Julian Tavel, one of the Fifth Years, hurried closer, a growing queasy sensation rising within the bowels. He was near the base of the tallest mountain, and something dark seemed to dangle from one of the nearby trees. When he drew close, he saw seven young boys and two girls hung by two large hook chains, penetrating the shoulder, swollen and black.
Unbecoming of a noble, Julian vomited, unable to keep down his earlier lunch. He hurried forward to save them, throwing caution to the wind. He froze when seven steps in, and the earth beneath his feet suddenly shone brightly. It had happened so quickly that by the time it had taken for his barrier to coalesce, a bomb peeled the flesh off his bones, nearly tearing off the leg.
"Another Rat," The Voice of Aurelia echoed, no longer carrying its usual innocence.