A cluttered office, big enough to comfortably fit two now felt like it would barely fit one.
The headmaster grimaced as her eyes wandering, studying the hulking man before her. Like a wall that'd protect against a thousand sieges, she couldn't help but wonder just how dangerous he was.
Her eyes couldn't help but go back to one spot in particular, the left side of his face, completely burned and scarred. The skin in ripples, a demeaning color that was enough to make anyone uncomfortable.
"Bjorn… Was it?"
The headmaster sat at her desk, adjusting her glasses, taking in the formality of his appearance. Even his shirt was wrinkle free, let alone his neat buzzed hair. It wasn't until now that she noticed he hadn't blinked. Not once.
Bjorn nodded.
The door swung open. Maren stumbling in, his chest heaving as sweat dripped from his elongated face.
"Maren, what are—?"
"Little...boy...you seen him..."
"No Maren. I'm talking with the shaman now...Please leave."
He glanced over at Bjorn, immediately cringing from the burn marks.
Bjorn shook his head at the headmaster.
"I am lady Alice's weapon."
—————————————
At the same time, on a beach a kilometer away from the dormitories, a blonde woman scowled as she watched Naren run into the forest. Her words shaking and chattering from the cold.
"Good...for nothing...kid."
Then a splash came from the waters, like something fell in it. The woman glanced over to see Naren ankle high in the waters, despite running off into the opposite direction. In his hands now a set of branches.
"How did he...That from...what a cheeky power...Wonder what beast he got that from."
Naren walked over, careful to keep the sticks dry before dropping them in front of Alice. He brought out a lighter from his pockets, clicking it until the branches were lit ablaze.
"Wierd thing to carry around."
"Maren likes cigarettes."
The girl held her hands out, embracing the warm comfort of the flames, stretching out her entire body in the process.
"Thanks kid."
Naren scowled as he spoke to the woman.
"Naren. And I'm not a good for nothing lady...And what bea—"
"Yeah yeah. Alice. You're whatever I say you are."
She waved her hand in his face. Obviously not caring for his name. Instead, she looked down at his scarf, squinting as she tilted her head. Reaching in the deepest parts of her mind.
"Where'd you get that scarf."
Naren clutched it, pulling back. He stuck his tongue out at her.
"None of your business."
"Come on. Fess up."
"No. Why should I?"
The girl titled her head, thinking then turned back to Naren as if coming up with something undeniably perfect. Folding her hands she snarkly rattled off.
"Five crowns. How about that."
Naren looked at her puzzled.
"Why would I need five? I only have one head."
Alice stared at Naren in silence. For a second, she blinked. Then she burst into laugher, falling back into the sand. She was grasping for her breath as she held her stomach.
"Stop! Hahaha! That's too much!"
Naren's scowl deepened as he grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it in the girl's mouth, sending her into a coughing fit.
Getting to her feet in between cough, she grabbed the little boy by the leg, throwing him into the ocean. Far deeper and further than he'd have gone before.
"COUGH...Little....COUGH...Sh—"
In the next second, a giant tentacle emerged from the waves. Attracted to the flailing yelping boy who continued to thrash in panic.
Alice couldn't help but giggle at the sight. What horrible luck he had. She flicked one finger down.
"Get back already! He's gone!"
When Naren opened his eyes, sure enough the beast was gone, but so was Alice. The shore was empty save for the flickering flames that continued to burn and her footprints in the sand leading into the neighboring forest.
Naren squinted his eyes, carefully staring at the ocean surface closer to the shore.
In the next second, his bare feet fell through the shallow waters, like they popped into existence there.
'Her footsteps sound so far away.'
Naren tightened his hands around his ears and sucked in his breath.
"Hey shaman! Have you seen my sister?! She's blonde! Blue eyes!"
His voice trailed off as he sat by the fire, his eyelids growing heavy and soon consciousness slipping away into sleep.
In the forest, Alice cut through a branch, stepping over a small stream. She held a smile on her face.
"That's where I saw it. Ooo...Bjorn's gonna love this."
——————————
"You're telling me that Alice will show up. But no matter what she'll be late?"
Bjorn nodded his head.
Maren clicked his tongue, stomping at the door. His breathing was still heavy as he swung the door open, mumbling under his breath: "Good for nothing shaman."
A young woman stood in the doorway. Long blonde hair, a black ribbon hanging from the back of it. Despite the coat that swallowed her frame and the salt still drying on her skin, there was something about her presence that made the room feel immediately smaller. Even smaller than with Bjorn.
"Bjorn, you're safe!"
She crossed the room and wrapped her arms around him. Bjorn stood with the stillness of someone accustomed to being embraced by a hurricane.
"Who the hell are you?"
"Your shaman."
Maren turned to the headmaster. A laughable expression on his face. A mix between annoyance and pity.
"Did you go senile?"
Then the floor left him.
It happened without warning — Maren's body shot upward as if gravity had simply changed its mind about him, hit the ceiling with a crack, and dropped. He crumpled to the floor and didn't move.
The headmaster opened her mouth, but couldn't let a word out. All authority had been sucked out like a straw. All into the hands of the girl before her.
She gulped any words she had down, hoping she hadn't made a mistake.
Alice had already pulled a chair to the front of the desk, completely ignoring the feat of magic that just occurred. She sat down, crossed her legs, and looked at the headmaster the way you look at someone to hide your disgust.
"Let's talk."
The headmaster opened her mouth. Nothing useful came out.
"There's a scent of cold iron and blood that lingers in this city."
Alice's voice was light. Conversational. Like she was discussing the weather.
"And I saw no animals nearby. No farms."
The room went quiet. The headmaster looked at her desk.
"You know what that means."
"We can't help it."
Her voice had gone small, all authority drained out of it.
"The ocean can't be crossed. The other nations are too far. There's no other—"
Alice leaned forward. Her eyes fixed on the headmaster's with the patience of someone who has already decided how this conversation ends.
"Do you know what happens when a human resorts to devouring its kin?"
She shook her head.
"They lose their right to be called humans. They adopt another name."
Alice let that sit for a second. The shock washing over the headmaster's face like a kid being told a scary story. One that couldn't possibly be true.
"Wendigos."
The color drained from her face. A tinge of realization nestling itself into her head. Suddenly she wanted to throw up. To just get rid of anything and everything that's ever entered her system.
"The things you want us to hunt were originally your own people."
————————————
At most a kilometer from the dormitory, on the white shores paralleling the deep murky waters, words traveled further than they had any right to. There a boy with curly red hair pulled his dull crimson scarf from over his eyes.
Golden eyes shimmering in a way that burdened even the sun.
"Wendigos?"