I do not own American Dragon Jake Long

Chapter Eight

Target Practice and Measurements

Jake woke up with a groan. The morning light came pouring through his widow and shined on his face. He rolled over to try to escape the sun light but it was in vain. He opened his eyes and looked at his alarm clock. It was 8:30 am. He sat up in his bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Luckily he hadn't been found yet so he could sneak out and come through the front door. No one would know the wiser.

So Jake grabbed his backpack and snuck out of his room and went down the fire escape. He walked around his house and up to the door. He opened the door and stepped into the living room.

"I'm home Mom!" Jake set him pack on the ground and walked into the kitchen.

"Oh hi Jake," his mother said as he entered the kitchen.

"So did you have fun at Spud's" his mom asked.

"Yeah I did." he replied. His mother had made pancakes for breakfast and she warmed some up for him. He ate them fast and excused himself from the table.

'Well I'm going shopping with Hailey." said his mom.

"I'm going to hang with Gramps today," said Jake.

"Okay, say hello to Grandpa for me," his mom said as she left with Hailey.

The day with Grandpa was filled with training, working in the shop, and busting up some goblins who tried to rob a leprechaun. Well an average day. That was until Fu dog brought up the subject of Jake smelling like sweaty gym sock and Swiss cheese. Jake quickly recovered by saying he needed a shower. So Jake then went home and took a long one.

Jake spent the rest of the day relaxing and trying to think of what the next trial was. He couldn't figure it out so he gave up and started to think how to get to Rose's at midnight. He decided to just sneak out of his room and sneak back in. it was risky but it could work. So with his plan in place he watched T.V. the rest of the day.

Finally night came. Everyone was asleep in Jake's house when he snuck out. It was 11:00 pm. He rode his skate board to Rose's house this time. He was also dressed in his street cloths too. Jake knocked on Rose's door but this time no one answered. Jake kept knocking for about ten minutes. He was about to leave when a trapdoor opened up underneath him and he slid down a metal shoot.

Jake landed on a soft black mat and the Huntsclan was waiting for him.

"You here early again. I like that." said the Huntsman.

"Tonight we will test your aiming skills." The Huntsman handed Jake a Hunts staff and lead him down a hallway to a circular room.

"in here you will be tested to see how well you aim. Hit all the targets and you will pass. Miss even one and you will fail and have to take the test again. After some serious punishment." the Huntsman added. So Jake lifted the Hunts staff. It felt very light compared to its size. For some reason when Jake held it it just felt right.

"Begin!" yelled the Huntsman. A cardboard cut out of a unicorn popped up in front of Jake. Jake aimed the staff and then remembered he didn't know how to shoot it. He ran his hands quickly down the shaft but found no buttons.

"Shoot you stupid…" Jake didn't get to complete his train to thought because the staff fired and took of the head of the fake unicorn. At first he didn't know how he did that but then he realized it was thought that controlled the Hunts staff. Another cut out can up. It was a goblin this time. Jake shot it straight through the chest.

The next targets were fairies, sprites, and a gryphon. Jake blasted all of them to smithereens. The last target was a cardboard cut out of his dragon self. Jake stared into the eyes of his fake duplicate and felt enraged. He looked at his dragon self and was reminded that it was his dragon powers that had it so he couldn't live life like a normal kid. He blasted the hell out of the cardboard cut out until there was no more.

"Very good," said the Huntsman. He put a hand on Jake's shoulder and lead him away. Jake was now back in the room he arrived in and all the Huntsclan was waiting.

"He passed." everyone whooped with joy. They all congratulated him. Rose came over and took off her mask.

"We saw you on the monitor," Rose pointed at the T.V. screen against the wall. It kept replaying his blasting the dragon target again and again.

"Thanks Rose,'' said Jake. He looked at Rose with a deep longing. Inside of him a voice was telling him to make a move. Rose looked at him with a smile. Jake got really close to her and rose up on his toes. Rose looked at him in shock now that he was so close.

"umm…Jake?" was all she could say before Jake kissed he on the lips. It was a short kiss, partly because he was pulled away from her and lead down another dark hallway.

When Jake entered the room he was being herded to he was made to stand on a wooden stood and al his cloths (except for his boxers) were taken off. Jake tied to detest but none would let him. Next three members of the Huntsclan started to measure his arm length, with tape rulers. They measured the length if his fingers, the circumference of his waist, wrists and ankles. They measured the length of all his toes and fingers. They even measured his ears. The probably measured almost every part of his body. When they were done they gave him back his cloths and let him get dressed alone.

Once he was done the Huntsman escorted him out and onto the street.

"Tomorrow eleven o'clock. Meet us in central park. There we shall give you your final test. Good night." with that he disappeared into the Huntslair and Jake started to walk home. He found his skateboard a little down the sidewalk. He picked it up and headed home.

He quietly opened his bedroom window and slid in. he shut an locked his window and got ready for bed. He decided to sleep in his boxers tonight. He was a little curious about the measuring of his body but his mind kept going back to the kiss. He had kissed her and it felt great. "Nothing could go wrong," he thought but as you and I know he was wrong. But how wrong would present itself in due time.