Miyuki, Logan and a limp Sarah remained silent as they approached their plane. Unlike the small and efficient private jet they had taken on their wreck of a mission, the cargo plane ahead of them was absolutely massive. It looked like a Boing-747’s larger and fatter cousin. Logan couldn’t help but compare the monstrosity to the barely flight worthy craft the Wright brothers made. He remembered how astounded the humans were and how the newspapers didn’t believe any of it would work.

  The plane’s nose was up, allowing crate after what looked to be the last crate to be loaded from the hydraulic scissor lift. On the side was a set of portable boarding stairs and standing at the bottom of said stairs was a man furiously tapping away at a tablet. They looked tired and didn’t give the unconscious Sarah a second glance.

  “Let me guess,” the man said in an exhausted tone when they got in talking range over the loud machinery, “you’re the three additional cargo we’re bringing on.”

  Logan just nodded. The man grunted and returned to his tablet. “You’ll be leaving within the hour, will be making a pit stop in Tokyo for refueling, and then heading to main HQ.” He looked up to Logan with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t expect any nice seats or full course meals. You’re a last-second addition and we don’t have time to reconfigure things to make it more comfortable. We’ve supplied enough food and water to get you there. In exchange for being allowed to just hop on it’ll be your job to make sure none of the cargo gets damaged. If something falls over, you stop it. If something tries to run away, you catch it, understood?”

  Logan was surprised at the Support-class. He was used to seeing beings, including other keepers, hesitate and act nervous around Hunter-classes. Either that man was tired enough to not give a damn who they were or just didn’t care in the first place.

  “Understood,” Logan said briefly.

  The man grunted again and waved them as he returned to his work. The three of them entered the aircraft and went up an additional flight of stairs to the plane’s second level. There were a handful of chairs that economy class would call poor. The two conscious passengers hooked Sarah into one of the seats before dropping their bags, laying Sarah’s sword carefully across an empty seat, and fastening themselves in. They ended up sitting on the opposite seats in the same row with Sarah buckled one row in front of Miyuki.

  It was only a few minutes before they felt the plane shutter into motion and be shuttled down the runway. Unlike with normal passenger planes, they could feel the sheer power of the engines and their struggle to get the massive piece of metal airborne. As they gained altitude Logan opened his duffel bag and retrieved his magi-tech tablet. After he turned it on there was a small tingle in his hand as the tablet verified his identity.

  “So, what are we going to do when she wakes up,” Miyuki said before he could open anything.

  “We have to get her used to her beast. Fortunately enough, we are isolated and are strong enough to subdue her if necessary.”

  She groaned, “great, weretiger wrestling, so much fun.”

  “Shut up you,” he said, only half-joking. “We both know I’m going to be the one wrestling. I’m not looking forward to the claws.”

  “Aw, is the puppy scared of the little kitty’s claws?” Without hesitation he reached across the hall and flicked her forehead. She recoiled in pain, “OW! Damn it. I told you to stop doing that.”

  “Then stop making me want to,” he returned to his tablet with a light smile. He did put a little internal energy to it just to make it hurt a little worse. Nothing raised his mood like messing with the kitsune.

  Miyuki grumbled while retrieving her own tablet and joined Logan in occupying herself. It took a few hours for Sarah to begin stirring from her induced slumber. She groaned as she tried to open her eyes before wincing at even the minimal light in the cabin. She tried to sit forward when the seat straps stopped her. As her still addled brain started to panic, Logan reached across the hall and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “easy there,” he said gently. “You’re safe. We’re on the plane and away from everyone.”

  Her hyperventilating slowly subsided. “Right, on a plane, again. Uh..not exactly the first-class accommodations from last time.”

  He unbuckled himself and moved over to the row opposite her. “Yeah, military grade isn’t exactly known for comfort, it's more like being cheap but sturdy enough. How do you feel?”

  Sarah scanned herself. “I think I’m back to normal?” She shrank into herself. “Was that real?”

  “It was. What do you remember?”

  “I remember running away, hiding, and” she started to shake. “That thing took over.”

  Logan held up his hand placatingly before she started to spiral, “don’t worry, everything is fine. The first shift is the worst for everyone. After the first time, a beast-cursed like us has much more control.”

  “Okay,” she said, “are you sure?”

  “I’m sure. We all go through it.”

  “It was just so hungry.”

  “That’s the bad part of being beast-cursed with predators. They are almost always hungry and more than a little temperamental.”

  “Then what am I supposed to do?” she asked with her eyes beginning to water. “I can still feel that thing in me.”

  She quickly went from shock to desperation. “You said you can get it out of me. I don’t care if I could die, I want it out.”

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  Logan felt for the girl. While his first shift was in a significantly different situation, he had seen enough newly-cursed to understand.

  “That’s no longer a real option. What I didn’t tell you is that even if you survive you’ll never be the same. When a beast is pulled from a soul it takes much of it with them. You’d become a shell of your former self. No emotions, not wants, no nothing, a living zombie.”

  She collapsed into herself and began crying. “I just don’t want to hurt anyone.”

  He jumped on the chance. “Then you’ll have to control it, and we can help you do that.”

  “Why the hell should I try and control that thing? It’s a walking murderer!”

  “No, it’s an animal stuck in a cage. Most importantly, that thing is you.”

  She turned confused, “what the hell does that mean?”

  “That means that your beast isn't truly a separate creature. You are two sides of the same coin. You are now both human and beast and only when the two sides are in sync will you have the control you need.”

  “That thing is me? But I’ve never wanted any of that. I’ve never killed anything in my life.”

  “As I said,” he said making sure she heard it properly, “you both are and are not the same being. You’ll understand more the closer you get to it. Only once the two of you have merged properly will you have true control.”

  He gave her a smile, “Lucky for you we have more than a few years of experience with this kind of thing.”

  “Okay,” she said, psyching herself up. “Okay, what do I need to do?”

  “I’m so glad you asked,” Miyuki said, joining them with an abnormal amount of excitement. “The quickest way is exposure therapy. Luckily, you have two experienced Hunter-Class here that will pull you back if you go too far.”

  Sarah looked at her in obvious confusion. “Exposure therapy? Wait, you want me to turn into that… thing again? I thought I was just going to meditate or something.”

  “You are going to do some meditation. The goal will be for you to directly communicate with your beast and whenever you go too far and shift, we’ll forcefully pull you back.”

  Logan motioned to the stairs leading to the cargo hold. “If you would?” Sarah hesitantly unfastened herself and followed Logan down the stairs.

  “Just so you know,” Miyuki said from behind Logan, “this isn’t the usual method. It's the one we use when we don’t have the resources

  “What do you normally do?” Sarah asked as they reached the hold.

  Thankfully, there was about ten meters separating the cargo door and the first crate. Plenty of room for their purposes.

  Miyuki smirked, “we get you high off your ass and see what happens."

  Sarah was taken aback at the answer. “Seriously? You send them on a drug trip with an animal and hope they don’t start tweaking?”

  "To be more specific,” he interjected, “we use a special compound invented by the cooperation of some shamans and druids to put the beast-cursed into a trance. This trance lets the host and beast communicate without putting either in any real danger. Obviously, we don’t just carry this around.”

  They had her sit in the middle of the open area with her legs crossed.

  Logan started limbering up for the fights ahead. “The first thing you need to do is close your eyes and start feeling for your core. All beast-cursed have a core somewhere around their heart. It should feel like a ball of rough energy.”

  “Are you sure this is necessary?” Sarah asked nervously. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but, I would prefer the drugs.”

  Logan shook his head. “We unfortunately don’t have that choice. If you try to suppress your beast again as you are now it might take over again.” He looked her directly in the eye. “Where we’re going there are beings who are physically weaker and more vulnerable than even human children and we can’t afford for you to be a threat to them. Focus on your instincts and imagine there is a helpless human in front of you, completely unaware, what would you do?”

  Sarah frowned as she closed her eyes. After a few moments her muscles tensed as she began leaning forward. Just as Logan was getting ready to forcefully suppress her, she violently shook her head.

  “No! NO, stop it!” She started shaking as her eyes shot open and she put her hands to the sides of her head.

  “Damn, that was fast,” Miyuki commented.

  Logan agreed. He knew it was bad, but to only take a few seconds with only a mental image to act up was worrying. “That shows how close it is to the surface.” He returned to the agitated Sarah. “As you are now, you will attack someone and might even kill them.” He watched her begin to panic again.

  He knelt down and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Remember, we’re here to help you,” he said while making sure to get her attention. “We are going to make sure that you don’t hurt anyone. Now take a deep breath. In and out.”

  Sarah followed his instructions and took deep breaths. It took about a dozen guided cycles for her to be focused enough to continue.

  “Alright,” she said, significantly calmer, “what do I need to do?”

  Logan guided Sarah to the center of the open area and gave Miyuki a small nod. She positioned herself on the opposite side of her. “First, sit down, close your eyes, and take a few more deep breaths.”

  Sarah nodded and followed his instructions. While she was focusing, Miyuki cast a small spell and started gathering mana above a raised hand. It looked like the undulating mirage layer of a burning desert held in the form of an orb the size of a fist. After Sarah closed her eyes, they both circled her until Miyuki was standing in front with Logan behind.

  “Now try and connect to your beast.” Logan instructed. “Don’t over think this. Your beast is a part of you, a part of your mind and soul. There should be something like a core of energy in your chest.” He connected to his own beast and prepared to shift.

  She lasted about fifteen seconds before she started shifting. In only a handful of seconds instead of a newly graduated student, a hungry predator sat before them. After she was done shifting, Sarah’s eyes opened and locked onto Miyuki. As she crouched and readied to pounce, Miyuki’s spell blasted her in the face with a flick of her hand. The mana was neither dense nor powerful making it nothing but a ball of extremely hot air.

  Logan had experienced the ball firsthand and knew that it was both simple and effective. It had the power of walking from a chilled, air-conditioned building into the burning heat of a desert in summer. The disorienting effect was short lived but created potentially deadly openings.

  Sarah stumbled at the blast. As she was recovering Logan grabbed the back of her neck and forced her face first to the deck. As she struggled, Logan connected to his beast and focused his internal energy. He had to push it out of his body and move against her beast. On contact the duel of wills began.

  When one beast is used to suppress another, it becomes a wrestling match. The stronger beast will suppress the weaker, making it retreat and often forcing the loser to shift back. That process sounded simple but was extremely dangerous. If the beast attempting to be suppressed wins the conflict, they will strike back and wound or possibly kill the other beast. The death of one’s beast was the death of their soul and was instantly deadly.

  Logan focused entirely on Sarah's rampaging tiger. The thrashing of both body and beast was wild. The tiger fought back but for the second time that day his wolf suppressed it. Though, during this time he felt something different. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it. It felt almost familiar. Before he could search any further her beast retreated leaving a human Sarah behind. Logan released her and returned to his previous position. The heaving Sarah flipped over to lay on her back.

  He waited for her to mostly stabilize. “Did that feel any different?”

  She responded still out of breath. “Yeah, I think so. It didn’t hurt like the first time. Before, they grabbed me and forced me to be a backseat driver to my own body. There’s still a divide, but I could tell that it was less angry at me as it was looking for a hunt. The biggest difference was that my feeling was much more muted. I didn’t feel trapped like last time.”

  Logan nodded. He was nervous that there hadn’t been any progress. “That’s exactly what we’re looking for. Now do it again.”

  Sarah hesitated, “I don’t think it'll be happy about that.”

  “Too bad,” he responded seriously, “we need you to be as connected and used to your beast as much as possible.”

  “But-,” she tried to argue but was cut off.

  “Just trust us,” Miyuki said while preparing more mana. “Think about what you were before. We want to deal with an angry tiger even less than you do.”

  Logan chuckled. “What she said. I’m sorry but we need to get back to it.”

  Sarah returned to her previous sitting position. She closed her eyes and started focusing until she shifted once again. They repeated this exercise over and over, each time making sure she knew she was safe and was improving. Even though he said that, the progress wasn’t nearly as fast as he hoped.

  an entirely different reason I discovered something. I thought that in order to remain in the challenge an author needed to upload 15k chapters by the 5th. On second reading I discovered that it is in fact 25k words. Now it you would excuse me I need to get 11k words ready in the next four days.