Somewhere in the Freak Academy, two brothers were seated at a table, each sipping delicately from a glass, which contained something that looked suspiciously like blood.
"Should we go and retrieve Renee?" Asked one, putting his glass down on the table. The bandages around his right wrist coiled and uncoiled around his arm impatiently. The bandages on his other wrist hung limp and immobile.
"Yes," replied his twin, "We have a reputation to keep up and we need to seek revenge on Alfie for what he did to you." He looked at his twin's injury and placed his glass down on the table.
"Let's go then, Akako. We can't waste any time." Said Ken getting up and walking to the large wooden door, eager to get going. He placed his hand on the doorknob.
"Front entrance." He said in a loud commanding voice. The door creaked open. He stepped out followed by Akako and waited. They heard a low growling and without any warning two hideous creatures, looking like mutated lions, leapt out at them. The twins sidestepped.
The ways of getting through the Freak Academy were a lot different than those of the Nekozawa Academy. For a start, to get through the Freak academy, it would involve a lot of bloodshed, but you would definitely get to your destination. In the Nekozawa Academy, it required no fighting or killing, but you sometimes didn't end up where you wanted.
Akako killed his attacker easily. His bandages suddenly became more animated at the prospect of killing and the ones on his left wrist wrapped themselves around the creature’s neck. And slowly strangled it like a python does to it's prey. His right bandages curled around the creature’s body to hold it still. Soon it was dead and Akako's bandages withdrew from the corpse. It disappeared.
Shadow creatures or beasts were only masses of dark energy, which could change shape and form. When they were killed, the energy was snuffed out of existence. But sometimes, on a rare occasion, the mass of energy would inhabit a body and use it as a puppet. There, the shadow beast would be safe from harm, but when it's victim was killed, it would either take form or try to escape.
Ken, only having one of his snake-like bandages working, decided to attack his assailant differently. Moving quicker than the naked eye can see, he stabbed his index and middle fingers into the creatures throat, stopping it in mid-leap. It fell back with a gurgle as it's own blood began to flood it's lungs. It went through a death spasm before freezing forever, then disappeared with a hiss of gas.
A door forced it's way into existence into the wall. It opened and the twins were buffeted by a strong gust of wind. They had reached the entrance hall.
They stalked their way into the hall, ready to attack. Several corpses and half rotten skeletons littered the floor. A sour smell mingled with the air. This hall was very different from the other parts of the academy. For a start, this hall had been left to fall into ruin, unlike the other parts, which were well kept and grand. It had been left to fall into ruin because shadow beasts or creatures were at their strongest there. When you entered, you would have to kill or be killed. Weaklings in the Freak Academy would soon perish.
In the shadows, a dark shape shifted around. The twins heard the thump of a tail and the click of claws on the stone floor. A large dragon shadow beast with a serpentine body about 5 metres long, paced out into a stray beam of sunlight. It's body was scaly and a muddy-green colour, speckled with the occasional flecks of black. Deadly spikes and spines jutted out of the creature's back and tail. It's claws were curved and taped to a needle-sharp point. The dragon's canines protruded from its mouth and it's giant muscles rippled as it sat down and lazily swished it's tail.
It leered at the twins with it's yellow pus-coloured eyes. A low growl emitted from it throat, opening it's mouth to reveal it's serrated, blood-stained teeth. The dragon licked it's canines with it's tongue. The shadow beast was taking it's time. Obviously the creature didn't see the twins as much of a threat. Throwing it's head back in an ear-piecing roar, it lunged at Ken.
Pitiful creature. He thought, battering it away with his wings, as if it were nothing more than a mere fly, it's spikes and claws useless against Ken. It met the wall head-on with a startled yelp. Ken didn't move to finish it of. He waited for it to attack again.
"These creatures are so pathetic. Not even worth killing. There's no pleasure in making them suffer. Let's kill it now." Said Akako, as the creature unsteadily rose to it's feet. It bleed from a gash next to it’s eye. It snarled and charged at Akako, who met it on with equal speed, driving his fist hard into it’s skull. It cracked with a sickening sound and the beast fell onto it's back, twitching, it's tongue lolling out of it's mouth. Then it lay still.
Black smoke receded from the dragon's body, leaving it to join the corpses in the hall. The smoke seemed to scrutinise the twins before sinking sluggishly into the cold stone floor.
"That's intriguing... the last time a shadow beast took over another creature's bond was a hundred years ago. Things are changing." Ken observed.
"Yeah. Anyway, c'mon. We have a girl to get." The twins walked out of the hall. They sprung into the sky, their large wings swishing soundlessly through the air. The twins began their journey to the Nekozawa Academy.
