Rick looked down at the leather hood that came attached to the cape he’d just been handed over. The piece of clothing was two sizes too large for him and three times too heavy. It made sense, considering it was made for a man that was taller than him and had shoulders a meter across, a man whose frame would make it impossible to walk through a normal doorway without bending slightly sideways.

A man who could look down on Rick as if the chemistry teacher were no more than a gnat.

Major Gabriel Huge was doing exactly that. “I am not going to have a guest drench themselves on the way to the shelter.” The large man proclaimed, crossing his arms. “Would you just put it on and walk with me?”

Could Rick even walk properly while wearing the thing? It was wet on one side and must have weighed a third as much as he did. With a grimace, Rick twisted it, putting it over his shoulders and feeling as if he’d been stuffed under twenty blankets. It was warm and heavy, the hood falling over almost enough to shroud his face entirely and leaving him only able to see the wet cobblestone ahead.

“There we go.” Huge laughed with a booming voice. “Now no one can tell who you are at a glance.”

“Wait, why would that-?”

Huge pulled him out of the cover of the hospital’s entrance and into the pouring rain. The sounds around Rick were drowned under the echoing drums of water hitting the leather hood. Still, the Major’s voice boomed through the storm with crisp clarity.

“We’ve recently detected the starts of a feral rush.” The large man stated, hand keeping a lock on Rick’s shoulder, practically pushing him through the slippery cobblestone. “So excuse me if I’m brief, we’re going to need all hands on deck once it hits.”

“A what!?” Rick screamed, trying to speak over the hammer of droplets.

“Mountain-slide up north, displaced bunch of ferals. First wave’s going to hit in a day or two.” Huge declared. “We’re getting everyone ready.”

The tension in his grip and voice told Rick otherwise.

“What about Monica?” He barely had time to register where they were going. His focus was mostly on trying to avoid the stream of water and from slipping on the slippery ground.

“The Tigress? The Baron’s been slobbering over her for years.” The lumbering man stomped his way through, each footstep a tremor that sent water splashing in every direction. “He’s the guy in charge, gonna need to convince him and his bloated ego to hand her over.”

“And the law?”

“He IS the law.” Huge said grimly. “The land is technically his. He’s got final say on things. So us rubes gotta suck it up and kiss his boots.”

“And if I don’t like it?”

“Then you bring it up to the Earl, but good luck there.” There was a bitter laugh, there was a strain in the sound, a barely hidden growl. But the noise stopped when Huge’s steps slowed. “Wait, you fellas are pureblood humans, maybe you do have a chance…” A rolling thunder crackled overhead. The large man glanced up into the storm, eyes narrowed. His long locks of black hair clumped against his green, drenched uniform. “This rush’s going to be a fucking nightmare.”

“Why?”

“The storm.” He shook his head, turning to continue walking, the large meaty hand not letting go of Rick’s and yanking him through the village. “Also, that damn White Claw had laid claim in a very convenient place. Ferals avoided it, made rushes less likely to come from that side of the mountain. I told the Baron to leave that fucking cat alone but no, he needed to stroke his ego.” A growl. He spat to the side, pausing only long enough to glance at Rick again.

Letting go of the teacher’s shoulder, he reached up to pull the cowl down, leaving Rick completely blind save for the ground immediately in front of him as he was then yanked forward.

“Sir!” some woman called out as Huge pulled Rick through.

The man was like a force of nature. There was barely any give in his grip, and Rick would’ve been hard press to slow him down let alone stop him. Fortunately, the Major’s forcefulness came to an abrupt stop along with Rick sensing they’d stepped out of the rain. The hood was pulled off, and the young teacher found himself just past the entrance of a building of some kind.

This one was well lit. There was a lamp overhead that glowed with what was unmistakably a light-bulb. A dull warm orange bathed the foyer. Stone leading to wood, Rick had a fraction of a second to take things in before Huge’s hands quickly shook him. The next second he realized he was missing the leather cape. The large man had put it on without a moment’s wait.

“Look, whatever your hassle with the Baron and that Tigress are, it can wait until after the rush.” Huge said, eyes blazing holes into Rick. “It’s my job to keep this place safe. The last thing I need is the Baron making my work harder. And it’s not like you’d have the right to have a maiden, anyway.”

“What?”

“You need to be a citizen first.” He held a finger up, pointing to the roof. “I’m not a lawyer, but even I know that you guys are technically nobodies right now. Focus on becoming a legal citizen along with the rest of your friends. If you want to have a hope at anything, you absolutely need that first.”

Frowning, Rick nodded, noticing Kat and Tomas had followed close behind. Neither looked even slightly damp. Kat was grinning from ear to ear as she walked past Rick, dragging Tomas along the way. “Going to check this nerd’s room! Thanks for the trip, Huge!”

The Major stiffened, giving a salute, right hand reaching up to the opposite shoulder. “Ma’am.” The chemistry teacher looked from Kat as she walked down the corridor and to the Major as he waited for a heartbeat before relaxing. A nervous chuckle followed as he scratched the back of his head. “The only human women I ever dealt with were either commanding officers or nobles.”

“Feels rough.”

“You have no idea.” The man sighed, shaking his head. “Anyway, this place is the temporary lodging for the men. If you need anything, just ask. The women are down the street, can’t miss the building, it has more guards than the King’s latrine.”

Though Rick nodded, his thoughts were on other matters. “Anyone I could talk about law?”

Huge gave a lofty nod. “I’ll throw the question, see what bites.”

“Thanks.” Rick offered a hand to shake.

Huge tensed, looking down at the hand. “Don’t mention it?” There was a brief moment of confusion as he took the teacher’s hand and gave a singular firm shake.

“You don’t shake hands here?”

“No, we do.” A hefty roll of his shoulders and a shrug. “Just not used to it. Be safe.”

With those words, Huge stepped out of the door and into the rain. Rick took a moment to watch him go. He’d been about to lean forward to close the door when a bed of pink hair entered through. The human was forced a step back as Dia was the one to close the door behind herself instead.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hm?” She nonchalantly grinned, not looking even a little wet. “I’m giving one of my patients a visit.”

“Patient?”

“Ryan Ortyz.” The woman grinned at his surprise. “One of your students, I believe, he’d been amongst the patients in critical condition who had to be carried by land rather than flown to the village. It’s a customary check-up to ensure everything went as it should have.”

Blinking a little, Rick felt his shoulder lower a little.

Dia caught the gesture, her lips parted into a grin. “I also might stay awhile since the weather is so terrible outside. I believe the hostess has the best coffee on this side of the kingdom. Maybe you’d like to drink one with me and share some pleasant conversation?”

Rick arched a brow and grinned. “Laying it on thick?”

The nurse leaned forward, her hand falling against his shoulder and pressing him against the wall. She was shorter, but she was definitely stronger than him. Her eyes were sharp as she leaned closer, looking up into his eyes. “Yes.” Her cheeks were flushed as she pulled away, the predatory edge in her gaze vanishing as she smiled politely. The change fast enough it gave Rick whiplash. Her tone came out sultry, but controlled. “I do believe I have a thing or two that might be of interest. I spoke with miss Ana on the way here and there may be some laws that could be convenient for your case, sir.”

Rick noticed the flicker of movement from his right. There was a woman… no, she had a gold collar, it was a maiden. “Oh, hello Dia.” The woman was slightly plump. It was the first thing the chemistry teacher noticed, which was a slightly odd thing to spot. His eyes moved to the healthy shine on her cheeks and long brown hair braided into all the way to her ankles. The maiden also happened to have a pair of deer-like horns atop her head. The woman’s focus was on the nurse. “You wouldn’t happen to be trying to sink your hooks onto our local celebrity, would you?”

The nurse’s cheeks turned bright pink. She bowed deeply. “I wouldn’t dare, ma’am.”

“No need to apologize to me, I know I’d be doing the same if I were in your shoes.”

“Celebrity?” Rick asked.

“Ah, I take it no one told you, Mr. Cross?” The woman’s smile widened with warmth. The words made Dia wince. “Not every day a gallant human steps in to protect a maiden, and from the infamous White Claw, no less.”

Rick’s eyes bore into the back of the nurse’s head. Even from where he stood, he could see her cheeks becoming redder with every passing second. “I think someone skipped on the details.”