Crystal Central presents
Today's classes were over. Heading from the Training grounds to the canteen Heath would have to pass by Admin whether she took via the lecture hall or the Staffroom. Otto forged on the shorter path via the Staffroom past the Admin building hoping to make it to the canteen. But luck had never been a buddy of hers. Not that she had any to begin with. Maybe Max...by a long shot?
Ibet Morningdew, terror of all ears in the academy and the Underworld at large just happened to be hoofing to the balcony on the first floor when he saw Otto.
"VON AITO! GET UP HERE!" Otto sighed. Ah well. Here we go again. Exaggeratedly turning around Otto smoothed the creases from her tactical coveralls and stepped into the Admin office headed for first and highest floor.
Ibets forehead had a crease in it. This was more or less his general state of existence, a fact that had earned him the nickname "Grumpy." There was an office pool running on how long he had before the crease finished it's job and tore the top off its head. The smart money was on half a century.
Satyrs were creatures with the top half of a human and the bottom half of a goat. They had ram horns on their heads.
Otto could see and hear the right hoof of the impatient satyr that peeked from the plain white silk himation -worn like a toga- draped over a matching chiton, tapping incessantly on the marble floor. She clenched her fists. She had almost flied up the stairs. What's with the tapping. But Ibet always singled her out for persecution.
Ibet's ram horns looked ready for a head on collision with her as he asked. "What's happened to the Rankings board" Otto knew what he meant. Her ranking had dropped to second place.
"The nightmares," she mumbled hushly.
"Stop with the excuses Aito!" roared the commander. "You know what being a knight entails, there can be no room for error or excuses!" opposingly shouted Ibet.
It was true, she did know what being a knight was like. Otto von was a girl born and bred in Germany. Since she was turned Nelapsi and after her mother's death in 2014 she had been living here at the Hecate Domain branch of the Prime Las School of Vampires. Ibet was right. She should by now know what a Knight's rank entailed and forget those memories that haunted her to date. But she wouldn't and could not. She could not find it in her to forget nor forgive the Altar vampire who made her into this. A Nelapsi hated and abhorred by everyone. Neither could Otto forget her mother's eyes when she herself bit her neck and drained her blood. Those fiery eyes caring and gentle at that moment, even after her own and only daughter had turned into a monster and killed her. The guilt. Why did Ibet never try to drill a lecture into those other guys forever at the bottom of the ranks? Did he really hate her that much?
Her disagreement on Ibet's statement clear without uttering a single word.
"I know what you're thinking," said Ibet "Why am I picking on you every day? Why don't I ever bawl out those other trainees?"
Otto said nothing, but agreement was written all over her face.
"I'll tell you why, shall I?"
Otto risked a nod.
"It's because you're a Nelapsi. An Outcast of your community."
Otto felt her fingers curl into fists. She knew it!
"But not for the reasons you think," continued Ibet. "You are the first ever Outcast to be enrolled. A beacon. There are many Outcasts out there watching your every move. There are a lot of hopes riding on you kid. But there is a lot of prejudice against you too. The future of the Nelapsi, raiders, liches and other Outcasts is in your hands. And at the moment, I'd say it was a little heavy."
Otto blinked. Ibet had never said anything like this before. Usually it was just "Fix your blade," or "Stand up straight" among others.
"You have to be the best you can be, Von Aito, and that has to be better than anybody else." Ibet sighed, leaning on the rail. "I don't know, Otto. Ever since New York . . ."
Otto winced. New york had been a total disaster. One of the random guys in Asphodel had skipped out to the Mortal realm and caused havoc in the Metropolis last year when she was on a emergency guard mission. Suicide, murders and exposing them to Seers among mortals. Ibet had to call in the Retrieval Squad, and do two compulsion and memory wipes on the Seers. Almost caused trouble with the IMB, Ancients and minor gods involved. All her fault.
Ibet started walking back to his office. "It's no use. I've made up my mind. I'm putting you on Asphodel Guard duty and bringing in Max."
"Max!" exploded Otto. "He's a bimbo. An airhead. You can't make him the test case! He's not even a certified Outcast."
Ibet's Crees deepened and he shouted as he started walking while stomping.
"I can, and I will. Why shouldn't I? You have never given me your best; either that or your best just isn't good enough. Sorry Otto, you had your chance. . ."
The satyr entered his office at the end of the hall and sat behind his red hardwood desk. The meeting was over. Otto could only stand there, aghast. She'd blown it. The best career opportunity she was ever likely to get, and she'd tossed it in the gutter. One slip up and her future was past. It wasn't fair. Otto felt an uncharacteristic anger take hold of her, but she swallowed it. This was no time to lose her temper and not the person to loose it to.
"Principle Ibet, sir. I feel I deserve one more chance."
Ibet didn't even look up from the paperwork. "And why's that?"
Otto took a deep breath. "Because of my record, sir. It speaks for itself, apart from the New York thing last year. Seven successful missions. Guard, recovery and recon to the Mortal realm. Not a single memory wipe or compulsion, apart from . . ."
"The New York thing," completed Ibet.
Otto took a chance. "If I were one of your precious Inclusives we wouldn't even be having this conversation."
Ibet glanced up sharply. "Now, just a minute, Otto Von Aito—"
He was interrupted by the bleeping of one of the devices on his desk. Then two, then three. A giant projection into life on the wall behind him.
Ibet jabbed a button on one of the devices putting all the callers on conference.
"Yes?"
"We've got a runner."
Root nodded. "Anything on stars?"
Stars was the shop name for the shrouded trackers attached to American communications satellites.
"Yep," said caller two. "Big blip in South America, United States, Boston. No shroud."
Ibet cursed. An unshrouded undead could be seen by the Seers among mortals. That wasn't so bad if the perp was humanoid.
"Classification?"
"Bad news, sir Morningdew," said the third caller. "We got us a rogue ghoul"
Ibet rubbed his eyes. Why did these things always happen on his watch? Ibet could understand his frustration. Ghouls were a tough bunch to deal with. They were one of the baddest demons the Underworld could offer. They wandered the stygian swamp and the Styx river area, preying on anything unlucky enough to cross their path. Creatures and even souls. Their tiny brains had no room for rules or restraint. Occasionally one bumped into a newly formed and unattended path to the mortals' realm . Driven crazy by hunger due to the scarcity of food in the barren lands of the Underworld, they would generally proceed to destroy all life in their path.
Ibet shook his head rapidly, recovering himself.
"Okay, Von Aito. Looks like you get your chance. You're running hot, I take it?"
"Yes, sir," lied Otto, all too aware that Ibet would suspend her immediately if he knew she was loosing control over her power.
"Good. Then sign yourself out a weapon, and proceed to the target area.", Trainees had weapons but just the normal blades and those toys couldn't deal with a ghoul. Unless you wanted to kill yourself you'd be another snack on its plate.
Otto glanced at the projection respected from a device on the ceiling. Stars were sending high-res pictures of a seaside city. A red dot was moving rapidly through the city towards densely populated areas.
"It has already fed it's fill to ignore the low population like that. It seems to be moving underground, The sewer?" Otto made a deduction.
"Positive, we think it has spent about two hours in the Mortal realm. Likely headed for North Boston, Allston. The population there is high and young.",came a reply from the line.
Ibet approvingly regarded Otto.
"contain it, lead it away from the population and report in. Do not attempt a retrieval. Is that understood?" Ibet Ordered.
"Yessir." came Otto's reply
"We lost six men to a ghoul the last time this happened. Six men. That was a starving ghoul. Do not engage in direct combat."
"I understand, sir."
Ibet pursed his lips doubtfully.
"Do you understand, Otto? Do you really?"
"I think so, sir."
"Have you ever seen what a ghoul can do to flesh and bone?"
"No, sir. Not up close."
"Good. Let's not make today your first time."
"Understood."
Ibet glared at her. "I don't know why it is, Otto, but whenever you start agreeing with me, I get decidedly nervous."Ibet was right to be nervous. If he'd known how this straightforward containment assignment was going to turn out, he would probably have retired then and there. History was about to be made.
"Now off to Boston you go." Ibet concluded.