I had just let the dam break and the tears rolled of my cheeks like blue orbs of radiant sorrow. I didn’t understand but I knew I could trust this girl. The way she didn’t judge me when I cried told me that she would probably be a lifelong friend. That was the first time I met partner in training, and in the battles that would come later.
“We should probably get going.” She whispered569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jSGoXuHfx
“Yeah, thanks.” I said tearily. “I didn’t get your name”569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGNQNY6bDK
“Its Face, nice to meat you.” She responded kindly569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP2URF79Gu
“Lead the way.” I whispered569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRrTaI3ev8
We then took a long and wondrous walk to what would be my waking nightmare for the rest of my life, and also the greatest adventure of all.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU3v9Y6CW6j
“To tell you the truth, I’ve only been here for a few months longer than you have, so don’t be too afraid of me.” Face explained. That was only slightly less comforting.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZU3OVT7KY
Then we took a right and ended up smacking straight into a pack of hungry wolves, literally569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2GKm02Bhz
“AhhhHHHHHhhh.” I screamed, because at first it was more of a surprised feeling rather than the terror that followed, and then I quieted down because Face glared at me. Manly right?
These wolves were not your average everyday canine that was majestic yet terrifying. These were very UN-average not everyday canines who were about the size of a horse who were still very, very terrifying.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEP7jzH0LB
The one in front, the leader of the pack, I assumed, was jet black and had a jaw that looked like he could take my head off in a single bite. The most interesting characteristic though, was the strange fur pattern on his chest. It seemed familiar, like how a relative that you haven't seen in a while and don’t really care about seems familiar. It was in the shape of a scythe, and then I remembered. I had the exact same tattoo on my neck.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXVLl4sQZ3x
The only difference was the fact that mine was the color of his fur, and his was the color of my skin. When we locked eyes I felt an electric pulse go through my body and, as if in a trance, I reached for him.
Normally I would not be foolish enough to touch a large, scary black wolf with fangs as large as my hand, but It felt right. He then proceeded to reach his gargantuan head towards my outstretched hand and they met. The Instant they did, everything around me when dark, and all I could feel was the wolf’s memories colliding and merging with mine. I remembered running through the forest as a pup and killing my first rabbit. I remembered my first day at school. Only, before I could reach out and grab them, they dissipated. The only thing that was left was a consciousness that was not my own, but part of my being in every way. It was foreign, yet familiar. Distant, but close. It was all that I was, and everything I could never be. It was me.
The trance passed and I awoke to the same seen, as before, me standing in the hallway with my hand against Fifer’s head and Face right beside me. It seemed as if everything that had happened was only for a second, but it felt like a lifetime had passed. More clichés, yay!
Fifer... Fifer was the name of my wolf, and it meant Scythe in the Old Tongue. I had no idea why I knew this, but I knew it went both ways. As long as I was alive, I was Fifers, and Fifer was mine. It was a connection that was unbreakable apparently, as I would soon wish it was not, because we would not get along so well in the coming days.
I slowly removed my hand from Fifers head, exhaling as I did so. I realized something. I had been sure a second ago Fifers eyes had been a dark brown, but now they shone silver.
Face said nothing as we continued to walk, just stared ahead like nothing was new. I for one was completely unsure of what happened, but it felt right. Fifer stayed at my side while the other wolves separated and left. I welcomed his presence, even if he was as tall as me. It didn’t seem to be out of ordinary at all to Face in the least. She just kept on walking as if the exchange had been as casual as a stroll in the park.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZU8p9Au57
We proceeded to enter a large classroom full of people that all seemed to be around my age, but they could have been anywhere between sixteen to forty given my current change. There were men and women, all of them, with beasts of different shapes and sizes. The only person that I could see without one was Face. So being the curios person I am, a completely acted as if I had no idea that her animal was absent.
“Max is getting something before we start the introduction.” Face explained.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlOkqdKJHns
“Oh, so Max is your...” I trailed off569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZnef3nmBbm
“Max is a jaguar.” she answered569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePRKn0rd4s
“I thought that that the animals had names in the Old Tongue.” I asked569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijwCcSRW9E
“They do, but Max is short for Maxitermeus.” Well that’s a mouthful.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80fAhb9aif
“Oh, thats a, uh, magnificent name.” I said. Ha, magnificent, get it? Cause his name is... what ever. Moving on!569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqg6Ay6qkHD
As I was attempting to think up something cooler to say than, “that's magnificent” a large man-thing walked into the room. All I could do was stare in awe and wonder at the hulking figure before me. It was about seven feet tall with a beard the size of a buffalo, and it had arms to match.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvNHitG2UwO
“Alright Maggots! Pay attention because this is the first and last time I will say this. You. Are. Not. Special.” Well that was comforting. “You are like every one else here, pathetic, mangy, ingrates that just so happen to be my new students. So lets get one thing clear, I am the law around here, and whatever I say goes. Understand?” The large... Thing said. “Sir yes Sir” the men and women said beside me. “I CANT HEAR YOU MAGGOTS!” He bellowed. “SIR YES SIR” we yelled. Well everyone else yelled, I sorta screeched, but that's beyond the point.
“Hm. Better.” He mumbled. “Alright lets get down to business, I am professor Buff. and today will be a crash course on survival, but first I will explain things to the new recruits. You are no longer human, or beast. You are now what we call, Intarie, or in your language, ‘Hunters’. The minute you were initiated your genetic makeup became altered. You are faster, stronger, smarter, and more powerful than you could ever imagine.” Now that, that I liked, but the whole, not being human thing was a little unbelievable, I mean, It’s not physically possible for that to even happen right? Wrong. Very, verrrry wrong.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3IUldZYcS
“You are now bestowed with the power to hunt, as your genus name implies.” Ooo. Now their getting all scientific on ya! “Um, sir?” One brave individual asked. “Yes maggot?” the Buff replied, looming over the poor, poor soul. “What d-do you m-mean by g-g-genus?” The poor girl was shivering for goodness sake! “I mean just that. You are no longer apart of the human race, and as you can see not all of you were to begin with. Also, a good portion of you could not possibly part of the same species, but your genetic make-up is almost identical, leaving you to be what?”569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbo6bpdneo6
“Umm... part of the same genus?” Answered the girl. “Exactly. Now, lets get down to business.” He liked that phrase way to much. “You’ll notice that you now have some form of a marking on your body, and this signifies your attachment to your First World, wherever you come from, as well as your attachment to you life long partner. For example, the the monstrous canine and tiny kid you see beside him. Those two are named Scythe. This will also act as their squad name. This is important because of what I said earlier.”
As he continued to speak, my mind did not continue to listen. I know what your thinking, how the heck could you not listen to something that terrifying when you had just been told that you aren't even human anymore. Hey, it’s not my fault, it’s just how I work. That's when I heard a peculiar word that did not sound fun. Maze. I didn’t like that word in the least bit because I could never figure them out as a kid.569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK7U5hvzjmi
“Your survival training will begin in a moment” Buff said. “Wait, what?” I answered dumbly. “Good luck, and try not to die.” That’s when the floor disappeared and all I could think was, “I really hate buffalo.”569Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oLHKLFUD6
