Chapter VI

Jake got in the car and sat down. Thomas nodded to him. he pressed a button on the console of his armchair. "Driver, the mansion double time. And park in the H section."

Jake could see that the driver nodded and the car started to drive.

"Jacob, can I trust you?" Thomas asked as he leaned forward.

"Of course you can. What's the big deal."

Thomas nodded as he leaned back. "What I am about to show you. no one outside the organization has seen and lived to tell about it. You have to tell me if you're in, right now. If you aren't, I'll make the driver stop and let you out."

Jake already knew the answer but if he would say yes immediately would rather seem suspicious. He pretended to ponder for a moment. After a short while, he nodded. "I'm in."

Thomas smiled at him. "Time to continue where your father left off."

For the rest of the ride there was silence. The driver tapped the window and signaled Thomas, just a few minutes more.

"Here," Thomas said as he threw Jake a black mask and a long cloak. "Since you're not officially a member yet. I don't want anyone to see your face, yet."

"What's wrong with my face?" Jake asked as he pulled the cloak over his clothes and put on the mask.

Thomas chuckled. "Nothing, but it is our policy only your trainer will know your face and I of course. Just a safety precaution I will explain after your little tour."

The car stopped on a with red marked box. As the wheels were attached to the ground by huge metal claws.

Inside the car Jake could feel his safety belt strap him tighter against the back of his seat.

"What the hell?" Jake asked slightly scared.

"Don't worry it will be over in a few seconds." Thomas said who was experiencing the same thing.

Suddenly the car went dark and Jake could feel that he was in a freefall. As soon as the feeling came it disappeared. The belt loosened up and the light in the car switched back on.

"What was that?" Jake asked rubbing his sore chest.

"This is the first step into your new life." Thomas said as he got out. "This is the Huntsclan."

Jake got out of the car. First he had in mind to pretend he was amazed. But as he got out of the car. His eyes widened and he couldn't say a word. He stood in a hall so big it would fit eight Boeing 747 in it. There were dozens of planes he recognized a whole pallet of Huntsstafs. The whole hall was buzzing with activity.

"Follow me." Thomas said, Jake nodded still amazed by the size of the new York branch of the Huntsclan.

"They are far more organized than we thought." Jake thought.

After maybe a walk of fifteen minutes, Thomas stopped before a staircase. He took a torch from a hole in the wall and walked down the staircase.

As they reached the bottom step, Thomas stopped. "Don't get to close to the bars they can give you an awful scratch."

Jake nodded as he followed Thomas further. Jake spotted a row of prison rooms all blocked by thick bars.

"The bars are from unicorn horn. The strongest material in the world and the most durable."

Jake chuckled. "Yeah right..."

"Do you want to see an unicorn?" Thomas narrowed his eyes.

"Show me something that you'll think will make me believe those bars are from unicorn horn."

"Follow me." Thomas said as he walked further. He stopped at a cage with much thicker bars and the whole cell was dark.

"Have a look." Thomas said as he stepped aside.

Jake slowly got to the bars. He was surprised as suddenly two green eyes looked at him. he stumbled back in surprise as the creature lunged for him. before it could hit the bars it was held back by a chain.

Thomas held his torch higher in the air and Jake could see what the creature was.

It circled the cage snarling at both men. It's body covered in grey scales. Two huge wings on its back. A muzzle full of razor-sharp teeth.

Jake got up on his feet still shocked. "You caught a dragon?" He asked

"What do you want humans." The dragon hissed spitting out the last word.

Jake shook his head. It was the dragon of the united kingdom. He met him once as Jake spent a few weeks in England. It was a calm dragon totally not aggressive. Jake even had seen him trying to reason with Huntsclan members. Jake didn't recognize him anymore. He had changed into what the Huntsclan believed us to be, a monster.

"Don't worry dragon, just showing around our newest member. Now, have you decided and will you tell us the location of Draco isle?" Thomas said against the dragon.

The dragon shook his frills as he adverted his face. "Never."

"Well, you'll make a nice pelt. Try to enjoy your last moments. Tomorrow is your execution."

With that Thomas pulled Jake towards the staircase again. Jake looked at the dragon again who placed himself on the ground tears escaping his reptilian eyes. Jake shook his head again in disgust. He would need a lot of luck and self-control in order to withstand that kind of things. He had to try and think as a huntsman.

"stupid dragon." Jake whispered to convince himself.

Thomas chuckled. "You really are as your father."

Jake looked at the back of the man's head. "Yeah, so what did my father do?"

"I'll tell you in my office."

Thomas led Jake to his office and motioned him to sit down.

"You're father did many things in the Huntsclan. From the age thirteen to fifteen he was a trainee for special hunting. A group of Huntsmembers who located magical artifacts, got them and gave them to the clan leader. He was a regular huntsman from age fifteen to the day when you were born. He hated it so much you weren't born with the mark."

What mark?" Jake asked.

"The mark of the Huntsclan." Thomas said as he opened his jacket and pulled off his shirt. Jake saw a giant birth mark which resembled a dragon.

"That's the mark? A lousy birthmark."

Thomas sat down and put his shirt back on. "The mark, shows that I was destined to slay dragons from birth. You are a member without the mark, but a parent who had the mark. I won't say anything more your trainer will explain and I will disregard your little insult towards it. please understand it is tradition and resembles the clan. So please watch your words around other members."

"A question, there will be some nightly training. I want to ask you to move in at our place. I am sure your grandfather is going to ask questions, if you disappear every night."

"I don't know do I have to?" Jake asked, he hadn't prepared for something like this.

Thomas nodded.

"I can get my stuff after tomorrow when I have been to school."

"Okay, a limo will pick you up at your grandfather's" Thomas smiled.

He got up as he led Jake to a lift which stopped at an abandoned subway station.

"Get some good night sleep, Jacob. And please don't tell anyone one anything. It would kill me if I had to dispose of a friend's child."

Jake swallowed as he walked out of the subway station. Once outside he could hear a loud scream followed by incoherent Cantonese.

"Guess, Gramps has found the letter." Jake looked at a street sign.

"The old man has some lungs. I am three blocks away and can still hear him." Jake thought as he started to run.

End of chapter

So Jake now has joined the Huntsclan. Dragon plus dragonslaying organization equals uh-oh.

I hoped you have enjoyed the chapter.

Please review

Onej6