The blood king hummed when he and his generals looked over the map of the land,

“So we destroyed the den and they ran, but to where?” One of his generals looked at him with a frustrated glance,

“they could have gone anywhere with your highness.”

The king nodded,

“Well that is why I ordered all those battalions to go scouting and where is peaty captain Dalise? He should have come back with a report by now.”

It was then a fox Beast-blooded came through the door, this was peaty captain Dalise “sir I am here to report.”

The king nodded a pleased smirk from on to his face,

“Good now tell me what the battalions found?”

The captain nodded, “yes sir, all battalions returned empty-handed except for twelve, I am sorry to report sir that battalion twelve didn`t check-in.”

Gasps and outrage filled the room. The king’s once pleased expression twisted into one of rage, “What! The rebellion has never been that strong! How did they do that? I've made sure all citizens with that kind of power either be killed or become a part of the military.”

The captain swallowed “I don't know, sir.”

The king gripped the table and glared at the pawn representing the rebellion “Ready my kelpies and specialists I’m heading there immediately!”

****

Lexy and Varikin walked to the doorway to see Jackson with a tiger horse and a cloak in his arms. Jackson looked to the two and handed the cloak to Lexy,

“Today's training is going to consist of you two surviving out in the desert until sundown. I will be supervising but I will not intervene unless necessary. You have your bow and arrows and knives. Good luck.”

Lexy peered at Jackson for a long moment and then sighed,

“Ok fine, this will be fine. Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?”

Jackson shrugged when they walk through the doorway,

“You could get lost to the point I can't find you. A lot of things actually.”

Lexy glared at him with a raised brow and Jackson pressed his lips into a fine line,

“Oh, you were trying to be optimistic. Right.”

With that Jackson got onto the tiger horse’s back and began to follow Lexy as she and Varkin ventured into the desert. It was hot and annoying until Lexy saw two of those monsters she had fought before begin to head towards her.

Lexy quickly took out her bow and clipped one of the splitter arrows on. She aimed and fired. Lexy watched as the creatures shrieked, shriveled to the dark tendrils from the arrows, and died. Lexy looked to Varkin, “Come on let's get to some shelter before those sand storms come.”

She said looking to the horizon where incoming sand storms were approaching. With that, the two began to try and make their way to a large rock formation. Lexy turned to see Jackson had stopped a while back and was waving at her frantically. Lexy looked at him confused and looked back to Varikin to hear him snarl. She was about to talk when she felt the ground and sand begin to shake when the pointed giant rocks that they were approaching began to rise and the biggest monster Lexy had ever seen in her life rose from the sand.

It had glowing blue eyes under the giant antlered skull on its head. The top of its body was covered with rock-shaped spines and was black in color while its underbelly was a dark gray. It has long arms with a possible thumb and two fingers on each one of its two hands. Its Digi stilted legs were like that of a goat with its cloven hooves. Blue electricity crackled around the monster as it narrowed its gaze at the child before it.

“Suffer the wrath of Alvigorian, say your prayers mortal, and die!”

Lexy’s eyes widened and began to run now understanding just why Jackson was waving to her about. Quickly Lexy pegged her last splitter arrow onto her bow. She aimed, pulled back, and fired. The arrow split to five and all hit Alvigorian on the chest.

Alvigorian hissed but the arrows did not kill him he lowered his gaze onto Lexy and snarled,

“You dare to attack me! I am hell's wind and heaven's lightning. You, you are nothing but a mouse!”

Alvagorian sat back on his back legs, took in a deep breath, and began to exhale lightning. Lexy grabbed Varikin and screamed with her eyes closed,

“take me anywhere just as long as it’s not here!”

Lexy opened her eyes to see she was now on a rock formation that overlooked the desert. There were points higher than the one she and Varikin were on. Lexy looked out at the dessert and even from here she could see Alvagorian in the distance.

“Well, this is a surprise. Someone aggravated Alvigorian.”

The voice was male and Lexy quickly turned around to see a man about three feet taller than her with a thin build. He had a skulled mask on his face with a boater hat that had pendants and feathers attached to the hat. Their attire was a dark purple tailcoat with white and black accents and dark black pants to match with the grey boots. They had red hair, cat-like eyes, and elven ears.

While there was also another person next to them. They were female and had barbarian armor with furred boots, a jagged large bone that looked to be shaped like a sword while they had wooden pendants on their hip.

Lexy quickly pulled a few throwing knives into her hands and for once to her surprise Varikin did something.

The white wolf leaps in front of her, his teeth bared, his ears flat against his head, and his hackles raised. Varikin looks back to her as he grows to the size of a semi-truck without a trailer,

“First off I’m not a dog you nitwit I’m a wolf. Second, you are either really stupid or really brave, and third fight for your life.”

The man smirked,

“oh, I see you’re one of those kids the rebellion has under protection. Mogaline if you please level the playing field.”

Lexy listened to the words this man said and tightened her grip on her throwing knives. Lexy looked to Mogaline who grabbed a carved wolf pendant off a string on her side. She bites her finger and blood forms from the bite, and it drips onto the carved wolf. Mogaline tossed the bloodied pendent into the air.

It glowed and grew into a large wooden wolf bigger than a horse. Its eyes glowed a haunting green as it peered at the duo. The wooden wolf stared back at the growling Varikin. Varikin glared at the wooden creature,

“Lexy these are not normal Anawrath soldiers, their specialists. Specialists are soldiers hand-picked by the blood king or anyone in the royal family and are usually extremely dangerous and extremely aggressive.” before Lexy could respond.

Mogaline made a move to grab Lexy. That was when Varikin leaped to bite Mogaline but was blocked by her bone weapon. Varikin leaps back and growls menacingly.

The wooden wolf leaped at Varikin. The sound of barks, snarls, and gnashing of teeth fill the air.

“Lexy I know this might be strange at the moment, but I can bye, your time. What I need you to do is run. Run and do not falter”

Lexy nodded,

“ok I trust you please be careful”

Lexy with a jolt started to run like she never has before. Lexy stole a glance to look behind her to see Magi pursuing her and Varikin fighting a wooden wolf and Mogaline.

Mogaline smirked,

“Run if you like but you’ll find you might have bigger problems than me” Lexy continued to run.

Varikin saw Magi pursue Lexy and cursed. Varikin howled and his body doubled in size, his teeth too big to stay in his mouth. Parts of his body look like they're made from crystals; others look to be made from galaxies. Varikin is now tall enough to look down on his enemies. Varikin leaped into combat and locked against Mogline’s weapon.

Lexy stumbles as she runs through the rocks and that’s when she hears her pursuer say something in a strange tongue.

Fire shot from Magi’s mouth to attack her. Lexy speeds up the pace but finds it mostly futile when Lexy doges just enough for her hair to get signed but not burned.

She looks ahead to see a man, his face outlined with red light seeping from his glowing red demonic eyes.

The man smirked,

“Well, what do we have, here a shovel gang kid? No, oh, I see you’re a vailer!” He says with amusement.

Lexy despite the fear goes to one thing she can do,

“Whoop I’m a Vailer what a big deal why don’t you just get out of my way. Your stupid nitwit.”

The man frowned,

“Excuse me, you silly little girl.”

Lexy huffed,

“I am not little, I am a young woman!”

This made the man chuckle,

“same difference.”

Lexy’s expression changed from a smirk to a glare,

“Alright that’s it, mister, I don’t know who you are nor do I care I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

The man smirked,

“Really now what are you going to teach me how to sow a dolly?”

Lexy, now enraged, took the throwing knives she had and rushed at the man. Her anger rolled off her.

The man however was not affected. He merely raised his arm and flicked his wrist, sending a burst of energy that sent Lexy on her back and gasping for breath on the ground.

It was as Varikin fought with Magi and Mogaline he suddenly felt a very strong pressure that was not Lexy.

He immediately looked to Mogaline and Magi both smirked,

“Looks like someone pushed the wrong button on our king, saying goodbye to that little friend of yours.”

While Lexy was choking and blood dripped from her mouth, the taste of the copper liquid flowed heavily over her tongue. The king raised his head,

“I am the blood king and you should know your place, raven.”

Lexy now getting some air in her lungs stands up wiping the dirt and blood off her cheek and pulling her father’s knife out,

“Then all that means is all the more I have to kick you’re but!”

With that, she charged at the king with her fathers’ blade and within the moment she didn’t notice it glow an ere purple.

The king with another flick of the hand sent Lexy flying further than the last time. Lexy charged again at the king and sent a slash his way and to her surprise, a slash of her deep purple magic flew off her blade and headed towards the king.

The king huffed and with another flick, the magic was deflected and destroyed a few rocks. “Why must you persist even though I am clearly stronger than you?”

Lexy huffed when she wiped the blood from her mouth and picked up the knife,

“because if I quit what does it mean for those who are weak and hopeless? I can’t stand idly by and watch them suffer!” With this, she got back up despite the bruises and the cuts she kept going.

With that Lexy stood up firm and with a yell purple magic danced off her and into the blade. The rune on her blade flashed and as she sent a slash at the king the blade extended and a huge wave of magic leaped off the blade charring the ground as it went.

The king’s eyes widened and with two quick flicks of his wrist he creates a wall of swirling red portals and with a snap of his finger the portals discharge huge beams of magic fire,

The two attacks of magic clash, sending wind and loose ground flying as Lexy’s attack disperses and the blood king’s burst through and hits Lexy. Lexy stood there for a short moment and coughed blood dripped from her mouth when she fell to the ground.

The king huffed “it was you who took out the battalion wasn’t it, then consider this my move little bird.”

There isn’t a response and he sighed,

“Mogaline! Magi! Come!”

The two quickly came running when Varikin was shortly behind them. “Yes, you’re highness?”

The king turned on a dime. “Come I took care of the problem, leave the wolf he has no value to me.”

Varikin looked frantically for Lexy after hearing the king’s words and once he spotted her battered form, he rushed up to her and glared daggers at the king when the king and his two minions left into the shadows they came from.

He looked at her breathing form and frowned “Lexy come on, they're gone stop playing dead.”

Lexy chuckled softly and sat up,

“Sorry Varikin, ok, let's go home. But uh why did he let me go?” She said while she was struggling with her words.

Varikin narrowed his gaze at the shadows,

“I will be honest with you. I haven't a clue.”

Lexy leaned on Varikin and thought of the mansion. This brought them to the front doors of the house. Lexy coughed and her head began to feel light.

Varikin, under the guise of his illusion, with Lexy in tow, entered the mansion. They were greeted by the butler.

“Hello… oh, my goodness, are you all right?” the butler stammers upon seeing Lexy’s frizzled, blackened hair and all the bruises, blood, and cuts. Varikin’s black and brown fur is clumped and dingy.

Lexy, nodding slowly states,

“Umm, yeah, I got lost on the way home. Oh, please don’t tell Thokath.” Her shaky voice and expression stressed me with worry and fear.

The butler looks at her with compassion and reserve.

“My dear little Miss, I cannot lie to the Master. But what I can promise is I will only tell him if he asks me directly. It appears to me that you can use some time to destress. Would you like me to draw you a bath?”

Lexy smiled weakly,

“Yes, please, that sounds very nice.”

Bowing, the butler smiled and exited. Turning to Varikin, Lexy runs her fingers through his dirty fur. He gives a soft tender growl and leans into her touch.

“I am so sorry my friend, I promise to stand my ground better next time.”

She giggled and smirked,

“You get a bath tomorrow, your illusion is not strong enough to suppress your stink.” He moves away and lovingly bares his teeth at her in a warning snarl.

“I can care for myself” he snapped in a frustrated tone. Lexy’s smirk only grows, “Oh look the big bad wolfy now.”

She laughed while he growled. She runs her fingers once more through his mangy fur. He leaned into her touch with his teeth still bared in a warning.

“I will leave you to it then”, she smiled and departed for her bath.