Chapter 11: DEMON DOGS

The beast Makima stood on suddenly dissipated. Like black steam, Its revolting features evaporated into the air with a mild hiss.

Caspian's eyes narrowed at the strange phenomenon. He had never heard of abominations turning to thin air.

'Intriguing.'

Before he could activate spectral gaze, however, Makima yelled as she hoped of the still dissipating beast;

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

Immediately Deven and Caspian snapped out of their daze, falling behind Makima as she bolted down the slope.

"What was that?!"

Deven asked as she ran.

"I don't know, but whoever it belonged to shouldn't be far off."

Suddenly low bestial growls resonated from behind them. When Caspian turned, he saw three massive black beasts with drool leaking from between the cracks of their dagger-long fangs. They had black furless skin with steel-like claws and three long scars over their eyes. Their cores... Didn't exist. But what Cas found instead was their bodies were made entirely out of Celestial Will.

'Damn it, what are those things?!'

It took the nightmare dogs barely a second to spot Caspian and his companions as they ran down the slope, and immediately after spotting them, they gave chase.

Caspian could hear their claws digging into the snow as the massive creatures closed in from behind.

Makima had taken one down so they couldn't be too strong, but he knew that using Makima as a gauge for what he and Deven could handle was just foolishness. There was no telling how deep her power went, especially if it was borrowed.

The frozen lake drew nearer, and Caspian's migraines only increased as a result. He could feel something but couldn't discern what it was or if it was a threat or not.

They ran against harsh winds, with their only source of light being the moon that hovered above the freezing scape.

A chilling sensation caused Caspian to look back. When he did he witnessed all three beasts morph into black fumes. He could barely keep his mouth closed as he watched them fly towards him with frightening speed.

"Run! Run! Run!"

Caspian yelled as he dashed forward. The black fumes were just behind them. Their presence was cold and deathly.

Suddenly, one struck Deven's back and she immediately went stiff. The force of her abrupt stop caused her to fall forward and with her body as still as a plank she was unable to catch herself, barrelling down the slope like a toppled corpse.

The next fume flew towards Caspian but he was quick to dodge. Unfortunately, the black mist wasn't bound by the laws of physics, somehow it managed to change its trajectory mid-air, bending so it shot Caspian right in his chest.

Caspian immediately felt his body go numb, he couldn't even feel his muscles. Even when he rolled in the snow it was like his body wasn't his.

He was soon lying beside Deven facing the direction Makima was running in. When the last fume rushed at her she attacked it with her glimmering blade, the force sent her skidding against the snow but she was still on her feet.

She whipped her head to the side as the last fume hovered above her, probably searching for an opening.

Suddenly it landed right before Caspian and Deven with a scattering of black smoke. The smoke quickly disappeared and stepping out of it was a tall gaunt man in a black coat that seemed to leak dark steam. As the wind tussled his coat, two blades revealed themselves. He had one blade strapped to the back of his waist and another strapped to his back.

Caspian couldn't see the man's face since he lay on the ground behind him, but his cores—all 4 of them were brimming with power.

'Paladin?'

Caspian wondered as he gazed at the man in awe. The man's next words were a bit random though;

"Haaaa... Strange things do happen on a full moon."

While Caspian wondered what he could possibly mean. Makima had her blade before her with purple Will shimmering along its steel edge.

"And what business do you have with the Calamity at this hour?"

The man said, his voice calm and unhurried.

'Calamity?!'

The only people who knew of Caspian's grade were the government. So it had to mean the man before him was some government specialist.

'But why would they deploy a Paladin just to find some missing children... Things just weren't adding up.'

"Maybe you misunderstood me."

The man said as he took a step forward, the mountainside shuddered as a result. Drowning under the weight of his released murderous intent.

"...Tracking a Crisis."

Makima said as she shakenly pulled her blade closer. She looked to be struggling and it was understandable. The man's killing intent was like a waterfall crashing on everything it could reach.

"We received a letter from the Ivory clan a couple of months back with a very detailed description of what would happen if we didn't turn in every illborn we had in our custody. Of course, we refused... But then, a few weeks later 'Calamity Caspian' was pushed off the orphanage roof."

Makima's eyes widened as her gaze alternated between Caspian and the Paladin.

'Pushed... What did he mean by–

Just then it dawned on him, the memories he had been subconsciously suppressing all this time...

The Paladin had a professional tone as he spoke, not showing any particular emotion.

"Naturally we immediately began to ensure that every single one of our ill-borns were accounted for... but then just as promised kids from this particular orphanage had begun to vanish at night... We rush over to investigate and here I find you... ?"

"This has little to do with you or me, Faux."

Makima scowled.

"Yes you're right but you see I'm a Captain of the government special forces and since I have been deployed here it has everything to do with me."

He said taking another step forward as he drew the sword strapped to his waist. Makima meanwhile placed her blade horizontally before her chest as she said;

"Come out Oaru!"

Just then a spectre far larger than Makima erupted out of her blade. It had no face just teeth that rested at the bottom of its featureless face. Its skin was pale and shrivelled with long arms that ended in bone-like claws. A deathly aura surrounded it the very same one that had been following Caspian for weeks before his attempted suicide...

The very same one he had smelled behind him before he was shoved off the orphanage roof.