Chapter 2

I head to my house, throwing my backpack onto the couch and call my best friend, Tony. 

"Hey Scott, bout damn time you called. Did you hear what happened?" He asks me obviously worried.

"No, what happened? And no mission tonight; the headmaster from Jeralt is coming to interview me tonight. You can go without me though." I tell him while making myself a sandwich. 

"Well as much as I love the idea of taking a night off, I have some pretty bad news. A village was attacked last night, and the Order hasn't responded and most likely aren't planning to. It was a pack of Level 3 Shadows and some reports even say one possible level 4."

Level 4?! They haven't been seen in years! What the hell is going on? The Order would be right on top of this.

"Are you sure the Order isn't going to check it out? You know I don't like getting involved when they are too." I remind him, remembering the last time we helped the Order.

It was a few months ago and some level 2 Shadows were terrorizing a small village. It was close to us so we decided to go lend a hand, but the Order was already there and losing. After an argument with the guy in charge he let us help on the condition we never interfere with Order business again. We did help and drove the shadows back, but we were pretty shaken up after that. We never knew how tough the Shadows were, so we have been training since then.

"Yeah I'm pretty damn sure. If they haven't responded by now then they won't any time soon. I already called Rose and she said she wants to go too." Tony says.

I sigh, well if Rose is in I might as well come along too "Alright I'm in; I'll pick up Rose and we will meet on the outskirts."

"Alright I'll see you there." Tony says and then hangs up  

I hang up and put my phone back into my pocket. After eating real quick, I head up to my room and unlock my personal locker. I take out my hand-crafted hunting weapon: a steel long-sword with a single black streak down the center, and for the gun part, a shotgun with a spread of about 30 yards. My dad had forged it for me last year as a birthday present. Tony had made his own,   which is a broad-ax with a semi automatic rifle extension. Rose is mostly a healer, using her slight knowledge of magic to heal minor wounds and stop bleeding, but she doesn't mind getting her hands dirty once in a while. She uses a staff, which enhances her healing capabilities,  with a hunting rifle extension.

I put the sword in its sheath, grab my favorite leather jacket and go out to the garage. There I start my motorcycle, another birthday gift but from my uncle. I quickly speed my way to Rose's house, which is about 45 minutes from my own if I would walk.

Rose calls me just as I walk out the door "Scott what is going on? Tony just called me saying to get ready."

I hop onto the motorcycle and drive still talking to Rose "There was a pack of level 3 Shadows last night and they attacked a village nearby, but nobody has responded yet." I explain to her, weaving in and out of trees.

"So we are going to help? What could we possibly do to these things, these are level 3s there is no way in hell we can take them on. Tony maybe, but he has more training than both of us combined, we would just get in the way." She argues

  "Well we could at least do something besides sit on our asses while innocent people are dying! What if there are survivors? If nobody helps they'll die!" I shouted at her " Get your stuff ready I will be there soon, bring all the first aid stuff you have, we might need it."