8 years later...

Chapter three:

Rose's POV:

I was walking to school, thinking of what kind of surprise my parents might have planned. My thoughts were interrupted by my best friend walking....er....skating up to me.

"Hey there birthday girl, how's it feel to be 13?"

"Great, I guess. Not much different than twelve though".

"Yeah, but it means you're one year closer to being old enough to drive, doesn't that excite you at all?".

"A little, but right now I'm just focused on passing the year. I'm failing mythology."

"Only because Rotwood's a retard".

"Your failing too Jake".

He raised his index finger and opened his mouth for a comeback, but couldn't come up with anything.

He dropped the subject and asked "So, what do you think your parents have planned this year?"

"I don't know. With all the things they've done in the past, you'd think they'd run out of ideas."

"Yeah, like remember when they had the bowling party, and your brother tried to bowl, and the ball flew out of his hand and broke the window?"

I laughed, "That was hilarious!"

"Or what about the time they decided to have a skating party, and I decided to teach you how to skateboard?"

I shuddered at the thought. "Don't bring that up, my bruises are still healing".

He laughed. Don't worry, maybe they'll just have a normal birthday party this year, with a few of your friends, some pizza, and maybe, just maybe, that new CD you've been wanting.

I raised my eyebrow. That description was too detailed. "What do you know that I don't know?"

He gave me that innocent look. The one he gives me when he's guilty. "Why whatever do you mean, Rose?"

"Don't play dumb with me. It didn't work back in kindergarten, and it won't work now. I want to know when, where, and what my parents are planning".

"That's for me to know, and you to find out". With that, he ran off to class, with me chasing right behind him.

After school....

"Aw man, Rotwood gave me a ton of homework AGAIN".

"Yeah, me too. Well, I guess we'd better get started."

"Yeah, as fun as that sounds, I have to help my grandpa at his shop today."

"Again? Haven't you helped him enough for one year? Besides, it's my birthday. And you know more about mythology than I do." I gave him the puppy dog eyes.

"Sorry, but the man needs alot of help at his age. Tell you what, you can come with me"

"And why would I want to watch you work in a shop that should've been closed years ago?"

"Just come on!"

He dragged me along, seeming much more enthusiastic to work at the shop than I'd seen him since he started doing so.

Once we got there, I saw that it was dark.

"Oh well, looks like he closed early today, guess we can't go in. Maybe you can help me with that homework now..."

"No, the lights are just off, that's all, now come on!"

I sighed, but followed him.

He walked in ahead of me, and turned on the light. Suddenly, I heard a big, SURPRISE! From what sounded like quite a few people.

I looked, and saw all of my friends, my parents, annoying brother, uncle Chris, and Jake standing next to them.

"You knew all along and didn't tell me?!" I accused my friend of eight years.

"Well then it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

I laughed, and then went to enjoy myself at a refreshingly simple party.

After opening my presents, and finding the new CD I wanted, that bracelet I'd been eyeing, and my brother's gym socks as a prank, my uncle came up to me.

"Happy birthday, Rose. Would you come upstairs so we can talk?"

"Sure".

Normally, I wouldn't even question talking with my uncle. I was really close to him, and visited his home often just to tell him what was on my mind. But now, he sounded serious, which was strange for him.

For the second time that day, my thoughts were stopped by us arriving at the rooftop.

"Rose, now that you are 13, it's time I told you some things. Look at the mark on your hand. What do you see?"

"Um, a dragon, why?"

"That is the symbol of the Huntsclan".

"The what?"

"The Huntsclan. An ancient clan of dragon slayers, who's destiny is to rid the world of dragons, and other magical creatures".

Now I understood. This was another of my uncle's pranks. I laughed at him.

"I don't see what you find funny".

I stopped dead in my tracks. He was serious.

"Magical creatures? Uncle Chris, you can't be serious. There's no such thing".

"I thought you might say that, so I brought proof." He showed me what I had learned from mythology to be a pixie, in a cage. Wow, Rotwood wasn't crazy after all.

"Okay, they exist. But what does that have to do with me?"

"Rose, the mark on your hand indicates that you are to be part of the Huntsclan, hunting down magical creatures on the earth until every last one is gone."

"But killing is wrong".

"Sometimes you have to do the wrong things for the right reasons".

"And just what are those reasons?"

"Remember when your parents were attacked by that beast in the woods two years ago when you went camping?"

"Yes".

"I was there, and that was no beast. That was a dragon". If not for the excellent doctors, which were, in fact, Huntsclan members, your parents would have been killed by that monster."

My eyes widened in shock.

"And that is why they must be destroyed. I will give you the choice of joining or not, but you can't run from it forever. It's a part of you. It's in your blood."

I thought for a minute, my uncle had never steered me wrong, and I wanted the creatures that once threatened my family gone.

"I'll join".

"Great, meet me at my house next saturday at 3:00 PM, DO NOT be late.

"I won't".

As we were walking downstairs, the question couldn't help but enter my mind.

What was I getting into?

To be continued....