When they reached the main hallway, the first thing that Mason noticed was the coppery scent of blood. He'd never been on a battlefield before but that was a smell he'd expect to accompany most battlegrounds, it was far more intense than the time at the Blue Moon Sanctuary when Sven attacked. Mason shivered inwardly, had that really happened only a month ago? It felt more like decades ago. Another lingering stench was also in the air, his brows furrowed. Werewolves.

Noticing Masons shivering, Jaclyn put a hand to the side of his face. "What's wrong?"

Mason gave his head a quick shake. "There's so much blood in the air..."

Just then a loud blaring horn went off, the ear-splitting sound filled the hallway and only halted for an automated voice to instruct all students to head to the gymnasium and then to await further orders from their instructors.

As soon as the horn died down, a choir of howls could be heard in the distance. A steady stream of students came rushing down the hallway, some carrying others who looked badly hurt. Instructor Cremlin was in the lead, shouting orders and was carrying three students himself, two were flung over his shoulders and one he cradled in his arms. Once he caught sight of them he rushed over.

"By the blue blazes! Ms. Dinkle you're injured! Mr. Kincaid, you look like you can barely stand! And Mr. Spears... You don't look to worst for wear. Come with me now, we are headed for the gymnasium." Now that he was up close Mason could see that he didn't look to good himself.

It seemed when the attack happened Instructor Cremlin must have been sleeping, because the man was wearing blue and white striped pajamas and a pair of bunny slippers. Mason would've busted out laughing if it weren't for how blood soaked the pajamas were and the countless cuts and bruises that he could see through the torn garment.

"But Instructor Cremlin, we can..." Tobias began.

"No buts! You will follow me to safety and that'll be the end of it." He began to herd them down the hallway and into the constant flow of panicked students, completely ignoring their meager protest.

There was a sudden crash and the crowd just ahead of them began to scream and turn around, rushing to get behind Instructor Cremlin.

"What in the world just happened?" Cremlin shouted.

As the smoke cleared they came face to face with a huge towering wolf, a wide grin spread on its thin lips showing off a set of sharp serrated teeth. It had ash grey fur and red eyes that looked at the terrified students with a deep hunger. "Oh, looky here! Looks like we hit the jackpot eh, Dodger?"

Another wolf padded to its side, this one seemed just as large. It had the same colored grey pelt and red eyes, though one of its ears was chewed off. "You're right about that, Chev. And boy do they smell lovely..."

"Now you see here! As Instructor of these students, I'd be damned if you think you can lay a single paw on them." Cremlin began but was cut off as the wolf with the chewed ear gave off an excited bark.

"Hold on a tic..." It tilted its head and sniffed, the creatures mouth began to fill with drool. "Is that puppy blood I smell?" Its red eyes glinted at Mason. "Looks like we get to snack down on a few kiddies and earn some brownie points for snagging the runt."

"Oh no..." Mason took a hesitant step backward.

"Don't worry, Mr. Spears. These brutes won't get past me! The Cremlin family has been known to land the smack down on creatures such as these for generations!" The Instructors eyes blazed with an unwavering pride and his muscles shifted as he flexed. "My grandfather's tales of monster hunting are legendary in the Adventurer Guilds in Europe!"

Mason looked over at the man, he talked the good talk but his appearance said otherwise. Even now, as they stood there he could see Cremlin pant in exhaustion. The battles the man had been in prior to meeting up with them had taken their toll. Plus, there were the wounded students he already held in his arms, how was he going to fend for himself and protect all of them with his hands literally full?

Mason's eyes hardened as he quickly glanced all around him, he took in how terrified, and badly wounded most of the student were. This was all his fault. This couldn't be a coincidence that a pack of werewolves would attack the school not even a full month since he started studying here, all of this was on him.

Resolve coiled around his beating heart as he pushed past Instructor Cremlin, "Instructor Cremlin, get the students to safety... I'll handle these two."

"What!? Are you mad? I can't let you do this alone-" Cremlin began to argue.

"He won't be alone." Tobias stood beside Mason. "You're a fool if you think you could handle these two on your own, I suppose someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed." He said with a roll of his eyes as if all of this was just a mild annoyance.

"Aww, isn't that cute!" The wolf named Chev cooed. "Nothing I like more than a snack that thinks it can put up a fight."

"Mason, wait you-" Jaclyn began.

"Help Instructor Cremlin!" Mason cut her off, "Keep these students safe. Don't worry about me."

Before Jaclyn could protest; Mason lunged towards the two wolves, his form shifting as he did so. Thick black fur sprouted from his arms, his face elongated slightly with canines filling his mouth, and his body enlarged as muscle added to his frame but that's when the transforming stopped.

"D-did he just transform by sheer will alone?" Instructor Cremlin questioned in awe.

"Wait, somethings wrong..." Jaclyn spoke up.

Mason looked down at his form. Had only succeeded to transform halfway, he was partly covered in fur and his features slightly wolfish in appearance. he looked like the Wolfman from the old movies his grandmother used to watch.

"Nice try Pup! But ya can't fully morph if you're running low on stamina." Chev cackled. Both wolves barred their teeth, drool began to spill from their mouths.

Mason glared at the wolves and clenched his fist. "Fully morphed or not, I'm still going to beat both of your asses."

Tobias grunted in agreement and stabbed his staff into the ground, the green eye at the top of the staff pulsed and stared at the two wolves greedily. It was almost as if the staff itself was excited to attack the wolves, it gave Mason the creeps. A guttural voice began to come from Tobias's mouth as he began to chant a spell.

Mason took notice that these words of magic that his friend spoke were very different than what he'd heard every other castor speak, those words seemed based in Latin. The words Tobias chanted now were something... Darker.

Mason made a mental note to ask his friend later. Looking over his shoulder, Mason could see that Jaclyn was already erecting a thick ice wall to shield the other students. The thing that slightly annoyed him was that she was on the wrong side of the wall, she glanced over at him and he eyes widened. "Look out!"

Mason barely turned around in time to see the wolf named Dodger rushing towards him, he caught the wolfs jaws in his hands just before it could bite at his face. Though with his hands full he was defenseless as the other wolf aimed at his side.

A bolt of green flame washed over the other wolf before it could reach Mason, it yipped in pain as it tumbled away. Tobias stepped forward as he spoke another word of magic and again a stream of green flame came out of the eye on the staff.

"You'll be fighting me, Fido." Tobias glared.

Mason tossed the other wolf to the side and thanked his friend for the quick save. The large wolves bounced back on their feet, already the burned flesh was beginning to heal. "Green hellfire? Seriously?" Chevy began to cackle. "I'll be picking my teeth with your bones soon if that's all you've got!"

Again, the wolf made to lunge, but instead of going forward the dog crashed back onto the ground. Tree vines had somehow grown out of the wooden floor and anchored the lupine to the ground.

"What is this!?" Chevy and Dodger howled in irritation. "More paltry magic?"

Then a familiar voice screamed in anger at the other end of the hallway. Both wolves twitched their ears and growled as a fiery haired girl came running in their direction. Her usually cheerful freckled face was twisted into a pure expression of rage, though both Mason and Tobias couldn't help but smile when they saw her face.

"Leave my friends alone, ya wannabe Cujo's!" Ember screamed. She looked worse for wear, with her partly tattered uniform, ripped leggings, and for some reason she was only wearing one shoe. But she was alive.

"A ginger witch? This is your cavalry? Ha!" Dodger snapped his legs out of the floor vines grasp.

"I do have a soft spot for red head, might have some fun with her before we kill her." Chevy grinned.

Tobias's eyes flared, but Ember cut him off before he could say anything.

"You want fun?" A crazed smile bloomed onto her face. "I'll show you fun, you piece of shit!"

Then without skipping a beat, she fell on all fours. Digging her fingernails into the hardwood floors, her lips moved but even Mason could barely hear her whisper.

"Oh yummy, look Dodger. She's already placed herself in my favorite position!"

"Ember?" Tobias inquired, a hint of worry in his voice. "W-what are you doing? That spell is..."

Ember ignored them all. "I call upon the power of the nearest gods of the green. Read my blood, taste it, and hear my plea. Vir... Arbor..." After a heartbeat Ember snapped her face up and towards them. That crazed smile was still plastered on her lips and now her eyes were like twin pools of black oil. She opened her mouth and screamed.

Mason looked over at Jaclyn but she looked just as confused as he felt, but over her shoulder he could see Instructor Cremlin pounding on the ice wall. He couldn't hear the man through the thick ice but he did manage to read his lips as he continued to pound on the wall and jab a finger at Ember. Stop. Her. Now.  

"Er, guys... I think we should-"

But it was too late, the spell was complete. A large green disc appeared in front of Ember, and she spoke one last word before all of their eardrums popped.

"Surrecturus!"

And then they all died.

But not really.