Chapter 15: Shapeshifter

Jake, Fu and Lao Shi were trying to capture a goblin named Ralph who was working with the Huntsclan regarding a magical object known as the Orb of Malorphus. As part of a plan to ambush Ralph, Jake was pretending to be a shoeshine boy and Lao Shi pretended to be a customer. "Kid, I know you don't want people knowing you're loaded but don't you think you're taking it too far?" Fu Dog teasingly asked.

"It's not time to joke about it." Jake complained. "We have a goblin to catch."

Because of goblins' keen sense of smell, it wasn't easy to get near them but the disguise worked and Ralph arrived near enough for capture. It still wasn't easy since the goblin put up a good fight but Jake still caught him. "Good work, kid." Fu commented. "Maybe you could buy some pixie schnitzels to celebrate."

"Nice try, Fu." Jake replied with a malicious smile. They then took Ralph with them to Canal Street Electronics.

"I have terrible news, young one." Lao Shi solemnly commented. "The Huntsclan is planning to sell the Orb of Malorphus to a goblin crime ring in Ohio."

"And what does Ralph have to do with it?" Jake asked.

"Ralph is supposed to deliver the orb to the crime ring and collect payment for the Huntsclan." Lao Shi answered.

"For a clan of people who hate magical creatures, they make odd associations." Jake commented.

"Their hatred is mostly focused on dragons, young one." Lao Shi explained.

"So, what do we do about the orb?" Jake asked.

"You will just go to school as usual while Fu Dog and I think of something." Lao Shi instructed his pupil/grandson.

Their conversation was interrupted by a Messenger Pixie showing up. "Registered letter for the American Dragon." The pixie announced and, after Jake signed the notice to confirm he received the letter, left.

Jake opened the letter and found two tickets and an envelope.

Dear Jake,

If your girlfriend Rose is one of those girls who think Jaren MacArthur is cute, you can invite her to watch his next show with you. Good luck.

Signed,

Your Dad

Jake then put the tickets inside one of his pockets and went to school. There, he overheard Rose and her best friend Courtney agreeing on someone being cute. "Excuse me, Rose." Jake interrupted. "Do you have plans for tomorrow night?"

"Well, I hope to watch Jaren MacArthur's concert but I'm not sure if my Uncle will let me." Rose uneasily said.

"Rose, if he does, what about watching it with me?" Jake asked with a smile as he showed her his tickets.

Rose stared at the tickets in surprise. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She then recomposed herself. "Assuming my Uncle lets me, of course."

The cheerleaders then approached Jake. "If he doesn't, call me." Stacey Wintergrin said and then handed him a piece of paper with her phone number.

"No! Call me!" Stacey's lackeys Tracey and Lacey said in unison as they handed him similar pieces of paper.

"Et tu, Courtney?" Rose asked upon noticing her best friend among those giving Jake their phone numbers.

"Sorry, Rose." Courtney said. "You may be my best friend and skater boy here might be your boyfriend but Jaren MacArthur is worth it."

Jake took the phone numbers. "No promises here, girls." He said and mentally thanked his Dad for giving him the tickets. He then approached his best friends Trixie and Spud. "Hi, guys. What's wrong?" He asked upon noticing their sad faces.

"Stupid rich brats." Trixie mumbled.

"What did I do?" Jake asked.

"Not you, Jakey." Trixie clarified. "It's Brad and his friends."

"What did they do?" Jake asked in relief that his friends weren't resenting his family's wealth.

"They reserved the skate park for themselves." Spud answered.

"Are they planning a party?" Jake asked. "Is it someone's birthday?"

"If only." Trixie grumbled. "They just don't want anybody else having fun. Somebody should teach them a lesson."

"Do you mean like when Jake's Dad hired Tommy King to give him skateboarding hints?" Spud asked.

"He did what?" Trixie asked in shock. "That explains the earlier question. I remember now. Long Enterprises makes Sk8er-ade, doesn't it?"

"No, Long Enterprises just owns enough stocks of that company to secure a seat at the board of directors." Jake explained.

"Going for two the next week." Spud added.

"That detail has no relevance to our conversation and shouldn't be discussed with people not involved until all required deals are made, Spud." Jake reminded his friend.

"Anyway, are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" Trixie asked.

"I think so, Trixie, but Tommy King is vacationing in France." Jake answered.

"Oh, right." Trixie acknowledged her idea's flaw.

"Wait a minute." Spud asked in confusion. "Were you thinking of Tommy King?"

"Yes." Trixie asked. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking we would offer them soda in exchange for having our half pipe back or squirt sk8er-ade on them to retaliate." Spud explained.

"The second idea is tempting, Spudinski. I give you that." Trixie commented.

That afternoon, they went to the skate park and Brad stopped them. "Get out, losers." The bully demanded. "This place is only for cool kids."

"Just because you and your friends don't want anybody to see you choking, Morton." Jake teased.

"What did you say, Long?" Brad asked while grabbing Jake by the collar.

"I'm saying you're closing this place because you don't want anybody to show how better than you we are at skateboarding." Jake answered.

"You asked for it, Long." Brad declared and readied his fist.

"Go ahead, Brad." Jade challenged Brad. "Show everyone here that you need violence to keep me from outdoing you at skateboarding."

Not wanting his "Roselicious" to think of him as a coward, Brad accepted Jake's challenge. Jake, Trixie and Spud were the best skateboarders and, humiliated, Brad and his friends no longer hogged the skate park.

Jake then said goodbye to his friends and returned to Canal Street Electronics, where Lao Shi explained that he must get the Orb of Malorphus from the Huntsclan. "Grandfather, do you really think I'm ready to best the Huntsclan in battle?" Jake asked in concern.

"No, Jake." Lao Shi explained. "That's why you're going undercover as the goblin."

Jake laughed at the idea. "Nice one, G, but who'd fail to notice the difference?" He then remembered something he was told when he asked about dragon powers other than those he already had. "Are you finally teaching me how to shapeshift?"

"Not exactly, young one." Lao Shi answered. "Fu Dog will make a potion that'll enable you to use that power."

"Cool!" Jake exclaimed and then became worried about something. "Uh, should I have to worry about side effects?"

"Not at all, kid." Fu answered and then added. "Well, you won't be able to use any of your other dragon powers until the potion wears off but that's it, kid."

"And how long will the potion last?" Jake asked.

"Twenty-four hours per serving, Jake." Lao Shi explained.

Jake then saw Fu Dog preparing the potion. "Ugh, I don't even want to think at how to bottle belches." He commented. Jake eventually drank the potion and took Ralph's shape.

"Ralph is not that big through the hips." Ralph protested.

Upon advice from his grandfather, Jake spent the next hour learning to imitate Ralph's voice and avoided overusing his new shapeshifting power. Jake eventually met the Huntsmaster. "Huntsman?"

"We meet again, goblin." The Huntsmaster replied.

"Now, where's the orb?" Jake asked.

"About that, there's been a change of plans." The Huntsmaster replied as he pointed his Huntstaff at Jake, who feared for his life until the Huntstaff produced a holographic image. "I received this message from my supplier." The Huntsmaster explained. "It seems the Orb of Malorphus has been temporarily held up."

"What?" Jake asked in outrage. There was no need to fake it. "What now?"

"We'll meet at the troll bridge tomorrow night at sundown, goblin." The Huntsmaster said. "We will have the orb then." He and the other slayers teleported themselves out without saying anything else. Fu and Lao Shi then came out of their hiding spots. "There was a delay." Jake explained. "We'll meet again next sundown at troll bridge."

The next night, Jake did get the Orb of Malorphus and took it with him without the Huntsclan suspecting anything. "Congratulations, young one." Lao Shi said.

"Thank you, Grandpa." Jake replied. He and Rose later met at Jaren MacArthur's concert.

End chapter.