I'M DAMN SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. Blame my teachers, they're the ones whose pilling me up with some &$&%!$# homework and I can't do anything about it! As for the connections, don't even ask. PLUS: Looks worriedly at the Hura-Lycan army awaiting Dragon of Zanarkand's orders It ain't easy writing with three broken ribs, one blind eye, a broken arm and leg and six lost fingers!!! Offended, Hura-Lycans approach OH NO! NO! I DIDN'T MEAN THAT! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Jak-Daxter: Here we go again! Tranquilizers!

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Fenris: Same place tomorrow?

Proteus: Fine. See you around, guys. I've got to go. Oh yeah, and Sig, try to come earlier tomorrow. I don't want to know what Vorador will do if he catches us late.

Sig nodded slowly and watched as he and Proteus went off. Half-heartedly, he went home as well.

Sig found it very difficult to concentrate on his combat classes over the next few days.

Vorador's threats did little to frighten him, and everytime his fierce tutor rambled on about the rules of Transformation, Sig simply stared into space, wishing with all his might that he would just evaporate and drift away, far from this wretched Metalhead-turning lessons.......

Vorador: (Suddenly shouts) SIGFRIED!

Sig shot his head upwards and looked around frantically to see whom had called his name. Not surprisingly, Vorador strode up towards him, his brows tight in a v-shaped frown.

At the corner of his eye, Sig could see Proteus and Fenris looking worried.

Vorador: Have you been blithely staring into the empty space all this time during my lesson?

His words dripped with malice, but Sig stood firm and unmoved by his threatening voice.

Sig: No, Sir.

Vorador: (Looking annoyed) Fine, then. Answer this question. What is the main factor that increases our savage instincts in our beastial form?

Sig was blank; after all, he hadn't been paying attention. As he struggled to keep a good front and find an answer at the same time, he saw Proteus suddenly making a couple of hand gestures at him. He put his hand into a C kind of shape, putting it up high and pointing at it sharply to indicate something.

Sig: (Suddenly realizing) Erm....the moon (I think).

Vorador frowned harder and looked at him square in the eye, and stood so close to Sig's face he could feel his hot breath on his neck. Sig's green eyes locked with Vorador's dark, coal-like ones.

Vorador: (Hissing and ignoring the answer) Your Dante's son are you?

Sig's stomach flip-floped at the sound of his father's name.

Sig: Yes sir.

Vorador: His death must mean a lot to you.

Sig: (Silent)

Vorador: (Looking up to the rest of the class) Now...tell me, class. Have any of your fathers, uncles or brothers died on the Surface in this Metalhead war?

To Sig's surprise, Fenris's hand shot up.

Fenris: My father Turel and brother Rahab did, sir.

Vorador: Have you any idea of what they looked like in their beastial forms?

Fenris was silent, taken aback by the unexpected question. The other students were looking perplexed as well, talking to one another about it. Sig was starting to get uncomfortable.

Fenris: I-I don't think so, sir.

Vorador: I don't expect you to. Now tell me this, class......have you ever heard the term 'Hura-Lycan'?

Proteus: I have, sir. It's an ancient beast akin to the Metalheads. But everyone knows that they don't exist.

Vorador: Is that so? (Chuckles) Humph...you are an ignorant lot. But I'll tell you anyway. This might disturb you as it does young Sigfried here....

Sig was frozen. How could Vorador possibly know how he felt towards being a Metafor? But he didn't have time to think about it; Vorador was already babbling on about the thing he dreaded most....

Vorador: Have any of you actually bothered to find out about our history? Of why we can transform into beasts, and how this has ever happened to us? Of course, for you underaged little twits, digging so deeply into the past is considered a forbidden transgression. You are not supposed to know until...well, when we think you're ready. But I will tell you now, anyway. It's hard to follow the rules when we're being constantly provoked by War....

Vorador: (Cont.) You and I are, as I had explained during these last two months, are beasts inside. But of what kind, you might wonder. You have never seen one, let alone transform into one.

His eyes glinted evilly at that.

Vorador: But today, my students, that will change.

And with that dramatic statement, their large tutor left down his long cloaked coat and stretched his arms out by his side. He tilted his head towards the ceiling, jaw slowly opening and eyes suddenly lost in a fiery tempest....

Sig suddenly felt sick. That night on the Surface returned to haunt his memory, filling his mind with the horrible snarling and roaring of the attacking Metalheads and the spine-chilling howl of the beast Dante had become. His mind reeled horribly, and he tried to close his eyes and think about something else. But Vorador won't let him, and Sig watched with growing shock and awe as his large tutor began to transform before him.

Gasps filled the large chamber when all the students saw what was happening to Vorador's eyes: they had lost their dark glint, and had turned all white instead. His limbs had grown visibly longer, and the muscles enlarged, ripping his sleeves to shreds. His legs bent and twisted, and the toenails steadily turned into large hooked claws. Metal sprung out of his skin at certain places, looking like pieces of some metal armour. But most horrific of all was his face. The students were silent with fear and disbelief when they saw Vorador's face lengthen before their very eyes into a sort of wolfish snout complete with large and fearsome fangs. Fixed on his forehead, gleaming like some macabre jewel, was a bright, glowing yellow gem.

Sig heard thousands of gasps and some of the girls screamed their lungs out. He heard Proteus shout:

Proteus: THAT'S A METALHEAD!!!

Sig wanted to shut his eyes to stop witnessing this horrible spectacle, but like his classmates he was too stunned to do anything. The rest of the class stayed rooted in their positions, mouths wide agape at the sudden appearance of their most dreaded enemy in front of them. The huge wolfish Metalhead slowly dropped on all fours, but even on its four feet it stood almost seven feet tall. Sig was sure Dante hadn't been that big, and was frozen to the bone upon that realization. Also, unlike his father, this Metalhead beast had a strange, metal skull-like mask on its face, crowning its forehead and enclosing around that bright gem. It also had a long mane of white hair running down from its forehead to its broad, spiked back. The familiar Moon-Sapphire necklace dangled loosely around its muscular neck, shining brightly on its chest.

And then suddenly, it spoke to them in Vorador's growling voice:

Vorador: (Metallic tones) Yes, it is revealled to you youngsters at last. WE ARE ALL METALHEADS. We are fighting our very own cousins, spilling the blood of our own brothers and devouring the flesh of their bastard children!! I can't believe you've never realized how much we are like them. It explains fully why we need Eco so much and why we can transform into Metalheads. Hura-Lycan is merely the other word for Metamorphagan: 'Hura'- meaning 'Metal' and Lycan 'Wolf.'

Vorador: (Cont.) Now, I expect some of you to feel disturbed about being a part of the enemy, but that's not important. The most important thing is to make sure NONE of those bastards get their filthy claws on our Eco. And that duty, my dear students, fall into your hands from here on now.

Vorador halted his speech, whites eyes fixed on the paralyzed crowd.

Vorador: I will teach you how to transform properly soon enough. Let's just hope some of you can cope with a bit of pain. CLASS DISMISSED.

Th students all went, or rather, ran out of the Great Chamber, as if fearful that Vorador might have them on his dinner-menu. But Sig was far from afraid...he was angry again; the same rage and betrayal returned to him, equal to the first time he felt it when he was five years old.....

Fenris: SIG! SIG! Wait up!

Proteus: (Catching up) Sig, was that what bothered you so much? About being part Metalhead?

Sig: (Sarcastically) Good guess, Pro.

Proteus: I must admit I'm freaked out, but honestly Sig, that's a small thing to worry about for fifteen years!

Sig wanted to shut Proteus' mouth with his notebook, but he held back the temptation and whirled around to face him angrily. He was far too scarred to keep it in anymore.

Proteus: (Slightly nervously) Err...Siggy? Well, I'm only being truthful, I mean....

Fenris: How did you know before we did, Sig? Your mom can't have told you that we were part Metalhead....

Sig: She didn't. Nobody in this city did. I learnt it the hard way.

Fenris: How so?

Sig: (Sigh) I've seen it.

Proteus and Fenris were silent for a moment, but then asked, "Say what?"

Sig: Remember that evening when we went for the Eco Bursts in the mines, Fenris?

Fenris: That was a long time ago,but yeah I remember.

Sig: It's like this......

And he went off, spilling out all of the pain and hatred of the past. Proteus and Fenris gawped on hearing Sig's horrifying tale, and both looked stunned by the end of it. Fenris was lost in silence, but Proteus said:

Proteus: I'm so sorry, Sig.

Sig: I wouldn't want this to be told to anyone, you hear?

Proteus: Our lips are sealled.

Fenris: It must be horrible...seeing your father getting ripped to shreds by your own cousins. Now I'm starting to feel sick about myself.

Proteus: Me, too. But we can't do much about that now. Vorador and the Circle will kill us if we told them we want to turn Peacemaker.

Sig: (Sighs) I don't know how I'm going to get through this. I'm going home.

Proteus: Are-are you going for Vorador's class?

Sig: Oh, what choice do I have?

And so he left, and his two friends didn't stop him. Even with his secret burden spilt, he didn't feel any better. On the contrary, he felt a lot worse.

THE NEXT DAY 8.30 PM.

Surprisingly, there was no combat classes during the evening and Sig was more than grateful. He'd been having the dreams again, only this time the horror of it all doubled and he woke up to find his whole bed drenched in sweat. His mind spun with the gorey image of hanging Metalhead entrails and blood dripping down from his nightmarish Hura-Lycan half's jaw. Infact, the dreams felt so real he could almost taste its horrible, coppery flavour.....

That night he decided to go to bed early, tired after morning school. He had spent four hours on his physics (Boy do I know how he feels –Thrax) and was eager to get some rest, regardless of the nightmares. So lying down on his comforting bed, taking Poopsie bear close to him, he closed his eyes slowly to sleep-

Juliet: (Knocks on his bedroom door) Sigfried! Come quickly now!

Sig: (Groans) I've already cleaned the oven, mother!

Juliet: No, no dear it's Proteus! Hurry, he's here!

Sig: Pro? Here?

Before he could get out of bed, the bedroom door burst open and a panicky looking Proteus stumbled in. He had his combat-class books tucked untidily under his arm and Sig could see his pale blue pajamas under his crumpled tunic. Obviously, this wasn't a good sign. Proteus was not the kind of person who would rush like an idiot.

Sig: (Quickly hides Poopsie bear out of view) What's wrong, Pro?

Proteus: You're not going to believe this, but we're having combat classes tonight!

Sig froze. Poopsie dropped with a squeak onto the floor. Luckily, Proteus didn't notice.

Sig: WHAT?

Proteus: Vorador's orders. But that's not all; we're actually going to have our lessons on the Surface now!

Sig: That's crazy!!

Proteus: I know. My mom went ballistic when she found out, knowing that there were still Metalheads out there. But its by the order of the Circle, and we have to go. They'll be a couple of Sentinels, too. I really don't like the sound of it.

Sig: You're telling me.

Proteus: Hurry up and get dressed then. We're almost late!

Proteus waited impatiently for Sig to half-heartedly ready himself. Once that was done, they two left in a hurry, running past the streets of their now sleeping underground city and rushing up to the high and heavily guarded Surface Gates. Even in the distance, Sig could see all of Vorador's students standing near the Gates close to their large and vicious tutor. As he neared, he felt himself being indulged into a tense and nervous atnosphere. He looked around and studied the face of his collegues. They all wore the same stiff and nervous looks. They were scared. Scared to go out into the alien Surface world which was overrun with thousands of Metalheads. Sig should be scared too, but somehow...he wasn't. Infact, deep inside, he felt a strange sense of eagerness, a will to go out an wreck some havoc upon those horrible Metalheads and make them pay for murdering his father.

Sig felt damn sick with himself when he realized that feeling.

Occupying himself with his surroundings, Sig noticed the large number of Sentinels dressed in full armour. The armour was rather loose, and they mostly covered the abdomen area of the body. Sig knew why that was so. Whenever a Metamorphagan transforms, the belly area was the most vulnerable. But these loose metal armour provides that needed protection, and unlike the clothes which rip when a Metamorphagans transform, these metal armour stay on and protect the most vulnerable parts.

Vorador: All right, class this is it. Tonight, we shall finally reveal to ourselves our beastly halves, and with me by your side, you don't have to worry about anything. I will make you all transform tonight, and let the pain be the pain. I must remind you not to feel too afraid, though. Metalheads can smell fear from a mile away, and this is a trigger for them to attack. All right then, you slow witted yakows! Get those asses straight and LIIIIINNNEEEE UPPP!

The students lined up quickly, though tensely and watched as the Sentinels went forwards and opened the huge iron gates to the Surface world outside. Cool night wind rushed in, prickling exposed skin and filling unprepared lungs with the scent of dry sand. Sig's body tensed. He remembered that smell just too well.

The Sentinels rushed out forwards first, scanning the arid area. Finally, with a nod they signalled to Vorador that it was safe. Vorador then gestured the half-petrified students forwards.

The students went off, gasping at the alien feel of soft sand underneath their feet. Their mouths were wide with awe as they stared upwards to the heavens. Their necks glowed with a soft blue light emitted from their moon- sapphire pendants, but they were all too busy admiring the stars to notice. Proteus: I can't believe this! Stars actually exist!

Fenris: I had no idea it was this...this beautiful!

Sig: (With slight revulsion) Rethink that.

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Update coming soon guys. IAN NOTTHINGHAM ROCKS! GOD DAMN PEZZINI! He-he. Keyboard syndrome.