The Last Hope

Chapter 6~ Dakota

It's later on in the day now- I just woke up. I smell food and hear someone clanking around in the kitchen, is it Rae? Was all this just a dream? I jumped out of bed and fly down the stairs to see, and I found Auna cooking grilled chicken on the stove and cleaning some of the dishes from last night, which all had happened after all. She could tell what I assumed. I fell against the wall behind me and slid down it to the floor and cried. She came rushing over and sat next to me with one arm over my shoulder. "You will see her again, Kota, I promise you." She said calmly as she pulled my head to her chin.

"How are you so sure?" I mumbled.

"Because of who you are. Alec and I talked it over and we're going to have to use you to find her, we didn't think you would mind." She was really confusing me now. What do they think I can do to find her?

"Auna, we have to go, now." Alec rushed as he walked into the kitchen. "They're here?" She questioned in a concerned voice.

"No. Just around the corner, though." He added quickly. In a blink, she was on her feet.

"Things will work out. But trust me- don't tell them what I said to you, not a word. Okay?" she rushed. I nodded and they were gone in the time it took me to turn my head to look around the corner. Someone knocked furiously on my front door. I got to my feet clumsily and answered the door. Rae's parents were standing on the other side, but they were different people than they usually are. They were more detached, angry and prevailing than usual. They asked where she was and demanded to see her. Before I could get a word in, they pushed passed me and searched my house. As they scurried around, I tried explaining what had happened, which was unbelievably hard to re-tell the story, but they seemed to disregard my very existence it seemed. It frustrated me and I demanded to have them explain what they were looking for, but with no prevail. They never liked me, they were always telling Rae they didn't want us together. I never understood why, though. I huffed and just sat and watched them snoop through everything and smell at the air. The two came down and looked at each other for a moment then turned accusing glares as they stalked towards me. I straightened up; there is almost a threatening spark to the air. I've felt it before, but never this strong. I feel like I am on fire, I actually need to pat at my arms, trying to put out the invisible inferno. I dare not take my eyes from them, though.

"You did it! You took her!" they shouted, their voices conjoining with each other.

"What? Me! What do you mean?!" I stuttered.

"You took her for your kind, for your cult!" They spat. I stuttered more, questioning them further.

"Damn all you sparks!" her father cursed as they flew out the house. How could they think I did this? I dropped my head into my hands and cried until I realized I was not alone.

"I'm sorry we couldn't warn you better..." Auna whispered.

"It was probably best you didn't, dear. He needed the element of confusion and surprise. FireWalkers are dreadfully cleaver." Alec said.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" I asked tiredly.

"Have you heard of scrying?" Alec asked me.

"I- yeah?" I muttered. When people mention magical things around me, it always worries me because I don't want people to know what I am.

"Are you strong enough to do it yet?" Auna asked pulling on my arm.

"I-uh-What? Me? Why would I be able to do that?" I asked innocently.

"Um, because you're a mage? It takes practice and higher skills, but we could get you there if you aren't yet." She explained. I was so shocked I couldn't even try to hide my expression.

"Of course we know. You didn't know about us? That we're vampires?" Alec asked.

"What?! You're vampires?!" I shouted.

"You couldn't sense it?" Alec asked, "Oh no... Auna, he might not be able to even sense others..." Alec turned from me.

"This might take longer than I thought..." She spoke, quietly studying me.

"What do you mean?" I asked. They both looked at me, obviously puzzled.

"As a Mage, you should be able to sense the energy that other beings with our capabilities radiate..." Auna could tell I had no idea what she was talking about, so she continued; "Have you ever had that feeling of a twitching in your chest and slightly numb, tingling in your hands when you're with us? When there's no reason for it?" She asked. I nodded slowly and she furthered with; "That's the 'feeling' we're talking about. Each race has a different one. Right now, you feel us, faintly but noticeably? That's the feeling you have when you're around vampire. The more you're exposed to us, the stronger it gets. Depending on how skilled a creature is affects the sensitivity and how quick you are to recognize each sensation." I just looked at her, what she was saying was true. I paused, thinking back.

"What about the feeling of electric air and a burning on your skin?" I asked. They seemed pleased with my acceptance of the concept they were explaining to me, but then worried as they thought. They looked at each other in almost the exact same moment, realizing what it was. "That would be a bi-headed dragon; powerful one at that. Where on earth did you feel that?" Alec demanded.

"Quite often. Around Rae's parents..." I answered.

"They really must not like you... Dragons are good at masking themselves. Especially those two. You must be very careful, when they are angry, the mask wears off and the stronger you feel them, the closer they are to reverting."

"Rae has been in more danger at home than we thought..." Alec added.

"Listen, Kota, we need to find Rae. You need to train. Once you're more physically fit, the easier your magic will come to you, and that's a simple thing to attain. Get up, we have no time to waste." Alec instructed me.

We began training immediately. Alec trained me physically, while Auna went out to get a mage willing to teach me. The training is vigorous and intense, leaving me sore after and even worse in the morning. When we trained, I saw a whole new side of Alec; strict and even scary. My diet consisted of protein drinks and anything utterly nasty, but the results came quickly. It also kept my mind off of Rae being gone, and when I did remember (which was painfully often), It gave me new found motivation to work more intense and harder past my breaking point, but still not stopping. Alec would get mad at me sometimes saying that hurting myself would be counterproductive and demands I take it down a notch. He gets annoyed with how often he has to remind me of it. All day, we spent 12 hours ether working or shortly breaking for quick rests or food. At the start of every day Alec would measure me; take my weight, height and measure each of my main muscles. Two weeks after Rae had been taken, I have gone from 5'5" and 130 pounds with about 65% body fat to 5'7", 160 pounds and only 8% body fat. Auna was shocked when she saw me, but didn't dwell on it much as she introduced us to a man, thirty years of age or so. He was the one that was going to teach me everything there is to know.