The bloodthirsty aura that erupted around me as I reached the 50th step hit me like a stone wall and almost physically knocked me back a few steps.

Raising my hands and crossing them, I imagined that I held my sword and my dagger, and with that image fixed in my mind; I howled as I advanced against the invisible cuts that the aura seemed to be slashing me apart with.

One step.

My muscles bulged.

Two steps.

My clothes began tearing from the pressure of the red field and the gold rank aura’s bearing down upon me.

Ignoring it, I advanced one step more, and sinking down to one knee, I was about to lift the boy, when he batted away my hand and opened a bloodshot eye.

Staring at me, he spat out, “No.” and he pushed off the ground painstakingly with his hands, until he was bent over.

Then, inch by inch, he straightened up as I too stood tall, looking at him in the eye.

Howling much like I did, the boy stepped forward again as his body bent like a bow in the face of the fierce wind that was buffeting him.

Not to be left behind, I bared my teeth as I advanced side by side with the boy.

Behind us, Sia watched as her brows narrowed and then screaming a war cry, she advanced forward; her body emitting alarming creaking noises. But stubbornly, she moved ahead regardless until she was but a step behind me and the other boy.

Gazes fixed on the man; We noticed the brief trace of surprise that crossed his face, but he didn’t release his aura and let us advance in silence.

61st step.

Sia spat out a mouthful of blood, but walked forward regardless.

64th step

Sia sank down, coughing violently before she stood up wobbling, only to be steadied as I reached out and held her hand.

Staring at me deeply, she shook off my hand and walked forward another step.

65th step.

My clothes were shredded. My ears were bleeding as my heartbeat seemed to fill the entire field.

67th step.

The boy began growing... taller? He howled as his hands dangled at his sides and he sprinted forward for all of two steps before he seemed to hit an invisible wall and he fell, sliding across another step and making it to the 70th step. There he lay panting, as his nails clawed at the ground in an attempt to pull himself forward by another inch.

70th step

I stood as I sucked in deep breaths that rattled in my body while gazing at the burning eyes of the boy who lay fallen, yet not defeated.

Beside me stood Sia, back proud and teeth stained with blood.

I looked at my sides again as thoughts flashed in my mind.

Then throwing caution to the wind, I softly whispered, “I will make it to that balakash,” and then I bellowed out as I channeled all my warforce to my mind. Not my body, but to my mind.

Suddenly, I felt time slow down.

I felt that the invisible aura had become tangible.

I felt the flow of pressure, the movement of the air.

And I felt the agony of every single part of my body as it screamed out.

Screaming out, I advanced one more step.

Then another.

And another.

Two steps away, I thought, as I swayed where I stood.

Behind me, Sia reached out a hand and laid it on my back, and pushed gently before she fell forward.

Torn between catching her and moving forward, I embraced… the path ahead. For she had used the last of her strength to get me there and I would not let her down.

74th step.

Ignite! Ignite! Ignite!

And the horn of Valor blew loud and clear as the rest of the students came groggily to their senses and then watched with shock as a Drayke stepped forward one more step.

To the 75th step.

And a violent aura surged forth to the sky as the man raged and bent his will to force the Drayke to his knees.

Staring defiantly at the man, I stood proud as my bones creaked and bent. I stared on as the man took a step forward.

I spat out blood on the ground as I moved forward another step, but my eyes never left his.

And then we were face to face and blood flowed from every part of my body, but my eyes were bright like the sun as I rubbed shoulders with the man and pushed past him.

Before falling down as the pressure vanished all of a sudden.

As I fell, I was caught by his arms as the man said in a low voice that only I could hear, “Sir Galen was right. You’re a right monster, boy.”

Eyes wide, I turned my head slightly to see the man with a grin on his face as he spoke, “Never told you my name, did I? Liam Campbell, at your service. Now sleep, boy!” and then his grin disappeared, and I felt an impact hit my neck, and everything truly went black.

My last thought before consciousness escaped me?

The calm teacher having this lunatic as his disciple was truly well deserved.

Birds of a feather flock together, after all.

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Looking down at the boy who was unconscious and back at the girl who was sucking in heaving breaths as she stared at the boy fixedly, Liam Campbell thought, “Monsters. We truly have some incredible monsters this time.”

Then, narrowing his eyes, he looked at the slim boy who even now was crawling forward with his eyes unfocussed.

“True monsters, indeed.”

Then he sighed, and walking forward, he pointed his hands at the two in front of him, and with a soft sound, the girl and boy joined the little Drayke in unconsciousness.

And Liam Campbell, the disciple of Sir Galen ‘the calm’, unleashed his gold rank aura again as he grinned at the rest of the students who shrank back before they roared and charged forward onto the red field again.

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