Disclaimer:I do not own American Dragon: Jake long I just write about it I only own the plotlines of my works as well as any character's I come up with. I.E. Persons, places or things considered non canon. I'd love to hear about any inspiration that may come your way, should you find it in my work.
Rose practically screamed as an ice cold plume of water roused her rudely from her dreams. One of the guards stood in front of her an empty bucket in hand. He grinned and tossed the bucket aside.
"Roll over, come on!" The guard barked.
Rose frowned, a rather smug thought of permanently removing the guard's grin from his face, crossing her mind. She decided against it and rolled over onto her back as the guard secured her wrists and ankles. Glancing around she noted the other guards. Some of them cleaning, another knelt next to Jake and gently tapped him on the face.
Jake opened his eyes and looked up at the guard, immediately recognizing the graying spikes on the older dragons back.
"Hey, you're awake." The dragon smiled and patted Jakes head.
"The council comes a calling." It chuckled, and it set about unlatching Jakes ankle cuff.
"Council… what's going on?" Jake asked.
"Oh common now, don't play dumb. I know your not." The guard replied helping Jake to his feet.
Jake took a step forward and stumbled. The guard caught him and helped him take a few more steps.
Your, Daryl Vorskow aren't you?" Jake asked, studying the copper scales of the aging dragon. Reflecting on how they'd met at last year's annual dragon testing, and how Daryl had offered to teach Jake some new tricks after Jake failed at an upgraded version of Andems test.
The dragon nodded as it secured Jakes wrists and ankles.
"Anyways, the Council has instructed me to provide you and your, 'girlfriend' with anything in reason."
Daryl said emphasizing girlfriend with air quotations. He fitted a heavy leather halter over Jakes head and gave Jake a nudge towards the door.
"So whets all this trial business about?" Jake asked.
"Beets the shit outa me; I guess you'll just have to let the council explain it all. I just heard something about you being a traitor to the order." Daryl shrugged as they crossed an intersecting hall.
"Say what!" Jake raged. "There's no way-"
"Save it, it's not my problem, not this time at least." Daryl frowned.
They stopped at a large oaken door. Jake waited impatiently as Daryl fumbled with his keys trying to find the right one.
"Damnit, I need a skeleton key." Jake herd him grumble.
"Hurry up!" The one of the guards behind them called.
"Why don't you come up hear and do it yourself then!" Daryl barked. He stood aside as another guard muscled his way forwards though the cramped corridor.
While the other guard looked though his slightly more massive ring of keys Daryl pulled Jake off to the side.
"Listen bud, I've been a bit irritable lately. I didn't mean to snap at you back there." Daryl spoke under his breath. "If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're a good guy, I don't think you'd do anything wrong. It's not your nature."
"By the way, if I can offer any advice it would be to not say anything stupid. The council gets very serious about this sort of thing. But that shouldn't be any trouble, ay fireball?"
Jake smiled and chuckled lightly.
"Only if it gets me in more trouble than it's worth, Mr. Jolt."
"Hey! That was only once; I thought we agreed to forget about that."
Jake couldn't but laugh at the old joke, as the guard who'd been working on the door shoved, his way back announcing his success. But the laughter turned to dread as he laid eyes on the hallway that waited before them. It was cold and dimly lit as they entered but a magical white flame sprang up along the sides of the path.
Rose stepped onto the soft red carpet.
From the highest reaches of the hall hung extraordinarily well crafted tapestries to the left and right rows of carved scenes and weapons hung.
"This hall was crated with the intent of immortalizing the greatest threat to our order, so that future generations may never forget the sacrifices of our kind though the ages." A very old dragon rasped from a throne a little ways above them.
"Legend holds that it will stretch onwards infinitely until the last terrible slayer of the Huntsclan is put to rest.
Unlike the Huntsclan we bestow an honor on each member of the clan, some greater than others.
The scenes you see before you are depictions of the most feared members greatest battle, drawn directly from there memories as they died. Par say there is a time honored tradition amongst us to always bring them here before we end there terror.
As is the tradition the hunters most sought after dragon is brought before them to end there life, with the weapon wielded by them at the time of capture.
Not to say there haven't been exceptions though the years." It said rising from its seat.
It walked up to Rose with a speed surprising of its age and glanced at her coolly.
"With recent advances in Huntsclan technology it's become necessary to remove a hunter's weapon from there possession, to avoid more chaos… You understand. Anyways I must inform you that I have your stave, and it will be me that you and the American Dragon come to upon the Councils verdict."
With that he returned to his lofty seat and promptly disappeared.
"Right." Jake sighed.
"Spooky." Rose muttered.
Daryl gently tugged on the on the chain connected to Jakes wrists and they continued moving. They left the hall and wandered though a few more dimly lit corridors until the guards halted them at a set of large oaken doors. Leaving only four guards with Jake and Rose the rest of the guards stacked up against the doors and pressed against them. The old hinges creaked in response and slowly but surly the doors swung open barely enough to fit though.
Sunlight streamed in from the outside as they passed through, nearly blinding the pair. As they blinked in the early dawn hours of the morning, Jake inhaled the crisp fresh air tinged with the smell of musty mountain forests. As they trotted along the freshly dampened trail, the wind gusted pulling in a salty tinge and Jake almost for a second thought he was free. They climbed the steeps to the council summit. Rose determinedly tried to snag a bit of the view and about halfway up everyone's leg's hurt.
"Well you know, normally we'd just fly up Jake muttered." As they broached the final steps to the top
"Don't suppose you call this a normal day however." Andam said, waiting the door arms crossed and frowning.
They crossed the threshold and were welcomed by a horrific amount of voices.
"Aww Man." Jake groaned glancing down at the stairs on the other side leading down towards where the other members of the council waited.