[ Present day
Day 2 of Round 1]
A glitchy black whirling transport portal appeared near a waterfall cave and two pairs of shoes stepped out; a pair of leathered skin-patterned dress shoes and a pair of white leather sneakers.
A hand of raised veins slapped off a dead purple leaf that blew into his white shoes, “I didn’t realize my mom is so skilled with barrier magic.”
Master Edwards smirked. “There’s a lot to her that you don’t know.” His eyes wandered toward the clear blue skies. Bluebell birds, whose songs resembled the tinkling of bells, fluttered about in the old trees behind them."
General Ames glanced at him, “The way you said that almost sounds like you know you know her intimately.”
“Of course not,” Master Edwards said with a sly smile.
General Ames cleared his throat and observed their surroundings. “We’ve made the barrier weaker now. There’s not much time left, I can already sense her. There’s two of her and one other witch.”
“Come on then,” Master Edwards said and beckoned General Ames into his transport portal that led to the waterfall cave.
***
Ding-dong! Ding-dong, Jamie’s mana alarm went off in her mind. It’s time, she thought.
Jamie raised her palm to create a transport portal when a pup-like growl stopped her. She looked down from her tree branch and saw the pup with three white stripes, from the previous night. It was fighting for its life against what looked like a half-eagle, half-vulture, whatever it was, it looked ugly and hungry. It used its menacing hook-like blue beak to attack the little pup. The small pup snared back, its coat bloody. Its mother and other siblings were nowhere in sight.
Jamie sent a shot of mana straight down, it pierced through the vulture’s skull. The vulture fell to the ground and died without a sound. The pup raised its head and looked up at its saver with googly, thankful eyes. So cute! Jamie thought. Stop it! Focus now. Open a transport portal. I need to get the shield.
A transport portal opened near the vulture and a pair of yellow boots stepped out. She bent down, “Hey, it’s alright,” Jamie whispered, her eyes scanning the forest grounds and shrubs for the pup. To her surprise, she felt something rubbing at her feet. She picked up the little ball of fur. “You are too cute! No humane person could leave you!”
The pup wagged its tail and smiled back at her with its vibrant blue eyes.
“Where did everybody go?” She looked around. The mother and the other pups were still missing. The pup whimpered at her and cuddled closer.
“I shouldn’t do this, but I just can’t leave you here. We’ll come back to look for your family,” she said and placed the pup on the ground. She inspected the little bloodied mess and thoroughly felt its body.
Must be someone else’s blood, I don’t see any wound mark on it, she thought. Jamie tapped on the pup’s forehead and whispered a sleeping spell. The pup fell asleep and a vertical portal opened on her right side, she placed the little one inside.
Her fingers grazed her grimoire, which was still magically glued to her side. I forgot about you. It’s mostly been combat so I didn’t need you so far, she thought. My portal can’t fit much, I guess I can carry the pup once I get the shield.
Jamie took a step forward, her yellow boot crushing the dry purple leaves. She stopped moving to contemplate further. What am I thinking? Should I put the pup back? But I don’t know how to wake it from the spell, it should wear off soon so I just need to be fast.
Jamie raised her right palm and transported herself to the entrance of the cave. This is the best I can do since I don’t have the coordinates to the rear. I could use Henry’s help with the coordinates to the rear cave right now, she thought.
The waterfall cave was like the earlier cave, except this one had plants growing on the side, probably due to the waterfall’s water. She pulled out her dagger and cautiously walked up to the cave. It’s still early, hopefully, they’re all still asleep, she thought.
As Jamie made her way through the cave, she ran into no monsters. Jamie furrowed her brows. Odd, I wonder where they all are?
A few minutes later, she made her way to the rear. She walked around and saw a clump of gray matter on the ground. She walked closer and bent down to touch it. This is it! Jamie chuckled. That was easy. Too easy.
“So Navarda told you where to go, huh?” a soothing female voice said.
Jamie turned around to see yet another gorgeous woman. She had dark red hair, a round-shaped face, and big expressive baby-blue eyes.
“She did, who are you?”
“Some refer to me as the Black-Hearted Witch, but I think that’s just cruel,” the witch said. “Ames called me Luna, you can too.”
Jamie dropped the shield behind her and braced herself for a fight.
“No need to fear me, purebred,” she said in a menacing voice.
I can’t sense her mana, Jamie thought. She’s concealing her mana, but why?
With her eyes still on the woman, Jamie bent down to pick up the shield. Then she opened a transport portal. Luna stared at the portal and it shattered.
It was worth a shot, Jamie thought. Jamie stared at Luna, the witch. There’s no running, either she kills me or I kill her.
Jamie once more dropped the shield to the ground. She spread her hands and mana threads sprang from her fingertips, intricate, like a spiderweb. Jamie surrounded herself with her web of mana threads.
“Ha! You think a mere three months gets you to my level?”
“Probably not, but you’re not supposed to be here Luna dear,” a handsome voice said.
Jamie turned to see Master Edwards and General Ames. Thank GOD! She thought.
“Just as I thought, the noble Veinhams will always care for their own before others. I take it, you broke the barrier?” Luna said. Luna briefly closed her eyes as Master Edwards watched her.
General Ames was fixated on her. “Just a crack. You look more beautiful than ever.”
“Is that what you tell all the girls?” Navarda asked, suddenly appearing from within the shadows.
Jamie’s eyebrows leaped. What, where did she come from?! I didn’t sense her at all! she thought.
A grin grew on General Ames’ face. “Navarda of the baby-bearing willows and the lovely Miss Fera. What a pleasure to see you again.”
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“Still the whore of man, I see,” Luna said nonchalantly.
Fera chuckled in silence as she sat on Navarda’s shoulder.
“Name calling, how classy,” Navarda said and eyed the witch. What is their relation? He sounded familiar with her, Navarda thought.
Jamie started to walk backward with the shield in hand. I have no idea what is going on, but something’s going down, she thought. I should head back to the boys.
Master Edwards gently grabbed Jamie’s arm. “Why do I sense something living within you?” He sighed, “Never mind that, where are the troublemakers?”
“I left the boys back on an Elderberry tree, I created a transport portal on the tree so I can head back now.”
“Good, why don’t you head back.” Master Edwards opened a portal which Luna zapped with her mana, killing the core.
He turned and shot an unamused look at Luna.
Luna grinned. “I was planning on using the purebred for the demonstration.”
General Ames raised his eyebrows. “You really think your plans will work now that we’re here?”
“Maybe, they say the bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Luna said slyly.
Master Edwards glared at the witch and briefly closed his eyes to activate his perception gift. “She opened it, there is a ripple where we entered.”
Just then, Jamie received a message from Benny. “Jamie! The shapeshifters! They somehow created a barrier and are jumping in it!” Benny telepathically told her.
“I sense it too,” Navarda said. “They’re leaving.”
A mana thread whipped with deadly precision around Luna’s neck and decapitated her in an instant.
“It’s a clone,” Master Edwards said as he lowered his palm and opened a transport portal. “Let’s go.”
Everyone entered the portal.
***
They re-emerged a few meters from Benny and Henry’s Elderberry tree and watched in horror as one of the last shapeshifters jumped into the portal.
Jamie threw a mana tracker on the last one.
General Ames palmed his face.
***
[One Day after Round 1]
The next day, Jamie sat with Benny and Henry eating breakfast, their plates full of thick bacon slices and pork sausages. At their feet was the three-stripped pup Jamie rescued, its tail wagged as it gobbled down bacon.
Benny lowered a bowl of fresh milk to the pup. “What should we name it?”
“It’s a he, so how about wolf-boy?” Jamie suggested.
“That name sucks,” Benny said.
“Suck!” Henry chirped in.
Master Edwards walked over and sat down. Today, he is dressed plainly in a white crew-neck t-shirt and blue jeans, he looked quite spruced. He whispered a spell and his wet hair was dried, then he pushed his brown hair back and tied it up. He looked down at the pup. “So you are keeping a wild wolf as a pet.”
“We couldn’t find its family. General Ames thinks his ex used the family for extra mana boost, we suspect these are rare because of all the Big Balls they consumed.”
Master Edwards grinned. “Did you eat any big balls?”
“As a matter of fact, I did.”
“Sorry, what did you eat?”
“I had some big balls, are you happy, you immature man?” Jamie bit her bottom lip to prevent herself from laughing.
Master Edwards laughed. “Yes, that was very satisfying.” He motioned for a servant to bring him coffee and breakfast. Then he turned back to the group.
“So… they calculated 24 escaped the barrier. Despite everything, all 10 shields were retrieved. Jamie, congratulations, you’re still in the count surprisingly. You get to keep the shield.”
“Surprisingly? What happened to, ‘Jamie, you are the great disciple of the Great Master Edwards’.”
“To be honest, I was terrified for you.”
“Well, I appreciated the pep talk. Is it safe to just throw out the shield?”
“Those are worth some coin!” He grabbed a slice of bacon.
“Hey, those are mine,” Henry said.
Master Edwards shoved the bacon slices into his mouth, unapologetically.
Henry pouted and pulled the shared bacon plate closer to himself.
Master Edwards loudly smacked his lips, to further tease the poor toddler. “Aren’t you two grounded? Why are you roaming around like free people?”
“We’re on scouting duties,” Benny said. “It’s as boring as watching clouds move.”
“How many Shapeshifters did you find?”
“Henry found five, and I found one.”
“Excellent boys. Now, Jamie, they’re adjusting the Love Contest’s Round 2. Usually, you get to go on a mission with the General, but because of the circumstances, you get to go adventuring. Now isn’t that fantastic?”
“Adventuring?”
“Yes, you get to go about and look for the shapeshifters.”
“All by myself?”
“Can we come along? OH PLEASE! PLEASE!” Benny cried as he grabbed Master Edwards’ t-shirt.
“Well, since there have been attempts on your life, no,” Master Edwards said. “I’ve been assigned to go with you to monitor. I can’t help you fight the shapeshifters or anything like that.”
“PLEASE, can we go too!” Benny whined.
“Please!” Henry joined in.
“Ask your mother,” Master Edwards said.
Jamie sipped on her coffee and then placed the mug down to add more sugar. “How are we going to hunt them down, won’t they be everywhere by now?”
“Surprising no, you threw a tracker on one, and from there, we were able to deduce their rough coordinates. They met up for some monster meet-up and then split.”
“How much time do we have?”
“We haven’t thought that far yet. If they already have victims, we can expect monsters’ offsprings to pop up in six months.”
“What about the people in Mander?”
“It was all over the news,” Benny said.
“News?”
“Yes, Jennie messaged me. She said her mom is scared and now they have bodyguards until all of the monsters are caught.”
“Jennie?”
“My friend.”
“What kind of friend?” Jamie asked and smirked. I hate it when people ask me these questions, but it’s so fun to ask these annoying questions! She thought.
“Despite such an interesting conversation you’re having, I’m afraid I have to interrupt,” Master Edwards said. “There are bounties on each of the monsters' heads, so you’ll be compensated as well, but this also means, you probably have to fight others to claim the monsters.”
“Can we pick our location?”
“We were going to do it at random, but since you had the foresight to put a mana tracker on one, we’ll let you pick first.”
“I want to go to those medieval places, zones with old forests, taverns, dungeons, wait, are there dungeons in Mander?” Jamie asked excitedly.
“Yeah, those are in our district. But you won’t have time for dungeons! You need to kill or capture as many shapeshifters as possible!”
“Of course,” Jamie thought and grinned, her intentions super obvious.
“I can see your face, you know,” Master Edwards said. “Avoid dungeons, they are an unnecessary risk. You’re acting differently. You used to be so scared.”
“Because I wasn’t sure if I could execute what you taught me. There’s still a lot I can learn, but I’m starting to get the hang of this.” She observed him, as he eagerly waited for the approaching servant with his food. “You’re not writing anything down.”
“It’s called a mental note darling.”
A wrinkled hand laid down a tray, steaming milk coffee, bacon, and two sunny-side-up eggs.
“Thank you, this looks amazing,” Master Edwards said as the old woman nodded and walked away.
“So what can I do with the shield?” Jamie asked.
“We can go into town and maybe you can make a coat out of it.”
“I don’t know, it feels weird wearing something from such a terrible monster that I will have to kill.”
“Well, you eat bacon, and someone has to kill the pig.”
“Yeah, I don’t know, it hits me differently, I'd rather sell it.”
“Can I have it then?” Benny asked.
“How much can you pay?” Jamie asked.
Benny’s jaw dropped, “It’s not a gift?”
She laughed, “Fine.”
***
After lunch, Jamie was in her room. She was sitting on a wooden chair Benny had made for her, using an old Veinham spell he was practicing. It was beyond basic, a wooden slab for sitting and two wooden legs grew from within the slab for a little height of one foot. She had been using the chair to strengthen her legs; since getting up and down to it required more muscle than a regular chair.
She placed her white blouse into a small suitcase when a sharp mana thread went for her neck. She sliced the thread and bounced up from her seat. General Ames smiled back at her.
“Who are you? You’re not General Ames nor Master Edwards,” she said sharply. A mana thread at her fingertips, ready to pounce.