The Search For Peace 2

Chapter 5

A town from the Old West was what The Sagittarius Clan was. With old, wooden-planked houses, and plain dirt roads now covered in a sheet of snow, RougeVille was the perfect place for a lover of the Cowboy lifestyle.

Night had fallen, the wind picking up its chill. It was the perfect time to get cozy inside one of those hearty Saloons, where hysterical laughter erupted from the bellies of geysers, under the yellow Christmas lights hanging all over the poster-filled walls. 

Adrian fidgeted in his seat as he sat at the counter in the front of the bar, along with his companion, the fearless Karen Timber. He flinched every time a foamy mug of beer was brought down on the weak tables. It was clear a fourteen year old like him did not belong here.

"So..." Karen pulled his attention back towards her, resting a hand under her chin. "I was right about you being a wolf."

"Excuse me?" He felt small under the pressure of all these adults, his voice coming out even smaller. "Just because I pet a wolf, doesn't mean I'm one too!"

"Actually, it does." As she said that, two plates of steaming hot meatball casserole were brought before them. Adrian's mouth instantly watered, his stomach finally realizing how hungry it was. But before he could even reach for the dish, Karen lifted it away from him.

"Why?" Literal tears welled up in his eyes as she placed the plate as far away from him as possible, guarding it with her arm. 

"Answer my questions first. How come you don't know about the powers of your own Clan?"

His eyes still fixated on the food that was ruthlessly taken from him, he grabbed his bouncing leg and answered hastily. "I wasn't too into the clans until recently, so it never occurred to me what my powers were or how to use them."

"Why not?" She leaned forward, her face pinched. "Didn't your parents teach you how?"

The boy sighed. "No, they didn't. They didn't think I'd need them, either."

"Why?"

He groaned, his leg bouncing, even more, his stomach rumbling. "Because they had secluded themselves from their clans, that's why!"

"Why would they do that? And wait, were your parents from different clans?"

"I don't know!" Unbeknownst of him, he yelled that last phrase so loud, almost the whole bar had hushed to look his way. He froze, feeling the intense and questioning stares boring into his back. "Sorry..." He muttered under his breath, sinking into his stool.

Thankfully, it didn't take them long to resume their chatter, however, that failed to calm his nerves, the tips of his ears still burning a bright red. 

With regret in her black and blue eyes, Karen pushed his plate back in front of him, hoping he still had the appetite for it. He glanced at her, a scowl on his face, but wasted no more time digging in. A small smile cracked her lips as she watched him devour his food, the girl picking up her own spoon as well.

"That was a rather personal question, wasn't it? Forgive me." He decided not to answer her, looking the other way as he chewed. "I just see so much potential in you." She shoved a cheesy bite into her mouth. "You could be our only hope."

That last part made him turn his head. "What?"

The girl twirled her fork in her fingers. "You see, my clan is in grave danger at the moment. We're under attack."

He swallowed hard, enjoying the warm sensation of the pasta going down his throat. "What do you mean? Who's attacking you?"

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she gazed up at him. "We don't know for certain. Usually, it's just wandering bandits we have to deal with. Using our powers, it's not that hard to wade them off. But this time, these 'bandits' have powers."

Adrian somehow knew in his gut where this was going. It seemed like the more you want to run away from something, the more it follows you. "What kind of of...powers?"

"Different kinds. Which is why it's hard to identify their clan."

"Oh..."

"But you..." She shifted in her seat, closing in on him once again. "You have an advantage."

His eye twitched. "I don't know what you mean..."

"Oh, you'll know, soon enough." He did not like the smirk she had plastered on her small face. "And if you refuse, I won't give you back your phone."

"What?!" It was crazy how he had almost forgotten about that thing until now. "What kind of bribe is that? I don't want it, anyway."

"Ok, then..." To his horror, she pulled out a tiny handgun from one of the many pockets of her attire, playing absently with it's nuzzle. "Guess I'll have to threaten you with your life."