27 Who Are You, Really?

Wincu.

While practising with Cehn, each rapidly leaping through the rotating timbers to further hone their speed, agility and endurance, Wincu suddenly heard a loud, terrifying wail; her body trembled as if baulking at the prospect of encountering the owner of such a horrifying sound.

That wail assaulted Wincu with pure dread, causing her heart to skip a beat. However, she found herself hurtling towards the sound anyway with Cehn following, abandoning their training. Shouldn't she be trying to run away?

Each leap drew her closer, tugging her, like a puppet being manipulated by its strings.

Wincu felt a creeping feeling, like invisible hands caressing her skin, causing the hair along both arms and legs to stand on end.

It was a sound of pure, raw… anguish. Dragging Wincu's mind into chaos, terror, horror… all of these emotions competing with each other as her body, seemingly ignorant of the danger that lay ahead, forced her to continue forward.

It was a sound that Wincu had thought only banshees made before someone died.

The surrounding forest seemed to chill suddenly; the usual sounds from the six arms and the whistles from the bokents were absent, blanking the entire forest in eerie silence, growing still at that long mournful, lamenting cry.

Regardless, Wincu continued on as if urged, moving faster, continuing toward the sound.

Leaping from the syntic tree, following Cehn's lead (who had shown her the move earlier during training), she landed on a lower branch, continuing downward, finally landing on the soft forest floor.

Not very long ago Wincu could not do this simple thing but since her - since being saved – Wincu had brought out all of her dormant potential and ability in order for her to become someone who can survive on her own.

Heading to the grassy area, Wincu pushed herself, feeling the gnawing urge to move faster, to continue into the direction where that wailing sound originated. Struggling with all her might, she pushed harder as if attracted by some strange force, leaving Cehn behind.

Wincu didn't resist even if she wanted to; the sense that Wu Jie – her saviour –  was close by, gave her the much-needed strength to keep her almost suffocating terror at bay.

Close to reaching her desired destination Wincu was greeted by a screech; subconsciously she froze. Looking around, she felt fear creeping once more, almost taking over her mind at the prospect of being attacked by the nearby Pytot.

'…'

The Pytot ran past her, heading back in the exact direction both Cehn and Wincu had come from.

A roar echoed, followed by the sound of various screeches. And then, that anguished cry, tugging Wincu towards it.

What was there?

What is making me head in that direction?

Why did Wincu have the urge to save whatever beast it was that made such a sound?

On the small shore that split the grassland swamp from the forest, Wincu saw a battle ensuing in the shallows; it looked brutal – four Pytot continuously attacked a massive Jymer.

The thick reptilian body of the Jymer had a width of about four meters and was so long that it shocked Wincu; she noted that it took up half the grassland while it trashed and howled in fury and anger.

Drawing the bow from her storage without thinking, Wincu knocked arrows and pulled, shooting two at a time, aiming at the massive Jymer.

It had been a while now and those Pytots had never attacked them, even though Wu Jie had killed a few. It looked like she was fond of the only baby among them, so Wincu presently doesn't see them as much of a threat as the massive Jymer thrashing in the swap making small waves.

Wincu could deal with those Pytots later, but if that Jymer were to enter the forest they all would suffer dearly as a result.

One arrow, which had been aimed at its eye, failed, narrowly missing as the Jymer turned suddenly to snap at a nimble Pytot, who barely escaped being eaten by mere inches.

One of the Pytrot, which seemed to be an alpha female from her size and the pale under scales and darker outer coat, ripped out a chunk of scales and flesh while the three other Pytot zeroed in on the exposed flesh, immediately clawing at the now screaming and trashing Jymer. The Jymer twisted back and forth, desperately trying to free itself, but it was futile; each of the Pytrot ripping at the wound with claws and fangs, exposing the flesh and keeping the blood continually flowing, dyeing the water red.

The Pytot alpha female made a screech, shoving its head into the wound as if looking for something before the Jymer twisted, forcing its head to slip out, almost crushing it mid-twist. Following this, Wincu saw something protruding from the Jymer's stomach; next, there was the slashing sound of flesh being torn.

Stunned, Wincu watched the Jymer's abdomen ripple as whatever was inside literally cut itself free. Before long, a small form was exposed. From where Wincu stood she could see a halo of dark blue, pale grey and white hair. When the head tipped back, Wincu stared unable to believe what she was seeing, that skin.

It was one of the -

Wincu blinked, rubbing her eyes just to see if they were clouded.

"So this explains everything," Cehn said quietly near Wincu's side.

Climbing free, a large weapon appeared in her left-hand. Half the length of her body, it looked like a sharp tooth from some sort of other beast that had been devoured by the Jymer, but Wincu was not sure. Wu Jie seemed to have a lot of weapons, so maybe she had it all along in her storage.

Wincu stood, hands loose at her sides. Her blood ran cold. Her Aura seemed to blanket her form as if wanting to crush her; she was struggling not to fall on her knees from the feeling of bloodlust that suddenly tried to overwhelm her. What was this? How did the aloof Wu Jie become what is at present in front of her?

Wu Jie released another mourn-filled cry and small bumps erupted on the entire surface of Wincu's skin. Her mind burst into chaos while her heart stuttered at the sound Wu Jie released. As if in slow motion Wincu watched the slow rise of Wu Jie's hand. She swung her weapon down, moving as if in a trance, her seductively slanted wide eyes void of every other emotion except terror – each swing precise.

First, she started cutting the Jymer in two then, moving so fast that Wincu could not barely follow – as if she teleported – Wu Jie moved to the head and removed it, continuing to chop until it was in pieces, each a quarter her size.

Drenched in blood, her cloud-like hair flowed behind her to the middle of her back, giving off a mesmerising look. Wincu felt herself falling into a trance herself for a moment – that is, before Wu Jie turned her gaze to them, the eerily silver-eyes gazing at them, seeming to be trapped in a recurring nightmare.

At that time, the large blue Pytrot stepped forward, crouching down in front of Wu Jie. Her eyes narrowing to slits, Wu Jie retracted her weapon. Her gaze seemed to clear just before she leapt clear, landing directly in front of both Wincu and Cehn, ignoring the blue Pytrot that still knelt where she had left it.

Close up, Wu Jie looked like a goddess among mortals. The carnage behind and around her did not distract from the starkly umber toned skin. Already the people of this world were naturally beautiful, but her... Wu Jie was something else beyond mere mortal; drenched in blood but still seemed virtuous.

Long ago her kind had suddenly disappeared; the news was heard that they had died out, leaving only a scattered few.

After this, those who remained were treated as treasures because it was rare to see one like her who was so different from everyone else on the outside and praised for their high fertility. With a world where both birth and survival rates were few, finding a spouse like her is something that was worth even a nation.

If her kind lived for three hundred years giving birth every other year to a single offspring or, rarely, two or three children at a time, it would be enough for a small nation. It was even known at times that her eggs have been used to help another who was unable to feel the joy of carrying young.

It was even known that some of these women made harems in other countries, the males extremely willing to share just to have a taste, just to have their genes passed on.

Wu Jie Tyna, who are you really?

If the school only knew they would never have allowed her to take part. If the school became aware, Wu Jie would be immediately paired off to the males of the highest rank.

Cehn moved past Wincu, snatching up Wu Jie as she fell forward, finally succumbing to unconsciousness, as Wincu was too slow to catch her. He caught her with ease, turning to flee into their home at a speed Wincu never knew he had.

Wincu's gaze turned to look at what remained of the Jymer, and Wincu shuddered.

Who can single-handedly kill such a fearsome beast as if it was normal?

If the school knew this Wu Jie would worry for nothing.