The school of Bermuda - Volume 2 - The Sea Monster

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After seeing this gigantic fish with sharp fangs, most of the students rushed to the teachers to question them.

Lili and her friends headed towards the infirmary, preferring to discuss it with Viktor.

"It's the Bermuda monster," the vampire announced, giving each of them a cup of tea. "You must have already talked about it in magical creatures class, right?"

"No," Izãdo replied. "Professor Salvator just told us that among the creatures on the island, there was a sea monster."

"That's enough."

"Why don't we get rid of it?" Ree asked.

"If it were possible, we would have done it a long time ago."

"Yet," Lili added. "My magic book talks about a Leviathan protector of the Bermuda island."

"The Leviathan is in your book? What does it say exactly?"

"It's a legendary sea dragon. When the island still belonged to the royal family, a few hundred years ago, the Leviathan was its protector, and that's why it is now the royal emblem."

Izãdo glanced at his gold signet ring, engraved with a sea serpent.

"That's right," Viktor continued. "With one small detail. A few years after the king offered his summer castle to be turned into a school, about three hundred years ago, the Leviathan simply disappeared and, in its place, we ended up with this hideous creature."

"No one searched for the Leviathan?" Lulis asked.

"Oh yes, and the search is still ongoing today, but we haven't found any trace of our protector. Many believe that the monster killed it."

"And what about you?" Lili asked. "What do you think?"

"Me? I think it is still alive somewhere. It's an immortal and invulnerable creature. The Leviathan may be weakened, but it cannot die, so it's impossible for the monster to have destroyed it."

Viktor took a sip of what seemed to be blood from a silver cup.

"But...," Lili hesitated, "where does this monster come from?"

This time, the vampire remained silent for a moment. He knew the answer, there was no doubt about it.

"Well," he finally decided to say, "there are some hunters who don't agree with the others."

"What do you mean?" Lulis asked.

"Hunters are solitary, but they all answer to a group called the clave, that's what our spies have reported. The clave gathers former hunters who are now unable to fight, but who have killed over a hundred sorcerers, they call them alphas. However, there are a few hunters... let's say, mercenaries, who don't obey the clave."

"What does this have to do with the monster?" Izãdo growled.

"It's simple. If the other hunters consider these rebels as their enemies, as much as sorcerers, it's for the following reason: the mercenary hunters believe that to fight us, they must be on equal footing, so they have studied an art that we don't use: dark magic. Thanks to that, one of them summoned the monster, hoping that it would be able to destroy our barrier. Instead, the monster got stuck inside."

"But then, is the monster an ally of the hunters?"

"No, that's why we don't use dark magic. It's like a double-edged blade and it's unpredictable."

The adult put down his glass and offered a reassuring smile to the young students.

"But don't worry about that. The mermaids keep it away from the castle, while preventing it from leaving the protection. It's getting late."

"I have to go to the farm," Lili said. "Kareth said you could come, Izãdo."

The prince nodded silently and got up with his friend to head outside, while Ree and Lulis went towards the dormitories.

As soon as the half-fairy and Izãdo arrived at the farm, the magnificent black rooster ran to perch on the girl's shoulder.

"Oh, I missed you!" Lili exclaimed.

"Not me," the prince grimaced. "This creature hasn't stopped pecking me, and let's not even talk about the geese."

"Why did you want to come back then?"

"I like taking care of the fields."

Lili couldn't help but laugh, bringing the rooster back to the chicken coop.

When all their assigned classmates had finally arrived, the distribution of roles could begin. Since Saadia had finished her schooling, she was no longer part of the small group, but they were enough to handle the different tasks. The growls of the wild beasts could be heard from the forest, but Lili's bubak cape assured them that the monsters were kept at a distance.

Just as their tasks were almost finished, and the students were preparing to return to the castle, bathed in the fading daylight, a lugubrious bark echoed from the undergrowth. A chilling silence followed, before a second bark was heard.

"Are there dogs here?" the frightened half-caster whispered.

"No," Kareth replied. "Only... koers!"

He pointed his finger forward, indicating at the edge of the forest what seemed to be a huge dog the size and build of a bear, with black fur turning dark green. Its entirely yellow eyes gleamed with malicious intelligence and terrible cruelty.

"Run!" the farmer ordered.

"But...," Lili hesitated. "My cape keeps creatures away..."

"Koers are not ordinary creatures. They are the harbinger of disaster, you must flee at the first bark!"

"He's just staring at us," Izãdo remarked.

"Just wait to hear it bark a third time, that's the signal for attack, you won't even have time to see it coming before its fangs are already in your throat!"

"Too late!" the half-dragon exclaimed.

Everyone turned to the canine monster, who was about to take a breath to bark a third time, but as it opened its mouth, a cloth suddenly wrapped around it, closing it and preventing it from making any sound.

Holding the cloth tightly with one hand to keep it closed, and the creature's neck with the other to prevent it from moving, the bubak had just saved their lives.