Unknown L (Book 1)

~~~ It's An Ability, Not Puberty ~~~

He shook his head at the suggestion she might try one on him, but he had regained his own smirk and a look of intrigue.

"Yes, if that's alright with you?" Vadim asked politely, stepping back to stand with the other Council members.

"Alright, I have the perfect demonstration," L smiled brightly and turned her gaze on Archie.

An idea had sparked in her mind, alongside the ability to achieve it, and she beckoned him closer.

Archie tilted his scaled head, though he walked closer to her and L moved them a far enough distance away from the others. She had wanted to pay Archie back for helping to heal everyone she cared about at one point or another. Now she had her chance. She pulled up the necessary information and whispered it to Archie. She watched his eyes widen and his mouth fall open, he gasped and staggered back.

"Do you trust me?" L asked and Archie nodded but couldn't manage to speak one single word.

L led him back towards the group but she turned on him before anyone could question her. She conjured up a fireball that Vadim had shown her in her first training sessions. Only now they were much stronger. She aimed at Archie, and to the shock of everyone else in the room, she threw it at him. He didn't try to escape or move, instead, he ripped off his clothes just in time for the fire to engulf him. Gasps echoed around the room and the Council was in uproar.

"L, what have you done?!"

"Are you mad?"

"Someone help him!"

Bryce was looking between L and Archie in disbelief, but surprisingly he didn't look worried.

"L, what are you up to?" He eyed her and a smile played on his lips.

L stepped closer to the fire and gestured to them all, "You will not do anything to interfere. You have to trust me, as a Keeper and as someone who plans to save you all."

L wasn't as surprised by her latest speech and she smiled when Bryce looked at her with slight admiration. L didn't bother to question if it was for her or the fact that she was embracing her role.

The Council looked frantic though and the fire had enveloped Archie's whole body now. Vadim appeared to be about to douse the fire but L stepped in front of him.

"Stop. Archie won't thank you if you put that fire out. Haven't any of you noticed that he's not screaming in agony?"

They looked back at her in shocked realisation. Archie hadn't made a single sound that would indicate he was in pain.

"Probably because he died on impact," Katherine spoke with a stern tone. She certainly wasn't giving L any of her trust.

L understood due to her nature and didn't hold it against her anymore.

"Take a look for yourself, he's still moving in there."

L gestured a hand for them to look closer and every one of them moved to get a better view, as did Bryce. They all saw the same thing. Archie standing inside the inferno like it was nothing, moving his arms around as though caressing the fire. The heat that came off of it was minimal and Archie seemed perfectly fine, his clothes however had been turned to ash.

"What have you done to him?" Rashka asked, her curiosity outweighing her concern. She was the closest to the fire and her scales glittered in the light.

"Archie once told me that Reptilians are shapeshifters who lost the ability to shift a long time ago. These days, you're born lizard-like and stay that way. He expressed interest in finding a way to get back to changing into human form so I gave it to him."

Rashka gasped loudly and it was echoed by a few of the others.

"But, how?" Rashka asked and her face expressed much more of an interest.

L had a feeling this would change the Reptilian way of life forever.

"I was researching each of your species last night so I wouldn't be overwhelmed today and that was one of the things I searched for. I found it among a few other things your species may have lost along the way. I knew how important this was to Archie though and I owed him... plus you wanted a demonstration."

L felt slightly smug at their shocked expressions and she glanced at Bryce, who was still looking between her and the fire.

"This proves nothing except you may be cooking him, or it may be an illusion of the mind." Mallim flew forward and he looked annoyed.

This started a new debate within the Council and L stood aside with Bryce while they bickered between themselves about her credibility.

"Will this really work, L? Or were you trying to impress them?" Bryce asked while still staring at the column of fire.

L scowled at him, "I wouldn't try something this dangerous just to impress someone. Do you even know me at all?"

Bryce peered at her, his expression unreadable. "I do but you've also changed a lot recently. Your mind and body have gone through so many upheavals since you released your Keeper abilities. I have to make sure it's still you in there."

"It's an ability, not puberty. I'm still me and I would never risk someone's life for nothing. This will work, you'll see."

"Alright, I'm sorry, I just had to be sure. Have you ever watched someone throw fire like that? You were a little intimidating, especially considering the fact that you were smiling."

L's scowl faded and she nodded, "Alright, good point but please don't question my motives again. I know what I'm doing and I haven't changed that much."

"Okay, deal," Bryce smiled and looked back to the fire. "How long will this take?"

L cast into her knowledge again and shrugged, "It depends on Archie and his will to change. It takes an enormous amount of effort to shed those scales."

"So that's what he's doing? Shedding into human form?" Bryce asked, his interest was piqued and L realised that the arguing had stopped.

The Council was listening to their conversation.

L ignored them and continued talking to Bryce, "Yeah pretty much, but other factors need to be present, like the fire. And something else but that's a secret that I'll pass onto the Reptilians in private."

Bryce arched a perfect brow at her but he respected her decision and the Reptilians' privacy and didn't ask any more questions.

Rashka stepped closer to L, "So we could all change form, whenever we wanted?" She sounded excited and L smiled softly.

"Yeah, I'll share this information with any Reptilian who may want it."

"You don't know that it works yet, Rashka," Solan stated. Although she didn't appear to be questioning L, just stating a fact.

As Rashka was about to respond, a crackling sound came from the fire. It sounded like popcorn being made and Archie's form was now writhing around. He still made no cries of pain but the disbelieving Council members didn't seem to care.

"Now he's burning, get him out of there, Vadim!" Katherine called out but Vadim stood still, he was staring at L who returned his gaze with her own steely look.

"He will be fine," L responded in a firm tone, she was starting to get annoyed now. "You trusted me to become a Keeper, you wanted me to train to fight Frallica in case she comes knocking. You need to trust that I can do this, just chill out!"

She raised her voice and clenched her fist. A rumbling echoed around the room and made the ground beneath them shake.

"L, please calm down... wait a moment, did- did you just do that?" Vadim asked and L took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"That wasn't me, Archie is done."

L shook her head and walked towards the fire. She held her hands up to extinguish the flames and the shaking stopped. She took a step back to stand beside Bryce while they all stared at the results of what she had done.