The girl pressed herself against the wall. What was this thing? It had four eyes on each side of it's grotesque reptile like head. From what she could see it was completely covered with slimy black flesh, crisscrossed with pulsating green veins. She had heard from her tutor that the people who lived in the outskirts were different, but this was ridiculous. The only thing which looked remotely human was a few strands of greasy hair which clung to the thing's skull like weeds. It approached on all fours, screeching and hissing. The beast extended a clawed hand and brushed it against her skin, drawing blood which trickled down her arm like rainwater. It opened it's mouth, it's jaw dislocated like a snake, revealing two rows of needle like teeth. The girl stopped breathing, waiting for it to finish the job, where a shout came from around the corner. The thing hissed, and scampered off into the shadowed alley opposite. A few seconds later another girl sprinted around the corner, eyes wild and clutching a knife. "You!" She said. " you screamed?" The girl nodded, transfixed by how different this person was from the women in the inner city. The newcomer wore leggings and and dirty white shirt, whereas the people she knew all wore pretty dresses made from the finest silk. "Got a name?" The stranger asked. "Laura..." the girl replied. "I..I'm Laura". The girl nodded. " Nice to meet you Laura. This is where things get nasty."

Laura watched as the girl pulled something out of her pocket and poured it over the knife in her hand. "Bite down on this." She commanded, chucking Laura a piece of cloth. Laura did as she was told, terrified of what was about to happen. "Hold out your arm, the one the corrupted scratched." Laura dutifully filled the order and watched in horror as the girl grabbed her wrist and dug the knife into her injured arm. For a few seconds all Laura could see was red, but strangely she could smell vinegar. When her vision cleared Laura looked down at her arm, which now had three perfectly circular holes in it. The girl clutched a few cone shaped shards in her palm, apparently the objects which had been pulled out of her flesh. Laura watched the blood drip down her arm but surprisingly felt no pain. "How did a Tommie like you kill a corrupted?" Laura stared at the girl, confused by her strange words. The girl stared back at her, eyes wide. Slowly she turned to face the alley behind them. In the darkness, something moved.

Everything happened at once. As the corrupted exploded from out of the darkness Blake pulled Laura to the left. The corrupted narrowly missed their faces, smashing into the wall before spinning around to face them. Blake tried to ignore Laura's shouts and launched herself at it, digging her knife deep into it's back. She held on to the hilt with both hands and wrapped her legs around the monster's waist, somehow managing to stay on it's back despite it's furious attempts to throw her off. Blake pulled out the knife and smashed it into the corrupted's skull, bursting two of its eyes like bubble wrap. Her hands became stained black with it's blood but still she continued her assault, slashing at the thing's mangled head. Only when it stopped writhing did Blake slow down, this time slitting the monster's throat in several places. Blake sheathed her knife and looked around, Laura was nowhere to be seen. Good. That meant she had enough brain cells to get out of this place. Blake kicked the creature's corpse, just to make sure it wasn't faking. It didn't move. Blake walked across to the wall and picked up the three corruptions, each contained the poison which destroyed a person's humanity. These where the keys to turning regular people in to the corrupted. She slipped them in her pocket and walked down the darkened street. Behind her something hissed, and within minutes the corpse was gone.

Laura reached the east gate just before sunset. Both guards saluted, slamming both arms across their chests in the shape of the letter X. "Princess Laura. You came back." Laura waved them away and passed through the marble arch, carved into solid 20 meter tall walls. " Princess Laura!" One called after her. " If you were scratched make sure you get the corruptions out. If you were bitten then get out of the inner city. Ok?" Laura nodded. " Why?" The other guard jogged up to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. " A bite is untreatable. A scratch can be treated by removing the corruptions. However, if left untreated for too long a scratch will turn you, just like a bite." Suddenly Laura felt sick. If it wasn't for that outskirter... she made a mental note to thank that girl if their paths ever crossed again. Laura watched him go back to his post and sighed. There was much of this world she knew nothing about. As she started off towards the castle that dominated the skyline, Laura decided never to believe something until she'd seen it with her own eyes.

Laura didn't notice the shadow which had followed her, slipped through the gate and now stalked her along the roof tops. The corrupted had no feelings, but despite this it was smart. Soon it's part would be over. Soon.