《The Wolf and the Academy of Heros (English Verison)》 CHAPTER 0 - Prologue "Hey, I found one right here", shouted a voice covered in mud. "THAT IS A BIG ONE". A shot and magic is heard. Blood, fog appears and a large body falls to the ground, the sound muffled by the forest floor.While the sun rises, the men drag a big body to a cage. "Hope it doesn''t wake up till we arrive". One of them locked the cage up and drove to the City. They needed half an hour to get to the city entrance and some more time to arrive at the castle. A magic spell opens a heavy rock which closes behind them. A giant underground labotory. "Boss! We got one. We really got one." A girl voice appears as a one of the hunters left the wagon. "Open the cage" The girl, a face unrecognizable in the darkness, wearing black hunting gear and a long dark braid, opened the cage at the boss''s command."Get it out!", "Yes boss" The other two, two stately, good-looking men, also wearing black hunting gear, grabbed the creature in the cage by the paws and pulled it into the only light in the room. The beam of light was no brighter than that of a candle. Now and then the light was so dark that you could see the bats on the ceiling again. When that happens, it triggers a mass panic among the bats and they leave the cave through the castle entrance so quickly that some of them hit the walls and could injure themselves or even die. Those who survived returned after several hours. Such a flickering would not be good now, because it could wake the creature up. The men pulled the body, groaning and croaking. The unconscious body of the creature was heavy. Heavier than a back of stones. The creature was a large, fully grown male wolf. His fur was as red and shiny as fire. His snout, paws and tail were whiter than snow. " Bring me the female. They need some time for themself now."The man laughed grimly. He looked at the others and indicated that they should leave. They noticed this and had left. Soon he was alone in the room with the male wolf, who was still sleeping. WE WILL SOON BE INVINCIBLE. He thought to himself and turned away. He still had something to do. He left the lab and went into town. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. - "You can''t just let it stop now. Things are just getting exciting."a small creature called to the group. A dozen unrecognizable creatures were sitting around a campfire. One of the creatures stood upright in front of the others and told a story. The campfire in the middle, a small flame, sometimes the campfire gets smaller, then the creatures throw new dry wood into it. Then the flame renews itself, gets bigger and gives off more light. In the light of the flame you could recognize the creatures. Humans, but not human. Ears that are not human. Hands of an animal. No. More like paws. A tail. Red fur, white paws and tail. Chapter 1 - WOLFS "A loud noise shattered the silence in the western forest of the country Agelanida near the royal city of Newhurst. Footsteps left noises on the forest floor but were still quiet and voices spoke in a kind of human language. But not quite human. A large shadow scurried across the forest floor followed by several smaller but faster shadows. The shadows disappeared into the forest shadows. But the screams of an injured, no! dying animal could be heard. It didn''t get quiet for several minutes. Then silence. No birds chirping, no voices. Just silence. But then something shattered this silence. A female voice could be heard. "Ugh, disgusting. All the blood is now stuck to my fur. Did we have to hunt it? And now we''re not even going to eat it?" "Silinea! Stop whining." The whining of the female voice was interrupted by a rougher male voice. "It stole our supplies, so don''t complain and come. Or should I throw more mud in your fur?" threatened another. The shadow had not emerged from the protection of the trees up to this point. As they made their way back, the female creature reached a large, wide area. The Sun light touches the female body, shining light on her. The creature with the female voice had beautiful red fur, with a more pink snout and pink paws. The other two creatures now also entered this area. One also had shiny red fur, but with a more white snout and white paws, and the other was a normal, tall teenager with brown hair and red-blue eyes. "What now? Do we go back to our pack or do we go and look at humans?" asked the human as the two wolves ran across this large meadow with the young one on their backs. Suddenly the male wolf had a sad look on his face. This was recognized. "Sly? What''s wrong?" asked the female. "Uh, nothing. I was just thinking about how we brought Thomes into our pack. My father still doesn''t like him. He only took him in at my request. If he finds out that he also went on this mission and helped us, he will be kicked out of the pack because my father always thinks ''wolf business is wolf business and not human business''. So be careful the next time you follow us," said the male wolf in his rough voice as he looked sideways to catch the reaction from the human on his back. ------------- "Watch out! Thorns," I shouted as we made our way through the dense forest. Although we only came here a short time ago, the path is overgrown again. "These stupid people," shouted my little sister Silinea. Her fur is fiery red. But unlike me, she has a pink snout. But her fur is less red than mine. As we made our way through the forest, I suddenly heard Thomas shout. "Ah, watch out..." He couldn''t curse any more when a thick branch hit him in the face. The impact was so violent that he lost his balance and fell to the ground. The fall was cushioned by the ground. He picked himself up and climbed back onto my back; he had a large scar on his face from this incident. When he was back on my back, we made our way back to the camp. The way there was quiet. All you could hear was the grasshoppers and the birds singing. We couldn''t even hear our footsteps. After a while we reached the camp, our home. A large area with a large hut in the middle. Around it were lots of smaller houses and to the right of it a small collecting pillar for found loot, which we would then eat at the campfire in the evening. As we got closer to the camp site and had a better view of it, I could see my father. The Alpha. Thomas was frightened, climbed off my back and ran behind one of the nearby buildings. As if he had known, my father turned around the moment Thomas disappeared behind the building. I couldn''t see his look, but from my scent I could see that he was worried about me. When he saw me and Silinea, his face broke into a smile and he did a friendly dance. But that left him as soon as he noticed that everyone was watching him. He tried not to seem embarrassed as he approached us. As he came closer, his steps became faster and faster, as if he knew that Thomas was on a mission and was trying to catch him. But he came towards me, his look, which had just been happy and content, turned into a sad and unhappy expression. "Sly!! A word!" he called. I bent down to show my respect to my father. "All right, see you late Silinea!" I asked my little sister as I made my way to talk to my father. "What could be important that he needs to talk to me about now?" I asked inwardly. But as if he could read my mind, he asked me, "I know, today is your first day of the wolf and you want to experience it. But I have an important task for you. I have seen people in the northern part of the Westerwald." "And what is my task?" I asked, slightly annoyed. His eyes met mine as he gave a small smile, which was rare for him, and said "So, Sly. Humans are our natural enemies. You know our story, right? And now they''re trying to break that law and track us down. Which they''ve already done. They caught Emmy when she was hunting." My shock was clearly visible when he mentioned this. "They caught Emmy?" I couldn''t believe his words so I had to ask again. He paused briefly before continuing but he didn''t answer my question. "They locked her in a cage like an animal." His voice sounded disgusting for a moment and after just a short second his voice was back to normal as he continued. "They can''t find out where we have our camp. YOU have to stop them, Sly," his emphasis rose as he looked at me about the task. Why me? I saw his responsible look and thought to myself, ''One day, my son, you will be the alpha of the pack. YOU have to be responsible.'' I could read that in his look. He didn''t say anything, I just knew it.His gaze was fixed on my confused expression as I tried to read his gestures. "Then come with me," he said, indicating with a small nod of his head that I should follow him. He turned around and headed towards the clearing on the other side of the camp. As we got closer I could see it. Newhurst. My father had forbidden us to enter this part of the forest, for safety reasons, he always said. But it was something else, I could feel it. As we walked across the clearing we entered the Dark Forest, that''s what we call this forest. Conifers as far as the eye can see. It was scary. Although I was born as a wolf and shouldn''t be afraid of the forest, since wolves normally live in such an area, he made me nervous. I could feel my own fear. No, not mine, that of a human trapped in my body. I was so lost in thought that I didn''t notice that my father had stopped. But I couldn''t hold on any longer. I rammed into him. But his body, which was like a bear''s, didn''t move an inch. He didn''t flinch either. But my chest hurt. As if a bone from a meal had gone down the wrong tube and was now living in my lungs. I shook myself but the pain was still there. "I''m sorry," I said a little shyly, but all I got in response was "Huh? What?" He didn''t even notice. I took a quick breath as I said "Nothing. It''s fine." I tried not to look confused and hoped he would start to discuss my new mission with me. "People have something they call a school," my father said. That came suddenly. "They train people there with abilities called magic. To catch creatures like you and me." His words sounded like a scream in my head. "Monster! Monster!" they screamed in my head. I shook my head free of these thoughts and asked "and?" my father turned around and said "Sly, she has to be there somewhere. I have a hunch where she could be, you have to save her." My gaze turned to the large tower of the Imperial City which could be seen on the horizon. SO she looked friendly, I thought. "Ok, and what should I do?" I asked, as my mission was still vague. "I enrolled you in the academy." I was shocked. He enrolled ME in a HUMAN school? As a WOLF? So many questions formed in my head. "I know that''s a lot but I''ve already prepared a lot. He took a mask out of his fur bag, which was attached to his upper body. The mask was gray and completely round. When he put it on I couldn''t believe my eyes. His body, which had just been massive, had shrunk by three times and I could no longer smell his scent. Only that of a human. His tail disappeared and his paws became hands and feet. Really. He turned into a human. The mask became transparent and you could see his human face. Shaggy cheeks, green eyes and brown hair. So that''s how he got into the human city without attracting attention. I glanced over his face, on which a small shimmer could be seen. It was the mask. His voice was no longer as smoky as before. Rather soft. "Sly, that''s the mask of the "transformation" while he was describing it he took off the mask and all the changes returned to his previous self. Wolf smell, his size, paws and tail came back. Only his voice was still soft. But after another sentence it became smoky again like before. "This one can help you in the city, but you are still very young and it will not transform everything", in human years I am 25, but since wolves have their own timelines I am still 6 in wolf years. Which is very young but mature to be a wolf. I took the mask, and put in on. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Chapter 2 - Transformation The mask on my face feels cold, like ice. At first nothing happened. But just a few seconds later a big change came over my body. I could feel my instincts changing. My sense of smell was no longer as great and complicated. I can no longer smell my father from a distance. He was not even fifty meters away from me. I could feel changes. Changes that confuse and frighten me. I became human. Or rather half human. When I looked down at my now slightly thinner and slimmer body I could see these changes. My transformation was not as complete as my father''s. My paws and waist were still red, but my legs and upper body were human. I couldn''t see my face, but I could no longer see my long white snout in my eye wraps. And my perspective changed. I could no longer use my night vision. Since we were in the darker part of the forest, I couldn''t see more than three meters. My eyes had to get used to the darkness first. But it was different. Although I had often walked on two legs, I had problems walking in this form. "I told you," my father''s voice boomed in the silence of the forest. It was day, but not a single ray of sunlight came through the treetops. Suddenly I felt dizzy and the world around me became opaque. My father noticed this and ripped the mask off my face. He accidentally dropped it and it shattered into several pieces. The world around me improved again and when I regained consciousness, I found myself in my old form with the old senses. When I looked around and saw my father, he was standing there, stunned, looking at the ground. "She. Is. Broken?" my father asked, stuttering. He only cared about his mask. He didn''t care about ME. I got a little angry. "Now I have to think of something else," my father said. He looked at me and looked back at the broken mask. His expression was very surprised. "Let''s go back. Let me sleep on this situation for a night," my father said as he moved back to the camp. I followed him on command and quietly. The day was ending as we approached the clearing. Newhirst was still visible in the background. The large tower in the background looked so beautiful that I forgot to keep going. "Keep going, don''t stop or you can sleep here tonight," my father interrupted my thoughts and I went ahead. I could smell them as I approached the camp. Silinea and Thomas. They were there. I knew it. "It''s been a long time since my father was behind me," I told myself as I looked around. He went to the other adults. I could hear them laughing. I could imagine what they were laughing about. I turned around and went into my tent. The tent was a small room with a bed, more like a basket with pillows and a table in the middle. I sat down on my bed. I took off my clothes and lay down in my bed. I wrapped myself around my body, pulled in my claws and tried to go to sleep. But the situation from before still makes me shudder. The way I felt sick, helpless and that my father wasn''t helping me scared me. Is that like that with us wolves? I asked myself. I hadn''t slept so well for a while and despite my transformation earlier, I managed to fall asleep now. The dream world awaits me. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it -- "My lord, the hunters of the western forest have arrived. Should I let them in?" asked one of the king''s servants. "Please. Let them in!" said the king in his high voice, more a female than a male voice. The servant did not run. He went to the large hall door, reached for the lever and opened the door with a squeak. Three hunters entered the room with a cage attached to a rolling vessel. A net was stretched over the cage. A white sheet that covered the view of what was inside. "My lord, we have found something. Something magnificent. We have caught one of these creatures at your request. You know. These warriors," said one of them while bowing his head to show his respect. "Carl, please take off the sheet!" said one of the hunters, the leader. At his command, the smallest, even younger hunter, went to the cage, took the sheet in his hand and tore half of the sheet off. The creature could be seen in the light of the chandelier. "Fabulous," said the king. He looked at the creature. "But it''s female," said the king, suddenly disappointed. "But better than nothing," said the king afterward. He turned around, showed the creature in the cage his back and began to speak. "Leave the room! EVERYONE." He shouted the last part. At his command, everyone left the room. As if he was talking to himself, he began to speak. "So, YOU are one of these magical creatures," he said to the cage. Something moved in the shadow of the cage. But it didn''t answer his question. The king looked briefly at the cage and finally said. "If you don''t want to talk, then I''ll have to make you do it." He threatened the creature as he picked something up. The creature moved backwards. Out of fear? The king went to the cage. He took the sheet and tore it off completely and now he could see the creature in its entirety for the first time. "Oh what a beautiful red fur" Chapter 3 - Departure It was early when the first rays of the sun made my red fur glow. "Hot!" I yelled and jumped out of my bed. The heat was unbearable, as if my fur had caught fire. The pain shot through my body like fiery needles, and in panic, I ran to the window. The curtains, heavy red drapes with an imposing wolf''s head on them, swayed lightly in the breeze. The wolf''s head, embroidered in a beautiful yellow-gold tone, seemed almost alive in the morning light, as if it wanted to warn me. With a tug, I pulled both curtains together, and the burning heat was finally shut out. Relieved, I leaned against the cool walls, my overheated body slowly calming down. My breath was still heavy, but the worst was over. I could feel my pulse slowing down, the fire in my veins subsiding. After I had recovered, I got ready. Today was the day of departure. The journey to Newhurst. A chilling shiver ran down my spine at the thought of what awaited me there. My friend was somewhere in that city, trapped in a human cage. The mere memory of it made me shudder. "Stupid humans," I muttered in disgust as I left my hut. The morning was clear and cloudless, but the warmth of the sun weighed heavily on my shoulders. "Sly," the familiar, raspy voice of my father called out from behind me. He stood there, appearing out of nowhere, as imposing as ever. "Are you ready? You need to get going." Slowly, he approached me, another mask in his hand. Without warning, he thrust it into my hand. "Here! Take it," he said, almost casually, but I could hear the sternness in his voice. Hesitantly, I took the mask. The memories of the previous day made my hands tremble. The transformation that had left me so helpless was still fresh in my mind. I hadn''t been able to control my instincts, felt weak. Reluctantly, I put the mask on. As expected, I felt the transformation, but this time it was different. I only partially transformed, but I didn''t feel sick. No nausea, no dizziness. Just a strange feeling, as if I were caught between two worlds. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "And?" my father asked, his voice pressing. "Do you feel dizzy?" I paused, searching for the familiar feeling of nausea and disorientation¡ªbut nothing came. It felt... normal, almost routine. "No," I finally stammered out. "Then everything''s fine," he laughed softly. "Have some breakfast, and then you need to leave. If you want to be on time." With those words, he turned away, his broad shoulders as rigid as ever. "I¡¯ve got something to take care of. Take care of yourself, Sly." He walked away without looking back. That was his way. He had always shown me the cold shoulder, as if I were nothing more than a tool to him¡ªthe Alpha¡¯s son, no more and no less. His approval was something I had never really had. Deep inside, I felt a familiar pain, but I quickly suppressed it. "Sly!" a soft, familiar voice tore me from my thoughts. It was Silinea, my little sister. She smiled at me, her face radiating warmth and innocence. "Come, sit with us." She motioned for me to sit down with a wave of her hand. I couldn''t resist her request. I approached the breakfast table, where Silinea and a few others from the pack were already sitting. The scent of fresh bread and grilled meat filled the air. For a moment, the heat, the worry, the impending fight¡ªall of it was forgotten. The simple luxury of being near my family brought me peace, if only for a moment. "Today is a big day, isn''t it?" Silinea asked as I sat down beside her. Her tone was cheerful, but I could see the concern in her eyes. She knew what was at stake. "Yeah," I replied, biting into a piece of meat. The spice burned my mouth, but I preferred that to the burning thoughts filling my mind. "Be careful out there," she whispered, placing her hand on mine. "Promise me." I nodded silently, looking up at the clouds that were slowly gathering in the sky. A storm was coming. Was it a sign? After a balanced breakfast, the time had come. My way towards Newhurst. Chapter 5 - Fate The clouds gathered as I took the last bite of the raw meat. A taste I honestly miss already. The harsh taste of fresh blood and organs on my tongue was a treat. But I knew that soon I would be denied all of it. Just the thought of eating human products, consuming their nutrient-poor, pre-prepared foods, made me want to vomit. "So..." I heard my sister speak next to me. Her head tilted slightly as she looked at me with her wide eyes. "So..." she repeated, her voice calm but with an unspoken hint of concern. I could feel her golden eyes on me. She had always been good at sensing when something was wrong. Her slender frame leaned against a tree trunk while I devoured the remaining meat on the ground. For a moment I said nothing, chewing the last fibers of the meal and letting the metallic taste of blood linger on my tongue as if it were the last thing I would ever taste. I looked out over the hills towards Newhurst, the town we only knew from afar, a behemoth of steel, glass and concrete. The thought of going there, of having to go there, caused a low growl deep in my throat. Not of fear, but of reluctance. The people there were not like the hunters in the forests - they were civilized, organized, and yet in a way even more dangerous. Emmy, the wolf I was supposed to free, was caught in her trap - and only the gods knew what they were doing to her. "I don''t want you to go," she murmured after a moment of silence. "I don''t want to lose you too," she paused. Despite her silence, I knew exactly what she meant. But I let her continue. She looked at me, there was a slight sadness in her eyes. Pain that only we could know. "You know what about..." she stuttered to herself. It should actually be inaudible, but with my wolf ears it was inaudible. "Mother..." "Stop worrying," I interrupted, because I knew that our mother would remain a difficult topic in the pack. "I''ll bring Emmy home safely! I promise you!" I looked at her and laughed. "I still don''t want to," she called a little louder, "Mother said that too, and now she''s..." Before she could say it, I covered her mouth with my paws. "Shh, calm down." I let go of her mouth and she looked at me. "Please, no!" Her ears twitched as the wind whistled through the trees. I could hear the worry in her voice, even though she tried to hide it. I snorted and stood up, shaking the remaining blood from my mouth. "I have to. Father ordered it." "Father, father. Always father," she shouted angrily. "The old man can do it himself. He masters the mask better anyway." Seliniea''s words hit me harder than I wanted to admit. The anger in her voice was unmistakable, and I knew she was right - Father mastered the mask of humanity that we all had to learn much better than any of us. He could blend in with people without them becoming suspicious. But that wasn''t the task he had given me. He had sent me, and I knew deep down that there was a reason why he was doing this, even if I didn''t like it. "Seliniea," I began quietly, but she was already shaking her head. "No, Sly!" Her voice broke slightly as she looked me in the eyes. "You''re so damn blind when it comes to him. He''s using you, like he''s used all of us. And Mother... she''s proof of that." Her voice trembled on the last word, and for a moment I thought she was going to cry. But she held back the tears, as she always did. She was strong - stronger than she gave herself credit for. I wanted to say something back, wanted to calm her anger, but I couldn''t. The duty Father had given me was heavy on my shoulders. I had to free Emmy, because that was the order. But deep inside me, the question also nagged: Would I, like Mother, be just another pawn in Father''s plans? Would I suffer the same fate? "It''s not about Father," I said finally, forcing myself to remain calm. "It''s about the pack. If we don''t get Emmy back, we''ll lose more than just a wolf. We''ll lose our strength, our survival. And you know it." Seliniea looked at me, her eyes sparkling with anger and despair. "And what about you? What do you lose, Sly? Have you ever thought about that?" I hesitated. What would I lose? Maybe everything. Maybe nothing. There was no room for such thoughts. My duties, the responsibility to protect the pack - that was all that mattered. "I will come back," I said, stepping out of the way. I walked up to her, put a paw on her shoulder. "I promise you. I''ll come back, and then we''ll talk. But now I have to go." She looked at me, her eyes searching for a spark of truth in my words. For a moment there was silence between us, only the gentle rustling of the wind in the trees accompanying our thoughts. Finally she let her shoulders sink, giving in, but the pain in her eyes remained. "If you don''t..." Her voice was barely more than a whisper. "Then I''ll look for you, no matter where you are." Part of me was proud of her determination, but another was worried. "You have to look after the pack, Seliniea," I said. "That''s more important." She nodded, but I knew she didn''t really want to let me go. It had never been easy to separate us. Since Mother... since then. "What''s going on here?" asked a voice, tearing us out of our little battle of words. Our heads snapped around and we saw Tobias. Tobias stood there, his eyes narrowed as he stared at us both. His black hair hung wet from the beginning rain in his face, which still bore the imprint of the branch from yesterday''s incident, and his clothes clung to his thin frame. He was smaller than us, a human, but not to be underestimated. Father had taken him in when Tobias was a child. Back when he had lost his family after fleeing from hunters. Since then he had grown up in the pack - an outsider who somehow still belonged. "I heard you screaming," Tobias said calmly, but his look revealed that he knew more than he let on. "What''s wrong?" Seliniea and I exchanged a quick glance before I answered. "Nothing, Tobias," I said quickly. "We were just... discussing." He stepped closer, his brow furrowed. "Discussing?" He emphasized the word as if he knew we weren''t telling him the whole truth. He stopped in front of us, arms folded. "That sounded more like a fight than a discussion." Seliniea opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to it. "I have to go to Newhurst," I explained. "Emmy is in danger. She was captured by hunters and Father sent me to free her." Tobias raised an eyebrow. "And Seliniea doesn''t want you to go." It was not a question. He had grasped the situation faster than I expected. "Right," Seliniea admitted, her voice calmer now but still laced with anger and worry. "I don''t want him to put himself in the same danger as our mother..." She didn''t say it, but we both knew what she meant. Tobias lowered his head as she said that, and for a moment he seemed deep in thought. I knew he missed Mother too, in his own way. She had treated him like a son, even though he wasn''t a wolf. "So father sent you," Tobias finally said, looking at me with his deep, dark brown eyes that seemed almost black in the dusk. "But why alone? Why not with more support?" That was a legitimate question that had been on my mind too. Father could have sent more of us. There were enough capable wolves in the pack that together would be strong enough to free Emmy and defeat the hunters. But instead he had sent me alone. A fact that worried me more with every passing minute. "He has his reasons," I said, although I didn''t know what they were myself. Tobias stared at me as if he could read my thoughts, then shook his head. "If you go, I''ll go with you." I immediately protested. "No, Tobias, that''s too dangerous. Newhurst is not for you. It''s a town full of humans. They would hunt you just like they hunted me if they found out you were part of the pack." "I don''t care," he replied defiantly. "I''ve learned to fight. I know how to defend myself. And I''m not letting you go out there alone, Sly. Not when the danger is so great." "You''re human," Seliniea interjected, her eyes flashing. "You''d only slow us down." Tobias'' eyes narrowed, but he didn''t let it bother him. "I may be human, but I''m part of the pack. And I won''t let you down. Besides... who can deal with humans better than me?" He grinned slightly, but his voice was serious. I hesitated. Tobias had a point. His ability to move among humans was unique in the pack. If I had him with me, it might be easier to get into the city undetected. But the risks were high. If he was caught, he would not only betray us, but also put his own safety at risk. "Tobias, this is different," I said quietly, trying to make him understand the seriousness of the situation. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. To make it clear. "We''re not talking about a game. This is real. The hunters in Newhurst have weapons, technologies you''ve never heard of. They know how to hunt wolves." He looked at me for a long time, his expression firm. "And that''s why you''re not going alone." He took a step closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder, a human act of connection that always seemed strange to me. "I''ve lost as much in this pack as you have. Maybe even more. But I''m not abandoning my family." Seliniea took a step back, her gaze moving between us. She bit her lip, hesitant. She knew Tobias could be a valuable ally, but she couldn''t hide the concern for both of us. I could see it in her eyes. "If he comes with us," she said finally, her voice quiet but urgent, "you''ll look after him, Sly. Promise me that." I nodded, although I wasn''t sure if I could keep that promise. The situation in Newhurst was unpredictable, and no one could guarantee that we would all come back alive. "I promise." Tobias grinned slightly again, then looked at me. "So, when are we leaving?" I turned towards the city, which loomed in the distance like a dark, threatening shape. The first lights came on in the skyscrapers, like eyes watching us. The rain got heavier, and a cold wind blew through the trees. "Now," I finally said. "We''re leaving now."