An odd sensation, like that of someone pushing on my brain, overcame me. I began picking up my pace, trying to shadow Maria’s path. Every so often, she glanced behind her worriedly, the parcel clutched tightly to her chest. As we zigzagged between the dark paths of the residential area, far from the main road, we passed some men wearing bright green coats, huddled around a small fire. One of them called out to Maria, and she approached tentatively. “Um, is your name Maldonado?” “Yes, that’s me Missus! Now just hand that thang over and we’re good to go!” “Um, tell me please, is this all I needed to do.” “Yep, now bring that over ‘ere.” At that moment, a yelp came from the parcel Maria was carrying. “Oh my gods,” she exclaimed, nearly dropping it. Their faces fell when the parcel began swaying lightly. “Better watch out Missus, this is quite the way from the main roads.” “Eh, is that so?” She looked around, her hands shaking as she gripped the parcel even tighter. None of them were aware of the fact I was hidden down a few doors from where they were, ducking my head behind a trash can every time their vision passed by my spot. “Just give it ‘s,” another man insisted, scowling. “Perhaps I should tell my father about this,” she said, and all of them seemed itching to grab her. “Listen, you’re way in over your head here, trust me,” said the second man who had spoken, his voice changing. I could see a dark cyan light circling around his legs, as if the sky itself was preparing to launch him forward. “Maria, what did I tell you about being so far out from your house? Your father told me to come pick you up!” “Who’s this geezer?” Maldonado said, as if trying to ascertain mine and Maria’s relationship. “He... he is a servant of my father’s.” The cyan light had vanished, but I could tell the man was still prepared for a fight. They looked like competent spellcasters, and I didn’t like my chances in a three-to-one. Of course, Maria was there. “So what if he is? Don’t change a thang. We ain’t got all day.” “When I started working for the Antonia household, I had to have a tracking device on me. They’re a bit excessive like that.” One of them put his hand in his pocket, and I grit my teeth. “Wait, I’ll come deliver the package with you guys.” I began walking to Maria, and grabbed onto the parcel. She held it. “Don’t do this,” she said. “Trust me,” I said, looking her in the eyes. She sighed, and handed it to me. It thrashed about while the exchange was taking place but rustling it a few times was enough to make it settle down eventually. I had a plan. When I would reach them, I would proceed to force my energy outward. It wouldn’t do much, as my aura was far too weak, but it was only a distraction to get the second part underway. If I was able to time it perfectly, I could break the mage’s spell before it detonated. The backlash from it would break apart the parcel and allow whatever was inside to escape. A level two spell that grants the legs the ability soar for just a second — this would be the key in getting away from the men. They’d have to choose which one of us to chase, and would surely go for the parcel’s contents. As I was walking towards them, I felt something pierce my soul. The tiny dagger in his pocket was not to stab my flesh, but latch onto the seat of my life energy. “I’m sure you won’t try anything unwise,” the third man, who had until now been completely quiet, spoke. His skin and face looked like that of an ordinary man, but I could sense it. This was no mere mortal. The most basic of scans would tell you that the creature standing in front of you was an immortal monster. ‘Grant me strength, True God,’ I prayed, before I walked forward towards the two men. I searched the deepest crevices of my mind, trying to recall this situation and how to best approach it, but it served only as a fruitless departure. The moment I got to them, I released the energy that I’d been building up within in one burst, throwing the man back, his eyes wide in shock. The parcel ripped apart violently, and a strange sort of aura emitted from the being inside. There was no time for me to observe the impact of my approach, save for the spare glance which showed the man growling and raising his hands to prepare another spell, because I had to go straight away from him hastily. I dug my heels into the ground, uttered the incantation, and propelled myself forward. The man pulled the dagger back, and the chain tethered around my soul tried to yank me towards him. In that moment, my soul, having withstood decades of relentless assaults from dark forces, did not even move an inch. Instead, the creature was thrown off balance and carried towards me when I ran off. Cursing, he released the binding he had cast upon me, and threw the dagger aside, moving with the speed of a thousand men. “You fools! Grab the Cavall!” The second man had recovered and threw a raging ball of water towards me, striking my left arm, the whiplash causing me to scream. The creature was upon me, it grabbed both my shoulders and opened up his mouth. It had dark eyes, ears that looked like teeth, and a mouth that seemed eager to eat a whole bull in one bite. “Let him go!” Maria screamed, and sacked the creature with a sign that been thrown aside on the ground. Despite doing no visible damage, the being screamed so loud I thought I would never hear again. The bigger man, the one calling himself Maldonado, grabbed the creature, somehow managing to restrain him. “He’s going wild, keep the man steady! I'll get it!"

Throwing another spell that I was barely able to duck under, the second man spun around to try to find the creature that had escaped from the parcel. As soon as the monster was no longer grasping me with his horrible claws, I grabbed Maria and activated the spell with renewed haste, fleeing the screams that came from behind us.