Manticore

The beast showed itself, as it slowly moved into the light. A large iron chain was wrapped tightly around the base of its neck.

Several students began to slowly step back. Chase; however, did not move in an inch. 

Something about the beast barring its fangs toward the group of students, and Professor Zelenna standing idly with an amused smirk sitting on her face: pissed him off. 

However, before he could raise his hand in order to participate in this challenge, another hand rose in front of him. 

A taller boy with red hair, and a cocky grin on his face, had stood tall, offering himself as the first of the students that would attempt at taming the beast. 

Jack, spoke out. 

"I'll do it, it is just a young Manticore after all."

Zelenna looked as if she wanted to burst out into laughter. 

"You? In all my years of teaching no student has willingly chosen to go first, I usually just have to randomly call on an unsuspecting kid."

She said, chuckling loudly. 

Jack's expression did not change, but a small vein began to show itself on the corner of his mouth.

Chase stood silently, eventually stepping forward for a better view. 

The red-haired noble began to walk toward the beast. 

As the footsteps echoed through the silent yard, the Manticore bared its fangs at the boy. 

Two terrifying fangs, each the size of a small dagger, sat on the corners of the top row of the mighty monster's teeth. 

The beast stomped its paw into the ground, causing dirt to fly into the air, and some students to even scream out in terror. 

"Well, I really hope you paid attention in class, or else you're really gonna have a bad time."

Professor Zelenna called out, her expression hardening a little. 

Jack made his way toward the beast slowly. Chase had no doubt that the brat was finally realizing the true direness in his situation.

The boy raised one hand, nearing the beast. 

"G- Goo- Good kitty..."

He said softly, noticing the beast had began to calm down, now looking down at the boy. 

Jack continued to get closer to the beast, now only the distance of a couple meters. 

His expression was unseeable, because of the angle that Chase was spectating from. 

The boy then let out a soft chuckle, followed by a bitter laugh, as he grew even closer to the beast, who had been looking down at him with an intense gaze. 

"What did I say? It's just a damn cat!"

Suddenly, a roar escaped the lips of the beast, and Zelenna had already moved; however, it was a little to late. 

The beast struck the boy in the side, sending him flying into the dirt, nearly twenty meters away.

Students gasped, and screamed; however, Chase remained silent, a sense of joy filling him. Sure, it was wrong for this of all things to make him happy, but if he was being honest...

'The brat deserved it...'

Zelenna had already made her way over to the boy, helping his sluggish body up. 

It was quite obvious that several of his ribs had been shattered from the beast, but Chase wasn't worried about that, the healers of Phoenix Academy were truly something else, and would fix him up swiftly. 

The Manticore however, truly began to intrigue him, as the beast had calmed down, and was now staring directly at him, now standing in the front row of the students.

Chase felt a powerful presence, overflowing with Primis behind him, but he had already grown accustomed to one of the new members of their little group.

"Whatever you're going to do... I wouldn't do it, if I were you..."

Gabriel said, his voice quiet, yet calm. 

Chase did not even bother to look at the boy, and began to pierce the Manticore with a gaze. 

"You're not me though."

He stepped forward. 

The gathering of students silenced immediately, and what looked like a devilish grin twisted onto the Lion head of the Manticore. 

Taking slow, and cautiously paced strides- he felt loose dirt crumble, underneath his black academy shoes. 

 Chase was wearing a simple white T-shirt with undersleeves, that he really didn't want to stain, but it was no matter. Not now...

He heard the barely audible whispers of his fellow classmates, some were expected, and some were not.

"The damn Stray thinks he's gonna do something."

"He is going to die, why isn't the teacher doing anything."

"Stupid kid finally knows his place- six feet under the academy dirt..."

Chase ignored them all, instead a light smile growing on his face.

"What are you doing! That's s-..."

Professor Zelenna' s voice trailed off, as she carried Jack over to one of the benches. 

The Manticore immediately let out a low growl, as it lowered its body. 

Its piercing blue eyes, seemed to stare right into Chase's very soul, yet he did not falter.

Something about the monstrous beast, like others- seemed to call to him. Almost as if he was on the verge of learning something vital.

Chase began to feel it, a terrible burn on his shoulder. In the very same spot that the marking Sparky had given him rested.

'This is it...'

He thought, getting closer to the beast, his arms swaying slowly at his sides.

'The boy who should not have lived...'

He told himself in his head, he called himself in his head, and made sure to nail it into his mind. 

A numbness swelled up in his leg, memories of when he had nearly been crippled in the den of the Hollow, flooded his mind. 

Chase felt his eyes glisten, as most sounds went in one ear, and out of the other. 

The smell of burning flesh radiated his nostrils, as he noticed that it was his own body melting underneath a powerful heat.

'Runes... This is it...'

He recalled the former lessons of the previous days, and how a Manticore can only be tamed through raw power.

The beast refused to accept a master that was weaker than him, or even showed any signs of fear for that matter.

'Screw it all...'

His small smile, twisted into the same grin that the beast was wearing.

Its eyes slowly followed him with a hint of hunger, as he made his way closer, step by step. 

The air grew hot, and sweat began to build up across Chase's body.

Suddenly, the chains rattled, and the beast shot forward with a powerful pounce.

He seen it coming, and yet he refused to dodge. Evading meant showing fear, and showing fear would get him killed.

So he put his arms up, and trusted in the words that the assistant healer had spoken on the day that he had nearly lost his arm. 

'Durability based affinity.' 

SLAM!

The weight of the world hit Chase like an unstoppable force...