Chapter Seventeen

The Beast

Jake sat on the brown leather sofa in Rose's apartment. He had just got done eating a meal Rose had prepared. It was mashed potatoes with gravy, fried chicken, and creamed corn. It was quite delicious. With his stomach full Jake sat deep in thought. He knew he was in trouble. He had to make a plan and stop the Huntsclan like he originally planned, but he was too afraid that he was in too deep.

One the one hand if he stopped the Huntsclan most likely his identity would be exposed and they would know he was the American Dragon. On the other if he helped the Huntsclan he got to stay with Rose but his family and all other magical creatures would be wiped out. He had let this all go too far. Either way this was going to end badly.

"Hey are you okay?" the question broke his train of thought. He looked up to see Rose staring at him.

"What?" he asked.

"I said, are you okay?"

"Yeah…maybe…not really…no."

"What's wrong?"

"What if I was to tell you I'm not who you think I am?"

"What do you mean?" Rose had a truly puzzled look on her face.

"There's something about me you don't know. Something I've been keeping a secret."

"What ever it is I don't want to hear it," Jake looked up at Rose with surprise.

"Your secrets are your own. I don't need to know them. All I know is you're a kind and great guy. And that's all I need to know." Jake was touched by Rose's comment. Jake was compelled. He had no idea what to do. All of this was happening so fast now that he was dumb founded about what to do.

"I wish Gramps was here," Jake thought. "He'd know what to do." Again Jake's thoughts were interrupted by someone talking to him. This time it was one of the Huntsclan members.

"The Gate has been completed. You are ordered to follow me," He turned and walked through a passage that opened up from behind a bookshelf. Jake followed silently. Plans and strategies raced through his mind. His only two options; destroy the Gate or destroy the orbs. Jake decided to wait for an opportunity for either one to arise and then take it.

Again Jake and Rose found themselves in the brick room where the Gate was being built. All of the vats had been cleared out and the completed Gate lay on the floor in the center of the room. Several members of the Huntsclan surrounded the orb. Jake and Rose took their places on either side of the Huntsmaster.

"Today victory will be ours," The Huntsman pushed a brick in the floor with his foot and the ground of the room started to lower. Jake looked around wondering what was gong on. He looked up as the room disappeared from view. The floor continued to lower itself until it stopped. Now they were in a new room. This room was made of the same bricks as the other room they were just in but was the size of a football stadium. The ceiling was so high it was shrouded in darkness.

"Today we shall summon the Majaku! The beast will then scour the world and destroy all magical creatures! Soon our mission will be accomplished! Let the ritual begin!" Four Huntsclan members walked to the four indentions in the ring and held up the four orbs. Jake tightened his grip on his staff. Now was a good chance. But getting caught was a big risk. He needed time to escape and doing it now was too much of a risk. So Jake just watched as each one lowered an orb onto its place on the gate.

Once all the orbs were I place the Huntsmaster brought out a book and began to chant. Now if Jake blasted to book he could stop it all. But again the getting caught risk was too high. Suddenly the markings on the Gate began to glow. The orbs also began to glow. A white mist began to swirl inside the Gate. This was Jake's last chance. He held up his staff and took aim. He concentrated on the orb of Malorfus. He was about to fire when he stopped himself. For some reason he could make his mind order the staff to fire. He could make it work.

A white beam of light shot forth from the Gate and all had to cover their eyes. Once the light vanished a swirling black and purple vortex had opened in the Gate. All stared at the Gate which led into the Void. Nothing seemed to be happening.

Jake took a step toward the Gate to get a better look. Two large red eyes appeared in the vortex and they seemed to stare at Jake. Jake quickly backed away from the portal, and just in time. Suddenly a large red fur covered claw reached out of the Void and grabbed onto the brick ground. The creature began to climb out of the vortex.

The creature was amazingly tall, about 15 to 17 feet tall. It had red fur covering its entire body. Its huge claws looked like they could tear through diamond like it was paper. The eyes were huge and glowing red. Huge razor sharp teeth filled its snarling mouth. Ivory spiked went down its back and along its tail. The talons on its feet looked just as deadly as the rest of it. This was a creature of destruction.

There was no doubt about it. Jake looked up at the creature and it looked down at him. Jake was petrified by fear. He didn't stop it from coming out when he had the chance and now there was nothing he could do.

All he had done, all he had planned, all he had sacrificed to stop the Huntsclan was in vain. He had helped them and now he was staring at the very thing that would destroy him. It was over.

The creatures claw came swiping down and grabbed the closest person it could. The unlucky person was one of the Huntsclan members. Suddenly without hesitation it ate the man I one bite. The bone crunching awoke Jake from his fearful state. He wasn't going to become a snack.

All of the Huntsclan were afraid now. The monster had just eaten a human.

"Huntsmaster what do we do?" asked Rose.

"Why did it eat a human?" asked another worried Huntsclan member.

"I don't know,"

"Its hungry! It will eat us all unless we get it back in the Void!" yelled Jake.

"How do we do that apprentice?" asked the Huntsman.

"We blast it back in!" Jake spun around and blasted at the creature with his staff. The creature groaned with discomfort. It turned its attention on Jake and tried to step on him. Jake leapt out of the way just in time.

"Open fire!" commanded the Huntsman. Everyone in the room started to fire on the beast. It raised its huge are for protection from the blasts and swiped at the Huntsclan with its tail. Most were smart enough to duck but two were not. They got side swiped and thrown into the wall.

"This isn't working! We need a plan!" yelled Rose.

"Do these things have a more powerful blast?" asked Jake.

"Yes but it takes time to charge," replied the Huntsman.

"How long?"

"About two minutes."

"Okay I'll distract the monster and the rest of you charge your weapons," said Jake. The Huntsclan nodded excepting Jake's plan. They all stood up and Jake charged the monster. The monster reached down and grabbed up another Huntsclan member. This time it was Rose. She screamed as the monster lifted her up and looked at her.

"Rose!"

"Jake!" Rose tried to reach for Jake but it was useless. Jake had to think. The normal blasts didn't do much. The charged blasts would take too long. He had to get up there and save her now. Jake could only think of one way to save Rose.

"Dragon UP!"

A/N; Well there's that chapter. Cliffie I know. Tell me what you think. I want to know. Well I'll start typing chapter Eighteen tonight and get it up tomorrow or the latest next Tuesday.