Twisted Blood

Hunters didn't actually sleep. They were specially trained not to. During REM sleep, the body releases a neurochemical that paralyses every muscle except the heart and the eyes. This stops one from acting out one's dreams. Hunters were trained to stop their bodies from releasing that neurochemical while also honing their senses to be more alert while they were as inactive as they were when sleeping. Heightened senses and non-paralysis when sleeping meant they could spring to action and know what was happening around them without being tired. This wasn't a permanent alternative to sleep; only an added measure.

Extended periods without proper sleep would catch up to a hunter and cause a number of health issues from insomnia to hormonal imbalances. Not to mention fatigue and strain. Since night outs weren't active yet, the guardians could still enjoy regular sleep with paralysis and their average sensory activity.

Ridley took her line of work very seriously; she was always up early while her family snoozed in. She went jogging every morning from the headmaster's residence, down to the stables. Which was more than half the length of the Donun Academy.

The air was cool and the sky was a gloomy blue hue. The dew was fresh and crisp blades of grass were wet from it. The early birds' songs were in the trees while the lanterns were still on to light the way.

A few moon students were loitering around tiredly from their first night of classes. Their timetable was the same as the sun students' only twelve hours earlier: breakfast at 19:00; school started at 20:00 and ended at 02:00; dinner was at 07:00; curfew was 09:00 and lights out was 09:30.

Dane was among them. He didn't look like he was doing any guardian-related duties and was coolly strolling through the quad with his classmates when Ridley detoured passed the school hall. She stopped to drink water at the nearby water fountain. She straightened up to take in the cool breeze that brushed through her.

Dane and three other ampyra boys cruised up to her while she was preparing for her run back home. "Ridley," Dane called before she could speed off. "Hey." She said nothing and instead took in the other three boys with him. "Are you okay? Clarke- I mean principal Axel told Jakob about the attack." She nodded mutely then stood before them, anticipating anything from the three other boys. "Oh right. Ridley, this is Lloyd, Simon-Paul and Kenneth. Guys, this is-"

"The girl who effortlessly beat up Simon-Paul, Lyle, Marcus, Jameson and Demetri at last year's Christmas ball," Kenneth cut in. "The five buffest guys in the moon class, all at once." He grabbed her hand and shook it eagerly. "Huge fan of your work."

"Er, she only won because I was distracted," Simon-Paul added.

"Yeah and I'm vegan," Lloyd stated sarcastically. He was scrawny and looked like he could break easily. He contrasted to Simon-Paul, who looked too muscular for his white shirt. "That's why you never see me stem."

Kenneth cleared his throat, still holding Ridley's hand. "On the topic of stemming," he purred with his eyes shifting on her, "I don't suppose the lady allows for live stemming."

Dane squeezed between the two, freeing Ridley's hand from Kenneth's. "Whoa, whoa. Now you're barking up the wrong tree," he replied. "She's not that type of girl."

"How do you know," Llyod argued. "You train together and you work together but it's a known fact that Ridley Axel doesn't talk a lot. She could be into stemming and-"

"I'm not," Ridley stated coldly then walked away from them.

After losing the ampyras on the path, she ran her fingers over the bite mark. Stemming was just the politically correct term for feeding. Live stemming was when an ampyra fed straight from the source. Dunon - the whole town - had a major blood drive to feed its ampyra population and also for medicinal reasons.

Before the Class F bit her, Ridley had been bitten before. That night, she was doing a perimeter check with Dane. It was late and he didn't have break yet so she allowed him to stem her - mostly out of curiosity for the sensation. Some people went crazy from how wonderful it felt while others outright hated it. Ridley was somewhere between understanding why people enjoyed it and being discomforted by the feeling.

She charged back home to get ready for the day and found the household still. Esmeralda was awake and already underway with her daily routine. Ridley soundlessly stepped out of the bathroom wearing a towel. Ryan huffed at her before shoving her side to get into the bathroom to get ready. Ridley's hair was also dressed in a towel that she used to dry it.

"You used all the hot water," Ryan bellowed. Still Ridley nonchalantly dried her hair while heading for her bedroom. "For once, can you not be such a self-focused bitch!" Ridley closed the door to her room mutely. "And you have my towel!" The bedroom door opened and Ridley dropped the towel in front of her room, leaving it there.

Ryan groaned her fluster before marching up to the door to collect her damp towel. When she returned to the bathroom door, it was locked. "You snooze, you lose, Rye," Clarke remarked from the other side.

Ryan stalked back to her room while Ridley was getting dressed. The school uniform was a white button up shirt with a green and black plaid skirt (or grey trousers for the boys). There was also the grey knee socks, the green tie and the black blazer. Then, the sun students had a sun lapel pin while the moon students had a moon lapel pin.

The Guardian Program students were the only ones allowed to have weapons on them and they usually did. Mostly to show off their showmanship to their friends. In Ridley's case, she carried them because it was her obligation. Her garter was strapped under her skirt- and out of sight - while she had foldable sword in her tote bag. Not forgetting the consealed daggers in the soles of all her right foot sneakers.

Downstairs, Esmeralda was already dressed in a navy pencil skirt and white blouse with her matching stilettos. She handed Ridley a bowl of muesli and a mug of hot water with sugar and lemon juice. The redblood ampyra pulled out a pint of Clarke's blood from the refrigerator and emptied it into a cup to microwave.

Clarke came bouncing down the stairs of the dated manor dressed in his blue suit and tie. He poured himself a steamy cup of coffee and paired it with jam-drenched toast. "Stop antagonising Ryan," he ordered coolly.

"Stop feeling sorry for her," Ridley countered softly then sipped her hot water. She hated coffee; it wasn't designed for someone like her.

Ryan came scurrying down the stairs then grabbed a few slices of toast and downed her coffee quickly. "I'm out," she bellowed then ran for the door.

"Where're you going," Esmeralda called. Her Jean Grey-coloured hair was curled and in a ponytail.

"Early bird and worms," was all Ryan replied before the door slammed shit behind her.

Esmeralda chuckled in reply as she sipped her steamy blood. "She's her father's child," she sang then patted Clarke's shoulder. Ridley finished her breakfast then took off for the main part of the school. "Don't forget you've got patrol tonight," her stepmother reminded.

Ridley said nothing as she pulled out a book from her tote. The walk to the main buildings wasn't far, just downhill. The sun students were abuzz with conversation while Ryan was nowhere in sight. Ridley leaned into one of the outside hallway pillars and left her schoolmates to go about their business while she was buried in a book.

As for Ryan, she was reunited with Carson and Moonbeam further up the hallway. They were taking reunion selfies together until a pair of beefy hands covered Ryan's eyes. Alex's hands faltered down to her waist, where he hugged her from behind. "I missed you so much," he whispered sweetly.

Carson stepped away from them with a grin while Moonbeam joined her side. Alex was faintly muscular with chocolatey hair and his dark hazel eyes were illuminated by the sight of his secret girlfriend. Ryan beamed uncontrollably at him while Moonbeam went to hug him. "We missed you too, dickhead," she hissed playfully.

"Moonie," he replied then gathered in a hug with one arm and fist pumped Carson with the other. "So we're seniors."

"Fuck that," Moonbeam replied then turned to Ryan. "We've got a fledged hunter." She picked up her friends arm and gently revealed the bandage underneath.

"What!"

"Surprise?"

"Why didn't you tell me," Alex countered.

"I didn't want to drag," Ryan lied as they started down the hallway. "It's also not that big a deal," she lied on.

"Yeah, it is," Moonbeam and Carson replied together. "How's Bitter Betsy, over there, taking it," Moonbeam asked, pointing shamelessly at Ridley. "I bet she wants to rip you to shreds because you got yours first."

"Careful," Carson warned. "It bites."

The girls started laughing while Alex took in Ridley with pity. She didn't waver from reading her book, she only motioned to head into the hall. "I feel kind of bad for her," Alex admitted and it silenced the girls. "Guys, she's got nobody. Literally everyone thinks she's a homicidal psycho."

"Oh, she is," Ryan countered. "Trust me. She once looked at a corpse for ten minutes for no reason."

"Maybe she's a necrophile," Moonbeam whispered as they slid into their row.

Ridley settled in the very back row while her sister and her friends were somewhere in the middle. "Rye," Alex called, still not giving up. "Does she really not have any friends?"

"Not one," Ryan replied nonchalantly then took off her blazer and laid it over her lap. Underneath it, she snuck her hand into Alex's. "Give it a rest. That's what she wants," she whispered. "And this is what I want," she added then squeezed his hand.

Clarke walked up to the podium with the teachers in the chairs on the stage. Ridley tossed her book into her black tote bag then combed her hair down with her fingers. "Good morning," principal Axel began. "On behalf of the teachers and myself, welcome to another school year at Dunon Academy. We welcome our first years and all new students. We hope that your time with us will be fulfilling."

"Hey... um... I want to talk about tonight," Alex whispered. "Back of the library during lunch?"

"Um. I can't," Ryan stated urgently. "I'm meeting my- I mean... there's someone I have to meet."

"Who?"

Ryan turned to him slowly with her eyebrows furrowed as she wracked her brain for something to blurt out. Before she could get anything out, there was a light applause. Ryan turned to see her father applaud with the rest of the assembly as Nick Hammon strutted down the aisle to collect his head boy badge.

He shook principal Axel's hand before returning to his seat. Clarke nodded to himself before he went on with the assembly. "We also have some awards from over the summer; firstly on behalf of The Hunt, a congratulations to Ryan Axel for earning her hunter gradus."

A hearty applause laced with surprise and cheers filled the school hall while Ryan made towards the stage. She tried hard to swallow her glimmer of 'grr' from the surprised murmurs and glances she got. It was no secret that everyone anticipated Ridley to get her hunter gradus first. Everyone knew she was as lethal as their principal. If not mildly more fearless and agile.

The younger twin forced a grin as she faced her peers while shaking her father's hand. Alex roared the loudest over the cheers from the hall and Ryan could hide the rosy hue in her cheeks. He always had a way of making her situation vanish. He stood up with Carso and Moonbeam following suit and Moonbeam jumped on the spot while Carson cupped her hands over her mouth to roar her support.

"That's my best friend," Moonbeam roared when the applause died out.

The entire student body started laughing lightly while Ryan modelled back towards her seat. Alex squeezed her hand when she sat back down then stroked her knuckles. Ryan laced her fingers with his, covering their hands with her blazer. She exhaled lightly. She missed the sensations he caused her.

"Also," Clarke went on, "congratulations to Dane Sorensen, in the moon class, and Ridley Axel on their placements at the International Archery Festival in America." A light applause sounded as Ridley trudged to her father. "Dane achieved a silver medal, a gold medal and two bronze medals with 85.7% accuracy while Ridley achieved three gold medals and two platinum medals with 100% accuracy."

The older Axel was nonchalant in her journey to the stage while her sister had a bounce in her stride. The student body wasn't fanatical about Ridley's accolades; they all lined her blazer. Along her left lapel were all her honours badges and above her pockets were her scrolls of awards. Unchangingly Ridley shook her father's hand. She coolly stepped away to return to her seat.

After assembly, the sun students went their ways to class. Ryan was off to Maths with Moonbeam while Carson and Alex had English with Ridley. Mrs Hues, the English teacher, was a non-ampyra but she showed no sign of aging. Her classroom - along with all the classrooms on campus - had an auditorium lecture styled set up.

Like in the school hall, Ridley settled at the back of the classroom. She juggled up the steps and made herself scarce to everyone. Alex glanced over his shoulder to see her unpacking her books. She didn't seem particularly fazed by her situation but Alex wasn't buying it; she had to feel some way about being so isolated.

Mrs Hues cleared her throat then turned to the library of books that surrounded her chalkboard. "Welcome back, everyone," she greeted warmly with a smirk tugging at her narrow lips. "I hope you all had a good summer."

"It was too short," Carson grumbled and there were hums of agreement.

"Too short," Mrs Hues echoed with a light laugh. "I can't say I disagree. Nonetheless, all good things come to an end." Ridley's dark eyes caught a glimpse of Alex's on her. He nodded with a small smile at her but her face was still unchanging when she turned back to Mrs Hues. "This year, we're going to be reading 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde. It's a little darker, a little more philosophical than our previous reads."

"Ben Barnes," Sibyl purred in front of Ridley. "He was so hmm in the movie," she directed to Danielle.

"Sibyl," Mrs Hues hissed. "We all know there's a Sibyl in the novel but you clearly seem to know something we don't. Care to share?"

Sibyl smirked slyly at their teacher then replied, "'The Picture of Dorian Gray' is about a young man named Dorian Gray who has a portrait painted of himself. The artist, Basil Hallward, thinks Dorian Gray is very beautiful, and becomes obsessed with him. Dorian does some bad things, while his portrait becomes more aged with each bad deed. Supposedly Gray was based on a living person; a member of Wilde's homosexual circle in the early 1890s when the story was first published."

"Well, meow," Danielle replied softly.

"Well, now," Mrs Hues added, nodding her impressed. "I'm glad summer school ironed out your creases. Unless that was just the Wikipedia page talking."

Sniggers filled the auditorium while Sibyl's pride deflated. Mrs Hues started handing out the copies of the novel. "Ouch," Danielle whispered.

"The Preface is a series of concise witty sayings, called epigrams. They express the major points of Wilde's aesthetic philosophy. In short, the epigrams praise beauty and oppose the notion that art serves a moral purpose," Mrs Hues stated after everyone had a copy. "Let's read."

When the bell rang, Ridley was the first one out of the classroom. Alex furrowed his eyebrows as he realised that she was always the first one in and the first one out of a classroom. His new fixation on his secret girlfriend's twin sister was allowing for never before noted revelations.

All throughout class, he would glance back at her only to find her completely unbothered by her surroundings. She read along with a better portion of the class, while the rest were at their vices of boredom. Carson cleared her throat lightly at Alex when his observation turned to mindless staring.

Ridley read their English reader while cruising to history. Moonbeam was slightly behind her as she joined the migration to history with Carson. Alex watched them vanish down the hallway before going along to join Ryan in art. Ryan set up an easel for each of them and had a grin on her face while tying on her apron.

Alex forced a small smile then settled beside her with his bag slung under his easel. "What're we reading in English," Ryan whispered while Mr Goodrich began with his yearly 'art is an everything' speech. "Is it good? You know, as far as English readers go."

"It's, er, the, um, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'," he replied softly. "It sounds interesting. I wasn't really paying attention," he admitted. "This Ridley thing is really bothering me."

Ryan's lips parted at the mention of her sister's name. She shook her head then swallowed the lump of annoyance in her throat. "Ridley is like a pigeon in the street," she replied slowly. "She's always alone and if you drive too closer to her, she'll fly away. Just leave her to fly away."

"Is that what you do?" Ryan nodded shamelessly in reply. "Okay. What's her favourite colour?" Ryan furrowed her eyebrows in reply. "Tell me her favourite colour and I'll drop it. That's the deal. So what's her favourite colour?"

"Huh," Ryan replied thoughtfully.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she thought it over; she had no idea what Ridley's favourite colour was. Or anything she liked, other than dated weaponry and isolation. "You don't know your own sister's favourite colour?"

"It's black," Ryan blurted out. Even if it wasn't Ridley's favourite, how would Alex know? He could ask her but the chances of her actually telling him were really low.

"Black?"

"Black."

Alex nodded lightly then turned back to Mr Goodrich. "Black," he stated.

"Black," Ryan repeated. "Now let it go."

"... so art is, in fact, an everything," Mr Goodrich concluded. "Now, as per usual, on the first day of school I want you to visualise your everything. Something that means the world to you. And if you collage, spray paint, mold, finger paint, any other medium BTS or whatever Far East pop sensation you fancy again, you're all sitting artistic detention."

By lunch, it was clear that summer was long gone. Carson, Moonbeam and Alex were sitting under an acorn tree on the two large boulders between the library and the parking area. The school's kitchen served its famous rock hard macaroni and cheese portions.

As promised, Ryan was missed. Apart from the Ridley fixation, Alex had a Ryan issue to sort out. The couple were secretly dating and they had a date planned. The reason they kept their relationship secret was because of the Vow of Loyauté, which was more of a law than a vow.

The vow stated that until a hunter earned their mana gradus, they were not allowed to be romantically involved. The mana gradus wasn't part of a series since it was considered above the Nonentity series yet below the Judicious series.

It was usually an easy gradus to attain since there wasn't a specific way or job that led to its possession. Clarke was awarded his after saving a Class E from a group of Class Fs. Most hunters earned their mana through services that were a mix between huntership and ordinary acts of bravery and duty. It was sort of proving oneself worthy to be a hunter.

While Alex wallowed in his twin sister troubles, his girlfriend was hiding in the trees along the northern lines of the school. One of the most desolate areas of the school, apart from the patrolling hunters. Ryan shied deeper into the cluster of trees, careful not to alert any of the hunters.

A pale hand of long bony digits gagged her and dragged her deeper into the forest. All her years of composure training evidently went out the window from the woman who dragged her into a small clearing. The woman effortlessly tossed Ryan into the sunlight with a menacing chuckle.

The woman had a black asymmetrical pixie cut and she wore a green ballgown that didn't belong in the twenty-first century. She had the twins' cat eyes their petite noses. She glided around the shadow lines of the trees as she hummed a cattish chuckle.

"Now I see where all that built up hate and insecurity comes from," she purred mockingly. "Compared to your sister, you are pathetic." Ryan stood up and blindly charged for the woman. With no effort at all, the woman swatted Ryan clean across the clearing. "I see you are also not very bright," he added while Ryan sat up. "Word of advice: don't ever try to attack a goldblood head on. Especially if that goldblood is your mother."

Ryan exhaled roughly as she stood up. "Whatever you want, go bother Ridley!" The Bubbly Axel exhaled ruefully then started back for her school. "Clearly you like her more, just like everyone else," she added sadly.

Renee planted her palm into Ryan's shoulder. "I can help. Remember, " she whispered.

"Not interested."

"Let me remind you of how we met," Renee persisted. "I came here, intent on killing all of you! And what do I find? My oldest with a minor Class F bite in her neck and my youngest wallowing in self-pity because nobody cared that she made hunt. If you let me help, not only will they all adore you and but..." she sang.

"But what?"

Renee leaned into Ryan's ear and whispered, "I won't have to slaughter everyone you know and love one by one, in front of you. Including that little heart throb. What's his name? Alex. Alex Samuelson." Ryan swallowed hard from the intimidation and also winced from her mother crushing her shoulder. "There's just one thing I want in return."

"What is it," Ryan trembled.

"I'll let you know when I need it," Renee replied as she dropped her hand. "In the meantime, if you want to be better than her, you're going to need to one up her. A status ranking is one thing but she outranks you in everything else. I suppose you could say she inherited the better of the goldblood genes. She's faster, stronger, more agile and more precise than any blackblood I've ever seen in my millennium. Even without hunter training, she could easily beat Clarke one-on-one."

"How do you know," Ryan jeered in jealousy.

"I am your mother, aren't I?" Ryan exhaled shakily then took a step back. "And like I said, I came here to slaughter you all. No idiot would just blindly attack an entire family of hunters. I had a strategy but like the weather, that changed very quickly." Renee undid the laces on her corset. "You want to beat your sister, here's part one," she stated revealing her neck.

Her daughter backed away further, shaking her head. "You're insane." She shook her head growing more sure of her cowardice. "I won't do it."

Renee smirked menacingly in reply. "A goldblood's blood is a powerful steroid," was all she said. Her daughter sized her up then swallowed hard. She crept closer, cautiously, then grazed her mother's unblemished neck. "You're a blackblood; ampyra or non-ampyra, you still have the ability to stomach blood."

Slowly Ryan pierced into Renee's neck and ravenously swallowed the flood of gold blood that poured into her mouth. She moaned hungrily then sucked down on the wound. When she came to her senses, she stepped back and coughed out what she didn't swallow.

"It's not a permanent effect; you'll have to stem again," Renee added. Ryan covered her mouth while tears swelled in her eyes. Her mother dug in her pocket and handed her vial of gold blood. "Make sure your sister drinks this."

"Why? You're supposed to give me the boost!"

"She'll only get a taste of it," Renee stated. "Once it wears off, your plan and mine will converge but," the goldblood added when her blackblood baby reached for the vial, "she has to drink the whole thing in order for this to work." Ryan took the vial then studied the gold blood inside. When she looked up, Renee was gone.

After school, Ridley was on patrol with Oliver. Oliver was the most buff of the guardians. He was so toned that it looked painful. He joined Ridley's side on the roof of the moon dorm and they stayed perfectly still. The sun students were going about their afternoon nonchalantly until the bell for dinner rang. Not even then did Oliver and Ridley budge. The sun students ventured off to their rooms for the evening while the moon students were heading down for breakfast.

It was then that Oliver and Ridley sprung to life; to make sure that there weren't any unsanctioned stemming activities or any interactions between the two classes that broke rules. Ridley stepped off the edge of the roof while Oliver pulled out his parkour skills along the roof's incline, the nearby tree and the windowsills.

The two guardians turned to each other before taking off in opposite directions. While Oliver covered the sun dorm and the areas on that side, Ridley covered the moon dorm then they would converge by the dining hall before returning to their posts. The evening was still with just the brush of the wind filling the silence. The moon dorm was mostly vacant, save for the hunters inside and the cleaning staff.

Simon-Paul and Danielle were chuckling together, halfway between the dining hall and the sun dorm. Simon-Paul had brown side swept hair with traces of blond highlights and dark eyes that were lined with gorgeously eyelashes. His beefy build took away from attractive he really was.

He and Danielle couldn't see Ridley from the cascade of shadow and also Ridley's ninja-like stealth. The moon boy hugged the sun girl before she retreated to her dorm. Simon-Paul watched her vanish into the building, smirking to himself. "Hi, Ridley," he greeted to the nothingness. She said nothing as she continued on her way. "Enjoy perimeter duty," he concluded before heading for breakfast.

The young guardian scanned the area around her while strolling stiffly around the moon dorm. There was nothing wrong with the immediate environment and the silence was unassuming. She paused back to the roof of the moon dorm while Oliver strolled towards his perch. That's how they stood throughout the night and made regular rounds around their watch.

The moon rose over them while moon students sank beneath. They trudged through their classes with Ridley and Oliver statues above them. Oliver stood with his hands in his pockets with his foot planted on the ledge. Ridley kept to herself and watched the view with the wind puffing through her loose black hair.

When the moon students came trudging out of the school, they were evidently exhausted. Oliver leaned over the edge to watch them returning to the moon dormitory. He surveyed the nighttime high school students. The first years were hiding from the seniors, who used them as slaves.

The thud behind the two guardians snapped them from their duty. Oliver spun around quickly while Ridley whipped out her retractable staff from her blazer pocket. "Easy," Dane stated then coolly walked up to them. Ridley returned to her post with her staff in her hand.

The moonlight shimmered over the silver staff and highlighted the vine pattern on it. She turned back down to her watch while Oliver kept his eyes on Dane. "You don't have duty tonight."

Dane nodded then walked up to them. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want to be down there," he stated. "Last update?"

"01:35. Status: clear."

"One of those nights," Dane stated with a nod then stepped between Oliver and Ridley.

Silence surrounded them. A key element in being a hunter was senses. Since vision was limited at night, hunters relied on their other senses. Silence was a necessity to hear for any changes in the environment. Special training gave them heightened senses to hear what other people wouldn't at distances that weren't normal.

Ridley retracted her staff but held onto it in its pen-sized form. Dane dug in his pocket for his earpiece and put it on while Oliver took in a different part of their view. Dane tugged his hands into his trousers pockets while Ridley tuned her ears to their surroundings.

The silence that followed was unsettling; it wasn't a normal silence. That time of the year, there should have been at least crickets creaking. Ridley extended her bo staff, earning attention from the two boys. "What is it," Oliver whispered.

"Listen."

Dane nodded in reply after he mutely obeyed. "There's nothing going on."

Ridley once again leaped off the edge of the roof, this time to investigate. "I don't get it," Oliver replied.

"No noise means there's a predator in the area," Dane stated and Oliver looked down at Ridley marching towards the silence. "Go. You might get your gradus tonight."

"You don't want yours?"

"Plenty of fish in the sea."

"Jakob, this's Oliver and Ridley," Oliver stated into his earpiece. "Westbound to the west garden." Dane watched him leap off the roof and follow Ridley. From the the large tree by the dining hall, they vanished.

Ridley crept silently into the garden, where the only source of light were the street lanterns. There was a street lantern in the middle of the fork-in-the-road of the brick path. One path led to the fountain at the heart of the garden and the other returned to the main building of the school. By the fountain, up ahead, Scary Axel saw the figure.

Oliver joined her side then took in the figure with uncertainty. "What if it's a student," he asked. "Or teacher? Or another hunter?" Ridley tightened her hold on the staff with a defensive position while Oliver still wasn't convinced. He turned to her slowly. "That would be a serious misdemeanour! You'd be suspended from duty for a month." Ridley made a head gesture towards the figure and Oliver turned to see it was a man charging at them. "Never mind."

He pulled out his own retractable weapon; a sword made from black steel. Out from behind the man, came a woman. Oliver swallowed hard as he braced himself for his first field fight. The man and the woman were fast but they quite a stretch of pathway to cover.

The man dove for Ridley who swung her staff like a bat. Her blackblood strength sent the man flying off the path. She pressed the end of her staff into the woman's chest and flipped her over her and Oliver. Ridley ushered the unnerved third year behind her, taking the lead. The man came snarling at them and once again dove for the guardians. Ridley smote him while the woman came from her blindspot. Oliver shoved her side blocked the woman with the length of his sword. The fight was on!

"Contact! Contact," Oliver hissed into his earpiece then repetitively smote at the woman, who gracefully avoided his sword. "Two Class E; male, female. West garden."

Ridley pulled out her dagger before she slid underneath the man. She planted his foot to the ground with the dagger and he let out a roar of agony. She leaped to her feet and caught a glimpse of the man in the light.

Lawrence Whitaker; he was a paladin - a rank lower that Clarke's ranger. He used to be a mentor at Dunon Academy, until he became a rogue. Rogue hunters were dishonourably discharged of duty and Whitaker was discharged after he became a hitman for hire.

The she-guardian gasped her surprise while Lawrence ripped the dagger out his foot. In a precise throw, he sent the dagger spiralling back to its owner. She let it fly straight passed her then regained her focus. This time, she charged for him. He was once as agile air but his age made him less precise.

He still managed to leap out of the way then plant his own dagger into Ridley's shoulder. She let out sirenic shriek that resonated through the west garden. Back on the roof of the moon dorm, Dane caught the tendrils of her scream at it made his black blood run cold. He leaped off the roof and charged towards the fray.

The woman had Oliver pinned to the ground with his sword out of reach. She hissed at him then bared her teeth at him. No ampyra really had distinguished fangs, just a mouth full of teeth. She leaned in closer and when she was in range, Oliver bit deep into her nose. With her stunned, he rolled over to pin her to the ground.

He unsheathed his gun from his inner pocket and fired a round into her head. He stammered backs to his feet and nearly tripped over Ridley's staff. He turned to see her squaring off with the man hand-to-hand, with him earning more blows.

Quickly Oliver picked up the staff and garrotted Lawrence with it while Ridley picked herself off the ground. "Hurry," Oliver yelled. "He's really strong."

The incensed guardian trampled the edge of her dagger with her sneaker to send it spiralling into her hand. Lawrence struggled against Oliver while being strangled by a silver staff. Ridley ran with conviction, intent on killing the Class E when she hesitated yet again.

The reason for this abruptly freezing up was the face she saw. The same face she saw when the Class F attacked her before Ryan killed it. The face of her grandmother dying on the staircase, looking young Ridley dead in her eyes as the life faded from hers.

"Do it!" Ridley froze with her eyes set of Lawrence's. "One for each of us. Come on," Oliver cheered on.

The heavily blood loss from being stabbed in the shoulder was also wearing her down. Lawrence smirked evilly then forced his elbow into Oliver's ribs. Ridley grew faint while Lawrence grew closer. Still she stood firmly with her dagger in her hand.

Lawrence pranced. A hand impaled him straight through his chest, shoving his heart out the other side. Ridley caved onto the floor with Dane in front of her and his arm straight through a man's chest with that same man's heart literally in his hand. Effortlessly he threw Lawrence aside, still holding his pumping heart.

Oliver sat weakly on the ground then looked over at Dane before vomiting from the gory sight. Coolly Dane threw the heart aside before gathering Ridley in his arms. He settled on a nearby bench with her on his lap while more seasoned guardians came to take in the scene.

The smell of her blood filled Dane's nostrils. He gently tugged at her blazer to see the severity of her wound. "It smells like it's at least five centimetres deep," he stated then began unbuttoning his shirt. "Come on," he egged after shifting for her to reach his neck with ease.

"Unsanctioned..."

"I'll deal with the consequences but you need it," Dane persisted then took her hand. "Please, Ridley."

Slowly she moaned then leaned into his chest. Her teeth dug into his neck and he squeezed her hand from the jolt. His black blood filled her mouth and the wound started healing. Still, from the masses of blood she lost, Ridley was in no condition to be on her feet. She moaned softly before passing out in his arms.

Jakob came up to them with a lit cigarette pressed in his lips. "She okay?" Dane nodded mutely while stroking her arm with his thumb. "Get her to the infirmary, just in case." Dane stood up mutely with Ridley in his arms and did as his uncle ordered. He didn't get far from the bench when Jakob went on, "oi! Congratulations, boy. You've made hunt."

Dane looked down at the unconscious Ridley then nestled his head into hers. "Not now," he replied before continuing for the infirmary.

"Boy," Jakob called. "Do I need remind you of the Vow of Loyauté? Or the rule of courting in your unit?" Dane exhaled heavily then cupped her body closer to him. "It's best you don't try to grind her corn. Stick to jacking your own beanstalk."

He looked down at her ruefully. She was beautiful and she looked more relaxed than he had ever seen her. "Yes, uncle," was his final reply.