115: A Company of Fools: Old Annoyances I

"FUCK!" I yelled as I clinged to Bone-lasher's dorsal fin tightly as he dashed down the road towards Baset's lecture hall.

I was majorly late and trying to make up for that using Bone-lasher to speed to class. I woke up late thanks to all the drama with Jane the night before. After I got back to the dorm I couldn't sleep and ended up reading my Great-great grandfather's journal while also starting sketching out the spell sigils for Caspian's sons enchanted necklaces. I passed out after a few hours of doing that and woke up with only twenty minutes before class. No Jane or Iris to be seen.

[Almost there!] Bone-lasher exclaimed as the lecture hall quickly came into view. As did a pair of annoyingly familiar splicers standing in front of the doors to the building. Kyle and Ranjesh stood with their arms crossed and trying to look imposing but without their normal mod of yes men they hardly looked like a threat.

Bone-lasher skidded to a stop at least twenty yards away from them as the beginning of the sidewalk and growled menacingly.

"Whatever you two want I could literally care less about, I'm late for class so just move!" I exclaimed as I hopped down from Bone-lasher.

"Well start to care peasant! I've come to prove a point! To prove that you don't belong in Lady Baset's advanced class!" Kyle yelled and pointed at me.

"Oh for the love of Odin…don't you two dumbasses have class or someone else to bug?!" I gripped.

"Insult us while you can peasant! I know your weakness! After you mercilessly destroyed my beautiful Uratha, I learned that you are afraid of arachnids! Unfortunately for you I specialize in arachnids and insect DNA! Now meet the instrument of your demise! Sazula!" Kyle exclaimed as a crystalline structure formed around his farm crystal and shot high into the air in an arch over Bone-lasher and I.

Bone-lasher and I watched the structure soar over our heads and land in the street about thirty yards behind us. The structure shattered on impact and I felt my skin crawl as I laid eyes on the evo that emerged from it.

It had the body of a tarantula and stood at least eight feet tall. It's massive legs covered in bright orange hair that bristled as all ten of its massive beady eyes focused in Bone-lasher and I. It's two front legs which would normally be raised in the air as a warning and to prepare to strike on a normal spider were replaced by two massive scythe-like arms, that vaguely resembled a praying mantis arms. I shivered slightly as it opened it's mandibles and screeched.

I recognized this evo, it was a Dread mantis. An evo that was created almost nine hundred years. It was known world-wide as a deadly and powerful ambush predator but shortly after it was introduced it's creation was outlawed, with good reason. Bone-lasher growled loudly and moved to situate himself between me and the Dread mantis.

"A fucking dread mantis!" I exclaimed, admittedly my voice squeaked a little. "Those things are illegal Kyle! You fucking idiot!"

"Only to talentless peasants like you!" Kyle and Ranjesh exclaimed. The dread mantis suddenly charged straight towards Bone-lasher and I. Bone-lasher grabbed me in his jaws and ran at full speed away from the lecture hall. The dread mantis gave chase, swiping at Bone-lasher with one of its scythes as it skidded and turned.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! FUUUUCK! IM ALREADY LATE!" I screamed as Bone-lasher raced down the street with the dread mantis already gaining on us. I tried to turn in Bone-lasher's mouth to be able to get a clear shot at the Dread mantis but thanks to the way Bone-lasher was carrying me if I tried to attack the dread mantis with magic I'd end up hitting Bone-lasher too.

[Bone, head to the park on the other side of Baset's lecture hall!] I ordered.

[But that's behind us! Slashy pest in the way!] Bone-lasher argued.

[You're heading to a crowded urban area! If the dread mantis can get the high ground on us we're dead! Now turn around!] I snarled.

Bone-lasher snarled back at me then jumped onto one of the trees that lined the road and kicked off, narrowly avoiding the dread mantis scythes as he soared over it and landed a foot behind it. The dread mantis cut through the tree trunk like it was a hot knife through butter, the tree crashed to the ground with a massive thud as Bone-lasher took off again.

It took the dread mantis a few seconds to turn and give Chase again but that was all the time Bone-lasher needed to get far enough ahead. My crystal glowed brightly as a crystalline structure formed.

[Grimm-Guard! Snatch the evo as we pass!] I ordered telepathically as he shot high into the air and landed on the roof of Baset's lecture hall. Bone-lasher races past the entrance and around to the side of the building. The dread mantis followed suit then slowed to a stop and turned back towards the entrance, eyeing Kyle with hungry eyes.

"Shit! It saw Kyle!" I exclaimed.

"Stop looking at me and get after that peasant!" Kyle shouted, not realizing the danger he was in.

"Why is it looking at you like that?" Ranjesh asked. The dread mantis chittered manically as it tilted its body to the left and then the right, trying to get the best view of Kyle. A thick wad of saliva dripped from its mandibles. The dread mantis suddenly crouched and then leapt into the air, scythes extended, mandibles chattering loudly, Kyle and Ranjesh screamed and tried to turn and run but they wouldn't make it inside.

"GRIMM-GUARD!" I bellowed.

A wad of slime slammed into the dread mantis knocking it out of the air and sending it sliding into the street a good thirty yards away from Kyle Ranjesh. The dread mantis recovered and tried to regain its footing and stand but the slime was too slick. Every time it seemed to stand it slipped and fell face-first into the slime. It's body then suddenly went rigid, paralyzed. I smirked as Bone-lasher turned around and walked back towards the entrance.

"Good save Grimm-Guard…" I said looking up at the side of the lecture hall. Grimm-Guard was staring down at the defenseless dread mantis, his body wrapped around the top floor of the building three times. Grimm-Guard screeched angrily then wound his body down to the third floor and extended his head out so he was looking at the Dread mantis from above.

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK THE STAR BOSS!" Grimm-Guard bellowed. His high-pitched rattle shook the windows. "PATHETIC FLY! NOT WORTHY TO LICK STAR BOSS' FEET!"

"Go ahead and eat that Grimm, it's too dangerous to have around." I said.

"With pleasure, Star Boss…"

Grimm-Guard snatched the dread mantis in its oversized mandibles and lifted it out of the slime. With a flick of its head Grimm-Guard tossed the evo into the air then snapped it in half once it started to fall. Grimm-Guard noisily ate its prey, making sure not a crumb was left.

Bone-lasher finally dropped me from his mouth and I straightened out my clothes then looked over to Kyle and Ranjesh, they were looking up at Grimm-Guard with terrified and awed expressions.

Admittedly he did look terrifying and impressive. I hadn't seen him outside lf the lab before and the natural sunlight made a few things apparent. His body was a lot longer than the lab made it seem. I'd guessed before that he was probably two hundred and fifty yards long, if I had to guess he was over a mile long to be able to wrap around the lecture hall that many times. Also his legs had interesting little needle-like points at the ends of them that leaked a substance similar to his slime.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? AND WHY CAN IT TALK!?" Kyle screamed pointing up at Grimm-Guard. Hearing this Grimm-Guard looked down at Kyle and Ranjesh then maneuvered himself to look the two directly in the eye, well eyes in his case.

"I am Grimm-Guard! Guardian of The Star Boss and all he claims! Threaten my boss like this again and you'll wish I devoured you as quickly as I did your gnat of an evo!" Grimm-Guard hissed and poked both of them with his mandibles.

Ranjesh let out a low whimper noise as she shook suddenly and a wet spot started to appear in his pants.

"FUCK THIS!" Ranjesh screamed as he ran off.

"YOU BASTARD! STOP LEAVING ME BEHIND!" Kyle screamed after Ranjesh.

"Pathetic…" Grimm-Guard hissed then returned to my crystal. [Too bright out here. Too open…]

[Good job regardless.] I replied. Bone-lasher huffed and nudged me with his head.

[I saved you!] He gripped.

[Yes you did. Thank you Bone-lasher.] I said then patted him on the head.

[Why does he get head pats and not me?!"] Grimm-Guard demanded.

[You ran back to my crystal before I could give you pats. Don't fuss about it and I'll give you head scratches later.] I said.

[YES BOSS!] Grimm-Guard agreed.

[Ssssstar Ssssshaper, what about classssssssss?] Alpa'nagia piped up.

"SHIT!" I yelled and ran to the door.

"You're late!" The guardsmen yelled to me as I ran into the lobby.

"Tell me something I don't know!" I yelled back at him and kept booking it to the auditorium.

"There is nobody in the auditorium!"

I skidded to a stop then turned and looked at the guardsmen. I couldn't help but motive the smirk on his face when I turned around and stomped over to the security desk.

"What do you mean there is nobody in the auditorium?!" I demanded.

"Just that, nobody is there. Lady Baset left the building around two hours ago and the last of your class arrived here and then left about fifteen minutes ago." The guardsmen said.

"Left? Where did they go? Where is class supposed to be?!" I demanded. The guard reached into his desk and pulled out a brochure and handed it to me. To say the brochure was an understatement. The picture on the front just screamed high-class fashion whole the name screamed confusion.

"Venus culture boutique, the premier local of splicing culture supply…" I read the brochure aloud then frowned. "…to the truly deserving let us deal with all your splicing needs…What the fuck?!"