CHAPTER VI

The next week at school, Damian grinned cruelly from his spot between Jack and Zill while the latter lay flat on his desk, unwilling to even show his face.

"Zill...?" Jack asked quietly. "Bro, you okay?"

Zill covered his head with his hands.

"He's so broken!" Damian crowed.

Jack glared at him.

"So broken," Damian whispered, leaning into Jack's personal space.

Jack's glare grew fiercer.

Ignoring this, Damian sneered, "So how was your week in the locker, eh, Jackster?"

Jack prepared to offer a retort, but decided to pull a page out of Damian's book and ignored him. Instead, he leaned across Damian's desk and said to his best friend, "Zill, you know Kay's just really riled up. She'll calm down eventually, and then maybe you could make it up to her—"

"I forgot our three-year anniversary, dude!" Zill cried, turning and grabbing Jack. "One of the most special days of her life and I forgot it!" He flopped back onto his desk, moaning, "She's gonna hate me forever!"

"Heh heh! You suck," Damian commented.

"HEY!"

The three students quickly turned to the front of the class.

"Save yer soap opera for after my class, ya hooligans!" snarled Ms. Cide, the ornery (and elderly) math teacher.

"Sorry, Ms. Cide," Jack and Zill apologized (though Zill's apology was muffled, as he'd returned his face to his desk).

"Seriously though, Zill," Jack whispered out of the corner of his mouth. "It's Kayla. I doubt she could stay mad at you."

-

"AARRGGH!!"

An Aquian student named Orion drew back in terror, frantically attempting to parry every attack Kayla launched at him. The two were sparring in fencing class, but Kayla's onslaught seemed far too intense for practice.

"THREE YEARS!" Kayla raged. "ONE DAY!" She let out a roar of anger before easily managed to place her blade at Orion's throat.

"Whoa! Kayla, are—are you feeling alright today?" Orion stammered, lowering his weapon quickly.

Kayla removed her helmet and snapped, "I'm feeling FINE!" before hurling her sword into the wall and storming away.

Orion gulped.

-

Cameron wrapped her arms around herself and shivered as she walked down the currently-empty halls of Z.P.A. It's way too quiet in here, she thought. I know I've been here a while, but when it's like this, it still puts me on edge...

She paused and glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was creeping up on her.

However, she should probably have kept her eyes forward, because as soon as she turned back around, two Draconians—Malcom, the flight teacher, and Perci, the language arts instructor—appeared out of nowhere and shouted, "CAMERON!"

Cameron jumped—or leapt, rather, practically into the ceiling—but somehow managed to keep from screaming.

"What's the haps?!" Malcom asked excitedly.

"How are you today?" Perci inquired, his voice pitching wildly.

Cameron cringed, trying to stop shivering. "Is scaring me like a sport for you people?" she asked.

"It's not our fault you're so jumpy," Malcom replied with a shrug.

"Yeah, well—" Cameron began to retort.

"Oh, speaking of jumpy!" Perci interrupted. "I'd seen the cutest little bunny just the other day who happens to have some sort of a cerebral dysfunction which prevented him from coherently..."

Cameron stared at Perci blankly as he rambled on, then shrank back at Malcom joined in with his own opinions on whatever subject they were discussing. Then, as they attempted to drag Cameron into the conversation, she backed into the closest room she could find and slammed the door behind her.

Someone snorted behind her, and she felt a puff of warm air blow against the back of her head.

Cameron spun around to find a massive black-and-white unicorn with red eyes and a black horn glaring at her. "Oh... my..."

The unicorn let out a furious roar—a sound that should never have come from a horse's mouth. Cameron pressed herself against the door as the force of the roar blew her hair back. She slid to the ground, unable to move from beneath the unicorn's furious glare.

Then, when it ended, a familiar voice asked, "Cameron?"

Cameron's shifted her gaze to the left.

Carrie had come around the corner of the makeshift stable in which the unicorn was kept and was giving her an incredulous look. "Aw, Brutus, ya scared 'er half to death," she complained to the unicorn before turning back to Cameron. "You alright, Ca—"

"Don't eat me!" Cameron suddenly blurted, covering her head with her hands and squeezing her eyes shut.

Carrie frowned and rolled her eyes. "Fer the last time: I ain't gonna eatchya, Ginger," she told Cameron, removing her arms from her head. Then she leaned close and quipped, "I'd get fired."

Cameron blinked.

Carrie burst out laughing at the look on the counselor's face. "I'm just kiddin'!" she chorted. "Ya want somethin' to drink?"

Cameron swallowed hard. "Some water...?"

"Here, hun." Carrie handed her a canteen.

Cameron stared at it uncertainly.

"What? Never drank from a canteen before?" Carrie asked, smirking.

"No... actually, I used to go camping with my mom all the time," Cameron admitted as Carrie led her into an office lit by a fireplace. Her face fell as she sat down in a chair and added, "But then... she died."

"Wow! Way to be a downer, Cam!" Carrie leaned back in her chair—and then laughed again, nudging Cameron with an elbow. "I'm kiddin' ya! My mom's dead, too."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm."

"I'm sorry to hear that..."

"Naw, don't apologize!" Carrie said, waving her whiskey bottle dismissively. "It's life."

"Yeah, I guess so," Cameron mumbled, looking around the office. It was filled with skeletons and plants, both of species she found herself unable to identify.

"So what brings you to my classroom today?" Carrie asked, deciding to change the subject.

"Uh... well... Perci and Malcom... I mean, I just..." Cameron paused and regathered her thoughts. "What subject do you teach, exactly?"

"Creature studies," Carrie answered. Then she chuckled and said, "Yeah, those two never know when to shut up, do they?" Then she suddenly leaned forward, grabbing Cameron by the arms and snapping, "It's Fabian y'all oughta watch out fer! He's a flea-bitten, no-good tramp! And I wouldn't put it past 'im to pounce on a newcomer like you."

Cameron stared at Carrie through wide eyes.

Realizing how harsh she'd sounded, Carrie sighed and leaned back, muttering, "Jist a word to the wise."

"Uhhh... yeah." Cameron scooted her chair back a bit. "Good to know." Then she glanced at the large skull hanging over Carrie's fireplace and, desperate to change the subject, pointed at it. "What is that?"

"That?"

"Yes!"

"That's an old Burlock skull," Carrie responded casually. "They're a subspecies of ogre. Very ox-like." She rubbed her chin. "Hm... I'm guessin' you've never seen or heard of 'em before?"

"Yeah... and I don't have the desire to," Cameron replied, regretting having asked the question.

"Hrmph." Carrie smirked. "Heard ya liked the Fish of Peace."

Cameron blinked, realizing she was referring to the atmospheric beasts Zechariah had shown her. "Is that what they're called?"

"Mm-hm. They're nature spirits."

"S—Spirits?" Cameron repeated.

"Mm-hm."

"Oh, boy..."

"Hey! Nature spirits prob'ly existed where you come from, too!" Carrie pointed out. "Just didn't show themselves. And Fish of Peace are exac'ly what you'd think: they're the essence of 'peace', and appear at night to signify things are alright right now."

"So then... it's peaceful here?" Cameron asked hopefully.

"Yeah! Well, here in the city, at least," Carrie amended. "Wish I could say the same fer the districts..."

"What does that mean?" Cameron asked, her hope fading... and Carrie's ominous response didn't help one bit.

"Y'all will prob'ly learn soon enough."

Cameron swallowed hard, fear bubbling up inside her.

Noticing this, Carrie quickly changed the subject—again. "So how were the talent show tryouts the other day?" she inquired.

"Um... uh..." Cameron squirmed as memories of all the animal students and their strange (sometimes macabre) acts came back. "Good," she squeaked.

Carrie smirked again. "Uh-huh."

-

P.O.V. – Zill

Zill peeked around a hallway corner, blinking away the last tears in his eyes as he watched Kayla take a book out of her locker. "Uh... Kayla?" he called meekly.

Kayla jumped, but kept a steely glare on her face as Zill fell to his knees, hugging her waist. "I'm so sorry, Kayla!" he cried. "Please forgive me, baby!"

"Hmph!" Kayla slammer her locker, slipped out of Zill's grip, and stormed away without a word.

Zill's antennae drooped even further, and he lunged forward, grabbing Kayla again. "Kayla, please!" he wailed.

Fed up, Kayla whirled around and hissed, "Personal. Space."

"Kayla, please!" Zill begged. "I messed up. I am so sorry! You deserve more, and I'm... just... I..." Running out of words, he just blurted again, "Please forgive me!" He choked on a sob as he added, "I can't lose you over this!"

Kayla's glare darkened, and she raised a finger. Zill flinched, shrinking back as he prepared for her to give him a piece of her mind.

Then, suddenly, a window shattered, and a mighty gust of wind filled the school, followed by a witch-like cackle. "Cower in fear, peasant children!" an irritatingly-familiar voice shrieked. "Or face the awesome wrath of... HORRIS!"

Zill straightened up, quickly assuming a cool, nonchalant demeanor as the shrimpy vulture toddled up to him and poked him in the stomach with his fan-like staff. "I hereby challenge you to a duel of power and skill!" Horris declared.

"Yeeeeeeah... I really don't have time for this," Zill replied, frowning and gesturing to Kayla. "Kinda in the middle of something here, dude—"

Horris cut him off by shoving the feathery plumes of his staff in Zill's mouth and snapping, "I will not be ignored! I said DUEL!" He backed away, summoning another powerful blast of air. "Or should I trash this entire place with my mighty wind?!"

You gotta be kidding me, Zill thought, groaning inwardly.

"Have fun, you two," Kayla remarked, rolling her eyes and walking away.

Zill watched her go forlornly. Then he let out a growl and rose into the air, his eyes and hands blazing with green fire as an aura of the same colour surrounded him. "You messed with me on the wrong day, small fry!" he snarled at Horris.

Horris scoffed. "You don't intimidate me!" he sniffed, crossing his arms and lifting his chin.

Zill paused, returning to the ground and eying Horris for a moment.

Horris screamed as Zill carried him through Z.P.A.'s glass ceiling with a mighty crash. "I WARNED YOU, YOU UGLY CHICKEN!" Zill shouted, enraged.

" HAAAAAAALP!!!" Horris screeched.

THWUMP

Zill and Horris both grunted as they flew directly into something as solid as a brick wall.

"Oh. Pardon me..."

Zill and Horris's eyes widened.

A pale-skinned woman hovered in the air before them, her hands behind her back. She had glowing red eyes, crimson hair, crimson bat wings, and a crimson dress with a shining red bauble hanging from her neck.

The woman gave the two students a hungry smile, fresh blood dripping from her teeth.

Zill's antennae fell, and he stuttered, "V-V—V-V-V... V-V..."

"Vampire?" the woman purred, leaning toward him.