Shifter

Watching Savina leave, Rio sighed. Dropping onto the bunk, he massaged his cheeks, watching the floor. Looking up, Rio stared at Iseul.

As quiet as he could, Rio created a small portal. Pulling a ball out of it, he closed the portal. Pulling his arm back, Rio threw the ball at Iseul's head.

Catching the ball, Iseul's turned his head. His helmet glanced at Rio.

"Are you ever going to take your helmet off? It's just the two of us now. Tell me." Standing up, Rio sat on Iseul's bunk next to his feet. "What do you think of Savina? She's nice, isn't she?"

Shrugging, Iseul threw the ball into the air, catching it when it fell.

"Although I've got to say, I feel like there's something she's not telling us. For starters, I don't think her name is Neia and that violet fire. I've never seen anything quite like it…"

Catching the ball again, Iseul threw it to Rio.

The ball bounced off of Rio's head, landing in his open palm. Squeezing the ball for a moment, Rio nodded. "Maybe you're right Iseul, maybe I am just overthinking it."

Tossing the ball back to Iseul, Rio opened the system.

Opening the party window, Rio narrowed his eyes looking at the name, 'Neia'. "If she is hiding something, what do you think the chances are, this system can be messed with?" When Iseul didn't answer, Rio looked up just in time to catch the ball. "I'll take that as a maybe."

Hearing rustling, Rio looked up to the tent's entrance. Poking his head through, the old man smiled.

"Hello, boys." He croaked.

Waving the screen away, Rio stood up to meet him, throwing the ball back to Iseul. "Hi there, we were wondering where you got to."

"Oh, no, no, no, I only went to find some food." He dismissively added, waving the thought away.

"That's… funny, we didn't see you at the mess-tent," Rio responded, taking a step back from the man.

"You didn't? I was definitely there." Wringing his hands, the man nodded. "Honest, I heard that there was a fight there."

Seeing a message from Iseul, Rio narrowed his eyes.

"Maybe we didn't see you because of the scuffle, you'd have seen it if you were there. Two of the soldiers got into a fight, I heard it was really messy."

"Oh yes!" He laughed. "Kids these days, back in my day, we would have properly disciplined soldiers."

Tightly gripping the ball, Iseul launched it at the man's face.

Seeing the ball, the man caught the ball, a slight thud resulting from the power of the throw.

Rio froze as Iseul stood up behind him.

Sighing, the man looked at the ball in his hand. "Damn." Dropping the act, the old man's voice changed, no longer sounding like an old withered man, his voice became younger. "I should not of caught that, should I." Throwing the ball back to Iseul, the man's body began to writhe. "Tell me, what gave me away?"

Summoning a portal for Iseul to draw his swords, Rio drew a sword for himself.

"What the hell is an old man doing in a cave?" Rio shouted, holding his sword in both hands.

"I thought that would be it. Oh well, now I need to silence you two before you alert the camp."

"Sure you will, I didn't know Beasts worked with humans." Rio shot back.

"You humans, always so sure of yourself. But you'll find I'm no boneheaded Beast. I'm no old man." Holding his arm up, a mass of tentacles burst forwards from the man's right arm.

Unable to react in such proximity, the tentacles grabbed Rio's body, restraining his limbs.

Ducking the tentacles, Iseul swung his sword up, cutting through the tentacles that had targeted him. The man let out an inhuman screech from the pain. Closing the distance, Iseul moved to strike him. Iseul's blades clashed against the man's left arm, which had changed, an armoured carapace covered his arm.

The tentacles loosened their grips as the man shifted his attention to focus on Iseul.

"You damn humans, you never know when to roll over and just die." Pushing Iseul back, the man's body began to change. No longer a man, the creature. Twisted growing larger. Stood on two legs, the creature's serpent head reached the top of the tent. Four arms tipped by crab-like claws snapped as he approached the two. "Now die!"

Creating a small portal, a glass vial with a green liquid dropped into Rio's hand. "Iseul get back!"

Hopping further back, Iseul stood next to Rio, his swords at the ready.

Looking at the glass vial in Rio's hand, the creature laughed. "And what are you going to do about that, make me a little wet!"

Shrugging, Rio smiled. "Something like that." Throwing the vial through the air, the monster didn't try to block it.

Smashing against the creature's chest, the vial shattered. The creature's eyes widened, realizing his mistake. As the green liquid came into contact with the creature's carapace and claws, it again recoiled as the liquid began to burn through the carapace. "Acid!" He shrieked. "What the hell, what kind of human keeps acid on them!"

As Rio nudged Iseul, Iseul began to size up his opponent's new apperance.

It wasn't a Beast, or else Hunter's Resolve would have activated. As Iseul charged forwards, he swung his swords towards the creature's weakened chest.

Rio spoke up as Iseul attacked. "The kind who are prepared for any eventuality."

Hitting the creature, Iseul forced it out of the tent into the open air of the camp.

Grappling with the creature, Iseul forced it further backwards, soldiers looked up from what they were doing. Quickly jumping to action, seeing Iseul grapple with the creature. Soldiers started shouting.

"Shifter!" "How'd a Shifter get into camp." "Someone get the captain!"

Watching Iseul duck as the Shifter swung at him, Rio listened to the soldiers shouting. "A Shifter… That's a demon! Iseul!" Rio shouted. "Be careful, that creature's a Shifter, they can turn into almost anything!"

Hearing this, Iseul kicked the Shifter back.

Sliding backwards, the Shifter dug his claws into the ground. Looking at the soldiers surrounding him, the Shifter groaned. "He'll have my head over this-" Seeing Iseul out of the corner of his eye, the Shifter ducked as Iseul's sword flew past where the Shifter's head was moments prior. The sword sunk into the dirt behind him.

Gritting his teeth, Iseul was annoyed at having missed his throw.

"Iseul, stop messing around. This isn't the time to be throwing your weapons!" Rio shouted from behind him.

Glancing at Rio, Iseul flexed his shoulders. Adjusting his helmet, Iseul swapped his remaining sword to his right hand.

Spinning it, Iseul slammed his sword into the ground.

Taking a deep breath, Iseul focused his Hunter's Sense to selectively detect his opponent's movements and anatomy.

"The Shifter has three hearts, two tails, four arms, seven eyes, speed is less than mine, strength equals mine. I just need to watch out for the Shifters shifting skill." Breathing out, Iseul gripped his sword tighter, pulling it out of the ground. "That'll be easy."

Dashing forwards, Iseul swung upwards. Clashing against the Shifter's claws. Iseul ducked under the Shifter's second set of claws it attempted to swing at him.

With both hands, Iseul drove his sword into the Shifter's chest.

"Yes!" Rio shouted, jumping slightly.

Hitting the Shifter's chest, Iseul's sword slid off of the carapace.

"No!" Rio cried.

Running into the fight, Savina conjured a Violet fireball. "Iseul duck!" Hearing Savina

Ducking Iseul rolled away from the Shifter, a fireball cracked against the Shifter's face, the force of the attack knocking the Shifter backwards.

Savina and Tushin stood next to Rio as they readied themselves, pulling the violet fire off the Shifter's face, Savina held it in both hands. Addressing the demon, Savina called to it. "Demon! Explain yourself, our kingdom and the Demon King are on good terms, what is the meaning of this unprovoked attack."

As Tushin cleared his throat, Tushin motioned to himself.

"Ah sorry, Tushin, force of habit." Savina responded taking a step back.

Stepping forward, Tushin addressed the shifter. "Do you know who I am?"

Looking at Tushin, the Shifter nodded. "The captain of the Wild Guard."

"Yes, as the captain of the Wild Guard I… I ask you exactly what she just asked you."

Weighing up his options, the Shifter answered. "Call me Sk'er, and what are you humans to talk about unprovoked attacks. Your kingdom was on good terms with the Demon King, until you murdered the Queen. Savina. He has not looked merrily on that, in fact he's going to wage war on your kingdom for the Queen's death. I was sent to spy on your forces along the western front when I found those Scorpsis were up to no good." Sk'er snarled.

"I should have seen this coming." Savina thought, "Of course, kingdoms allied with me wouldn't take my death lying down." Taking a step forward, Savina spoke up again. "We were allies three weeks ago, would the Demon King really throw away the decade's of peace he and Savina forged?"

"To tell the truth, that's not my place to comment. I don't know much about politics. And it's not like me giving any answers matters."

"Oh?" Concentrating the fire into one palm, Savina raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Well because." Sk'er's lips curled into an eerie smile as four Scorpsis tails unfurled from Sk'er's back. "I'm going to kill every man in this camp, that way this information will never return to your capital."