"Research"

Searching the highschool principal's office for paperwork on class field work a few days ago paid off. I follow the class at a decent distance away. Camouflaged naturally with the scenery with my twigs in hand and bandaged to my head. I could use a concealing incantation but I don't want the teacher to pick up on my mana and attack. Mrs. Lidia is a protective teacher with very good mana detection abilities. I may be an elf but I am not immortal.

According to the paperwork they are here searching for man eating lizards. A small group of them showed up and picked off a few travelers in the area recently. 

The teacher reviews everything they went over in the class. "Don't let them spit on you. If they are brightly colored then their skin is most likely poisonous. Their teeth are sharp, I can't reattach an arm or leg so be mindful. Their tails can whip and break your bones. Stay in your groups of 4 and protect your healer or you're all dead." Mrs. Lidia continues on and on and on about the dangers to the group of 12.

The class stops when Mrs. Lidia holds up her hand. Everyone is quietly watching her. Samantha snaps her head in my direction. Then mana pulses from her creating a shield around the group pushing a nearby shadow figure back. No one else in the group seems to have sensed the pulse. A lizard jumps into the group of kids causing choas in their groups. The seven foot tall bright orange and black lizard flicks its tongue while charging a boy that tripped.

Setting down my twigs I begin writing in my book. While glancing up at the scene often. [Can produce spiritual protection barriers with ease. No info. on physical barrier.]

Samantha grabs a spear and begins defending the classmate from the charging lizard. The barrier comes down. [Can not hold barrier while fighting. Movements are strong and swift.]

The rest of the class that scattered are now trying to regroup to take on the lizard but two more lizards show up. Five boys shout about protecting everyone while charging the two new lizards. Everyone is grouped up to fight the two new ones leaving Samantha alone with the first lizard. 

"Shouldn't we help her? She is in our group." One girl whispers a few bushes down.

"She is a freak. Leave her alone." Another one said.

"Yea she can't talk right and says some really weird things. Mrs. Lidia will help her if she needs it." Says a third.

"Besides have you forgotten, she is from Earth? My parents say the hunters from there are insane." The second continues.

I add a side note in the journal. [Teenage girls are ruthless.]

The lizard facing Samantha spins grazing a few boys with it's tail in the process and hits Samantha square into her arm block. The small girl is then thrown into a nearby tree. I close my journal knowing today's findings would now be useless.

I better go help them. Her bones have to be broken. There is no way anyone...

When Samantha falls from the tree indent she stands up straight rolling her right shoulder.

"That hurt." She growls.

I open my journal dumbfounded. [Brushed off being projected into tree by man eating lizard.]

"You're going to taste wonderful over a fire." She says with a grin.

The lizard faulters taking a step back. Then I feel the power of mana coming from the girl. She throws her spear missing all three lizards but hits the shadow figure that was lurking not far from me. The evil spirit withers away pinned to a tree. [Can not tell if subject has incredible aim or poor aim with bounds of luck.]

"See? Can't even hit three big lizards." The second girl says with a sneer.

[Classmates can not see shadow figures.]

All the lizards start to stumble a little at once. That small break lets the other classmates get the upper hand putting the lizards on the defense. Lidia continues to talk them through things while keeping an eye on the healers. On the side two incoherent boys are being healed after being spat on from the lizards. Putting out mana feelers I pick up the trace of poison mana.

That's what you used your mana on. Risky move. You could have poisoned your class. Yet she made an opening for everyone and took out the shadow figure. Hazel taught you well young one.

I scribble that in my journal. Then watch as Samantha and the large lizard go back and forth with their dodges and weaves against the others lunges and swings.

The lizard manages to latch onto Samantha's left arm when she over reached her attack. She swears and drives her spear into the lizards cheek. Both of them screaming in pain. They step back from each other. Slowly they start to circle counter clockwise looking for an opening.

Poison from saliva should be kicking in any second now. She better take an antidote.

"Samantha!" Mrs. Lidia shouts throwing a vile at the girl.

Never interrupt a fight. You should know this Lidia.

She then completely misses the catch and the lizard charges. Samantha falls backwards onto the ground. The lizards mouth opens wide to finish the fight. Samantha props her spear up just right, it spears the lizard through its skull and stops short of harming her.

"Are you okay?" Mrs. Lidia says pushing the lizard over and off the young girl.

Samantha sighs leaning her head against the tree. She quietly tells Mrs. Lidia how she is alright outside of the arm pain. She takes the vile and downs the black liquid.

"Can we eat the lizard?" Samantha asks.

She should not be coherent right now. Also her arm is not healing.

"No. They are highly posionous." Mrs. Lidia responds with a concerned face. "Here, another antidote."

[Poison resistance? Slow healing?]

The other lizards got taken care of while I was watching Samantha. Lidia had a girl heal Samantha while she explained to the class that Samantha is the only one getting full credit. Then wrapped up telling them the field work is done for today and how disappointed she is in the three that left Samantha alone.

Time to go home and rewrite my findings. Some things line up to just a regular strong hunter but that not breaking a bone when hitting a tree was new. A cup of tea while wr- what is that girl doing?

Samantha steps out of a large bush carrying two baby man eating lizards. One arm under each of them. A black and orange striped one while the other is the opposite orange with black stripes. (You can tell the base color by their nose color.)

"Can I keep them? I feel bad for killing their mother." Says Samantha.

"No! Put them down we have to kill them." Mrs. Lidia responds. 

Samantha half way turns away from Lidia as if that will have protect them. A golden scroll appears before Lidia. After she reads it, it catches fire and disappears. 

She lets out a sigh. "The boss says you can keep them at the paddocks but ONLY til they can hunt on their own." Mrs. Lidia says waving for the class to follow back to school.

Samantha reaches her fingers forward a little under the lizards mouths making them open and close their mouths. After a few snaps of their mouth she seems satisfied. With a giggle, Samantha scurries after everyone.

Fascinating. Looks like I will be figuring out the next field day is.

{To be continued...}