• Chapter Twelve: Burning Fire
    “Shadowpaw let me go! I have to learn how to use my powers!” Lola had woken up, remembering nothing but the how she got to the waterfall and a pair of red eyes. Kino and Bloodfang filled her in on what had happened; the wings on her shoulder remained and looked as if they were not leaving soon.
    “I can’t let you go anywhere until those marks on your shoulders go away, I’m sorry but that’s how it works.” Shadowpaw was blocking the doorway. “If it’ll make you feel any better you can go for a walk, but only if I or Kino accompanies you. Personally I’d prefer to go with you but I can trust Kino enough to keep an eye on you, seeing as he won’t leave!”
    “Hey! I left when Bloodfang wanted to talk with me!” Kino hadn’t left since they got there, only moving to the other room to speak with Bloodfang once. “Besides, that only proves that I’d be a much better keeper for Lola, you’ve left tones of times.”
    “Because I had to go eat! And I brought back food for the two of you!” Shadowpaw was now glaring at Kino, who sat quietly next to the bed that Lola ha previously been sleeping upon.
    “And I thank you for that, but I would like a walk and it would be nice if Kino came with me, I wouldn’t want to put you in harms way again.” Lola was gesturing towards Kino while staring Shadowpaw down with a light glare. “It would make me feel more at ease.”
    “Ha! I win, come on Lola. You should get some fresh air.” Kino took Lola by the arm and guided her out of the large hut. “We’ll see you in about an hour or so.”
    “If you so much as displace a single hair on her head I’ll have you doing so much work you won’t get to see her for years.”
    “Yah, yah; the wrath of the shadow, oh… so scary.” Kino continued to walk Lola away until they were just outside of the village. “SO, where are we off to?”
    “I would like to take a visit to the waterfall, if that’s alright with you.” Lola looked at Kino with pleading eyes, clasping her hands together in front of her, “Please? Pretty please? I’ll be your best-est friend forever?”
    “No. Try again.” Kino was very stern, obviously not willing to give in any time soon.
    “Oh, come on. I like the sound of the rushing water, and its such romantic scenery I thought that you might like it.” Lola was giving her best effort on this, not taking no for an answer.
    “Well… okay, but only because you really want to. However you have to let me scout the area got it?”
    “Got it. Now come on, what are you waiting for? I don’t have all day.” Kino and Lola walked to the waterfall, running for part of the way. Kino scouted the area, finding nothing, and they rested. Lola went for a swim for a bit and then took a nap in the sun. “Can I train for a little bit? I just want to make sure I’m still in tip-top shape.”
    “Well okay, but only hand to hand combat, I don’t want you trying to bring out flames.” Kino helped Lola with a little training, never actually winning in their little match ups. Lola was able to pin him down a couple of times.
    “Hey Kino, I want to try something, you don’t have to move, I just want to see if I can do this trick that Shadowpaw taught me.”
    “Well… I guess. But remember, no flames.”
    “I know, I know. You’re so stubborn.” With concealed eyes Lola took a deep breath and concentrated. Fluttering her eyes open moments later, her eyes gleamed with a flickering ember. The red strips began to appear from her fingertips and extended half way up her arms, a small ball of fire began to emerge under her palms, facing the ground under her. “Okay, here it goes.”
    Lola lifted her arms and tried to push the ball of fire towards Kino, however it went only inches away from her before it disappeared. Kino, oblivious to what was happening because he had closed his eyes and turned around, now was facing Lola with eyes wide open; only just missing the little fire that Lola was able to conjure up, seeing only the marks on her arms and became infuriated.
    “I told you no fire! You were trying to use your element power weren’t you? Don’t do that unless Bloodfang is here to help you control it, otherwise you might just go ahead and burn yourself. Do you get it now?”
    “Yah I get it, besides I couldn’t even make the fire go more than two inches from me until it disappeared. Yet I was some how able to scorch the ground before, so I obviously did some damage. I just want to be able to do what I did before.”
    “I think I can help you with that.” Lola and Kino looked around to see where the nameless voice had come from, not knowing that there was anyone around. As a figure appeared out of the shadows of the forest, Lola was baffled when Kino suddenly stepped forward, putting himself between her and their new guest. As the figure walked forward Lola slowly began to recognize him.
    “Jack? What are you doing here?” Jack began to jog towards the two of them when he heard the sound of his name, dressed almost identically to Kino; he came right up to Lola with a wide grin upon his face.
    “I was just wandering around and I saw your attempt to make a fire. I thought I’d come by and help; of course as long as it’s alright with your boy toy over here.” Kino let out a low growl, and Lola promptly hit the both of them in the stomach. “Hey! What did he take your sense of humor when he…”
    “Don’t go there, or I will personally make sure you die slowly and painfully.” Lola cut him off before he could say anymore, nearly tearing his head off.
    “A little stingy are we, I guess he hasn’t tried anything then. He must have some one else for that then. So, who is she, is she pretty?” Jack was looking at Kino at this point, a smug look on his face.
    “There’s no one, and how is this helping?” Kino took a step forward, while Jack instinctively stepped back.
    “Oh you’ll see.” Jack then turned to Lola, almost letting his laughter out before the joke. “I can see why he would have another girl, you’re too flat.”
    “Okay that’s it get over here!” Lola chased after Jack, unable to catch him hopping from tree top to tree top. Finally he came down and lashed at Lola, she dodged, but was unable to make a counter attack.
    “Where’s your fire now? Or was that just a fluke that one time?” Jack continued to dodge her attacks without attacking himself. “Go on, try it, I bet it won’t go more than last time.” Lola stopped chasing after him, and began to concentrate again, the marks slowly began to show, and she had made the fir ball once again, but she had the same result when she tried to push it towards Jack. “Ha, told you, why don’t you try just coming after me and see how that does you. Although it hasn’t been doing you much good so far.”
    Lola came at Jack, and he dodged it once again. She went at him few more times before her eyes started to show the embers. The markings became more distinct, and flames began to come at almost random intervals. She dashed at Jack and he dodged, but she made a quick turn using a burst of flames and tackled him to the ground. The flames disappeared and the markings became a pink almost fading into her skin.
    “Ha! I got you! Now, you die!” Lola began to strike him continuously.
    “Lola! Lola! LOLA! Don’t hurt me! I didn’t mean it! Please stop hitting me!” Kino comes over and restrains Lola, letting Jack get up. He had several bruises on his arms, and a black eye was beginning to form.
    “I think that’s enough. He got what he deserved, and you used your flames.” Kino hugged Lola, and she pushed back against him.
    “Um… Ki… Kino. Yo…your squi… squishing… me.” Kino let go, blushing from his apparent mistake.
    “Sorry, I just really wish I could’ve hit him. Can I?” Lola took a look at Jack, who happened to be limping, and looked back at Kino.
    “I think we should get him to Shadowpaw, don’t you?”