A brown haired girl is hitting a tree with her fingers. Is Haykel, she is 16 her bust has grown slightly. The tree vibrates slightly.

  She still wearing her vanilla colored skirt with a red border, she is only wearing a green shirt, a binder could be feel under her shirt.

  It's summer, a clear day, there is no mud around, only the road and the grass. The bark of the tree is peeled due to Haykel daily training.

  Kailos speaks from far away "Time for training" Haykel turns. Her face has matured a bit "Sure" She has a tiny scar on her left cheek.

  Haykel walk behind Kailos "Kailos did you hear about the tortoise spark thing?"

  "What tortoise thing are you talking about" Kailos listen.

  "I heard from someone, if you hit two tortoise shells together they can spark to make a fire" Haykel look at Kailos intensely.

  Kailos confused look at Haykel "Can they?? I have never heard or tried that."

  "I'm sure they can, it makes sense. Vildan told me that I might be dumb for suggesting that." Haykel shrugs.

  Kailos laughs "Its pure and unfiltered Envy, since you are training with the Hero."

  "You know that you aren't a hero, you are a self-proclaimed one"

  Kailos laughs "The spirit is what important Haykel, not the title."

  They arrive into a clean grass square arena, side of the road, the village is really close, people can look at them train, the nearby teenagers approach to the gate, they see from far away.

  A moment of silence pass, the wind moves the nearby grass.

  Kailos stands in the arena "Put your stance"

  Haykel, start doing tiny jumps on the tops of her feet, both hands forward fingers horizontal, ready to grab or pierce.

  Kailos turns and put on his stance, similar but Kailos hands are more relaxed.

  A chicken screams from the village.

  Haykel reacts and approach's slowly to Kailos, she throws a right jab open hand against Kailos face. He evades to the right. Haykel rotates her elbow and to swipe to the right with her right, Kailos is on the swing. Kailos hits the elbow of Haykel, up, reflecting the attack completely, Kailos jump back. "Not quite yet" Kailos said.

  A moment of silence pass between them.

  Haykel starts jumping and does an explosive jump inside the zone of Kailos, she punches to his shoulder. Kailos blocks with his right elbow, and is ready to slap with his left hand. Haykel bends and jump back.

  There is no time to breath for Haykel.

  Kailos does an explosive jumps against Haykel, He does a flurry of left jabs against Her. Haykel jumps back and avoid from left to right. Haykel grabs Kailos hand, and does a palm hit against Kailos chin, Kailos receives the hit. Kailos respond with a direct kick at the stomach, they both jump back.

  Kailos touches his chin, Haykel clean her stomach,

  Kailos speaks "Remove your shirt, only fist".

  Kailos removes his shirt and throws it to the side. Kailos body is slim but extremely muscular and dense, full of scars.

  Haykel removes her shirt, and throws it into the side. Her short stature doesn't matter, her back is growing in musculature, her body is structured.

  From the village some teenagers start whistling at Haykel. Vildan appears from behind the group, he cut directly in the middle, someone in the group whispers "Shit, is Vildan" They disperse walking away. Vildan walks out of the village and sits near, in the grass with a book in hand.

  Nor Haykel or Kailos noticed.

  Haykel cover her face with her fist on a defensive position, Kailos put his shoulder in front, his arm is swinging from side to side. Both of them move in rhythm.

  Kailos and Haykel jumps at the same time, Kailos does a Jab to the face of Haykel, She bends under the jab, Haykel prepares a low right uppercut against Kailos stomach, Kailos pivot to the left. Haykel opens her leg more, She is pivoting with Kailos, Kailos feels the pressure. Kailos counterattack with a high-low punch directly to the face of Haykel.

  Kailos lands the punch first, her face bends inward. Haykel gets send to the floor. Kailos jump back. Haykel sits on the ground "Is not fair, your are taller than me, your arms are longer dude. Is not fair." Haykel grabs her feet.

  Kailos elongates his back "You almost got me kid, you need a bit more speed"

  Haykel jumps and stand on her feet, she walks towards Kailos. He notices "Do you want another spar?"

  Haykel eyes shine "Sure I want another one".

  Kailos laughs "We won't have another spar, you get dangerous and unpredictable, but more important, self destructive."

  Haykel sits "Aww, dang it". Kailos approach and grabs Haykel head "You still a kid, but you need to learn to respect your body a little bit more."

  Kailos looks at the sun "Day is over, go rest" Kailos dressed himself.

  Haykel grabs her shirt, clean it, and dresses herself.

  Haykel notices Vildan reading a book nearby. She walks toward Vildan "Hi Vildan, I didn't notice you there."

  Vildan looks at Haykel "I noticed your training, I tough was a good time for some reading while I was cheering on you a bit."

  Haykel rubs the back of her head "I'm flattered Vildan"

  Vildan flips a page "Still, you lost, you're a loser." Vildan smiles.

  "Shut up. Shut up, you... Dumb and your dumb books" She stomps the ground.

  "Oh so, my books are dumb? So, I think you don't want to heard about the Werewolf biology I got to know the other day"

  He shows the book he has in hand, General Taxonomy of Monsters.

  Haykel bite her lips "Fiiine, I want to hear about the Werewolf" Haykel sits "Okay, tell me how I can kill a wolf" He crosses her arms

  "Werewolf" Vildan corrects Haykel.

  "Werewolf, whatever" She rolls her eyes.

  Vildan clear his throat and reads "Werewolfs are the result of a wolf chimera cutting on a human skin, once the human gets infected, they need to be treated like a sickness, after several days if the human doesn't get treated becomes a Werewolf permanently"

  A moment of silence pass.

  Haykel complains "That's it? How that information it's supposed to help me to kill a Werewolf, are you dumb."

  Vildan is annoyed "If you want to kill one, just, kill it? Like you would to a normal person?"

  Haykel gets annoyed "Then why I'm asking and learning about the Werewolf."

  "So, if you find a Wolf-Chimera, you avoid confrontation dumbass." Vildan leans back and closes his book.

  Haykel falls on her back "Fine, another one to the list of possible deadly monsters."

  Kailos walks toward Haykel, and kicks her head softly.

  She sits on the ground and sights "Thank you Vildan."

  Vildan smiles "Hmmp!"

  Kailos observes Vildan, his unusual clothing and skin color.

  "What was your name again" He grabs his chin.

  Vildan "I'm Vildan. Vildan Minre"

  Kailos bends and observes Vildan closely "I don't think you are human anymore"

  Vildan gets angry "How you dare."

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Haykel screams "KAILOS"

  Kailos stops Vildan and Haykel with his hand "I'm referring to your body. Look yourself, Fangs, red eyes, white skin, and since you are hiding I assume weakness to the sun"

  Vildan tries to retreat to his book, he bites his lip.

  Kailos rest on his legs "Have you had problems eating? Or sleeping?"

  Vildan respond annoyed "Yes, I'm able to taste food, but is no longer good for my body"

  Kailos walks around to think, he sees people looking at them from the gate, with a single glaze, they choose to leave.

  "I remember meeting someone with fangs, but it had another symptoms on top. Like his whole head was a Bat face with giant fangs and his brain was clearly breaking between a non-sentient and sentient being."

  Vildan asked with doubt in his voice "What happened to him?"

  Kailos cross his arms "He died, someone killed him by mistaking him by an Anthro-Animal"

  Kailos gets really close to Vildan "I doubt this will happen to you, you still look kind of human, and you haven't lose your head... Was primordial soup right?"

  Vildan sighs "Yes"

  Kailos smiles "You got lucky, not everyone is able to live to see changes"

  Vildan stands "I would rather be normal." He walks way "Thanks for nothing".

  Kailos whispers to him "If you cannot eat solids, eat liquid food, cow blood or pig blood, they will fill you."

  Vildan looks at him "Thank you" He walks away.

  Haykel stands "Don't be mean to him, please"

  "He is going to be okay, you are strong, you can protect him"

  "I don't think that's fair for him, he is already strong... with his brain I mean"

  Kailos laughs. "Of course he is"

  A moment of silence pass, Haykel cooled down, the wind helped.

  "I will go back to the tree, I need to punch the tree a bit, to cool down more" She stretches.

  "Don't overdo it".

  "I Know" Haykel walked back to the tree.

  Some days pass. Vildan drank some animal blood and provided sustenance.

  Vildan is inside a big room, there is a big desk in front, with lots of books and papers, the sun shines trough the window.

  Vildan is sitting in front of Quitol. Quitol has a mustache growing.

  Vildan feels uneasy, uncomfortable, his leg move erratically. "I need a new trade route"

  Quitol doesn't look at Vildan, he is writing on his documents, taxes, percentages ratios and more. "What route, what do you want"

  Vildan cross his legs and fills himself with courage "Blood route, animal blood specifically."

  Quitol stops writing. He looks at Vildan. "Such strange request"

  He stands and reach for a book in his desk. Open the book, wet his finger and start searching into it, "That would be expensive, we need anticoagulant plants and tight sealed tanks. How much?"

  Vildan says "Not much, is for me, for feeding."

  Quitol star making math in a document. "Cow blood is cheaper than pig, I need to add the price of the plants, pig fat for sealing... and my tax. 10 Gold to start the route and 2 gold to maintain."

  Quitol taps the desk with his fingers.

  Vildan puts 13 Gold coins in the desk. "Is this enough?"

  Quitol smiles "You always know how to please me." He stands "Follow me".

  Vildan follows Quitol trough his house. Quitol ask "Why blood?"

  Vildan looks down in shame "I cannot eat solids."

  "Shame, let me show you something" They both enter into a room, the kitchen, a big organized place, lots of cooking utensils. There is no one inside.

  Quitol reach into some sausages he has in the counter. Grabs one and give it to Vildan. "Blood sausage with condiments, dried for travel, try it. Is animal blood, but is dry"

  Vildan takes a bite from, he gulps it. "I need to wait and see if this gives me energy, I have been eating meat lately and I just got recommended to eat blood."

  Quitol laughs. He grabs all the sausages and gives them to Vildan. "They are from importation, expensive. Don't waste them"

  "But Sir, I can't pay this" Vildan is worried.

  Quitol laughs "Worry not, you still my student and worker, the best I had in a while, it would be a shame to you to die because your strange diet."

  Vildan smiles a bit, he bows "Thank you, I appreciate this"

  Quitol walks outside the kitchen "Okay, that's enough, back to work."

  A year pass by

  Haykel is 17, she uses the same clothes has always, Her body is more muscular, she can flex her arms to show off. She still short. Her growing completely stopped.

  Vildan no longer talks with his parents. He wears a white shirt and a red vest. His hair is long and touches his shoulders.

  Its a summer day, the wind moves the grass, Vildan is reading his book on the same spot has always in the grass. Sounds of punches and wind moving delve near Vildan. Someone is fighting.

  Kailos is jumping in his stance, Haykel is jumping on the tip of her feet. They are in the arena. Haykel fingers are hard bone, mixed with hard skin. Strong enough to break some rocks. Her knuckles are the same.

  Kailos plunges against Haykel with an insane speed, Kailos hand is claw shaped he swings horizontally to Haykel face. Haykel use both hands to stop the attack, and kick with her right leg directly to Kailos stomach. Kailos kick the leg back. They both jump back.

  Haykel could feel the world disappearing around. Only Kailos existed for that moment. She lowered her stance.

  Haykel jumps directly into Kailos zone. Kailos is faster, he punches Haykel in the chin. Haykel start falling on her back, she reacts and spin her waist kicking Kailos in the head. The kick moves Kailos. Haykel falls and rolls back standing again.

  Kailos breath is visible. His both hands resembled claws. Kailos plunges with a high claw diagonal down cut, Haykel gets under his shoulder to grab the arm, she use the own strength of Kailos to throw him into the ground. Kailos insert his hand into the ground, he breaks the dirt and uses his leg to kick Haykel into the chin and then stomach.

  Haykel grab on Kailos legs, she looks down and tries to stomp Kailos face. Kailos claw directly into Haykel leg, flipping her off to the ground.

  Kailos flips and lands away, Haykel stand slowly, his pant is damaged by the clawing.

  Kailos looks different, he is regressing to something primitive. Haykel is following into the same instinct.

  Kailos bite his tongue. He is back on his sense. He slaps his face. He cross his arms "We are done. Fight is over."

  Kailos walks slowly backwards toward Vildan "Will you do the honors please" Haykel is in trance. Her guard still high.

  Vildan walks with a water bucket and soaks Haykel "OW, what is this. What's happening." Haykel drips on the floor, she is wet, she smells like a mix of dirt and salt.

  Kailos looks at Haykel and laughs "Okay, fight is done, and I'm also done with you. There is nothing I can teach you"

  The wind moves Kailos shirt and air, a cloud passed by hiding the sun temporally.

  Haykel gets worried "What? Are you firing me?" She looks like she is about to cry.

  Kailos smiles "Yes, you are fired. Here is your payment." Kailos points at Vildan Holding a pair of claws. "Just a gift from me, with help of Vildan"

  Vildan is holding a pair of claws with their holster in his hands.

  Haykel gets frozen and she freak outs "Oh god, OH GOD, OOOOHHH." She grabs the claws and put them on. She jumps on place. Vildan laughs. She unequip the claws, hugs Kailos and Vildan "THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU"

  The claws are a pair of short gloves, metal protection on the top of the hand, metal fitting on the fingers, from the first digit of each finger a knife extends 5cms that is also given soldering and fitting to the glove to maintain their shape. Their points follows a curve mimicking a cat claw where all the curve is sharp, the external curve is also sharp.

  The back of the hand needs to be fitted with leather belts to avoid moving the glove due high movement.

  The knife itself of the glove are thick to avoid breaking on contact with bones or hard edges.

  Haykel try on the gloves seriously. They fit perfectly on her fingers, The inside leather is cold. Kailos explain "It's a lock on system, you always use the belt system on your writes, plunge your hand into the holster, and the system will lock on with you. To remove them just plunge your hand back into the holster, and slide them back, the holster will take care of the rest"

  "And maintain them clean" Kailos sit on the grass.

  Haykel jumps on place "OH GOD, OH GOD"

  She runs like a wild animal to her training tree. She prepares her wrist belts, and re-equip the claws. Feels natural for her. She looks like a cat, a very dangerous cat. She canalize her body her smiles get softer, she lock on the tree... She jumps and do a left and right cut to the wood.

  Smell at burning wood can be feel for a second. The bark is completely gone.

  Haykel looks at the cuts of the tree. Deep cuts, the whole claw entered the tree. "Oh god, this is so cool"

  Haykel falls on her back to look at the sky. The cloud moves out of the way, the sun shines at her. She is smiling, for the first time in years she feels, satisfaction.

  Night came by, Haykel is sitting on her bed, looking at her room, her toys, her clothes, the dresses she never touched. She grabs the dagger of his father. She looks at the claws on top of her drawer. She falls to bed, looking at the sky trough the window. She grabs onto the dagger strongly.

  Haykel is at the table with Simon.

  "Dad, I had an idea to help you and mom" Haykel whispers.

  Simon loos around and get closer "Tell me"

  Abigail was in the bedroom, cleaning, organizing.

  "I was thinking on being the personal guard of a rich person, then be head guard to get enough money to send home, so you and mom can stop working in the farm"

  Simon looks worried to all sides "Sounds risky, but is a nice idea. Don't tell your mom that I said that. "

  Abigail enters the room "What are you both talking?"

  "Uhhh" Haykel tries to play dumb

  "Uhhhh" Simon tries to play dumb

  Haykel stand up "Mom, dad. We need to talk"

  Abigail sights, she sits at the table.

  "I was thinking of going to the capital, Hontel. So I can get a simple job to send money home, so you both can be comfortable and not keep working in the farm" Haykel half lied naturally.

  Abigail got worried "Don't think about us, you can go to the capital, but don't think about us. Do what your heart says. Make a family"

  Haykel looks at the ground, she feels ashamed, she grabs her hands.

  Haykel sights "Mom, I was lying, I'm not going to seek a normal job. I'm going to work as a private guard."

  Abigail leans on her arm "I knew that already, you cannot keep yourself quiet for long." She smiles "Do what make you happy"

  Abigail grabs Simon hand "She is just like you after all" Simon breaks and starts crying softly "I'm sorry, I'm so happy for her." He covers his eyes.

  Haykel get moved, her eyes are watery.

  Haykel hugs both her parent "I will try to make it good. I think. I Guess, I will try."

  Abigail ask "When are you leaving?"

  "In a week. I got Vildan help to leave"

  "Then tonight we gonna eat nice. I'm killing one of the chickens!"

  The sun is high, few clouds, no wind.

  Haykel is thinking about her luggage. Dagger, claws, shirts, pants, food, her trusty backpack, sleeping bed, sharpening stones, a leather canteen between other stuff.

  It has been a week already. Simon and Abigail are hugging Haykel, the wagon is waiting. "Bye dad, bye mom, I will be back, eventually."

  The wagon is a single vehicle moved by a single horse, there is a driver on front, the roof is made of fabric, the wheels are made of wood. The wagon doesn't look new neither old.

  Simon in the hug "Take care of your body, buy nice toys for yourself"

  Abigail cries a bit "Please eat healthy. You make me proud"

  Kailos look at the distance, wave his hand and walks away. Haykel waves, she smiles.

  Haykel pushes her parent a bit away. She screams "KOIMER" The chickens get terrorized, everyone in the village look at Haykel. A young man in a red shirt stops and observes at her.

  Haykel points at the man in the red shirt. She lifts her middle finger and screams "GO EAT SHIT"

  The mans screams "FUCK OFF"

  Haykel kiss her mother and father, she grabs her backpack and walks away to the wagon.

  The wagon is a bit wobbly. Smells like wine and animal pelts.

  Haykel gets up the wagon with her backpack. Vildan is inside.

  Haykel notices "What are YOU doing here. This is supposed to be MY trip. Not yours."

  Vildan is reading a book "I was the one who got the contact and deal in this wagon. I go were I please." he pauses "Also I have investigations and deals to do in Hontel. I cannot expand if I keep living here."

  Haykel leans and sit on the wagon "Oh, well. So be it." She thinks "Oh wait, how long is the trip?"

  "A week"

  Haykel screams "NOOO"

  Vildan reading his book "Yeah, there it is"

  Haykel screams "NOOO"

  Haykel screams a bit lower. "NOO"

  Haykel screams a lot lower. "NOO"

  Haykel says "no."

  Vildan looks at Haykel "Out of your system"

  "Yes, awake me when we arrive please." She gets on a sleeping position

  "Sure"

  The wagon move, The trip to the Kingdom of Hontel begins