Chapter 2

Nigel Gladstone:

I slowed my breathing

Ok, stop, don’t let her hear you.

Do you hear her?

No.

Ok then, carefully get moving, you’ve got to surprise her.

I heel-toed through the woods, knowing that there was thick cover on every side that I could hide in, should the need arise.

"Snap!" a dry branch broke at my feet, I quickly hid. Would she spot me?

She looked directly at my hiding place, a medium sized tree. Did she see me?

No, she looked, then walked away.

As I quietly approached where I knew she would be shortly, I slowed and quieted my breathing; there was no way I was going to make her job any easier.

I can see her now, but she doesn’t seem to see me, yet.

As she approached, I stiffened, she was talking to someone, I couldn’t see who or where they were, though.

As she got closer I realized that she was not speaking to someone who was present. Strange, she doesn’t seem to have a phone either.

What’s she saying?

"Focus, what can I hear? I hear the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, I hear kids riding bikes at the jumps behind me, and cars to my left, I hear water running to my right, I hear... footsteps!"

"Got ya!" I exclaimed, as I leaped out from behind the tree "You're getting better though, I actually had to work to keep from being heard" I always like teasing my sister.

"That makes me feel soooo much better" she replied, rolling her eyes.

"Well if you are going to be able to tell where a slayer is you'll need all the practice you can get. You also need to stop talking to yourself" I reminded her.

"I know, I know. Well, are we done?" she pleaded.

"For now, but I want to come back out here tonight, after dark so we can practice using our" I spoke through my teeth "Ragon-day Raits-tay."

"I suppose" she conceded.

Then I had an idea "Hey, maybe we can invite Nicole to come with us?"

Nicole is our neighbor, we're good friends, and although she doesn't have any dragon blood, she knows about our traits.

"Sure," she responded, trying to suppress a grin "that way you'll be distracted and I'll actually have a chance to beat you this time."

I tried not to blush while holding back a grin of my own "Hey, do you really want to make your job harder?"

"Like you could!" she said, not even trying to hide her smile.

"Confidence is a must" I responded somberly, "but arrogance will make it child’s play for a slayer to capture you. Never forget that."

"I won't," she responded, no longer smiling, "you can count on that."

I began to smirk "Good... 'cause I'm gonna beat you back to the bikes!"

I said running past her. "You’re on!" she responded, taking off after me.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Nicole:

"Ding dong!"

I opened the door; it was Nigel and Elizabeth Gladstone, my neighbors from across the hall.

"Hey, guys come on in" I always have time for the Gladstones. Not only is Nigel a good looking guy, but I'm one of the few people they have told about their secret.

"My folks are out getting groceries, what's up?"

"Nigel and I were going to go over to Robinson park to practice using our... you know what's later tonight" said Elizabeth. "and Nigel was wondering if you would like to join us."

I snuck a glance at Nigel, his cheeks showed only the slightest hint of a blush. Perhaps his light skin, in combination with the fact that his cheeks were already pink from the chilly autumn air was helping him there. "Sure, I'd love to come. What time?"

"One AM" Nigel responded absent mindedly "and we should be back by four at the latest."

"Ok, and you guys'll help me out like we usually do?" I asked glancing between Nigel's backpack, and Liz's gloves.

"Yup!" Elizabeth replied. "Ok then" I replied "I'll see you guys at one!"

"See ya' then" Nigel said as he was leaving.

Funny, Nigel was very quiet while he was here, even more than he usually is around me. I wonder if he knows?

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Elizabeth Gladstone:

"Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep, Beeeee---"

I slapped the snooze button.

What time is it?

I looked at the clock.

Twelve Fifty-five??? What idiot set the alarm for—

I mentally slapped myself. Duh, we're going to practice using our traits tonight.

Nigel knocked on the door "Are you up?" he asked

"Yup," I replied, "just gimme one minute to get dressed and I'll be out."

I quickly, well as quickly as a girl with scales can, slipped into my "combat uniform" as I like to call it. Black shorts, a dark grey tank-top, and a black T-shirt, then I grabbed a reversible zippered sweater (black on the outside, charcoal-grey on the inside), my black sneakers, black sweatpants, and a black knit hat, and tossed them into Nigel's backpack that was hanging on the doorknob.

"I'm ready!" I whisper/shouted to Nigel

"Don't forget to turn off your alarm!" he whisper/shouted back

I mentally slapped myself again. Why do I always forget that?

I walked over to my bed, turned off the alarm, and then returned to the living room

Without turning around; Nigel again, proved that he knew me, and my habits.

"Did you grab your gloves?"

I bounded back into my room, grabbed my gloves, stopped to smack my head against my bed (where it wouldn't hurt as much), and ran out to the window where Nigel stood.

"Ready Bro?" I asked, sliding my stuff into his backpack.

"Let's go" he replied, swinging his tail back and forth.

I climbed out of the window, backpack over my shoulders, and began to 'scale' the outside wall of the apartment building (using my scales to grip the wall more easily). Then I leaned over the wall, and watched as Nigel climbed up the side of the building, using his tail, in tandem with his arms and legs, to grab ledge after ledge and swinging back and forth like a professional gymnast. He leaped over the side, and landed softly on his feet.

"You coming?" he asked

I shook myself, he always looks so cool climbing up a wall, and I often forget what I'm doing.

"Coming!" I replied

We quietly jogged over to the other side of the building, and began to climb/'scale' down the wall. I stopped at Nicole's window, Nigel never even slowed, he just kept going.

Weird, he usually wants to see Nicole as much as possible, he must be really distracted.

I tapped her window, and she apeared a moment later.

"Let's go" I prompted her

She tossed a rope out of her window and quickly climbed down the rope. After she reached the ground, I coiled the rope, and placed it in her room, and then began to descend to where Nigel was waiting with our bikes.

"You ladies ready" he asked "or do you need a minute?"

"I'm good." I said, glancing at Nicole

"Me too" she replied with a smile

After Nigel put on his backpack, and I put on my sweats, hat, gloves, and tennies; we climbed onto our bikes for the silent one mile ride to Robinson Park.