Shadows coalesced in the quiet of the night, weaving a lean and large feline body—white and spotted blue. It raised its nose, breathing in the air, feeling static run through its fur. It missed its meal the other night, but an extra helping lurked nearby. Through shrubs, it crawled, and on roofs, it crept following the scent to an alley a mile away. A young couple giggled below—the man's arms wrapped around the woman's waist, as his lips teased her neck. They were freshly free from dinner. The beast could smell the fine meal upon them, finished with a glass of wine. Perfect. It loved this type of dinner. Sitting on its haunches, it let things play out, waiting for the most appetizing moment.

"Told you I'd make this fantasy true." The man whispered loudly in her ear.

"It was just a fantasy!" She laughed excitedly. "We can't really do this! There are camera's everywhere!"

"Let's give them a show then." The whisper was lower this time, and as their lips met, the creature grinned.

It bounded from the roof; shadow blotting out the moon overhead. The overcast made the couple stop and made them turn as it landed heavily. Bemusement—oh so delicious—played across their faces. And then came horror, as realization dawned. They had heard about it and were suddenly realizing fear had a form. It was a powerful thing of nightmares! Teeth like daggers were grinning—animal, but with intelligence in golden eyes. It saw their misconceptions die. If it was just a normal beast, maybe they could survive, but they could feel how far from normal it was. It only made the grin worse.

"Oh no…" The woman gasped. "Isn't that the animal that's been on the news?" She cowered behind the man, and suddenly thrust into a role, he puffed out his chest.

"Don't worry babe, this thing isn't going to hurt us." Fury in his eyes. The beast licked its teeth. "Come on then! Try me you stupid animal!" The man reached into his jacket, pulling out a box. It unfolded into a shiny black pistol—its dark lens taking sight. The man thumbed a dial and the weapon buzzed to life. "Come on, try me!" Again, the man barked. The beast replied with inhalation.

There came a roaring crash of power—blue light erupting from its mouth. The man spun back as the blast hit; his girlfriend screaming as she ducked. His gun spun away as he crashed on his back. He made a scramble for it, and the beast pounced. It pushed the air out of him as it came down, flashing its fangs before his eyes. He tried to grab its face, and a paw swatted his. As his head turned back, the beast licked its grin. The fight fled the man's eyes, and finally, it ripped claws across his throat. Mist rose from the wound instead of blood. It took his neck between its teeth, squeezing to pour the mist faster. Behind them, there came a buzz and a flash. A light bullet hit! It dropped the man as smoke rose from its pelt. Licking its teeth, it grinned as the woman gulped.

"Get away from him or I'll blast a hole right through you!" Her finger nudged the dial. Done anyway, it turned and raced toward her. The lights broke against it as she held down the trigger, doing all of nothing as it jumped over her head. Landing, it snagged her leg, dragging her to the ground. When the gun didn't drop, it slammed her against the wall. Tears welled as she dropped it herself; sobs breaking the words on her lips. The plead for mercy? The cry for help? When was the last time it heard either? The plea was the best. It meant they really understood how outmatched they were. It exhaled hot breath upon her face and nudged her chin up. This time, its fangs broke the flesh as it drank deep. It licked them again when it was through, and sniffed the air. They were barely more than a snack—hunger was already calling. There was something in the breeze though, more appetizing than this. It could smell the scent of strength, not food, calling with siren songs. Leaving them for some other fool to find, it stalked back into the night hoping a challenge truly awaited.

When morning came, this event was a breaking story. Kiara's parents paid passive attention, sitting down with their kids for breakfast. She decided to be frank when she told them everything, and an animal attack couldn't steal their minds. There were far more pressing things, after all. A talk with the principal shouldn't bear that kind of weight, but her father made it clear—the weight was distinctive enough. He pulled apart a pancake and waved the piece around.

"You know, I really hate Blite." He said as if it were a sudden epiphany. "He acts like he's one of the war kings of The Vanno Empire. He always has that smug look on his face, like his bloody campaign is the solution to a drought."

"Wow!" Her younger brother, Jaleek, intoned. "Are you going to fight him!" His eyes widened, and their father laughed hard.

"That was a bad analogy, Erok." Her mother, Kanna, sighed and took a sip of coffee. "I mean, he's an administrator. As big a deal as he makes about it, he's not going to war. Though, he did kind of fall into power, didn't he?"

"Yeah! And Blite is such a war king name, too," Erok smirked. "Blight, Terror, Scourge… You know, the Vanno nameing convention was rather lazy." He nodded, and her mother sighed.

"And for the next month, we're going to be seeing just how lazy it was…"

Her words stung Kiara. At the end of the school year, her parents always spent a month away, leaving her and Jaleek in their aunt's care. They went to sites for the local museum, doing Archaeological and Anthropological research. Usually, they enjoyed the little jobs. Usually, but the Vanno Empire was next. There was little else to see in Vanno—little left for scholars to discover. Kiara didn't care for history herself, but she could remember too many bored conversations. This area was ruled by another person calling themselves Scourge. No, there's no relation to the previous one. Yes, the people feared their war king. Yes, he was blind and didn't see his inevitable fall. If a person had money and Vanno blood, then they'd happily fund an expedition. If a person had money and Vanno blood, they probably saw the Million's name attached to the research. Even after leaving the museum, her mother came back on special requests. Her father had it worst—often subject to some war descendant's intrigue. The next month was going to take a toll off them both, and she had hoped they'd meet it with peace. Now though, she'd be on their minds. If she could get into so much trouble in one day, what would the coming weeks bring? Maybe they wouldn't see it like that, but she ate quietly nevertheless, hoping to minimize the chance.

"Vanno and Blite. Damn, where is our luck?" Erok raised his coffee to this, and Kanna joined the toast.

"Kiara should toast too!" Jaleek laughed. She joined in, figuring the goodwill couldn't hurt.

In the end, her mother lost the coin toss. Kiara couldn't look at her as they drove through the gray morning, watching the city instead, through the passenger window. Already off to a bad start, it felt like the day could still get worse. There was just something about it she could feel in the air. She wasn't sure how it'd manifest but stared nevertheless. Maybe the stranger would appear again? Should she tell her mother about him? Maybe not. As strange as he was, he didn't bring harm. They stopped at a light, and her eyes lingered on framing in the distance. She had seen the construction site before, but it somehow resonated with her feelings now. She truly took it in—this iron skeleton rising from the ground. It would be another building one day, but for now, she felt it beckon. Noticing her gaze, her mother spoke.

"At the school," She said, referring to the university at which she taught. "One of my coworkers told me about that place. Apparently, the guy paying for the construction suddenly pulled his money out. He thinks its haunted or something, can you believe that? Isn't that such a waste of man hours?" She smiled. Kiara wondered if she saw the disquiet on her.

"I wonder what it would have been?" She watched it and thought it was sort of like her now. Neither knew their future but could see nothing promising around the bend.

"Actually, I kind of want to know too." They pulled away. As they drove off, Kiara thought she saw the stranger, heading for that site.

They arrived at her school mere moments after dropping Jaleek off. She rushed inside, toward what she hoped would end quickly. Kanna was not in such a hurry. Taking her time, she fitted well with the casual year-end atmosphere. With coiling dark hair secured with a band, she walked behind her daughter in a tan blouse and blue slacks. A pair of sunglasses hung at her side, completing the look of a relaxed mother, complemented by the soft tap of her shoes. They stopped in front of the office just long enough for a camera to search their faces, and when the door slid open, they slid inside. The woman at the desk let out a sigh as she put her hands together.

"Can you start this amicably. I haven't put on any coffee yet, and I'm not ready to hear anything from Theodore." She was a stout person on the older side—soft wrinkles on her face, a world-weary look in her eyes. She didn't need to know Kiara's mother to know how this would go. You could recognize the overprotective ones before they said a word, but it was the ones who knew they were right that stood out the most. Kanna merely nodded with a smile on her face. As the secretary called over the intercom, they walked past the desk and into Blite's office.

"Mrs. Million and Ms. Million." He forced a smile.

"Now, now Theodore, please just call me Kanna." Her mother returned one, her dark eyes lighting up. Blite's silence was almost physical in response, but still, he held the facade and nodded.

"Kanna then… I hope you can forgive me. I hate to call you or any other parent in so close to the end of the year. In this week alone, I had to talk to several about a group of male students vandalizing local stores. You see, the owners came here because they recognize our uniforms, so of course, I did what was necessary to make the boys correct the errors." He spoke matter-of-factually, but the obvious boasting was on full display. "What I'm saying here is that I'm nothing if not thorough." His smile reflected his pride.

"Far be it from me to call you nothing, Theodore." Kanna chirped sharply, breaking Blite's façade. He grimaced for a long moment before noticing, hurrying along when he did.

"Well, Kanna, do you know why you're here?"

"Because someone pulled a prank on my daughter."

"Yes, that's exactly what—"

"But do you know the whole story?" Kanna cut him off, and his weary eyes widened.

"I believe I do—"

"I don't think so." She crossed her arms. "The last teacher Kiara had is a friend of mine, you see. When I called her up, she told me that Kiara went to her locker about fifteen minutes before class was through. While I am a Professor, it did make me wonder, what's the likelihood of two unrelated students going to the same hallway around the same time? It made me suspicious, honestly."

"Mrs. Million, I assure you I looked into the matter." Hearing his response, the woman thought her husband was right. It sounded like Blite heard the challenge, and was rising to face it.

"Now, now Theodore."

"Well, Kanna, I assure you I looked into the matter. When the girls were called to my office, I spent ten minutes finding out what happened." He went on. She smirked.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. Ms. Stewart was let out of class to retrieve a project drive from her locker." He went on.

"I see. Then was the drive here with her?"

"Yes, Kanna, it was." Kiara's eyes widened as he said this. The tone was telling. Did he like talking to adults like they were students? She looked at her mother.

"Then why was Ms. Stewart near Kiara's locker? I mean, Kiara, does she have a class with you?"

"A few."

"Is her locker near yours?"

"No. Our lockers are near our homerooms and hers is on the other side of the school."

"So, Theodore, what exactly brought Emily to that side of the school? Was her class over there?"

"No. I don't believe it was." Blite shrunk.

"Then could it be that someone told Emily Kiara was heading off? I mean, it sounds pretty convenient that there was a group of students in the hallway at the time. And all of them were Emily's friends too?"

"I suppose…"

"Then Kiara's reaction, to both you and to Emily was somewhat justified, right?" Kanna placed her hands on her lap. She could smell coffee in the air and was rather proud of how long she hand managed to hold off. Her words hadn't been gentle, but she had at least been cordial at the start.

When Blite responded, Kiara watched the fall of yet another war king. He started with the same strength as before—the powerful man talking down the angry parent. His weapons of choice were tenure and assurance. He had been at this for years, and his decisions always proved fair. Even if the prank was coordinated, Kiara wasn't in the right for the fight. He armed himself with indignation, offended that her mother would ever imply such a thing. Meanwhile, Kanna sat poised and patient. She let the man prattle on like a toddler crying out, and when he sat up, confident in the silence, she crossed her legs. Her counter-attack began. What good were tenure and assurance if such a small detail was so easily missed? What right did Blite have in this position, if Kanna solved this before she even left the house? Certainly, Kiara shouldn't have started a fight, but she was suddenly outnumbered. Was she just supposed to run away? And then what? Be victim to a prank again? How far could the kids go before they earned retribution? Didn't Emily leave this office, like she played no hand in the assault? And it certainly was an assault. What type of man was Blite, if he let it happen and the perpetrator got away? In this verbal battle, Blite crumbled at the force of shame and disappointment. He seemed older when Kanna was through, and while Kiara was still in trouble for insubordination, she left the office with a smile on her face. The rest of the day went by quietly. When she reunited with her friends, she told them what her mom had done.

"If Kiara's a firecracker, then her mom's a bomb!" Shin laughed wildly. Taylor smiled proudly.

"Kiara let me have your mom! If it were mine, she would have just said it was my fault. That woman can never accept that she lost to me."

"Well, that's because you're a troublemaker." Shin laughed. "You used to always fight first, and sometimes, maybe, you'd think about it later."

"Actually, I'll have you know that I'm always sarcastic before I fight." Taylor grinned and the four of them snickered.

"Speaking of your mom, though, Taylor, I heard she was up at the school too," Tristan said and Taylor's grin widened.

"I can't imagine her not being in the principal's office." Kiara gasped.

"Well, she wasn't. She actually came to see the coach. Hey Shin, anything in the news about that beast you were talking about?" Taylor shot a look at him. He pulled out his mobile. There was a new notification waiting.

"Apparently, a Kelayan hunting party is coming to Yravell to hunt the beast. The mayor believes that if anyone can catch it, it'll be a Kelayan hunter." Shin said this proudly. He was Kelayan himself and had two hunter grandfathers. It wasn't his pride to bear, but he wouldn't throw it away.

"That's right. A Kelayan hunting party is on their way to Yravell, and you know what? I get to hunt with them." Taylor reached into her backpack, pulling out a folded bar. She pressed a switch, and it unfolded into a bow. Her friends' eyes went wide.

"Is that a Kelayan Smart Bow?" Kiara coveted the collapsible weapon. Taylor flaunted it.

Shin licked his lips. "It's a new model too. It's the one with the vital marker and probability check. If you're about to hit a vital spot, it'll tell you. It'll also tell you if you're about to miss." Taylor pulled at the string.

"The string is a corded elastic material too. If the bow detects a target within proximity of you, the string will adjust itself for efficient firing. It goes very well with the Hunters' fierce fire speed. It has to be great for strength training too." Tristan nodded and Taylor reached into her bag. She pulled out a small metal capsule and turned it between her fingers.

"They also gave me about thirty arrows to go along with it." She flicked the capsule into a slot in the bow. "Of course it won't let me fire without permission. If I load a capsule and try to draw back, it sends a signal to a Kelayan satellite. The satellite will then scan my area and if a threat isn't detected then the string will be locked up. Or so, that's what the coach was saying to my mom."

"But what if you're inside a building?" Kiara asked.

"Biometric scan most likely. It'll assess your heart rate and body temperature for indications of stress." Tristan examined the bow's grip as he said this. Taylor nodded.

"Worst case scenario, there's also a camera. It'll start recording in the event that my stress levels go up and transmit the video to the Kelayan satellite." She said. Shin held up his hand suddenly.

"Okay, this is cool and all, but why do you have a Kelayan smart bow, and furthermore, why do you get to hunt with the hunting party?"

"Remember how the Archery Club went to Kelaya last month? Well, we went there to represent Yravell in a hunting game. All of the sister cities were invited. You'll be happy to hear that I was third place."

Shin's expression flattened. "Only third place, huh… No wonder I didn't hear about it." He scoffed and Taylor trained her bow on him. He stroked his chin. "Still, with a Kelayan smart bow. We could go after The Speckled Beast ourselves." His eyes lit up.

"You mean I could go after him." Taylor sighed.

"No, think about it. Tristan and Kiara can be the distractions while you take the beast out. I'll even record it, and then you'll be famous."

"Why would we distract it?" Kiara shot him a look. He grinned.

"Because you two are all about staying in shape. I'm not a slouch, but Tristan does his night routine and you're on the track team. You guys are basically ninjas." He nodded vigorously. Tristan raised his hand.

"Shin, how are we going to find an animal that not even the Police can find?"

Shin looked to Kiara. "According to the news this morning, there was an attack near your house. All we need to do is follow the clues. Kiara, have you seen anything strange around recently?"

Easily the stranger, but this was the first time she wondered if the two were connected. If she believed the stories, they shared a transient quality. The Speckled Beast came and went. It was a powerful force but left only victims in its wake. This city had become its jungle, and every crack and crevice was a place for it to hide. Maybe it wasn't hiding after all. The stranger certainly wasn't; he didn't seem like he had to. He was a man that moved on passing breezes—only present long enough for shaken leaves to settle. She felt like she saw him accidentally before, and even earlier seemed to happen by chance. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. It was like the moment in a game where the big bad appears and leaves a boss monster behind. She told her friends as much but left the last bit out. There was no room for such levity in minds so clearly troubled.

"Okay, so like, even if we weren't really going to hunt the monster, we're definitely walking you home now, Kiara," Shin said.

"Yeah, that guy is creepy and you're too short and fragile to be running into people like that." Taylor's grip tightened on her bow. Kiara suspected that if she could carry it openly, she would never put it away.

"To be honest, we shouldn't have been letting you go home by yourself anyway. We can all walk together, but you have to walk like five streets by yourself." So came Tristan and Kiara let out a sigh. This was not the first time either of them insisted they walk her home, and it was not the first time she said what she said next.

"I can take care of myself." She hoped it didn't sound as clipped as it did in her head. Her friends went silent and she knew it did. Still, they shook their head.

"We're walking you home until the school year is over." Taylor crossed her arms. The boys nodded, and for once, Kiara accepted defeat. If the man did turn out to be dangerous, it'd be great to have them around. At the very least, if he appeared again, she might not feel so insane.

Some distance away, The Speckled Beast prowled the shadows of buildings. It found other meals between now and last night but longed for the enticing thing in the air. It tracked it late into the night, but as if it were erased, the smell disappeared. All it could do was lay in wait. The prey could hide but was still in this area. With a bit more time, it would rise again. Although, it was a wretched shame about this spot. Children were getting out of school, loudly moving as they obliviously passed by. Their trinkets and toys beeped and chimed, killing the few moments of silence between their breaths. The beast grumbled—low and angry. Perhaps it could eat again; a child would be little more than a treat. As a particularly small one lagged behind his group, the beast crept forward, running its tongue across its teeth. It was going to snatch him before any of his friends could notice. It'd let out a roar, and let him scream, just so they knew they were next. It eased closer at the thought when suddenly the smell returned. From the shadows it bounced up walls, taking in a breath just to taste it on its tongue. It leaped from roof to roof, tracking it down; certain the meal would vanish if it lingered too long. The route took it up the street, away from shops en route to houses. A group of teens gathered below; four of them, blind like all before, laughing without a care. Another deep breath told the beast who it was. Among the crowd, there was a girl—eyes round and scarlet, like nothing it'd ever seen. She was the strength its hunger craved, and it lowered itself in excitement. As their words met its ears, its excitement only grew.

"It's going to be amazing, trust me!" Shin was still going. "We'll all be heroes. "The students who slew the Speckled Beast!" Doesn't that have a nice ring to it?"

"You've been brainstorming that all this time, haven't you?" Taylor cocked an eyebrow. The others laughed. "It doesn't make sense, Shin. If the mayor needs a hunting party, how are we going to stop this thing."

"You know he's going to repeat the plan." Kiara snickered.

"It's a good plan, trust me on it!"

"I don't know. He's kinda convincing me." Tristan stroked his chin. Shin threw an arm around his shoulder.

"If Tristan is thinking about it, you know I'm right!" The girls rolled their eyes.

"Fine. If we somehow run into that thing, we'll take it out." Taylor sighed and the boys high-fived. The Speckled Beast growled happily to itself, leaping from the roof to land loudly behind them. They stopped, turning with that fast dawning terror. It let them look into its golden eyes; let them see its blatant intelligence. It growled low, and the taller boy gulped.

"Well…" Shin swallowed hard. "I think this is your chance, Taylor." He looked at her, and she fumbled to pull her bow out of her bag. He did not want to see this and started wildly looking for somewhere to go.

"We really don't have time, Taylor…" Tristan trembled. In a fleeting moment of clarity, he thought to add, "Why isn't it coming after us?" And the others searched the beast's eyes.

"It wants us to run…" Kiara clenched her fist. The beast wagged its tail in confirmation. She stepped forward, grabbing a pendant around her neck.

"What are you doing!" Shin grabbed her! The look she gave back almost made him immediately let go. She was something more ferocious than the monster, too mad at its audacity to remember she was flesh and bone. For a moment, Shin was more afraid of her but kept that to himself as he pulled her back.

"I got it!" Taylor suddenly yelped as she drew the bow, loading five arrows into it. The beast growled. It fought far too many like her. It didn't even need to smell—the weakness was plain on her face. A golden-eyed glare fell onto her, and she lifted her bow despite it. "I think you're the one who should be running." She pulled the string and one of the capsules fell to her hand. It unfolded into a thin arrow, fastening to the grip. Shin pulled a pair of goggles over her eyes. As readings rolled across it, she let the arrow fly. Flitting through the air, it buried itself above the beast's eye. The monster let out a roar, batting it free. Thoughts of letting them run faded from its mind. It bounded forward; Taylor loosing an arrow into its leg. With a tumbling stop, the others ran away. Taylor lingered for a moment, wondering if she should shoot again. As if her arrows were mere mosquito bites, it rose to its feet, roaring once to rev her fear. She turned, following on her friend's heels.

The beast came lumbering after them; bulk heaving as it snarled and growled. They only stayed ahead by the grace of sharp turns, leaving it to crash into walls and gates. And yet, it stayed on their tail. Plenty of people had run before, and their escape would be no different. It took in a breath as they sighted another turn. Crashing heavy, but not quite hard, it spat a roar at Taylor's back. She hit the ground and the bow slid away. It pounced—happy for the appetizer. A pipe smashed the side of its head. Shin drew back and swung again. The beast roared, and Taylor leaped after her bow. It turned to roar at her and realized where it was. A construction site opened around them. All the other kids armed themselves with pipes. No one had tried to fight like this before, and it would show them why.

First the archer with her pointy little sticks. Its body lowered, muscles tight, springing forward with explosive force. Claws went up and the Speckled Beast towered; Shin swinging for the back of its legs. It fell over, and Taylor pulled back. Its massive paw swung before Shin could do the same. He flew like rubbish and an arrow hit its side. It roared with annoyance, not pain. That archer again; and another pipe against its head. It did little more than knock its head aside. Tristan swung again, and it knocked it away. As its mouth snapped out, Kiara hit it next. The boy struck before it even acknowledged her. The two of them pummeled unabated—strong metal weighted for the swings. Shin came back with a leap through the air. He put in everything as he struck its back, scattering as his friends did the same. The beast pushed up and three arrows found its neck. It clawed, tearing them out; taking in a deep breath. As the boys came back it let it out. A burst flung them away. Tristan dented the side of machinery. Shin spun into tatters across the ground. Both boys went still and the beast went for Taylor. She shot, and it dodged wide—running along the outskirts, drawing close. It pounced and Kiara did too. Her pipe hit it like a lance, pushing it aside. As it tumbled back to its feet, it remembered why it was here. The girl put herself in front of her friend, and it smiled, happy again.

Kiara wasn't smiling. It took Taylor's distraction to power that charge and the boys were not getting up. To make matters worse—oh so much worse—this thing was neither bleeding nor bruised. Despite how hard she and Tristan hit. Despite how many arrows Taylor shot. This thing was still okay, and she could see that frustration was all that filled its eyes. All this time, even though they held it back, they did little more than delay its game. This pipe wouldn't work, and arrows wouldn't either. She reached for her pendant and watched its eyes widen. This thing knew! Could it be here for her? As she turned to check the boys, it took in a breath. She only wanted to see their chests move, and got slammed into Taylor for it. They hit an iron beam and the bow slid away. Taylor slumped to the ground, blood pouring from an unseen wound. Kiara's heart skipped a beat. She looked back to see the beast shaking. It was like it was laughing, and her friends' lives were the joke. She took hold of her pendant. For its part, the beast grew anxious at the building of the scent.

It pounced and her hand came up. A rush of air forced it to a stop—claws digging into the dirt. She swept her hand up and its claws came free. Above the grounds—above the roofs—the wind-tossed it high. As its body twisted, putting its feet below, something dawned. It was a realization. It recognized that feeling in others, but never in itself. It realized it was in danger, and it was too late to run. Fear, and then the drop. The wind touched its back and shoved. The impact rose through muscle and bone, and the Speckled Beast shook. The girl's eyes glowed as she swung her hand. It went higher this time; it could see the flash of sirens growing closer. The wind touched its back and shoved even harder. It felt something crack against the ground, but couldn't find it through the cacophony of pain. The wail of sirens died out as they arrived. It looked at them, as if they could help, and found the lenses of guns looking back. It didn't fear these things and yet, a bolt tore through it. More flew—aim concentrated, and the beast roared as its body broke apart. Pain, not annoyance, and then it was gone—remnants glitter on the wind. People stared confused, but quickly got to work. Officers secured the area, while paramedics rushed to the students' aid.

Kiara could only stare in shock as she was checked. How had that been so easy? Did that mean she could have ended this sooner? She looked at her friends, breathing deeply as the medics pressed injections to their arms. She cursed herself too. If the battle was truly that simple, none of them had to get hurt. She decided something as officers came over with questions. In these last two weeks, she'd tell her friends what she could do...