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Chapter 9

Things will change

I swear by lap two I felt like I had walked through the desert in a hundred and eighty degree weather. Lara has been whipping my scrawny butt into shape all morning. She of course had been doing laps with me and barely had broken out into a sweat, truthfully she's been doing this longer than I have but still it sucked. Lara was a healer but was physically fit and strong, she taught me how to run through the back forest without falling over every branch and stone, well almost I did eat it a couple of times. After boot camp I felt like a noodle and wobbled over to the front room where I sat in a chair that felt like a pile of pillows.

"Lara kicked your butt didn't she darling?" Jacobs smart ass voice said from behind the chair.

" Laugh all you want jerk, I am not much with physical stuff and exercising heck I think the last time I ever jogged was in high school." My feet hurt pretty badly and I needed a shower. I got up and glared at him with the best I hate you look I could do.

"Ha don't worry you'll get the hang of it miss warrior girl, your tough enough." He smacked my back as I left. Double jerk.

The warm shower felt good on all my aches and pains, I sat in the shower trying to think about the days to come. A war was ahead, no clue how close but it was there and I needed to be ready. Life for me has changed, my family has changed, and so has my heart. I was expected to be a hero and help stop some bad people who I assume are powerful from the past occurrences. I had many powerful vampires on my side as well as the strongest guardians around to train and prepare me. But what I had to do was prepare my mind for the tough times to come, which from what I saw in the future was going to be really tough. I dressed and ate something to help my poor tired tummy, later today I had training with Max, I was going to learn how to use this crazy ax thing that look like it was going to kill my arms. But first Lyria and I were going shopping, woot I finally get to do something a bit more fun to get my mind off of stressed things.

"Ready baby doll were going to shop till I feel broke." She laughed. Out of everyone I got along with Lyria the best, she had such a lively personality. The first store had everything I would never wear. Pink to me was an evil color; I don't even think I have ever owned anything pink since I was a baby. Lyria was… well in heaven, I just happily watched her squeal and buy some tops, she was crazy. The next couple stores had a good variety and I bought some tops and even found a dress.

"Damn Cassia I wish I could look like that in that dress, but my booty is meant for more wildness I think." The dress was black with one thick strap and none on the other side, which went about to me knees then the right side continued to the floor. Black sheer went over it with black sequence. Not over the top type but nice if we went out to dinner. "Oh let's get some club clothes, cause I know well have to go out sometime to blow off more steam doll." This woman was crazy about shopping.

Around three we headed for the car, Lyria saw a purse she had to grab but I waved her off and told her to meet me at the car. I packed everything up, satisfied that I got a bit of a more normal day. I felt a pain in my head and panicked, hoping it wasn't Julian…I was close. I turned to see a very good looking man around my age smirking at me.

"Hello little guardian, Julian was right about you, very pretty. Being alone isn't very smart of you and I thought the guardians would have taught you better safety." I back up to the car, I knew he had to have some kind of power or maybe he's a vampire. I tried to sense my powers to help me, but I still couldn't get the hang of calling it myself yet, it always just came.

"Whoever you are, you should know that I can hurt you." I kind of lied.

"Aw little one I know how much power you have, I can taste it and I'd like to sample it myself." He walked closer to me and I couldn't move my body was blocked by whatever he was doing. "You should fear me little one, as a Varian I can do things no guardian can do." He kissed my temple and laughed in my ear. "I wish I could keep you." His hand snaked up my neck tightening around the top. Then he was pushed back from me, I felt cold and almost frozen. I looked at the Varian and he was frozen rock solid.

"CASSIA, oh god I am so sorry, hurry get in the car." Lyria said pushing me inside. "We have to hurry he'll get free from that soon. We flew down the street until we were on the road home.

"Lyria, you can freeze people?" So cool I thought.

"Ah Ya I am like a female Iceman, but so much cuter huh?" She pulled into the mansion lot and Max looking pissed was waiting at the front door. It wasn't like I was super late, but being with Lyria I guess made it worse.

"Listen Maxy boy, were just had a run in with a Varian, don't give us that pissy look." She said shoving past him.

We went to the meeting room and told Max what had happened. He looked like he expected to have someone encounter a Varian.

"We knew they would pop up sooner or later, they always have been on the side of Julian and are arrogant asses." Max's fist tightened.

"What are Varian's Max know one seems to want to tell me." He took a second and then by his expression he gave in.

"They are like wizards or mages I guess, they cast spells and are really dangerous. I don't think many people can stop them but the vampires. Guardians are always fighting them, but if they are in a large number were kind of screwed.

"Hooray for us another sucky thing to come around, this guy scared the crap out of me, he took away all movement of my body and ah it was creepy." A chill ran down my spine.

"Don't worry doll I'll freeze them every time they come around." She giggled.

"Wait Cassia did you say he took control of your body?" He looked worried.

"Uh I guess that's what he did. Why?" I could see Max's jaw tighten

"His name is Dominic and he was a good friend of mine before he followed the rest of his kind. Dominic is known for body control, he can even force you to kill someone who you would never hurt...with his spells. It's a really powerful spell and dangerous, he's the only one I have ever met that can do it." Great he sounded even scarier than when I met him.

"No wonder he wanted to "sample or taste" my power, wizards can take power huh?" I looked at Max.

"Ya some can, and what do you mean by taste?"

"Uh---he said he could taste my power and he kissed me and I don't know what he was going to do after that." Max pounded on the table and I jumped.

"That guy is always planning something on the side, I am sure he's using Julian and not the other way around, just to get to you." EHHH! What does he mean by that?

"Maxy you think the Varian's might be planning something else opposite of Julian and his followers?" Lyria looked concerned this time.

"Not sure babe, but those guys are always sneaky." He paused for a second until a voice startled all of us.

"So Dominic decided to show himself hmm?" Peter said standing at the door. "Always a showman that boy, thinking he can do whatever he feels." I guess they had a past too.

"Ha ya I am sure he'd love to run into you Peter, last time he almost peed himself." Max laughed.

"What happened?" Lyria looked excited.

"Dominic tried to fight Peter which was stupid because Peter is way too old and strong for him in the first place. Peter ripped him a new one and Dominic begged him to let him go, I was shocked." Whoa I haven't really seen the extent of Peter's abilities but if he could do that to Dominic then I was intrigued.

"Don't you two have training to do?" Peter pointed to Max and me...bummer.

"Yep, let's go shrimp I have some of my precious tools to show you, I'll try to find a good one you can have with you for next time." He shoved me out of the room, I looked back at Peter, and he only smiled and walked away. He's trying to give me space, hmm.

Max scares me sometimes, especially with weapons; he's like a kid in a toy store. He laughs and smiles like its Christmas. The first weapon he wanted me to work with was this ax thing, didn't look to big but holding it was like me trying to lift a cow.

"You're not holding it right--- and now you dragging it." He laughed.

"You know my arms are like twigs and you expect me to be able to swing this?" I puffed.

"Well if you think it's heavy it will be, but with these weapons if you feel you can handle it there is no stopping you." He picked up this huge looking sword that was unnecessarily long. Okay...So I concentrated and thought that I was lifting a feather and that I could do it. My mind opened to me and I breathed to calm my body.

"Ha see shrimp, I knew you could do it." I looked at Max then at the ax which I held up in fighting stance. Cool.

"Sweet, though it's weird it's awesome that I could do this."

"Alright, fight me then." Eh!?

"Uh ya right, I just got into lifting the darn thing what makes your think I could fight you?" He lost his smile then.

"Concentrate and fight, you have no choice this is what you have to learn." Damn I thought. He came at me and I yelped, and moved, he barely missed me. I am sure if he had tried hard enough I would have been hit. Then again and I got hit, sword to ax I went down hard. "Get up shrimp and try again." We went at it for a good while, I failed every time and Max I could see was getting frustrated. "I know it's your first time, but you have the gifts and I know you can try harder, you have to be prepared." Then I heard someone clap from behind me.

"Ah my brother and his wise words of praise got to love it." Jacob stood watching.

"Get out of here Jake; I don't need your annoying face to bother her while she's sparring." He pointed the way out. "Again!" He came at me, over and over. My bones felt breakable and tired. Hours we have spent today and I was not getting better. "AGAIN!" and a crack sound hit when our weapons met.

"Max I am tired, I can't anymore." I tiredly said.

"Don't care kid, this is what it takes." He came at me again; I fell and tried to get up, crawling away. I stood and could barely lift the ax now after being so good at holding it. He came at me fast from across the room, my body tightened and I knew I was scared if he hit me again I wouldn't be getting up. That I would fail him-- I would fail everyone.

"NO!" I yelled and then "SNAP". It echoed through the room, my eyes were closed and I felt my body shaking. I opened them and looked at what happened. Max was on the ground holding a piece of his huge sword in each hand. My ax close to his face, I broke through an unbreakable sword.

"Hell, kid if I knew you could do that I wouldn't have used my favorite sword." He said out of breath. "Can I get up Cassia?" He added. But my body wouldn't move it was still in fighting mode.

"Cassia love, it's alright you can put it down now." Peter's voice wrapped around me. My hand shook and I stared at Max, who didn't dare move.

"Don't ever force me like that again Max, with my powers I could of—"I pulled away from him finally having the strength.

"Sorry shrimp, I just want you to be ready and strong enough encase we aren't there or alive." He got up.

"Max, I'll make sure that you stay alive and are there." I said tired and left the room exhausted.

"She'll be ready Peter." I heard Max mumble as I walked down the hall.

"But what is she going to have to sacrifice to get there." I heard Jacob comment until I closed my door.

My body hurt, my lungs hurt, I hurt… Sleep hit me fast after I collapsed onto my bed. Once again I woke up in the future.

"Tough huh, they'll train you till you drop." The future me said standing where she was last time I saw her.

"So are you always going to meet me in my dreams now?" She smiled.

"Nah, I thought you might need a chat after what you went through, it's not going to be easy C." She sat next to a tree and leaned back.

"What does Jacob mean about sacrifice?" I asked remembering what he said as I left.

"In a war there are always lives lost and hard times, he just knows it's going to be hard for you if that time comes." She closed her eyes.

"I am going to lose people aren't I?" I said sitting next to the other me.

"I can't tell you much more or the future won't change for the better. You need to guide yourself with the right decisions and fight for the people around you. I want to be here because I know how hard it was, I am you, you know. I wished I had someone to help me and well now I do." She smiled. "Be ready."

"Yah I got to meet a Varian today, so I better get ready." I said with a sigh.

"Hmm before I go I guess I'll give you one last look into the future, not all Varian's are as they seem." Then she got up and headed down the hill.

"Thanks" I whispered as the future me continued down. Not all Varian's Hmm?

I woke up the next morning with the soreness of all sore nesses running through my entire body. I slowly walked down stairs to eat, it helped me feel a bit better but my body was screaming at me. Then Lara came in.

"Hey Cass, you ready for our run? I was thinking we'd run to the lake this time." Saying this while grabbing water from the fridge.

"Ha you guys just want to kill me huh?" I said laughing.

"Huh? Did something happen with Max yesterday?" She looked confused.

"Kind of but don't worry about it, five bucks I will only fall twice this time." I said getting my aching body up.

"You're on Cass." She laughed and headed outside.

The future me said hard times were to come and that I needed to guide myself, I won't fail the people around me and I won't fail myself. Each day I'll push myself, because I will die before I lose anyone close to me.

R&R hope you all liked it