Masquerade of Madness: Kidnapping Him

Creed disliked all of his human teachers. He also hated most of the student population. He felt sorry for Crystal, who kept getting asked where Brandon was. Multiple students tried to pull on Sue's silky black hair, only to face his wrath with a warning look to back off.

Creed sat in the classroom, tired and frustrated. He hid his head in his arms on his desktop.

Terrence stood in his usual spot on the roof, taking his usual smoke break. It can't be, he thought to himself as he looked out over the streets and spotted a figure coming toward the school. It is, his old friend. Terence rushed down the stairs, almost knocking over Miss Darlene, the principal, as he raced through the hall and out to the gate. "Vincent! Vincent!" he called, filled with surprise and enthusiasm.

"Terrence!" Vincent forced a smile to greet his old friend, although he was far from happy.

"How is Creed?" he asked immediately, coming right to the point.

"Good, I mean that he's doing well. A few fights here and there, if you know what I mean."

"He is staying with you, right? That is what we had talked about."

"No. I had no idea he was coming so soon. That is your fault for leaving out the details the last time we talked." They walked toward the school silently. Terrence guided Vincent to his office to continue their conversation in private.

Vincent looked around the untidy office. The pungent tobacco odor was unmistakable. Only peeling paint decorated the walls, and cigarette burns filled the carpet. And butts of cigarettes were everywhere. Not the typical domain for a Casalyian, he thought, but typical for Terrence.

Terrence relaxed somewhat and took a deep breath to continue their conversation. "He found a decent place to stay, and I wasn't expecting him at that time, anyway. Crappy communication there, Vincent. But the kid is all right. There were some sightings of Nards in the area and an altercation involving Creed, but he is okay."

"Where is Creed staying?" Vincent asked, concerned:

"At the Azure house."

Mininna stationed Nards on each side of the school gate. Using an ability called telescottpe, she made them blend into the surroundings, like camouflage.

(Telescottpe blends objects into the surrounding area, by bending the air and material molecules. the issue with this ability is it looks slightly unnatural.)

Creed looked out the window as something caught his attention outside. He thought he saw something moving, but he must have been mistaken. No, maybe his injured head was playing tricks on him.

Creed turned his attention back toward his desk where his history teacher went on and on about the history of the First Pangaean Era. "After the first . . . blah . . . was formed . . . blah . . ." Less than half the information made its way to Creed's brain.

As he spoke, Sue took notes, many notes on something she already knew. But she needed to do something. She studied the students in the classroom. Some listened, while others just sat, staring at the chalkboard and daydreaming.

Outside, Mininna grew impatient. Maybe they should storm the school, she thought, but that would be impractical. The element of surprise was their best bet.

"Why are you really here Vincent?" Terrence asked. He took a long puff, then tossed his cigarette, not really caring where it landed.

"I believe I can also find Mininna here with the humans. I also think there might be a revolution coming to Casalynn."

"I told you that ever since the first day we started high school. It's only later in life, though, that I learned about how corrupt Casalynn really is. Sure, the royalty is clean, but the council is far from it. I left Casalynn because I knew too much."

Vincent nodded, agreeing. "Tell me about my wife."

"I wasn't there when it happened, but I heard about plans to erase her memory and leave her with the humans. I tried to warn you, but by the time I got there, you were on another war mission, and Mininna thought I was nuts. Then I had to leave Casalynn."

Terrence sat curled in the window. "Do you want to know about your mom?"

"I know the story," Vincent said coldly.

"No, you don't. The original target was Creed. Your mom just got in the way, and the rest is history."

"I have the Darkness of Casalynn in me."

This time Terrence reached for an ashtray located on top of a file cabinet. "Do you?" he smirked. "Can you control it? Is that why you're here to see me?"

"No, just to ask about Creed and my wife."

Terrence shrugged. "A social call then? But I will tell you something interesting – how your mom and the Nard king reproduced."

"I do not want to know!" Vincent spoke emphatically.

"I'm going to tell you anyway. Our race created a special chamber to 'decurse' the Nard king. So when the Nard king entered the chamber, he apparently looked humanoid. And then they mated."

"I told you I did not want to know!"

"But after the Nard king left the chamber, the curse returned. The whole experience greatly weakened him, they say."

"You are just full of disgusting facts!"

Finally, the last bell of the day rang out. Creed was more than enthusiastic to hear it. He grabbed his books and squeezed through the scrambling students in the hallway to run out into the glaring afternoon sun. Sue followed him, while Crystal lagged behind.

"I wonder how Ashley's doing," she said with a faraway look on her face.

Suddenly two Nard claws grabbed Creed, and the camouflage ended.

Both Vincent and Terrence sensed the Nard presence at the same time.

Some students upon seeing the hideous creatures, ran back toward the school while others froze in their tracks with fright.

Mininna stepped out from behind one of the Nards. "So this is the Casalyian. Let's take him to our world, to the Temple of Salvation."

Creed panicked as he tried to struggle. The Nards caught him off guard, and they had a firm hold on him. What is this . . . Mininna speaking the grunts and groans of the Nards . . . Alive. . . Why. . . his thoughts collapsed with his body, as he fell unconscious from the massive blow to his already wounded head.

Vincent made it outside just in time to see Mininna. His wide eyes revealed his shock.