Chapter 1

"Help me!!"

I moved as fast as my leg could carry me.

"Someone please help me."My breathing started to fail me.

"Is anyone there?"

The pace of the fiend figure was increasing. I was running out of breath. I was running out of time. The monster was catching up.

But like a rare miracle in this full moon, I saw a way out. In my front, lay a way out; a way out of a slow painful death was a quick one. I had been running towards the Vitality Cliffs. Kind of ironic because I was about to die there, but anything was better than the other choice.

With the last strength and breath in me, I started to run faster; hoping I got to the end before the end got to me. I was almost at the edge but my luck run out.

With incredible momentum and strength, the monster slashed me in the back with its metallic claws; pushing me over the edge and into my end.

As I fell into the flowing creek, I thought to myself,

'This was the end…my end.'

This is how I die.

'This is how Mary Reavers dies.'

My thoughts and my puffs stopped with the sound of my spine breaking on the boulder.

I died that day...….or so I thought.

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4|10|1839 Bitinram Community,England

Lycan P.O.V

I walk into the pub wobbling; probably because I had a lot to drink and the surprising part is I don't get drunk or any other form of intoxication. That is probably one of the disadvantages of being inhuman. That witch must have arranged something in my beer. It was worth it.

In the bar are various folks sitting around tables, drinking their beer. I walk towards the countertop and sit on the wooden stools placed near them. Sitting on my left is an enormous man with an axe sloping on the stool, relishing his drink. On the other side, is a man, looking awkwardly cowardly and freakishly little, drinking, and staring around repeatedly; probably waiting for someone.

I signal to the bartender and ask him to give me a goblet of beer. I chugged the whole beer down in one big gulp.

"Another one."

While drinking my seventh beer, two men walk into the bar; one of them wearing spectacles and dressed in robes. He is probably the boss. The two men walk to an empty table and sit down. The black man sitting in a corner of the bar stands up and moves to sit with the two men that just arrived.

My ears start pricking and I hear them say,

"Are the diamonds with you?" The boss asks

"Yes." He lifts the sack and puts it on the table.

The boss signals to the man who came with him to check the sack. The man opens the sack and confirms it.

"Thank you for your service." The boss stands up to leave carrying the sack.

"But what about my payment?" The little man asks.

The boss looks at his associate and signals to him to give a sack of gold to the man. The little man collects the sack.

"But you said it was three sacks of gold"

"This is what you deserve."

"But I need the money."

The boss scowls and looks at the associate. His associate brings out a knife and leads the timid man out of the bar.

I instantly get on my feet and run out of the bar following them. I see them pushing the man into a grimy alley. I pursue them with stealth, knowing what was about to happen.

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4|10|1839. Bitinram Community, England

Julie's P.O.V

I walked quickly through the streets wondering what he was doing now; probably drinking himself into a stupor as usual. He appeared more aggrieved after this traumatic event that occurred. I just hope he isn't doing anything foolish.

'Where are you? '

I think I will check that bar he visits often. Getting to the entrance of the bar, I notice a man being tossed out of an alley.

'Found him. '

I hurry to the alley; almost tripping.

'Curse those heels. '

I examined the tossed man and luckily, he was still breathing.

"Thank God. "

I look around for Lycan and see him lifting a man, who is scared for his life.

"Give him his money". Lycan says.

"Please let me go. " The man says.

I run to Lycan and touch the arm he uses to clench the man.

"Lycan, drop him."

"What are you doing here, Julie?"

"Stop you from doing stupid".

Lycan looks at me and frowns. He drops the man on the floor. The man grabs a sack and runs away with his associate.

Lycan starts to look around.

" What are you looking for?"

"Leave me alone."

"I am trying to help you."

"I don't need your help."

He crouches down and places his nose on the ground.

"Are you doing that nose thing?"

Lycan stands up and starts to walk away.

"You know I am talking to you, right?" She pursues him." Wait for me."

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4|10|1839. Bitinram Community, England

Two men walk into a building carrying a middle-aged girl, with injuries around her body and her hands fastened together with chains. The men put the girl into a wagon, which is pushed into an inner room.

The inner room contains wooden engines connected to a glass compartment containing a red flowing fluid that frequently sparkles. There are two metal cells connected to the glass compartment. In the center of the room is a wooden mast with a circular crest hanging on it. A wolf carrying an axe is engraved on the crest painted in silver.

The girl is moved near the machine and her hands are chained to it. The men carry a bucket of water from the other side of the room and pour it on her. The girl opens her eyes and starts to move her head around to check where she is.

"Where am I?"

"Shut up!" One of the men says

"What am I doing here?" The girl screams.

"Shut up!!"

"Let me go."

One of the men smacks her.

"I told you to shut up. "

"We do not beat our guests. " Riot says

A muscular man appears wearing a black wool coat and clenching an umbrella in his left hand.

"Mr. Riot, we….we didn't know you were coming. "The man says shuddering.

" Why did you hit her, Jericho? "

"She wou…She wouldn't be quiet. "

"I told you not to hit them. " He grabs Jericho by the shoulder.

"I am so…sorry, sir. "

Riot leaves Jericho alone and starts looking around.

"Where is the doctor? "

"He said he was going to get some elixir gems. He will be back soon. "

The man wearing the spectacle run into the room, panting.

"What happened, Iro? " Riot asks.

"I encountered a dilemma. " Iro says.

"What type of dilemma? "

"The inhumane kind. I misplaced the diamonds. "

"What!!!" Riot screams.

"Calm yourself. We will retrieve it." Iro looks at the two men.

"Have you gotten the girl?"

"She is here, Doc." Jericho says.

"Place her in the chamber"

The men carry her and place her in a cell connected to the engine.

"All we need now is a volunteer. " Iro says.

"Use Jericho." Riot says.

"What…." Jericho says.

Riot shoves him into the second chamber and locks it.

"Sir, please …" Jericho screams.

Dr. Iro pulls a lever which turns the engine on and the red fluid starts to change to a deeper blood-like red color.

"It's working." Dr. Iro says laughing maniacally.

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4|10|1839 Bitinram Community, England.

At sundown, all the birds have disappeared and the sky has gotten a more yellowish color. The marketplace is a busy area still containing many buyers, sellers, and thieves. People are roaming around trying to find their desired goods or desired customer.

Lycan paces through the market searching for the cowardly thin man. Julie pursues him; unsure of what or who he is looking for.

"Can you at least tell me where we are going, or what we are looking for?" Julie asks.

"I didn't ask for you to come, did I?" Lycan says. He spits on the ground and growls, annoyed by her presence.

"Have you ever asked before?"Julie says smiling.

Lycan stops and faces her. He thinks for a moment and keeps on walking.

'I thought he was going to rip me apart.'Julie says to herself shivering.

" I am looking for a man."

"Who exactly?"

"His name is Ububi Umntu."

"That is a weird name."

"It is an African language."

"He came from Africa?" Julie says with her mouth open.

"Yes. Two days ago, the queen called me to keep an eye on him. Espionage has shown that he imported some rare stones from his country here."

"We following him because he brought rocks into the country?" Julie asks.

"These 'rocks' as you call them are called Ixabiso."

"What is special about them?"

"Except for the fact that it brings people back from the grave…, it can hurt me."

"Wait, what?" Julie says. She stops and looks at Lycan."What are you talking about?"

"These stones are the only things that can kill me…. eternally. We have to find them."

"Where can we find this man?"

"I am picking up on his scent right around the corner."

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