In Form

The Gathering

    All three of my friends were nonstop talking while we got ready for the gathering the following week. What is rude and what is not, what people to talk to who to not talk to, how to stand, what to wear, how to speak, how to be social but also conservative and not spew out too much information. I was informed of a lot of things. If I tried to say something I was told, "don't interrupt!", "shh", or they would keep talking.
    "Amber?" Dragolya asked as she fixed Hex's collar on his denim shirt for the fifth time.
    I had been day dreaming and staring at a leaf on the ground for a long time. I was tired, they woke me up super early for no reason. For like two hours we have been getting ready.
    I had to come up with a good plan to leave my mom with out her wondering where I went. I even made a permission slip. She thinks that I'm going off on a camping field trip for two days. I informed the school that I'm going on a camping trip and that I'd be gone for two days, so I had to get all of the work that I would miss that week.
    I snapped out of my daze and blinked my eyes rapidly at Dragolya. "Hm?"
    She rolled her eyes like an impatient mother and patted Hex's chest concluding that she was done, then came over to me and began straightening out my coat. "Are you ready yet?"
    I shooed her off. "I've been ready ever since I left my house..." I said with squinted eyes. I yawned.
   Dragolya looked at her wrist watch. "Oh goodness..." She looked over to her backpack full of things for the road and shuffled through them. "Hey you guys! We have to go!" She yelled as she sifted through the bag. "Hex, do you have the keys?"
    "Yep." Hex held up a couple of jingling car keys.
    "Good, okay... Mistory!" She shouted. "What are you doing?"
    "Hold your horses I'm coming, one second!" She yells from her nest above us, her voice was faint from the dense wooded walls of the nest. After a couple seconds she pokes her head out of her nest in human form. "What?"
    "We have to go now! Let's go." She waving towards the road.
    "Alright I'll be there in a minute." I could hear her mumble as she went back inside her nest.
    Dragolya sighed impatiently. "Okay, let's get to the car."
    As the three of us walked to Hex's hidden Jeep I remembered the small size of the vehicle. "How are we going to fit in the jeep?" I looked to Dragolya.

"Dragolya and I will sit up front, while Mistory and yourself will sit in the back." Hex said.
    Mistory trotted up to us. She wore a band t-shirt and a black skirt. Her eyes had eye liner on that went past her eyes into swirls and dots on one side and just a cat eye look on the other. Her hair was in pigtails. She posed in question. "Does it fancy? Yeah or Nay?"
    "You look like your going to a heavy metal concert three decades late." Hex scoffed.
    Mistory stopped posing and glared at him.
   "I think it's awesome." Dragolya nodded.
   "Why thank you kindly." Mistory curtsied. She glared at Hex again.
    We piled in the car and were on our way. We stopped in Darrington at a grocery store to load up on snacks, drinks, and meals for the road. They never told me where in Canada we were going, and I never asked. The scenery was amazing, even though it looked a lot like Washington. It rained a couple times on our way there and I heard Dragolya pray to herself that it would rain while we were at the gathering.
   They all reminded me about my posture, attitude, politeness, how I should use them well at all times, and who to use them with. I nodded and rolled my eyes at how much they treated me like a child.
    "Are we almost there?" I asked.
   Mistory turned and looked out the window, scanning the trees. "Um... I'd say about almost."
    "And how far is about almost?" I asked.
    Dragolya turned in her seat to look at me. "We're almost there." She said as a matter of fact.
     Hex kept his eyes on the road. "We have 200 more miles, Amber."
     "That's not almost there." I accused.
     "It is if your flying." Mistory breathed boringly into the widow.
     I sank down. Oh my goodness, this is the longest trip I have ever been on. I cracked open a Pepsi that I got when we bought snacks and took a drink. "So I guess we'll be there in two hours?" I said with a smile.
     It took a minute before Hex started the laughter, then Dragolya, Mistory. They didn't burst out laughing, but it was enough to know they thought it was funny. I smiled feeling accomplished.
     "I can do just that and we might be a little early..." Hex said. I could feel the car accelerating.
     "No no!" I said sitting up. "You don't need to do that!"
    Hex chuckled. "I was kidding."
    "I knew that." I sat back against the window.
   200 miles didn't seem to take that long when we got there. Multiple cars were lined up on this dirt road that at first seemed abandoned. I got worried when we first entered, seeing the No Trespassing sign, I thought we were lost. We entered at a trail that had signs saying No Trespassing all the way there. Some even said Trespassers will be shot.
    I stopped walking. I looked around. "You guys?" They all stopped and looked back at me. "Are you sure we are supposed to be here?" I said shakily. I already wanted to go home.
    "It's okay Amber, it's all just a big set up to keep humans out." Dragolya said.
    I nodded slowly. "Oh, o-okay..." I said still looking around the dark woods around me. I walked up closer to them and Mistory put her arm around my shoulder to comfort me.
    As we walked farther into the woods I began to hear a loud thumping of a bass and music, then people. I saw fire in the distance. I could smell food; desserts, cooked and steamed vegetables, sugary fruit... Meat. I took in a big whiff of all the food that was ahead of me, and my goodness it smelled so delicious!
    As the lights got brighter and brighter, we finally entered through an arch made of branches that seemed to have weaved together as it grew. Large spotlights of many colors, lit up the large trees that surrounded what looked to be the dance floor. A very long table was set up to my right and was filled with everything you can think of, punch bowls (some much, much larger than others), chocolate fountain, meats glazed with BBQ sauce, white anchovy sauce, garlic butter, rosemary, cilantro, and many more kinds of meaty treats. There were soups, salads and pastas near the end of the table. Desserts were laid about in the center of the table.
    Many different people, wearing different things walked and danced around the open space. Some were dressed in fancy dresses and some in light leather armor, some just in modern clothing too. There were many different colors of hair, many different dancing styles, and many different languages.
    My attention went back to the food table when a very large Siberian tiger came up and put its front paws on the table, making all the metal clink and the plastic cups tip over. The animals skin moved freely around his shoulder blades and muscles around it. His fur was sleek looking and spotted with dirt, aside from his darker orange and black, you could definitely tell by his white fur around his face, paws and belly, that he was filthy. He brought his large head over a punch bowl and began lapping at the fruity drink, his fur and whiskers dipped in the red liquid. His eyes glanced around as if he'd get into trouble if anyone saw him.
    Someone from the other side of the table spotted him and shows him off the table and away from the food. The tiger bared his teeth and growled a couple times but the guy wasn't fazed and continued to shoo him till he got his feet off the table.
    I pointed at the large animal on the table and shook Mistory's shoulder. "Mistory, Mistory!"
    She glanced at me a couple times but seemed to be looking around the people. "What is it cub?"
    "There's a tiger on that table!" I looked back at the table and the tiger was gone.
    Mistory ran through the crowd, she must have found the person she was looking for.
   I looked up and realized that many other strange things were going on around here. A European brown dragon sat in the tree above the food tables bobbing its head to the music. Another dragon walked along the side of the dance floor and took a seat to watch. Two eagles flew in and turned into a couple who walked hand in hand into the crowd of people. I heard wolf howls, dragon grunts, growls, chirping, roaring, and people talking. This was mind blowing.
    "How does this get kept a secret?" I turned to and asked Dragolya at my left.
    "We are deeper into the woods more than you probably thought. No one can hear or see us from here. Plus, we have people on the in side to keep this on the down low." She said looking around in amazement. "They really stepped it up tonight! Look at these lights- I bet that was Cameron's idea. This food looks amazing! I bet a lot more people were invited this year!" She hugged Hex's arm. She dropped her voice. "Hey, thanks for coming even though those... other guys were coming..."
     "No problem." He whispered back.
    I narrowed my eyes at them. Although only Hex saw me, I didn't feel any need to press. "So can I just go where ever I want?"
     "No." Dragolya said quickly. "I'll walk with you. Hex? You can go find your friends right? While I show Amber around?"
    Hex nodded gleefully and zipped off through the crowd making some people stumble.
     Dragolya grabbed my shoulders and guided me to the middle of the table where the desserts were. Dragolya skimmed through the treats with her hand and grabbed a maple bar. "Go ahead help yourself!" She said with a mouth full of donut.
    I faced the desserts and scanned them. I saw some pinkish red macaroon looking cookies and picked it up, it crumbled heavily at my touch. "What are these? I mean they look like macaroons-"
    "Ah! Don't eat that!" She smacked the macaroon out of my hands. It land without a sound on the grass below us. "Man, this is why they color coordinate things." She mumbled.
    "What was that for?" I complained loudly. I quickly gathered myself and glanced around embarrassed.
    "That's not meant for your eating. Those are macaroons but there made with blood. You don't want those."
    I nodded slowly, realizing those were for the fangy guests. "Oh." I brought my voice to a whisper. "Vampires are here?" I glanced around.
    "Please, they only drink human blood, newsflash- your not a human." She loosened up and grabbed a blue one from another tray. "Actually," she thought out loud. "Someone made some that tasted just like salmon that had been smoked. It was quite delicious." She grabbed one from another pile of goodies. "Ah." She placed it in my hand. "Here, try that one too."
    I took a bite of the first blue cookie, but it was kind of dry, but I politely ate it.
    Dragolya turned to the table. "If you like those, then you gonna love the s'more kind." She picked one out and gave it to me."
   A girl who looked older than Dragolya skipped up to her. She had blond frizzy hair and a shirt that has a picture of a unicorn on it. Her forehead bared a faint diamond shape. "Dragolya! So good to see you again!" Her voice giggly and chipper.
    "Good to see you too Sierra!" Dragolya said with open arms. They hugged which gave Sierra time to quickly look me over. I felt embarrassed because it looked like I was stuffing myself with macaroons. When they parted Dragolya looked at Sierra's shirt. "Still promoting your existence I see."
    Sierra rolled her eyes playfully. "So, who's your friend?" She asked, motioning her eyes to me.
    "Oh, sorry, where are my manners... This is Amber, our uh..." She looked at me. I only hoped she didn't say trainee. "Our new recruit, and friend." She finally stated. I guess new recruit is better than trainee.
   I looked at Sierra with more confidence than a 'trainee' and macaroon hoarder.
   She looked me over some more. "Hi!" She grabbed my hand and brought it up and down in a long slow hand shake. "Nice to meet you." Her eyes were a bright and a brilliant blue, they seemed to swirl like clouds and sparkle like water.
    I nodded and smiled, going with her large movements while holding her hand.
    She turned to Dragolya. "So, guess what happened two years ago..." Dragolya looked at her expectantly. "I'm in my three digits now!" She squealed. She pointed accusingly at Dragolya. "You can't call me a little kid anymore!" She did a twirl while pointing at Dragolya multiple times.
     Dragolya let her have her fun for a while and just smiled at her foolish dance. "Sierra. You do know that I'm still much older than you, that means, forever you will be a young child to me. Or foal, whatever you prefer." Dragolya smile.
   Sierra stopped her dance and gave a blank face. She turned and walked away in a huff into the crowd of people mingling closely.
    Others started to crowd around the table so Dragolya led me to the far end of the table where the meat in their cooking pots sat. Dragolya picked a piece of salmon off of the table and began chewing, her brows gave off the good taste it had to her. "So," she said in the middle of her chewing. "I'm not much of a socialite-type-person... You don't have to follow me around, you can go look around. But," she pointed at me. "you have to stay within sight of Hex, Mistory, or myself. Okay?"
   I looked around. "Where will you, be?..."
   I slowed my sentence when I saw that tiger from the punch bowl stalking in the shadows behind Dragolya. It's pupils glowed from the fire flame of a torch next to the buffet, they were locked on Dragolya. His shoulder blades rose higher than his head. He stalked closer and closer.
    Dragolya didn't move her head but looked at me with her eyes, she squinted at me. She un-squinted as I saw the corner of her mouth twitch up. Did she know there was a very large carnivore behind her?
    The tiger paused a few yards behind her. I opened mouth to say something but the animal looked at me, glaring. I saw him coil back then with a growl he pounced, claws extended, canines out at full length. I couldn't think fast enough, what could I do but gasp and stare as the seconds passed me?
   Dragolya's grin widened as she spun around and pressed her hands against the tigers chest, pushing him up, over, and away from her.
    The tiger landed hard on the ground and rolled over. He glared at her for a moment then looked away, and in a second, the tiger became a man, the last thing to go was the strips that eventually faded away into his skin. His blond curly hair was slightly long...and un-brushed. He had a grey t-shirt on and jeans, even in human form you could see that he was dirty. "Four years coming, I'll get you sometime..." He grinned. "What gave me away this time? Was it the girl?" He glanced at me. The entire time he had on a charismatic smile.
   "Nope." Dragolya said wiping her hands. "You were extra stinky tonight." She smiled.
    He still sat on the ground, he looked up at me and nodded his head up ward. "Hey, was'sup, I'm Reznik. Jonas, Reznik." He brought up his hand for a hand shake. I shook his hand politely.
    "Jonas, this is Amber, she's our friend." She said eying him. After Jonas kept staring at me she cleared her throat which made him blink rapidly. "And off limits..." She finished firmly.
    "Yeah, whatever." He said getting up. He was tall, and handsome. He had the perfect build, not to lanky, not to much muscle either. I should have shook his hand longer.
   Dragolya looked at me. "That goes for you too, Amber..." She eyed me.
    I twisted my foot in the dirt. "Okay..." I said giggling nervously.
    Dragolya rolled her eyes and walked up to me. "Okay, I'm gonna have a talk with Jonas here. Hex is over by the gate holding of plate of-something, just-go to him." She pushed me toward him.

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Hey everyone! I hope your enjoying my book... Cause it's almost over...
But don't worry- I'm creating a sequel to this book after this one-and another after that. I have it all planned out. 😉 so don't worry your pretty little faces!