Rare Blood

2nd Phase Part 2

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The sun has took its place in the middle of the sky meaning it is now mid-day and Julie's eyes were already sore from reading some of Arthur's new books. She did a wide stretch as she opened her mouth to let out a yawn. As soon as she closed them, Hunter's eyes met hers. She jumped back and wiped the tears that settled on her eyes and looked at her friend. She had her arms on her waist and she carried an annoyed expression on her face. "Where in Zeus' name have you been?" She shrieked. Julie rolled her eyes and kept walking forward. She heard her friends sighed exasperatedly as she turned to follow her. Soon the rest of her friends crowded over her wearing the same expression as Hunter. As much as she is thankful to have friends that looks out for her, she for once wished they didn't. She wished that they didn't have to demand where she goes all the time and would just let her live her own life instead of them planning it out for her. She grunted in frustration and turned towards them. "Would you please stop interrogating me all the time! I am not your baby that you all take turns to look after! I'm old enough to know what's best for me."

Their expression changed from anger to surprise. "I mean thank you for always being there but for once would you all just mind your own business! You want to know where I went to this morning? I went to visit the king! I apologised for my stupidity for these past few days and I just wanted him and I to go back the way we used to." She finished. "So unless you have any more questions, I'll see you tomorrow." She turned to the direction of her hut and stomped off.

"You'd think she'd be a little more grateful that we actually look out for her?" She could still hear Ren's hurt tone even when she could barely see them behind her. "Just be understanding Ren. I'd be a little snappy too if I'm forced to be united with someone I don't love." Hunter replied.

Love. The word echoed in her mind again and again and it annoyed her to think that unity is tomorrow. Could she really pull this off? She thought. She's only being force to unite to guarantee the safety of her people, both humans and wolfbloods. She shook the thought away and sprinted towards her hut.

She lie still on her bed swapping thought after thought and creating "what if" scenarios again and again. However, none would ever work. There was light knock on her door and she knew exactly who it was. "Hey, why aren't you practising your shift?" Lollinda asked her kindly. She sighed and flapped her hands on top of her stomach. "I wanted to take a break, enjoy my free time while it lasts." She replied without taking her eyes off her ceiling. Lollinda entered and settled on the edge of her bed. "Where did you run off to this morning, you missed breakfast?" Her tone was slightly chirpier yet still had a tint of concern. "Went to visit Arthur." She replied dryly. Julie hoped that reply would give her guardian the idea to stop asking and leave her to her thoughts but she didn't seem to get the idea. "Oh well that's wonderful, my dear. I'm glad to hear it." She chimed She was about to say something else but Julie interrupted. "Please can I have some time alone?" She felt horrible after those words came out of her mouth, however she was relieved to have been able to release it all instead of surpressing it in. Becoming a Rare Blood is slowly stressing her out and she hates herself for including her friends and family for it. "Oh, I see, well I'll leave you to your thoughts my love." She felt her bed rise up as Lollinda left it and quietly closed her door. Once again, the feeling of emptiness surrounded her and now that she wanted to be alone, she wished she hadn't yelled at her friends or snapped at her guardian. She brought the book to her head and hit herself frustratedly. It hurt but it didn't remain long. It came and went. She sighed heavily looking at the book again as if by staring at it would open itself. She narrowed her eyes and observed every detail of the book starting from the top left to the right.

Nothing.

There were no words written in secret nor symbols that she could find out in her other books. She rolled her eyes and brushed her fingers absentmidedly on its spine. As her fingers started traveling down she felt something. The spine was smooth before but it gradually got coarser as if by touching it made something surfaced. She flipped the book so that the spine was facing up towards her. The writing was so miniscule but due to her abilities, she could read them without difficulty. "The one who possess the gift can unravel the mysteries within its pages." Julie felt something on her thumb. When she turned the book back to the front, letters were appearing one by one, as if someone is writing them at the very moment. She waited until the letters stopped appearing before she could read what the title is. In bold and gold writing, the book held the title The Six Portals Of The Six Kingdoms. The lock next to the book suddenly opened with a click allowing her to fully read what's inside. Normally she would dive in without question but this book soomehow made her wary. She couldn't understand how she managed to open it. What gift does the book mean? Why didn't the words appear when Arthur touched its spine? Does her rare blood have something to do with it? As much as she wanted to read at least a page of it, she closed it and placed the lock back. The words started diasppearing slowly until the book was once again plain and blank. She jumped off her bed and went downstairs leaving her hut without telling her guardian. The sun has slowly moved west and she has used up half of her day but she still hasnt managed to shift.

Pushing the thought out of her mind, she focused on the task on hand. Once again the book is around her chest. For some reason she had the feeling that she had to shield the book from everyone. Walking back towards the castle, Julie did not care who she bumps into as she walks until something completely knocks her out of balance. That something is someone who is strong enough to push someone back without pushing them. Julie dropped the book completely and instead of apologising, she searched for it on the ground. However, the book did not made the journey down with her, instead it rested on his hands. She slowly got up from the ground and ignored the dust that was on her dress. She met the eyes of the one who bumped into her and met two brown orbs. Ben. "Going somewhere?" He asked with a smirk. Julie did not have time for this. She has the rest of today and that is it to do things that she wanted and not being able to belong to someone else. She stared at him then towards the book that was on his hands and then back to him again. "Yeah, it doesnt concern you." She replied in a rush. She grabbed the book from his hands but he held tight onto to it. "Hey, not so fast!" He held the book up out of her reach and looked at it. His wide smile disappeared and his brows furrowed as he settled the book down again. "Where did you get this from?" His voice lost its humour and was replaced by the voice she heard when she first met him. "It was given to me as a birthday present by Arthur!" She replied defensively as she yanked the book out of his grasp. He let go but still remained his gaze on it. After a while he turned to look at her, still with furrowed brows and a slightly creased forehead. "Can you open it?" He asked. Julie blinked back in wonder. Ben is not all as he seems she thought. How can a second in command know this much information. Can he open it too? "Can you?" She countered back. "Of course not!" He gave a chuckle and grabbed the book back. He brushed the spine to show her and it remained blank. "See?"

"But how did you know you have to brush its spine?" She asked dumbfounded. He handed it back to her and a smile plastered on his face again. "You figure it out after a while." He shook his shoulders as if it was obvious enough. Julie turned to stare at him. Not caring at him staring at her for a long time she asked. "Who are you? How do you know so much?" He smiled at her and patted her head making her growl. "Perhaps, you'd like to read the book first. It might give you an idea." He placed a hand on her shoulder and walked away. There goes another million questions piled up on her 'to be answered box'. She abandoned her plan to visit the castle again and stomped towards the forest. Right now she needed air, though it cannot be seen, everything that's happening, everything she is, is making her claustrophobic and she knows for certain that to be surrounded by trees will only make it worse. She ran as fast as her human legs would carry her up to their favourite mountain so that she could be at one with the clouds and the sky. Running made her think deeply, made her think of the people she thought she knew but didn't. It wasn't long before she reached the top and she stopped to get her breathing tempo to normal. As she walked to the edge, she soaked up the view from where she's stood. It was the same view as always whenever she looks out. The same huts, the same castle. The only difference this time however, is that she can see the people below, she can see whatever they're doing who they are talking to and what about, if she only listen closely. She knows, she needs to control them, but to control is like keeping one of your most favourite thing sealed up in a box. Julie wondered how other wolfbloods could control the abilities they posses and how they use it for good. Sighing, she settled on the edge with her feet floating in the air. Repeating the steps as she did before to open the book, she finally decided to read through it hoping that there might be answers to some of her questions. The first few pages were yellow tinted, however it gradually changes to six more colours- almost like the colours of the rainbow. The first page was a map. A sketch shaped like a pie divided into six. At the edge of each six sectors were different symbols corresponding to what it seemed like a compass on the top right of the page. Julie only recognised one symbol out of the six for she had seen it so many times in the main huts of every tribes. The canine shaped like symbol is placed on every door of the tribe leaders' huts. She turned the page over revealing a cursive handwritten paragraph- there were ink splodges in various areas of the page.