I don't own American Dragon: Jake Long. My luck just doesn't stretch that far.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Silently, with surefootedness characteristic of her years of ninja training, the Hunts Girl padded her way across the rooftop. Hunts Master had sent her on a mission, another attempt on the American Dragon's life. She was thoroughly surprised that she was allowed to go, and it being a solo mission made it even more imperative that she succeeded. Events on the Grand Equinox Hunt had shaken the foundations of her life.
Rose and Thorn could no longer exist as two different people in their own separate worlds. Thanks to Jake, their worlds had mixed and it was no longer possible to lead two lives. What had been her normal existence embodied in the guise of Rose had collided with Thorn when she was forced to encounter Jake as both. Before Jake, she had come up with the idea of two personalities, which allowed her peace. She could escape from the madness of the Hunts Clan by changing clothes and pretending to be just your average American teen. When she was at home or anywhere around her uncle, she would switch over to Thorn and resume the villain act. Over time, she lost track of who she really was between playing roles. She was good at it though, and she figured, should the Hunts Clan go under (perish the thought), she would make an excellent actress.
Ultimately she had to choose which girl she was going to be: Rose or Thorn. Rose was every schoolboy's dream girl. She was beautiful, sweet, gentle and your typical American good girl. No wonder half the school had their heart set on her. Thorn however was the exact opposite. She was a ferocious fighter and a blatantly cruel person. She was strong, lively and had so much more going for her than the average girl. Security was Thorn's greatest asset that allowed her to win out over her weaker candidate. Her future and her life were already decided for her. The path was clear and she had a strong guide to lead her. Thorn didn't have to worry about college or finding her place in the world, which were problems for average teenaged girls. Being insecure scared the young huntress and she immediately chose the familiar path. Rose now existed as a memory in a sealed off part in the very bowels of her mind. Left in the body where two girls once resided was one appropriately named Thorn. From now on, she would focus solely on becoming the best hunter her uncle could have.
Thorn lost sight of her goal because of the American Dragon and his conniving ways. He had tricked her and used Rose, her weakness, against her. Hunts Man had lost trust in her because of him and it took her months to regain it to go on this mission. Now she was out for vengeance for herself and to fulfill the destiny that had been prophesized. She would regain her honor and her place back in the Hunts Clan, with the head of the American Dragon as her ticket.
That dragon had been lucky before. He'd caught her off guard and weak. Now she held nothing short of hatred in her heart for him and his human identity. As she crept along the rooftops she remembered the infatuation she had harbored for him. She shook the thoughts away before the memories could cloud her judgment. Besides, she was now on the roof of Canal Street Electronics. The old man (what was his name?) had decorated the place to look like a Chinese garden with little bonsai trees and other potted plants sparsely dotting the rooftop. It was strangely calming. Strange in the sense that she was here to spill the blood of a dragon, and every element around her seemed oblivious to the danger approaching. It was as if the American Dragon wasn't going to die at all, and New York City wasn't going to lose its greatest protector.
Suddenly, a noise from down below brought her out of her reverie. She sank into the shadows, and her staff crackled, forming a green orb of energy at its tip. The noise she had heard was Jake's voice progressing up a flight of stairs leading to the roof where a certain young huntress was lurking. With dismay, she realized he wasn't alone. The old man and the American Dragon's animal guardian were with him, conversing in muffled voices. Her mind and her heart raced as their voices became clearer and ever closer. Hunts Man had said they wouldn't be here, and he'd never lead her astray. They were here, nonetheless, and they emerged from the dark stairway onto the roof. Every muscle in Thorn's body tensed as she watched them, hidden from view by the night's shadows. The only reason she remained undiscovered was because both dragons were in human form and their heightened senses weren't available. She didn't know if she could handle both dragons, but—her grip tightened on her staff—she was willing to try.
She leapt from the cover of the dark and shot the ground directly behind Jake's feet. The trio let out a unanimous shriek, and whipped around. They stared, stunned at the sight of the lone Hunts Girl.
"Now that I have your attention," Thorn growled.
Jake was dumbstruck. Rose (Hunts Girl, Thorn…whatever), whom he hadn't seen in months, was standing there as Hunts Clan as ever and showing no signs of having any connections to him. The cold-hearted glare of a predator in her wintry blue eyes was unmistakable. He had the terrifying sensation that she was here to slay him and this time, she wouldn't allow his human identity to get in her way. These thoughts split through his mind like lightning as Thorn swiftly raised her staff's aim to his heart.
Everyone was frozen still, staring absolutely shocked at Thorn. Her thumb slid half an inch to the right, resting on a button. With the press of it, the American Dragon's life would end. Footsteps behind her made her halt. More were coming up the stairs! Across her features that were visible under the mask spread a look of sheer terror. She was surrounded and overwhelmingly outnumbered.
Her heart skipped a beat as the unseen bodies called out the names of Jake and the old man. Thorn didn't even get to turn around before an excruciating burning feeling in the middle of her back threw her to the ground. Before her world faded to black, the last thing she saw were Jake's coal eyes staring at her.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Look out! Sleeping beauty's up," Fu Dog called anxiously.
Thorn grumbled something indistinct as she slowly, painfully pulled into a sitting position. Her back ached terribly from the blow she'd received. Her eyes blurred and then focused, as she tried to remember what had happened. Bars of green energy resembling the kind emitted from Hunts Clan weapons surrounded her, making up a cage of sorts. Around her were gathered the expected Fu Dog, Lao Shi and Jake, but about eight other figures dressed in strange robes were present as well. It all came back to her in a rush, and she realized with growing fear that she'd been captured.
"So this is Hunts Girl," one of the eight strangers commented. "Somehow you are less…threatening than I imagined."
Thorn growled irritably at him.
"Easy for you to talk tough when you're out there and I'm in here," she challenged. "Must've took some guts to get me in the back. Coward."
One of the others, an African American man with stern features, addressed her, "Hunts Girl, you have committed serious crimes against the magical world. We are offering you a pardon for those crimes in exchange for the whereabouts of the Hunts Clan and their headquarters."
Thorn snorted and tossed her blonde head arrogantly.
"I think we all know the answer to that," she quipped brusquely.
He sighed and said, "Very well then. Guards, escort Hunts Girl to her quarters."
It was then that Thorn realized she didn't know where she was. The building looked sort of like a castle, but there was something different about it. Like a magical secret was protected by the stony walls. Her heart raced nervously as the energy bars popped and disappeared. Two large muscular dragons stepped up and bound her hands with ropes.
"Who are you?" Thorn asked in a voice that sounded more like Rose.
"We are the Dragon Council," the African American man said regally. "And you are on the Isle of Draco."
Without any more exchanges, Thorn was led away. She caught Jake's eye and she could've sworn she saw an apologetic half smile. She snorted at him and held herself straight, not allowing any fear to be shown.
It became clear to her that these dragons didn't like her presence. The dragon guards handled her with unnecessary roughness, jerking her around, doing any minor thing that would cause her pain or discomfort. One of the dragons plucked a torch from its place on the wall and lit it with his fire breath before leading Thorn and his companion down a dark corridor. As they descended a stony staircase, the temperature dropped and the air became damp and musky. She suspected she was headed for a dungeon, and it came as no surprise to her when she was led (or rather dragged) into the most oppressive room she'd ever seen. Moss and mold grew on the concrete walls, adding to the rank smell. There were shackles on chains attached to one wall, though none held the customary human skeleton occupant that seemed to be a necessary accessory to every dungeon. On another wall, a line of rusted, mildewing cells instilled upon Thorn how much of a mess she was in. The floor was littered with remains of rats and other rodents—to this Thorn added rather cheekily, "Geeze, who decorated this place? Dracula?" As the torchlight passed over the mucky floor, Thorn noticed—with a sickened shudder—several dozen cockroaches scurried out of the way. A few unlucky ones would make a disgusting crunch as one of the dragons stepped on them. She was not put in the shackles as she expected, but shoved forcefully into a cell.
The cell door scraped very loudly as it was slammed shut. Thorn pulled herself up on all fours from the mucky, putrid floor and looked over her shoulder at the dragons. They both smirked at her contemptuously.
"Enjoy your stay Hunts Girl," the dragon holding the torch sneered.
They left abruptly, but Thorn couldn't blame them for their swift departure. This…place made her skin crawl and made her long for a hot bath. She was glad to see the torchlight fading. It was just too much to bear to see the cockroaches scurry about and to see the filth that surrounded her. The smell alone was enough to gag her.
She thought about how she'd gotten here. Hunts Man had assured her that the American Dragon would be alone that night. He'd never been wrong before. This was beyond wrong, though, not only was the old man and the dog there, but the Dragon Council as well. She hadn't figured out what a Dragon Council was, but she knew they were dragons. (Duh) So now what was she going to do? She'd never even heard of the Isle of Draco, and she was sure that whoever these people were weren't stupid enough to take her anywhere the Hunts Clan could find her.
Thorn would never admit it in a million years, but she was scared right now. She was at the mercy of dragons that held nothing short of hate for the Hunts Clan. The witness and target of most of her magical creature slaying ambitions, the American Dragon, was upstairs with the other bunch and no doubt he would vouch for every bad thing she'd ever done. His dragon master and the old dog being there only added to his credibility and Thorn knew she was in for it. She felt a sick feeling of dread in her stomach swelling and threatening to expel her lunch.
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I'm working on Heart 2 Dragon Heart, but progress is slow. So forgive me if it may take a while to update.
I wanted to experiment with a new style of writing, so give me your opinions. If you like it, drop me a line. Let me know if what I'm doing is any good.