I tore my attention away from the creepy policewoman, looking back towards Flaze and Philip.

The latter had now slumped to the ground, crying about how his family died. True Flaze got off my back and went to comfort him, rubbing his back as tears ran down his eyes.

His wife had transformed into a monster. A level 10 banshee she started out as, and Philip could not contend. But his two teenage children immediately understood the system and they were the ones who fought.

Philip was unable to join them, unable to offer them his support. In a daze, he was still fixated on trying to save the banshee that had become of his wife, the woman's face retained by the monstrous creature that had become of her.

In the end everyone died, except for him. Perhaps his wife was goner to begin with, having turned into a monster, but it's his fault that his children died.

I can't deny that a different choice, may have lead to different results.

But I won't tell him that. Neither will Flaze, as she'd already gone to full comforting mode.

"It's okay. It's okay." She cooed. "We do things... in he moment. None of us are perfect, and we've lived relatively peaceful lives."

"So then it's true..." he sniffed, "I am not perfect. That means I made a mistake. A big one. And if I didn't, then Keesha, Ronald. They'd both still be alive."

"That's not what I'm saying!" Flaze shouted. She paused for a second to think. "The ones at fault is not us, the ones forced to live through this nightmare. It's the one who caused all of this in the first place!"

Philip looked up at her, a look of confusion before he understood what she was saying. "The one... who caused this?"

"That's right!" There was a rabid fervor in Flaze's eyes as she searched for the right words. I saw her shift her expression, donning the mask of a raging avenger. "He admitted it. He talked to all of us and fucking admitted it! That he brought this upon our planet, our world! He killed so many people!"

"I..." Philip chewed on her words. "You're... right. I think. If nothing else, I do not blame myself for the loss of Tiria. She was turned into a monster, unilaterally, with no hope to have ever been saved."

"Exactly!" Flaze intoned, an excitement in her voice, the rage palpable. She worked herself up into a frenzy and stood, offering a hand to Philip, which he took.

I though he looked a lot less haggard now as the both of them stared into each other eyes, a gaze filled with understanding, a shared purpose, like comrades meeting again for the first tie in a very long time.

"I'd like to meet him one day." Philip stated, after a short silence.

Flaze took a deep breath and swallowed. "So would I." She said, with all the confidence in the world.

Well. It's important to have hobbies. But if we do meet the guy... We'd probably be no match.

Maybe once we've become overpowered, I'd consider joining in the fight.

"Alright!" The clap of a hand, the voice of a woman, the one that had been eyeing me warily earlier. She wore a modified version of a police uniform, with sharper edges, designed to make her look larger.

She turned and stared at Philip for a second, a brow raised. "I assume you're all well and caught up?"

"Ah... Yes!" He hesitated for a second, before giving a trained response.

"Good." The woman nodded, before turning to Flaze. "Good work out there earlier. I thank you, on behalf of Green Skull Street."

"Uh, sure." Flaze looked to me for help.

Me horse. No talk. Only neigh.

She chuckled, and then promptly tried to hide it.

"Might I ask your name then?" The woman said, impatient, having received no further response from Flaze.

"Flaze. It's Flaze." She pointed at me. "And that's Jackal."

"Ah, you've named your horse. Wonderful."

Flaze looked at me apologetically, placating. Don't start shit. I could almost hear her say.

I just shuffled my feet and came closer to their little gathering.

"He's not a horse," Flaze explained, which elicited some raised eyebrows. "Okay, he is a horse. But he's also a person. He's a person trapped in a horse's body."

I wouldn't say trapped. I huffed.

She elbowed me below my neck.

"Not now, Jackal." Her voice came in a whisper.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I shut up. We are in the middle of tense negotiations, and I've just noticed mild hostility in a lot of the soldiers' eyes. I took the opportunity to identify the whole lot of them, and they seemed to hover between the levels of 30- 40. Unimpressive, but a threat in these large numbers.

"Well isn't that interesting..." the policewoman said. "My name's Geneva and I'd love to talk to you more about that."

Flaze shrugged. "Sure, that sounds alright."

Geneva smiled, raising her voice so all may hear. "Come. This is no place for a chat. The defense will be left to everyone else while I get you acquainted with the place.'

"Alright. Thanks, Geneva." Flaze tilted her head, a gesture for me to follow, and I did.

Geneva lead the way, flanked by two guards, both wearing a similar police uniform, a single broadsword carried by one, and a shorter blade and a shield by the other.

I felt eyes on me as we crossed the perimeter, going past the wall of spikes that had served them well last battle. It was already being given maintenance, some parts entirely replaced by Mages and Handlers possessing the proper skills.

People followed us, most warriors, a few tanks and rogues. I followed their movements, watched the shuffling of their feet.

Some flanked me by the back, a few to the sides, and I stepped forward to follow close to Flaze when someone tried to get in front.

Flaze's eyes too had gone focused, trained. She'd noticed the shift in the air just as I did. Geneva herself tried to appear like nothing had changed, but there was clear clear tension in the air about her.

I do not like this. I neighed, quiet. Flaze got what I meant and fell back even closer.

Geneva looked back at us and cocked her head, that infuriating grin still plastered on her face.

"What's wrong Flaze?" She asked in an even tone, "There is much to be talked about. Let us go."

"Sure," Flaze replied, eyeing her surroundings, "Your people seem to be less than welcoming, however."

That comment didn't pry a word from them, but I definitely noticed a more hostile lean to their posture, the tension felt in the air, a few already tugging at mana and preparing the beginnings of a spell.

"No worries, Flaze. Just come here." Geneva intoned. "Their discontent is not for you."

"Then who could it be for?" Flaze asked, ourselves still following several steps behind Geneva.

Geneva raised her brow, as if our question caused confusion. "The horse." She stated, almost a question.

"Jackal." Flaze corrected.

"That's what I said."

They both stopped in their tracks, and so did I. The rest of the delegation following us halted as well in their place, a wound up spring ready to explode into motion.

A few tense seconds passed just like that, as the three of us stared each other down. I and Flaze against Geneva, neither side willing to back down.

Geneva broke the silence, a small sigh followed by a light chuckle. "Don't worry your pretty little head, Flaze. We'll give you back your pet later. Surely you can handle a few minutes without, hmm?"

I breathed hard. I nearly snapped. But I held it in. I held it in. For now.

Flaze sensed my rage building and placed a hand to my side, a gesture of calm.

"He's a person." Flaze repeated what she'd already explained. "This treatment seems a tad excessive."

"He's a monster. A high level one at that." Geneva straightened and crossed her arm in front of her chest, the curve of her smile straining, dropping. "It is a necessary precaution, no matter that he had retained much of his faculties upon his transformation. This is new, and I'll not risk the safety of my wards."

A small crease furrowed on Flaze's brow. "He cannot speak, horses are notoriously unable to do so. However, I have seen him write. Give him something to use as an ink, and we can prove it."

"Wonderful!" Geneva clapped in false cheer. "We shall thoroughly test that phenomenon then."

The soldiers tightened the circle around me, we had to step forward when someone tried to cut in front. Flaze's Clone kept some room by our flank.

I neighed. Flaze. This is fucking bad. I shook my head, pointing away. Let's just leave. Let's just fucking leave.

The clang of armor, swords being lightly pulled out of their sheaths. A motion seemingly prompted by my own.

Fuck off. You guys are the ones picking a fight.

Flaze stroked my fur, reassuring, a slight nervous quiver to her grasp.

"No." She spoke, with finality. "We'll just leave. We'll leave and we'll forget this ever happened."

There was a flash in Geneva's eyes, she looked thoughtful. "I'm afraid I can't allow that."

Flaze clicked her tongue. "And why would that be?"

"There's a dangerous goblin horde out there. We have confirmed that they have an above level 100 leading them, staying just west of here."

"We'll avoid them."

"Oh, I'm sure you can. But your individual prowess surpasses any of our own singular soldiers. Truly a wonderful showing you did last time. So I'm afraid I must refuse your departure."

Oh fuck. What a stupid fucking turn. No choice now but to fucking murder them all.

"SShhhhhh..." Flaze shushed in the air, the low sound reaching my ears, before she resumed addressing Geneva. "No. We're leaving. Right now."

Geneva gave a theatrical sigh. "I said, you cannot." She fetched something from within her pockets. She held it out, and showed it to the both of us. "Sheriff. I hold that rank. I had taken charge and built this small settlement because we are currently in a state of unprecedented danger and emergency. I have the authority to take command of civilians upon sufficient collapse of public order. You must join us to battle this unprecedented threat and carve out a future in this dire times!"

Flaze? I neighed, when she took her hand off me. I have a bad feeling about this. A really bad feeling. I don't wanna be taken in by these assholes for no fucking reason. We have to fight our way out. We have to.

She saw the panic in my eyes but looked away and towards Geneva as she continued her stupid speech.

I paled. It might not show from underneath my fur, but I did.

"Flaze..." she showed a more sympathetic expression. "Look, I'm not trying to force you or anything. We'll try to get the horse... Jackal, back to you as soon as we confirm that he is no danger to us. Just, you understand, right? We'll only regress to anarchy, if there is no one ha takes it upon themselves to restore order. I cannot have people, specially those wielding so much power as the both of you, to just prance around and do what they want. Society would well and truly collapse then."

Flaze went quiet, actually thinking it over, pondering. Her gaze wandered towards the gathered soldiers, the fortifications, the organization, people united, even just marginally, in the middle of the apocalypse, able to fend off hordes of monsters stronger than themselves.

It made me sad to see her even consider it. It'd break me, if she does choose to go with Geneva, instead of making the struggle here, as much as the odds are stuck against us.

I felt my eyes begin to water, but I shook it off, knowing that my time is better soent planning. There'd be time for sorrow later.

They don't wish to kill me immediately, and I know that Flaze still cares, she'd go into a rage if I actually die. So I'd be kept captive somewhere, I can plot my own escape. But it won't be here, in the middle of everyone. Even I cannot pull that off alone.

If I had help, however...

Flaze turned back around and met Geneva's gaze, and then held my own, before she finally spoke.

"Fine."