Arcanum 154 Absolute Monster.....

"Hey Paul?.." I asked getting his attention still pushing him around.

"Wassup?...." He replied.

"Are you completely defenceless right now?.." I asked a little worried for him.

"Yeah pretty much.... I'm basically a normal human for a few days at least." He smiled.

"I'm really sorry...." I apologised still feeling guilty.

"A.... remember you never need to apologise to me... and B.... there was no other options... I did what I did to save the most lives." He answered.

"Okay....." I replied to him still feeling guilty.

"So..... About tomorrow... want me to move the match to next week?... I'm sure the Deputy Headmistress would understand that you and the other have gone through a lot today." He offered.

"Nah let's just get it over and done with." I answered trying not to think about it.

"Ohhh lets rest at the bench." He said pointing at some benches overlooking a nice green area.

"Sure." I smiled wheeling him there and taking a seat on the bench.

"So how have you been.....??....." He hesitantly asked sounding nervous.

"You mean before all this....??...." I asked.

"Yeah...." he replied quietly.

"Well... I went on to study law.... because you persuaded me to take it..." I explained putting a smile on his face. "Found some great friends......was doing well for myself till you know this….. Happed." I smiled to him.

"That's great..." He smile back at me.

"And you?..." I asked in return.

"It's a long story.... Left our world with my brother and three cousins.... went travelling for two years across planes learning discovering things... they went back home..... And I came here...." He answered making an effort to shorten his story.

"Wait wait....... how did you even learn to leave our world?.." I questioned hoping to get more detail.

"It's very weird actually.... you would call us crazy at the time it all happened.... but when we was about 12 or 13 me, my brother and my two cousins..." He began to explain.

"Peter, Steven and Phillip right?..." I questioned remembering the four of them were always very close.

"Yes... that's us..... Well when we attended the funeral of a close relative... there was a strange old man watching over the ceremony..... Well this strange old man also made an appearance during my mum funeral no one knew him but there he was standing in the distance overlooking the funeral..... And I don't know if you remember..... I vanished for a month or two..... I told you guys it was funeral proceedings and religious stuff.... but I lied.... this old man was our first ever mentor.... showed us the amazing things outside our plane.... taught us a lot of magic and things.... we travelled for what felt like years...... learning studying discovering.... then one day we all awoke back in our bedrooms like it was all a strange dream that we all remembered..... but the weird thing was that our magic still remained and we was only gone for a month and a bit..... and our families didn't noticed we disappeared either...…" He began to tell the story.

"You'e joking right?..." I asked in disbelief.

"No joke.... that's what happened." He laughed.

"So what made you leave?...." I questioned.

"Well........ Someone gave me a clue to my mum's sudden passing... pointing to a murder then a natural cause of death..." He began to explain his expression changed..... He looked saddened and full of regret by just even thinking of the past. "I couldn't let it go..... There was so much anger inside me when I discovered it..... So much need for vengeance..." He began to explain when suddenly near several portals opened up. "Ohh looks like everyone is back... Let's go see if Scarlet is back." Paul smiled.

Dozens of students exited the portals helping carry the slightly wounded and weakened students. They all took a small glance at Paul in a wheel chair pausing slightly and gave us a nod and smile of respect and slowly made their way to the infirmary.

"Do you think we lost any students today?..." I questioned worried seeing the amount of wounded students...

"There was one I couldn't save...." He whispered choking up at the mention of it.

"............ Did you know him?......" I asked noticing his reply.

"No not really...... I didn't expect them to have so many moonbeams left after blasting my first barrier.... but I was wrong..... I was barely able to erect my barrier in time to absorb the most the blast of the moon beam... One student ran towards me instead of falling back..... He was caught in blast......" He explained sounding very saddened.

"Paul..." The Deputy Headmistress stepped out the portal and recognised us... "And the trouble maker." She said recognising me.

"Miss..." Paul answered her with a nod... "Sorry Deputy Head..." I instinctively apologised.

"How are you feeling Paul?.." She asked in a very stern tone.

"I'll be back in a week or so..." Paul notified her.

"Good .... I'll let the city council know and setup a meeting." She nodded... "And next time.... don't get yourself killed.... Atlantis needs both you and Scarlet." She commented before walking away.

"Miss.... how many casualties and injured did we receive?.." Paul asked before she could walk off.

"Most were only lightly injured thanks to your efforts..... We've lost one student... we'll make preparations for a proper send-off…. And notify the family….." She stopped notifying Paul and carried on walking away again, Paul watched in complete silence as she walked away.

"Are you okay?..." I asked him worried.

"Yeah... I'm alright..." He replied still sounding saddened.

"It wasn't your fault....." I instinctively replied knowing how he was feeling.

"I know........ Just..... Why did he run towards me….... I ordered everyone to fall back...." He muttered... I could tell he was running through a million scenarios in his head.

That crazy predator and prey feeling washed over me again instantly making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. "HEYYY!!!" Scarlet came rushing towards us as my shaky hands fumbled in my pockets for the coin to relieve me of my urges to run for my life.

"Heyyy!!! You made it back!!!" Paul yelled greeting her as she ran to us he armour stained with huge amounts of dried blood, but still looking in pristine condition.

"Ohh dear.... you went and used your third limiter didn't you?...." She asked noticing Paul was in a wheelchair.

"Yeah sadly I did.... I also used up the Amulet of Revival..." He confessed.

"That's alright... that's what it was made for!! But we should train more so you can use them more effectively without killing you." Scarlet smiled unfazed by the loss of an artefact or his near death experience.

"By the way where was you?.." Paul asked curiously.

"Ohhh me?.... I was out with a set of Guards that wanted me to check on rumours of sightings outside the city.... by the way they were Dark Elves... I thought I'll give them the chance of ambushing me..... Surprise nothing happened of course I dealt with them and their ambush no problem... the nerve... they only sent fifteen Female Dark elves and three Priestesses...... they had a few Blade Dancers they were quite interesting to watch and fight against..... Never crossed blades with one before..." She began to regurgitate what happened briefly..... Her nonchalant attitude was shocking... just like a child just retelling as tory with no care in the world.... "Then I sensed giant Arcanum in the distance away from the city..... so I went to investigate..... To my surprise they somehow managed to purchase or rent at least Ten Juggernauts....." She retold her side of the story to us.

"Really?..." Paul pondered.

"What's a Juggernaut?...." I asked curiously

"Giant constructs..... Usually made and powered by Dwarven technology... Dwarfs are proud honourable people..... So it's weird how Elves.... specially Dark Elves managed to get hold of ten....." Pauls answered.

"Yup.... and as per usual... once defeated their core overloaded melting themselves into a puddle of molten goo..." Scarlet nodded.

"Yeah that's why it's so unusual... When Juggernauts are defeated or break down their core normally overloads causing them to melt..... So they must have got their hands on it through trade...." Paul explained.

"Yup..... That's what I said." Scarlet smiled.... "So what happened to you guys at the city?.." Scarlet asked looking confused.

"Full scale invasion I think... had to request fire support from Yurika and Ruri..." He answered.

"Weird.... normally you would easily be able to hold that off no problem...." She replied a little confused.

"Something came up.... they had a lot of priestesses...." Paul answered.

"Ohhh well..... I'm sure you did your best." She smiled. "So what you gonna do with your schedule?... now you're out of action for a week. She began to ponder.

"I dunno…. I'll think of something tomorrow…" Paul sighed staring into the sky.

"Well whatever let's get some food I'm starving!!" She smiled in absolute joy.

"How does she not have a scratch on her...." I whispered to Paul in surprises pushing him towards the dorms following Scarlet.

"Of course..... She's impenetrable..... Each piece of her armour is made from dragons scales.... unlike other dragon scale armour.... which is scales stuck on armour which leaves openings and weak points..... Her armour is Dragonscales forged into an armour... so all of it is immune to spells and impenetrable to attacks." Paul answered.

"Yeah but surly a scratch on her face or something...." I argued at the absurdity.

"Yeah..... People who have never faced her properly.... would chalk her reverence and reputation in combat is because of her armour and weapons….... but in reality she's just as durable as her armour and her speed, strength and combat prowess is monstrous...." He chuckled but almost sounded like a little warning.

"How?... and why?.." I questioned.

"That's her secret...." Paul laughed.

It felt so weird…. She seems so kind and bubble….. Yet beneath all that demeanour is an absolute monster….. Easily taking on fifteen Dark Elf female warriors... along with three priestess then causally takes down ten juggernauts…. That most likely must have had a regiment of Dark Elves.

"Enough chit chat!!! I want food!" She said grabbing the handles to Pauls wheel chair and began wheeling him off to the dorms.

"When your friends get back come for a visit!!!" Paul yelled as his voice slowly died away as scarlet raced to the dorms.

Chapter end