Chapter Two
Dawn Pov.
It was late!.
I exclaimed as my eyes shot open and what greeted me was the night sky, devoid of any moon at all and the whole forest was doused with an inky darkness that made my skin crawl.
Howls reached my ears, and faintly I could detect a sort of aura that permeated the air. It was gradually getting more closer and my entire system went up in alarmed alerts that made my ears ring.
"Athena, run!" Rae Rae whispered, her voice tinged with fear and worry and I forced myself to my feet with great effort.
"I'm trying to do so, but I can't feel myself" I whispered, trying to move faster as I followed the direction that led back to the academy and Rae Rae gasped within me.
"Inside voice, please. I'm literally inside of you" she cautioned and I nodded, my heavy body suddenly receiving vitality and strength began to gradually develop inside me the longer I walked.
"Draw up a map" I said to her and she quickly did as I said, a map appearing in front of me and then I took one glance at where I was and where I needed to be and how I needed to get there before putting it away and getting into stance.
"Wha-" I took off, the speed from the fox traits within me causing me to run like lightning. I took great efforts to dodge trees, leap over fallen logs as I followed the map's direction towards the academy.
My ears suddenly picked up on another set of footsteps approaching me from behind and from the aura I could feel emanating from it, I knew in an instant that it was a mutated beast.
"We cannot lead it back to the academy" I informed Rae Rae and she huffed with agreement inside me.
"Do you have any weapons I could pick from?" I asked and she lit up with hope.
"Yes. That should be of help however little it would be" she said, deflating as soon as she thought about it and I nodded, my mind racing through so many scenarios but none prepared me for the mutated beast's next moves.
He appeared right before my eyes, I could see the blur from my peripherals before it did and I secretly marvelled at the impressive speed it had.
"This should have a beast core right?" I asked Rae Rae and she nodded.
"But beast cores cannot aid you in levelling up" she informed and I smirked as I began to tap into the fox genes within me.
"Who said anything about leveling up? This is money, real money." The realization dawned on her and she laughed softly.
"I underestimated you" she whistled afterwards but that wasn't what caught my attention.
"Someone is approaching" I quickly transformed into the fox, the movements fluid and painless and Rae Rae gasped at me.
"Damn you look good" she said and I smiled internally as I stared at the beast who seemed shocked to see my beast form.
"A purple fox?" Someone gasped from the trees around us and the mutated beast growled menacingly as it set its eyes on this new intruder and my brows furrowed as two more sighs followed behind.
I turned my head, careful to keep my eyes on the beast too and found three individuals staring at us with awe and terror.
"They shouldn't be in existence"
"How did one get here?"
I groaned lowly at their insistent voices that seemed to enrage the beast and before I could turn back to it, it lunged at me and I nimbly evaded its attack.
My movements were fluid as I brought my paws to my face to check how purple I indeed was, this was after all a new experience for me and I wasn't going to miss my chance to check myself out.
"Watch out" Rae Rae called out and I smirked, I had sensed the beast's next attack moments ago when it moved and as it flew past me again, I swirled around and sank my fangs into its vital point.
A howl of pain filled the forests. I knew I had to end this battle or more trouble would come and that would be a death sentence to us both.
Sinking my fangs deeper, I drew my claws high up into the air as the beast shook me wildly in a desperate attempt to dislodge me from his weak spot but I clung on.
Raking the claws down its neck, the sharp things sliced through flesh and bone and the beast cried out as it slumped to the ground, lifeless and I held it for a moment before releasing it when I saw it was indeed dead.
Within seconds, it dissipated into ashes and where the beast once laid, a golden core sat there.
"A level four golden core, damn this is money" Rae Rae gasped within me, delight washing over me as I stored it into the space that had been given to me up on my arrival in this world.
I tasted the metallic taste of blood on my tongue and began to salivate with disgust as I tried to get it off my mouth.
The taste was repugnant and sour and tasted very very bad.
"H-here" I turned around slowly at the sound and glanced at the guy offering me a water skin and I stared at the two of them with an unimpressed look.
"I promise…it's not poisoned" he tried again and I huffed softly as I sat down slowly, staring at my paws.
"Okay" he pulled open the cap of the water skin and drank from it, swallowing two large gulps of water and I smirked with satisfaction as I leaped forward and snatched it from his hands.
He yelped with surprise and I could detect a lot of fear from him too but I paid him no heed as I threw my head up and the water flowed freely into my mouth before I stood on my hind legs to close back the water skin and guggle the water in my mouth then spat it out.
My tongue prodded my insides and I found no metallic taste there again with satisfaction.
"Did good" I mumbled within me as I threw back the water skin to him and before any of them could say anything, I turned around and fled into the forests without looking back.
"We're fucked this night" Rae Rae grumbled at me and I winced when I recalled the curfew and the consequences of missing it but I had to somehow escape it.
Getting back to the academy grounds, it was shrouded ominously in pure darkness. Much more as opposed to the forests and that made me shiver slightly as I quickly transformed back to my human self.
Grateful that my clothes were still on and untouched.
"There seems to be a backw-"
"Stop there!" My whole body turned rigid as that cold voice made Rae Rae's whole plan seem ridiculous at that moment.
"Oh God, we're fucked" she mumbled.