Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 11

Salem silently entered the room and started at the peacefully sleeping male on his bed. She started at him until Zachary turns out to get annoyed and woke up.

"For heaven's sake, give me peace!"

"Cut the crap douchebag. Don't speak like you haven't done that to me in a million times and I have something to tell." She kicked him before comfortably sitting at the window. Zachary scratched his head in annoyance and glared at Salem.

"What is that?"

"I forget it after seeing your face."

The more Salem grinned, the more Zachary went annoyed. In every day's doing of the gods of Mashiripiti nyika, the two shifters have always been fighting then ends up agreeing with each other's mind. However, they're dumb and dumber sometimes.

"Our mission is today, right? Why don't you get up? I have a plan that you might like to hear." Salem grimaced after saying it. The small fire that comes from the candle behaved oddly then slowly turned into a man wearing his formal suit.

"Lady Salem, Ms. Mira, and her friends are going with the both of you," Ifrit announced, making Salem looked at the wolf shifter on his bed. Zachary stood up and fixed himself.

"It's that so? We're going now. Are you going with us Ifrit?"

"I'm afraid to give you a refusal, Mr. Zachary." Salem tapped his shoulder then remove on her neck the necklace with crimson crystal that serves as a pendant. Ifrit grasp it and vanished into the thin air like sand. She leaves the room, letting Zachary change his clothes alone.

After changing his clothes, Salem and Zachary went into the place where Mira and the others are waiting. Mira is silently watching Freddy as he tells her about his unlucky day while Mattheo is sleeping on the other side.

"Is he that noisy?" Zachary asked Salem who's silently walking beside him. Salem looked at him then averted her gaze at Freddy. Even the surrounding is dark and the seven moons are occupying the stary sky, the elf's noise can be still heard even they're away from the two shifters.

"Yes, he's louder than a bomb." She replied before fixing her hood and placed her hand on her cloak's pocket. Zachary chuckled before he waved at Mira who's sitting at the bench.

"We are all complete, let's go now." Mira stood up without a word while Freddy woke up the lion shifter beside him. Instead of exiting the gates, Zachary and Salem guided the three of them behind the elves' building where the forest is located.

"Why we're not using the gate?" Mira asked as she observes the surrounding.

"I second the motion," Freddy added.

The two shifters stopped on their track and looked at the three newbies giving them a suspicious gaze. Hundreds of golden lights, the same as every shifters' golden eyes surrounded the students that come from the fireflies before they flew away after Salem walks forward.

"Calm down, we're not doing anything harmful here." Salem deadpans before turning her back at them.

"Just wait," Zachary assures. Three of them are stunned after hearing a faint growling sound where Salem is facing. They exchanged glances at each other and another growl destroys the silence. The tense atmosphere urges the three newbies to run away from the place but the urge got jeopardize when Salem stepped forward.

"Hey, bud!" Salem greeted something energetically. Mira didn't saw anything but a silhouette of a giant winged beast with a size bigger than the trees. She narrowed her eyes to see clearly what's behind the shadow when a hand tapped her shoulder, causing her to almost jump, "Calm down."

"How should I be able to calm down if there's a giant creature that might eat us?!" She half-yell and half-whisper. Zachary wrapped his arm around her shoulder nonchalantly, "Trust me, Salem can handle that."

"Handle?" She watched Salem placed her bag on the forest floor, "I don't think so."

Salem laughed when the dragon roared and put itself into an attacking stance, "They won't hurt you, bud. I'm just here to tell you something." She leaned at the dragon who's giving the three newbies a deadly stare. Its cat-like eyes gleamed despite how dark the forest is and its white scale glistens every time it moves while its size is trice larger than the ordinary dragons. The beast looked at Salem before lowers itself then rubbed its head at Salem.

She looked at the four individuals who are watching her the whole time, "This is Zachary's dragon. This boy is named Blizzard. He said he's allowing you to use him as the transportation to the location of our mission." Salem scratched the dragon's head then chuckled, "Seems like you're in a good mood, Blizzard. Do you have a nice sleep?"

"Maybe Salem won't eat you whole but she'll feed you to that dragon," Mattheo whispered at Freddy who immediately followed Mira as she mounts to the dragon's back.

Blizzard spreads his wings that causes almost all of the trees to loosen it's grip on the soil as they take off to the place.

"We'll be there at nearing dawn." Zachary announced then looked at Mira, "You can sleep if you want." She replied with a small smile then carefully sit near him.

"Thank you for the offer but, I'm not the type who sleeps on the journey."

"I see."

Minutes of silence, Mira looked at him with one brow raised, "Wait a minute, do you think I forgot what you promised?"

"What promise?"

"She's talking about the black wolf, Zach," Salem commented while standing nonchalantly, not bother even the air can knock off someone and fall on the land underneath them. She's making herself busy just by watching the seven moons. Freddy and Mattheo are asleep since it's already midnight.

"Is that so? You want to see that wolf now?"

"Don't bother. I'm not even desperate to see that wolf now."

"Someone seems like an upset." Salem whistled. A bird landed on Salem's shoulder as if it's talking to her, "I can see what's on your comrade's sight, go back now. Don't lose track of them."

"Zachary, the ship is sailing on the Land der Schaltebel to Pais enano. They're changing routes. If we change our route, we can hijack them before they arrived at their destination."

"Where they are now?"

"Southeast of Land der Schaltebel."

"Blizzard," The dragon immediately change its direction, causing Mattheo and Freddy to woke up.

"Good thing the two of you are awake."

"By any minute from now, we're going to walk on the land. I can't risk Blizzard and our identities to get revealed." Zachary reasoned out. He motioned Salem to explain everything.

"Now, take some rest for a while."

Mira sits on the other side, away from Zachary and the two boys. She's about to sleep when Salem sits beside her.

"Hey." She called Mira.

"I'm asleep."

"But you're talking."

"Quit staring at me, you're giving me chills."

"Let's talk about something."

"If you're going to argue with me about your cousin, let's end this conversation."

"It's not that. I'm not the type who's going to glare at you the whole time and going to act salty about your relationship. I just wanted a...f..fried...end...ried...friend."

'Is she serious? Is she a loner on her whole life?'

"I heard that." The younger mumbled.

"You blinded me."

"I'm just playing that time."

"You did nasty."

"Forget that."

"How can I assure you that you're not going to harm me?"

"I told you, Zach! I'm worst at socializing!" Zachary opened his eyes then laughed, "Then try again!" Salem grimaced.

"What a nice motivational speaker." Mira chuckled.

"That's also the reason why I despise him sometimes."

"Makes sense."

"Forget that hilarious question that I've asked you, just remember I support the two of you."

Hours have been passed and they landed at the plains where the five giant birds are waiting for them. The sun is already set on the and Blizzard to leave them as Zach told him so but before he flew away he bowed at Mira. Freddy stared at the white and benevolent birds in amusement before doing the same thing like Mira and the others did.

"These birds can carry and eat huge animals," Freddy said. Mattheo remained quiet like he is all the time, just observing the bird.

"Are you sure that they won't eat us?" Mira asked Zachary who's fixing Mira and him's bag.

"No, unless if the owner told them so."

"So who's the owner?" Zachary looked at Salem.

"Her?"

"It's unbelievable but yes."

Salem signaled the birds to leave. All of them swiftly took off, causing Freddy and the others to grip tightly on the white feathers. They flew above the clouds and the view beneath is more breathtaking than the night but staring down, makes her almost hug the bird in fear of falling yet while observing the Mira noticed the suspicious ship sailing on the sea.

"Don't take your eyes off at Salem," Zachary told Mira as the younger stood upon the bird's back and removed her bag then her hourglass.

"Do you want to see her what bird she's going to shift again this time?" Mira gasped when the younger saunter on the white bird's wings before jumping. Before making contact with the seawater, a dominant and predator bird appeared before their eyes then forms circles as the bird surrounds the ship from above.

"The signal."