It was Tuesday, I couldn't get the orb on Sunday cause my mom had dragged
me and my dad off to church and then we went to one of my relatives
and.well you get the point there and Monday I had a club meeting in the
morning for Cavalier and the afternoon, I had swim practice since I joined
their swim team, then I had to baby-sit my little cousin cause her mom went
shopping with my mom, and when I was done with all of that, I was totally
exhausted. Two year olds can have that affect on people.
So, I'm sitting in class trying to concentrate, or look like I am, but I jut couldn't get my mind off of what was to come that evening. My leg started to shake, cause I was nervous and I couldn't keep from glancing at the clock on the wall. The sad part of it was that this was only fourth period, and I had Marco and Jake in this class.
I've been avoiding all of the Animorphs for a while and I know they want to talk to me since I didn't show up at the meeting on Sunday afternoon or had called anyone in a while. I guess they think that something was wrong.I don't know, but at this point, I was hoping that the day would be over so I could talk to Kritra and than get the orb. I had a feeling that that orb is vital to both sides of this war. I've overheard my mom talking on the phone late last night when she thought everyone was asleep that the Visser was royally pissed to find out that the orb had disappeared and that they have been searching for it ever since. She had told the other person on the phone that she thought it was the Andalite bandits that took it. The Yeerks believed that the Animorphs are Andalite warriors, hence 'Andalite Bandits', though there is only one true Andalite and a half-bred.
So, I knew what I was up against, I just hope that I'd died quickly.
The bell rang for lunch and I was out of there, before Marco or Jake could talk to me. I sat down in the courtyard, where there were some picnic tables under a pine tree.
I took out my notebook and began to write. Not my usual stories, I assure you, but in a diary I had been keeping since I had moved hear. I used false names and false looks so that if anyone found it, they wouldn't know who it was about or would think that it was just a story.
So, I was too busy writing to notice that they were there. The other members of the group that were human went to school, which also means that at school, we don't associated with each other that much, so we don't look too much like a clique, but that didn't mean we didn't talk to each other or have conversation with each other.
"Hello, Leigh." I heard Jake say casually as he and the others sat down at the table with me.
I didn't want to look up, didn't even want to know what they looked like at this point, but of course, I looked up like the idiot I was.
Jake's face was pleasant, and neutral, Cassie looked a little worried but had a smile on her face, Rachel looked pissed, and Marco was amused.
"Uh, hi." I said quietly and looked at other things. "So.what's up?"
"The fact that you've been avoiding us lately, and didn't show up at the meeting.we got a little worried." Jake explained with a calm and control manner.
I could tell that he was a little ticked off, but nothing much.
"Well," I smiled a little, so nobody would think we were up to something. "My mom dragged my dad and me off to church than to a relatives house. We stayed there for hours before we came home, and I was out cold. Monday, I had other meetings to go to, you know, clubs and swim practice. Sorry I didn't call, but I was busy cause I had to baby-sit my cousin."
"Nice, so, do you know that our friend with dogs said that they are still looking for his dog?" Marco asked. "You know, the rusty colored one?"
I had been told that Erek was actually an android part of a race call Chee. They look like dogs standing on their hind legs and use holograms to pass as humans or any other object. The Chee helps the Animorphs by spying on the Yeerks and slipping them information or standing in for them from time to time.
"Yeah, I heard my mom talking about it just the other day." I told him, "She said that his dad was royally pissed off about it. It was a prize champion after all. She told her friend that maybe some dog bandits took them or something, all I know is that they're searching like crazy for them."
"So, you're coming today?" Rachel asked.
I blinked, "Coming where?"
She smirked, "Well, we thought it would be nice if we just hang out today at the mall, since we've got nothing better to do."
I thought it over and readjusted my plans. It was going to take longer, but it would be over.
I shrugged, "Sure, why not. It's not like I have anything else to do."
"Cool, so see you at the Food Court?" Cassie asked.
"Yeah."
Then the bell ranged and we had to go to our next class.
I sat in the food court, just reading a book called Bastard!!!. It's pretty funny. A dark wizard trapped in the body of a kid, and then when he's released, he keeps getting hit upside the head by a girl that grew up with his false form.
It was getting pretty interesting when Jake and them, 'accidentally' meet up in the place.
I looked up from by book, "Hey guys." I called out to them. They walked up with Ax in his human morph and sat down.
"Hey, Leigh, what's up?" Marco greeted.
I shrugged, "Nothing much." I answered and looked at the could, "People sure do have a lot of enthusiasm for shopping, that's for sure."
"that's because shopping it an art." Rachel told me. "And it looks like I'll have to take you and Cassie both shopping with me."
Cassie and I exchanged glances. I shook my head, "As long as it's in the line of jeans and shirts, I'm fine." I told her.
"What are you reading?" Cassie takes the book and looks at it.
"Nothing but a comic book I bought at Walden's. I kind of got bored so I picked it up. It's pretty funny in some parts."
They looked at each other than at the book. Ax looked up at me. "Why is this human, HUW-Manh, human wearing no artificial clothing?"
I sighed, "I dunno." I shrugged, "It's just the way he appears. After all, he is trapped inside the body of a fourteen-year-old kid and he is the strongest wizard alive..or dead."
Ax flipped through the pages and stopped at one, "What does this mean?" He showed us the page. A bunch a naked women with a man in the middle on the bottom of the page and on the top was a man talking to the heroine about the hero.who was evil, but coming to her rescue.
Jake raised a brow at me, while Marco just stared, Rachel looked like she was blushing a little and Cassie just looked away.
I looked over the page, "D.S. is honier than a mountain goat?" I looked at him, slightly amuse, "It means, Ax, that D.S. fucks a lot. He's a, horny ass pervert that has nothing better to do then wanting to take over the world." I rolled my eyes and shut the book, "Isn't that what every one wants to do? Take over Earth or destroy it? That's all it ever is in most books. Save the planet! Save this and that..nothing like certain death to get you in gear, huh?"
"What's wrong with you?" Cassie asked looking worried again. "You seem distant lately."
I snorted, "Not that I wasn't exactly open any way." I muttered, "Maybe it's just me, or is it that the orb is vital to both sides of the game?" Once again, we're speaking in code. Remember, Yeerks are everywhere. We don't want someone to accidentally over hear anything, now do we?
"That's how the game works, what's the problem, can't get to the next level?" Marco asked tauntingly.
I ignored his tone and looked at my drink, "No, just wondering if you guys ran into the same problems as I did. I mean, it is a very difficult and complex game. I mean, I had the orb, and everything's just find, but then it got stolen. Now I have to find the damn thing again."
"You had the orb?"
I rolled my eyes, "No, it was being kept by a friend, I believe he still has it." I looked pointedly at Ax. "Don't you?"
"It was there the last time I played the game." Ax announced. Ax had been hanging around long enough to know what the hell we were talking about.
"Tobias is still playing the game now."
I nodded, "Ah, well, looks like I'll have to find away to get it back then." I got up, "I've got to go, Mom wants me home by eight." I took my books and left. "See ya tomorrow."
I stared at the digital numbers of my clock, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. It was now three in the morning, and there wasn't a single sound in the house. I closed my eyes briefly then got up and open the window. Goddess knows that I didn't want to go and do it, but Kritra had convinced me that there was a way to control the Cabulawalliah; all I had to do was create a link with it or a key, to bind it to me.
I breathed in and then out, then began to morph owl. Good thing about owls was that they were silent and had good hearing and eyesight at night like hawks had during the day.
After I morphed, I flew out into the night sky, savoring the calm and peace for the moment.
I didn't want to think about the mission Kritra had sent me to do or about their reactions. I just wanted to feel the wind beneath my wings and the moon, in its crescent form, glow softly behind me.
But all good things must come to an end, as I neared the forest. I landed and demorphed then waited a few minutes.
The woods were very quiet to my human ears and very dark to my human eyes. I strained to hear things, anything out of the ordinary, but heard nothing but the eerie quietness that surrounded me. It was time to morph..into my battle morph, a panther.
I concentrated on the DNA that swam around in my blood.
The first thing that happened was that a tail began to grow out of the base of my spine, already swishing back and forth. My ears moved to the top of my head, becoming furry and black. My face bulged out into a muzzle of a big cat and my head became more squared and a little big. My arms thickened with muscles that no human had, and my hands turned into big black paws with soft leather padding on the underside. I grew an inch or three in length, as my legs turned into hind legs of a panther. Whiskers grew out of my mouth as the morph began to complete itself.
I braced myself for the panther brain.
It came out, not exactly like it walked to kill everything in sight, but..it felt confident, secure, like it could kick anyone's ass.
I took over the brain and sniffed the air, searching for any scent that wasn't apart of the woods.
Let's see.. I smell humans.a pack of wolves..hmmm.ah, there, that strange smell, that should be him.
Then I took off running, feeling the power that was in my body. It felt great having this liquid grace and knowing that I was the biggest badest thing in the neighborhood.
I slowed down as the smell became stronger. Then another scent hit my nose, one that was confusing.human or bird? I soon realized that it was just Tobias. I crouched low as I heard in my head.
I'm going to feed now. I'll see you in a little while, Tobias. Ax said and began to gallop away.
See ya later, Ax-man, I'm getting some shut eye. Tobias calls out and closes his eyes.
I waited until Ax was far enough away to search for the orb. I crept carefully through their home, looking for it. Damn, where the hell did he put it? I wondered.
I heard the sound of hooves and knew that I would have to come back some other time and get the orb.
I left quickly, heading out towards where I had landed and demorphed.
I quickly demorphed and sighed. Damn it! Kritra will not be happy about this. I shook my head, why do I even bother with her? Is it because she knows something about the Yeerks that I don't? Or is it because she knows something about the orb and the dagger? I mean, her consciousness is trapped within the dagger.. I raked my hand through, my hair and morphed into an owl and flew back home to get some sleep. I have other chances of getting the orb and I'm going to use it to its fullest.
I sighed as I stared at the sheet of music. It was my last class of the day, usually my favorite one; orchestra. I played the viola, which is similar to a violin, only bigger and with lower strings. (You know, a viola has four strings that are: A, D, G, and C. While a violin has E, A, D, and G.)
My teacher was talking to the second violins, telling them to play out more. I snorted and mumbled to my stand partner. "Those seconds can't play out even if their lives depended on it"
"No kidding." She said.
After that half hour of torture with the violins still screwing up, the bell ranged and we packed up our stuff, and were ready to leave.
I was still packing up my bow, when Jake and Marco came by. Did I mention that they had gym, which is right next door to the orchestra room?
I looked up after zipping up my case. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" I asked with a slight smile, "Thinking about joining my group?"
"Nah," Marco said, "Besides, Jake might break something and who knows how much these things cost?"
"I would, they would probably be about over two hundred, depending on where you got it from." I answered putting my folder up, "So what brings you here to the torture chamber of music?"
"Well," Jake began, "Ax said he saw something very interesting last night. "
I turned towards him, after getting everything into my bag. "Oh?" I shrugged then pulled my book bag on. "What would that be? A cinnamon bun cart?"
"No, but just as bizarre."
I walked out of the room, with Jake and Marco in tow as I went down on set of stairs and through the cat and down and other flight of stairs to get to my locker.
"So, what is it?" I asked, emptying my book bag and putting in some books I needed to read.
"At Rachel's since Rachel's mom and sisters won't be home for a while." Jake told me.
I shut my locker and looked at them, "I'd be glad to go, but you see.I have no idea where all you people live, ya know."
"Well, Marco will show you, won't you Marco?" asked looked at his friend.
Marco shot Jake a glare and nodded, "Sure."
So that's how I ended up at Rachel's, with the others. We were waiting on Jake to get there, so we just chilled, doing some semi-normal stuff.
As for me, I was sitting on the floor, scowling at a book I had to read for class; A separate peace.
I tried reading it, but I just couldn't get past the first chapter, let alone read to chapter five!
Finally I gave up and slammed the book closed while growling, a habit I picked up from when I was little. My dad used to growl at me-still does-and so I growl back. Now I do it any time when I'm annoyed, which is constantly.
"What was that?" Marco asked and looked at me. "Oh, it was just you."
I growled at him and shoved my book in my book bag. "I don't know why I have to read that piece of.." I growled again not even finishing the sentence.
"What?" Cassie asked.
"A separate peace." I bit out. "The most boring book that was ever created on this planet!"
There was a knock on the door and Rachel went to open it. A few seconds later, Jake walked in with Rachel in tow.
"How's it going?" Jake asked.
"Fine." Cassie said.
"It would've been better if those girls would only stop calling me at all hours." Marco told him with a goofy grin.
I raised a brow as did every one else.
"What girls?" I asked, "Oh, you mean your imaginary little friends."
"Yeah, like guys are really beating down your door." He shot back.
"Maybe that's because I don't want a boyfriend or need one." I told him, "Why would I need one?"
"There you have it, ladies and gents, a real live example of Destiny's Child, Independent Woman." Marco said.
"Ok, ok, now settle down you two or we'll have to put you in time out." Jake said, "Now, lets get this over with. Ax?"
Ax was in his human morph, so the neighbors wouldn't think anything was wrong.
Nothing to worry about folks, just your friendly, every day alien neighbor just taking his alien pet for a walk. See? Nothing wrong with that? As if.
"Last night, someone tried to steal the orb. O-Or-Or-Buh. Orb." Ax told us. "Luckily, they did not find the orb since it is not where they thought it was to be."
"Who would do this?" Cassie asked, "No one knows about Ax living there.so who would try and steal it?"
"Some one who knows about us." Rachel said, "Someone who knows the true value of the orb.."
"Someone, who has a talent for things..like say? Seeing into the past?" Marco looks at me.
"Leigh." Jake said looking at me "Is there something you're not telling us? About the orb or the dagger?"
Damn, I thought he had forgotten about that damn thing.
"Like what?" I asked looking at them.
"Like something.like a secret or something like that?" Rachel inquired, "You didn't answer us when we asked about the dagger. What is it about that dagger? Where is it?"
I swallowed and weighed my options. On one hand, I could tell them nothing and be tricked into being trapped in a morph..or on the other hand, I could tell them the whole thing..hmmm. decisions, decisions. Ok, I pick the third options, tell them a little about it, and then think it over.
"Ok," I began, "I didn't tell you the whole truth about the stinkin' dagger, but I didn't lie about it either." I sat up, "The dagger, has..a type of consciousness to it. It calls itself, Kritra, whom I communicate to."
"When have you talked to this.thing?" Jake asked.
"You remember when you couldn't find me? Well, I was in the woods the whole time, talking to Kritra. She is the last actual consciousness of the Vashia. At least, that was what I have been told."
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Cassie asked, "Don't you trust us?"
I looked at her for a moment and shrugged, "I haven't trusted anybody in a very long time, Cassie. It's very hard to trust someone." I told her, "Any way, I was told not to tell you about her among other things."
Like what? Tobias demanded from his perch on a chair.
I shook my head, "I can't say, for sure, but what I am telling you, I shouldn't be saying at all."
"Then why tell us this? Why are you after the orb as well?" Marco demanded.
I stood up, "Because, I do not trust Kritra anymore." I told them simply, "That and plus, I do have some respect for you. Besides, you do deserve to know some of it."
"Some of it?" Rachel repeated incredulously, "Some of it?!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at me. "How about all of it? I mean, we're the ones that helped you, and gave you the power to help others as well as yourself and you go and do this shit? And then say we deserve some of it? Fuck that, we need to know all of it!"
"Calm down Rachel." Jake told her then looked at me, "She's right though, more or less, you do owe us an explanation about the dagger and the orb."
Now I was at the crossroads again, either I spill or not. Choices are such a bitch.
"Ok, I'll tell you more, but not all of it." I conceded.
Rachel and Marco looked like they were going to argue, but Jake said "Fine."
I took a breath, here goes nothing. "Ok, you see, the orb is called the Orb of Chaos or the Orb of Destruction.." I paused then went on, "Kritra believes that we can use it to destroy the Yeerks, wipe them out entirely. But to do that, we have to know how to control the damn thing."
"You found a way to control the orb?" Cassie asked.
"Yes, but I won't tell you how." I told them, "Now, Kritra wants me to get the orb. Since I talk to her often, we make plans and other things.she's like a friend to me.but.but now." I looked at the wall on the other side of the room, "She's different..vengeful or something, not the same one I knew from before. I think she has.other plans for the orb from what I wanted to use it. But I have no way of knowing it, so.."
"You tried to steal the orb from Ax and Tobias." Cassie concluded, "But what were you going to do with it once you had it?"
I scratch my head a little and shrugged, "That's where things get kind of sketchy." I admitted, "See, originally, I was suppose to bring it back to Kritra and let her use the binding spell or whatever to get herself out of the dagger. But, I got suspicious and had planned on, hiding the orb where neither you nor the Yeerks or any ones for that matter, could find it without me to guide them. You would have to deal with me, before you ever catch a glimpse of it, let alone the location."
After a moment of digesting of what I had told them, Cassie finally spoke up, "So, are you still going to take the orb?"
I looked at her, right into her eyes. "I'm not sure anymore." I answered truthfully, "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't. But if I do, I would hide it. Away from anyone and everyone." I smirked, "Including myself. "
"So now what?" Marco asked out loud, "Not only do we have the Yeerks to deal with, but we also have some ghost haunting a freakin' knife, that is, by the way, insane! And an equally crazy, not to mention psychic chick, that is one of our own after the damn orb." He looks around at us all, "And I ask you, when will the insanity ever stop?! When man?!"
"When we die." I answered, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Either way, neither you nor the Yeerks can activate it without the password and to top it off, it's hacker proof. You'll need either me or Kritra to tell you the password, and I wouldn't trust Kritra with anything."
"You did." Rachel muttered. "Trusted her a lot more than us, obviously."
I scowled at her, "Yeah, well, there's something called mistakes, Rachel. I'm not exactly little Miss Perfect as you seemed to be so lay off." I picked up my stuff, "Besides, I still have that damn test tomorrow, I've got to run, ciao."
After I left, they all turned to Jake. "We'll have to watch her, Jake." Marco told him seriously, "She could squeal to the Yeerks about us or use the orb."
Rachel nodded in agreement. "She's dangerous."
Jake looked at them all, only to find a thoughtful expression on Cassie's face.
"What are you thinking about Cass?" He asked. He had always trusted her instincts and judgment about people cause she was usually right.
"She won't tell." Cassie told them, "But.maybe.just maybe she is still on our side, only using different technique then us. She just needs time to think right."
"I hope you're right about this Cass." Jake said.
"Cassie, you're off your rock." Marco announced.
"Did she have a rock to being with?" Ax asked curiously.
So, I'm sitting in class trying to concentrate, or look like I am, but I jut couldn't get my mind off of what was to come that evening. My leg started to shake, cause I was nervous and I couldn't keep from glancing at the clock on the wall. The sad part of it was that this was only fourth period, and I had Marco and Jake in this class.
I've been avoiding all of the Animorphs for a while and I know they want to talk to me since I didn't show up at the meeting on Sunday afternoon or had called anyone in a while. I guess they think that something was wrong.I don't know, but at this point, I was hoping that the day would be over so I could talk to Kritra and than get the orb. I had a feeling that that orb is vital to both sides of this war. I've overheard my mom talking on the phone late last night when she thought everyone was asleep that the Visser was royally pissed to find out that the orb had disappeared and that they have been searching for it ever since. She had told the other person on the phone that she thought it was the Andalite bandits that took it. The Yeerks believed that the Animorphs are Andalite warriors, hence 'Andalite Bandits', though there is only one true Andalite and a half-bred.
So, I knew what I was up against, I just hope that I'd died quickly.
The bell rang for lunch and I was out of there, before Marco or Jake could talk to me. I sat down in the courtyard, where there were some picnic tables under a pine tree.
I took out my notebook and began to write. Not my usual stories, I assure you, but in a diary I had been keeping since I had moved hear. I used false names and false looks so that if anyone found it, they wouldn't know who it was about or would think that it was just a story.
So, I was too busy writing to notice that they were there. The other members of the group that were human went to school, which also means that at school, we don't associated with each other that much, so we don't look too much like a clique, but that didn't mean we didn't talk to each other or have conversation with each other.
"Hello, Leigh." I heard Jake say casually as he and the others sat down at the table with me.
I didn't want to look up, didn't even want to know what they looked like at this point, but of course, I looked up like the idiot I was.
Jake's face was pleasant, and neutral, Cassie looked a little worried but had a smile on her face, Rachel looked pissed, and Marco was amused.
"Uh, hi." I said quietly and looked at other things. "So.what's up?"
"The fact that you've been avoiding us lately, and didn't show up at the meeting.we got a little worried." Jake explained with a calm and control manner.
I could tell that he was a little ticked off, but nothing much.
"Well," I smiled a little, so nobody would think we were up to something. "My mom dragged my dad and me off to church than to a relatives house. We stayed there for hours before we came home, and I was out cold. Monday, I had other meetings to go to, you know, clubs and swim practice. Sorry I didn't call, but I was busy cause I had to baby-sit my cousin."
"Nice, so, do you know that our friend with dogs said that they are still looking for his dog?" Marco asked. "You know, the rusty colored one?"
I had been told that Erek was actually an android part of a race call Chee. They look like dogs standing on their hind legs and use holograms to pass as humans or any other object. The Chee helps the Animorphs by spying on the Yeerks and slipping them information or standing in for them from time to time.
"Yeah, I heard my mom talking about it just the other day." I told him, "She said that his dad was royally pissed off about it. It was a prize champion after all. She told her friend that maybe some dog bandits took them or something, all I know is that they're searching like crazy for them."
"So, you're coming today?" Rachel asked.
I blinked, "Coming where?"
She smirked, "Well, we thought it would be nice if we just hang out today at the mall, since we've got nothing better to do."
I thought it over and readjusted my plans. It was going to take longer, but it would be over.
I shrugged, "Sure, why not. It's not like I have anything else to do."
"Cool, so see you at the Food Court?" Cassie asked.
"Yeah."
Then the bell ranged and we had to go to our next class.
I sat in the food court, just reading a book called Bastard!!!. It's pretty funny. A dark wizard trapped in the body of a kid, and then when he's released, he keeps getting hit upside the head by a girl that grew up with his false form.
It was getting pretty interesting when Jake and them, 'accidentally' meet up in the place.
I looked up from by book, "Hey guys." I called out to them. They walked up with Ax in his human morph and sat down.
"Hey, Leigh, what's up?" Marco greeted.
I shrugged, "Nothing much." I answered and looked at the could, "People sure do have a lot of enthusiasm for shopping, that's for sure."
"that's because shopping it an art." Rachel told me. "And it looks like I'll have to take you and Cassie both shopping with me."
Cassie and I exchanged glances. I shook my head, "As long as it's in the line of jeans and shirts, I'm fine." I told her.
"What are you reading?" Cassie takes the book and looks at it.
"Nothing but a comic book I bought at Walden's. I kind of got bored so I picked it up. It's pretty funny in some parts."
They looked at each other than at the book. Ax looked up at me. "Why is this human, HUW-Manh, human wearing no artificial clothing?"
I sighed, "I dunno." I shrugged, "It's just the way he appears. After all, he is trapped inside the body of a fourteen-year-old kid and he is the strongest wizard alive..or dead."
Ax flipped through the pages and stopped at one, "What does this mean?" He showed us the page. A bunch a naked women with a man in the middle on the bottom of the page and on the top was a man talking to the heroine about the hero.who was evil, but coming to her rescue.
Jake raised a brow at me, while Marco just stared, Rachel looked like she was blushing a little and Cassie just looked away.
I looked over the page, "D.S. is honier than a mountain goat?" I looked at him, slightly amuse, "It means, Ax, that D.S. fucks a lot. He's a, horny ass pervert that has nothing better to do then wanting to take over the world." I rolled my eyes and shut the book, "Isn't that what every one wants to do? Take over Earth or destroy it? That's all it ever is in most books. Save the planet! Save this and that..nothing like certain death to get you in gear, huh?"
"What's wrong with you?" Cassie asked looking worried again. "You seem distant lately."
I snorted, "Not that I wasn't exactly open any way." I muttered, "Maybe it's just me, or is it that the orb is vital to both sides of the game?" Once again, we're speaking in code. Remember, Yeerks are everywhere. We don't want someone to accidentally over hear anything, now do we?
"That's how the game works, what's the problem, can't get to the next level?" Marco asked tauntingly.
I ignored his tone and looked at my drink, "No, just wondering if you guys ran into the same problems as I did. I mean, it is a very difficult and complex game. I mean, I had the orb, and everything's just find, but then it got stolen. Now I have to find the damn thing again."
"You had the orb?"
I rolled my eyes, "No, it was being kept by a friend, I believe he still has it." I looked pointedly at Ax. "Don't you?"
"It was there the last time I played the game." Ax announced. Ax had been hanging around long enough to know what the hell we were talking about.
"Tobias is still playing the game now."
I nodded, "Ah, well, looks like I'll have to find away to get it back then." I got up, "I've got to go, Mom wants me home by eight." I took my books and left. "See ya tomorrow."
I stared at the digital numbers of my clock, waiting for everyone to fall asleep. It was now three in the morning, and there wasn't a single sound in the house. I closed my eyes briefly then got up and open the window. Goddess knows that I didn't want to go and do it, but Kritra had convinced me that there was a way to control the Cabulawalliah; all I had to do was create a link with it or a key, to bind it to me.
I breathed in and then out, then began to morph owl. Good thing about owls was that they were silent and had good hearing and eyesight at night like hawks had during the day.
After I morphed, I flew out into the night sky, savoring the calm and peace for the moment.
I didn't want to think about the mission Kritra had sent me to do or about their reactions. I just wanted to feel the wind beneath my wings and the moon, in its crescent form, glow softly behind me.
But all good things must come to an end, as I neared the forest. I landed and demorphed then waited a few minutes.
The woods were very quiet to my human ears and very dark to my human eyes. I strained to hear things, anything out of the ordinary, but heard nothing but the eerie quietness that surrounded me. It was time to morph..into my battle morph, a panther.
I concentrated on the DNA that swam around in my blood.
The first thing that happened was that a tail began to grow out of the base of my spine, already swishing back and forth. My ears moved to the top of my head, becoming furry and black. My face bulged out into a muzzle of a big cat and my head became more squared and a little big. My arms thickened with muscles that no human had, and my hands turned into big black paws with soft leather padding on the underside. I grew an inch or three in length, as my legs turned into hind legs of a panther. Whiskers grew out of my mouth as the morph began to complete itself.
I braced myself for the panther brain.
It came out, not exactly like it walked to kill everything in sight, but..it felt confident, secure, like it could kick anyone's ass.
I took over the brain and sniffed the air, searching for any scent that wasn't apart of the woods.
Let's see.. I smell humans.a pack of wolves..hmmm.ah, there, that strange smell, that should be him.
Then I took off running, feeling the power that was in my body. It felt great having this liquid grace and knowing that I was the biggest badest thing in the neighborhood.
I slowed down as the smell became stronger. Then another scent hit my nose, one that was confusing.human or bird? I soon realized that it was just Tobias. I crouched low as I heard in my head.
I'm going to feed now. I'll see you in a little while, Tobias. Ax said and began to gallop away.
See ya later, Ax-man, I'm getting some shut eye. Tobias calls out and closes his eyes.
I waited until Ax was far enough away to search for the orb. I crept carefully through their home, looking for it. Damn, where the hell did he put it? I wondered.
I heard the sound of hooves and knew that I would have to come back some other time and get the orb.
I left quickly, heading out towards where I had landed and demorphed.
I quickly demorphed and sighed. Damn it! Kritra will not be happy about this. I shook my head, why do I even bother with her? Is it because she knows something about the Yeerks that I don't? Or is it because she knows something about the orb and the dagger? I mean, her consciousness is trapped within the dagger.. I raked my hand through, my hair and morphed into an owl and flew back home to get some sleep. I have other chances of getting the orb and I'm going to use it to its fullest.
I sighed as I stared at the sheet of music. It was my last class of the day, usually my favorite one; orchestra. I played the viola, which is similar to a violin, only bigger and with lower strings. (You know, a viola has four strings that are: A, D, G, and C. While a violin has E, A, D, and G.)
My teacher was talking to the second violins, telling them to play out more. I snorted and mumbled to my stand partner. "Those seconds can't play out even if their lives depended on it"
"No kidding." She said.
After that half hour of torture with the violins still screwing up, the bell ranged and we packed up our stuff, and were ready to leave.
I was still packing up my bow, when Jake and Marco came by. Did I mention that they had gym, which is right next door to the orchestra room?
I looked up after zipping up my case. "Hey, what are you guys doing here?" I asked with a slight smile, "Thinking about joining my group?"
"Nah," Marco said, "Besides, Jake might break something and who knows how much these things cost?"
"I would, they would probably be about over two hundred, depending on where you got it from." I answered putting my folder up, "So what brings you here to the torture chamber of music?"
"Well," Jake began, "Ax said he saw something very interesting last night. "
I turned towards him, after getting everything into my bag. "Oh?" I shrugged then pulled my book bag on. "What would that be? A cinnamon bun cart?"
"No, but just as bizarre."
I walked out of the room, with Jake and Marco in tow as I went down on set of stairs and through the cat and down and other flight of stairs to get to my locker.
"So, what is it?" I asked, emptying my book bag and putting in some books I needed to read.
"At Rachel's since Rachel's mom and sisters won't be home for a while." Jake told me.
I shut my locker and looked at them, "I'd be glad to go, but you see.I have no idea where all you people live, ya know."
"Well, Marco will show you, won't you Marco?" asked looked at his friend.
Marco shot Jake a glare and nodded, "Sure."
So that's how I ended up at Rachel's, with the others. We were waiting on Jake to get there, so we just chilled, doing some semi-normal stuff.
As for me, I was sitting on the floor, scowling at a book I had to read for class; A separate peace.
I tried reading it, but I just couldn't get past the first chapter, let alone read to chapter five!
Finally I gave up and slammed the book closed while growling, a habit I picked up from when I was little. My dad used to growl at me-still does-and so I growl back. Now I do it any time when I'm annoyed, which is constantly.
"What was that?" Marco asked and looked at me. "Oh, it was just you."
I growled at him and shoved my book in my book bag. "I don't know why I have to read that piece of.." I growled again not even finishing the sentence.
"What?" Cassie asked.
"A separate peace." I bit out. "The most boring book that was ever created on this planet!"
There was a knock on the door and Rachel went to open it. A few seconds later, Jake walked in with Rachel in tow.
"How's it going?" Jake asked.
"Fine." Cassie said.
"It would've been better if those girls would only stop calling me at all hours." Marco told him with a goofy grin.
I raised a brow as did every one else.
"What girls?" I asked, "Oh, you mean your imaginary little friends."
"Yeah, like guys are really beating down your door." He shot back.
"Maybe that's because I don't want a boyfriend or need one." I told him, "Why would I need one?"
"There you have it, ladies and gents, a real live example of Destiny's Child, Independent Woman." Marco said.
"Ok, ok, now settle down you two or we'll have to put you in time out." Jake said, "Now, lets get this over with. Ax?"
Ax was in his human morph, so the neighbors wouldn't think anything was wrong.
Nothing to worry about folks, just your friendly, every day alien neighbor just taking his alien pet for a walk. See? Nothing wrong with that? As if.
"Last night, someone tried to steal the orb. O-Or-Or-Buh. Orb." Ax told us. "Luckily, they did not find the orb since it is not where they thought it was to be."
"Who would do this?" Cassie asked, "No one knows about Ax living there.so who would try and steal it?"
"Some one who knows about us." Rachel said, "Someone who knows the true value of the orb.."
"Someone, who has a talent for things..like say? Seeing into the past?" Marco looks at me.
"Leigh." Jake said looking at me "Is there something you're not telling us? About the orb or the dagger?"
Damn, I thought he had forgotten about that damn thing.
"Like what?" I asked looking at them.
"Like something.like a secret or something like that?" Rachel inquired, "You didn't answer us when we asked about the dagger. What is it about that dagger? Where is it?"
I swallowed and weighed my options. On one hand, I could tell them nothing and be tricked into being trapped in a morph..or on the other hand, I could tell them the whole thing..hmmm. decisions, decisions. Ok, I pick the third options, tell them a little about it, and then think it over.
"Ok," I began, "I didn't tell you the whole truth about the stinkin' dagger, but I didn't lie about it either." I sat up, "The dagger, has..a type of consciousness to it. It calls itself, Kritra, whom I communicate to."
"When have you talked to this.thing?" Jake asked.
"You remember when you couldn't find me? Well, I was in the woods the whole time, talking to Kritra. She is the last actual consciousness of the Vashia. At least, that was what I have been told."
"Why didn't you tell us this earlier?" Cassie asked, "Don't you trust us?"
I looked at her for a moment and shrugged, "I haven't trusted anybody in a very long time, Cassie. It's very hard to trust someone." I told her, "Any way, I was told not to tell you about her among other things."
Like what? Tobias demanded from his perch on a chair.
I shook my head, "I can't say, for sure, but what I am telling you, I shouldn't be saying at all."
"Then why tell us this? Why are you after the orb as well?" Marco demanded.
I stood up, "Because, I do not trust Kritra anymore." I told them simply, "That and plus, I do have some respect for you. Besides, you do deserve to know some of it."
"Some of it?" Rachel repeated incredulously, "Some of it?!" Her eyes narrowed dangerously at me. "How about all of it? I mean, we're the ones that helped you, and gave you the power to help others as well as yourself and you go and do this shit? And then say we deserve some of it? Fuck that, we need to know all of it!"
"Calm down Rachel." Jake told her then looked at me, "She's right though, more or less, you do owe us an explanation about the dagger and the orb."
Now I was at the crossroads again, either I spill or not. Choices are such a bitch.
"Ok, I'll tell you more, but not all of it." I conceded.
Rachel and Marco looked like they were going to argue, but Jake said "Fine."
I took a breath, here goes nothing. "Ok, you see, the orb is called the Orb of Chaos or the Orb of Destruction.." I paused then went on, "Kritra believes that we can use it to destroy the Yeerks, wipe them out entirely. But to do that, we have to know how to control the damn thing."
"You found a way to control the orb?" Cassie asked.
"Yes, but I won't tell you how." I told them, "Now, Kritra wants me to get the orb. Since I talk to her often, we make plans and other things.she's like a friend to me.but.but now." I looked at the wall on the other side of the room, "She's different..vengeful or something, not the same one I knew from before. I think she has.other plans for the orb from what I wanted to use it. But I have no way of knowing it, so.."
"You tried to steal the orb from Ax and Tobias." Cassie concluded, "But what were you going to do with it once you had it?"
I scratch my head a little and shrugged, "That's where things get kind of sketchy." I admitted, "See, originally, I was suppose to bring it back to Kritra and let her use the binding spell or whatever to get herself out of the dagger. But, I got suspicious and had planned on, hiding the orb where neither you nor the Yeerks or any ones for that matter, could find it without me to guide them. You would have to deal with me, before you ever catch a glimpse of it, let alone the location."
After a moment of digesting of what I had told them, Cassie finally spoke up, "So, are you still going to take the orb?"
I looked at her, right into her eyes. "I'm not sure anymore." I answered truthfully, "Maybe I will, and maybe I won't. But if I do, I would hide it. Away from anyone and everyone." I smirked, "Including myself. "
"So now what?" Marco asked out loud, "Not only do we have the Yeerks to deal with, but we also have some ghost haunting a freakin' knife, that is, by the way, insane! And an equally crazy, not to mention psychic chick, that is one of our own after the damn orb." He looks around at us all, "And I ask you, when will the insanity ever stop?! When man?!"
"When we die." I answered, "Anyway, it doesn't matter. Either way, neither you nor the Yeerks can activate it without the password and to top it off, it's hacker proof. You'll need either me or Kritra to tell you the password, and I wouldn't trust Kritra with anything."
"You did." Rachel muttered. "Trusted her a lot more than us, obviously."
I scowled at her, "Yeah, well, there's something called mistakes, Rachel. I'm not exactly little Miss Perfect as you seemed to be so lay off." I picked up my stuff, "Besides, I still have that damn test tomorrow, I've got to run, ciao."
After I left, they all turned to Jake. "We'll have to watch her, Jake." Marco told him seriously, "She could squeal to the Yeerks about us or use the orb."
Rachel nodded in agreement. "She's dangerous."
Jake looked at them all, only to find a thoughtful expression on Cassie's face.
"What are you thinking about Cass?" He asked. He had always trusted her instincts and judgment about people cause she was usually right.
"She won't tell." Cassie told them, "But.maybe.just maybe she is still on our side, only using different technique then us. She just needs time to think right."
"I hope you're right about this Cass." Jake said.
"Cassie, you're off your rock." Marco announced.
"Did she have a rock to being with?" Ax asked curiously.
