CHPT 442: Swordsman of Blood and Battle....

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VWOOMP!

SkyHaven's uncharacteristic warmth was a mere memory in the wake of the new world that was the Tangents. The dark of the night outside was gone in a flash. One step, and suddenly worlds away. Under a blinding sun, the thick golden rays reflected off the crystalline grains of sand that formed dunes and hills for miles.

It would've been a peaceful sight. But there were horrors hidden in the sands. And this was a Tangent. Full of obnoxious people.

Then again, everyone was obnoxious to Maris. To some degree at least....

"Alright students, you know the drill. Get the job done, learn something. Leave this Tangent as something more than what you entered as. A Heroes greatest attribute is growth. Grow here." Prof. Raizen told the students.

The students shouted out a, "Yes, sir!" in varying forms before everyone began breaking off into their groups. They all traveled in a thin line, spaced and fragmented to combat possible Raider attacks and Monster ambushes. As a result, the line of students simply split in forking turns and twists to head to where they thought fortune would meet them. Fortune in the form of a Boss. That was always the goal and payout in the Tangents.

No reason to waste time. Maris exchanged a brief look between Isaac and Warren before she headed off into a sprint. It was always a good idea to get ahead before Conroy and his team found them. That was the plan at least.

"Hey, guys." Prof. Raizen's voice stopped her mid-stride.

The trio turned to face the Professor. As usual, he looked worn.... experienced. His features split between European and Asian and held by a grimly set face sprinkled with greying stubble. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword strapped at his hip. The last time he drew it, they were on the verge of losing to an Undead Giant. That was three weeks ago.

He'd become a helicopter parent of sorts ever since.

"We will not be safe. It's not possible.... this is a world made into a battleground." Maris said before he could tell them what he'd regularly begun to.

"We can be cautious though." Isaac said, nodding to Prof. Raizen while sliding on his Knights helm fit with his family insignia.

Prof. Raizen nodded before looking back to Maris. He still remembered when he first met her during training. She barely had anything other than a shirt, pants and a sword. Now fully laced in black and blue reinforced armor with blades, throwing knives and every other sharp object imaginable. She looked completely different. She'd grown since then with her Knight and Archer. He'd even seen her begin to show emotion.... wants and needs. Pain and loss.

He could see it in her eyes. She wanted to know if he knew any new details on Claude and Ursula.

He shook his head. The jaw muscles in Maris' young oval face flexed repeatedly.

"I'm only letting you run three's because I respect your reasons. Don't make me regret it." Prof. Raizen said after adressing the other two once again.

Somewhere in the distance thundering rumbles shook the sands. Was it always storming?

Warren shivered, "Will do..... hehe." Prof. Raizen still shook him to the core. No human alive should have boogeyman-esque stories. Especially when they had literal boogeymen and more.

"We're leaving now." Maris stated before pulling up her half mask, "Do not follow us. If we're going to function as warriors, we need to train as such. Go help the students who actually need it."

Prof. Raizen smiled faintly, "Right."

In a flash of lightning, he dashed across the sands to watch over and evaluate the students sprinkled across the Tangent grounds. In his wake, the sands were burned into roads of pristine steaming glass.

Warren threw up his lanky fatless arms and sighed, "AWE FUCK! Finally, now we can address the less terrifying stuff.... like nightmarish monsters."

"Yes. Exactly." Maris agreed.

They took off shortly after, kicking up sand and bone with each step. None of them had the sensory gifts of Claude or the other Beast Tamers in their class that would've allowed them to detect the enemy miles before the battle, so they had to get ahead with a bit more effort.

Warren's eyes were sharp. They topped hills to get eyes on nearby students. They sifted through the sands for evidence of monstrous life. All they found after thirty minutes of travel was bone. Rats and other vermin according to Isaac.

They sat huddled around their current find. A standout amongst the others. A clue far more accurate than the shouts of elemental blasts of the students in the distance.

A finger. A Human finger.

"Man.... what the hell does that mean?" Warren questioned.

"It means someone came in here before us..... or they were always here." Isaac replied from his left.

"That isn't possible though, right? I mean Humans aren't a Tangent creature."

"Zombies are.... so are Vampires."

Warren made a grossed-out expression that scrunched up the chocolate-colored skin of his forehead. "We would've smelled all of those before seeing them."

"There would also be more water. The Undead likes wate--"

FWOO!

Someone flew through the winds towards them. Maris unsheathed a wrist blade and spun around and slash at the object. Barely any weight, dry.... odorless. It cracked more than cut as her blade ran it's course.

It fell behind her in three dried out pieces like torn cloth.

She didn't look at it, instead eyeing the two women ahead of her. They'd come up the hill soundlessly and without effort. At least that was the case for one of them, the other was breathing quite heavily. Despite the two being twins they had clear differences.

Reddish brown skin, smooth enough to woo many. It made their snow-white hair and blue-green eyes stand out that much more. One wore it in a bob with a well-mannered precision and neatness that matched her black Detectives cloak and form fitting armor beneath. Her twin sister wore her hair long-- a little more wild. A sentiment that matched her torn cloak, thicker armor and even larger frame.

Det. Mixus. The twin Detectives stationed at the University by Rollan had began digging into Maris and the other's lives in Claude and Ursula's absence, even sleeping in his room.

"Lizardfolk. Serpentine Variants with Venom that holds a strong necrotic agent. Watch the sands." The slimmer short-haired one of the two said. She was usually the only one who spoke anyway. Her blue eyes never left Maris.

Even as Maris blood pulsed with rage.

"Do you really think we needed a handout?"

Det. Mixus shrugged, "Your thoughts on the matter don't contribute to the investigation. Your battles on the other hand do. We're speeding along the process to better do our jobs. Now please, Heroes, with the knowledge we've given you, fight."

Maris drew her sword.

"Stay out of the way."

Det. Mixus nodded, "Swordsmen tend to rely heavily on their Element, more so than the other classes according to recent global statistics posted from The Sunlands. You're at a disadvantage in this desert. Be careful, Maris."

Maris cut her hand with her blade before taking off to find the Lizardfolk with her teammates. One thought circulated her mind. A thought that never remained far from her ever since her System screen changed...

"Water isn't my only Element."