Comments/Opinions are appreciated. Ratings are too. If you have something that you think I could improve on please comment. Blah, blah, etc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The time since the three had split up was nearing the tenth minute. Henry was starting to get worried. For an auction this big he had assumed there would be more guards or ones with more power. Since going through the door he had not met a single person who could even scratch him.

In a way he was disappointed, someone from the underground had hosted this event yet, they could not hire someone better than the average city watchman?

Henry continued to wander, going through each door he saw.

The rooms he kept encountering were only filled with simple guards. Each time he would take them all down without a hint of resistance. They were far to easy, he went to open the next door.

"Hey, someone's there." a very quiet voice said.

Henry froze, there's no way that they would have noticed him. He took the utmost precaution in his actions after splitting up. He pressed himself up against the wall next to the door.

*Boom*

He saw the door fly off its hinges and land in the middle of the room. He held his breath and started channeling magic through his body.

"If there's no one there, I'm not taking the blame for the door."

"Shut up, let's go check."

Two armored men entered the room and Henry launched a stun. The man grew stiff and fell to the ground.

Henry turned the corner and punched the man in the face. He fell but caught himself.

He held out his hand and yelled.

"[Dispel]!"

The low level magic released the other man from his bind.

Henry finished the one in front of him with a kick to the chest and jumped over his unconscious body.

A fireball flew his way, he ducked under it and charged. The guard reacted quickly, he unsheathed his sword and swung it in an arc, forcing Henry away.

"Finally, someone who can put up a fight." Henry stepped back into the room from the narrow doorway.

"Heh. I knew there would be intruders here." the armored man held his sword pointed down and to the side. "Glad you were kind enough to wear no armor."

Henry shot out a stun. The guard stepped to the side, leaving his stance unchanged. Henry moved to attack. The guard swung his sword upward sending Henry back. With his sword held in the slightly above his head, he thrust it forward.

Henry dodged to the side, gripped the blade at the end of its reach, and pulled it.

The guard released his sword and pulled out a small studded dagger.

"[Earth Bullet]!"

Henry shot it out from his right hand.

"Activate, [Enchantment: Spell Parry]."

With a flick of his wrist the earth bullet was turned into nothing.

Henry squatted down and shot mana into the ground. The floor underneath the guard rose, he jumped back. A large pillar of earth was now blocking his view. Henry picked up the sword and threw it left while he charged right.

*Clang*

The man focused his attention onto the sword.

The guard's vision blurred, his head rattled. In the next moment his body grew stiff once again and he fell down to the floor.

Henry looked at the defeated guard. He reached down and picked up the dagger.

"Not too bad. I'll be taking this as a memento of our fight."

Henry counted the time in his head, only a few more minute until they were to meet back up. He stood up and continued his search.

I should've interrogated him. No, he wouldn't have talked.

Henry had just defeated Draco, the vice captain of the guards.

----------

Anne searched the cells for signs of life. Nothing was found.

She let out a sigh, "Just how much longer do I have to search?"

She closed the cell and pushed opened the door next to her. It lead to an empty room.

"As expected." she said to herself.

Anne had not even been disappointed in the empty room, it seems like all the guards were at another place. She started to assume that she'd gotten the short end of the stick. It's been a while since she fought someone, so she was hoping to get a good session here.

"Better move on." she scratched her head.

"Oh? But I like it here."

She turned around and flung a spell, she didn't recognize the voice.

"Woah, calm down there." Two men came out of the shadows. "I assume that you're an intruder? I'll take that silence as proof."

They didn't move.

"Yalsal, isn't Maria supposed to be here?" the gorilla faced man leaned toward the cloaked one.

"Yeah..." Yasal looked at Anne with cold eyes. "Now, what did you do to our little member?"

Anne didn't answer.

"You don't look injured." he stared at her for a while. "I see, I see." Yalsal tapped his chin. "Looks like I need to check something out. Undor, let's take her out."

"Got it." the beastman cracked his knuckles.

While they were talking Anne stealthily reached into her pouch to pull out a scroll.

"[Lightning Bolt]!"

A bright flash came from Yalsal's hand. Anne unrolled the scroll.

"[Summon: Bes]!"

Light emitted from the scroll, the lighting hit with a bang! Anne stood uninjured, in front of here was a large tiger like animal. Small sparks of electricity came from its body, and the hair was a silver color instead of white.

Anne moved up to pet the beast.

"Bes." the beast purred. "Attack."

It crouched low and pounced on Yalsal. Undor moved between them and wrestled Bes to the ground. Both of them were scratching at each other.

Anne pulled out another scroll and sent mana into it.

"[Summon Beast: Halora]!"

From the summoning scroll came a four legged animal with two long tails. It had a scaly back and two long ears that could reach the touch the ground, it was as big as Bes.

"A Halora!? Hoh. I can see why you weren't defeated by Maria," he reached into his cloak. "but we're different." he pulled out his own scroll. "[Banish Beast: Halora]!"

A great force hit the beast. It's whole body started to distort.

*ROAR*

It's ears went up and a fire ball started forming in between them. The fire ball flew, and the beast vanished. Yalsal calmly stood his ground and put up a barrier. The fire hit the mana shield, engulfing the whole thing with flames. When it had finally vanished he had only a few burns. Undor had kicked Bes across the room next to Anne.

"My turn." Yalsal said. "[Chain Lightning]!"

The bolt shot out of his hands and went straight for Anne, Bes moved in its way. Anne put up a barrier.

*CRACKLE*

The lightning hit Bes and arced off, a little beam touched Anne's barrier but the rest hit the ceiling. Bes and Anne were in fine health.

"Take this!"

During that time, Undor closed the distance. With both fists charged with mana, he sent Bes flying into the wall. Anne's worried eyes glanced at her friend. Bes steadily got up.

*ROAR*

Undor used his hands to cover his ears.

"I'll finish off the beast, you get the girl."

Yalsal simply nodded as Undor moved to engage Bes.

"[Hell Fire]!"

A large magic circle appeared under Yalsal's feet.

"[Earth Pillar]!"

Yalsal enhanced his body protection spell and the earth pillar pushed him out of the way. The place where Yalsal was just standing was scorched.

"[Thunder Shock]!"

Electricity shot from all five of his fingers. Anne jumped back, and felt a something hit her upper body.

"GUH!"

She fell to the ground winded. Laying down just a few feet away from her was Bes, her summoned animal. It was breathing heavily, blood oozed from its wounds. Seeing Bes like that, Anne pushed herself up and clapped her hands.

"[Blind]!"

The whole room was filled with a bright light. Yalsal and Undor covered their eyes. Sound of fire could be heard coming from the source of the light, both activated their barriers.

*BOOM*

Undor's shield went down.

"GUK!*

Undor suddenly felt an agonizing pain spread through his body. He flew against the wall and a fire ball followed after. Anne had just given Undor a taste of her fist.

"[Barrier]!"

A shield absorbed the oncoming fireball. Yalsal glared at Anne.

"Keep to summoning and flinging spells girl."

"..."

She returned his glare while an ice lance appeared in her hand.

"Heh."

His eyes opened wide. A great feeling of loss took over Anne, the lance in her hand evaporated.

"[Twin Flames]"

Two tiny balls of fire split up and moved to each side of Anne. She jumped back but it was too late. The two balls of fire quickly grew and exploded. Anne rolled across the floor, her hands were shaking, they were a bright red. It hurt to close her hands.

"Now you can't punch anymore." Yalsal shrugged. "Die. [Greater Fireball]"

An enormous mass of fire approached Anne, she closed her eyes.

Bes jumped between the two. The fire completely engulfed his body.

"Loyal beast you got there." Yalsal said.

*ROAR*

Bes leaped out of the flames at Yalsal. He reflexively put his hands up to defend himself.

"GUAAAH!"

Bes chewed away at Yalsal's arms. Bes kept batting at Yalsal with his powerful paws. Yalsal struggled to defend himself, the strikes were too close to be blocked by a barrier and the spells weren't powerful enough without saying them. Each time he attempted to Bes would bring his paw back down.

"Damn tiger. Disappear."

Undor sent it flying with a punch.

"Burn."

Yalsal shot out a fireball.

"[BARRIER]!"

A shield was erected around the tired beast. The fireball hit, and the barrier shattered. Undor rushed in for the killing blow.

*BOOM*

Undor's strike echoed around the room. Tears fell from Anne's face. Her first summon, a beast that she had kept and named, was dead. A mix of emotions welled up inside her. She always knew that one day it would die, she always knew that it would most likely die protecting her. Yet, despite that, she continued to take him on missions with her.

All she wanted to do during that moment was to sit and cry. But she stood up. Right now she had to survive, she had no doubt that the two in front of her would kill her next. She had to use her ability, even if she didn't want to.

Anne opened her mouth and screamed. The two just looked at her, that was their mistake. Without them noticing the body of Bes started to rise again. Blood still poured from its body, the bones were still broken, but it moved.

The zombie of her first pet knocked down Undor, and she hurled a few fireballs at Yalsal. He blocked it with his mana shield and prepared to counter attack.

"[Light- GUH!"

A paw was catapulted at him, it sent him into the door. The zombie of Bes was now only fighting Undor with one paw.

Anne rushed to the door. Undor pushed the zombie off of him and chased after her. Just as he was about to reach her, Bes hurled himself at Undor and was able to graze him with its paw, sending him tumbling. It moved to wrestle the beastman. Undor pounded on the zombie with his fists, until it was nothing more.

By the time he looked back through the long hallway, Anne was gone.