Murie

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Companion Song:
The Anthem by Good Charlotte
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And my high school
It felt more to me
Like a jail cell
A penitentiary
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The next two days speed by for me. I remember trying to pay attention in class and something about ancient curses in one of them. But mostly I just remember trying to figure out what I'll wear to the concert with Rex. I know that he probably won't care or even notice if I wear my pink belt instead of my usual purple one. Or if I decide to do a drop eye style of eyeliner instead of my usual cat eye. But I still have to make it perfect, just in case.

"Hello! Knock knock. Anyone home?"

I shake my head to shake myself out of my daydream. "What?"

I see Akuma pointing at a congregation of Harpy and Ketu students lined up on the field. "Are you gonna play or not?"

I realize it's the first weekend of the school year and welcome back festivities are in full swing. The annual tag tournament has begun, and third year Ketus are up against the unlucky first year Harpies. I quickly eye the new students and see them shaking in their boots looking at the large centaurs on our team who tower over them.

I put my copy of Twilight's Eclipse of the Dawn to the side and stand up while shaking the blades of grass from my clothes. The diamond-skinned humans of this actually horribly written book could wait. "Yeah, this is gonna be fun!"

Akuma runs ahead of me and gets to the Ketu edge of the field. I follow behind him in a more relaxed jog. As soon as I get to my place, one of the professors acting as referee steps into the middle of the field.

"Alrights, kids, the rules are simple. Students who can cast magic may only use slow-motion spells to slow down other players or speed spells to increase. Thropes may shift, but may not leave the ground if they are a flying type. Vampires, fauns, and centaurs may only use their superior physical abilities to run and evade.

"Each team will use the three shooters provided to them to tag the other team with their color. Any student who is tagged will be teleported by us," Professor Steen holds up her wand to indicate that she will be literally teleporting people "to the opposite team's endzone where the color will come off. Tagged players can be freed by carrying them out of the paralysis zone, but beware. Anyone who enters the endzone of the other team will immediately be paralyzed as well. You may use anything within the boundaries of the field," she turns to point at the various balls and ropes and shields strewn across the ground, "to your advantage.

"The first team to get all the opposite players into their endzone will be declared the winner. Is that clear?"

A roar erupts from both ends of the field. I can feel the hairs on the back of my neck rise. This is going to be fun.

I look next to me. Akuma has a conniving grin on his face. Next to him, Murie twitches as her auburn hair spreads over her body. Her ears grow and come to a point that's tipped in black. Her eyes turn yellow while her pupils stretch into a vertical slit. Her hands turn to sharp claws and her slightly buxom body transforms into a slinky toned beast of a body. Her eyes are wild with mischief that goes beyond anything Akuma could ever hope to achieve. She is scary, but I'm glad she's on my side.

Rex is farther down, but he decides not to shift into his thrope form for the game. He's surrounded by his centaur friends, and they roar with something that reminds me of vampiric bloodlust. Our shooters are in the hands of the amazingly accurate Teadle, the inconspicuous Mark, and the intimidating Faust.

"Harpies, are you ready?" The referee looks over at the first year students, who wave back.

"Ketus, are you ready?" She looks over at us and we wave back as well.

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