Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 12

The rest of them landed in the woods near the shore. They removed their cloaks and hide their stuff together with the Rocs. The ship is not that far from where they are and that's enough for them to prepare themselves before Salem gives them the second signal.

Mira yelped after Zachary tightened the ropes on their body. He made Freddy and Mattheo kneel in force in the sand that slowly turns into burning hot every minute as the sunlight hits it. Beads of sweat are forming at their foreheads every second passed that they're kneeling at the sand under the blazing sand.

"Traitor. This is not even part of the mission." Mira glared at Zachary who's sitting in a manly way on the rock beside her while holding a twig and drawing something on the sand.

"I know." Zachary smiled gently at her then throw the twig that he's holding.

"Midari and I changed our minds. Why serving the University if we can sell you to them?"

"I'm your mate! Why you're doing this?! I didn't do anything wrong to you!" Mira yelled, causing Freddy and Mattheo to look at her, both dumbfounded by her. Zachary stared at her coldly yet deep inside he can deny his amusement.

"Geez, stop yelling. I'm not doing anything bad to you." He said.

"But you're going to sell me and my friends to those pirates," Mira said while clenching her jaw. The shifter in front of her smiled sadistically as his eyes turned into a threatening gold.

"Woah, you're mad now?" He holds her on the hollow of her cheeks then stared directly into her eyes.

"Who said we have a plan? Salem just lured the three of you into her trap." Zachary chuckled then let go of her, "Ah, you must thinking that we're doing this for the University's sake."

The vulture let out a loud cry and glided in their direction. A boat with two individuals riding and paddling in their direction. The vulture landed at the stone where Zachary used to sit.

"Captain is right, following this vulture gives off luck to us." One of them with a big physique like an average bodybuilder then a scar on his left eye and striped tail indicating that he's a tiger shifter laughed as they marched towards them. He got orange hair and yellow eyes but not threatening as Zachary's. There are five rings on his left ear and two on right. The second one is not big as the tiger shifter, he stands around Freddy's height but he got some scales on his neck. His irises have the same as the cat's and his hair is brown.

Mira glared at the two shifters. Their smiles and the way they looked at the three newbies scream malicious intentions.

"What do you have there, kid?"

"Three slaves in exchange for golds." The one with cat-like eyes scanned the three of them then hissed before looking at the tiger shifter and Zachary.

"A shifter, an elf, and why thou smelled like her? And it's strong." The snake shifter asked. He averted his gaze back at Mira, "What are you?"

'A human, snake. Of course, his scent is strong at me because that wolf claimed me.' Mira grimaced as she thought.

"She's a hero who got summoned by the mages of this world. My scent on her is strong because I sleep next to her last night and she's wearing my clothes." Zachary explained. The two shifters looked at each other then faced him.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Mitchel and he's Dominic." The snake shifter introduces himself and the tiger shifter who accompanied him.

"I'm Zach and this is my vulture."

"We will bring you together with the slaves, seems like you got more under your sleeve. We also haven't brought any gold with us so we got no choice but to bring the four of you." The serpent said without receiving any objections to any of the men who surround him. Dominic lifts Mattheo and Freddy using his strength as a shifter then puts them on the boat. He is about to carry Mira when Zach stopped him and did the job instead.

"She seems like special to you."

"She's the most expensive, to be honest," Zachary explained then help Mira to stand up despite how she sends death glares on him.

While transferring them to the ship with thrice size as the ordinary one, Mira didn't stop giving glares to anyone who looks at her like a thousand death daggers that might kill anyone who gets in their way. The vulture landed between her and Mattheo then looked at the two vampires sharpening their blades.

'Calm down, they can sense you.'

Mira looked at them too like what the vulture did. Their hypnotic crimson-colored eyes can show anyone who's the boss yet Mira didn't show any fear but instead anger. Her hazel eyes are like bullets blessed by the sun as she meets their gazes.

"Thou shall calm down, woman. Everyone might think that thy challenging them a duel." Mitchel chuckled before leaning at the wooden post. Mira raised her brows at him then looked away to ignore him, preventing herself to talk to the serpent.

"You seem like have a short patience, aren't you? The captain is an impatient man, he might let you devour to his pets if he gets mad." He leveled himself at Mira then stared at her.

"What his pets are? Allow me to tell you what they are. One of them is tailing the ship where we are. A sea monster. He named it Aquillion and Locus the spider with thousand eyes. Locus just beneath you." He smiled then stood up, leaving chills on Mira's body as he walks away.

A corpulent bearded man accompanied by a woman with olive skin wearing a purple cloak and black blindfold. His gaze darted at Mira who's now looking at the ground, avoiding his piercing gaze. One of the shifters walk towards her and whispered something, causing her to smile.

"So you're the kid?" The bearded man, their Captain, asked Zachary who's sitting at one of the barrels.

"I am."

"What are they?"

"A shifter, an elf, and a hero from the human realm."

"Hero huh?" He scanned Mira who's currently kneeling on the ground, "How much did you sell them?"

"It depends, how much do you want?" Zachary folded the cuff of the sleeve of his shabby-looking clothes like one of the pirates wearing.

"20 golds."

"That's a small bid for a man like you, Mister."

"30."

"What about 35?" The Captain narrowed his gaze at him before motioning his men to prepare 35 golds, "Deal." He tossed to Zachary the pouch of gold. Zachary is about to undo the ties when the Captain pulled out a gun and shot the vulture on its body, causing the other shifters and vampires on the deck to make a space as the vulture falls on the wooden deck. Mira and Freddy clamped their eyes shut due to the deafening sound of the gun that suspends everyone's hearing after he pulled the trigger while Mattheo looked in the direction where the vulture was. Everything went standstill, no one dares to speak, and the tapping sound of the Captain's boots and the splashing water breaks through the silence.

"I feel like I need to shoot the vulture." He announced while showing his yellowish teeth as he smiled mischievously. Zachary stopped undoing the knots the laughed hysterically, making everyone looked at him in mere oblivion.

"What are you laughing out?!"

"Nothing, I just---" His words got cut off by his laughter, "Nevermind." He snickered before pulling his dagger and slashing the ropes. Zachary wiped his tears away and stood up.

"I just found out that you're a great joker." He looked at the Captain.

"What joke?!"

The spot where the bleeding vulture was got surrounded by the smokeless blue flame that makes half of the crew back out. As the fire grew bigger, the deceased vulture slowly turning into a figurine of a girl who stands up and walks through the blazing fire with a sadistic smirk crept on her face. Her long hair is now down and a small fire comes out from the ruby of her necklace.

"The decision where your mother allows you to live," Salem added. She looked at the three newbies who are in a state of shock and can't even let a word escape from their mouths. Everything registered on Mira's mind, causing her to look at Zachary furiously before kicking the reptile shifter on his guts and snatches his sword. Mira's gaze locked at the blindfolded woman who runs after Zachary engaging in the fight.

"Nice act, Mr. Wolf!" Freddy laughed before landing his fist on the vampire's face. Mattheo uses his ability to everyone almost went into a statue around his watch then shift into a giant lion and pounces at them. He throws them on the water using his jaw.

"Great. I'm an actress now and I'm now regretting what I've said," Mira murmurs after she defeated a vampire. Now, she's pushed everyone who gets in her way as she runs after the woman.

"Do you wonder why she smelled like me?" Zachary pulled a sword that pierces on the wooden door beside him, "That girl is my mate."