《Zeltis》 Chapter one (The text in italics are thoughts and mind-speech or telepathic speech either way you want to say it.   Alex cursed when the handlebar of his motorcycle grazed a car as he passed by, Zipping around the city traffic. ¡°Get back here you stupid teenager!¡± the driver of the car yelled. Alex glanced at his rear view mirror, and saw the man¡¯s fist pummeling the air through the open drivers side window. Alex winced, but didn¡¯t stop. His motorcycle thrummed under him, roaring like a wild animal on a rampage. His bike slipped through the narrow gap in between cars the wind whipping through his hair. As usual, there was a lot of traffic on a Saturday, but with the bike he could get through most jams. He gripped the handlebars, gearing up as he sped out of the city towards the suburbs. Alex shifted side-to-side around the many curves, the brisk March wind buffeting against him. His jeans, thick leather jacket, and gloves protected him against the chill wind. His heart raced with the speed. It was like flying. The rumbling of the beast beneath him gave a sense of danger and superiority. He was in control. Coming around a curve, the squat form of a lumbering van came into view ahead of him. His tires squealed in protest as he squeezed the brakes. ¡°Damn!¡± Cars were coming from the other direction blocking his advance. He gritted his teeth, wondering how long he¡¯d be stuck behind the van. It wasn¡¯t like he was in a hurry, he just hated waiting. Despite a large hill that blocked his view around the curve, he took the opening as soon as he saw it. He gunned it, and the motorcycle growled and shot forward. He had almost cleared the van, when a truck came into view around the curve, barreling toward him. Alex gripped the handlebars harder and accelerated. ¡°I can make it. I can make it,¡± muttering under his breath. Then with a jarring impact his back tire clipped the oncoming truck and he was spinning. Somehow, he missed the van, now behind him. His tire hit the edge of the ditch, and with a jolt he flew in the air. ¡°S**t!!!¡± He hurtled towards the ditch, windmilling his arms. Before impact he had the sense to curl up into a ball, and protect his exposed head. Finally with a crack and a stab of pain, the darkness swallowed him. *** It wasn¡¯t just darkness. There was a complete lack of light, sound, smell, and warmth. Alex panicked, searching the void for anything to latch onto and orient himself. The only comfort was the lack of pain. He couldn¡¯t feel any part of his body, or anything else for that matter. Was he floating? What¡¯s going on? A pinpoint of light appeared in the inky blackness. Alex¡¯s mind greedily latched onto it like a drowning man. As if by willpower alone, he moved closer to it, or it grew larger. It was hard to tell in this strange place, with nothing to use as a landmark. Eventually the darkness faded and light, color, and sound returned as the world sprang into view again. The relief was brief, though as the crash scene appeared. His bike was in pieces in the ditch. The once sleek lines of the Nightwing CX20 motorcycle were now a mass of broken metal. A sense of loss pierced him. He had been so proud when he had gotten it, using money he¡¯d worked hard to save from stock investments. The van and truck from earlier were both nearby. Police and an ambulance were also on the scene. Then he saw his body. A couple of medics were working on him. Blood poured from a nasty wound near the back of his head, matting his hair and making an ugly mess. One of his arms and a leg were bent at unnatural angles. Am I dead? I don¡¯t want to die. ¡°You want to live?¡± a coarse male voice interrupted his thoughts. Alex looked around, but couldn¡¯t see anyone that might be talking to him. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to die. Who would?¡± Alex said, not sure where the voice was coming from. Alex looked down and realized his body was naked and transparent. He touched his arms with his ghostly hands, and it felt surprisingly solid. Alex turned as he saw his physical body put into the ambulance. The siren blared as it started off. As if tethered, he followed after it. ¡°At the rate you¡¯re going, you will soon die,¡± the voice spoke again. Somehow he could sense eyes on him. The gaze felt strangely tangible. It reminded him of a chill or goosebumps, and he shuddered. Was the voice right, was he going to die? He hadn¡¯t thought about life and death before. He moved closer to the ambulance, and entered through the back doors. Medics were working frantically on his battered body. ¡°There¡¯s still no heartbeat, try the defibrillator again!¡± one of the medics said.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Another medic held the shock pads and moved to place them again. His body twitched and jumped as the charge shot through it. ¡°Can you help me?¡± Alex asked desperately, but hesitated to commit. He had a feeling the voice was after something. But why was he so worried? His life sucked anyway, would it be such a bad thing if he died? However, the fear of the unknown was much larger than the fear of what he knew. He would rather go back to his messed up life than risk who-knew-what in the afterlife, if there was an afterlife. The thought of everything ending, with nothing to show for it, was frightening. ¡°I can,... if you let me borrow your body occasionally,¡± the strange voice answered. The machine monitoring his heart flat-lined. He was running out of time. Alex had to act. He had to take what he could get. He¡¯d worry about the consequences later. What other choice did he have? It was either take the offer or face death. ¡°I agree. Help me -fast!¡± The voice growled triumphantly and with a whoosh, Alex was pulled inside his body. As the darkness rushed in, the beep of the heart monitor resumed. *** As consciousness returned, so did the pain. Alex¡¯s whole body hurt, but it felt dulled and distant. A soft beeping and whirring seeped into his slowly-wakening mind. He was about to force his heavy eyelids open, when a loud voice boomed from close by. ¡°You better keep this fiasco out of the news,¡± a man bellowed from the hall. ¡°I don¡¯t need this mess ending up in the papers and on TV. Who¡¯s in charge here? I want to speak to the doctor taking care of my son, and find out how long I have to keep him in this place. I want him out of here.¡± ¡°Please sir,¡± a much softer, feminine voice spoke. ¡°Keep your voice down or you¡¯ll upset the other patients.¡± ¡°You should be more worried about upsetting me!¡± Alex groaned and opened his eyes. My father? Hah, can¡¯t believe he¡¯s here. He¡¯s never cared about me before. The fluorescent light of the hospital made his eyes water. He squinted through half-closed eyes, and wasn¡¯t surprised to find he was in a private room. The last thing he remembered was flying through the air. His right leg and arm were both in casts, the leg suspended in a sling. Tubes and a mask covered his mouth and nose making movement of any sort uncomfortable. His father, David Kent, strode in with a middle-aged man in a doctor¡¯s coat. David wore an expensive suit, his posture straight and proud. He towered over the much shorter doctor, a scowl spread across his chiseled face. His gray eyes were cold and his brown hair slicked back. He didn¡¯t look like a man who¡¯d just been told his son had been in a horrible accident. Next to David, the doctor was carrying a chart his brow wrinkled in confusion at David¡¯s attitude. ¡°Ah, so you¡¯re awake,¡± David stated as soon as his eyes landed on Alex. ¡°Thanks to your reckless riding, I¡¯m wasting precious time and money. I hope you appreciate that I made time to see you, despite my busy schedule.¡± The doctor¡¯s brow rose and his eyes widened in shock. Alex rolled his eyes and sighed, not surprised by his dad¡¯s attitude. The company was more important to David than anything else. Alex was more shocked that his dad had bothered to come at all. David was obviously only concerned about the possibility of negative press and how it would affect his image. Alex didn¡¯t get him. If he cared so much about it, what about the doctors? Their opinion didn¡¯t seem to matter. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Randal, and I¡¯m in charge of Alexander¡¯s case,¡± the doctor hesitantly interrupted, moving closer to Alex. ¡°Alexander¡¯s condition is surprisingly good. Because of the head wound and the fact that his heart stopped, there was a high chance of brain damage. We ran several tests after we rushed him to the ICU, but we didn¡¯t find any serious damage. Once we had him stabilized, we moved him here. To be safe, he will stay on oxygen for at least another day or two, depending on his condition.¡± Dr. Randal turned to Alex. ¡°You have about eight stitches in your head, a broken arm and leg, and significant bruising and small cuts. You will have to be in the hospital for at least 10 days or more.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s good you didn¡¯t die now, isn¡¯t it?¡± his father grunted as he turned around to leave. Dr. Randal¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Wait sir! Since Alexander is a first-time patient here I need you to answer some health questions, and sign some¡­¡± David glared at Dr. Randal and the doctor stepped back, his forehead dripping with sweat. ¡°Show me what to sign, but for any questions talk to Alex or my secretary,¡± David ordered, looming over the shorter man. Dr. Randal shook as he handed Mr. Kent the clipboard. David signed the papers with a quick flourish and left without another word. The doctor stared at his retreating form, and even after he was gone stared at the closed door. After a few moments he turned to Alex. He examined the boy¡¯s eyes, having him look left and right. Then he checked his blood pressure, as well as the machines monitoring Alex¡¯s vital signs. ¡°I need you to answer some health questions. It will be alright to remove the mask while you talk. This is important in case you have any issues that could cause complications later.¡± Alex nodded and removed the mask, clearing his throat so he would be ready to speak. He was able to go over the parts that referenced himself or his father, but when the doctor asked about his mother¡­ ¡°I¡¯m sorry doctor; she died soon after I was born. I don¡¯t know anything more than that. Father¡¯s secretary might have her health data, but he doesn¡¯t talk about her to me,¡± Alex said in a scratchy voice. The doctor¡¯s face fell, and then softened in sympathy. ¡°I am sorry about that, and I will contact the secretary as soon as I can.¡± He paused for a moment, looking like he was unsure what to say next. ¡°It is remarkable that you seem to be recovering so well. Based on the paramedics¡¯ report, you were in bad shape. When you arrived, you were barely breathing and you had heart murmers. The surgery went well and you are healing fast. In fact, if I hadn¡¯t seen it myself, I wouldn''t have believed such a quick recovery was possible.¡± Dr. Randal looked away, clearing his throat. Alex could tell that he wanted to ask him more questions, but didn''t want to be rude. ¡°The nurse will come by to check on you every few hours. Press the call button if you need anything,¡± Dr. Randal said. He checked the machines once more before leaving. The days at the hospital were lonely and boring, the time crawling past. The only entertainment was the television in his room and some magazines he got from the nurses. Other than his father on the first day, he had no visitors, though his ninth grade class sent a token flower basket. The nurses kept giving him pitying glances when they checked on him or brought his food. The whole hospital had probably heard his loudmouth father. Exactly 10 days later the hospital released Alex. The family car was waiting out front when the nurse wheeled him from the hospital. Along with a maid, cook, and butler, Alex now had a male nurse to take care of him. He felt humiliated, even though it was necessary until he could walk again. The servants had moved his room from the second floor of the mansion, to the main floor. He hated the huge house. Alex wanted his own living space, but his father said he didn¡¯t want to cough up the money. What David really meant was he wanted Alex to stay where he could keep an eye on him. As Alex was wheeled into his new room, he felt the familiar walls of the house surrounding him again like a prison¡­ hopefully his plans to escape weren¡¯t ruined by the accident. Chapter Two (Italics are thoughts and telepathy) ¡°Why can¡¯t I find a single picture of my mother anywhere?¡± Alex complained. Talking to the doctor had reminded him how little he knew about his mother. Now that he had a lot of free time, he¡¯d decided to search for information about her. The tutor was only with him for a few hours in the morning, and the nurse had his own room and only came when Alex called for him. Alex appreciated the privacy; It allowed him to explore without interruption. However, the extreme lack of information frustrated him. It didn¡¯t help that he¡¯d been having odd dreams ever since the accident. They were always unclear when he woke up, but the memory of their strangeness lingered. He also couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that someone was watching him, even when he was alone. Searching for answers kept him busy and distracted. Alex even asked the servants for information about his mother, but none of the three had been around when his mother was alive. The driver hadn¡¯t been with Alex¡¯s father for more than 10 years either. Desperate for information, Alex snuck into his father¡¯s rooms. Though it wasn¡¯t truly sneaking when he had to roll himself around and kept bumping into things. He was sure his father would somehow discover he had been snooping. Just going into his father¡¯s study and bedroom made Alex nervous. Like at any moment his father would appear, looming over him. The odd sense of being watched didn¡¯t help his paranoia. His father rarely came home, though, so he was careful to make sure the rooms looked the same as before he came. ¡°Why is there so little information on her?¡± Alex asked out loud, in his room. He rested his head on his desk table. Only his father knew the answer. And he wasn¡¯t brave enough to even think about asking his father. *** A few weeks later, Alex returned to the doctor¡¯s office. Dr. Randal sat across the desk from him, looking at Alex¡¯s x-rays in astonishment. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! I¡¯ve never seen bones heal so fast!¡± Dr. Randal exclaimed. ¡°We can take the casts off today!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± Alex agreed. ¡°I¡¯m tired of the wheelchair, and needing a nurse to take care of me.¡± ¡°Well, few people like feeling helpless and dependent on others.¡± The doctor smiled. ¡°At least now you¡¯ll be able to walk again, with some rehab. The leg will be weaker from disuse, but I know you¡¯ll do well.¡± Removing the casts was noisy and messy. It took a while, but eventually, Alex could see his skin again. It was paler, a bit clammy, and smelly, but he was happy to have it out of the cast. Afterward, the nurse took Alex to another area where a physical therapist helped him start to walk. Alex felt proud when he noticed the shocked looks he got. The physical therapist, nurses, and other patients in the room stared at him as he began walking as soon as he arrived. After a quick check-up, they couldn¡¯t do anything but discharge him. He used a crutch, since his leg was still weak. As soon as he got home, he went straight to the bathroom. Taking a bath without help was wonderful. He couldn¡¯t wait to take a shower. The next day, the private tutor informed him it was their last meeting as Alex would be resuming school. The nurse left as well. Alex thanked them both, but was glad to see the nurse go. Being taught at home had been peaceful. It was a far cry from his overly pretentious private school. He had no friends there, only enemies. You had to stay on your toes or get trampled. His father wanted Alex to take over as CEO of the company in the future; he wouldn¡¯t accept any education that was less than the best. That included the prestige of graduating from Colemen Private Academy. He also expected Alex to be top of his class. Most of the graduates continued on to Ivy League Universities. Alex hated the conniving and politics. He was the practical sort; he knew the track he was on would lead to advantages in the future. Already, his success on the stock market meant his plans to make it on his own were coming along. Alex didn¡¯t think his father knew he played around with the stock market. If David did know, he hoped his father would look at it as Alex taking steps to succeed him, rather than escape him. Despite that, Alex was careful with his bids and grew his assets slowly. He had improved his holdings quite a bit. He knew the big money was in the more dangerous stocks, but he wasn¡¯t ready for that. That evening, Alex sat in his room, enjoying the quiet solitude. The servants hadn¡¯t bothered him since his recovery. When he was younger, the quiet sometimes made him feel scared and lonely. Now it made him feel calm and peaceful. Alex checked his stocks and read a book, and before he knew it, it was well past midnight. He detested having to return to school the next day, but he didn¡¯t really have a choice. He went to bed and was soon asleep. *** Sometime later, Alex¡¯s eyes opened and he got out of bed. He felt odd, disconnected. He hadn¡¯t wanted to get up, but he couldn¡¯t seem to make his body do what he wanted it to. It was moving on its own. Before he knew it, he was dressed and walking out of the house into the night. Is this a dream? If it was, he could understand why he couldn¡¯t hear anything, since that was common in dreams. He relaxed a little. Nothing looked particularly strange, and his vision was clear. Weren¡¯t dreams usually blurry and disjointed? The disparity made him feel uncomfortable. He hated not being in control. Alex seemed to be moving closer to downtown. A car rushed by silently in the dark as he weaved through a growing crowd. Alex guessed it was around one in the morning. The clubs were still full of people. He approached a bouncer and flashed his gold card. They didn¡¯t even ask for his ID. Alex hadn¡¯t been in a club before. The colorful flashing lights illuminated the gyrating bodies on the dance floor and those around the bar. He moved through the dancers, garnering a few hot glances from the women. Alex usually didn¡¯t notice women looking at him, but, as an observer in his own body, he saw things more clearly. The girls at school avoided him, so Alex had always assumed he wasn¡¯t particularly attractive. But the gazes tonight lifted his spirits. It must be a dream, so I might as well enjoy it. He wondered what might happen next. Soon, Alex was in the center of the dance floor, a girl dancing in front of him. She was beyond pretty. She looked young and fit; her supple breasts and full hips fit her clothes- a halter top and miniskirt- perfectly. Her pale skin seemed to glow under the flashing lights as she twisted, swirled, and gyrated following the beat of the music. Her short, bobbed hair bounced as she moved and for a heated moment their eyes met across the floor. Alex was entranced, she was a great dancer. Her moves were fluid, graceful, and seductive. She smiled coyly, and moved towards him.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He noticed the leering, envious eyes from the other men who had wanted the girls attention. Perhaps they wondered, why him? But Alex and the girl danced without a care. After a few songs it felt like they were in their own world. Alex was moving smoothly and dancing well, despite his skills in reality, he hadn¡¯t ever danced much. The night would be perfect except for the lack of sound and touch. Every time she brushed up against him he could feel nothing. Not even when her full breasts grazed him as they swayed in and out of each other¡¯s arms. The lack of senses just made it clear to him that this must be a dream. Still, This is so cool. I wish I was this suave and graceful in real life. He laughed at himself in his head, hating his lack of confidence. After dancing for a bit, the two moved to the bar getting drinks before taking their leave. My first drink of alcohol and I couldn¡¯t even taste it. The woman smiled as she spoke, her large eyes looking up at him as she held his arm. Alex desperately wanted to know what she was saying. Perhaps she had suggested they go to her place, and his excitement peaked. He didn¡¯t even know her name, even if she had said it, he couldn¡¯t hear her. She had a mysterious aura about her and he was in awe of her. Alex was glad his body was doing what he desired, even if he couldn¡¯t control it or feel anything. The woman flashed a sidelong smile at him, pressed up against Alex¡¯s side as they walked. Her breast brushed up against him each time they moved. Simply watching it happen made Alex excited. They moved to less and less crowded streets, continuing to flirt along the way. Or at least, Alex assumed they were flirting. They were walking through an alley when the girl tripped. Alex half expected her face to crash into his. She looked like she was expecting a kiss with the way her lips pursed together, and her eyes closed. The dingy alley was the last place Alex would have gone, especially with a pretty girl in tow. It was littered in garbage, which made him glad he couldn¡¯t smell it. A kiss?! Now?! It was an exciting thought, but he had no experience. He watched her come closer, feeling embarrassed. However, when her teeth turned into sharp fangs and her polished nails grew into crooked long claws, Alex knew immediately that he was in a world of trouble. Her previously short hair lengthened and moved towards his neck, moving like a living mass. Alex was shocked and too unprepared. All he wanted was a kiss. A kiss that could renew his vigour. But instead, what was in front of him was a ''kiss'' of death. The girl''s eyes had become dyed in crimson red that was eerily highlighted by the dim light of the back alley road under the moonless night. As she pulled him closer with her hair, she licked her lips in rapture. Her claws crept onto his neck, he knew that he could not talk or reason his way out. His body pushed and she flew back, the hair breaking away from him. She glared at him with glowing red eyes, and snarled a few words at him heatedly. Alex wasn''t sure what was going on. The girl of his dreams was turning into some crazed monster. He wanted to wake up or run away as the girl leapt at him. He smoothly dodged her attack, but she moved again just as quickly. She jumped towards him again, her nails reaching out as if to shred him to pieces. But smoothly he pulled up the dumpster next to him with one hand and the large box was instead sliced into parts as it fell to the ground. A bag of old pizza toppings exploded, spraying the wall with tomato sauce. His body moved through the mess, not even getting a speck on Alex¡¯s clothes. What the f- Alex wanted to escape this crazy dream, but his body continued to move against his wishes. Alex tried to speak, not even sure what he wanted to say, but the words wouldn¡¯t come out of his uncooperative mouth. She danced around the debree and tried to grab his shoulders, baring her teeth as her face got closer. Is she trying to drink my blood or kill me? The thought of getting his blood sucked kind of excited him and repulsed him at the same time. He grabbed her wrists and held her in a viselike grip. She looked surprised, and winced before yanking herself free. She rubbed her wrists as she observed him, her eyes jumping from one spot to another, as if searching for weaknesses. She tried to grab or hit him, but he dodged or deflected each of her attacks with minimal movements. Alex saw the growing frustration in her eyes. But there was also fear. To see such a look in her pretty blue eyes chilled him. She was so fast that Alex couldn¡¯t even follow her movements. But his body seemed to know where she was going to be before she even moved. It looked like he was playing with her. Her eyes flashed as she glared at him, and yelled silently, charging at him again. Alex side stepped and the air conditioning unit beside him exploded as her claws sank into the vents, spraying him with water. He shook off the water and dodged to the right. Parry. Block. Dodge. Grab. She radiated rage as she aimed for his neck again but he moved at the last moment and turned hitting her with a spinning kick in the back. She soundlessly slammed into the ground cracking the concrete and creating a small crater. Blood trickled out her mouth as she pulled herself up wiping her mouth as she moved more carefully around him. She jumped sideways and shot forward moving so fast she seemed to disappear. She appeared at his side her hand in the shape flat like a dagger as she tried to pierce his abdomen. His body twisted like a whip and slapped her away and into a wall. The wall fell as dust and debris clouded up the air around them. Even after all that, she still stood up again her broken arm eerily snapping back to its proper shape as he watched. She spun up and over attempting an axe kick at his head. It was like every James Bond movie Alex had ever seen in his life. His body even dive rolled into a roundhouse kick to her head, but nothing fazed her. She was like a tank on two legs, plowing through anything in her way. Despite his anxiety, Alex had to admit the fight was bad ass! He was even winning. He had practiced martial arts before, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as graceful and fast in real life. He dodged the next few attacks and she became more frenzied moving even faster and hitting harder destroying anything that got in the way. She swiped at him and sliced the electric pole next to them in half. He threw things at her as he dodged and moved each of which she smashed into oblivion with a snarl on her face. The attacks created huge potholes which they both avoided as they continued to create more chaos. But no matter how fast or hard she hit non of her attacks could even graze him. She grabbed a trash can and it flew toward him, shredded into sharp pieces. Alex brushed away the fragments as he moved forward. She climbed the walls, and cut him off. He knocked her away and ran the other direction. She chased after him. Alex stopped at a dead end. No escape. Alex screamed in his head. The brutal twist of her smirk marred her beautiful face as her hands shot out toward him. Suddenly, Alex''s hand caught the girl''s throat in a vice-like grip. His movement was so fast that the girl could not dodge at all. He then lifted her above the ground, pinning her to the wall and looked at her with a smile. But this was not just any other smile. This was a smile that would spell out the victor. And death would come to the loser. She looked at him as if it were a joke, but when she tried to wrench his hand free this time, she couldn''t. He tightened his grip. Her eyes widened in fear, her body tensed, and her face twisted in obvious pain. A strange purple, crimson mist started to flow out from her mouth and nose. She hit him, kicked him, and scratched him again and again, but it only made him bolder. Despite her scratches he wasn¡¯t even bleeding as if he had a barrier or something. He brought her closer--close enough to see the tears streaming from her eyes. He wrapped his free hand around her neck and squeezed. As more of the mist came out she was growing weaker her tear stained face seemed to plead for the torture to stop. Alex was forced to watch as her energy seeped out. Her body twitched and her eyes rolled back into her head. When she stopped moving, the strange mist also stopped. Alex dropped her carelessly to the ground. The girl fell like a lump, dried and lifeless. Her once glowing crimson eyes were no more. And her pale skin had wrinkled beyond one''s imagination. The victor was decided. The torment that the girl went through was ended. Is she dead? She looks dead. An ambulance? I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t have control. This can¡¯t be true. It must be a dream. Please, let it be a dream. His body, unconcerned with Alex''s inner struggle, left without looking back. Alex was in a daze and didn''t even know how he got home. Confusion and guilt clouded his mind and he barely noticed when he entered his room. He collapsed on his bed, blackness seeping into his consciousness, and he knew no more. Next chapter (I know they have the auto links now but just in case you like the regular link better I will keep it. I know it works a little differently) Sketches of characters and other art of the story I already have an art thread but thought I might want to make a topic here just for art related to the story. If anyone wants to I wouldn''t mind some fan art as well. Right now all I have are sketches but eventually I will do some full color versions. Again don''t hesitate to comment. Alexander Kent the main character in his school uniform. a small sketch of zeltis(the demon inhabiting Alex) and a closer larger version of Alex''s face on the right. This was the first sketch I did of him. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. That''s all I have for now but I do have a few rough sketches of people who have become his classmates that I drew. I will try to post those soon. Chapter Three (italics are to show thoughts and telepathy) The dream had been so vivid. The sight of her body hitting the ground and laying so lifeless was etched in Alex¡¯s memory. His clothes clung to his sweaty body and he couldn¡¯t stop shaking. He stumbled to the bathroom, trying to shake the lingering images from his mind. He made it to the sink and splashed his face with water. Relieved, he saw he was wearing the clothes he had put on before bed. If he¡¯d been wearing the same thing he had in his dream, he would¡¯ve lost it. His mind was a mess, but he had to go to school regardless. If he skipped, his father would find ways to make Alex¡¯s life more difficult than it already was. Alex showered and threw on his uniform. His hair had grown long--it was against the rules to have hair past your collar. But he felt that a few demerits would be worth the price to show a bit of rebelliousness. He wished he had the courage to do more. Facing people made him nervous. When he was on his bike he could be more reckless and free but with people he could only feel scared. The starched collar of his shirt made him feel like he was being strangled. He pulled it with his finger to loosen it, but it didn¡¯t move much. After a quick breakfast, the chauffeur drove him to school. On the way, Alex looked up the local news on his phone and was glad to see nothing related to his dream. Only more news about the recent arsons in the area. No one missing, and no bodies found in a dark alley. Despite being sure it was a dream, checking relieved his anxiety. Now he could concentrate on school instead of worrying over nothing. Though it was designed to be elegant, with a majestic feel, the school was boxy, gloomy, and old. The circular drive had a fountain in the middle with a statue of the founder on a horse. Every morning was like a parade with fancy cars driving around and showing off. As Alex got out of the car, the other students stared at him and whispered. Some girls giggled near the entrance steps as they glanced at him. When he met their eyes they gasped and hurried off. Alex frowned and strode up the steps. He hadn¡¯t bothered bringing the crutch since he felt fine. He wasn¡¯t too slow and didn¡¯t limp. At least one thing was going well for him. When he reached the huge double doors, his path was suddenly cut off. He groaned. Reginald Colton, Hugh Patton, and Cole Peterson¡­ his least favorite people. Just seeing them brought back unpleasant memories. They had been a constant unwanted presence since elementary school. It had started small at first. With teasing, spit wads, and gum in his hair. But in middle school it had escalated to almost daily torture. Being beaten black and blue after school, accosted in the bathroom and having his head shoved into the toilet. But the worst was when they got him suspended for smoking. His father had been the one to beat him then. He clenched his hands into fists and gritted his teeth as he got closer to the group. ¡°Well, well, what a surprise. I¡¯m disappointed you aren¡¯t in worse shape,¡± Reginald, the student council president, mocked. Alex turned to look at him. Reginald had an aristocratic nose and refined features. He kept his short, blond hair slicked back, had cold, blue eyes. Alex tried to brush past without saying anything but Hugh cut him off. Hugh was the burly captain of the school football team and Reginald¡¯s loyal goon. ¡°Don¡¯t run off now, Reggi was speaking to you,¡± Hugh said. Alex sighed, then surprised himself by saying sarcastically, ¡°What can I do for you, gentlemen?¡± He never usually spoke back - what had gotten into him? ¡°Listen to that. You shouldn¡¯t use such a tone,¡± Cole said. He had been standing to the side with his arms crossed but now stepped out next to Reginald. He was the council secretary and was always eager for a fight. Just then, one of the double doors opened and a girl stepped out. She took in the scene and glared sternly at Reginald and gang before turning to Alex with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad you look well, Mr. Kent.¡± It was Veronica Ericson, the council treasurer. Veronica turned to Reginald and blinked her deep green eyes. ¡°We have a student council meeting, what are you doing lounging around out here?¡± ¡°Ah yes, of course. Later, Kent.¡± Reginald sneered at Alex again, then followed Veronica inside. Alex waited a moment to let them get ahead before following them inside. He made his way through the crowded hallways to his locker then hurried to first period so he could grab a seat at the back of the class. Alex liked to sit in silence, undisturbed, as he read a book or checked stocks on his phone Veronica''s appearance had lightened his mood somewhat. She was one of the few students that had always been kind to him. He¡¯d considered asking her out before, but didn¡¯t really understand the point. Even if he had the confidence, romance was a foreign concept to him. Slowly, the other students trickled in. They chatted in groups or played and talked on their phones. Reginald strode in just as the warning bell rang, giving Alex a sidelong smirk before moving to his chair. The teacher was close behind him. Alex felt a sharp tap on his cheek and a wad of paper landed on his desk. He looked up but the teacher was writing on the board. Another mini missile hit, and the piece of paper landed on his hand. Alex noticed Reginald aiming another wad in his direction. A few of the other boys in class sniggered as they watched. Alex decided to ignore it. The teacher continued to drone on as she scratched the chalk across the board. Reginald only paused in his antics when she happened to turn around. By the time class was over, Alex¡¯s desk had amassed quite a few paper balls.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Before Alex could gather his things, Reginald came over. ¡°Well, I see trash is attracted to trash. You blend right in.¡± Reginald laughed. Alex sighed and slowly gathered the trash along with his bag. ¡°Did you need anything?¡± he asked. ¡°I needed to see you in your rightful place among the waste where you belong.¡± Reginald leaned on Alex¡¯s desk. As usual, Alex bit his tongue to hold back a scathing reply. The teacher had already left. Only a few students remained, watching the exchange. Alex felt like he was on display. ¡°What? You aren¡¯t going to speak back like earlier?¡± Reginald said with a glint in his eye. He clearly wanted Alex to talk back, it¡¯d give him an excuse to heap more torture on Alex. Alex dropped his head, gritted his teeth, and shuffled back and away. He didn''t say or do anything else other than tossing the paper wads in the trash as he left. Reginald¡¯s annoying laugh followed him as he hurried down the hall. His next class passed by uneventfully and eventually it was time for lunch. For someone without friends, lunchtime was unpleasant. As he was carrying his tray, Marcus Halloby ambushed him. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Kent, but I spotted you and felt I must correct your misconduct in allowing your hair to get so long.¡± Marcus spoke in a monotone and pushed his glasses up in a brisk, businesslike motion. ¡°I¡¯ll take it under advisement, Mr. Vice President.¡± Alex copied Marcus¡¯ formal air. Luckily, Marcus didn¡¯t notice Alex¡¯s sarcasm He had spoke up again without thinking. The dream must have addled his thinking. ¡°I would appreciate it,¡± Marcus said and turned away crisply before striding off stiffly. At least Marcus wasn¡¯t bothering Alex to be mean. Marcus just liked to make sure people followed the rules. He would approach anyone who wasn¡¯t doing so, and correct them. Alex didn¡¯t hate him, but he didn¡¯t like the guy much either--he looked like he had a stick up his butt. Alex hurried through the tables and out the glass doors to the courtyard. He found a quiet corner to eat in peace, under the shade of a large tree. Alex looked around warily when he went back in and sighed in relief when he didn¡¯t see Hugh or the rest of the gang anywhere. He was usually their favorite target during lunch period. A few girls were giggling in a group but stopped and hurried off as soon as they caught sight of him. Alex¡¯s shoulders slumped and he frowned. Unlike his first couple classes, Alex was unfortunately forced to sit at a desk in the center of the room for the next period. Other kids crowded around, sitting or leaning on his desk as if he wasn¡¯t there. Hugh came in, and their eyes met through a gap in the crowd. There was a pretty girl on Hugh¡¯s arm and Hugh was clearly showing her off. The crowd parted for him and he walked past Alex, frowning. The girl, however, blushed scarlet as soon as she got close to Alex. Alex blinked in surprise and quickly looked away. The last thing he needed was Hugh thinking he was checking out his girlfriend. Hugh pulled her along roughly and they moved to his seat in the corner of the room. Hugh¡¯s voice rumbled, he sounded angry. Alex swore he could feel a glare burning into his back from Hugh¡¯s direction. As soon as class was over, Alex flew out of the room. Finally, school was over. Even before the accident Alex didn¡¯t want to bother with clubs, so he went to wait for the chauffeur. He knew he should try to find people he could connect with, someone to be on his side. The family car pulled up and he got in, continuing to think things over. It wasn¡¯t like he hadn¡¯t tried to make friends before. Most people in his school were just impossible to get along with. Not to mention he was terrible at socializing. Alex had never been interested in sports, especially team sports. The private schools he attended either had super elite teams not good for beginners, or teams that were too laid back and hardly practiced. He wasn¡¯t terrible at sports, but he also wasn¡¯t great. It helped that he was fit since he often worked out in the gym at home, but he didn¡¯t have much stamina¡­ or balance and coordination. But his biggest problem was relating to people. Alex had taken martial arts for a while as a child, for protection. His father had reasoned it was cheaper than hiring a bodyguard. A club related to martial arts might be good, but it had been awhile since he had practiced seriously. Alex had enjoyed his time at the dojo. The people there were easy to be around, and the interactions were simple and straightforward. It had been the closest he had ever felt to being happy and the only time he had gotten along with people. It would probably be different in the school club, though. Cole was in the martial arts club. He would definitely make things hard for Alex if he joined. Being in the same club would just give Cole more chances to torture Alex while Reginald cheered him on. Alex would have to keep thinking about it. He was watching the buildings go by out the car window when he glimpsed the bar from his dream. The horrible memories from the fight came flooding back. He turned away, but another building caught his eye on the other side of the street. ¡°Wait! stop the car!¡± Alex said. ¡°I can¡¯t stop in the middle of the road. Do you want me to turn around?¡± The driver glanced back as he spoke to Alex. ¡°Yes please. I want to visit that dojo I saw. Turn around as soon as you can and find a place to park.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you get out here and I¡¯ll find a place to park?¡± the driver suggested after they turned around. Before he¡¯d even finished speaking, Alex had jumped out of the car and headed toward the dojo. The sign over the door read ¡°Mixed Fit¡±, and though the building was slightly scuffed, it looked clean enough. He had seen Cole¡¯s family dojo, MMA Stars, and it had been huge and fancy with four floors. He hadn¡¯t gone in, but knew it had good amenities, like a gym, an indoor swimming pool, and champion class trainers. In contrast, Alex liked the quaint appearance of this little dojo. With a nervous smile, he pushed open the glass door. Yells from the group currently training came from the left in the main training area. To the right was another area where a few people were sparring. Ahead was a desk and a hallway that looked like it continued on to the gym equipment and locker area. There was shoe rack right next to the entrance and Alex remembered that most dojos didn¡¯t want you wearing shoes inside. So he sat on the bench by the door and pulled off his shoes. A man who had been helping students in the main area saw Alex and came over. He was a tall, pleasant looking man, with short black hair and a mustache. Even though the Gi covered him, Alex could tell he was well muscled and toned. The man was also skilled, judging by the three gold stars on his black belt. ¡°Welcome to Mixed Fit. I¡¯m the owner, Mike Grant. Are you interested in joining?¡± He had a friendly smile and Alex immediately felt comfortable. Impulse had made him want to pull over, but the place felt right to him. However, Alex knew that even a tiny place like this would cost a lot to join. He would have to put off getting his own place, but finding somewhere to belong was worth it. ¡°Yes, I want to join.¡± Chapter four Alex was excited to get started with martial arts again. He wasn¡¯t sure how often he would be able to go, but he would try to go as often as he could. Finding the dojo had helped clear up the bad memories from that strange dream. He couldn¡¯t help worrying that he might have another nightmare as he got in bed. He concentrated on his happiness of starting at the dojo and was soon asleep. As before it wasn¡¯t long before he opened his eyes. His body got up, dressed, and left the house. Not long after leaving the house Alex started to notice a difference compared to last time. This time he could hear a little, though the sound was muted as if he were wearing ear plugs. Still, compared to the silence of last time it was a big improvement. Alex''s body seemed to be able to avoid the many people with small smooth movements. Alex couldn¡¯t help wishing he could be that agile when he was awake. Especially when he was at school, where bumping into the wrong person could mean getting beaten up. Even though he took martial arts, he wasn¡¯t the best at it. Of course, even masters might get overwhelmed by sheer numbers. The muffled sounds of cars going by and people yelling drew his attention. But he couldn¡¯t make his head turn where he wanted to look. Just like last time he was just an observer in his own body. His body walked with such a confident determined walk, with no deviation or distraction. That made Alex sure his ¡°body¡± had a destination, but felt it wasn¡¯t a specific place. Something else was going on that he wasn¡¯t sure of yet. Alex¡¯s body veered off the main road and ended up in front of a pool bar. Inside he could see there were eight pool tables lined up two by two with an aisle down the center. There was a bar/reception area along the right wall. The lighting was harsh and bluish with a few of the long bulbs flickering. He could see a small back door that must exit out onto an alley. In the groups playing, there were few women. The ones he saw were mannish, though there were at least two that were somewhat decent looking. Alex couldn¡¯t help feeling a little disappointed that there wasn¡¯t anyone sexy. Some people glanced at him, but were too into their games to bother with him. He strode further in, towards a table near the back that had two guys playing. Both men looked buff and unfriendly. In real life Alex would have given them a wide berth. Not walking right up to them, as if in challenge, like his body did now. One man was six foot two with a lean muscular frame, wearing loose jeans and a fitted t-shirt. He had short brown hair and a small goatee on his slightly square, but roughly handsome face. The other guy was huge, about seven feet. He had broad shoulders and bulging muscles. He wore a sleeveless shirt and tan cargo pants. His face was also square and rather large with a feral feel to it. He had long, dark-blonde, shaggy hair, with mutton chops. His brows were harsh, making him seem like portrayals of Cro-Magnons. He wasn¡¯t too ugly, just animalistic and dangerous looking. The shaggy guy looked straight at Alex and grinned, then nodded as if Alex had said something. Alex walked calmly out the back door. ¡°I¡¯m out. I got some business,¡± the man growled to the other man before he came out and shut the door behind him. The big guy moved so they were facing each other, like in a western duel. The larger man cracked his fingers and neck and growled. His muscles rippled and bulged, growing bigger to the point where his shirt stretched. Alex thought that was weird but it became even more strange. The man started to sprout hair all over and his incisors lengthened, and eyes turned red. Alex just stood there as if waiting, and inside the regular Alex was freaking out. ¡°Seriously?! First a vampire and now a freaking werewolf! What was next? He didn¡¯t know. Would this battle end like the last one? Just thinking of it made him shudder. What if my body doesn¡¯t win? Will I just never wake up? If this is a dream why am I dreaming about such strange things?¡± Alex¡¯s thoughts went a mile a minute. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The werewolf charged interrupting Alex''s panicking, swiping at him with his clawed hand. His body managed to dodge to the side, but the force of the blow still pushed him back. The werewolf¡¯s face looked surprised, but his grin got wider. Alex cringed inside at the creepy grin. ¡°The crazy werewolf dude must love to fight¡±. Alex couldn¡¯t understand at all. All he could do was watch as the werewolf charged again. The werewolf''s arm pulled back as if to punch but instead his leg shot out towards Alex¡¯s stomach. Alex¡¯s body didn¡¯t even twitch at the intended feint. He dodged the kick but within a breath the werewolf jumped at him again, kicking out with both legs. This time Alex¡¯s body only barely managed to jump to the side. The werewolf landed creating a small crater in the concrete. Even muffled it was a significant thud. Before Alex could even think, the werewolf was lunging at him right and left. Alex¡¯s body deflected the first hit. But when blocking the second, the werewolf grabbed onto Alex¡¯s arm. He flung Alex¡¯s body up against the wall and Alex grunted. He felt the impact all the way down to his bones. ¡°Ugh!¡± Alex inwardly groaned. ¡°Why can I feel the pain now?¡± Alex¡¯s body kicked off the wall, moving toward the werewolf¡¯s midsection in a tackle. "How can my body keep moving like that after that kind of injury. I am sure I must have a broken rib, at least." Alex thought. He wanted to wail as his already injured body slammed into the werewolf. This move surprised the werewolf, and they were both knocked back. The werewolf got his footing back fast and grabbed Alex around the neck in a choke hold. Alex¡¯s hands reached up to the werewolf¡¯s head and they started to glow. The werewolf was behind Alex, so he couldn¡¯t see the guy¡¯s expression. Alex couldn''t help but be grateful that he didn''t have to watch everything happen like last time. Soon Alex could see that strange mist flowing towards him. The suffocating pressure on Alex¡¯s throat slowly released until the arms fell away. The mist was soon gone and Alex¡¯s body let go and turned just as the huge body fell with a rather loud thud. Alex couldn''t help but wonder, "why had no one from the pool hall heard all the noise and come to check things out? Perhaps the other man had kept them from interfering?" As his watched, Alex noticed that the man now looked human again. Though he looked pale and weak now. Alex couldn¡¯t tell if the man was still breathing or not. Not giving Alex time to find out, his body walked off through the alley and back in the direction of home. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before you remember the deal you made,¡± a deep voice said in Alex''s head, just as his body hit the bed. The voice laughed and Alex¡¯s vision darkened as he felt pulled into a deep sleep. ********** Authors note Ok so I finally edited this chapter and hopefully there is a little bit more detail. Please tell me if you think there is more I could add. I am not very confident about the fight scenes and want to get better. next chapter- http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=4451 chapter five Alex¡¯s eyes opened and he moved to sit up, but groaned as a wave of pain shot through him, starting from somewhere on his side. He held onto his aching side, and the pain slowly dulled enough that he could breathe normally again. Alex carefully pushed off the covers, but every little move made his side throb in pain. He managed to slide to the side and grit his teeth as he stood. The sharp pain made him gasp, but it soon switched to a dull throbbing pain, so he was able to force himself to move to the wardrobe. Alex didn¡¯t want to try the shower and dreaded getting changed, but knew he had to keep going. He meticulously changed, taking his time to cut down the pain. The only explanation for it had to be his dream but he didn¡¯t believe that what had happened in the dream really happened. Perhaps he had slept wrong and now had a pinched nerve or other odd problem. Or maybe it was from when someone had pushed him into a desk the day before. Alex made excuses that his science reared mind could accept, while he painfully continued to put on his uniform. He decided on loafers today, since he could just slip them on. He didn¡¯t even want to think about trying to tie shoe laces when it hurt so much to move his waist. The pain made everything take much longer than usual before he was finally seated in the car ready to go. The chauffeur drove him to school, not commenting when Alex had groaned in pain getting in or when they went around a sharp curve. As they pulled up Alex heard the warning bell ring and grunted in frustration. The driver held open the door for him, looking a little worried at how slowly Alex was moving. Alex just showed a wan smile and slid out, wincing as he stood. Instead of tackling the stairs, Alex went around to the side entrance that had a ramp. There weren¡¯t too many people still in the halls, so he hurried to his locker. He was on his way to class when someone slammed into him. He cried out as he fell over backwards, the pain shooting through him, making him feel like he was on fire. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! Are you all right?¡± A feminine voice asked worriedly. Alex looked in front of him to see a girl sprawled on the ground. She had a decent figure for her small frame, but she was overly pale. Her whitish skin was only more obvious because of the contrast with her curly black hair that seemed to go all directions as it pleased. She had a small cute face with large green eyes that were looking at him waiting for an answer. ¡°I..I¡¯m ok.¡± Alex managed to croak out as he clutched his side. ¡°You don¡¯t look ok¡± She said and started to get up, reaching a hand out to help him. Alex looked at it dubiously. She looked too small to be able to lift his weight, but he doubted he would be able to get up by himself. So he grabbed her hand, while still holding his side with his other hand. She was stronger than she looked and pulled him up. But then she looked at their scattered books in chagrin. ¡°Oh my, just give me a moment and I will gather all this up. I was rushing too much and wasn¡¯t looking where I was going.¡± She said and began to pick the books up. Alex wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if she had tilted her head to the side and hit her head while her tongue stuck out like in an anime. She just had that aura of a clutzy air head to her. He smiled slightly as she handed him his books and she gasped. ¡°Oh!¡± and she dropped them again. ¡°You¡¯re Alexander Kent! Oh dear this isn¡¯t going to be good.¡± Then she noticed she had dropped the books again and quickly picked them up and handed them to him. Alex furrowed his brows in confusion. What in the world was she worried about? Did she think he would become angry at her or something? ¡°I¡¯m not mad or anything,¡± he tried to reassure her. She looked around furtively ¡°Um, well that¡¯s good. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re ok. I need to be going we are already late.¡± As if on cue, the bell to signal the start of class rang. The girl looked a little panicked and backed away, bowing a little towards him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again.¡± Then she hurried around him and down the hall. Alex stood there for a moment, still confused at her behavior. He scratched his head with his free hand and winced again at the stab of pain before he shook his head and continued to class. The teacher marked him tardy and he heard some laughs while he hurried to his seat. By the time lunchtime came around, the pain had significantly lessened to the point that it was just a dull ache. He had debated about talking to the nurse, but decided that since the pain was not as bad, that it would eventually go away. Alex looked around, being careful this time to avoid running into Marcus. He was soon sitting in his favorite spot in the courtyard. It was a secluded little nook that wasn¡¯t clearly visible from the rest of the courtyard. There was a nice little maple tree and a root that stuck out made the perfect seat to enjoy his lunch in peace. He had just started eating when a small noise from behind him made him turn his head. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. There she was, the girl from earlier, hiding behind the tree peeking at him nervously. She blushed a little when she saw that he noticed her. ¡°Um, have you been feeling better? You looked bad after I ran into you, and it worried me all day.¡± Alex studied her curiously for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better. Still it would have been nice to at least hear your name since you seem to know mine.¡± She stepped out cautiously with her hands clasped behind her back, holding a lunch box. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Summer, Summer Harris.¡± She said a little sheepishly and looked around carefully before continuing. ¡°Would you mind if I joined you?¡± ¡°I suppose it would be fine though you will have to sit on the grass.¡± He said and realized after Summer sat down that he could have let her have the root to sit on. Still she looked pretty cheerful. She had her legs bent to the side so that her panties wouldn¡¯t show and started to pull out her lunch. He continued to eat in silence, not sure why Summer was there or what to say. ¡°You seem a lot nicer than I pictured. I thought you would either be super arrogant or standoffish.¡± Summer said after a few bites of her sandwich. Alex just shrugged but was still curious about her earlier behavior. ¡°Why did you seem so skittish earlier? Were you scared of me or something?¡± ¡°Ah, no way! After meeting you in person you weren¡¯t scary at all, but I was still pretty scared of your stalkers.¡± She said it nonchalantly as if he should already know about it. His eyebrows shot up in surprise. ¡°Stalkers?! What do you mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Really?¡± Summer asked, shocked. ¡°I was sure that you knew that almost all the girls in school watched everything you did. They even have all these rules.¡± She started. ¡°Do not talk directly to Alex. Everyone must keep a record of what Alex does and report to the senior leaders about any possible problems. If anyone breaks the rules she will be punished.¡± She shook her head, her curls bouncing a little. Then she turned to him. ¡°Basically, they all moon over you, calling you the untouchable prince. They are constantly following you from a safe distance, and writing down everything you do. They also secretly take pictures of you. So if someone had seen me talking to you, I might have gotten beaten up. I ambushed you here cause I figured it might be safe, and I was curious about you.¡± His mouth dropped open. ¡°Seriously? I had no idea. I thought they didn¡¯t like me, and I was avoided because of that, and now I find out it¡¯s the opposite. Are they crazy?¡± Summer giggled. ¡°You have a nice face like an idol, so they are kind of in awe of you, I suppose. Man, if they knew what you were really like. You are so normal. I think they''d faint because their princely dream was smashed.¡± ¡°That is messed up; and I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t notice them taking pictures.¡± Alex looked at her. ¡°I look like an idol?¡± She almost choked, ¡°Do you not look in the mirror?¡± ¡°Well, yeah and I just felt I looked too effeminate. I read manga and watch a little anime, but I don¡¯t really follow idols, so I had no idea I had a popular appearance.¡± He scratched his head, then took another bite of his sandwich, managing to get a little mustard next to his mouth. ¡°Effeminate, well most people familiar with manga and such would call you Bishounen. But wow, you are so normal it¡¯s funny. Here, have a napkin. You have some mustard by your mouth.¡± Summer laughed and handed him a napkin. Alex grinned and took it, before wiping his mouth. They finished their lunch and she got up and dusted herself off. ¡°It was fun, but I better get going before one of your stalkers finds your little hideaway.¡± She held her lunchbox in one hand and waved before turning to go. She was gone before Alex had a chance to wave back. He couldn¡¯t help the small chuckle as he gathered up his lunch tray. She was only the second friendly person he had met in this stuffy school and she was such a quirky character. Alex had enjoyed spending time with her, but he worried that she might get into trouble for talking to him. He also wondered why Veronica seemed fine. Maybe the girls were scared that the boys in student council would protect Veronica. He shrugged, since he had no idea and continued on to class. Other than an annoying pop quiz in math, the day ended normally. Even the pain from that morning was just a little twinge now, as he walked toward the exit. As soon as Alex got in the car he had the driver take him to the dojo. He had ordered a gi when he was signing up but it would be a few days yet, before it got here. Alex had planned ahead, and brought some exercise clothes with him. He was eager to start and looked forward to getting to know the other students. Chapter six It was around 4:30 and the class Alex had joined didn¡¯t start until five pm. As he was walking in he wasn¡¯t surprised that the main floor was empty. Students gathered along the sides and along the front window that was just to his left. He glanced at them, and one or two looked back at him. But they were all chatting in their groups, so didn¡¯t bother with a second glance. Alex put his shoes in the cubbyhole. He noted that no one was sparring on the right; though there was a group of five doing floor exercises that looked like it might be judo. Alex made his way to the back and to the right, where the locker rooms were, and went in. He changed quickly but was a little nervous about going back to sit near the other students. He noticed that there were only a few who had on gi. The rest were wearing more normal exercise clothes, like t-shirts and sweatpants. He saw a spot that didn¡¯t have a lot of people and made his way over there. He remembered to bow before he stepped onto the main floor, cutting across to the wall on the other side. He slid down, grasping the water bottle he had brought. Alex took a sip from it as soon as he sat down to try and calm his nerves. ¡°Hey man, you ok? You look a little shaky.¡± A guy shuffled up closer and tapped Alex¡¯s shoulder. Alex looked at him and almost choked on his water cause he was a little surprised. The guy just didn¡¯t look like the type to do martial arts. The young man looked near his age and had a thin frame with pale skin, like he stayed in a lot. He had short black hair with bangs that swept down over his right eye. He also had multiple piercings, in both ears and one on his lip. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a skull on it and black jeans with straps on them. He looked like a goth, or something along those lines. Alex coughed. ¡°S¡­Sorry I was a little surprised. You don¡¯t look like the type to do martial arts.¡± Crap, he did it again. He was too blunt and said what he thought without thinking it through, but the guy laughed a little. ¡°No problem. I know it¡¯s a little strange. I¡¯m usually never far from my computer screen when I¡¯m not at school. But after getting beaten up for the hundredth time I figured I might as well learn how to defend myself. I¡¯m Chris Harken by the way.¡± He said the last and smiled slightly. ¡°I¡¯m Alexander Kent, please call me Alex, and I understand; I often have a similar problem. Still, I wanted to find a place where I could belong, you know?¡± Alex blushed and turned away, capping the water to have something to look at. He was a little embarrassed that he had said something like that to someone he had just met. ¡°Ha ha, I totally get you! That¡¯s great. That means you just started too right?¡± Chris put up his knees and leaned his arms on them as he looked at Alex. Alex pushed his hair out of his eyes and looked back at Chris. ¡°Yeah, though I took martial arts when I was a kid, this is my first class here.¡± ¡°Great, you can give me pointers then. And since we are both new here, we can hang out.¡± Alex relaxed a little. Even though the guy had looked weird at first glance, he seemed like a laid back friendly kind of guy. They chatted about a few things and Alex was surprised to find out that Chris was a hacker and also wanted to design computer games. Alex didn¡¯t want to say too much, since people change when they find out he¡¯s from a rich family. Not that his father ever gives him much money. All the money he had, he had earned himself. So they chatted a little about anime and manga, which they both shared a little interest in. Their conversation was interrupted when Mike and a few other instructors came out. Everyone gathered in the center in lines facing the wall where Mike and the others were standing. By this time Alex had practically forgotten his earlier pain so was ready for the class. ¡°Hello everyone, and welcome to our beginners class. We will start with some warm ups and then do some basics and the teachers will go around to make sure you have the proper form. First though I want to remind everyone about the rules. Always give respect to your teachers and fellow students as well as the dojo. We don¡¯t wear shoes on the floor and it is polite to bow before you walk onto it. It is also proper to bow to your teachers before and after the lesson. Everyone bow.¡± Alex followed along as everyone bowed to the teachers. The class followed the teachers in a few warm up exercises. Then the teachers fanned out and Mike said. ¡°Get into a front facing stance. Make sure your legs are shoulder width apart and slide your dominant foot forward with your knees slightly bent. Don¡¯t look annoyed. I repeat the form every time because it is important to always remember the basics, and because we have new people joining us.¡± Alex noticed a few people groaning or rolling their eyes. They probably had done a similar class before and new the stances and felt like a review wasn¡¯t necessary. Though Alex was grateful since he had trouble remembering the stances and forms clearly. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Ok, put both hands up close to your face and then pull your right hand in against your side, this is called chambering. Make sure to keep your elbow close to your side.¡± The other two teachers went around correcting those that had the form wrong and that included both Alex and Chris. For the next fifteen minutes they continued learning and getting corrected. They went from punches to front kicks to a few other moves. ¡°Ok, now we will use what we have learned along with some music and up the tempo a bit. This not only adds some fun but it helps you learn through rhythm and repetition.¡± Mike said and one of the other teachers went over to where a table with a stereo was and turned on some music. Alex was already sweating and tired and after just a few minutes of the intense work out, he thought he would pass out. Chris looked even worse than him. ¡°If you need some water or a brief rest, don¡¯t hesitate to step out briefly but you are encouraged to hurry back in to keep up your heart rate.¡± One of the other teachers said over the music. Chris gasped gratefully and slid out to the side to gulp from his water bottle and sagged against the wall. Alex was tempted to join him, but was determined to keep going as long as he could. Finally after another fifteen minutes the music part was over and Alex collapsed on the floor. Chris had managed to come back for the last five minutes but he was huffing pretty hard. ¡°Ok for the last half hour we will go over some self-defense techniques and then cool down with forms. So get into pairs.¡± Chris came over to Alex right away. Alex just nodded and they both smiled. They were both too tired to bother talking. The teachers showed the class a technique and then had the students practice it, correcting those that got it wrong. The teachers corrected Alex and Chris Many times. Alex was a little surprised. He thought he had remembered more, but he was out of shape, and there was so much he had forgotten. Practicing by yourself, your form can break down since there isn¡¯t anyone to correct you. It¡¯s different practicing against a real person rather than shadow boxing or hitting a sandbag. Bruised and exhausted they finally finished with learning the forms. The two boys collapsed side by side against the wall when the class was finally over. ¡°I have never been so tired in all my life.¡± Chris gasped out between heavy breaths. Alex wiped the sweat off his forehead and nodded, huffing. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it being so hard. I had to be corrected often,¡± he finally managed to say after a few minutes. ¡°Ha ha, yeah and I¡¯m pretty sure my punches were stronger than yours. Are you sure you¡¯ve done this before?¡± Chris said good-naturedly. Alex understood by Chris¡¯ tone that he wasn¡¯t trying to make fun of Alex. ¡°Well I never said I was good at it.¡± Alex laughed a little. ¡°I guess I need a lot more practice and maybe some strength training.¡± Chris showed off his very thin arm. ¡°Well heck, I am sure I need that more than you. At least you have a little muscle.¡± Alex grinned. He felt like he had finally met someone he could call a friend. They had just met so it was a little early, but he was sure they would continue to get along. When Alex could finally make himself move he rolled up onto his knees and then stood, his muscles feeling like jelly. He helped Chris up too and said good bye before meeting his driver outside. Alex left the window open on the car so the cool September wind could cool off his still sweaty body. He would shower and such at home, it felt too odd to shower at the gym. The air felt great and he enjoyed the ride home with a small smile on his face. It was only seven, so after eating dinner Alex went and stretched. Then he got into the shower, taking his time to let the warm water relax his muscles. He spent some time doing his homework before checking his stocks. It was a little hard to concentrate because Alex was still a little psyched up from the MMA class. He was glad that the strange pain from this morning had gone away by the time the class started and he hadn¡¯t noticed anything. If he had gotten injured like in the dream it most likely would have taken a lot longer to heal. Based on how he had hit the wall, it had looked and felt like a broken rib but no broken bone would heal in less than a day. Though his leg and arm had healed faster than normal it wasn¡¯t that abnormally fast. He kept rationalizing everything in his head. Alex hoped that because of his exhaustion, he might be able to sleep tonight without dreams. Despite his tiredness, he stayed up past midnight. He read and messed around on the internet, before he finally went to sleep. Chapter seven As before, he awoke and dressed, all without his will. Alex noticed the barely perceptible ticking of the clock, and saw it was near two in the morning. Finally, he could hear clearly in this strange dream. He moved, not toward the front door as he usually did, but toward the door to the garage. He shut the door behind him, and moved to the motorcycle that had been repaired and delivered today. Without bothering to grab a helmet, his body was soon on the bike and speeding through the streets. The wind whipped past him, making his hair fly out behind. The roaring machine beneath him always gave him a sense of power, still, not being in control made him frustrated. As Alex¡¯s body drove on he got further and further away from the areas he was familiar with. It was a long drive, almost to the other side of the city. There were fewer and fewer streetlights and hardly any cars. He moved into an industrial area, with factories and warehouses. His body pulled to a stop in front of a warehouse on a secluded street. It was eerily quiet but he could see a strange reddish glow through the warehouse windows. He stood, putting down the kickstand and shutting off the bike before stepping out to face the building. Alex couldn''t help but wonder what strange person or creature he might face this time. Alex¡¯s body moved through the opened door. It was a rather large building, with windows along the top to let in a little moonlight. But with all the boxes, crates, packing material and other mess, a person couldn''t see much. His eyes grew cloudy, and then closed. When he opened them he could see much clearer, but it was black and white. It reminded him of how it looks in a game he played when you are using night vision goggles. So strange, could his body somehow mimic night vision? If so he couldn¡¯t help feeling it was a cool ability, but then you can do a lot of interesting things in dreams. With no more time to think, his body was already moving onward through the clutter. It was quiet and felt eerie, the sudden sound of laughter only added to the creepiness. Reluctantly Alex watched as he moved toward the sound, while his every instinct was screaming to run the other way. His footsteps echoed in the huge space as he moved further in, finally coming to an open area. Alex could see a person silhouetted against a few beams of moonlight that shone through some windows. The person stood roughly in the center of the open area and seemed to be looking off into space. The flicker of a sudden flame burst from thin air around the person, illuminating a tall, slender, male figure. His shadow loomed sharply against the rugged walls of the warehouse. The flames flared larger and brighter around him for a moment, only to die down a few seconds later. The man¡¯s fingers closed, silencing the flames. His mouth twisted into a psychotic grin, revealing the sharp canines his thin lips hid beforehand. Once more, his palm, opened up, burst up in flames, this time far greater and brighter. Their warmth was seeping out, great enough for Alex to feel it across the few feet of space between them. Alex¡¯s eyes closed at the sudden influx of light and when they opened again, his normal vision was back. The flames seemed to glide along the figure¡¯s body, not hurting him, and not even setting the clothes on fire. The pale skin of the man¡¯s face had a mysteriously alluring quality to it that both attracted Alex and repelled him. The strange amber, cat-like eyes glowed, reflecting the light of the fire and gave Alex an unsettling feeling. The stranger¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Ah, I love the flames. The ever changing shapes, the heat enveloping me and burning away everything. It¡¯s living art!¡± The man said, not looking at Alex and it felt like the man was talking to himself, and hadn¡¯t noticed Alex yet. The flames climbed higher into the air, consuming the precious oxygen around. It was burning so hot, the air around the man simmered. Alex was starting to get more and more nervous and wondered why his ¡°body¡± hadn¡¯t done or said anything yet. He wanted to get the heck out of the building and away from this crazy pyro. The man moved as if in a trance. He used the fire like you would juggling balls, or made it form shapes, like he was playing a strange child¡¯s game. ¡°Everything will burn! Everything! Everything will go up in flames like the fires of hell that comes and consumes it all!¡± the man said in a sing-song voice. ¡°Why aren¡¯t I moving?¡± Alex thought, and then as if hearing him, his body walked forward. Inwardly Alex balked; he wasn''t going to walk into that was he. It was strange how the flames didn''t immediately consume everything nearby. The flames stayed roughly around the strange man. "Your fire spree has come to an end, Salamander." Alex''s body said in a calm deep voice. Alex had heard a little about recent cases of arson in the area. ¡°Was this man the cause? And what was a Salamander? Wasn''t it just some kind of lizard?¡± Alex thought. Despite being so close to the blaze, it seemed only pleasantly warm to Alex. But he wasn''t confident about what would happen if he got closer. At least his body seemed to be staying in place, for now. The man¡¯s head whipped toward Alex and his tilted eyes narrowed ever so slightly. ¡°Who are you? Who is foolish enough to intrude on me at this moment? You have some bad luck, for real.¡± The man raised his gloved hand to his head, passing through the pale rays of moonlight like a ghost. Sharp teeth, like knives were revealed in his grin. He pulled the leather off his fingers, his skin stark white, sharply contrasting with the blackness of the coat. "You didn''t pick a good moment to walk in," the man repeated, his shaggy black hair swinging as he shook his head. Observing this from inside, Alex mentally shivered. This guy felt different than the other two creatures his body had fought in his dreams. He felt a strong pressure from him but couldn''t identify it. "And what moment would have been a good moment for you, because I will make you regret that you came to this world and inhabited that body." Alex''s body said in an arrogant tone. Inside Alex was panicking. ¡°What the hell had his body just said? Who even was talking?¡± He had no idea and wanted to yell at whatever was controlling his body to run away. "Now, now, I can''t do that." the voice said, but only inside his head, talking mentally to Alex. Out loud the Voice speaking out of Alex¡¯s mouth continued. "You have been having too much fun here in the mortal realm and I am here to add your energy to mine." The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Alex was so confused about what the voice was talking about. ¡°This realm? Was this strange person also being controlled somehow?¡± The man smiled. "I don''t think so," Taeris said brightly with a manic grin. The flames licked further along the floor digging into the wood, though not igniting it completely. A controlled circle of fire surrounded him, framed him. ¡°And it¡¯s not just salamander, it¡¯s Taeris. You should at least know my name before I incinerate you, along with this building.¡± He snickered at Alex scornfully. Alex felt his mouth lift in a small smile. Alex started to notice that while he had been standing there, it was starting to feel cooler and cooler. The fire nearest him was waning and being pushed back. He started to see a soft bluish haze radiating out from his body. ¡°Ok, now what the heck is going on? First, this strange guy is surrounded by flames and doesn''t seem to be burning. Also, the fact the fire isn¡¯t spreading any further. And now I¡¯m radiating cold air from my body somehow. Was this some kind of magic? I¡¯m not superstitious or fanciful. I only believe in what can be seen and proven, so why am I dreaming about something like magic?¡± His body moved forward and Alex couldn''t help wondering what was going to happen next. The previous battles had been so fast, and over soon after they started. It was like his body and this fire person were measuring each other, waiting for the best time to strike. Before Alex could think further, his body moved fast as lightning as he grabbed at the other man''s throat, trying to get a grip on him. Taeris blocked and pushed off Alex¡¯s arms and blew a fireball out of his mouth, straight at Alex¡¯s face. Alex¡¯s body dodged by squatting down and Taeris paused and looked at him curiously, his hand on his chin. ¡°I can see the cold magic surrounding you, so why aren¡¯t you using magic to strike at me?¡± Alex¡¯s body shrugged and stood, ¡°it uses too much energy.¡± Taeris eyes widened and then he started to laugh grabbing his stomach. ¡°I¡¯m a knight ranked demon and you think you can win without using all your energy? Hilarious!¡± ¡°Knight rank, hmm, well that is higher than I had guessed you were. But why haven¡¯t you noticed that even though I must also be a demon, you haven¡¯t sensed me?¡± Alex tilted his head to the side as if calmly observing. Taeris stepped back, ¡°But that¡¯s impossible! You can¡¯t be a high enough level that I can¡¯t sense you?¡± ¡°And why can¡¯t I?¡± Alex¡¯s body didn¡¯t give Taeris any time for more speculation. He slid first to one side and then the other, throwing a ball of icy water at Taeris. ¡°What the hell! I thought you didn¡¯t want to use your magic¡± Taeris yelled, just barely dodging the balls. He returned the favor shooting small balls of fire from both his hands while moving away from Alex¡¯s encroaching form. ¡°I was getting annoyed at how long this was taking, so decided I wanted to speed it up a bit.¡± Alex¡¯s body said this and put up a quick ice shield that, though it melted, enabled him to deflect most of the fireballs. One did manage to not only burn the cloth on his shoulder but also singe a bit of his hair, but didn¡¯t cause any other damage. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± Taeris asked angrily, switching from balls of fire to a continuous stream that shot out at Alex¡¯s form. ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t mentioned my name yet?¡± He said with a carefree attitude, while he ran around in front of the moving stream of fire, somehow managing to always stay ahead of it. ¡°It¡¯s Zeltis, though, I doubt you would recognize it with your low rank.¡± With one hand Zeltis shot a huge flow of water that met the stream of fire, causing steam and smoke to billow out and block vision. He seemed to have remembered exactly where Taeris was, and was soon behind the man, who was looking around to try and locate Zeltis. He grabbed Taeris by the head and within moments the glow started and was moving to envelop Taeris. Since Zeltis was behind him, Taeris couldn¡¯t easily target him. Taeris yelled for him to stop, and kept trying to grab Zeltis¡¯ hand, or throw fireballs behind him. Zeltis easily deflected the fire with his free hand, and the mist started to flow into him. The fire quickly disappeared. ¡°Noooo! Don¡¯t take my fire away!¡± Taeris pleaded. Zeltis didn¡¯t answer, and just continued to watch as the mist flowed, slowing until there was none left. He let the body drop in a heap and turned. Despite all the fire that had been thrown around, there were only a few small fires here and there. But Alex knew that they would grow and spread. Was he dead, and if he wasn¡¯t, was Zeltis just going to leave him there to die? ¡°His host lives, but it isn¡¯t my problem if he dies or not.¡± Zeltis answered him out loud as he started to walk back out. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something?¡± Alex asked from inside. ¡°Why do you care, the demon couldn¡¯t have inhabited him if he didn¡¯t have evil in his heart.¡± ¡°If you are a demon too, does that mean I have evil in me?¡± Alex couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°It¡¯s not important now,¡± Zeltis dodged the question. ¡°I can¡¯t just let someone die. It just doesn¡¯t feel right, even if this is a dream,¡± Alex finally managed to say, after they were nearly out of the warehouse. ¡°I suppose I could at least give him a fighting chance, eh?¡± Zeltis said and took Alex¡¯s cell phone out of his pocket. Alex hadn¡¯t even remembered that Zeltis had grabbed it before they left. Alex watched and listened as Zeltis called 911 and reported the fire without giving his name. When finished, he ended the call and put it back in his pocket before getting back on the bike. ¡°There now, if the fire trucks get here on time he might survive.¡± Zeltis said and pushed up the kickstand before turning on the bike. The tires screeched as Zeltis sped away, back towards Alex¡¯s house. Alex was quiet, not sure what to say or do. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. ¡°Was this really a dream?" He thought Zeltis might answer his thought like before but Zeltis didn¡¯t say anything, just gave a small laugh as they zoomed through the late night streets. --- Author''s note Sorry it took so long. I wanted to thank Zenith, a online friend for helping a bit with the first part of this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys this. We get to learn a little more about the demon and such. chapter eight (Italics are thoughts or talking in his mind (telepathy) Alex sat up slowly, leaning his head on his hand that rested on his bent knee. He couldn¡¯t help noticing he was wearing the clothing from his dream, and when his hand brushed through his hair he paused. He jumped up and hurried to the bathroom to look in the mirror. His eyes widened as he saw the singed hair and the burnt spot on his clothing. ¡°Ha, ha, not so easy to explain it away this time, eh?¡± Zeltis¡¯ voice said inside his head. Alex turned around quickly, searching the room for the owner of the voice. ¡°What?! Where¡­who?¡± ¡°Did you forget me already? I¡¯m inside your body.¡± Zeltis answered with a dry laugh and a cheeky sounding tone that sounded inside Alex¡¯s head. ¡°I must be going crazy. Hearing things in a dream is one thing, but not in the real world.¡± Alex said to himself and hurried to get ready, almost tearing off the burned shirt. ¡°Well, you keep trying to ignore me, but I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± Zeltis said, but Alex didn¡¯t answer or acknowledge him. Alex quickly snipped off the bit of burnt hair, making sure it all looked even, before jumping into the shower. He was a little shaky trying not to think about what the burnt bits would mean. Alex was relieved when he didn¡¯t hear anything more the rest of the morning, so he relaxed slightly as he made his way to school. As he sat in his first class, on his phone as usual, he couldn¡¯t help but overhear a group chatting not far from him. ¡°There was another arson last night.¡± One guy said. Alex twitched and leaned a little closer. ¡°Yeah, it was on the news this morning. My dad is always watching every morning.¡± Another guy answered back. ¡°They managed to put it out right away this time though, and I heard they even caught someone at the scene!¡± The first guy said. Alex¡¯s eyes widened and he looked over at the people talking. ¡°It couldn¡¯t really have happened, for real, could it?¡± His mind spun in a thousand directions and he was feeling a little sick. Before he could wonder more about it, the people chatting moved off to their seats as the teacher came in. Alex had a hard time concentrating on the lessons, barely able to stay in his seat before class was finally over. Alex hurried to the bathroom and splashed his face with shaking hands. ¡°I have to stop thinking about this. It was just a coincidence.¡± He grabbed a paper towel and wiped off before heading to the cafeteria for lunch. Alex wasn¡¯t really paying much attention as he got his food and walked toward his favorite out of the way spot. He was almost to the tree, when he heard a snapped branch behind him and spun around, nearly dropping his tray. Coming up behind Alex was Hugh Patton. Alex put the tray down on the ground near him, not happy with the glowering look on Hugh¡¯s face. ¡°Hey girly boy,¡± Hugh said, as soon as he was close enough. He grabbed Alex by the front of his shirt. ¡°I¡¯ve never liked you, but now you¡¯re dead! Why the hell does the girl I like, like such a prissy girly boy like you?¡± He yelled and punched Alex in the face, knocking him back to the ground. Alex groaned, holding his already swelling cheek. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have dodged that, or are you really that pathetic?¡± Zeltis chimed in, in his head, after hours of being silent. ¡°Be quiet, I don¡¯t have time for you.¡± Alex muttered. ¡°What did you say?!¡± Hugh yelled and charged at Alex. He punched him again, this time hitting Alex¡¯s nose, causing it to bleed. Before Alex could answer back, Hugh hit him again, hitting him hard near Alex¡¯s temple. Hugh¡¯s knuckle had cut him above the eyebrow and blood soon seeped down into his eye, obstructing his vision. Alex dazedly put up his hands in a blocking position and barely managed to deflect another blow. He wobbled to the side slightly and weakly threw a punch, which Hugh blocked with a derisive laugh. ¡°Do you really take martial arts?¡± Zeltis said again, and this time Alex didn¡¯t bother to answer. ¡°What in the world is going on?¡± Summer¡¯s voice called out frantically, as Alex glanced up barely seeing her with his blurred vision as she ran towards them. Hugh turned at her call and scoffed. ¡°Another girl hot on your ass, I see. Well, you got off easy this time.¡± Hugh scowled and stomped off, giving Summer an annoyed glare before he left. Summer ran up to Alex. ¡°We should get you to the nurse, you look terrible.¡± Without letting him argue, she grabbed his arm and walked with him towards the nurse¡¯s office. He saw a few people look at them strangely as they walked. ¡°Won¡¯t you get in trouble with the girl¡¯s if they see you with me?¡± Alex said a little worried. ¡°Maybe, but I can¡¯t leave you like this, can I?¡± Summer said simply. She pulled him in to the infirmary after her. She looked around. ¡°I don¡¯t see the nurse. Well, we can¡¯t wait around. I know enough first aid to at least stop the bleeding, I¡¯m sure. Sit down.¡± Summer gently ushered him toward a chair and sat him down. She first went back and shut the door so that the curious people in the hall wouldn¡¯t bother them, and then hurriedly gathered the things she thought she might need to treat him. Alex winced when Summer first wiped off the blood and was dabbing some disinfectant on his brow when she suddenly jumped back, her eyes wide. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Alex started to ask, but soon he could feel what she must be seeing. The pain was disappearing. ¡°The cut on your brow just closed all by itself, and your bruises are disappearing.¡± Summer gasped. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± ¡°Um, I can explain¡­I¡± He sputtered slightly and raised a hand as if hide himself. How the heck could he explain, even he wasn¡¯t sure what was happening. ¡°You could tell her about little old me, because I¡¯m the reason you¡¯re healing so fast.¡± Zeltis chimed in. ¡°She¡¯s not going to believe that you idiot, she¡¯ll think I¡¯m a freak. Heck even I think I¡¯m a freak and now I¡¯m talking to myself. I must be crazy,¡± Alex said, inside his mind to Zeltis. ¡°This, this is amazing!¡± Summer suddenly gushed happily clapping her hands together with a big smile, and Alex¡¯s jaw dropped in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re not scared or freaked out? Even I am a little freaked out about this.¡± ¡°Of course not! Do you have any idea how cool this is?¡± Summer grasped his hands Her green eyes practically sparkling. ¡°I love stuff like this, anything supernatural or mysterious. I never thought I would get to see something like this for real though.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never believed in the supernatural myself.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Summer¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Didn¡¯t you know you could heal so quickly? It¡¯s like a super power or something.¡± Alex pulled his hands away, and ran his hand through his hair nervously. ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of a recent phenomenon. You can¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± He looked at her earnestly. Summer shook her head emphatically, her curly black hair bouncing back and forth. ¡°Of course I would never. You might get taken to a lab and experimented on, or even dissected. I¡¯ve read so many books where awful things happen to people who are special. I would never do that to you. It¡¯s better for you to use whatever powers you have to secretly help people or something.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve suddenly become a super hero or anything. I did just get beat up.¡± She laughed lightly. ¡°Well, maybe but still. Healing fast is super awesome. I felt a little nervous talking to you at first, but now it will be easier since we share a secret. We can be friends.¡± ¡°Friends, that sounds nice.¡± Alex smiled at her. The bell rang. ¡°Ah dang, we didn¡¯t even get to have lunch.¡± Summer said blushing slightly and turning away to look at the clock. ¡°Yeah, I better get cleaned up, and we both need to get to class. Um, I don¡¯t know if me doing anything would help, but if the girls bother you about today, I could try talking to them.¡± Alex looked away awkwardly scratching his nose and glancing at her sideways. summer stood and smiled back at him. then looked away again. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m going first. I¡¯ll see you later.¡± She waved over her shoulder and slid out the door, shutting it behind her. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Alex went into the small bathroom attached to the nurse¡¯s room and washed off the blood. He just hoped that Hugh wouldn¡¯t see him, and wonder why he wasn¡¯t still injured. Well, Alex didn¡¯t have any more classes with Hugh, so hopefully they wouldn¡¯t see each other for the rest of the day. People were staring at Alex and whispering when he finally came out of the infirmary, but he just ignored them and hurried to his next class. Luckily the rest of the day passed by with nothing else happening. One thing that surprised him though, was that Alex got an assignment to research his family history. It was such a coincidence that he had been curious about his mother and now he had a good reason to find out more about her. He knew nothing about his mother¡¯s side of the family. In the car on the way home, the driver glanced back at him. ¡°Young master, I¡¯m sorry but today is the last day I can drive you around, since you have recovered and your motorcycle is repaired.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know you¡¯re really my father¡¯s driver. I¡¯m surprised he didn¡¯t have you stop yesterday since that was when my bike was finished.¡± The driver¡¯s frown was visible in the rearview mirror. ¡°Well, your father was away on a business trip and only got back today¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anymore, I understand. Thanks for taking care of me.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to the dojo today?¡± The driver said after a long silence. ¡°No, the classes are only three days a week, so I will just do strength training at home since we have a gym anyway.¡± ¡°I see, as you wish young master.¡± Dinner was on the table, and Alex noticed that the maid was clearing a plate from where his father sat when he was home. Alex couldn¡¯t help being glad that he had missed seeing him. It would have been even worse than eating alone, to have to listen to his father berating him. Or sit and eat while his father ignored him, or coldly glared at him the whole time. Alex ate quickly and went to his room to change, before going to the gym. Alex listened to music while he worked out, letting his mind wonder. He was tired and sweaty when he finally finished and let the shower refresh him. He was just exiting the shower with his robe on, when the door to his room slammed open. Alex jumped back slightly as he saw the glowering anger on his father¡¯s face. He gulped and ran up against the wall in his effort to escape. ¡°What the hell kind of crap are you doing for me to get a visit from a police officer as soon as I get home?¡± his father roared. ¡°I¡­¡± Alex didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°What could it be about. Did someone see me? It didn¡¯t really happen and now I am in trouble, am I?¡± He was frantic and confused, not sure what was what anymore as he raised his arms in an almost supplicating gesture. ¡°I didn¡¯t give you a gold card so you could sneak into a club and get drunk and sexed up. I have canceled the card so don¡¯t even think that something like that can happen again, at least not with my money.¡± His father loomed over him pointing his finger practically in Alex¡¯s face. Despite the anger Alex couldn¡¯t help the slight relief that it was only something so simple. ¡°Why the hell do you look so relieved. I don¡¯t know why the hell I put up with such a brat like you. You don¡¯t have the skills to take over for me despite the piddly cash you are making on the market.¡± Alex¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He knew about the stocks?¡± ¡°Did you really think I couldn¡¯t find out about something like that? I can learn about almost everything, including your martial arts classes and your nightly jaunts.¡± Alex gasped, ¡°Did he have me followed? If he knows¡­¡± ¡°Ha ha, he doesn¡¯t know. I threw off the tail he put on us easily,¡± Zeltis said nonchalantly in his head. ¡°There was a tail?¡± Alex almost said out loud. ¡°What the hell were you about to say, are you paying attention you damn brat!¡± ¡°N¡­Nothing sir, I¡¯m sorry sir,¡± Alex finally managed to stutter out. His father straightens, ¡°you better be. I don¡¯t care what sort of crap you do as long as you don¡¯t use my money or do something stupid.¡± He turned as if to leave. ¡°Wait, the police wouldn¡¯t stop by just because I was underage, would they?¡± Alex couldn¡¯t help being curious. ¡°Um, why were the police¡­¡± Alex was cut off by his father¡¯s glare as he turned back to Alex then sighed, ¡°They mentioned that they were investigating what happened with a woman they found unconscious in an alley. You were the last one seen with her so they will want you to come in as soon as possible to talk to them. I hope there isn¡¯t anything I need to worry about?¡± His eyes bore done on Alex. ¡°5h17! What the hell do I do now? If they find out I, you beat her up¡­¡± Alex panicked as he tried to think of what to say. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we just have to lie and she won¡¯t have any memory or injuries anyway,¡± Zeltis said calmly. ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t do anything to worry about,¡± Alex said out lamely. ¡°I hope so for your sake.¡± His father threatened and turned and left, slamming the door behind him. Alex collapsed on the edge of the bed in relief. ¡°Man that scared the hell out of me.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going out again tonight, aren¡¯t we? We can¡¯t just stay in and not get into more trouble, can we¡± Alex continued a little pleading. ¡°Ha, well, are you acknowledging me now? And no I can¡¯t just stay in. I need the energy the demons give me,¡± Zeltis answered mentally with a little derisive laugh. ¡°You need their energy?¡± Alex said with curiousity. ¡°Heh, you know, I kind of like you but I am not even close to trusting you yet so don¡¯t even think I will tell you all about me just yet.¡± Alex sighed, ¡°I guess I understand that. Heck, even if I am crazy, there¡¯s no point in trying to ignore you. I don¡¯t even want to think about what might happen if I tried to visit a shrink.¡± He ran his hands through his hair and fell back on the bed with a huff. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to stop bothering me anyway, right?¡± ¡°Well, you¡¯re right about that. I¡¯m certainly not going anywhere.¡± Alex¡¯s lips lifted to one side slightly and he gave a small laugh. ¡°What can I even say to that? I feel like the world has turned on its head and I don¡¯t even have any energy anymore to fight it. I really want you to be a bit more careful though. I really don¡¯t want to end up in jail, ok.¡± ¡°No problem, we can always wear a mask or something. It would make us like some kind of super hero like your little girlfriend mentioned,¡± Zeltis said with a laugh. ¡°She¡¯s not my girlfriend,¡± Alex blushed a little, ¡°I barely know her. And you just thought of a mask now?¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not from this world, ok. I never had to bother with hiding my identity in my old world, so don¡¯t give me a hard time.¡± ¡°Sure but keep it in mind from now on. Um, does it matter if I go to sleep, or can you just take over?¡± ¡°Well, I could just take you over, but it is many times easier if you are unconscious.¡± Alex shrugged his shoulders and got dressed in something comfortable but presentable to wear outside. He didn¡¯t think he could fall asleep with his shoes on though, so left them off. ¡°It feels pretty strange to lay down with regular clothes on.¡± Zeltis didn¡¯t answer as Alex lay down and tried to get comfortable. ¡°Should I sing you a lullaby?¡± Zeltis said sarcastically. Alex rolled his eyes. ¡°Just keep quiet, and I will somehow manage.¡± It was easier said than done, to try to force himself to sleep when he knew Zeltis was waiting for him to do so. Still, he managed to slowly drift off. chapter nine (italics are for telepathy and thoughts) He wasn¡¯t surprised when he opened his eyes again, but no longer had any control over his body. It was kind of relieving to know what to expect. Zeltis put on Alex¡¯s shoes and a light jacket. Despite it being fall, it wasn¡¯t too chilly yet, but riding on the motorcycle made it a lot cooler than just walking around. Zeltis made his way to the garage and was about to put up the kickstand when Alex interrupted. ¡°How do you find these¡­demons?¡± He said uncertainly. ¡°Well, I can sense them. There are actually quite a lot of them, but I just pick the closest one each night.¡± Zeltis said after a moment. ¡°The one I am tracking right now seems to be moving rather quickly, so I want to go after it before it gets too far away.¡± He finished with the kickstand, started the bike, and they were off. He spoke telepathically mostly from habit but also cause when he started the bike it would cover up his speech. ¡°I just have so many questions.¡± Alex mentally continued, though it was a little harder to concentrate over the noise of the bike and the air whipping over him. Zeltis laughed back mentally. ¡°I¡¯m sure you do, and perhaps I will eventually tell you everything, but whether I do or not, all depends on my mood. Right now I want to concentrate on tracking my prey.¡± Alex sighed and just enjoyed the wind in his face until they finally slowed down. They were in the city park. It wasn¡¯t as big as New York¡¯s central park, but it was rather large. ¡°Hmm we just went through a barrier.¡± Zeltis murmured telepathically. ¡°A barrier? But it doesn¡¯t seem any different.¡± Alex observed curious. ¡°Most people wouldn¡¯t see it, but it would drive them away unconsciously. It also keeps people from seeing what is going on inside it, though most people can¡¯t see a demon¡¯s true form anyway.¡± ¡°Really? You mean like when that guy turned into a wereworlf? But I saw it.¡± ¡°Well, I am inhabiting you, so you can see a lot of things you couldn¡¯t before. You are also somewhat different than most humans.¡± ¡°What do you mean by different?¡± ¡°Wow, you sure do ask a lot of questions. Didn¡¯t I tell you I wanted to concentrate?¡± ¡°I think you just want to change the subject.¡± Zeltis was maneuvering through the smaller roads of the park, when he caught a glimpse of two people. The strangers practically flew past, landing not too far away. It was obvious the two were fighting, but Zeltis hadn¡¯t got a clear look at the two, before they were hidden from view again. The motorcycle moved closer to where he had last seen the two, and Alex and Zeltis could finally see them more clearly. One was a young man that didn¡¯t look much older than Alex, but he was Chinese. He had on a Chinese style button up shirt and loose pants, with the white socks, and black slip on shoes. He had black hair with a long braid that seemed to dance along with his fluid movements. He was carrying an odd looking sword. The handle seemed normal, and had gold tassels hanging from it. But the blade reminded Alex of glass or crystal, and glowed softly. The other one was a woman. She was wearing a simple blouse and trousers. Her hair was long and white. Her eyes didn¡¯t have any pupils or irises, they were just pure white. Her skin was abnormally pale. She was tall and lean, and moved gracefully to dodge the sword. All this while throwing different types of snow or ice projectiles at the male martial artist. ¡°I didn¡¯t think an exorcist would get to one of my prey before me.¡± Zeltis commented offhandedly as he watched the two battle back and forth not too far ahead of them. ¡°An exorcist?! Those actually exist?¡± Alex practically shouted inside his head. ¡°Ugh, keep it down in there.¡± Zeltis said grasping his head in pain. ¡°It isn¡¯t pleasant for me when you¡¯re so loud. You¡¯re way more aware and energetic than you should be.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Alex jumped on that strange comment. ¡°Um, well nothing. As to exorcists, of course they exist. Demons and ghosts, and most supernatural things exist, so why not exorcists?¡± ¡°You¡¯re deliberately changing the subject again, but wait ghosts too?¡± ¡°Yeah, quit being so surprised about everything and just get used to it all already. There is a lot about this world most people don¡¯t know or notice, and now you are becoming part of that hidden world.¡± The two fighting had moved further again, while Zeltis and Alex were chatting telepathically. Zeltis growled slightly, and drove the bike until they were closer again. Alex couldn¡¯t help wondering how they hadn¡¯t noticed the bike following them around yet. He guessed they might be a bit too distracted by their battle to notice. The white haired woman was fast and continuously dodged, or used ice she summoned to block any blows the young man threw at her. He too was fast, able to keep up with her somewhat ethereal and graceful moves. His moves flowed like a dance, as he continued to strike at her. The woman was starting to look a little tired, while the male wasn¡¯t even winded. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°They seemed pretty even at first but now it looks like the woman is losing.¡± Alex inwardly commented. ¡°Well she seems like she might be soldier rank but that guy¡¯s ability is at least knight rank, if not more. He isn¡¯t a demon, so it is just my judgment based on his skill.¡± ¡°You mentioned rank last time, can you tell me more?¡± Zeltis just sighed, making sure to follow the battle and move the bike if the two fighters moved again. ¡°The demon world is all based around power. We have ranked ourselves based on strength, power, and intelligence. There are eight base ranks, each with several levels of power. The demon Lord is the undisputed top. Then there is Arch Demon, of which there are only four. Next is Duke, then count, then Baron, knight, soldier, and commoner. I would rather not continue to give you lessons on Demon affairs when we are watching a battle.¡± They watched as the white haired woman threw out her hands and ice spikes shot out in a small spread at the guy. He moved like an acrobat or gymnast, flipping as he used the sword to deflect the spikes away from him. He immediately jumped forward slashing at the woman. She tried to jump back and was sliced on the arm. She screamed but for some reason there was no blood. She grasped her arm and glared at the guy, opening her mouth more, and a blast of cold air and sleet burst out. The guy crouched down using the sword as a shield, but the cold blast had done some damage. His lips turned a little blue and he was shivering a little. It looked like he grit his teeth, then jumped forward, slashing at her again. The woman managed to dance away again, since he was a little slower after being hit by her spell. She moved back and forth, trying to shoot ice at his feet. The guy rolled away, just around the corner from where Alex and Zeltis were watching. They could still see, but the bushes around the road and the trees hid the bike if the two fighters happened to look back. The woman did a small movement and two spear like swords seemed to form around her hands. She was heaving. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just die already!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty to destroy demons like you.¡± He said in a heavily accented voice, as he slashed at her. She used the ice swords on her arms to block his slash. She managed to slice his cheek, and he spun and slashed down diagonally. She hadn¡¯t seen that coming and collapsed on her knees to the ground. Zeltis shut off the motorcycle, since he didn¡¯t want to be noticed. Then propped up the kickstand, before moving closer to see better. There was no blood or any visible wound, but there was a white mist that drained out from the woman and seeped into the ground. As more of the mist dissipated, the woman¡¯s hair darkened and eyes changed to look more normal. Then her eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out. ¡°What a waste of Yoki,¡± Zeltis muttered softly. ¡°What¡¯s yoki?¡± Alex wondered. Alex could feel that Zeltis was rolling his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s basically the soul, or energy of the demon. When I kill the demon I absorb it out of the host. That guy is wasting it. When I absorb it, I gain power from it and become stronger.¡± Alex wanted to ask more, but he was distracted when the man sheathed his sword on his back. Then went to pick up the woman and carried her off, jumping away like you see in martial arts movies. Alex would never have believed movement like that was possible, especially carrying someone. ¡°Where do you think he is taking her? Isn¡¯t she dead?¡± Alex said instead. ¡°Man, you never quit with the endless questions. No, she isn¡¯t dead, and I don''t know and don''t care where he took her. That sword must be a soul sword. Before you ask, a soul sword can only damage a demon, ghost, or other supernatural entity. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t wound the host. Ugh, I have no more energy so let¡¯s just go home.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to try and find another target?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any low level ones nearby, and your questions have sapped all my motivation. Don¡¯t bother asking anymore cause I won¡¯t answer.¡± They moved back to the bike and were soon on the road again. The mood was heavy as they back-tracked the windy road back out of the park and onto the main road. It was almost a relief when more cars were around and the noise of the bike and other cars distracted them. They were still tensely quiet when they pulled into the garage and let the automatic door shut behind them. Barely taking the time to remove the shoes, he flopped down on the bed. He was soon asleep, dreaming normal dreams. ------------ Author''s note I was planning on editing this and adding more detail but I have been incredibly unmotivated recently. Hopefully I will spring back soon so keep an eye on this because I will probably add a lot, mostly details and emotions. Still I hope it is still interesting and you all enjoy it. I have caught up to my buffer so I don''t know how long it will take for the next chapter. I love this story though so I won''t stop writing it. I still really want someone to give me some good critique and advice on it and such but for now I just hope you like this chapter. next chapter chapter ten Alex blinked groggily as his alarm went off and quickly turned it off and rubbed his eyes. He slid out of bed and tossed the covers up before moving to the bathroom. It didn¡¯t take him long before he was dressed and ready and on his motorcycle. He was a little surprised that Zeltis hadn¡¯t bothered him yet but he didn¡¯t think too hard about it, in case that would jinx it. After parking, he was a little nervous about going in. He couldn¡¯t help but worry about running into Hugh again. A few people looked at him oddly when he crept in, glancing around everywhere. He only relaxed when he finally slid into his seat in class and was able to play on his phone. He thought he heard a laugh but wasn¡¯t sure where it came from. He continued to be edgy and rushed around grabbing his lunch in record time. He almost went back to his previous spot, but decided that since Hugh knew where that was, he might find him there again. So he turned and headed the other way, trying to find another hideaway where he could eat in peace. He found a small bench in a corner that seemed neglected based on all the weeds around and the slightly rotting bits of the bench, but it supported him well enough. He was eating quietly when he heard footsteps coming around the side of the small building he was in front of. It was most likely a storage shed based on its looks but he couldn¡¯t see inside so wasn¡¯t sure and didn¡¯t really care. He was worried at first that the people who were walking would come out where he was, but they stopped in the shadows at the side of the building. He was a little curious, but continued to eat now that he knew they wouldn¡¯t come out and bother him. ¡°We saw what happened yesterday and you should know that it¡¯s against the rules to approach the prince.¡± A feminine voice said in a low angry voice. Alex heard a loud thud and a grunt like someone was pushed against the building. ¡°Yeah! Only Veronica is worthy enough to even approach him. How could you even think to talk to him and even t..touch him.¡± The second girl said haughtily at first and then stuttered and he heard a chorus of agreement from a few other female voices. It couldn¡¯t be! He stood quickly and peeked around the side to try and see if it might be who he thought. And he caught a glimpse of curly black hair on a small head and body surrounded by about four other girls. He didn¡¯t really know what to do. He couldn¡¯t help but worry that he could just make it worse. ¡°Are you really a man or not, you pussy?¡± Zeltis scoffed internally. ¡°Of course not.¡± Alex whispered back and straightend up with determination. He started to move forward just as Summer started to talk in a slightly hesitant voice. ¡°I..if you l¡­like him you should talk to him and not impose all these strange rules that just end up making him feel lonely.¡± He paused for a moment and his eyes widened in surprise. Still a second later he saw one of the girls raise her hands to slap Summer. He rushed in and pushed his way through hurriedly, arriving just in time to block the slap with his arm. ¡°What the hell¡­.¡± The girl started and then gasped and covered her gaping mouth with the hand she had almost hit Summer with. ¡°P..P..Prince Sir!¡± All the girls backed off and gasped, and gaped at him. Some blushing and looking away but most stared at him starry eyed. He couldn¡¯t help feeling uncomfortable and wasn¡¯t sure what to say. He couldn¡¯t see Summer¡¯s expression but he was still angry. ¡°I am not a prince dammit! Don¡¯t call me that again!¡± Alex commanded and almost like military they stood in a line at attention. ¡°Y¡­Yes sir.¡± A couple girls said, sounding a little odd, they all looked dazed still. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to bother Summer again, she is my friend. Please leave us alone.¡± He said, and without another word, the other girls simply turned and started to walk away, leaving Alex to gape at them in surprise at their quick compliance. ¡°How in the world did you do that? They left so quietly and quickly.¡± Summer said from behind him. ¡°I have no idea.¡± He said, as he continued to watch them walk further away. Then realized why he had butted in, in the first place, and turned to Summer. ¡°Ah, are you ok? They didn¡¯t hurt you or anything, did they?¡± She laughed a little and waved her hand dismissively, ¡°no, no, I¡¯m fine, see.¡± She turned around slowly in front of him to show him she was ok. ¡°I¡¯m so glad,¡± he sighed a little in relief. ¡°Why don¡¯t you join me for lun¡­¡± he trailed off as he realized that she wasn¡¯t carrying anything. She noticed his glance and shrugged. ¡°Well, they kind of dumped it out in the trash.¡± She said and glanced away. His chin shot up and turned toward where the other girls went and was about to go after them but Summer grabbed his arm. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s ok. Confronting them again might make things worse again and won¡¯t get my food back anyway. I won¡¯t die if I don¡¯t eat lunch.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t eat lunch yesterday either!¡± He says and as they get to the bench he sees that he has some food left. ¡°Ah! I have an unopened sandwich that you can have. It isn¡¯t much, but it¡¯s better than nothing and we can share the chips.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s your food.¡± She looks up at him uncertainly. ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten one sandwich and I would feel bad if I didn¡¯t offer it to you. One is plenty, they are a little big if you eat two of them. I was actually just going to save the second sub sandwich for later, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He grabbed it and held it toward her. ¡°Ok, ok. I feel a little awkward but it does look good. Thanks.¡± She took the sandwich and sat on the bench. He sat across from her and ate a few chips then took a gulp of water. ¡°Oh,¡± he looked at her and held the water bottle out to her. ¡°You need a drink too?¡± She had just took a bite and almost choked. ¡°Um,¡± she swallowed and laughed a little taking the bottle a little reluctantly, with a slight blush. ¡°Thanks again.¡± ¡°NO problem,¡± he turned away awkwardly and pulled his hand through his hair in a slightly nervous gesture. He had just now realized how weird it was to share a water bottle with a girl. Still, she was a friend so he didn¡¯t think it was too odd. It was quiet for a bit as Summer ate but it was a compatible silence, peaceful. They just watched the clouds go by or birds flying. ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s another one of your powers?¡± Summer commented suddenly, after taking another small drink. ¡°Hmm?¡± He turned at her in confusion, not sure what she was talking about at first. ¡°Ah, oh that.¡± He laughed a little. ¡°What kind of power could that possibly be? Maybe they just realized they were wrong themselves.¡± He didn¡¯t really believe that but it was hard for him to accept anything supernatural despite all the evidence he had seen. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°Maybe persuasion or coercion but it was way too sudden and odd the way they left like that. It couldn¡¯t have been natural. You had to have caused it somehow.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t seem affected at all?¡± He looked at her for confirmation. ¡°Not that I can tell, but for some reason recently the girls have seemed a little more obsessed than before.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of hard to tell with them,¡± She laughed at her own corny attempt at a joke. When he looked at her seriously with a slightly confused face she smiled with a sigh. ¡°Why did you sigh, I¡¯m sorry if you were trying to make a joke. I¡¯m not very good with some humor. I tend to take things too literally, so¡­¡± he said, looking away embarrassed. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ok. It wasn¡¯t really a great joke. People always tell me I am too light hearted.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s amazing that you are so cheerful, especially in this school.¡± ¡°Ha, ha, I know what you mean. This place is so stiff and formal and everyone are so concerned about appearance and money. Still you can¡¯t let things get you down. I just feel that if one person is cheerful, they can pass that on, even a little and brighten other people¡¯s day. Not to mention it helps to keep me from feeling too depressed if I keep smiling.¡± ¡°That¡¯s cool. I don¡¯t know if I could do that but I will try to be a little less gloomy, K?¡± He smiled lightly and she smiled back The bell rang. ¡°Ah, darn. I was hoping to hear if you had met anyone else with cool powers or seen any ghosts.¡± She paused and looked at him earnestly. ¡°You won¡¯t laugh will you, if I tell you something?¡± He had started to get up, picking up the tray and looked at her in surprise. ¡°Well, I will do my best to not laugh.¡± Not sure what she could say that would worry her so. ¡°Actually I can sometimes see strange things. Like, you know ghosts and stuff.¡± She looked and glanced away and back at him, gauging his reaction. ¡°Hm, well, I never really believed in them before, but if you believe you saw them then I won¡¯t doubt you unless it is proved false. I¡¯ve seen some pretty strange things myself so I can¡¯t really discount things like that anymore, even if I wanted to. Come on, we better move before we run out of time.¡± She nodded and smiled brightly at him. ¡°I¡¯m glad you believed me and didn¡¯t laugh. A few people have refused to be friends with me after they found out.¡± Her face fell a little at that comment. She grabbed a piece of trash and crumpled it in her hand absently. They started walking back together. Alex didn¡¯t really know what to say to that, so they were quiet and split up before they got back to the school building. Alex watched for a moment as she walked away, then hurried to drop off his tray at the cafeteria. It was Friday, so he made sure to take all the books he needed for his weekend homework. He had been so distracted with thinking about random things that he hardly remembered the rest of his classes. He let the wind clear his head as he made his way to the dojo, looking forward to the class and hanging out with Chris again. Chris was in the locker room when Alex came in. He finished pulling a t shirt over his head and caught sight of Alex. ¡°Hey Alex, good to see you. Hurry and get ready, I¡¯ll clear us a space to hang out until class starts.¡± ¡°Sure, thanks.¡± He smiled and Chris gave a wave before stepping out. It didn¡¯t take long before Alex was changed and sat down next to Chris. ¡°I wonder if we are going to learn anything new today?¡± Chris commented. ¡°Just practicing what we did last time is enough for me. I kept falling behind with just that, so if I learned something else it might be even harder to keep up.¡± Alex sighed. ¡°Hey, you did all right, but I see what you mean. We are the most awkward and slowest guys here. Even the girls seem to be catching on faster than we are.¡± ¡°Ouch, that hurts what is left of my pride.¡± Alex laughs good naturedly knowing Chris wasn¡¯t trying to make him feel bad. ¡°You know you at least have had some experience. I feel like I am a hopeless case.¡± ¡°Are you doing strength training too? I run and work out in the gym when I can and every little bit helps. It can get boring and repetitive but your strength and stamina slowly improve the more you do it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right. Ugh, I¡¯ve never even tried sports or anything but if I don¡¯t do anything, things will never change. I will try and start some weight training, at least. My dad has a set of weights I can borrow. I would hate having to do it at a regular gym or even here where people can watch me.¡± Chris frowned. ¡°I know what you mean. I work out in my gym at home. In the class we are all doing the same things so you don¡¯t notice each other but in the gym people have more time to look around and I always hated the feeling of being somehow inferior.¡± He said this softly so the other groups around them wouldn¡¯t catch their conversation but no one was even glancing at them. It was almost like school with small little cliques that didn¡¯t mingle much. Still based on the dojo he went to before, that would probably fade and the whole class would get to know each other. It might be different here but he doubted and hoped it wasn¡¯t. Seeing the owner and other teachers walk over, the class slowly stood and bowed then formed lines. ¡°I have a special treat today. A great Chinese martial arts master and good friend of mind has come to join us today and has brought along one of his disciples.¡± The owner said with a smile and motioned as an older man came over followed by a younger man, about my age. Wait! ¡°Ahhh!¡± Alex yelled in surprise. ----- Authors comments ha ha, my first lame attempt at a cliffhanger. It''s hard for me to cut off like that. I am usually really precise and each chapter is a complete scene so it is weird for me to end in the middle like this. Still I wanted to attempt it and also wasn''t sure how much longer it would take to finish the chapter and wanted to post it sooner since it had been about that long. Man, I always think it''s been a couple days and then I look at my last post and count and it always ends up being longer than I thought. I''m afraid to take to long and have people forget what is going on or even forget the story entirely. Maybe I am too paranoid lol. next- http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=7040 Chapter eleven Everyone turned to look at him their eyes wide and mouths gaping. ¡°Ah ha, sorry.¡± Alex said weakly, bowing his head. The owner blinked, cleared his throat, and continued introducing the two. ¡°This is Master Juan and his disciple Lei Ling.¡± Alex tuned out as the owner started talking about how he had met Master Juan. Chris nudged him. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± He whispered. Alex ran his hand through his hair, not sure what to say. He couldn¡¯t tell Chris that he had seen the disciple the night before battling a demon in the park. ¡°Well, I thought¡­um, I think I¡¯ve seen that old guy on a TV show, so I was surprised.¡± He finished lamely. ¡°Oh, that might be true, but you didn¡¯t have to be so shocked,¡± Chris said. ¡°Yeah.¡± Alex blushed. People laughed and whispered as they stole glances at him. ¡°Man that was hilarious! I can¡¯t believe you were so surprised to see him that you yelled. That was priceless. I¡¯m glad I chose you to inhabit. You can be surprisingly entertaining.¡± Zeltis laughed, and Alex rolled his eyes as they moved to start warm ups. Alex continued to glance at Lei Ling from time to time. The Chinese master and his disciple demonstrated some forms, and the class followed along. Chris looked over at Alex a few times. ¡°Man, you''re stiff and slow today. You''re more clumsy and awkward than last time,¡± he whispered. It took Alex a minute to notice that Chris had spoken. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m just distracted and can¡¯t concentrate today.¡± Alex didn¡¯t know what else to say. Alex was curious about Lei Ling. Did Master Juan also hunt demons? So many other questions about how Lei Ling might have started hunting and what happened to the woman. It was frustrating. More than Lei ling, Alex kept worrying if someone saw him when Zeltis was fighting, what could happen? He had seen Lei Ling and sooner or later someone might see him. He could be arrested, captured for experiments, or who knows what else. He remembered how worried Summer had been and only now did the danger really sink in. They moved from forms to paired practice. He moved mechanically finding it hard to concentrate because of his rampaging thoughts. What they were practicing was like sparring, but you took turns doing the moves. One person striking, the other blocking with little to no force behind it. Master Juan and other teachers went around correcting the class on their form. Alex got corrected the most. Luckily Lei Ling was mostly on the other side and didn¡¯t often interact with Alex during the class. Even when they moved to sparring, they didn¡¯t come in contact. Lei Ling sparred with a few higher ranked students from class. It finally made Alex pay attention. He watched Lei Ling in fascination. He looked near Alex''s age and yet he was so focused and graceful. Alex was relieved when he was able to leave, and said goodbye to Chris. *** Alex was so strung out from his worries that he simply threw his bag to the side, and crashed spread eagle on the bed. He doubted that the Master and disciple would come again to the class but he couldn¡¯t be sure. ¡°Isn¡¯t there some way to disguise ourselves? If someone saw us¡­¡± Alex said out loud and trailed off as he stared at the ceiling. ¡°Well, this is my first time in the mortal world so I hadn¡¯t thought about it. Our appearance does change like the other demons when we fight but most normal people wouldn¡¯t see that. I suppose we could get a mask.¡± Zeltis answered in his mind. ¡°Would it matter if someone saw us though?¡± Alex jumped to a seated position. ¡°Are you kidding?! Of course it would. You may have powers, but I don¡¯t, so if someone saw you I could get arrested.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Zeltis made an odd pause before responding. ¡°Hmm, I suppose you¡¯re right. I do hate inconveniences.¡± ¡°A bike helmet would just get in the way while fighting. I have a ski mask you can use for tonight.¡± Alex got up to rummage in a drawer before pulling out a ratty looking, dark blue ski mask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look great but it should hide our face enough. You¡¯ll have to be careful though, or it might fall apart on you. I used to ski a lot, so I wore it often. That was a long time ago, back when I was in junior high.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t ski anymore?¡± Alex sighed, ¡°no, when my teacher had to leave it wasn¡¯t fun anymore.¡± Dan was a great teacher. He was patient, fun-loving, and challenged Alex to do more, and try harder. Alex had started slow but after a few months had gotten a lot better. Skiing had been one of the few physical things he managed to do well. But, Dan had gotten a great job offer up north somewhere and left. ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Zeltis said sounding uncomfortable because of the serious atmosphere. ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now. I have a few hours yet before bed so wait til then to take over; first I want to take a shower.¡± Alex tossed the mask on the bed. Once he was clean and dressed, he went to the computer. He had to start on that homework and he might as well start now. He typed in his mother¡¯s name. Alex only knew that because he saw his records. He got a lot of results but was able to narrow things down. It wasn¡¯t easy but he found her obituary and it listed a name of a sister as one of the bereaved. He had an aunt that he hadn¡¯t met or even heard of! He had thought his father was his only relative left. He couldn''t help being excited. He looked her up and found out that she had a ¡°facebook¡± page. He read what he could about her and noticed that she lived in the next state over; it should be about a five hour drive. He didn¡¯t know her address or phone number yet, and wondered if she might be in the phone book. He found her name listed, but four people had the same name. Alex hated talking to people on the phone but he needed to know more about his family. He called each of the four people. The first woman yelled at him saying she didn¡¯t have a sister so to f*** off. The second woman was an old lady, who while she sounded like a nice lady, was not his aunt. For the third number a young kid answered and Alex couldn¡¯t get them to get their parent on the phone. He ended up listening to the kid babble on for at least ten minutes before Alex ended the call. He went on to the last number hoping he wouldn¡¯t have to try the third one again. After about five rings, a woman picked up. ¡°Hello.¡± She said. ¡°Um, is this Sara Warren?¡± He asked feeling nervous. ¡°Yes, can I ask who is calling?¡± She asked back. ¡°I¡¯m Alex Kent and I was hoping to find my mother¡¯s sister. Her maiden name was Angela Warren.¡± It was silent for a moment. ¡°Are you still there?¡± He continued. ¡°Yes, are you really Angela¡¯s child?¡± She sounded slightly husky. ¡°I am. I¡¯m doing a homework project about my genealogy and needed to learn about my family. I¡¯ve always wanted to know more about my mother since my father doesn¡¯t talk about her. I didn¡¯t even know she had a sister until I saw the obituary.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you found my number. I don¡¯t know what to say. I want to meet you. Could you manage to travel all the way here to philadelphia? The sound of sniffling could be heard through the phone. ¡°Well it¡¯s a long trip. My house is about five hours away from that city. I suppose I could take a train¡­It¡¯s a little short notice to drop in on you but it is the weekend so I could make it as early as tomorrow¡± ¡°I am worried this could be a scam, so if you can bring your id and birth certificate? I am free so it¡¯s good timing for you to come.¡± ¡°That should be fine. I wouldn¡¯t mind staying in a hotel near you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait to meet you and talk to you more. What time do you think you will be here?¡± ¡°Well, if I get up at six and get to the station at seven for the first train, I should be there by noon.¡± ¡°Ok, I will meet you at the station here tomorrow at noon.¡± ¡°Thanks, and see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Goodbye¡± ¡°Bye,¡± he finished and ended the call, sitting back in his chair with a relieved sigh. ¡°Man I was so nervous.¡± He said to nobody in particular. ¡°Are you trying to start a conversation with me?¡± Zeltis chimed in with a dry laugh. ¡°No, just talking out loud. How long do you think you will be out tonight? I don¡¯t want to be too tired and not make the train.¡± ¡°Well, I only sensed a weak demon not too far from here. I was hoping to find another one once I was out to make up for not getting any yoki last night. I suppose I don¡¯t have to though.¡± ¡°Ha wow, so enthusiastic,¡± Alex said with a laugh. ¡°No need for the sarcasm, but don¡¯t expect me to be so accommodating too often. It should be you who is more compliant to me, not the other way around.¡± The last bit was so soft in his mind that he barely caught it and wondered what Zeltis meant. But Zeltis wouldn¡¯t say anything else even when Alex tried asking. Alex gave up trying to get more information. He packed his luggage and grabbed his birth certificate from a fireproof box in his room. The only reason he had it was because he had needed a copy when he got his license. He set his alarm, trying to relax enough to let himself drift to sleep. Chapter twelve While Alex was trying to fall asleep, Zeltis was thinking. It was too odd that Alex was still so self-aware. Based on what he had heard from other demons, it didn¡¯t take long before the human was under the demon¡¯s control. Some said that they had complete control of the host after just absorbing one demon. Of course there were others that said it took longer but that was because they didn¡¯t hunt demons but instead used the safer method of tempting humans, including their host. Even then, it didn¡¯t take long before the host was under control. Alex, though was showing no sign of his soul weakening. Instead it felt like Alex was becoming stronger. From the first time Zeltis had sensed Alex¡¯s soul, it had felt different than most. He had felt a pull towards it and it had put off an aura that was somewhat familiar. The more he heard about Alex though, the more suspicious he became. The boy had power and didn¡¯t even know it. He was sure of it after the incident at school the other day. He had thought it was odd that the girls obsessed over him as much as they did but that often could happen with an attractive male. But when those girls turned and left the moment he told them to, was just too unnatural. He pushed the thoughts aside when he sensed Alex had finally drifted off and he was able to take over and sat up. It wasn¡¯t long before he felt Alex awaken inside. Zeltis slipped on the shoes laid out for him and put on the ski mask. He put on a windbreaker, pulling up the hood and stepped in front of the mirror. He looked like he was about to go out and rob a bank or something, and felt somewhat ridiculous. He hated having to wear the mask but if it really would cause trouble, then he wanted to avoid that as much as possible. ¡°Wow, we really do look odd. If we get a different mask I don¡¯t know if that will be better or worse.¡± Alex commented internally. Zeltis just scoffed and left to get the bike. The weak presence he had sensed wasn¡¯t far but it would be much faster to ride rather than walk. Instead of downtown, they were headed toward the suburbs of the city. More and more the houses looked less and less fancy until they were practically shacks on small little half acre lots. This was known as the slum area of the city. Zeltis could tell that Alex felt uncomfortable, the boy had probably never been here before or seen such ramshackle housing either. They pulled up in front of the worst house by far. It was small and overgrown with weeds. There weren¡¯t any lights on but Zeltis knew the demon was inside. ¡°Um are you sure¡­¡± Alex started to say internally but Zeltis cut him off. ¡°Please no interruptions this time, boy. Even if he only feels like a low soldier level demon, I don¡¯t want to be complacent.¡± Really he just hated the boys incessant questions. He didn¡¯t really think he needed to worry about this demon. He strode up and grabbed at the door. It was locked but with just a little force, Zeltis was easily able to push it open. The moonlight shining in through the window gave enough light that he could make out a crouched figure in the corner of the main room. The man was filthy, wearing only rags. His long scraggly hair and beard hid most of his face. His dark beady eyes shone slightly as the man looked up at Zeltis. He had the carcass of a small animal that he must have been eating in his hands. The smell too was almost overwhelming. It reminded Zeltis of something rotting and he grimaced in distaste. Zeltis felt disgusted, but he had seen and smelled worse things before. Alex though, felt like he wanted to throw up, but of course since he didn¡¯t have control at the moment he could only try to avoid seeing it somehow. Zeltis laughed lightly at Alex¡¯s discomfort. A skittering sound interrupted the moment and Zeltis turned as the man moved with amazing speed, dropping the carcass. Rats came out from the piles of trash in the room and surrounded Zeltis. The strange man reached into his ratty clothes and pulled out a small flute and started to play. The tune didn¡¯t have any melody or harmony and gave off a dark foreboding feeling. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Zeltis covered his ears for a moment and noticed that the rats eyes were now red, as was the man¡¯s. The rats started to grow bigger and the man was beginning to look more rat-like as well. He now had the ears and even a tail and whiskers and red eyes and big teeth. ¡°This is looking to be more difficult than I thought.¡± Zeltis growled out and started gathering his mana. He first tried to shoot ice spears at the rat man but the rats simply would jump in front to take the hit. There were so many of them that he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to get a shot in any time soon. The rats started to run at him, trying to scratch and bite him. He dodged and kicked at them sending a few far enough to slam into the wall. They were between one to two feet tall now so though they were bigger, it also made them a bit slower and it was harder for them to swarm him. He made two ice blades in his hands and used them to slice at the rats that were now encircling him. With so many around him, even using a frost shield couldn¡¯t prevent him from getting hit more times that he thought he would. He would start to bleed, then heal, only to get bitten again. It was starting to take a toll on him despite his high regeneration. ¡°What are you going to do? They are wearing you down.¡± Alex said with obvious panic in his voice that resounded a little in Zeltis¡¯ head. He had already noticed that he needed a different strategy and had been preparing it so was a little annoyed at Alex¡¯s interruption. ¡°I told you to be quiet. I¡¯m trying to do a spell.¡± Finally he spoke the words to enact the spell and a frosty mist spread out obscuring the room. When it cleared up the floor was covered in ice and a few of the rats had frozen as well. Not as many as he had hoped but now it was much harder for the rats to move. They slid and had to move slower. Zeltis though had created sharp cleat like pieces of ice on his shoes so he could move around easily. With that he was able to start slicing through the rats a lot faster, moving toward the rat man who was still playing his flute in the corner of the room. The growing look of fear on the man¡¯s face brought a smile to Zeltis. Despite his new speed, it still took more than an hour to work his way closer to the rat man. The rats were more and more desperate to stop him but he forced his way through. With a fierce slash, Zeltis managed to knock the flute out of the rat man¡¯s hands. It flew off into the shadows and the rat¡¯s started to shrink back to normal size, and ran off back into hiding. Zeltis grabbed the man¡¯s neck with both hands and started to squeeze. The mist that was the demon¡¯s life force started to flow out of the rat man and enter Zeltis. He started to feel stronger as he watched the demon become weaker. The man passed out before long and his rat-like features went away. The last of the mist was gone and Zeltis let the ragged man fall to the ground, again not caring if the man was alive or dead. As he left Zeltis could almost feel Alex¡¯s silence. He couldn¡¯t tell if he was just shocked or if he was angry and didn¡¯t care to ask. He just left the house and got on the motorcycle, letting the roar of the engine starting fill the uncomfortable silence. It didn¡¯t take long to get home and the first thing Zeltis took off was the itchy mask. He kicked off the shoes and even changed clothes. He didn¡¯t usually bother but he was feeling a little odd because of Alex¡¯s silence. He lay down and let his control slip as they drifted into normal sleep. ------- Author''s note Ok I decided to do a chapter exclusively from Zeltis'' POV since til now it was only from Alex''s. I think this will give us some insight on what Zeltis is thinking and his character. It feels a little short so any opinions or ideas about what I could add would be helpful. I love hearing what people think of the story so don''t hesitate to share your thoughts. next chapter- http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=8525 Chapter thirteen The alarm woke Alex up and he got up and got ready. He packed a few things in case he had to stay a few days and took his bag down with him for breakfast. The cook was surprised when she saw the bag but didn¡¯t say anything and set out his plate on the table. ¡°Mary, please have the butler come out here. I need to talk to you two.¡± She just nodded and hurried off while he sat down and started to eat. She came back a few moments later with the butler, Craig. Alex turned to look at them as they stood to the side of the table. He wiped his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m taking a short trip and might be gone for a day or two. It¡¯s for a school assignment. So I wanted to inform you.¡± ¡°We understand young master. Will you need someone to accompany you?¡± Craig asked. Alex shook his head. ¡°No, father wouldn¡¯t like either of you leaving the house.¡± They both looked uncomfortable an Alex gave a wan smile. ¡°I¡¯ts fine. I am old enough to be able to handle such a short trip alone. Ah,¡± he looked at Craig. ¡°Can you please call a taxi for me?¡± Craig simply nodded, and the two left Alex to his meal. Alex took his time eating since it would take a few minutes for the taxi to get there. He was making good time and he had already booked his tickets for the train online to save trouble at the station. It wasn¡¯t long before the doorbell rang and Craig opened it, revealing the cab driver. Craig carried Alex¡¯s luggage to the taxi. Alex followed behind with a smaller bag that had his laptop and a few small things in it. Craig put his luggage in the trunk and Alex slid into the taxi and Craig shut the door for him. He waved briefly as Alex pulled away. The taxi driver didn¡¯t talk much, just asked the destination and then started driving. It was a quiet, boring drive. Alex was relieved when he finally reached the train station. The taxi driver scanned his card to pay for the trip and helped him get his luggage out of the trunk. Alex barely got to the curb, before another customer rushed past to claim the taxi he had just left. Alex kept his ticket in his left hand and the handle to his wheeled luggage in his right hand. His laptop bag was slung over one shoulder and out of the way. The train wasn¡¯t the favorite mode of transport but even then it was rather busy, probably because it was a Saturday. Zeltis had been quiet all morning and Alex wasn¡¯t sure if he was grateful for his silence or not. Alex made his way through the bustling crowd to the train platform and onto the waiting train. He made his way to his seat. Happily, he got a seat by the window. With a short struggle he managed to shove his luggage up on the rack above the window. He sat down and pulled out his laptop and headphones. The train had wifi so he was able to connect to the internet. There was even a plug in the wall so he wouldn¡¯t have to use up his battery. Not long before the train was ready to go a couple train personnel walked down the aisle checking tickets. Alex showed his and was surprised that no one had taken the seat next to him. With a whistle and groan, the train slowly started to pull out of the station. The steady clank clank was clear even through his headphones. Though the constant vibration wasn¡¯t that bad. A snack cart soon made its way through, and he bought a couple things. Then, turned his attention to the landscape sliding by his window. He quickly grew bored of the view and went back to his laptop. The hours passed by as he watched a movie and checked his stocks, or just wandered the internet. Finally the train slowed down, crawling into the station at their destination. He took off his headphones. An announcement asked the passengers to stay seated until the train came to a complete stop, and to not forget their belongings. He packed up his computer and was somehow managed to get his luggage back down before it was time to get off. As he stepped off amid the jostling crowds he looked around to try and see his aunt. He had seen an online picture, so had a good idea of what she looked like. Pushing through, he finally got a glimpse of her, off to the side, waving a sign that had his name on it above her head. He made his way over to her and when he finally got close she gasped. ¡°Amazing, you look so much like your mother. It¡¯s so nice to finally meet you, Alex. I¡¯m your aunt, Sara.¡± Her soft blue-grays eyes were a little teary as she looked at him. She was in her forties and a little shorter than Alex. Her light brown hair was tied up in a practical bun and she wore a conservatively casual pants and blouse. He smiled back at her. ¡°Good to meet you too, Aunt Sara.¡± She stuck the sign under one arm and put her other arm through his free elbow. ¡°Come on, my car is in the parking lot outside. She stuck the sign in the trash as they made their way out the door and they were soon walking into the parking lot to the side of the station. They made their way through the rows of cars until they got to a small blue Beamer. With a beep as she pressed the key chain the doors unlocked and trunk popped open. Alex hefted his luggage into it and went ahead and dropped his laptop bag in as well. He shut the trunk, got in, shut the door, and pulled on his seat belt. They were soon pulling out of the parking lot and onto the road. Alex looked at his aunt and she glanced back at him. It was a little awkward and he wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°You know, I barely knew I had a nephew. I only heard a little news about your family. I learned through newspapers that mentioned you, in relation to your father¡¯s company. Your father didn¡¯t bother keeping in contact with me, and I was pretty angry when he didn¡¯t even inform me of your mother¡¯s funeral.¡± ¡°Yeah, he doesn¡¯t really talk to me much either. We don¡¯t even have any pictures of my mother in the house.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty strange. I could tell he was practically obsessed with your mother when they started dating, and at the wedding. Even then, though I didn¡¯t see or hear much since your mother stopped keeping contact with me not long before meeting your father. I only got a few messages every now and then from her before they stopped and then I found out she died giving birth to a son.¡± He dropped his head. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± She looked over at him in surprise. ¡°Why say sorry, it wasn¡¯t your fault.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what my father thinks.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± She bit her lip and gave him a soft sidelong glance full of pity. It became quiet and Alex wasn¡¯t sure what to say. ¡°Um so do I have an uncle?¡± He knew it was a lame question especially since he hadn¡¯t noticed it on her online profile. Her eyebrows rose as she looked over at him, looking a little sad for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m divorced, actually.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry.¡± He said lamely, running a hand through his hair, as he often did when he was nervous or stressed. She sighed and shrugged. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It was two years ago that we went our separate ways. You are my only blood relative now. So I hope even after you go home, we can keep in touch.¡± She smiled at him as the car was turning into a residential area. ¡°Of course.¡± He answered back, as they pulled up in front of a cute little white house. He got his luggage out and after she locked the car, he followed her up to the door. She unlocked it and motioned him to go in first, shutting it behind them. ¡°I have a small guest room you can put your things in, for now.¡± She said, and led him through the living area and kitchen to where there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. She opened the door to a small bedroom that just had one window, a single bed, nightstand and a computer desk set up on one wall. ¡°I use this as my home office and computer room when I don¡¯t have guests. Anyway, I told you to bring proof of who you are. Based on your looks I don¡¯t really have doubts, but to be sure¡­¡± She trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable. He just smiled and pulled out his certificate and id to show her. When he had gotten it, he had felt a little sad that it was his only connection to his mother. Sara read them and handed them back. ¡°If you come to the living room we can talk, and I can show you some pictures of your mother.¡± Alex smiled, leaving his luggage and following her back to the living area, to join her on the couch. ¡°Oh my, do you want anything to drink or eat? You have been traveling for a few hours and I should have realized you might be hungry.¡± ¡°I ate a little on the train but I wouldn¡¯t mind a cup of tea and a sandwhich.¡± It was about noon after all and he wouldn¡¯t mind a little something. ¡°Of course!¡± She got back up and swooped into the kitchen, efficiently getting it ready. It wasn¡¯t long before she brought back two mugs of tea and a plate of sandwiches for them both on a tray. She set the tray on the coffee table and grabbed a sandwich and her cup before sitting down. He picked up the cup and sipped it slowly, letting the warmth calm his nerves. He also grabbed a sandwich and took a bite. He swallowed before speaking. ¡°There is so much I want to know about mother, it¡¯s hard to know even where to start.¡± Sara laughed a little. ¡°Well we could always start at the beginning. I even set out our family album when I knew you were coming.¡± She set down her cup on the coffee table and picked up the large album that was lying next to the tray. She hefted it onto her lap and opened it up. The first picture was an old one, of a couple in front of a chapel. It was yellowed with age and the clothing was old fashioned. ¡°These two are our parents who died when I was about eighteen. They were kind but strict, and conservative. Their names are Amelia Garrett and Samuel Warren.¡± She turned the page that had several pictures of the couple with a new baby. ¡°The baby is me, since I was the oldest. I ended up getting a little spoiled since Angela didn¡¯t even show up until almost five years later.¡± He enjoyed seeing pictures of his aunt and mother as they grew up. And hearing stories of how they got along and the trouble they would get into. The two girls were very different. Sara was outgoing and friendly and had a lot of friends. Though she was a bit plain, she seemed to have been popular because of her lively personality. Angela, even though she was a lot prettier, was a quiet, shy girl. She loved to read and wasn¡¯t good at interacting with others. Seeing the older pictures, Angela looked like any librarian you might find. She was lean with conservative clothing. Her long blond hair often tied back in sedate hairstyles. Though she often had a small smile, looking embarrassed when having her picture taken. Then he saw a picture of his aunt with someone, and at first he didn¡¯t recognize her. Her outfit was racey to say the least, form fitting and sexy. Her long wavy blonde hair was loose and she looked confident and sensual as her bright blue eyes gazed out of the picture. ¡°It can¡¯t be, mother? She looks so different.¡± He said, but since he hadn¡¯t known her personally, he couldn¡¯t be sure. Sara frowned. ¡°It¡¯s Angela all right. Even I was shocked when she showed up one day, looking like a completely different person.¡± ¡°Ah, ha! I should have known. It all makes sense now.¡± Zeltis burst out inside Alex¡¯s head. Alex jumped a little at the interruption and couldn¡¯t help wondering what Zeltis meant. ¡°Zeltis? Do you know something?¡± He asked mentally but there was no answer. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Sara asked her brows crinkled a little in worry. ¡°Ah, sorry, I was just distracted somehow. It¡¯s nothing. Still, it is strange that she changed so much, so suddenly.¡± What could it mean? ------------------------ Author''s note I am so sorry this took so long and I am not even sure if it was the best place to stop the chapter. It was so hard to write it for some reason. Probably because of all the talking. I''ve never been great at dialogue. Still I felt this was necessary and has some insight into his mother. As to the next chapter I have no idea what to do next. If anyone has ideas on the next demon and where the battle should be or any other ideas I would love to hear it. I am kind of dry on inspiration at the moment. Very likely the next chapter could take a month or more unless I somehow get inspired again. My moods and such kind of go up and down. I am so grateful to all those who are reading this and I have no intention to stop but be warned it might be a bit longer until the next chapter. === I added a bit about them eating sandwiches and edited the chapter a bit. It didn''t change much. next- http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=10520 chapter fourteen (I have added italics to show when Zeltis and Alex talk inside his mind or what either are thinking. I was planning on building up a buffer first before posting a chapter but I felt that you had waited so long that I wanted to go ahead with it. I don''t know how long the next chapter will take but I will do my best. We learn a lot about Zeltis this chapter so I hope you all like it.) ------------------- Based on Zeltis¡¯ reaction, Alex couldn¡¯t help being suspicious and wanted to know more. ¡°Can you go into more detail about how she changed exactly?¡± ¡°Well, she was living in the dorm back then, so I didn¡¯t see her very often anymore. She tried to come home every weekend. She just showed up one day, not even knocking before she entered. She burst in almost like a whirlwind, wearing a hat and sunglasses and a slinky dress. She was carrying some shopping bags and looked like some Hollywood actress. She swooped in, and dropped onto the couch after leaving the door open, and her bags by the door. I didn¡¯t recognize her at all. I immediately came after her in a huff, asking who she thought she was, and how she could just barge in like that.¡± ¡°She simply looked at me for a moment, and pulled off her sunglasses with a dramatic flair. But even after, that I didn¡¯t get it until she spoke, saying she was Angela. I stood with my mouth agape, before mechanically moving the bags and shutting the door. I needed that time just to get my thoughts together. She was just so different.¡± ¡°Did she explain why she had changed when you asked?¡± Alex wondered. They had quickly eaten the sandwiches and Sara had refilled their tea as they continued to chat. ¡°Hah! She acted like I was the crazy one, and that she was always this way, and just hadn¡¯t shown her true self. I¡¯ve seen transformations like that when someone leaves home, but her whole personality was different. We had always been close, and talked about everything. I even tried mentioning a few things to sound her out. It was like she had very little memory of things that used to be so important to her. Her favorite book, her stuffed rabbit she had kept since she was a baby, none of it was special to her anymore. I just couldn¡¯t believe that she had changed so much.¡± It was silent again as they both seemed to be thinking about everything they had talked about. He kept trying to get Zeltis to answer his questions but the only answer he had gotten was a brief laugh and silence. To try and lessen the tension, they turned back to talking more about his mother¡¯s and aunt¡¯s life, growing up. He also talked about his childhood. Sara brought out a box of things his mother had left behind. It wasn¡¯t much, some year books, photos, and fantasy books. There were also some odds and ends like a yo yo, slinky, a stuffed cat and a few other small things. The reddish orange glow of the setting sun told them just how long they had been chatting. They both laughed a little when Alex¡¯s stomach growled. His aunt grinned. ¡°So do you want to brave more of my cooking or do you want to eat out?¡± She paused, looking a little uncomfortable. She glanced at him, and then looking away. ¡°Before you answer, I would feel better if you stayed at a hotel tonight.¡± Alex raised a brow, but wasn¡¯t really surprised. ¡°I understand. Even if we are blood related, we only met today. I also am a young man and you are a single lady so I can see why you would be uncomfortable.¡± She sighed with a slightly wan smile. ¡°I feel a little bad about it, but I just don¡¯t know you well enough yet. I hope though, that we will stay in touch and get to know each other better as family. So back to dinner?¡± She looked at him expectantly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat out and you can drop me off at the hotel after we eat. I will even treat you.¡± He shows a small but charming smile. ¡°Ha, I should be treating you since you are the guest here. But I won¡¯t complain.¡± Alex went back and grabbed his luggage before they left, Sara locking the door behind them. They drove to a nice little Italian bistro and ate and chatted for at least an hour and a half. They talked about hobbies and what was going on in the world. After dinner she drove him towards the hotel and when she stopped she looked at him. ¡°If you want to know a little more about your mother I have the number of her roommate from college. If anyone could tell you what happened, she is the only other person I can think of. Other than your father, of course.¡± Alex frowns a little at that. He grabs the paper that she hands out to him as he steps out of the car. ¡°That also has my email on there, so please keep in contact with me.¡± She looks at him earnestly. They hadn¡¯t known each other long enough to hug but he reached in and grasped her hand for a moment. ¡°I promise.¡± He says and shuts the door before going around to grab his bags out of the trunk. After shutting it, he steps back and waves as she pulls away. It had been a long day but he was happy with what he had learned. His aunt had even let him have a lot of his mother¡¯s things and pictures to keep as mementos. Finally he had more things that connected him to the woman he had never met. He rolled his luggage behind him as he strode into the hotel and up to the desk. It wasn¡¯t long before he was in a room. It wasn¡¯t too fancy, but was pleasantly comfortable. He wasn¡¯t exactly poor, even if his father never gave him much money. Still, he didn¡¯t like spending money on things he didn¡¯t really need. He was a practical sort and didn¡¯t want to risk using money he might need later. He had even gotten a good deal on the room by using his phone and booking it using an online service. Once the door was shut, he let himself fall on the bed. It had been so different spending time with Sara rather than people in his father¡¯s circles. He had always hated those stiff parties and the meetings he had been forced to attend as the heir. The people were always so cold and conniving. They were always maneuvering for better connections to make more money or gather power. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Sara, like Summer and Chris, seemed to be so warm and normal in comparison. It was truly refreshing and made him happy. He just lay there, remembering all the fun stories his aunt had told him. Her life with his mother had been so different than his. Even though their parents had been strict, he could tell that they had loved their children. Just listening to the story of one of their family vacations had made Alex laugh. The arguing in the car, getting lost and refusing to ask for directions, staying in a hotel with the whole family in one room, it all sounded so normal. Maybe if he had a sibling things might have been a little different, but he doubted it. He was glad though that now he had an aunt that actually wanted to get to know him. His only other living family was his father, but Alex doubted that his father wanted to get to know him. Thinking about family, he couldn¡¯t help being curious about Zeltis. ¡°Zeltis, do you have any family?¡± It was quiet for a long time and Alex wasn¡¯t sure if Zeltis would answer. Finally though, he heard Zeltis¡¯ course voice in his mind. ¡°I have a brother and sister. My father lives and I have three uncles and two aunts. Our relationships are worse than yours with your father.¡± Alex was surprised. It was the first time Zeltis had sounded so¡­he wasn¡¯t sure how to describe it, angry? ¡°Do you hate them?¡± ¡°Hmph, you can say that. Though a couple of them aren¡¯t too bad, but my father¡­¡± Zeltis trailed off, his last phrase heavy with wrath. Alex couldn¡¯t describe it any other way. He could feel it almost radiate out from inside him. It made him feel dark and heavy. Alex resented his own father but he didn¡¯t really hate him, mostly because he didn¡¯t see him often enough. His father had always been too distant and cold to really create any strong feelings in Alex. Still, Alex could slightly understand if Alex might hate his father. He was a little scared to ask but couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°Your thoughts are coming to me loud and clear. I can tell you want to know more. Let¡¯s just say it has to do with him killing someone I loved and end the conversation there.¡± This time the venom in Zeltis¡¯ voice was mixed with a little sadness and regret. Alex could slightly guess it was probably a lover who died. ¡°Yes, she was everything to me. Real love is not too common in the demon world. Most marriages are just for power or political gain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little annoying that you seem to be able to read my mind and yet I know so little about you.¡± ¡°Hah, it¡¯s not exactly mind reading when you broadcast your thoughts so. Of course most humans don¡¯t know how to read or shield their thoughts. While in the demon world it is almost a necessity.¡± ¡°Will you tell me why you came here and why you are hunting other demons?¡± Alex asked. It was so rare for Zeltis to give out information that he wanted to keep him talking as long as possible. ¡°Many demons come here for many different reasons. The only way to come is to possess someone here. We lose almost half our power in spirit form but there are so many benefits to coming here. For demon¡¯s, power is everything, and only the most powerful may rule. If you are weak, you die. So, most demons are always looking for ways to gain power.¡± He paused as if thinking of how or what to say next. ¡°There are two ways we can gain power. One is by corrupting humans. That is one of the benefits to coming here. The more pure a human is, the harder it is, but also the more power you gain if you corrupt them. The demon eats their soul and the body is practically theirs. It doesn¡¯t usually take long for the demon to gain control. Still it is a slow process and you don¡¯t gain very much power at once. Yet it is a fairly safe method and most demons use it.¡± ¡°The other way is to defeat another demon.¡± ¡°Ah is that what you have been doing?¡± Alex interrupted. Zeltis sighs. ¡°Basically, yes. It is a lot more dangerous since you may in turn be defeated, but you gain a lot more power much faster that way.¡± ¡°But couldn¡¯t you fight demons at your full power in the demon world?¡± ¡°Yes, but I would also attract the attention of the strongest demon¡¯s much quicker if I tried to do so there. Here it is much harder to sense each other and that makes it easier for me to gain the power I need without worrying as much about being noticed too soon.¡± ¡°Power for your revenge?¡± Alex was slightly hesitant to ask, not sure how Zeltis would react if he pushed too much. ¡°Yes, I intend to kill the Demon lord, my father.¡± ------------- next - http://www.royalroadl.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=11397 chapter fifteen Some time ago in the demon world Zeltis sped over the cracked and desolate landscape of the demon world; the wind spell keeping him aloft and moving him at supersonic speed. He had received a summons to see his mother in the capital. He hadn¡¯t wanted to go, and had thought it was strange, since he hadn¡¯t seen her in so long. Reluctantly he had gone, and once he saw how tense and distracted she was, his alarm bells rang. He couldn¡¯t help feeling more and more anxious as his sixth sense was telling him something was wrong. His mother discussed nothing of importance, but when he tried to leave, she made up excuses to keep him there. He had finally lost his patience, and left without letting her stop him again. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint what was making him anxious, but he just felt he had to hurry. The rocky, brown, and scrubby land flew by underneath him. He almost ran into a couple small mountains in his hurry, and scraped his cheek on the branch of a tree, but he didn¡¯t care. Then he saw the smoke in the distance and cried out. He used a burst of magic to force him to go even faster. The crumbling ruins of his once comfortable home came into view. He screamed in fear and rage as he rushed into the house. The dead bodies of his few servants were strewn in horrifying positions that spoke of wanton destruction. He was frantic as he landed and searched one body after another, throwing the rubble out of his way in his haste. He searched for one precious person and gasped in hope when he heard a groan from under a pile of stone, that once had been part of the living room wall. Zeltis moved quickly, throwing off the chunks of wall and bits of broken furniture to get to the person beneath. The bloody, battered form of his head servant was finally revealed. Zeltis couldn¡¯t help biting his lip in disappointment, but hurried to heal the man. He wasn¡¯t great at healing magic and the wounds were bad. Still, after taking his time and concentrating for several minutes, Zeltis managed to bring the man back to a more stable condition. The man opened his eyes and blinked before his gaze finally locked on Zeltis. ¡°M¡­master, I¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± He weakly gasped out and groaned in pain. ¡°Please, I need to know what happened!¡± Zeltis said grasping the man¡¯s shoulders a little hard, his eyes wild and desperate. The man flinched and looked like he might pass out so Zeltis lightened his hold, but couldn¡¯t stop his intense gaze. ¡°The Demon lord and Arch demon Mephisto attacked. We were never given a reason, they just slaughtered everyone soon after you left.¡± ¡°My uncle and father?!¡± That explained the sadistic way some of the people had been killed. Mephisto loved battle and was a bloodthirsty bastard. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised to be attacked by him, but why would his father bother with him? Stil,l he had more important things on his mind other than explanations. ¡°What about Ashrana? Did they take her? Where is she?!¡± He yelled the last bit and the weak servant winced. ¡°She tried to run, and they chased her. It looked like they were headed toward the city west of here. Perhaps she was trying to find help.¡± Without wasting a moment, Zeltis jumped up and raced out again. He used the wind magic again to fly as fast as he could toward the west. Before even halfway to the city, he caught sight of two figures looking down into a deep ravine. They turned as they saw Zeltis coming towards them. His father, Lucifer, stood tall and imposing, his dark aura causing Zeltis to slow down and shake in fear. He was well over seven foot tall with a muscular build. His long dark hair and goatee-beard complemented his angular face and blood red eyes. Two large horned curved from his temples and out and back. Even without his powerful aura he was an imposing figure. Beside him, Mephisto showed a sardonic grin. Mephisto had a slightly smaller build with orange eyes and was about half a foot shorter. He had a short haircut and beard and a more square shaped face, but otherwise they looked much alike. They both didn¡¯t look worried despite Zeltis¡¯ obvious rage that was flowing out toward them in killing intent. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Where is She!?¡± He yelled as soon as he was close enough. It took everything he had to just stand in front of his father but he forced himself because of her. His father didn¡¯t answer but Mephisto laughed. ¡°Who do you think he mean¡¯s lord?¡± Zeltis asked with a sarcastic tone towards the demon lord with a mocking glance toward Zeltis. ¡°Ashrana, I know you two chased her. Where is she?¡± He asked again. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you were so attached to that woman. There are others if you need a lover.¡± His father said coldly calm and indifferent. The word ¡®were¡¯ was a knife through his heart, and Mephisto¡¯s next words jabbed it in even more. ¡°She fell off the cliff and is certainly dead.¡± ¡°Noooooooo! Why, why would you do this?¡± Zeltis cried out, tears trailing down his cheeks as he tried to move closer, but his father¡¯s aura kept him at a distance. ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason to explain myself. Just know that the weak die and the strong live.¡± The demon lord said, and huge black wings sprouted out of his broad back, as he lifted off the ground. ¡°Don¡¯t leave! I will kill you!¡± Zeltis yelled waving his fist at his departing father, who didn¡¯t bother to turn around. ¡°Ha, ha, you are so pitiful, nephew. Maybe now, instead of reading books and playing house you will train and grow stronger. You have been a grave disappointment so far. Maybe this mishap will goad you forward.¡± Mehpisto taunted as he too grew wings, but his were made of red feathers. Zeltis turned to him, his eyes bloodshot and teeth bared. ¡°You will regret you messed with the people I care about. I will grow stronger and you will die, right before I take out the still-beating heart of my father. You will both suffer before I am done with you. This I vow!¡± Mephisto laughed again. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try, pipsqueak.¡± He turned, and with a pump of his large wings was soon gone from sight. Zeltis turned to the ravine and blew a kiss. ¡°Goodbye my love. I promise I will avenge you no matter what it takes.¡± Back in the present¡­ ¡°Your father is the demon lord?!¡± Alex asked, his voice raised, shaking Zeltis out of his memories. ¡°Enough, I don¡¯t wish to speak of this anymore. I sense two commoner level demons close by. So get to sleep so I can take over.¡± Zeltis¡¯ inner voice was a little curt, but he couldn¡¯t help it after remembering that. He had loved Ashrana, and had intended to marry her. Then his father and uncle had killed her and the others. Even after trying to investigate and asking his siblings, he hadn¡¯t found anything. Of course, they weren¡¯t thrilled to see him and all of them had hurried to send him on his way without saying much. Zeltis continued thinking, ignoring the obvious questions floating around Alex¡¯s mind while the boy laid down to sleep. ---------------------------------------------- Author''s note- So after editing the first chapter just a bit I realized I just don''t have any idea what to add to make things any better at this point. So I will just continue as I have been and simply release the chapters as I write them. I would still love to have someone give me some in depth feedback on any ways I can improve though. Anyway I hope this is ok, it isn''t quite a battle chapter but I think it gives us some good insight. I hope everyone enjoys it. next chapter chapter sixteen Zeltis awoke and put on the shoes before going to the dresser to grab Alex¡¯s wallet. As he glanced at the mirror on the wall Alex exclaimed from inside his head. ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± Zeltis said, a little annoyed. ¡°Why is my, er, your, our hair white? And the eyes are red?¡± Zeltis could tell Alex was confused about how to address himself/Zeltis. Alex was also surprised when he saw the reflection in the mirror. Zeltis could easily sense Alex¡¯s emotions and thoughts. Alex obviously didn¡¯t know anything about how to mask/shield his thoughts, though that did make things easier for Zeltis. ¡°Well, the longer we are linked the more my attributes will show when I am in control.¡± He didn¡¯t add that usually by now he should have been in control more often, but Alex was somehow different than expected. After hearing about Alex¡¯s mother Zeltis had some suspicions but he wanted to be sure. Hopefully the roommate would be able to give them more clues. ¡°Really? So this is similar to how you would really look? The hair is really long.¡± It wasn¡¯t a huge mirror but he could see the silvery white hair going down to about mid back. ¡°Yeah, I never bothered to cut it.¡± And Ashrana had loved his hair long. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that only people with spirit power can see this form.¡± He really hated the itchy ski mask, but understood the necessity. Though, it might attract trouble in another way if people think he might be attempting a robbery or mugging. ¡°I don¡¯t want to attract attention, so I will just hold onto the mask until we get to where the demon is.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, good idea.¡± Alex agreed. Zeltis looked up a taxi service on the phone before dialing. It didn¡¯t take long for it to arrive. The older man turned to look at Zeltis as he sat down and shut the door. ¡°Where ya headed?¡± ¡°Please just follow where I direct you.¡± Zeltis said, and the driver wrinkled his brows but shrugged and turned around. This city was very different from where Alex lived. His city was a large and very metropolitan area with lots of high rises. This city though, was more rambling and had more old style buildings with fewer high rises. It felt more like a large town rather than a city. Zeltis kept giving directions until they reached a trailer park and asked the driver to stop. They paid, and the driver left them there. Zeltis pulled on the mask before striding through the rows of mobile homes. Zeltis walked until there was a small courtyard with a street lamp and a covered area with a picnic table underneath. There were five teenagers smoking, chatting, and laughing. When they finally noticed Zeltis walking towards them they grew quiet for a moment before a couple started laughing and the rest joined in. ¡°You some kind of a weirdo or something? Why are you wearing a ski mask?¡± One of the two girls said with a snicker. ¡°Wait a minute, Zeltis we don¡¯t want normal people getting pulled into this do we?¡± He asked urgently. Zeltis didn¡¯t bother answering. He could care less if the other humans got hurt though he supposed if they called the police it might be troublesome. ¡°The human¡¯s can leave, I only came for the two demons here.¡± They all burst out laughing and one of the guys snorted. ¡°This dude must be crazy.¡± Before they could say anything more Zeltis lifted his hand and shot out a spike of ice straight at one of the guys who had been looking at Zeltis more seriously since he mentioned demons. The guy barely managed to push the guy next to him so he could avoid the spike, knocking the guy onto the ground. ¡°What the hell was that about Ben?! That hurt.¡± The other guy said after crawling back up to a sitting position. ¡°Wow, did you see that?! What was that?¡± One of the girl¡¯s said with wide eyes. The other girl glanced at her a little surprised, then glared at Zeltis. She jumped up and the guy Zeltis shot at wasn¡¯t far behind her as they got to the ground in front of Zeltis. ¡°You two gonna beat him up, if so I want in. I¡¯m kinda pissed.¡± The guy who had been on the ground said before standing up. Zeltis put up both hands and shot out a couple more spikes at the guy and girl in front of him. They managed to dodge and then started to transform. They both grew fur and snouts, ears and fangs. They looked like two giant fox¡¯s standing on two legs. The male was a bright red with white fur on it¡¯s belly, feet, and hands. The girl fox was a orangy red color also with white on her belly and snout. Zeltis could tell that Alex was confused as to where their clothes had gone and how the fox¡¯s still had human like eyes and hands, though with claws. ¡°Ahhh! Monsters!¡± The girl who had seen the frost spike screamed and fell back off the table. ¡°What the heck are you talking about?¡± The two guys said, looking at her confused. ¡°Can¡¯t you see them? They turned into giant foxes.¡± She said again, but now looked a little doubtful. ¡°Are you high? They look the same as a minute ago.¡± One of the two guys in the back said. ¡°Yeah, just stay back and watch if you¡¯re going to be freaking out.¡± The other one said before running toward Zeltis and throwing a punch. Seeing a normal human coming at him was like watching someone move in slow motion to Zeltis. He easily stepped aside and knocked the guy out of the way. The boy fell a few feet away, unconscious. ¡°Wow, that was one hell of an attack.¡± The other normal guy said and stepped back a little. The two foxes jumped forward at almost the same time both swiping at Zeltis. Unlike with the human these two were much faster and since they were coming together it was a lot harder to manage to block or dodge both attacks. He got a small scratch on his arm for his trouble and summoned his ice blades. Despite their low level, they had good teamwork so he knew this would be more troublesome than he had thought. ¡°Cool, he has swords coming out of his arms!¡± The girl said and got out her phone to try and take a picture or video. ¡°Hey the foxes and the swords don¡¯t show up. Maybe I am seeing things. But it sure looks cool.¡± She said and continued to take a video even though it didn¡¯t look the same as what she was seeing. Zeltis could tell Alex was worried about her taking a video but he didn¡¯t have time to do anything about it. He was too busy countering attacks coming from both sides. The two foxes were fast and almost always attacked together. He guessed that they must be a mated pair that had inhabited this boy and girl so they could stay close to each other. ¡°Their moving so fast and it¡¯s hard to tell how they are attacking but this is amazing!¡± The guy at the side said excitedly. He was now seated next to the girl as they watched the battle like it was entertainment. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°This is definitely going on yourtube.¡± She said as she continued to capture them on her camera phone. ¡°I bet it will go viral. It¡¯s totally epic.¡± Again Zeltis could tell that Alex wasn¡¯t happy but Zeltis had to struggle to keep blocking or dodging the two¡¯s attacks. In that moment of distraction the two foxes opened their mouths and let out a strange sound that rattled Zeltis then both struck at him at the same time. The male sliced deep into Zeltis¡¯ shoulder and the female sliced into his abdomen. He grunted and opened his mouth to fire a ball of fire toward the female. She screamed and fell back, rolling around on the ground to try and put out the flames. The male roared in anger and started slashing left and right in anger. With only one enemy to deal with, Zeltis was able to easily block the incoming strikes. With a strong counter, he slammed the male down to the ground and grabbed him by the neck. Immediately the mist started to seep out of the shocked male. The female burnt but back up, yelled and ran towards Zeltis. While taking in essence he couldn¡¯t move much and the connection to the male was broken, but the male was severely weakened. ¡°Wait a minute, you don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to kill them, do you? Maybe we should call the police or something.¡± The guy watching said as he started to feel nervous at how serious the fight was getting. Zeltis spun around backhanding the female with his ice sword arm creating a long wound down her side. She crashed to the ground again with a short howl and a whimper. Hearing what the guy said Zeltis turned toward him, his blue eyes cold. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Just stay out of my way or you will end up hurt or worse as well.¡± The two observers both gulped at his deep powerful voice and sat stunned as he again grabbed the male. The mist started again and even though the girl was able to move a little, she was too weak and slow to get to them before the mist was gone. The guy went back to looking normal but Alex noticed something troubling. Even though before he hadn¡¯t seen the enemies long, he could see a clear difference. Not only was the guy pale but it looked like he was practically a mummy. His skin looked loose and pasty. He was clearly not breathing. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Alex cried out internally. Zeltis was already moving toward the girl when the girl and guy who were filming also noticed the emaciated look of the defeated guy. ¡°Yes.¡± Zeltis said simply starting to grab the now squirming and crying girl. ¡°But why? You said that the others didn¡¯t die, why did he?¡± Alex said frantically and Zeltis sighed. ¡°The demon had already consumed the man¡¯s soul. He was already long dead before I came. He is only an empty shell now that the demon is gone. It is likely the girl will be the same.¡± Zeltis could tell Alex was shocked and the two other teens were crying and clutching each other, too scared of Zeltis to do anything. The phone had fallen, forgotten. Zeltis grabbed the fox-girl by the arms and the mist started to stream out toward him. Her tears falling right in front of him didn¡¯t faze him much but he could tell that Alex was still in shock. It didn¡¯t take long before another mummy like corpse lay on the ground. Without waiting any longer Zeltis used a burst of speed to run over to the two frightened teens. They were so scared that they wet themselves as they shook and stared at him in fear. He picked up the phone and deleted the video before dropping it again. ¡°Wha..what about the¡­.the bodies?¡± Alex asked shaken and sounding like he felt sick. ¡°Indeed.¡± He reached out his arms and flames appeared that quickly burned up the dried out husks that had once been human. Though Alex couldn¡¯t, Zeltis heard both the girl and boy vomiting at the disturbing sight. Zeltis turned toward them again. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t speak of any of this if I were you.¡± They shook their heads and he turned away. He used a spell and like a missile, he flew up and away from the scene. ¡°Ahhhhh, too high, too fast. Ugh, I want to hurl.¡± Alex said in his head. Zeltis just focused on making sure he didn¡¯t run into anything and he was already starting to slow down. He didn¡¯t like using that spell. It took a lot of energy to cast and left him feeling a little weak. Luckily he didn¡¯t sense any other demons in the area so he felt he should be ok. He had managed to fly not too far from where their hotel was, but landing would also be a problem. He saw the hotel about a mile ahead but he was already falling down. Luckily it looked like he might land in a small pond in the middle of a housing development. He didn¡¯t relish getting wet, but it was better that slamming into the ground at the speed he was going. He fell with a huge splash and spluttered as soon as he surfaced. He quickly got to shore and climbed out, his clothes creating a muddy mess in the grass around the pond. It felt heavy and uncomfortable, especially the mask. He went ahead and took that off before slogging his way back toward the road. It was rather cold but he had enough energy to create a sort of heat blanket around himself that not only kept him warm, but started to slowly dry his clothes. As he got closer to the hotel, he saw more cars going past but there were hardly any people out on the street. The few people he saw didn¡¯t even notice him despite his soggy appearance. Still, by the time he reached the hotel he was only slightly damp. Still the staff did give him strange looks as he made his way back to his room. He relished in a hot shower, leaving his things in a pile for the made to take care of. He dressed in a clean pajama and was soon in bed. The darkness of unconsciousness was a welcome relief to both of them after the rough night. Next chapter ***************************************** Author''s notes. Wow this took a little long, sorry. This just did not want to be written. I kept going back and forth about what kind of demon I wanted and where they would fight and ended up with this. I thought about letting the video be posted since his face isn''t visible but didn''t see any reason that zeltis wouldn''t try to do what he could to prevent it. If people have any thoughts or advice that could make this better please don''t hesitate. I love to hear your ideas and comments. chapter seventeen (Italics show when they are using telepathy) Alex awoke drenched in sweat and screamed. He clutched his head in his hands, gasping. After falling into normal sleep he had horrible nightmares, but the reality had been worse. He gagged and ran to the toilet to throw up. There was a knock on the door. ¡°Young master, are you all right?¡± The voice of the butler sounded worried. Alex collapsed in exhaustion while holding the bowl of the toilet. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve before speaking. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He barely managed to say it loud enough since his throat was a little sore from throwing up. He coughed and turned back to the bowl only to dry heave. He wheezed and tried to calm himself down. He could more clearly see now that all the wounds from last night were fully gone. He had vaguely noticed it when Zeltis had showered that they had seemed to close even faster than before, but now it was certain. The wounds had hurt a lot when it had happened and had looked bad, but had healed so fast. The demon¡¯s powers were certainly amazing. Still, after seeing what happened to those two he couldn¡¯t help but worry. Would he end up like that? ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Zeltis answered suddenly. ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t all demons consume their host¡¯s energy, or soul?¡± ¡°Usually, but I¡¯m not getting any energy from you.¡± Zeltis surprised even himself by revealing that. ¡°Really?! But how could that happ¡­¡± ¡°Just drop it. I¡¯m not sure why and I¡¯m not in the mood to answer all your questions.¡± Alex could tell that Zeltis was more than just annoyed, and so decided to leave him alone. He felt slightly better and so tried to carefully push himself up off the floor. He washed his face and got dressed before going down with his luggage to eat breakfast. He had gotten the name of his mother¡¯s roommate from his aunt and used the internet on his phone to track her. After a brief conversation she had agreed to meet him at a caf¨¦ not too far away. He was lucky she lived in the area. He would have hated to have to extend his trip. It took about fifteen minutes to get there in a taxi because of all the red lights and traffic. It was early enough that they had hit the morning rush to work. The taxi finally pulled up in front of the restaurant called ¡°Popo¡¯s¡±. He paid the driver with his card and grabbed his bag out of the trunk before going in. A bell rang as he entered and a matronly woman in an apron with the name ¡°popo¡¯s¡± embossed on it, came up to him. ¡°I¡¯m here to meet someone.¡± He said and looked around. A woman a few tables from the entrance on the right waved to him. He gave a polite bob of his head to the hostess before going towards the woman who had waved at him. She was just like her picture she had sent. She looked about his aunt¡¯s age but was fit and stylish. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and green eyes. She was wearing a straight skirt and long sleeved blouse and sweater. ¡°I knew it was you the minute you came in. You are very eye-catching.¡± She said as he sat down, putting the luggage on the booth next to him. He ran a hand through his hair, blushing slightly before glancing away. ¡°Um, well, as I said on the phone, I¡¯m Alexander Kent. Angela¡¯s son, but please call me Alex. She laughed a little and waved her hand as a gesture to brush off his stiffness. ¡°Of course, Alex. I¡¯m Marianne Colter, just call me Mary. I was so surprised to hear from my former roommate¡¯s son. It¡¯s been over sixteen years; it¡¯s hard to believe it¡¯s been so long.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad you remembered my mother and agreed to meet with me on such short notice.¡± ¡°Well I was free today and really curious. Angela kind of stood out to me so it would have been hard to forget her.¡± ¡°I never knew her since she died in childbirth but my aunt did tell me a lot about her. But there was a lot she didn¡¯t know and she thought you might know more of what she was like at college.¡± ¡°Are you ready to order?¡± A man in an apron like the hostess came up to them with a order pad. ¡°Ah, well I already have a coffee but I suppose I could use a refill and a breakfast burrito please.¡± Mary said to him. ¡°And you sir?¡± The waiter turned to Alex. ¡°I¡¯ll have coffee and a blueberry muffin with butter please.¡± He had already eaten but felt uncomfortable if Mary was the only one eating. ¡°Will it be separate checks?¡± The waiter asked. Before Alex could offer to pay Mary spoke. ¡°Yes, please.¡± The waiter left and Alex had to think a moment before remembering what they were talking about. ¡°Um, so my mother at college, if you don¡¯t mind. I really want to know more about her.¡± ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t mind. At first Angela seemed like a very shy bookworm type of girl. She was sweet and helpful around the dorm. She even helped me with some of my homework a few times. However one day she was suddenly completely different. She started dressing in revealing clothes and hardly went to class. We got in several arguments because she would no longer clean up after herself. She was staying out later and later. She came in with a rich looking guy a few times, I can¡¯t remember his name. He looked like he absolutely worshipped her. He was extremely rude to me but he did whatever she asked him to. I couldn¡¯t believe how much she had changed and it was odd how much the guy seemed to be obsessed with her. It wasn¡¯t long until I was invited to the wedding. After that she quit school and I didn¡¯t see her again.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Midway through her story the food had arrived and she had paused to say thanks and started to eat and talk. Alex had listened carefully as he nibbled on the muffin. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what else I could tell you. She really didn¡¯t talk to me much at all once she changed. The few talks we had were mostly arguing about her not cleaning. I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you more.¡± ¡°No, I really appreciate all you told me. Thanks so much for meeting me.¡± He said. The waiter saw Alex motion toward him and came over to take care of the bill. Once finished Alex stood. ¡°You take care of yourself, ok.¡± Mary said with a smile and a wave. He smiled and nodded and grabbed his luggage. As he walked out he called a taxi and was soon on the way back to the train station. The servants welcomed him back when he got home and he ate a quick lunch before going to his room. He laid down on the bed, mulling over everything he had learned. ¡°Was my mother also possessed by a demon?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the most likely explanation, unless she suddenly got multiple personalities. Then again, most of those are just demon possessions anyway.¡± Zeltis answered. ¡°She had a child while possessed? Does that happen often?¡± ¡°I believe she did and no, it doesn¡¯t happen often. It does explain your resistance to me and your powers though.¡± Zeltis said, not trying to hide it anymore. Alex would find out eventually anyway. ¡°Powers, but I don¡¯t think I really¡­¡± ¡°You do. The healing is because of me, but you obviously are an incubus based on what I have seen.¡± Zeltis interrupted and continued while Alex was sputtering in confusion. ¡°You can charm women and control people through speech. The one who inhabited your mother was most likely a succubus. They devour life essence, usually from the opposite sex, though some like the same sex. Somehow you gained some of her powers.¡± ¡°But how, she was only possessing the body how would I inherit her powers?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of a human born in similar circumstances gaining powers like you have. Either you or your mother might have had some special power.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so confused. What other powers does an Incubus have and do they also need to devour life essence?¡± ¡°An Incubus is the male version of a succubus so they do also devour essence, but they have a few other powers that a succubus doesn¡¯t have. Incubus¡¯ can manipulate dreams and illusions and they use those skills to get their prey.¡± ¡°But why are these powers only starting to show up now?¡± ¡°Well first of all it might be partly due to puberty. Second it also might have to do with my sudden appearance. I might have triggered your latent demon side.¡± ¡°Wow, I just have no idea what to say or do. This whole situation is so strange and unbelievable.¡± He covered he face with his hands and sighed. Zeltis had been surprised too after he had figured it out. Alex was definitely different and he had no idea how their coexistence would continue to be affected by Alex¡¯s strange existence. next- na --------------------------------- Author''s note This chapter did not want to be written. It''s been getting harder and harder to write the chapters and I was so disappointed at the lack of views of the previous chapter. I don''t know how long it will be before I write the next chapter. It could be longer than a month so don''t hold your breath. I really need to know if anyone has any ideas to improve this story cause obviously there is a reason why the views have been dropping with the newer chapters. I will soon get some good feedback, I hope for the first five chapters. I joined a critique group. It takes forever to get through but I should get some really in depth crit once I do. I will probably re-write those chapters based on the feedback before writing more. So keep a look out and tell me what you think once I do re-write them. Any other advice or thoughts are very welcome. Chapter Eighteen The two didn¡¯t talk much as the hours passed. Zeltis had no idea how their coexistence would continue to affect Alex. Zeltis continued to let his thoughts drift as he observed Alex wander through the rest of the day. Alex had written his report and ate dinner before spending the rest of the time on the computer. When Zeltis took over he decided to walk for a bit and let the march wind clear his head before searching for a target. The noise of traffic and bustling crowds were a good distraction as Zeltis made his way downtown. He wasn¡¯t paying much attention when a small figure tripped and fell, knocking into him. Zeltis quickly gained his balance and reached to grab the person by the shoulders. He noticed the dainty feminine figure before recognizing the riotous dark curls on her head. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. My hands were full and I wasn¡¯t watching where I was¡­¡± she trailed off as her large eyes met his. ¡°Oh Al..wait, who are you?¡± She interrupted herself her green eyes serious as they studied him. ¡°Does she realize it¡¯s not me somehow?¡±Alex chimed in. Zeltis had been about to pretend ignorance but knew Alex was right. He sighed, ¡°It¡¯s a bit crowded to talk here why don¡¯t we find somewhere we can talk in private?¡± Her mouth tightened but she nodded and followed him. They walked a few blocks until they came to a quiet out of the way cafe. Zeltis held the door for her and she entered. A server led them to a quiet table near the back and they ordered some drinks. Summer dropped her bags to the floor under the table after she sat and looked at him curiously. ¡°You obviously noticed I¡¯m not who I appear to be,¡± Zeltis said after taking a sip and clearing his throat. ¡°Your appearance and aura are different. Are you related to Alex?¡± ¡°I suppose you could say we''re related, in a way.¡± Zeltis¡¯ brow raised, ¡°you can see my long silver hair and red eyes?¡± Her brows wrinkled and he smiled at her confusion. ¡°Most people aren¡¯t able to see it or wouldn¡¯t people be staring at me?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it.¡± ¡°You mentioned seeing ghosts before so you must be sensitive to the supernatural.¡± Zeltis covered his mouth shocked he had revealed that. She frowned, ¡°Did Alex tell you?¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t make her hate me!¡±Alex yelled internally ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t know why I said that.¡± He smacked his forehead. Zeltis raised his hands, ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. I didn¡¯t want to say anything but now that I have tripped over my tongue, I will explain.¡± He paused and took a sip as he gathered what he wanted to say. ¡°Tell her the truth. I trust her.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually trust anyone,¡±Zeltis answered and sighed. He leaned a bit closer so he wouldn¡¯t be overheard. ¡°I¡¯m actually possessing Alex¡¯s body.¡± Her eyes widened and she gasped before her brows furrowed. ¡°Wait, before you get angry Alex is fine. He is actually aware of everything and can hear what we are saying.¡± Her brow rose and she sat back crossing her arms in front of her chest. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can believe you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I can prove I¡¯m telling the truth¡­¡± The bell jangled as more customers entered the cafe. Zeltis glanced that way and his eyes met those of Lei Ling. Lei Ling was with two other young men. Lei Ling¡¯s eyes widened and he grimaced before rushing toward Zeltis. ¡°Damn!¡± Zeltis yelled and jumped up. He grabbed Summer by the arm and stepped away just as Lei Ling crashed into their table. People yelled and the nearby waiter tried to grab Lei Ling by the arm. Zeltis took the chance to rush toward the door but the two who had come with Lei Ling blocked his escape. He kicked one in the shin and shoved the other aside before dragging summer out the door. The young man he shoved managed to fire a spell in their direction and Summer yelled in pain as it hit her from behind. ¡°Summer!¡±Alex cried. Zeltis grabbed her collapsing form and carried her as he ran. He turned through an alley and into another street. Then the crowd swallowed him. He carried her to Alex¡¯s house as quickly as he could. He rang the bell since he couldn¡¯t easily get his keys and Craig¡¯s surprised face welcomed him into the house. ¡°Young master should I call the ambulance?¡± Craig asked after shutting the door behind them. ¡°Bring a first aid kit for now,¡± Zeltis said, breathing a little harder than he expected. Zeltis carried her into the room Alex had used when in the wheelchair. He laid her down and she moaned but didn¡¯t open her eyes. He turned her gently onto her stomach and let a breath out in relief when she didn¡¯t have a visible wound. ¡°Why did you relax? She got knocked unconscious so it might have damaged her somewhere we can¡¯t see.¡±Alex said. There was a knock at the door and Zeltis went to take the first aid box Craig offered him.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Should I help you, young master,¡± Craig said, his eyes trying to peer around the open door to see inside. ¡°No thank you. I think she¡¯ll be alright.¡± Craig¡¯s brows wrinkled slightly but he nodded and left. Zeltis shut the door and placed the first aid box on the nightstand. ¡°I relaxed because the spell was likely one that only targets demons and spiritual entities. It gave her spirit a little shock but it shouldn¡¯t have injured her. She should wake up soon.¡± ¡°Thanks goodness. But we sure made a mess and you weren¡¯t wearing the mask either.¡± Zeltis moved to make Summer more comfortable and draped a cover over her. ¡°Yeah they might come after either of us now and we didn¡¯t pay our bill either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget we had to leave Summers groceries there too.¡±Alex sighed.¡°She probably won¡¯t be happy about all this. I hope she won¡¯t hate me now.¡± ¡°I doubt she would hate you,¡± Zeltis sat on a chair next to the bed. ¡°I won¡¯t hate you,¡± Summer¡¯s weak voice said as her eyes fluttered open. Zelti smiled, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you awake. I don¡¯t think the spell that hit you injured your body, But I could try a healing spell to make sure if you like?¡± She turned her head toward him, ¡°I¡¯m still not sure I can trust you, but a healing spell sounds too cool, so if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± Alex laughed,¡°That¡¯s just like Summer. She cares more about learning about spells than worrying you might hurt her.¡± Zeltis chuckled and leaned toward her. His hands started to to glow a soft golden color as he waved them over her reclining form. ¡°It kind of tickles and feels warm at the same time. It¡¯s nice,¡± She said when the glow faded. ¡°I¡¯m glad I could be of service.¡± She looked around the room, ¡°Where am I anyway?¡± ¡°Sorry, I rushed you into Alex¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t know where else to take you. A hospital wouldn¡¯t have known how to help and even if I did know where you lived¡­¡± He shrugged. ¡°Explaining all this would have been a little awkward to say the least so it makes sense for you to bring me here. I get it. What I don¡¯t understand is what actually happened. Not only do I find out Alex is possessed, but as soon as that guy saw you he attacked. It was strange to say the least.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The short version is that I came upon Alex after his accident. He most likely would have died if I hadn¡¯t helped so I made a deal. I get to borrow his body at night. The one who attacked me was probably an exorcist. He likely saw my true appearance and attacked.¡± ¡°I feel like you left a lot out of that explanation, like why you need Alex¡¯s body?¡± Her eyes held suspicion and disapproval as they studied him. ¡°It is an agreement between us so you don¡¯t need to know. He will be back to his normal self once I relinquish control.¡± Her face lit up, ¡°Does that mean you could let him come back now?¡± Zeltis sputtered, ¡°Clever. Yes, I can do that.¡± ¡°I would appreciate that too Zeltis. I know you didn¡¯t get to hunt but with those exorcists out looking for you¡­¡±Alex said. ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±Zeltis got comfortable in the chair and closed his eyes. He let control go and slid back so that Alex could take over. Alex opened his eyes and they could both see Summer¡¯s round eyes and open mouth as she gaped at him. ¡°Wow the hair and eyes seemed to melt away. So cool,¡± she finally breathed out. Alex laughed and blushed pulling a hand through his hair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got pulled into all this mess. You could have gotten seriously hurt.¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m sure it¡¯s Alex,¡± She laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m actually glad. You know the supernatural fascinates me and now I¡¯m getting to see it in person. It¡¯s awesome!¡± ¡°I should have known a little danger wouldn¡¯t deter you. Still I¡¯m sorry about your things.¡± She waved her hand in dismissal as she sat up. She moved carefully, checking her body before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s not too bad. I can get some more. It¡¯s inconvenient but the nearby store is open all night.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get it in the morning?¡± He tilted his head to the side. ¡°My parents are away on a trip and won¡¯t get back until the morning so I was buying my dinner.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t let you go home to an empty house and I¡¯m sure my cook wouldn¡¯t mind making something.¡± ¡°We barely know each other and now you''re asking me to spend the night?¡± She raised a brow and covered her chest, but at his shocked look she relaxed with a laugh. ¡°You seriously don¡¯t get sarcasm do you?¡± He coughed and looked away his cheeks red as tomatoes. ¡°Come on don¡¯t tease me. I told you humor sometimes goes over my head. Anyway you can stay here for tonight. My room is upstairs. I have a live in butler, maid, and cook if you need anything. So, um I will get you something to eat,¡± he got quieter as he tripped over his words. ¡°Oh come on do you have to be so nervous around her. She¡¯s your friend isn¡¯t she. Get it together,¡±Zeltis commented with a sigh. Alex stood,¡°Yeah, yeah but I¡¯m just not used to having a girl in my house ok. Give me a break.¡± He smiled shakily, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Then shuffled out the door shutting it behind him before she could say anything else. When he returned with the food he sat down again so they could talk. He liked talking to her. She was so bubbly it made him more cheerful being around her. She kept glancing at him as she took a few bites, ¡°So based on what you implied Zeltis is a demon?¡± ¡°Oh yeah, but he only hunts other demons. Demons come from another realm in spirit form so they need to borrow a body to stay here. Defeating demons lets Zeltis gain power.¡± ¡°Do you need to tell her so much?¡±Zeltis complained. ¡°That is the bare minimum to let her get enough understanding. Your explanation was lacking too much.¡±Alex returned. ¡°Are you talking to Zeltis when you get that distant look sometimes?¡± Summer asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize I was so obvious, but yes. We can speak in my mind. I thought I was crazy at first, but now I¡¯m getting used to it.¡± Alex laughed and shifted in his chair. ¡°I guess that would be a little strange at first but it sounds super cool. So you have been going out every night to hunt demons?¡± ¡°Basically, but I am just an observer. Zeltis is the one actually doing everything. It is even more strange than telepathy to be aware but unable to control your own body. I thought it was all a dream for a while.¡± ¡°I understand. This all seems unreal. But I can¡¯t help feeling excited that all the supernatural stuff I¡¯m interested in is actually real.¡± ¡°Being real though, means that it''s also dangerous. Wewerejust attacked.¡± She glanced away and shivered a bit, ¡°Yeah, that was a little scary.¡± She finished eating and Alex took her tray to the kitchen. He came back with some pajamas he borrowed from the maid. He stood outside the room while she changed. ¡°I don¡¯t have my uniform though,¡± Summer said as she opened the door. ¡°I can drive you home on my bike early tomorrow and we can go together to school from there.¡± ¡°That sounds good. Thanks Alex. Oh and Zeltis too,¡± She giggled. ¡°I almost forgot that he was also listening in.¡± ¡°How can you forget my presence. I resent that,¡±Zeltis said in a joking tone. Alex laughed, ¡°Zeltis felt we forgot about him and was complaining. I¡¯m glad I can talk to someone other than Zeltis about all this. It¡¯s a little daunting all by myself.¡± ¡°No problem. I finally get to experience stuff I only dreamed about. Good night Alex, and Zeltis.¡± ¡°Good night Summer.¡± Alex said and Zeltis grunted from inside. Chapter Nineteen Summer was a little disoriented waking in a strange room. Then her head cleared remembering last night. She still couldn¡¯t believe it. Alex was sharing his body with a demon. Her excitement though, was overruling her worry for him. The supernatural had fascinated her for too long to dwell on the negatives. She dressed in her clothes from the night before and heard a light rap on the door. She opened it to see a stately older gentlemen in a tailcoat. He smiled at her gently. ¡°I¡¯m Craig, the butler here. Alex is waiting for you in the dining room so if you would follow me I will lead you there.¡± She grinned and nodded thinking his formality was a little funny, but not saying anything. Her family was well off but they didn¡¯t hire servants. They all did the housework themselves so it was a new experience to be waited on. Alex stood as she entered, ¡°Good morning Summer. Did you sleep well?¡± ¡°Yep, no problems,¡± She moved to the table where Craig held out a chair for her, ¡°thanks.¡± Craig politely excused himself and left them alone, but Summer saw two women peaking at them from around the kitchen door. One was older, wearing a chef hat and apron and the younger one in a maid outfit. When they saw her looking they twittered and hid themselves again. Their antics made her smile a bit. ¡°Is something up?¡± Alex asked her a brow raised. How could he be so oblivious. She sighed and laughed, ¡°No nothing. Let¡¯s hurry and eat so we have time to get to my house before school. I don¡¯t want to be late.¡± Alex shrugged and started eating. The food was great. French toast with sausage and scrambled eggs. She couldn¡¯t believe how fluffy the eggs were and lost herself in eating. Alex laughed, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it.¡± She blushed a bit and hurried to finish what she was chewing, ¡°Yeah, it tastes amazing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to tell Mary. I¡¯m sure she would like to hear how much you liked her cooking.¡± In the garage Summer looked at her skirt and the bike dubiously. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to ride this in a skirt, and to be honest I¡¯m a little scared. I¡¯ve never ridden on a motorcycle before.¡± ¡°Shoot I forgot you were wearing a skirt." He studied her outfit a moment, "It¡¯s long enough that it shouldn¡¯t ride up too much even if you sit facing the front. But if it bothers you, you could try riding sideways, or I could go back in and borrow some pants?¡± He ran a hand through his hair looking unsure. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I would feel safer if I face forward. I can arrange the skirt like pants if I do it right, but take it easy with the speed, ok.¡± ¡°Sure. you can even wear my helmet.¡± He handed her a sleek black and red helmet. ¡°What about you?¡± She took it. It was a bit big but the chin strap held in on well enough. ¡°I don¡¯t wear it that often. I¡¯ll go a bit slower and be careful, I promise. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± His words didn¡¯t make her less nervous, but she was soon enjoying the ride. The speed was awesome and they zipped along so smoothly that she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. It was a little embarrassing to have her arms around his waist but she soon forgot about that as well. The bike rumbling beneath them and the wind whipping around made talking impossible. So she had to direct him by nudging and pointing. When they got there Summer saw that her parents car wasn¡¯t there. At least she wouldn¡¯t have to explain why she had come home on a motorcycle with a boy. She left the helmet with Alex and ran in. Luckily her door opened with a code or she might not have been able to get in since her purse got left behind last night. It was later than she liked so she hurried to her room and changed. The uniform skirt was a lot shorter than the one she had been wearing. So she grabbed her gym pants and put those on underneath the skirt and wore the jersey top like a jacket. She grabbed her backpack shutting the door behind her. The traffic was starting to get worse but the bike made it easy to get through. It didn¡¯t take long before the school came into view. Alex didn¡¯t go toward the front lot though, but the back. Summer realised he must want to avoid others for her sake. It was great that he was so considerate but she wondered if it mattered at this point. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Alex let her off in a secluded area as close as possible. She smiled as she handed him the helmet and he hung it from his hand and drove off to park. She went through the grass and into the school, quickly swallowed in a sea of other students entering. Being shorter made it easier to get swarmed, but she was adept at slinking through, and getting where she needed to be. She soon arrived at her locker and grabbed only what she needed before heading off to class. It was science class and her seat partner hadn¡¯t arrived yet. He didn¡¯t speak to her more than necessary. It was fine with her. It was better than someone who made the class difficult by teasing or bullying her. Summer sat down and watched the people milling about. Veronica breezed in, her long chestnut ponytail swaying as she moved. Their eyes met and Veronica¡¯s blue eyes widened. Veronica hurried over weaving easily through the desks and other students. Summer glanced around wondering why Veronica was coming over. They had talked a few times but weren¡¯t exactly friends. ¡°There¡¯s only a few minutes before class can you talk to me after?¡± Veronica whispered urgently as soon as she was close enough. Summer nodded without thinking and Veronica moved to her seat in class. It was a struggle to concentrate as Summer kept wondering what Veronica might want to talk to her about. Was she like the others and get angry she saw me with Alex? The moment class was over Veronica was there. Without giving Summer a chance to think she linked arms with her,and walked out of the room and down the hall. Veronica¡¯s tall lithe frame made swift progress through the crowd. They reached an exit and exited out into a courtyard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to be so forceful but I felt like I needed to talk to you right away. What in the world happened?¡± Veronica spun toward her and Summer almost ran right into her as the door shut behind her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Summer asked having no clue what Veronica might be referring to. ¡°Your aura is practically glowing. It wasn¡¯t like that last week.¡± ¡°My aura?¡± Veronica sighed, ¡°I had no idea that you wouldn¡¯t know. I guess I should back up and explain but I am not sure we have enough time before the next class.¡± ¡°Wait a minute. What in the world are we even talking about and sorry, but why is it any of your business?¡± Summer hated sounding rude but she was getting a little exasperated. ¡°Please, this is important. I have some ability to sense things and sometimes I get glimpses of the future. For a long time I have been seeing glimpses of both you and Alexander Kent. I know something important is going on and both of you will be part of it.¡± Summer looked closer at Veronica in surprise, ¡°You can see the future!¡± She clapped her hands almost dancing. ¡°I know you said only glimpses and it doesn¡¯t sound reliable but it still sounds super cool!¡± Veronica giggled her blue-gray eyes sparkling, ¡°You seem pretty cool with all this strange stuff. A lot of people wouldn¡¯t have believed me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve had a similar problem myself since I sometimes see ghosts.¡± Her hand whipped up to cover her mouth and her eyes widened. ¡°Hey don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t say anything. I told you I see visions so we aren¡¯t that different.¡± Veronica raised her delicate hands as if to supplicate Summer. Summer sighed her shoulders drooping in relief. ¡°It¡¯s almost a conditioned reflex to get worried when I mention seeing ghosts. I lost a lot of friends that way.¡± The ringing of the bell interrupted them. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to explain about your aura so please meet with me later.¡± ¡°Well I usually eat with Alex at lunch and I am sure he will want to hear what you have to say. You don¡¯t have lunch with us so I will talk to him about this and see what he thinks and we can meet you after school.¡± ¡°I understand. See you later,¡± Veronica smiled and spun around to open the door. I wish I was that graceful. I swear I¡¯ve tripped over my own feet more times than I can count and she looks like a ballerina when she walks. Summer huffed and made her own way in and to her next class. *** Summer bit her nails as she paced back and forth in the courtyard, her lunch box clasped in her other hand. She jumped a little when Alex finally came out. She rushed forward to intercept him and his eyes widened at her sudden appearance. Without waiting for him to say anything she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along with her. She moved them to a hidden corner she had found earlier before stopping. ¡°What in the world?¡± Alex said. ¡°Veronica has special abilities and sensed something about us in the future. She said my aura is stronger and how she can see the future. She wants to talk to us.¡± Summer blurted out. ¡°Woah, slow down ok. I could barely follow all that.¡± He said then smacked his head. ¡°Zeltis just informed me that he had also noticed your aura was stronger but didn¡¯t bother to mention it. He doesn¡¯t seem to know what it might mean though.¡± ¡°Sorry. I was a little excited about finding someone else with powers. Do you think we will become like a superhero team?¡± She bounced in excitement. ¡°You watch too many movies. She could just as easily be an enemy.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that. I was cautious at first but¡­¡± she twisted her hands nervously. ¡°It¡¯s ok. It sounds like she might have known about me from a while back and hasn¡¯t said anything yet, but we can¡¯t be sure. Will she meet us after school?¡± ¡°Yeah that¡¯s what she said.¡± They ate and both went their separate ways back to class agreeing to meet in the same place later. Summer suffered impatiently through the rest of the day. Then went shooting off to find Veronica so she could show her to the meeting place with Alex. Chapter Twenty ¡°Summer is bad enough but now you want to bring in someone else?¡± Zeltis complained. Alex was leaning against the wall as he waited, ¡°Apparently she already knows about us. Isn¡¯t it better to find out exactly what she knows and what her goals are?¡± ¡°That¡¯s clever of you. You¡¯re learning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid, though I might have been a bit naive.¡± ¡°A bit?¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t laugh and tease me like that.¡± Alex grumbled and crossed his arms but straightened as the girls came toward them. Veronica swooped in looking around them with a critical eye. Alex had seen Veronica serious, but her expression this time was on a different level. Veronica was lacking her usual ready smile and easygoing attitude. Even Summer was looking a little hesitant. He couldn¡¯t blame her with the tense atmosphere. ¡°I have an ability that will allow us to talk telepathically,¡± Veronica said. She looked at Alex like she was looking right through him. It would allow the demon to join the conversation, but first I want to check if you¡¯re corrupted.¡± "His name is Zeltis," Alex corrected. Veronica bowed her head briefly, "Zeltis it is then." Zeltis scoffed in his mind, "looking down on people," he muttered. Veronica walked closer and took Alex''s hands in hers, closing her eyes. Summer moved out of the way and Alex closed his eyes, unsure of what was going to happen. A warm tingling started from where their hands joined. The sensation moved slowly through Alex''s body. Alex could sense Zeltis¡¯ discomfort but Zeltis didn¡¯t complain or seem to be in pain. After a few moments the sensation left and Veronica let go of his hands. Alex opened his eyes. He saw Summer was waiting at the side with a worried look, but they both relaxed a bit when Veronica smiled. ¡°I¡¯m amazed. Your soul is almost glowing with strength. You are much stronger and purer than I expected even as a normal human. I¡¯ve never seen something like that before.¡± ¡°So Zeltis isn''t corrupting him?¡± Summer asked. Veronica shook her head, her long chestnut hair swaying, ¡°Absolutely not. I could sense Zeltis, but you two seem to be in a completely symbiotic relationship. Helping each other get stronger rather than one feeding off the other like it is usually with demons.¡± Summer sighed, ¡°I am so relieved. I don¡¯t know much about demons, but being possessed didn¡¯t sound good.¡± ¡°It usually isn¡¯t.¡± Veronica looked around again. ¡°This courtyard is decently hidden, but I would like to find a place where we could sit and talk in comfort.¡± ¡°We could go to my house. Only my three servants are usually there. Though if my father shows up it might get uncomfortable,¡± Alex said running his hand through his hair. ¡°Also, I could only carry one of you on my bike.¡± ¡°Actually I have an apartment within walking distance. My family lives in the countryside so they set me up so I would be close to my school,¡± Veronica said. Alex was a little surprised she lived alone, but in this case it would be convenient, ¡°that sounds great.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to call and tell my sister not to come yet,¡± Summer said pulling out her phone as they walked. Veronica gave Summer her address so that Summer¡¯s sister could pick her up later. The apartment was simple and modern but Veronica¡¯s room was homey and welcoming. They gathered in the living area while Veronica brought them some drinks and snacks. ¡°I¡¯m sure you have a lot of questions so let me set up the spell so we can talk privately and also hear Zeltis. Even though I have a shield in place to prevent spying and more, I still like to be careful. Veronica placed some crystals on the coffee table in a star formation, and started speaking words in another language. Her hands moved, making different shapes. The crystals started to glow and the air vibrated as if there was a heat haze forming. Veronica''s chanting stopped and the air cleared. Alex''s skin tingled slightly but he didn''t notice anything else that was odd. Veronica relaxed back into her seat. And without opening her mouth she said, ¡°Ok, now you can talk by thinking what you want to say. Alex is probably used to it right?¡± ¡°I''m used to Zeltis, but it¡¯s different having a new voice echoing in my head.¡± Alex said smoothly as he took a drink with a small smile. ¡°Wow I can hear both of you in my head!¡± Summer¡¯s mental voice made the others wince. ¡°Tone it down!¡± Zeltis ordered. ¡°Yes that was a bit too loud. You don¡¯t have to try so hard. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get used to it.¡± Veronica said kindly so Zeltis¡¯ comment wouldn¡¯t make Summer feel bad. ¡°Oh wow I can hear Zeltis! He sounds so different in my head. He kind of has a sexy voice.¡± Summer said, blushing a bit. Alex sputtered out his drink and Veronica giggled. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t have to worry about how blunt Zeltis was,¡± Veronica grinned ruefully. ¡°Enough with the chit chat kids. We came here for a reason not for a playdate.¡± Zeltis broke in. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not a kid.¡± Summer complained pouting and crossing her arms. Veronica straightened ignoring Summers comment, ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m sure Alex and Summer might have wondered how the supernatural world has remained hidden for so long.¡± ¡°Well, most people can¡¯t even see it though, right?¡± Summer said. ¡°I am sure there are others like Summer and Veronica out there who can see it,¡± Alex added. ¡°Alex is right. There are actually a lot of people who are sensitive enough to be able to see or at least sense such things.¡± Veronica looked at each of them. ¡°My family all have the ability to some degree along with many of them having other powers and abilities. My family aren¡¯t the only ones.¡± ¡°I could have told you that. It¡¯s obvious people able to would monitor the supernatural and make sure it stays safe and hidden.¡± Zeltis said. ¡°We actually came across an exorcist recently so I¡¯m not too surprised but is the government part of it too?¡± Alex wondered. ¡°As if the government wouldn¡¯t stick it¡¯s nose in,¡± Zeltis snorted. ¡°There are more groups than you think. The government has a section that deals with the supernatural. My family have often run into them when our missions intersect. They act like they are in charge and direct others like my family. But many groups refuse to be under the government''s thumb. Some are mafia groups that fight the government. Many of those are actually run by demons so it¡¯s not surprising they would oppose those in power.¡± Veronica explained. ¡°Run by demons? But if you know that how can they continue without being stopped?¡± Summer swallowed hard after taking a bite of her cookie. ¡°The weaker ones like to hide and are hard to weed out. But the stronger ones have so many demon¡¯s under them that it¡¯s almost impossible to get to them either. It¡¯s a constant battle,¡± Veronica sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. ¡°Why would the demon¡¯s work together? Wouldn¡¯t they want to fight each other to take their yoki?¡± Alex asked. Zeltis laughed, ¡°Because many are cowards who feed of the leavings of the more powerful.¡± ¡°What does he mean?¡± Summer¡¯s brow rose and petite nose crinkled. ¡°They feel stronger having others helping them and less scared if they have a powerful leader. They band together to hunt rival groups instead of feeding on each other. Though I¡¯m sure betrayal happens often.¡± Veronica explained. ¡°What I want to know is exactly what Veronica saw that made you talk to us rather than turn us in.¡± Zeltis said. Veronica nodded, ¡°Of course. It wasn¡¯t long after Alex came back to school,, that I noticed he might be possessed. But when I brushed against him I had a vision. It was disjointed but I saw Alex in full demon form with Summer beside him. I was there along with another boy our age who I didn¡¯t recognize. We were all fighting against a powerful demon.¡± ¡°What did the demon look like?¡± Zeltis demanded. Veronica shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, all I could see was a large shadow with wings and horns.¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Do all demons have wings and horns?¡± Summer butted in. Zeltis groaned, ¡°No. I don¡¯t have wings. Though, I might get them if I reach archdemon. Many demons have one and not the other or don¡¯t have either.¡± ¡°Yeah the snow woman we saw didn¡¯t have horns, wings, or a tail.¡± Alex added. ¡°Ooh you saw a snow woman. I wish I could have seen her. Was she pretty?¡± Summer¡¯s green eyes sparkled. ¡°I guess she was pretty.¡± Alex gave a lopsided smile and a shrug. ¡°We¡¯re getting off topic again,¡° Zeltis sighed. ¡°So you saw us all working together in a vision, now what? You want us to play nice and work together? I don¡¯t have time to babysit kids. I have my own goals. You would only get in the way.¡± ¡°I understand, and there is no guarantee my vision will even come true. It is just one of many possible futures. But it was enough to show me that Zeltis was not one of the bad guys. Today my main goal was to talk to Summer since her powers have awoken.¡± Veronica said with a small smile at Summer. ¡°Powers!?¡± Alex and Summer said almost at the same time, both bursting out loud. Summer slapped her hand over her mouth and Alex apologized as he blushed. ¡°I have powers?¡± Summer finally managed to say almost bouncing in her seat. She kept her hand over her mouth so she wouldn''t talk out loud again. ¡°Did you know about this Zeltis?¡± Alex said a little accusingly. ¡°Don¡¯t get snippy with me. She was already sensitive so when the spell hit her it enabled her to access the magic she already had. I would have said something if it was dangerous. She couldn¡¯t do anything with it without training anyway.¡± Zeltis growled. ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I contacted you. Summer¡¯s magic is like what we learn in my family so I can teach her how to use it. It can actually cause problems now that she¡¯s awoken if she doesn¡¯t learn to control it,¡± Veronica stated. ¡°See, that sounds dangerous, ¡° Alex said. Zeltis snorted. ¡°I can learn to use magic. That is totally awesome! When can we start?¡± Summer bounced so hard on the couch Veronica almost spilled her drink. ¡°Sorry,¡± Summer blushed and stopped. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I understand why you''re excited, but learning the spells is hard work.¡± Veronica said with a stern gaze at Summer. Summer saluted with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m ok with that.¡± ¡°Hey don¡¯t get too happy. Won¡¯t you need things from you family to teach her? If they get involved they might come after me despite any ¡®visions¡¯ you might have had.¡± Zeltis said. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can introduce Summer without mentioning the two of you. I also have most of what I need to start teaching here, so introducing her could wait for a while.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right Zeltis. Summer needs a teacher and as long as they¡¯re careful Veronica¡¯s family shouldn¡¯t find out about you,¡± Alex said. ¡°You¡¯re too trusting. I will let it go for now, but if either of you leak out about me and I find out about it, being friends with Alex won¡¯t matter. I will kill you.¡± Summer¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Veronica bowed her head towards Alex, ¡°I swear I will do everything I can to make sure you stay hidden as long as I can.¡± Summer looked at Veronica and also bowed her head, ¡°Me too. I promise I won¡¯t say a word about you.¡± Alex could swear he could feel Zeltis roll his eyes, ¡°You make sure you both keep your word. That was all, yes?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in such a rush. I would love to know more.¡± Alex tried to persuade Zeltis. ¡°It¡¯s ok. I can give you more information whenever you need it,¡± Veronica said. ¡°The telepathy spell only works in here so we won¡¯t be able to hear you once you leave.¡± ¡°Thanks so much Veronica. It¡¯s a relief to know a bit more. I¡¯ve been fumbling in the dark with what little Zeltis is willing to share. I don¡¯t think he knows much about the families and organizations in the human world anyway. I¡¯m glad you talked to us and agreed to keep my secret.¡± Alex smiled as he rose from the chair. Summer was about to get up too, but Alex shook his head, ¡°you should stay here and learn what you can until you get picked up.¡± ¡°Ok,¡± Summer smiled, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Alex bowed his head slightly and turned to leave. ¡°Be careful, ok. There are groups out there who will notice if you keep hunting in the area.¡± Veronica said. Alex looked back over his shoulder, ¡°Thanks.¡± Then left, shutting the door behind him. *** Alex returned to the school and got his bike before riding toward home. Zeltis was quiet and it let Alex sink in his own thoughts. He passed the site where he had his accident before. It felt like such a long time ago despite it being only a little over a month now. Lost in his thoughts as he rounded the curve he almost didn¡¯t see the shadow that cut in front of him. Time seemed to slow down and with deft movements he was able to maneuver around the small animal in his way. Alex slowed and pulled over to the side, looking back with his heart still racing. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I avoided it,¡± Alex blurted out. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it either,¡± Zeltis said sounding strained. Alex¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion, ¡°Are you hiding something again?¡± ¡°Oh crap I forgot about the dojo!¡± Alex yelled, smacking his head in frustration. He waited for the traffic to clear and turned back towards downtown. He rushed to find a parking spot and slid into the door to see everyone standing ready to start class. Alex shoved his shoes in the box. He gave a quick bow before speeding past into the locker room and changing in record time. Mike gave him a stern look before starting the lesson. ¡°Why are you so late?¡± Chris whispered as they followed along. ¡°I had a meeting with someone and forgot about class,¡± Alex whispered back. With another angry look from Mike they stopped talking, and concentrated on the lesson. Alex was moving smoothly and not making any mistakes. His body felt so light and easy to move. ¡°Wow, your doing great.¡± Chris commented with a smile. They finished some more exercises, before moving toward the sparring side of the room. The students got in small groups to take turns using the punching bags hanging from the ceiling. There were three small ones and three of the longer ones hung near the wall. Alex wiped his sweat as he stepped up to take his turn, one of the teachers standing holding the bag ready for him. Alex took his stance and took a deep breath before his body snapped forward and he punched the bag. The bag was not only ripped away from the teacher but the chain yanked out of the ceiling. It flew back, slamming into the wall with a thud. Dust flew as the bag ruptured. After coughing while the dust cleared, everyone was staring with wide eyes at either Alex or the downed bag. Alex looked down at his fist, totally speechless. The teacher who got knocked back by the impact brushed himself off and came forward. Mike joined him, both looking at the broken bit on the ceiling. ¡°Maybe it was old?¡± the teacher said. Mike rubbed his chin with his hand, ¡°It shouldn''t be, but it could be faulty. Anyway we will need to get this cleaned up before we can do anything else.¡± The teachers had the students help clear out the damaged bag and sweep up the mess. It took a while but with everyone helping it didn''t take long to clean it up. ¡°I want to get the other bags checked before we use any of them again. So let''s split into two groups and do something else. One group will go back to the main floor and practice the forms, while the other groups does some weightlifting. The groups will switch after fifteen minutes.¡± Alex got separated from Chris, but was still so dazed he barely acknowledged it. Chris gave him a wave before moving to the weights. Despite his distraction Alex moved through the forms without problems. As they switched places Chris gave him a worried look but Alex shook his head and took a seat with some weights. One of the other students was his spotter as they took turns. Usually he started feeling the pain after a few reps with even the lightest weights. But this time he wasn¡¯t feeling any strain. ¡°You should move to the heavier ones. You probably got stronger, ¡° his spotter, a guy about college age, said. ¡°Yeah, maybe,¡± Alex said and went to grab a heavier weight. He grabbed one further down the row without thinking and walked back with it. ¡°Whoa man, are you sure you''re ok with that one?¡± the spotter asked rushing up in case Alex might drop the weight. ¡°Why it seems fine,¡± Alex said. He hadn¡¯t looked at it but it didn¡¯t feel much different to the other one. ¡°That one¡¯s fifty pounds!¡± Alex looked at the weight he had in his hand in surprise. He lifted it up and looked, and it really was fifty pounds. ¡°It seems fine, but I should go slow just in case?¡± He was a little unsure, but it didn''t feel that heavy. The spotter scratched his head, ¡°Uh, yeah sure. I will keep a look out for you, go ahead.¡± Alex did the sets, taking a rest when he spotted his partner. But he wasn''t sweating much and he wasn¡¯t even feeling tired. When they finished his partner smacked him on the back, his own shirt soaked in sweat. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re doing it, but you must be doing something right man. First you break down the bag and now your lifting such a heavy weight and you don¡¯t even look winded.¡± He shook his head with a grin and walked off as Chris came over. ¡°Class is over but I could see what you were doing from where I was. Your arms don¡¯t look any more muscular. What the heck is up?¡± Chris said as they walked toward the locker room. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Alex sputtered. He actually had some ideas. But he couldn¡¯t exactly tell Chris that he might be getting stronger because he was sharing his body with a demon. ¡°You better not. We have enough people who know about us already,¡± Zeltis broke into Alex¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I know ok.¡± Alex said. Alex started changing. Chris stared for a moment before he shrugged and also began changing. The brisk wind gave him goosebumps as he walked toward his bike despite his leather jacket. Alex wished he had his helmet but also felt the cold could help clear his head. ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble to go all the way back to your house so head to somewhere hidden so I can take over.¡± Alex sighed, ¡°I guess you haven¡¯t gotten to hunt for the last few nights so you must be feeling a bit antsy. But we didn¡¯t bring the mask again.¡± ¡°I have enough Yoki I can use a little to create a spell to disguise your face.¡± ¡°That sounds awesome, why didn¡¯t you use something like that before?¡± He drove the bike into a side street and passed through a row of apartments and stopped in the parking area behind. It was secluded and quiet, with only a few cars parked. There was even a handy bench next to a small park area meant for the residents. He turned off the bike and tried to get as comfortable as he could on the bench. ¡°I had never used a spell like that before. I never needed to. I¡¯d been thinking about it after the restaurant and was able to create the spell. We haven¡¯t had a chance to use it til now.¡± ¡°Oh yeah, won¡¯t the restaurant try to contact Summer since they must have found her bags? But if anyone goes there the exorcists might find us.¡± Zeltis sighed, ¡°So much trouble, but lets concentrate on one thing at a time. I need to hunt since I have had to use too much yoki recently. Who knows how much more I will need to use if things keep happening.¡± Alex didn¡¯t say anything else and leaned back on the bench with his feet extended. He let his chin droop down on his chest as he crossed his arms. The bench was hard and the cold bit into his exposed skin. But he was able to force himself drift off enough that Zeltis could take control. Chapter Twenty One ¡°How can something be so gross. It wasn¡¯t attractive in its human form, but now it looks like J**ba the H*t in mucus form or something.¡± Alex criticised. ¡°I would agree with you there,¡± Zeltis answered Alex¡¯s thoughts with telepathy. ¡°I¡¯m surprised something this ugly is actually a knight class demon.¡± ¡°Wow, really, but it doesn¡¯t seem to move much,¡± Alex said. Zeltis had taken over as soon as Alex had gone to sleep and they had left on the motorcycle, arriving at a landfill. The fat caretaker had come out soon after and Zeltis had started throwing spells at him. The spells either bounced off or fizzled out when they hit the man. With a gurgle the man had then transformed into the greenish slug-like form they saw now. ¡°If he is resistant to spells I¡¯ll have to use more physical means,¡± Zeltis said. And with a flick of his wrist, an ice sword formed in his hand. Zeltis rushed toward the slow moving glob and hit the thing on the head. Like jello the blob jiggled and shook as the sword bounced off. ¡°I want to hurl, that thing smells worse than it looks,¡± Alex complained. Suddenly a whip-like tentacle slashed out from the demonic slime and slammed into Zeltis¡¯ side. Zeltis flew and crashed into a nearby car breaking through the windshield. Zeltis sucked in air as he hissed and Alex cringed as the jagged bits of glass sliced bits of skin. Zeltis gingerly got back up, glaring at the blob who now looked looked like some kind of slime octopus with many waving tentacles. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to have a long range attack but it¡¯s defense is no joke,¡± Zeltis commented. ¡°It also isn¡¯t talking like the others, is it not sentient, or is it unable to talk in that form?¡± Alex wondered. Zeltis took a moment to observe the enemy who wiggled around without moving forward. ¡°Ha, who knows, it could be either or both. I don¡¯t care. I do care that my attacks don''t seem to be doing much to it,¡± Zeltis said. Zeltis jumped forward, to stab the creature in hopes that a piercing attack would work better than a slash. As soon as he got close he had to block the incoming tentacles that came at him from all sides. Growling in frustration, Zeltis lunged and ducked under and over the waving bits of slime. But had to jump back when the mucus-like substance landed on him, burning through his clothing and skin like acid. ¡°Well, dammit. It¡¯s more troublesome than it should be at knight level,¡± Zeltis said. He jumped back out of reach of the slimy tentacles. Zeltis turned suddenly. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Alex asked. Zeltis had sensed a presence and now the exorcist from before landed not far away.. ¡°You have got to be kidding me!¡± Zeltis yelled. ¡°That hurt! I know you''re frustrated, but take it easy on me. The smell alone is giving me a headache.¡± Alex whined. Without a word the exorcist drew his sword and jumped into the waving tentacles. He managed to get in close enough to stab it once and jump back before the tentacles could hit him. ¡°Wow he managed to hit that thing, maybe he will ignore us?¡± Alex asked. ¡°I doubt he will ignore us and you sounded way too impressed that he hit it once. I¡¯m sure I can do that much as well,¡± Zeltis said, a little petulant. The exorcist, Lei Ling, jumped back after missing his second attempt. He turned toward Zeltis and his eyes widened a moment. He moved closer and pointed his sword at Zeltis. ¡°You must be a demon as well. No human has such strange red eyes,¡± the young man said in a heavy accent. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change your eyes when you disguised my face?¡± Alex butted in.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. ¡°The red eyes refuse to be hidden so it was the only thing I couldn¡¯t change. Please don¡¯t interrupt.¡± ¡°Indeed I¡¯m a demon, but we obviously share an enemy,¡± Zeltis said. He leaned on the ice sword like a cane, appearing nonchalant as he pointed at the tentacled slime with a finger. The young man¡¯s eyed narrowed and he put the sword to Zeltis¡¯ neck. ¡°Are you suggesting we defeat that demon together? How could I trust another demon? The moment I¡¯m distracted you could stab me in the back.¡± Zeltis leaned back and used his hand to push the sword to the side. ¡°If we attack while flanking you¡¯ll always be able to keep me in sight and we¡¯ll be able to quickly finish the demon.¡± ¡°I see, but do you expect me to let you go afterwards; you still haven¡¯t told me who you are.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t told me your name either,¡± Zeltis pointed out. ¡°Don¡¯t we already know his name?¡± ¡°Of course but he doesn¡¯t need to know that,¡± Zeltis growled. ¡°I¡¯m Zeltis and after we defeat that demon, then we can battle. If I win you let me go, if you win you¡¯ll have a victory over a demon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lei ling,¡± the young man answered. ¡°It started moving toward you two!¡± Alex interrupted. Zeltis immediately turned to face the slime demon that was sliding forward. It would be in range in a few moments despite its slow progress. Seeing Zeltis move back, Lei Ling also moved back, still looking a little unsure. They landed on stacks of garbage out of range of the demon, but close enough they could still engage each other. Lei Ling stared back and forth between Zeltis and the slime demon before nodding. ¡°That thing is the larger danger at the moment so I¡¯ll agree to fight together for now. But the moment it¡¯s down we¡¯ll fight,¡± Lei Ling said in his stilted accent. Zeltis nodded and they both jumped down toward the slime with swords drawn. Zeltis took the right side and Lei Ling took the left. With them attacking together it split the creature¡¯s focus. They both landed a solid stab on the creature, jumping back before the tentacles could overwhelm them. They jumped in and both got a few hits, but the tentacles were getting faster. The two got hit several times before they could jump out again. After struggling against the slime for more than an hour Zeltis was sweating and covered in blood stains. At least his wounds healed quickly. The exorcist wasn¡¯t so lucky. Lei Ling was gasping. His wounds, continued to bleed, mixing with the sweat that streamed down his body. With the next attack Zeltis focused on one of the tentacles, slicing it repeatedly. The slimy tentacle fell with a splat on the ground, continuing to wiggle even after it was cut off. Zeltis frowned and noticed Alex cringe in disgust. Lei ling saw Zeltis¡¯ success and on the next run they both managed to cut off a tentacle each. The disgusting sounds the slime made were a strange background to the battle. The two hunters heavy breathing added to the noise as they cut off tentacles one after another. Finally they had sliced off all the tentacles and the slime demon glared at them balefully. With a nod the two jumped in together and continued to slash and stab at the creature. It began to blubber and gurgle at them in obvious pain, its eyes rolling and jumping between them. Every time a small protrusion started to pop out the two hunters would slice it off, and continue stabbing and slashing. The demon was becoming weaker and Lei Ling was keeping it busy, so Zeltis reached out with his hand. The slippery green goo burned as soon as his hand made contact but he grit his teeth and concentrated. Soon the yoki was flowing into him. Lei Ling was too busy fending off the growing tentacles to be able to do anything. Despite the distraction the slime continued to attack Zeltis. Zeltis had to use one hand covered in ice to keep the tentacles away as he absorbed the yoki. The growths slowed down until they stopped altogether, and the slime disintegrated. With a thud the limp human fell to the ground. Lei ling immediately turned toward Zeltis. Zeltis grinned as he gripped his burned hand that was slowly healing. He jumped back atop one of the piles of garbage. ¡°Wait, you agreed to battle me!¡± Lei ling said breathlessly, his legs shaking a bit. ¡°Do you think you could beat me in your condition?¡± Zeltis gave a little salute and jumped away as Lei Ling tried to follow, but collapsed. ¡°Didn''t you say demon''s can''t lie?" Zeltis shrugged, "I said we can fight not that we would, so I didn''t actually lie." "That wasn¡¯t exactly sporting to run away like that. But I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t kill him,¡± Alex said. Zeltis ran towards the bike they had left not too far away. ¡°Despite my healing I¡¯m probably more exhausted than him. He might have been able to defeat me if I stuck around. It actually takes a lot of my energy to heal.¡± ¡°Really? I had no idea. I¡¯m also surprised you would admit your weakness like that.¡± Zeltis grinned sardonically and started the bike before zooming away. Zeltis didn¡¯t know either why he revealed that. The boy was growing on him. He couldn¡¯t believe he could become so fond of a human. He had to laugh at that and he could feel Alex¡¯s curiosity through their bond. Zeltis couldn¡¯t let himself be distracted. He needed a lot of Yoki if he wanted to get revenge. He was still a long way away from his father¡¯s level of power. Playing it safe with these weaker demon¡¯s wasn¡¯t going to give him the power he needed fast enough. While he was here, his father most likely continued to gather power as well. It was faster and easier to gather it here since the demon¡¯s powers were so limited in this realm. But at this rate he would never even catch up, nevertheless surpass his father. He had to start battling stronger opponents. Still, if a Knight could give him so much trouble; he wondered whether he could fight a duke, count, or even a baron. Chapter Twenty Two Zeltis made sure to return Alex¡¯s face to normal once they got far enough away. They were both quiet as they made their way home. There were few people out as they got closer to home and it felt eerily silent, but the street lights brightened up the gloomy darkness. Zeltis parked in the garage and went in through the kitchen. He froze as soon as he entered the living room and saw the group of people waiting there. The servants were nervously standing to one side as Alex¡¯s father and two police officers stood from their seats as soon as Alex walked in. ¡°This does not look good,¡± Alex commented sending out waves of anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s about time you got home. These officers have informed me that you''ve gotten into a some trouble,¡± David said. His voice was carefully neutral, but his hands were in tight fists that spoke of his agitation. ¡°You are Alexander Kent, correct?¡± The taller officer with graying hair spoke. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Zeltis said and moved further into the room. ¡°Please be polite,¡± Alex begged. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Zeltis answered and Alex groaned. ¡°We have received a few reports regarding you, so if you could explain the details.¡± The other, younger officer said. He motioned Alex to sit on the chair next to David, while the two officers sat on the couch. Zeltis sat down catching a warning glare from David. ¡°He is totally pissed so be careful,¡± Alex warned. ¡°We received a report of a dine and dash along with a brief altercation at the nearby cafe. We also received reports of underage drinking at the club and your card came up in the searches. So we want to find out more about what happened,¡± The older officer continued calm but stern in his tone. ¡°Ah both incidents are a bit of a misunderstanding. As for the club I didn¡¯t think I would be allowed in but when they let me I was too curious not to go in. I did get a drink and neither time did they even ask for ID. I¡¯m sorry about drinking. I wanted to seem grown up as there was a pretty girl¡­¡± Zeltis trailed off looking down. He almost smiled when the younger officer nodded with a grin. ¡°I can understand a young man trying to impress a girl, but I hope you won¡¯t be drinking again until you reach the legal age,¡± The older officer said. ¡°I will make sure to keep a closer eye on him,¡± David said with a hard glare in Alex¡¯s direction. ¡°Oh as for the dine and dash I was with a friend and we had every intention of paying when someone jumped at us. We had little choice but to run or risk getting attacked. I was planning on going back tomorrow to pay. But I was scared the people who tried to attack might still be waiting for us there,¡± Zeltis said in a sincere tone. ¡°Wow you aren¡¯t lying but your sickly sweet tone is a little much,¡± Alex said. ¡°I¡¯m new to the mortal world so give me a break. I¡¯m doing my best.¡± ¡°We heard from witnesses that it looked like you were attacked first. Did you know your attacker? We haven¡¯t been able to find any of them. We already spoken with your lady friend and returned her things. She said much the same as you did about what happened,¡± The older officer said. ¡°Oh I¡¯m glad Summer got her things back but I hope she won¡¯t get in too much trouble,¡± Alex said. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be worried about the trouble we¡¯re in?¡± Zeltis chimed in. ¡°No the police will probably let us off, but I doubt my father will.¡± ¡°Young man?¡± the younger officer prodded him. ¡°Pay attention!¡± David said a little too loudly. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know him personally. I think his name is Lei Ling. I got his name when he came to my martial arts class not long ago. I was surprised when he suddenly attacked in such a public place.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°We would like you to come to the station tomorrow after school and fill out a report. we want you to describe the attackers as well as you can. We will have an officer go with you to the cafe to speak with the owner. If they don¡¯t file charges they might accept an apology along with payment of your bill,¡± The younger officer said. ¡°Of-¡± ¡°Of course officers. I will make sure that he gets there,¡± David interrupted what Zeltis was about to say. Zeltis frowned, but nodded. ¡°Thanks for your cooperation,¡± The older officer said as they stood and shook David¡¯s and Alex¡¯s hand. As soon as the door shut behind them David spun toward Alex glancing also at the servants. ¡°I hired all of you to keep an eye on Alex, not to let him wander around getting into trouble. I¡¯ve heard he¡¯s been leaving the house and getting back late almost every night. He even went out of state on an overnight trip! What the hell am I paying you all for!" David spun to face Alex, "I didn¡¯t give you that credit card so you could use it for drinks and girls.¡± The servants all flinched as David''s voice echoed across the room, and they looked guilty and scared. ¡°It¡¯s not their fault, and having some drinks isn¡¯t a big deal. The cafe was not Alex''s fault so he hasn''t done anything for you to be so angry about,¡± Zeltis said. ¡°Not a big deal!¡± David roared. ¡°You all leave, apparently I haven¡¯t taught my son how to respect authority or his obligations to the family.¡± The servants glanced at Alex with regret but slunk away. ¡°Family what a convenient word when I know so little about Alex¡¯s family. He had to travel so far just to find out more about his own mother, and to meet his aunt. You have no right to talk about family,¡± Zeltis growled. ¡°Hey I agree with you but you shouldn¡¯t-¡± Alex started nervously. ¡°You can¡¯t let him walk all over you,¡± Zeltis returned. David stood over Alex, ¡°This is the first time you''ve dared to speak back to me. But why are you talking in third person. Is something wrong with your head? I can¡¯t help but wonder if I made the right choice to keep you when you killed your own mother.¡± Zeltis¡¯ eyes widened in shock and Alex gasped, his obvious pain seeping over to Zeltis. ¡°How could you talk to your own son like that. He didn¡¯t choose how he came into this world.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t lived up to my expectation so far. And now you not only got involved with the police, but have the gall to talk to me like that,¡± David pulled his hand back to slap Alex. Zeltis intercepted his hand and David¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. David took a step back. ¡°I¡¯m tired and don¡¯t want to discuss this anymore. You will no longer be leaving the house except to go to school. If I hear that you''ve gone out again I will confiscate your bike and cancel your stock exchange account.¡± David straightened his clothes and left the room, slamming the door to his rooms. ¡°No, that¡¯s my only way out of this house!¡± Alex cried out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry we have ways around him,¡± Zeltis said. ¡°I always knew he blamed me but this is the first time he said it to my face,¡± Alex murmured. ¡°Ignore that bastard. We have to get you to bed or you¡¯ll be dead on your feet at school.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, did you say WE have ways around him?¡± Zeltis laughed as he strode toward Alex¡¯s room, ¡°I¡¯ll explain more tomorrow evening.¡± *** Alex was grateful when he heard his father had already left for work that morning. Alex was in a daze as he anxiously awaited lunchtime, hoping he could speak to Summer. Finally when the time came he paced around the courtyards, too nervous to eat anything. The moment she stepped outside he rushed over, ¡°Summer! Are you ok? Did you get into trouble? I heard the police also talked to you.¡± She put her hands up, one of them holding her lunchbox, ¡°Woah there. I can¡¯t answer if you keep shooting off one question after another. I thought I was the chatterbox.¡± She laughed a little. She looked around and grabbed his arm, dragging him off to a nearby bench hidden by a large tree. ¡°It should be more comfortable and private here.¡± ¡°So?¡± Alex prodded. ¡°Ok, ok. Don¡¯t worry. Once I explained about being attacked out of the blue, the police understood. I have to go today to identify the attackers and make a statement.¡± ¡°Yeah they wanted me to do that too. We can go together, but what did you family say?¡± ¡°They were more curious about who you were,¡± Summer blushed. Alex ran his hand through his hair and looked away, also blushing, ¡°I¡¯m glad they weren¡¯t mad at you.¡± ¡°Um, yeah. Oh, you don¡¯t have any lunch?¡± ¡°I was too worried so I haven¡¯t bought anything yet.¡± ¡°I actually made enough for both of us this morning. Since I figured we would be eating together,¡± her face was bright red as she held out her lunch box to show him it was larger than usual. ¡°That sounds great. I¡¯ll run in and get us something to drink though, what would you like?¡± ¡°Lemonade if they have some left,¡± Summer murmured. He sped off and returned quickly. They ate, glancing at each other every now and then. ¡°Seriously you two are way too awkward. Just ask her out already,¡± Zeltis commented and Alex almost spit out his drink. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± Summer asked, her brow raised. ¡°N-no nothing, Zeltis said something, nothing important,¡± Alex said raising his hands nervously, hoping she wouldn¡¯t want to know more. She tilted her head but shrugged and they were both soon finished eating. ¡°So, should I meet you in the back after school?¡± ¡°Hmm? Oh, to go to the police station, sure. I¡¯ll see you then.¡± He said and stood to leave. Alex glanced back and waved before he turned and left. ¡°Ugh, that was so lame.¡± ¡°You''re telling me. It¡¯s obvious you like the girl, so do something about it already,¡± Zeltis said. Alex stumbled. He straightened, hoping no one noticed, before hurrying to his his next class. ¡°D-do you really think so?¡± ¡°I can sense your emotions most of the time along with surface thoughts. So I could tell that Summer was becoming someone special to you. I can¡¯t believe you hadn¡¯t realized.¡± ¡°Well I haven¡¯t exactly had any experience or good examples to learn from.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Take it from me though. You should grab hold of this chance. You never know when it might slip through your fingers.¡± ¡°Sorry. This probably reminds you of the woman you love.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be sorry about. I miss her so remembering her makes me happy.¡± Alex didn¡¯t know what to say to that and the rest of the day passed with no more talk about the subject. Chapter Twenty Three ¡°-ng master¡­ Young master?¡± Craig¡¯s voice called out as he knocked on Alex¡¯s door. At the same time the alarm went off. Alex¡¯s hand hit the button sluggishly, ¡°I¡¯m up.¡± His voice was a bit hoarse but he managed to get it out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but this is the third time I have tried to wake you and it¡¯s nearly nine.¡± Alex jumped out of bed tripping on the covers and falling in a heap. ¡°Damn! Thanks Craig. I don¡¯t have time for breakfast so ask Mary to make me some toast.¡± ¡°Of course young master,¡± Craig said and left. Alex rushed to put on his uniform. He tripped again and slammed into the desk knocking over the lamp which crashed in pieces on the floor. ¡°Ugh, seriously.¡± He was careful of the broken shards as he finished dressing and went to find the maid. He didn¡¯t find her even after searching a few minutes so he headed to the kitchen. Mary handed him his toast and he rushed out the garage door. He was pushing up the kickstand when he dropped the toast face down on the ground. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just one of those days,¡± Alex sighed. Zeltis laughed but didn¡¯t say anything. Alex was careful as he went to school, he didn¡¯t want to get in another accident. It was a relief when he got to school safely. He had already missed first period so he made his way to his second period class. He peered through the glass window in the door. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a test!¡± Alex sheepishly pulled open the door. Everyone, watched him as he made his way to the open desk, grabbing a test sheet from the teacher as he went. When the bell rang and he handed it in he was sure he bombed it. He hadn¡¯t studied and wasn¡¯t able to finish cause he was late. Alex groaned and made his way to lunch. He wasn¡¯t paying attention as he got his lunch and made his way outside. Someone pushed him hard and he slammed forward into the ground right onto his lunch tray. A heavy pressure hit his lower back as he tried to get up. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get up, maybe all that food will be good for your skin. You are a girly boy after all,¡± Hugh said with a laugh as he grabbed Alex by the hair and pulled his head back. ¡°We¡¯ve been busy lately and haven¡¯t had much time to play with you. You better show up behind the school today. If not we will look for your little girlfriend instead,¡± He said in Alex¡¯s ear. Hugh pushed Alex¡¯s head back down into his food before leaving. ¡°You''re stronger now why did you let him do that to you?¡± Zeltis said exasperated. ¡°I may be stronger but he still took me by surprise from behind. I could also seriously hurt him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If you''re careful you should be able to defend yourself without them getting any grave injuries, though they deserve it.¡± Alex got up and wiped off his face but his clothes were a mess as well as his food. He went back in, getting some strange looks. He bought a sandwich after throwing away the other food and ate it before going to the bathroom. He managed to get most of the mess out but was a little damp as he made his way to the next class. He hadn¡¯t seen a sign of Summer. He had wanted to talk to her about last night but at least Hugh and the others couldn¡¯t hurt her if she wasn¡¯t there. He was a little embarrassed in his next class but it had dried up before school was over. Now he just had to worry about Reginald¡¯s gang. ¡°Usually I would avoid them, but if they go after Summer... N-not that she is my girlfriend or anything,¡± Alex blushed and stammered as he remembered Hugh saying that. He waved his hands in frantic embarrassment as he walked toward the back door of the school. ¡°Yeah it¡¯s about time you stood up to them anyway. When people act like that the only way they will stop is with a show of force.¡± ¡°Maybe, I don¡¯t want to be on their level and trade violence for violence but I guess I don¡¯t have a choice this time.¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t. so I will help you this time since you don¡¯t have a lot of experience. Do what I say and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You could take over¡­¡± ¡°If I did that you would never be able to grow. You need this as much as they do. You have to stop letting people walk all over you, your father included.¡± ¡°He¡¯s scarier than Hugh and them.¡± Zeltis simply laughed. Reginald, Cole, and Hugh were all waiting for him behind the school. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you showed up. Don¡¯t you usually run and hide?¡± Cole taunted with a sneer. ¡°That girl must be important. Maybe I should take her,¡± Hugh said licking his lips. ¡°You''re not very manly after all.¡± ¡°Stay away from her!¡± Alex yelled. ¡°Wow so fierce. Don¡¯t be so loud of someone might interrupt our fun. Let''s continue this down the alley,¡± Reginald said and turned to walk down the nearby alley. It was the usual place they hung out when they wanted to bully someone away from prying eyes. Most of the buildings along the ally either didn¡¯t have windows or had large garages that blocked the view. On the other side was an old abandoned school. It was the perfect place to drag someone were they wouldn¡¯t be seen or heard. They led Alex into the school, stepping carefully over rotten floorboards and trash. It surprisingly didn''t smell that bad only a bit stale and moldy. Still, the dist made Reginald sneeze and cole coughed a bit. They made their way to the run down gym which was one of the few rooms that had a decent floor but the roof had a hole in it. ¡°Let me go at him first. I¡¯m still pissed how that girl likes him more than me,¡± Hugh said as the three surrounded Alex. ¡°Come on you had your turn. I want to go first this time. In club I¡¯m not allowed to go all out, so I have a few moves I want to test on him,¡± Cole said as he cracked his knuckles with an evil grin. ¡°Cole¡¯s right Hugh. You already had your chance to pummel him so he should go first,¡± Reginald said. He hopped up on the stage area sitting with his legs crossed and his chin propped in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll just watch since I¡¯m a bit tired today.¡± Hugh stomped his foot slamming a fist into his other cupped hand and Cole gave a feral smile. ¡°J-just come at me at once,¡± Alex said at Zeltis¡¯ prompt. ¡°I am so not sure about this.¡± All three¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Well did you hear that. It sounded like an invitation. I¡¯ll take you up on it,¡± Hugh said and Cole looked annoyed but shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t get in my way, you''re like a wall,¡± Cole said as he glanced at Hugh¡¯s large frame. ¡°Come on guys he¡¯s waiting for you, less talking and more hitting,¡± Reginald said with an annoyed tone. ¡°Ok, don¡¯t think, just immediately do what I say when I tell you to,¡± Zeltis said. The two moved in closer getting into fighting stances. ¡°Left arm high block, right leg side kick.¡± Alex did it without thinking and Hugh grunted as the kick connected to his stomach and Hugh was pushed back. Cole¡¯s eyes widened as Alex blocked his strike at the same time. ¡°What the hell?¡± Cole said. Reginald sat up straighter and frowned. ¡°Not as easy as you thought it would be, huh?¡± Alex said trying not to stutter. ¡°Dodge right scoop kick with your left foot.¡± Cole had sent a punch his way but before he could react to the doge the scoop kick made him lose his balance and fall down. Hugh got back up and charged toward Alex in a football tackle. All Alex¡¯s instincts screamed to dodge but Zeltis had said to get in a horse stance and receive the tackle. Before using a tai chi move to use Hugh¡¯s inertia to make him slide to the side and onto the floor. ¡°How in the world?¡± Both Reginald and Cole said. Cole got up, glaring at Alex. Cole moved in, throwing punches that Alex was able to dodge or block. Alex even threw a counter in and gave Cole a bloody nose. Reginald jumped down and handed Cole a handkerchief. Hugh got back up and came forward again. This time he was standing with his feet planted firmly and fired an uppercut at Alex''s chin. He was able to dodge. Alex''s body felt so light and fluid that he barely had to hear Zeltis¡¯ instructions, before his body was moving. All three were now surrounding him trying to hit, kick, or punch. Alex got hit by a kidney strike but was able to block or dodge most of the other blows. He felt he was getting faster and the moves were easier the longer he fought. The others were soon all sweating while he wasn¡¯t and he wasn¡¯t even breathing hard. Alex smiled, it was kind of fun. It was different than watching as Zeltis battled. He could feel his heart pounding and the Adrenalin rush as he continued to throw out kicks and punches, or dodged and blocked their attacks. It was a heady rush. Reginald was the first to collapse crying as he clasped his arm, ¡°You broke my wrist you __ _ _ __! Get him.¡± He shuffled out of the way as the other two moved in looking a little nervous now. Hugh was big but he was so slow that it was easier to dodge most of his attacks. Cole was much faster so a few of his hits went in but he didn¡¯t have Hugh¡¯s power. He wasn¡¯t weak but Alex was stronger now and healed so fast that the hits didn¡¯t hardly register. Cole tried to distract Alex while Hugh attempted to get Alex in a sleeper hold. But Alex was able to slide out and made Hugh trip and fall onto Cole. ¡°Get off me you gorilla!¡± Cole yelled, and Hugh got off murmuring a brief apology. ¡°If I get a hold of you I¡¯m going to squeeze the life out of you!¡± Hugh said his eyes blazing as he barrelled toward Alex. Alex sidestepped and grabbed his arm turning it into a throw. It wasn¡¯t easy to throw around so much weight, but Alex barely felt it. The other boy crashed into the ground cracking the old wood floor. Cole groaned but rose and wiped the blood from his mouth were it had gotten injured in the scuffle. In a flurry he started throwing a bunch of kicks and punches faster than before. It was hard at first to keep up, but Alex had started to get used to Coles¡¯ speed, and was able to move even before Zeltis told him to. Cole grunted as more and more of Alex¡¯s attacks were hitting him and wearing him down. Finally he got hit on the temple and was knocked unconscious. Alex took a deep breath still a bit giddy from the excitement but Reginalds angry glare calmed him down. ¡°Don¡¯t even say anything about helping us. Get the hell out,¡± Reginald growled out, and pulled out his phone with his uninjured hand, wincing when he moved. Alex paused running his hand through his hair not sure if he should leave them like that. ¡°Leave already!¡± Reginald said again. Alex sighed and left. ¡°I might get in trouble for this.¡± ¡°He will probably feel too humiliated to say how this happened so you should be fine.¡± ¡°Do you really think so?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡± Alex got back to his bike and rode home. It had been a long day.