Jake, Rose, and Lao Shi turned toward the voice as one. They stared into the depths of the group surrounding them. In the middle stood the figure of the Huntsman.
"Wha-what are you doing here?" Rose stared at him in fear.
"You think I didn't know dragon? I leave nothing to chance. There have been cameras in the lair since we've been here. The second you changed, I knew that you would betray us. That you would stand beside the American Dragon."
Jake stepped forward. "Look hunter boy, leave my friends alone. It's me you're after. Let em go and I'll come quietly."
The Huntsmaster stared at him. "You really are her counter, aren't you? Too bad boy, too bad."
"What are you talking about Huntsfool?" Jake Spat in disgust.
Lao Shi moved to the front of the pack. "I am afraid that I have not been entirely truthful with you Jake. A dragon's counter is much more than what I told you. Your counter is connected to you like I said, but I did not tell you that they're your other part, your other half. Most dragons never meet their counters. You have already found her in Rose. The truth about the counter, is that it always ends in love. She is the one you were destined for. She belongs to you, and you to her. Now and forever.
The Huntsmaster started to clap. "Very inspiring, too bad it shall never be." He took his staff from one of the several members of the Huntsclan standing around him. "Tell me Rose, what do you know of your parents?"
Rose's eyes blazed at the mention of her parents. "They let you take me. They gave me up to you like I was nothing. If I ever saw them I'd kill them."
"Too bad they're already dead. You see, your father was a member of the Huntsclan, he betrayed us too. Like father like daughter. I was young at the time, not as young as you, but I still hadn't made my first kill. Then we got word of a female dragon causing us some trouble in England. The last Huntsmaster sent me to take care of it. I tracked her down and found her identity. She ended up leading me right to your father. You see, that dragon was your mother. Your father had no idea, but when he was confronted by the truth, he sided with her. They were weak. Easy to kill." He ran his hand up the white skull that covered his head. "As tradition states, I still wear the skull of the first dragon I ever slew."
Rose's eyes widened. "Yo-you told me they abandoned me."
"I lied, I always knew you might be a dragon. When I first started to raise you I thought to have a dragon to fight the others, but you never showed any signs of powers, then I thought to make you a member of the Huntsclan, but I soon realized that you would never be able to slay a dragon, I knew that you would never be one of us, even if you do carry the mark. You never had it in you. You're simply not a killer."
The rage in Rose's eyes spoke differently. Her golden aura moved over her as she transformed into the golden dragon. Her wings blew a gale force wind into the group. Jake and his grandfather used the diversion to shift their forms. They blew a trail of fire at the various members of the Huntsclan. The two lunged forward and started to smash through the unskilled members of the Huntsclan. While each had killed a dragon, most had done so through stealth. There were few members of the clan able to go hand to hand with a dragon, and one of those stood in dragon form.
"You killed my parents, you made me hate them. What kind of monster are you!"
"Oh my dear, do you forget. You are the monster. You're the beast. And I'm here to correct a mistake I made many years ago."
"Wrong!" A large red foot slammed into him from behind. "You won't touch her."
A large blue tail cut through the air and smashed through his staff and into his chest. "You are a fool, you brought all the members of the Huntsclan, Everyone you had told about us." He motioned to the people around the room. Now all we have to do is finish you. Your time of terror is ended. The Dragon Council will find a nice safe place for you to spend the rest of your life."
"NO!" The look in her eyes revealed her intentions. "He killed my parents! I'm going to make him pay."
Jake walked over to her. "Rose, he did something horrible, He deserves to pay for what he did to you, to your parents. But your parents died to protect each other and you. Do you think they would've wanted you to kill him, to kill a person out of vengeance? Rose, parents want the best for their children. Make them proud. Don't kill him, please?"
Rose stared at him. "He killed my parents and turned me against them, he tried to use me to hurt you. He should die!"
"It's not our place to decide that! Dragons are here to protect! It's our duty, and killing isn't part of it! We have to do the right thing."
Rose fell to her knees. "That bastard, why me? Why'd he have to choose me? Why?" Tears streamed down from the warm blue eyes that were rimmed with gold.
Jake dropped down next to her. "I don't know Rose. It's horrible, and it's over. The council will make sure he never hurts anyone again." Jake pulled the crying dragon into his arms. "It's okay, at least you know now. It's going to be hard, but you'll make it through this. You have people you can count on now. You have my grandpa, and you have me, I'll be here when you need me. You can trust us. You can trust me."
Rose started crying even harder. "How can you do this? How can you be so good to me? I've tried to kill you so many times. Why Jake? Why?"
"Rose, I don't know why. I wish I did. But I'm here for you."
Jake started to whisper. "I'll always be here for you. I promise."
Rose stared up into his eyes. "Thank you Jake, Thank you."