Chapter Three

She was jostled around as the people converged on the church. Contrary to the large crowd, the people were fairly quiet, most too busy gawking at the Trackers to talk very much. Kala commanded her legs to move, but they wouldn't listen, she was frozen with fear. If she didn't think of something quickly, she would very soon be discovered and killed.

"Kala, let's go!" Gray said, taking her wrist in his hand, and pulling her off to the side.

Once they were away from the crowd, Gray took hold of her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worry in his voice.

"Yeah..." Kala trailed off, looking back at the crowd.

"Hey, I got you. I know you don't like crowds. How about we wait for a little bit, until there are less people?" He asked her.

Her heart hurt, realizing Gray thought her fear was from the people, not knowing it was because she was afraid for her life.

She looked back at Gray, and nodded.

"Yes...I'd like that very much." Kala said, letting her pent up breath out.

"M'kay." Gray nodded. "Let's wait."

Kala sighed and sat down. How could she Ever leave him, when he was the perfect guy? He knew everything about her, even the lies she had to tell.

Crunching of footsteps on the dirt announced the arrival of a person. Gray jumped up and saluted the person with a hand across his heart. A Tracker, by his reaction.

"What are you two kids doing over here?" A man asked, sounding friendly, but with an underlying suspicion.

"She can't handle crowds." Gray said, still in the partial bow.

Internally sighing, Kala stood up and gave a partial curtsie, respectfully lowering her eyes.

"It's true, Sir. Because of it, I've never been to a public worship or the schoolhouse." Kala said, keeping her voice quiet.

"Ah, I see. Me and my compatriots can check you here, away from the crowd." The Tracker stated.

"O-oh..uhm..." Kala started, wracking her brain for an excuse.

"That would be excellent, Sir." Gray replied.

'Dragon's curse him.' Kala thought, sending a breif glare in Gray's direction.

There was no way she could get out of this now. She had backed herself into a corner, and that was where she would die.

-I can help you- A male's voice said.

Kala looked around, trying not to draw attention. The voice sounded close, very close, as in right next to her. On a hunch, she thought her reply.

'Who are you?'

A chuckle came before the voice.

-You are brilliant. Most would not have the sence to think.-

'I'm not like most. I repeat, who are you?'

The Tracker was waving some others over. Three men seperated from the crowd and walked their way.

-Introductions, I believe, can wait. Would you like my assistance?-

Kala's heart beat faster as the men got closer. She didn't have a clue who this was, who could have the power to speak through the mind, but she also didn't have much of a choice.

'What are you going to do?' She asked quickly.

-Not I, but you. I will simply awaken and channel what you already have.-

Her Dragon Power. She had to expose herself.

'I can't.'

The men had formed a half circle around them.

"Begin to undress, down to your undergarments. We will have to check you completely for a Mark." The original man said.

-You prefer to be killed?- The voice in her mind asked.

'No!' She hesitated, glancing at Gray.

He leaned close to her, and spoke quietly.

"Don't fear. If they touch you, I'll knock them out." Gray threatened.

Kala gave him a weak smile, her heart trying to escape her chest.

'I'm going to die.' She thought solumnly.

-Will you trust me, Hatchling?- The voice asked with increased urgency.

"Our apologies, Miss. Tracker's honor, you will not be touched." Another Tracker said, seeing Kala's hesitation.

'What do I do?' Kala asked, her fear morphing to desperate, reckless courage.

-Keep your head down, and think of the heat, the flame you called to protect your family. Send it to a place in the crowd. Chaos is your ally. But whatever you do, do not let them see your eyes.- The voice commanded her.

Looking down, Kala began to take her right arm out of her sleeve, trying to call the familiar warmth, the heat that accompanied her visions, to gather at the entrance of the church. Smoke rose from the church and screams began to rise. Shouts of "fire" erupted from the crowd as people scattered.

The Trackers looked from one another, then drew their swords and ran into the crowd. They believed a DragonKin in the crowd caused the fire.

"Kala! Let's go! We need to get water!" Gray said, taking hold of her wrist.

-Hatchling.- The voice warned.

She ignored it and battling tears, pulled her wrist out of Gray's grip.

"Kala, what are you..?" Gray started to ask, but Kala looked up and met his eyes.

Gray took a sharp breath in, then took half a step back.

"You're..." He attempted to speak.

"Yes. Gray, I am So sorry I never said anything." She said, half reaching for him.

"We're friends...How could you..?" Gray's shock was quickly turning to anger.

"I feared for my life...don't you understand? I had no choice." Kala said gently.

"No. You always have a choice. You chose not to tell me. Not to trust me." Gray said harshly.

"I do trust you!" Kala took his hand in hers. "I've always trusted you!"

Gray yanked his hand away, glaring at Kala with very little emotion. Looking deep into his eyes, Kala could see the pain he struggled to hide.

"You never told me. How could you trust me if you never told me." Gray said, turning his back to her.

Kala was at a loss for words. She had always wanted to tell him, she just never had the right time, never had a chance.

-Do not dwell on what could have been.- The voice told her gently.

"You caused the fire, didn't you?" Gray asked.

"Yes." Kala said quietly.

"It's a distraction." He said accusingly.

"Yes." She replied again.

"You're leaving." The pain was surfacing in his voice.

"They'll kill me." Kala replied, aware the fire was going out.

She could feel the cool water hit the hot flames, killing the life force of the heat. Her time was running out.

"Go." Gray said, chokeing back his emotion.

"Gray.." Kala started, reaching for him again.

"Now. Before I change my mind." He said.

"Thank you." Kala said, her heart beginning to break.

"Don't. I'm going to tell them what you are. You'll be hunted." Gray stated.

Kala went silent, her heart, her very soul, breaking.

-Go now, while you have an opportunity.- The voice advised.

"Right. I'd expect nothing less. I'll expect to be seeing you." Kala said, tears beginning to fall from her eyes.

Gray grunted his reply, still not looking at her. Without another word, Kala turned and ran off, trying to hold her tears back.

-You are the shadows, vanish Hatchling.-

Wanting to do nothing more than disappear, Kala felt something smooth and cool wash over her skin, and she just ran. Not looking back, dodging the people scurrying to put the rest of her fire out. She felt like that fire, her heart going cold, dying from the coolness of Gray's voice. She ran towards the Eastern Forest, and away from the only friend she had ever known.

---Grayson---

Gray stared at Kala's beautiful, emerald eyes. The warmth they held had changed to strange, serpent eyes. It scared him, not because she was different, not because she was one of Them, but because her life was in danger.

"You're..." He tried, barely breathing the words out.

"Yes. Gray, I am So sorry I never said anything." She said.

He watched as she made a move, reaching out for him, but then stopping.

"We're friends...How could you...?" He asked, her hidden secret giving him the same feeling as if she had slapped him.

"I feared for my life...don't you understand? I had no choice." She said, justifying herself.

It made perfect sense, but that didn't make it hurt any less. She had hidden something huge from him, for years.

"No. You always have a choice. You chose not to tell me. Not to trust me." He said.

Those words weren't fair. He knew that, but for an instant, he wanted her to hurt, to feel some of the pain she made him feel. Besides, didn't she know he'd never let anything hurt her? He never would have let anyone find out. Her life was too precious to him.

"I do trust you!" Kala took his hand, gripping it tightly. "I've always trusted you!"

Gray pulled his hand away, hiding his pain from her the best he could. He didn't want to see how much she hurt him. He wasn't raised weak.

"You never told me. How could you trust me if you never told me." He asked, his voice sounding like a strangers, how harsh it was compared to normal. He turned away so he wouldn't see the pain in her eyes.

She didn't say anything. It hurt him to know she was so upset, but he couldn't show it. She caused him pain, she deserved the same. Thinking of her foreign, serpentine eyes, an idea came to his mind, one he quickly accepted as truth.

"You caused the fire, didn't you?"

"Yes." She replied, barely audible.

"It was a distraction." He said, a statement, not a question.

"Yes." She said again.

Then he thought of something that nearly broke his heart in two.

"You're leaving." His voice nearly broke, and he struggled to control his pain.

"They'll kill me." Kala said.

Gray knew she was right. She'd have no chance if she stayed in town. He may be upset and hurt, and wanted her to hurt, but he never wanted her dead.

"Go." He said, feeling his heart break.

"Gray..." Kala said, reaching for him again.

He stopped her.

"Now. Before I change my mind." He threatened, although he knew he wouldn't ever change his mind.

"Thank you." She said.

Her voice was breaking, making his heart throb with pain.

"Don't. I'm going to tell them what you are. You'll be hunted." He said, telling her what she already knew.

She was quiet for a few moments.

"Right. I'd expect nothing less. I'll expect to be seeing you." She said, hearing the tears in her voice.

Even when she was in danger, when he might be the one to hunt her, she still believed he would make it as a Tracker. She always had faith in him.

He grunted, knowing he would break down and tell her not to go, if he spoke.

He listened as her footsteps left, then turned around. He watched her run off, the normal human speed, then vanish into the air. His best friend was a DragonKin, yet she was still the one he loved. And he knew, he'd never love anyone as much as her.

The same Tracker who had approached him and Kala earlier, approached Gray again. The fire had been put out, and order was being restored.

"Everythiny okay, Sir?" He asked, bowing respectfully.

"Yeah, we didn't find the DragonKin responsible, but we'll find them soon. Where's the little Miss?"

Gray's heart panged with pain, but he took a deep breath and looked even with the Tracker before him. Gray didn't want Kala hurt, but he knew that she wanted him to succeed. She wanted to see him as a Tracker, even if it meant her death.

'Right. I expect nothing less. I'll be seeing you then.' Her words echoed in his mind.

"About her, Sir." Gray started.

"Yes?" The Tracker asked, intrigued.

"She caused the fire. She's the DragonKin." Gray said.

"You are honest?" The man asked.

"Always Sir." Gray responded.

"Where is she?" He asked.

"She went East, through town. I assume she'll be heading to the mountains." Gray explained.

"Thank you Son, you've been much help." The Tracker said, turning away.

"I would like to be of more help." Gray said, stepping forward.

"Are you offering yourself, Son?" The Tracker asked.

"Yes sir. I am." Gray replied, staring at him dead on.

"Then welcome. Now let's find that DragonKin." The Tracker said, walking off.

Gray began to follow, then looked towards the east, the way Kala ran.

'Dragon Speed, Kala Thorne.' He prayed silently, then followed the Tracker to the small group that had been made.

Gray may love Kala, but she was a threat. He had to hunt her. He just hoped she could stay at least one step ahead of the entire Tracker guild. And a step ahead of him.