A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
A/N Sorry it's been a while but enjoy.
Ch 94 The Hunt part 1
Jake was at his locker at the end of the school day getting everything he needed before going home. Jake pushed his locker closed to see Rose standing there.
"Hey Jake" Rose said waving. "Got a second?"
Jake saw the dragon shape birthmark around her arm. The flashbacks of Rose being Thorn went through his mind.
"Yeah I got a second" Jake said looking at his watch. "O and there it went, gotta go bye" Jake said backing up then falling down the stairs.
At the end of school Jake was outside with this three friends looking at a corner as he counted down from five. Then Rose walked around the corner.
"I can't believe this the girl I love is in tight with the huntsclan" Jake said at seeing Rose.
"It could be worse you could be in love with you mortal enemy…O wait never mind" Spud said.
"When ever I see her I don't whether to kiss her or burn her to ash" Jake said forming fire in his hand.
"Sounds like love," Al said then added "if you're my parents anyway."
"I hate this" Jake said grabbing his head and shaking it. "My mind keeps telling me to hate her but my heart keeps telling me to love her. It's so frustrating."
"The heart wants what the heart wants" Al tried.
"It's like Romeo and Juliet" Spud informed.
"Minus Juliet wasn't trying to kill Romeo" Al said. "O and if this is Romeo and Juliet I'm not Romeo's best friend, Juliet's cousin kills him."
"Face it Jake you need to forget about her if she knew the real you you'd be slain" Trixie explained.
Rose had made it home and to her room. She sat on her bed looking to her nightstand the held a framed picture of her and Jake at the dance; she hugged to picture before the Hmaster called her. She sighed and set it down then twisted the neck of a unicorn figure that opened a panel on the wall revealing huntsclan weapons and a hunts uniform for everyday of the week. Rose got changed into one of the uniforms before meeting the Hmaster.
Down in the tunnels of the huntsclan lair she followed her master as he talked.
"Your training is nearly complete but you still must slay a dragon to take your rightfully place in the huntsclan" Hmaster said.
"I'm ready master" Thorn replied.
"Good because this year's hunt has a special prize," Hmaster said before using his staff projecting an image of the American dragon. "The hide of the American dragon."
While the hunters were discussing the details of the hunt Jake, LS, and Fu were taking care of dragon business.
Two tribes of meadow sprites were having a dispute over which tribe the enchanted golden apple belonged to and it was the America dragon's job to come to a decision but it wasn't as easy as one makes it seem. In truth it belonged to nobody and the only way to keep the peace was to get rid of the problem all together. LS took care of it him self by eating the apple; dispute over.
As they departed LS gave more wisdom and advice.
"Magical creatures look to dragons for strong leadership and guidance, remember that young one" LS advised.
Not much later that night Jake was flying over the city when Thorn came out of nowhere shooting off her energy arrows, just grazing Jake.
"How you like that dragon" Thorn asked bow still in hand.
"You need to work on your aim, you missed" Jake replied.
"O did I" Thorn said as rubble from the top of the building she hit started to rain down on Jake. "Catch me if you can" Thorn said taking off.
Any experienced dragon would have wondered why a huntsclan member was fleeing before a fight even started but Jake did stop to wonder and quickly followed.
Thorn jumped into the underground or more pacific the subway. It wasn't hard for Jake to follow her but that was the plan.
Jake had just turned down another tunnel after Thorn only to come face to face with a whole group of huntsclan members and the huntsmaster him self.
"Congratulations dragon" Thorn said.
"You fell right into our trap" the huntsmaster finished as the other members of the group surrounded Jake. Lucky for Jake he was able to take them all down with one round the house kick.
"You forgot to close the back door" Jake yelled back to the huntsmaster as he glided out of the tunnel and took down another containing a track. But the Hmaster then pulled out some wires causing Jake to have a head on collision with the train that was switched onto that track. After the hit Jake desperately tried to hang on the consciousness knowing that the enemy was in close rage but he lost his grip and fell into the darkness.
Jake slowly began to wake up and the first thing that came to him was a splitting head ach then his hearing.
He could make out what sounded like someone guess sides of a coin wrong and the clink of a coin as it was flipped.
Jake opened his eyes to a leprechaun flipping a gold coin and guessing wrong once again then saying 'this just isn't my day.'
Then the leprechaun noticed Jake waking up.
"Hey everyone the dragon's awake" the Irish called.
"Since when is the downtown express on time" Jake said sitting up rubbing his head.
Suddenly he found him self being examined by a mermaid who said a bunch of words he didn't understand.
"Sub-a-what" Jake said.
"It means you're fine" the mermaid answered.
"Dragon save us" a giant with pigtails said.
"Us not with my luck" the leprechaun said flipping his coin again.
"Where are we and who are…" Jake was cut off.
"Hey watch were you're putting your tail" a small squeaky voice yelled.
Jake looked around to see his tail laying on a brownie.
"Sorry," Jake said and lifted his tail off the brownie "I didn't see you down there."
"How would you like see my fist" the brownie threaded.
"Don't mind Reggie," the mermaid said helping up the brownie. "He's a brownie with some anger-management issues."
"I don't have issues I seem to get angry just fine thank you" Reggie yelled.
"I'm Silver, I graduated Atlantis U" Sliver said moving over the others. "The giant is Bertha" Silver introduced.
"Berta feet smell" the giant said lifting up her foot the smell knocking out the brownie.
"The necrotic leprechaun is Clooney" Silver continued.
"I'm necrotic I'm just very unlucky" Clooney said making another wrong guess.
"I'm Jake Long the American dragon and I'm getting us out of here" Jake said trying to break the chain with his hands and when that didn't work he tried his teeth.
"Give up Jake this is reinforced with unicorn horn" Sliver informed.
"Great" Jake said knowing he and nothing he had could break it. "So what are we doing here where are they taking us?" Jake asked.
"See the position of the moon" Sliver said pointing at the moon seen trough the bars of the ceiling opening. "My guess is we're the special guest for the huntsclan Grand Equinox Hunt."
"I don't know what the grand equinox is but the hunt part is all I need to know" Jake said worried.
All the magical occupants of the van had been chained to posts watching as the huntsclan gathered around their bon fire preparing for tomorrows hunt.
Hmaster was at the front explaining the huntsclan's code and what the hunt entitled.
"…then we will hunt them down and bag them as our trophies" the Hmaster finished.
"But the grand prize is mine" Thorn informed. "Tomorrow I swear by my ancestors that I will slay the American dragon and fulfill my destiny" Thorn finished removing her glove and showing her mark of the huntsclan.
The other members to the huntsclan cheered.
"Yeah, slay the dragon" Bertha yelled.
All the others gave her a glare.
"O right sorry" Bertha said realizing her mistake.
The night continued and the camp fire had finally burned down to it last dying embers. All, but Jake and an enraged brownie, had fallen asleep some time ago. Jake was wiggling his body trying to get at lest one limb loose. Just when it looked hopeless his tail slipped from the chains. But just as he got his tail loose Thorn appeared.
"Dragon," Thorn said walking toward Jake. Jake quickly positioned his tail to make it look like it was still tied. "I just want a good look at you before I slay you tomorrow."
"Look all you want it's a pretty view" Jake replied using his mask of confidence to cover his fear as he always did.
Thinking up witty remarks stopped him from thinking up bad memories.
"But maybe we can cut out the whole slaying part" Jake asked.
"There is something familiar about you but I'm not sure what it is" Thorn admitted looking closely at Jake.
"Listen way are you doing all this" Jake said to change the subject and hoping to distract her long enough to slip the key off her.
"It is my destiny" Thorn said. "I am marked" Thorn finished showing her dragon shaped birthmark.
"So I got a birthmark the shape of Idaho on my back doesn't mean I'm going to move there. I know there's good inside you" Jake said making a swipe for the key while Thorn's back was turned.
"You don't know me at all" Thorn said pulling her glove back on.
"I know a lot more than you think you may be a little rough around the edges but every thorn has a rose" Jake explained.
"What did you say" Thorn said whipping around to face him.
"I mean I've never lied to you I've told you the cold, dark truth about them… and you know it don't you. You're not like them" Jake said.
"I will be tomorrow" Thorn said trying to push what he said aside.
"The cold, dark truth" Jake said as Thorn walked away.
"Nice try Jake but no cigar" Silver said.
"Guess again" Jake said holding up his tail with the key dangling from the end.
"Yeh, Jake's go the key" Bertha shouted but was quickly silenced by Jake's tail covering her mouth.
"O sorry" Bertha said.