There were still a bit over 60 days until the first exams but I spent a lot of my time training, or reading. While the academy was more focused on the practical side, there would be a written exam as well.

  It was Solday afternoon and I was in my room, going over a book about spell efficiency. It detailed how important it was to properly form the runes in one’s head. I was alone, my friends were busy with some spell practice. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

  I opened it and saw Eva standing there. I frowned. She was one of Archibald’s friends and we had never talked much.

  “Koyuki, I… I need your help.” She pleaded.

  “Uh… with what?” I asked.

  “It… it has to do with Florence. Can I come in?” She asked.

  I scratched my head. Why was Eva coming to me? We were not friends. More like the opposite. She did look rather distressed, so I suppressed my urge to shut the door in her face.

  “Ok…” I relented.

  “Thank you!” She entered the room and I closed the door again. Then I turned towards her. And I blinked.

  Eva was gone, instead I was looking at a woman with snow white hair and a rather fluffy tail. A foxkin. I was too stunned to act. Nyx was not. She immediately pounced.

  A cage of golden light formed around her. And Frank. And Chariot. My minions were trapped.

  I finally recovered enough to do something and started forming a water shield. Eva, or whoever that was, turned around and looked at me. There was hatred in those eyes.

  “Your little guardians won’t stop me this time.” She said.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Nyx tired her necrotic breath, but somehow the cage stopped it. Frank was hammering it with a sword of ice. It did not budge. The foxkin seemed unconcerned.

  “Who are you?” I asked, while keeping my shield up. I decided to stall for time while coming up with a plan.

  “I am here to cleanse the world of filth like you. I have no idea how you managed to survive my efforts so far. This time I am not taking any chances.” She said.

  “You were responsible for the explosion?” I asked.

  “Of course. I am still not sure how you avoided that explosion. It does not matter. You die today.” She said.

  “How are you going to escape? The headmaster will kill you.” I tried.

  She smirked. “Will he? Or is he too busy right now? I will be long gone before they find your corpse.”

  Then she attacked. I had run out of time. A golden bolt appeared from her hand and impacted my shield. I tried to use more mana but it failed. My defences collapsed and I screamed. My entire body hurt. I dropped the floor.

  “Be cleansed by holy fire, abomination.” She said. Her hands were glowing. Then a cat appeared. Apparently one of them was not trapped. Ice formed around its claws as the small draugr pounced.

  “Argh!” The foxkin cried out.

  The crippling pain I had been feeling lessened. I needed to do something. Maybe the necrotic ray? Concentrating was hard as I tried to form the runes. Everything hurt. But it was only pain. An old companion. It would not stop me.

  I heard a crash. She had thrown my cat against the wall. But I saw the vampiric one sneaking up on her. It pounced. The cat’s hair turned into tendrils training to connect to her skin.

  While she was busy I continued to focus. I pointed my finger, I formed the runes and I fired!

  She dodged. But the ray hit the cage. The prison stopping my minions darkened, then it burst. Nyx had grown to her full size and she roared.

  The foxkin formed a blade of light and started to parry the flurry of attacks coming her way. Frank and Nyx attacked her. Chariot was forming his spikes.

  My attacker was distracted. Should I run? Get help? I still had normal skeletons and my magical one. They were in the cellar in a storage room, with the Iron Beaks. I needed more time.

  I reformed my shield. I was her target after all. Nyx tried her best to keep her away but she was very skilled. My minions took damage. I cast a necrotic heal on them, trying to help.

  Chariot launched his spikes. The room was not that big, she had no way to dodge. A shield of light formed around her. The spikes failed to penetrate. But I used the moment to run.

  My body was still in pain but I managed to get up and open the door, then I fled into the hall. I heard an explosion behind me and looked back. Nyx flew out of the room and crashed into a wall. The foxkin was right behind her. And she did not waste any time coming for me.

  With a golden blade in her hand she charged. I tried to conjure a barrier of ice to slow her down, as I ran down the hallway. But she simply slashed through it. I wondered if anyone was going to help. It was Solday, a lot of students were in town and not at the academy. But surely someone heard all that noise. Would they help? Surely the staff would call the teachers, right?

  She was getting closer but I reached the stairs. And there, I saw hope. An army of undead chickens.

  My Iron Beaks had arrived. They streamed past me as I kept running. I mentally warned Nyx, then I tried to reinforce the water shield at my back.

  The world exploded behind me. A shockwave hit my back and I flew down the stairs. I heard a scream, then I felt a sharp pain as I impacted something. The world went dark.