A Guide to Surviving Against Monsters

It was the end of the day when I felt something was off. Students were pouring out of the Academy, and I saw Michaelson by the doors. Wendy and Miles were talking off to the side, and Luca had already disappeared for the day. The Grimm cousins, Weston and myself remained on campus, the boys talking. Something brushed against my awareness, and my eye lit up like fairy lights.

"What the--Emmalyn?"

I pulled out a knife. "Something's on campus."

"You can't be serious," Mateo protested. Weston drew his bow, notching an arrow. He surveyed one side of the campus while I stared at the other.

"It's by the fence," Weston told us sharply, "mutant shapeshifting lion. It's got three heads."

"Damn mutants," I snapped. Anything could become mutated, and when monsters gained a mutation, they usually lost the ability to think straight. Their only objective was their next meal. That meant that this shapeshifter was hunting the Academy students and staff.

"Theo, get Michaelson's attention," I hissed, "Weston, do you have my back?"

The archer nodded. "Of course."

Mateo covered his cousin as the two barrelled toward the professor. Weston took up the rear as I took careful steps toward the prowling mutant, the three heads looking in three different directions. A breeze blew in its direction, and the beast sniffed. The heads whipped our way, the air rich with our human smell.

My eye lit up purple. "Weston, aim for the eyes, okay?"

"Sure," he said, "are you going in?"

I twirled a dagger, holding it backward along my forearm. "You know it."

With a bit of concentration, I pulled my purple flames onto the blade of my dagger. As long as my eye was hidden, it helped hide the fact that I was making the fire and not the other way around. Blessed or enchanted weapons could do all sorts of things with enough energy, so flames wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

By now, the students were aware that there was a problem. They were gathered back near the doors of the school, Michaelson herding them into the smallest area possible. Mateo and Theo stood in front of their group, Miles and Wendy at the ready as well.

The mutant lion crouched, ready to pounce, and I felt my own legs tense.

It lunged, claws stretched outward. Weston let an arrow fly just before I leapt up, colliding with the beast midair. The arrow landed in-between two of the lion's heads, barely making the thing flinch. My flaming knife slashed across one of its muzzles, and blood spewing from the wound. The blood was discolored, looking more green than red. It burned when it touched my skin, and I pushed myself away from it as my feet hit the ground.

"Don't get any blood on you," I warned Weston. "It's toxic for you."

"And what about you?"

My flames flashed outward from my skin, effectively zapping the green goo off of my body. They returned to the blade, crawling along its surface like water. Only pink burns remained, but those would heal.

"If I distract it, can you hit the eyes?"

Weston nodded. "Sorry that I missed the first shot."

I didn't answer, launching myself at the beast. Its gigantic paw lifted, the lion batting me to the side. With a malicious grin, I wrapped my hands around its paw and dug my blade in, ripping it upward. It was down one leg, the lion stumbling as I fell backward. Furious, the thing jumped on top of me. I snickered, thrusting the flaming dagger upward as I landed on top of me. The blade sank into its chin, and one head went limp. A second after, an arrow pierced the eye of another head.

"One more to go," I grunted, heaving the beast off with my above-human level of strength. Several deep claw marks were in my stomach, but I brushed it off. Forcing myself onto my feet, I grabbed a second dagger, eyeing the mutant in front of me.

I pity you.

It lunged.

I really do. This isn't who you're meant to be, friend.

An extra layer of flames burst from my skin as I focused, eye twitching. They grew from both daggers, heat pouring off of them.

I understand what it's like to have been altered because of something else's will.

A tear threatened to well up in my eye as I drove both daggers home, the beast's skull providing no resistance to the force I used.

You fought hard. You tried.

Its eyes shut, and the lion crumpled to the ground.

"Emmalyn!"

Wendy caught my arm as I swayed, hand on the bleeding sections of my gut. I sighed, leaning into her.

"Block their view," I whispered.

"What?"

"Block their view," I repeated, "I don't need the kids freaking out."

She nodded, stepping so that I nearly had full privacy because of our size difference. There was a layer of energy, the flames, coating my body in a cocoon. Since I had injuries everywhere, my entire body began to flash before the magic flickered and I looked down.

Smooth skin, once again.

Sorry, little lion, but my experiment seemed to benefit me, unlike yours.

"Emmalyn? Hey, you okay?"

I tightened my grip on Wendy, trying to keep myself on my feet. I was exhausted, and my eye kept twitching. Other than exhaustion, I was just fine.

"Peachy," I wheezed, coughing. Blood splattered against the crook of my elbow.

"Ms. Foxit," Michaelson said as he approached, "what happened?"

"Mutant," I muttered, "hunting the Academy kids."

He looked somber, frowning at me. "That's a problem if the Academy is getting attacked, of all places."

I know. And the last time a problem like this occured, our drastic protection measures fucked me over.

"Well, that is dealt with," I said lowly, "you've already got seven well-equipped hunters here to protect your graduating class. Why don't we work as patrolling guards in the mean time?"

"But I'm sure the Academy has extra security plans already..."

Michaelson trailed off as I scowled, my hair brushed back, my green eye twitching. The last time the Academy needed something powerful to defend them, they ended up ruining my entire life.

"Just let us deal with this," I said through gritted teeth, "at least until it gets serious."

The professor looked away. "We'll try that first."

"Get everyone home," I said, "I have to figure out if there's anything else mutated in the area. Someone needs to check the wards."

"Miles and I can check them," Wendy offered. "We have the skills as healers."

I saluted her. "See you later then."

She nodded, Miles following hot in her trail as she ran for her car. I faced the leftover three; Weston and the Grimm cousins.

Luca left before the thing attacked, with no real reason, I thought, but he's also the silent type. It could be coincidental.

Gritting my teeth, I sheathed my weapons and adjusted my collar. Casually, my eyes flicked over to the boys. "Are you guys going hunting with me?"

Mateo and Theo shook their heads. "We can't. Sorry, Emmalyn."

I shrugged. "Not a problem. Weston?"

The archer looked guiltily at the ground.

"It's fine," I told them, "I'll see you guys later."

And with that, I walked away alone to fill my Friday evening with bloody fights and a lot of tracking.