Identity of the Amaroqs

"Told ya, Ursus!"

"This is more than I thought it was. We must report to Ur-tir'ak," Supido said.

"All the way to the center of the forest?!"

The thought alone of having to walk all the way to Ur-tir'ak was burdensome after the journey from home.

Their conversation was interrupted when they heard the washroom door open and Aquila walked in.

"Aquila, how did ya know we were here?" Ursus asked.

He began to nudge at Heat as more girls walked in.

"Because you are in the ladies' washroom…."

"Aaaaah!!" The girls screamed in unison, as if they had rehearsed for this moment.

Heat and Ursus raced past the loud noise and out into the hallway.

"You see, I wanted to mention that before, but I must've skipped it the moment you mentioned warm breeze," Supido said with a silly smile, waving from across the hallway.

"Idiot!" Heat and Ursus said together as they rushed upon him and started strangling him. Supido did little to resist but tried to talk himself out.

"It's not my fault you didn't detect multiple spa approaching and speed off."

"Idiot. You could've at least warned us!" Heat said.

"There was no way you guys would've been able to move fast enough without being slightly detected. Besides, three guys coming out of the ladies' bathroom?"

"Idiot! They're not amen; they wouldn't have noticed me leave," Ursus said.

"Oh, right, I forgot that you were almost a little fast, Ursus."

"If you gentlemen are done, I'll like to happily inform you that classes have begun and you're being noisy. And what in the Creator's name were you doing in the ladies' bathroom?" Aquila approached the three of them as Heat and Ursus took their hands off Supido.

"Yahweh," Heat said.

"What?"

"The Creator's name. At least in Abrahamic religions. If you go with Hindu, then it's Brahma. You can go for Yoruba, which makes it-"

"-Heat, that's an expression amen use. We don't have a name for Him."

"We need to talk, but Ur-tir'ak is too far from here, so let's go to the school quarter," Supido spoke while clearing his throat. "Since classes are in session, let's make this quick, shall we?"

They ran toward the exit, but a hall monitor stood near the door. In Zion, school was mainly held indoors. The only time students were allowed outside was before classes started, after classes and during physical education class. To make sure that was exactly what happened, every school had a teacher assigned the job of monitor.

When they got close enough, Supido touched his shoulder and said, "You didn't see us leave."

"What makes you think he will listen to you?" Heat asked after they went past.

"Are you seriously still that ignorant?" Aquila asked.

"Huh?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know what Supido did."

"Come to think of it, his eyes changed for a split second."

"Supido ran ahead of us and cast a lu'a on him to obey what he said."

"Oh, that's cool. Lu'a are multipurpose, aren't they? Almost like a convenient shortcut, a Swiss army knife."

****

"We're here," Ursus said.

"Behind the principal's friggin' office?!"

"Quiet Heat, don't draw attention."

Ursus walked closer to the wall and placed his left palm on it. Claws grew from his nails and he turned his hand so that they'll draw a circle. He then pressed his palm against the circle and the ground opened to reveal a small square platform just a few centimeters below the ground.

Supido stepped unto it. "Supido Lupus," he said. There was a dim light from beneath and Supido disappeared.

Aquila stood on it next. "Aquila Ferri Alis."

"You're next." Ursus told him.

Heat stepped onto the platform, "Um, Heat Fury."

His feet suddenly glued to the floor.

"What's going on?!"

"Is 'um' a part o' ya name?" Ursus asked.

"No, dummy."

"So why did ya add it, genius?!"

"Look who said I shouldn't shout."

They heard the principal's chair move.

"Heat Fury."

"Ursus Custos."

The principal looked through the window but saw nothing and turned away.

"That was a close shave," Heat said when Ursus reappeared underground.

"All ya fault," Ursus replied.

"I didn't shout."

"Well I didn't shout because of me."

They began to argue.

"Aquila," Supido called gently, like he was expecting something.

Aquila lifted her hand at both of them and feathers as sharp as knives flew at Heat and Ursus from her palm. Ursus jumped behind a table but Heat got a slight cut on his arm.

"Aquila, ya coulda-" Supido threw a pocketknife at Ursus. "-cut me"

"I'm not gonna miss on purpose next time. C'mon, let's get this over with and get back to class."

"This place is pretty cool," Heat said.

"First of all, aside Heat and I, no one else felt any warm breeze, right?" Supido asked as he pulled up a chair to sit on.

The room they were in was fairly big, but it looked abandoned. There were desks and computers all around like it was some kind of intelligence center used during a war.

"I did, but it wasn't for even up to a second," Aquila answered.

"Okay, anyone who felt it more than once?"

"I did," Heat said.

"Did it feel like time had stopped or you had lost track of your aim or everything around you?"

"The first time, I walked right past the school instead of branching towards it, and the second time, it seemed like time had paused to give way for the breeze to occur."

"Mine felt that way too. What 'bout you, Aquila?"

"Neither."

"Ok then, I think my theory is right. Heat, you are being followed by an amaroq."

"Amaroq?! Like fake werewolf amaroq? Killing Inuit tribes at night amaroq? Aren't they just stories and myths and stuff?" Heat was amused.

"Not exactly."

"Hold on, why that sudden conclusion?" Ursus asked.

"Not a conclusion, just a theory. It's because amaroqs are the highest order of amen alive, despite Heat's belief in himself. Their presence is detected only by someone with humongous, special or well-shaped or trained spa."