Chapter 3: The Rúnder

Summary: Dakota arrives at the Council's base.

Read and Review!

*          *          *

The smell of heavy perfume made Dakota's eyes cross.

That morning, around 11:55 he had met Alex and a very tall, very attractive woman on his front porch.

Karma.

She looked like an angel gone bad…very bad.

Her eyes seemed to glow with blue electricity and the rest of her body appeared flawless. But Dakota saw something he did not like. He did not know what, but he knew there was something crooked about her. Now as they sat in her car she and Alex flirted shamelessly, and he truly felt his stomach flip.

*          *          *


Alex himself felt a little car sick. Even though he and his family moved from Texas five years ago he still could not get used to the winding, winding, winding up, up, up the giant mountains. He tried to concentrate on his conversation with Karma; her laugh that floated out from her ruby lips like the tinkle of money, her electric eyes disappearing and reappearing behind her black lashes, her soft, white...hands. Alex glanced back at Dakota intending to say something but stopped.

His friend's lavender eyes had fixed themselves to the trees in the canyon below.

Sometimes Alex worried about Dakota. He did not act like a normal fifteen year old. He noticed things about people, situations, even minor things like books and movies that no one else did. Dakota had them figured out before they ended, and he could read people so well that at one time Alex truly thought that he was a psychic, but then he would search his mind and discover nothing.

It puzzled him.

Alex looked out the window and watched the trees for a moment, trying to see what Dakota saw, but soon got bored and more sick so he looked straight ahead again.

*          *          *


"Is something wrong cutie?" Karma asked, her thick British accent floating through the car to the back seat.


"Nope, just enjoying the view." Dakota did not even turn his gaze from the window.

"He's not much of a talker is he?" Karma said to Alex.

"Well, sometimes he is, but others." Alex shook his head. "I don't know, some times he acts weird.

 
Dakota smiled. "Sometimes it's nice to just sit and be quiet Alex. To gaze out and absorb God's creation, see the beauty he created." He zoned out again, getting lost within his thoughts.

The evergreens peaked their tops out of the white frosting as they sped by them and every once and a while a rabbit popped out from behind them, wrinkle it's nose, and zipped off as the car whizzed past. Up ahead he saw a deer poke its head out from a rock. It's great antlers protruded as massive weapons from its head and its soft, brown eyes scanned the road unblinking. Beside it a smaller deer, probably its baby, pushed its nose through the snow, but held back, waiting for his father.

Dakota looked back at the buck.

As it stepped out into the open he could see his muscular shoulders ripple. So much power, and all to protect his child. Dakota knew that if necessary he would give his life for his son.

Something to think about, he thought.

Soon, the two animals turned and melted back into the woods, not daring to cross the road while Karma was on it.


When they reached the top of the mountain they beheld a large beautiful building. It looked like a very expensive ski resort called "The Rúnder". Dakota had never heard of it before. Millions of people dressed in the best ski gear ran around and stood in line for the lift and dozens of expensive cars dotted the parking lot but Karma sped past them. They rounded the side of the building and drove around to the back. Karma smashed a button that looked like a garage door opener, with her thumb. The ground began to tremble and in front of them a ramp appeared. They descended into darkness. Behind them the ramp slammed shut.


Karma and Alex hopped out of the car, and Dakota followed. As soon as their feet touched the ground the lights spread through the large room starting at the floor and moving to the ceiling.

Dakota looked around and realized that it wasn't a room at all, but a large parking garage with even more expensive cars than they had seen above ground. He stared around the garage scanning the cars. How could they possibly afford these cars? He wondered.


"Are you coming, Darling?"

Dakota turned to see that Karma and Alex had already started down the long path to the door.

"Sorry," he replied, and caught up with the two.

Well, if expensive cars are the weirdest things I have to see, I think I'll be okay, Dakota thought. At least the garage is relatively normal.

When they reached a door in a big pillar, Karma put her finger on a little pad. The white door slid to the left and they walked into a white room. It looked very clean and had no windows. They pushed past two glass doors and began down a long white hallway.