied ignoring the aggressive tone he answered her with. “As you know security is tight today of all days. So if you don’t mind we need to escort you back to the courtyard.” Yuna kindly requested them still masking our true intentions.

“Under what authority?” Gregor asked balling his fists in anger, no doubt finding Yuna’s candor insulting or disrespectful. As Yuna stopped keeping a small distance between them and us, the other four students looked a lot younger than he did, two extremely young ones no doubt the freshman Morgana pinpointed earlier today, most likely coaxed or tricked by him to join his cause.

“I’m part of the security patrol today, so I’d hate to pull rank but you’re gonna need to come with me.” Yuna politely requested still keeping up the masquerade.

With each passing second the less seasoned students seemed to be getting more and more nervous, their bodies fidgeting and hiding their quivering hands behind their backs and look down to the ground like a sign of guilt.

“Very well.” Gregor agreed walking towards Yuna pretending to be innocent walking weirdly through her.

“That’s great to hear.” Yuna smiled stepping aside one hand on her hip and the other outstretched gesturing towards the main building leaving her body wide open for him.

“Still as oblivious as ever.” Gregor uttered under his breath with a malevolent grin swiftly pulling out a dagger hidden under his belt trying to plunge it deep into Yuna’s open torso.

“Are we the oblivious one?!” Yuna grinned back grabbing his forearm stooping the dagger in its place unable to reach its target. “I’m arresting you all for further investigation against Atlantis.” Yuna order making us all jump into action.

Helen took the opportunity biting one of the younger ones in the arm flinging her effortlessly away and pounced on her body pinning her down stopping her from doing anything. The other young one drew a dagger defensively, “Don’t.” I ordered him trying to sound as confident as I could getting off Helen and pointed my wand at him pleading to God that he listens to me.

“Don’t think about it!” Grace yelled ordering the two remaining slightly older student, her bow fully drawn with two nocked ready to let loose into the other two student’s making the freeze on the spot.

“You’re out numbered, it’s useless. Just come with me peacefully and we can talk things out and you guys might have a chance to defend you case.” Yuna warned Gregor as Daisy restrained his other arm.

“So you knew all along huh?” Gregor asked Yuna with no hint of fear still ready to start a fight.

“To think you’d stoop so low to worship a Demon for power.” Yuna answered him completely disgusted at his choice.

“Don’t pretend you understand me!” He yelled in complete anger, with one big kick forcing Yuna to block it but gave him enough of an opening to break free from her grasp but unable to free is other hand from Daisy strong grip. “I only need one hand.” He smiled pulling out a vial with his newly freed hand downing a potion and dashing the vial on the ground. “You’re all F*cked now!” He yelled as he began to let out a horrific scream of pain.

Before the two older students could reach into their pocket, with a look of deep regret and painful sorrow Grace let loose two arrows into the students her arrows imbedding themselves into the writs of one of their hands with pinpoint accuracy paralyzing their hand that tried to reach for into their pockets.

“Don’t!” I saw the young boy look at me his demeanour suddenly changed to seething hatred and charged at me. My hesitation got the better of me unable to hurt someone as young twelve of thirteen who must have been tricked down this path. With no hesitation he plunged his small dagger down to the hilt deep into my abdomen sending me down to one knee as searing hot pain rending my body almost useless. “FU*K.” I yelled instinctively in absolute pain grabbing the dagger imbedded in me stopping him from pulling it out and pointing my wand at him. “Icio-igna!” I yelled closing my eyes in deep regret and pain, shooting a fire bolt straight into his chest at point blank range sending him flying back a tumbling into the ground the smell of burnt clothes and charred flesh filled the air, with smoke bellowing from his still body gently rising into the rich blue sky.

“Restrain them!” Grace yelled out causing Helen to quickly look at the two students Grace shot still trying to reach into their pocket with their shaky hands wracked in pain. To our surprise out of nowhere thick boggy sickly looking vines erupted out of the ground restraining those two students completely as the vines grew around their arms forcing them into full extension and pulling them down forcing them to their knees and bending their heads backwards forcing them to stare into the sky.

“Ouch ouch.” Jun and Jay’s voice let out as they came tumbling in as morgana entered the fray her form shifting back to human, but her appearance looked drastically changed, her body was littered with patches of light green stubble like fur resembling very short grass. The other parts of her skin began to dry forming distinct cracks in her skin releasing some sort of almost invisible dust particles.

“Is she okay?” Yuna asked instinctively seeing all of us look at her in complete shock not knowing the answer.

“She’s okay!” Helen informed us morphing out restraining the two remaining young girl and boy with thorny vines resembling rose stems. “She’s a spore Druid.” Helen said looking at her in disgust.

Gregor screamed in pain as his body began to bulge in the most unnatural way possible making Daisy release his hand taking a few steps back. “Blood.. Glory.. For.. My.. Lord..!!” He struggled to yell out the hideous and painful transformation interrupting his speech with cries of pain.

No amount of prep talk could ready my resolve witnessing the hideous transformation of that potion, every part of his body looked wracked in pain as his bones cracked in the most unnatural ways and his muscles bulged and swelled in ripples like they were liquefied beneath his skin.

“Kill it!” Yuna ordered in panic causing Grace to let loose an arrow into Gregor’s neck but with seemingly no effect his transforming body devouring the arrow in expanding muscle and flesh.

“Icio-igna!” I yelled firing a fire bolt at it doing little nothing but charring a small chunk of skin that was quickly overlapped with fresh new unscathed muscle and skin.

“Fulgeo-Igna!” Jay yelled blasting a ray of bright hot blue flame burning a large sizeable hole in Gregor or what’s left of him, right through the chest but again the hole was quickly covered with a mass of liquefied flesh that still carried on expanding.

“Fall back!” Yuna order making us retreat a few steps leaving a big distance between us and Gregor but we still surrounded him.

Morgana plunged her hands into the ground muttering something quietly forcing the ground beneath him to turn into liquid black bubbling tar sinking him slowly inside the smell and sound of searing flesh flooded the air causing me to hold my breath at the disgusting smell.

Like a well combined team Helen chanted something in a language I didn’t understand making the black tar splash out the sides causing Gregor to sink faster and with a wave of her staff the spilled out tar fully engulfed him silencing his screams of pain as his mouth filled with hot boiling tar.

“Is it over?” Yunna asked quickly grabbing Daisy and regrouping up into one group.

Daisy illuminated yellow and began to focus, “I’m afraid he’s still alive and growing.” Daisy notified us with a hint of fear in her voice.

“Let me..” Helen said holding the handle of the dagger still deep inside me, the adrenaline now pumping through my body, numbing to the pain to a mere a strong sting.

“Okay.” I nodded to her holding my breath steadying myself for the incoming pain.

Helen nodded holding me up with one arm yanked out the dagger forcing me to drop again as the pain shot out through my body. She quickly covered my wound with her hand whispering something that sounded and flowed beautifully like a song causing her hands to glow green numbing the pain in my abdomen.

“Be ready.. He’s coming..” Daisy uttered as a giant bright red skinned hand emerged from the tar its nails elongated like natural weapons designed to tear through its victims.

“Judging by its hand.. This thing is huge!” Yuna informed us pushing us back to lengthen the distance between us.