• Chapter 1
    -Revelations-


    -It all started 3 years ago. I was attending to my first year in high school. Everything was normal; same friends, new class, new teachers and over all… new skills; skills that go beyond human understanding. Skills that many may have, but that lie hidden within one’s self until the time is right for them to awake. I didn’t know about this until that day where I discovered I was more than I thought.-

    -It was at my 15th birthday, when I realized who I was. It was before dawn, if I recall well, and I was having all sorts of nightmares about a kingdom being attacked by many kinds of monsters. The weirdest thing about this dream was that the monsters or creatures, looked like animals, but walked like normal people and were even dressed with armors and equipped with weapons. Some of them even used what seem to be magic.

    -Right after that, I started to feel strange. I remember seeing myself, still in the dream, and screaming in terror, because of what I saw. “What the hell. I am a dragon?!” I recall saying. I was dressed in fine clothes, like a noble in the middle ages, and suited for battle with a beautiful silver sword with a crest carved at both sides of the blade. The crests seem to be like a dragon holding a crown. I imagined it belonged to a royal family and that I had to be somewhat related to them because of my clothes and the fact that the sword was mine. For some reason the shock just lasted about a few seconds. Right after I started enjoying my form, I flew around the land and miraculously I somehow knew how to use and wield a sword, so I forced myself into the battle. I was amazingly killing all the “bad guys”, until one of them appeared form behind and just as he was going to strike me with his axe, I woke up.-

    -“Good morning dear Alex and happy birthday!” said mom exited. I was an only child, so this day was pretty special for my parents too. “Their only son has 15 years already, who could blame them for being happy, even though they are more exited than I am.”, I thought. My parents, Alphonse and Elaine Samuels, are really special people. They can do a lot of things, from arts to business terms and politics. They are very skilled and are always working at what ever they do, ‘because they’ve never actually told me what or where they work at, so it is kind of strange, but I’ve learned to live with it. “Good morning mom, da… wait a second… where is my necklace!” I screamed. “Don’t worry pal, I have it right here. We took it last night to merge the emblem with a locket with pictures of the three of us. It was your mother’s idea. Happy birthday son.” That necklace was very valuable for me; I’ve had it since the day I was born. For some reason, the emblem resembled a lot to the crest in my dream, but I didn’t pay attention to it. I don’t know what would I do without it, especially since my parents told me never to lose it.-

    -“So… did you enjoy the nightmare?” said dad. “Well, actually it was pretty odd, but at the same time it…” “Hold on a minute! How do you know I had a nightmare” I said troubled. “It is easy to tell when you crawl and roll all over your bed, plus you came to the age that you …*muffle, muffle*… for the first time” said my father as my mother quickly covered his mouth when he was about to finish. “The age that what?” I replied. “Ahhh…T-T-The age that… y-you are a teenager for the first time, yeah that’s what I said!” mumbled my father with a nervous smile. “O…k..? What’s going on? I’m not stupid” -“At least not any more…” I thought- “I am 15 now, you can’t trick me that easily.” I said it with such an impotent determination I felt like an adult already. “Well, you are right sweetheart. The thing is that your father almost screws up your birthday surprise, so let’s keep it a secret until tonight ok? said mom nervously. “Well, okay, I can wait, since I have to go to school, so if you’ll excuse me I have to get ready because I’m go…na…be… HOLY CRAP! I am already late!” “No, no, no, today is the first day of the school year, I can’t be late! My shirt where is it!*5 minutes later* Ah, I can’t believe it was over the fan blades. Ok, now I’m ready…*huff*…is kinda breezy toda… Oh no I forgot my pants too!!” 15minutes later; classes are about to start. “Wow! I can’t *huff* believe *huff* I made it!*huff*” “Alex! What a surprise and happy birthday, I thought you wouldn’t come, but why are you so tired?” said Melanie. Melaine Thornwood, a really happy girl, always worrying about others rather than herself. We have been friends since pre-school and somehow kept that way up until now, knowing as a fact, that we are tottaly different. “Thanks. I am tired because *huff* I came *huff* all the way *huff* running. “Well, at least you made it in time, and good thing you made it, especially in such a special day!” “What’s so special about my birthday?” I asked confused “Wait! That means… that you don’t know…Uh-oh! I said nothing…sorry I have to go sit down, classes are about to start!” said Melanie nervously. “But… what do you mean?” “You’ll find out soon enough!” she shouted. I was still troubled, but I didn’t mind since she said I’d know about it soon, and knowing her; soon is just around the corner.-

    -“Good morning class and welcome to another wonderful school year. I am your teacher, Susan Gigoy, at your service!” “First of all I want to congratulate Alex Samuels because this is his 15th birthday and now he is just like all of you.” the teacher said. “I don’t get why my 15th birthday is so important and what do you mean by “he is like all of you”…” “Oh! Don’t worry child, you’ll find out when the time is right, which is going to be in around 5 minutes.” said the teacher anxiously. “Okay everyone… first in schedule is the mastering of transformation!” I remembered being so puzzled after she said that that I even confused words and sounds. “What!? What the hell is that supposed to mean!?” suddenly, my face turned pale blue as I understood what the teacher meant.-

    -Everyone simply started changing one by one as the teacher called them out. As she called someone, this someone started to change in some way. For example, when the teacher called Melanie, she started growing fur, yes fur, and then a brownish tail came out behind her as a muzzle grew over what once was her mouth! When she finished changing into what seem a vixen, something I only read about in fiction comics, she came closer to the scared me and said, “This is what I wanted to tell you… we are not humans, we are shape shifters, which means we can change from human to animal form or simply leave the process in halfway like I am right now. Everyone in school is, because this school is only for us. Little ones don’t know about this because their transforming ability isn’t developed until the 15’s.” said Melanie happy. “S-s-so…t-this means that I-I am one t-too? I said frightened. “Well yeah of course you are silly, but only your family knows what breed you are. As you can see there are many breeds like the birds, foxes, rabbits, wolves, bears, and many others. There are humans though, but they ignore our existence. “Among all these tribes or clans, there are three royal families” as she said that I remembered my dream like a flash over my brain. “Mine is one of them, The Kitsune Royal, the fox and vixen clan, and Mark over there is from The Everlasting Royal, the phoenix clan. There is a third royal clan called The Ryu Royal, the dragon clan and the highest clan that ever existed, but legend has it that it disappeared long ago. So don’t have high expectations, ha-ha.” Everyone was a shifter. Even me or so it seemed. All that was left to do, was wait ‘till night time.-
    -Night came quickly, and I arrived home from a long day of school, which was mostly the time I spent in the nursery’s bed after I collapsed in the classroom. As I went in, with doubt on my head, lights turned on as people jumped and shout happily “Surprise!” a surprise party was waiting for my arrival home. Everyone started coming at me congratulating me and shaking my hand. I was, happy as well, because all my friends where there. Then…it happened. My parents called me to the center of the living room as all the people formed a circle around us. People were exited and muttering-“Finally, we’ll be able to see the Samuels’ family crest” “I want to see what clan they belong to”, both my parents were standing in the middle, holding a small box in their hands. I walked towards them as they handed me a small box, old looking, like a relic, everyone staring curiously and anxiously too. “Happy birthday son” said my parents anxiously. “Come on… open it. Everyone is waiting” said my mom. Then, I took a deep breath as I slowly started to open the box. When I opened it, my face turned pale white, everyone in the house, except my parents, became paralyzed as well as we all saw the content of the small box.-

    -End of Chapter-