(Book 1) The malediction of the Undertaker

Chapter 45: Mendal's favorite pastime

Taker feels a paw hitting him on the back of the head, he turns around and sees Markus, he looks back in front of him and sees Diana still sleeping, realizing the fireball is still there above them, and that he is still alive. Was it a dream turned into a nightmare? He sits down trying to think about this dream, he doesn't understand why he had this kind of dream, Diana will betray him? He rubbed his face then looked at his creature who tilted his head to the side. "You are so vicious my boy." He whispered smiling at his creature then frowned when Markus told him they were late for practice. "Is it time already? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" He asked his creature before waking Diana up, he stood up stretching his arms turning his back to Diana letting her get dressed. Taker thinks back to the dream he had last night, it was strange this dream, it was perfect at the beginning and it ended in murder.  His thoughts are shattered when Diana touches Taker's arm smiling.

"We can go." She said, her eyes a little tired but ready to go again with a smile, Taker helps Diana to climb on the back of his creature before climbing behind her.

~~

Pat is in the training area, watching how each group improves in a fight. he hears a clang of metal, turns around and sees Markus with Taker and Diana on his back. He helps Diana off Markus' back, she thanks him and goes with the others to practice. He tries not to look weird again but can't. Lots of things go through his head, the visions, Scott, his attack, the dream he just had, everything is driving him crazy. He watches the training session opposite Pat, which Pat notices. He doesn't know why Taker is avoiding him right now, he knows that Taker is upset about the visions he had but maybe he could help him.

"Good, all in rows!" Ordered Taker, yawning, stretching not having woken up well yet. The soldiers are in rows, side by side, Taker walking in front of them. "We will now work in pairs, one human against one of us. Choose your partner and the exercise is that you humans manage to disarm your opponent by any means. You will fight against people like Me and Pat, watch out for their second hand, they can use it to cast spells." Said Taker looking at the soldiers mixing up to be in pairs, Pat goes with Kinsey. "You have to move like in a real fight, don't stay in place, creatures come to you to exercise your reflexes too. Be attentive." He added as he walked through the groups, nodding at the creatures to begin.

Taker stares intently at the top of a rock, watching proudly as they train, he watches every person, every creature that descends behind them, every reflex they have.

His eyes fall on Diana training, her reflexes are perfect even to avoid a creature. He climbs down from the rock and mingles with the training crowd, he takes an ax in his hand, Pat uses Taker's back while backing up to avoid a creature. "GOOD." Said Taker, feeling someone using his back to protect himself. "Feel free to use your allies' backs to protect your back." Said Taker still walking, looking at Diana who seems to be having trouble defending herself. Tigress comes from behind the man training with her and gets right behind so that he loses his balance and falls. "You can also work with creatures in battle!" Said Taker before feeling something fall near his heels, then turned against Markus' attack. Markus does not take it easy with his master as he had always asked him to. He tries to hit him with his paws but Taker manages to evade him or blocks him with his hands.

A big headache made him distract to avoid Markus who hit him and propelled him against a tree. Everyone is shocked and stops training to help the Majesty get up. Taker gets abrupt, he abruptly pushes anyone who comes near him trying to get away from the group. "Taker!" Pat screamed as he ran trying to catch up to him, seeing that his friend was in pain like he had a bad headache. "Let go of me!" Taker yelled pushing Pat, visions of the Cassiopeia and Calaway friendship came back to him, especially the vision where one of Pat's ancestors kills his grandfather.

Taker teleports to an unknown location leaving Pat alone, confused in the forest. Markus joins Pat, walking slowly towards him, pushing his head with his big hairy head, Pat looks at him. "It's not your fault." Pat reassured his ally's creature.

~!~

Mendal stayed in his basement all evening and morning monitoring Taker's thoughts, controlling his thoughts and emotions. He sees Taker, sitting in a burrow, sitting, curled up on himself suffering from a headache controlled by Mendal. He may have found a way for Taker to stay alone and abandoned by everyone. Everyone takes him for a man who will end up like his father, a madman. And besides, Mendal discovered that Taker is in love with a human, a shitty human who the blind man predicted would betray him. Oh, she's pretty but Taker shouldn't be in love with a human, this species is weak on earth like the others.

Mendal sees Pat's face, his fists clench, he thought he killed him, he killed the grandfather, the father and he thought he killed this one too. How could he get away with it? Mendal shook his head in disgust knowing that Taker aliased, his own son, Mark Calaway is with a Cassiopeia as they betrayed the family. He did everything to keep his son out of contact with them, these traitors.