Fifteen years later…
Now twenty-four, Joshua sprinted across the rooftops of the slums, moving with the agility of someone who had done it all his life. The sun hung low, casting long shadows through the alleyways beneath him. He was in his element, fast, free, and untouchable.
But as he vaulted over a narrow alley, something caught his eye.
Below, a girl in a red coat was being cornered, pressed against a wall by two low-class werewolves. Curious, Joshua landed softly on a closer rooftop to get a better look and hear what was happening.
"Hey, little thing, where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" one of the werewolves growled, gripping her waist.
"Let's see what we're working with," the second one said, yanking down her hood and revealing a shock of bright red hair.
Both paused.
"Whoa… a noble!" they said in unison.
Joshua's breath hitched. He saw her face, delicate, fierce, glowing with beauty.
Whoa, she's beautiful, he thought. (I think I'm in love.)
Without hesitation, Joshua leapt from the rooftop, dropping between the girl and her attackers. He delivered a perfectly timed split-kick to both their jaws, sending them crashing into the alley wall.
He landed smoothly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Hey there." (Damn… that sounded cooler in my head.)
The girl's eyes sparkled. "Hi! That kick was awesome!"
Joshua blinked. (She's louder than I expected.)
The werewolves groaned and started to get up.
"Hey, dumbass," one spat. "This isn't a love story."
"You're dead!" snarled the other.
Joshua glanced at them, then turned back to the girl. "Do you trust me?"
"I… I think so."
"That's good enough."
He scooped her into his arms like a princess and leapt onto the rooftops. With powerful strides, he bounded from building to building.
"How's he doing that?!" one of the werewolves shouted.
"Whatever, let's get outta here!"
But as they turned to flee, a tall, cloaked figure stepped into the mouth of the alley.
"Who the hell are..." the first werewolf started, but before he could finish, his head hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Blood sprayed across the alley.
"Where is she?" the cloaked figure asked coldly.
The second werewolf dropped to his knees, trembling. "The girl… she was taken by a guy in a hoodie! He jumped across the rooftops... that way!"
"Thanks." The stranger dashed off, cloak billowing behind him.
Meanwhile, Joshua and the girl continued their escape.
"You're a noble, right?" he asked.
"Yes… How are you doing this?"
"It's called parkour. Learned it from thieves." He paused. "But what's a noble like you doing in the slums?"
"I wanted to see it for myself. I came with my protector, but I lost him while exploring the alleys."
A gust of wind swept past them, blowing Joshua's hood back and revealing his black wolf ears and dark hair.
Her eyes widened. "You're a werewolf… and a noble one at that. Are... are you going to eat me to become immortal? They say if a werewolf or vampire devours a noble human, they gain immortality!"
Joshua grinned and leaned in, licking the top of her head. "You are very tasty," he said with a playful but menacing gaze.
"Hey!" she cried, smacking him. The sudden movement caused them both to fall from the rooftop. Joshua twisted mid-air, turning so he'd hit the ground first, cushioning her fall.
They hit the concrete hard.
"I was just kidding," Joshua groaned. "It's just a myth anyway. Immortality sounds boring."
"That's not funny, meanie." She puffed out her cheeks in a mock pout.
Joshua laughed and to his surprise, she laughed too. Still lying on the ground, they shared a moment of strange joy. Then she winced, trying to stand.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, worried.
"My knee," she replied, blood trickling down her leg.
Joshua tore a piece from his hoodie and wrapped it tightly around her knee. "I know someone who can heal that." He crouched down with his back to her. "Hop on."
She climbed onto his back. A fluffy black tail poked out from beneath his hoodie.
"A fluffy tail…" she said dreamily, rubbing her cheek against it.
Joshua blushed as he carried her.
"Oh... I forgot to ask your name. I'm Joshua. Twenty-four years old."
"My name's Blanchette. I'm nineteen."
"Nice coat you've got."
"My grandmother gave it to me. It's very important to me. She died in a disaster... but I don't like talking about it."
"I'm sorry to hear that. I won't ask again."
Suddenly, a blade swung toward Joshua's head. He backflipped away just in time, placing Blanchette down and jumping back again.
Before he could even land, a knight stood in front of him, blonde hair, blue eyes, clad in gleaming armor.
(He closed the distance in a second… he's fast.)
The knight slashed diagonally. Joshua deflected the blow by kicking the hilt, throwing the blade upward, then launched himself off the knight's chest with both feet. They both landed hard, sliding backward across the dirt.
(This guy's no joke. He was trying to kill me.)
The knight planted his sword in the ground and took a noble stance.
"My name is Lancelot," he announced. "Protector of Lady Blanchette. You're a noble werewolf, natural enemy of humans. Were you planning to devour her for immortality? It doesn't matter. I'm here now."
(First time seeing a noble werewolf… They say one is worth a thousand men. I have to take this seriously.)
Lancelot raised his sword, eyes locked on Joshua.
Joshua raised a hand. "Oh, so it's just a misunderstanding. I hel..."
Lancelot dashed forward, his blade arcing toward Joshua's neck.
"STOP!" Blanchette cried. "Lancelot! He saved me!"
The sword froze, just inches from Joshua's throat.
(If she hadn't stopped him, I'd be dead...) Joshua thought, panting.
Lancelot turned to Blanchette and saw her injured leg.
"So they hurt you?"
"No, actually… Joshua did. He joked about eating me, and we fell off a rooftop," she added sheepishly.
Lancelot's expression darkened.
(He played with Lady Blanchette's life… I won't kill him, but I'll teach him a lesson.)
He dropped his sword and cracked his knuckles.
Joshua grinned. "So we're cool now? You get the situat..."
Lancelot's punch landed square on his jaw, sending him flying into a stack of crates. They shattered around him.
Joshua groaned, tasting blood. He stood, touching his lip, his hand came away red. He growled and lunged, but before he could take a step, Lancelot appeared again and delivered a brutal uppercut to the gut, lifting Joshua into the air.
While airborne, Lancelot brought his leg down in a vicious axe kick to Joshua's skull, slamming him into the ground with a crack. Then he mounted him and began pounding him mercilessly.
Blood splattered across the alley. Joshua's face was bruised and broken, his arms raised in a feeble attempt to protect himself.
"Lancelot! That's enough!" Blanchette screamed, grabbing his arm.
Joshua's vision blurred… then everything faded to black.