Primal Summer

Chapter 2

As soon as the naga's tail left the ground, the Counselor's eyes sharpened and he held one hand up in the air. He snapped his fingers sharply, the sound of the snap was so loud that it resounded around the clearing like a gunshot. Magic sparked outward from the counselor and vaporized the raindrops in the air instantly clouding the air with thick white mist.

The naga, the counselor, and his nephew soon disappeared from sight as the magical fog concealed everything that wasn't more than ten feet in front of us. After a moment of nervous anticipation, a girl screamed as the naga flew out from the mist and hit the ground in front of us, headfirst.

Three older kids crowded around the visibly pissed off snake girl. "What happened?" One of them, a petite girl with brown pigtails, asked while helping the naga to her feet.

The snake girl spat out a mouthful of dirt. "Don't know. The old guy disappeared after making this mist, then something wrapped around my stomach and flung me back here."

"Well, you're going to go back after him, right?" Pigtail girl looked around at the mist which was becoming even thicker.

"Not alone, I'm not. You pansies better jock up or we're going to be stuck in this stupid forest all night." The naga answered. Fur, feathers, and scales started to sprout from many of the kids in our group as they changed to their animal forms.

"Looks like Counselor Ramos is a Water mage. Pretty strong one too." Dion said calmly.

I looked at my new buddy sideways. He had pulled out a Snickers bar from his jeans and was blithely opening the plastic wrapper. He broke the chocolate bar in two and handed me a piece. "Aren't you going to shift?" I said in between chews of salty, sweet, crunchy nirvana.

He scoffed loudly. "Seriously, dude? Haven't you ever seen a Asian martial arts movie before? Counselor Ramos and his nephew fit the stereotypical mold of the all-powerful kung fu master and his disciple to a tee. No sir, I'm going to eat this delicious chocolate bar and enjoy watching some teenage butts get kicked."

I nodded in agreement but inside, I could Torn pacing back and forth restlessly in the prison of my soul. He wanted to get out and take up Counselor Ramos on his challenge. I was a shy kid, Torn was definitely...not. I tried to send the beast soothing thoughts, I didn't want my first day at camp to end in disaster.

I could tell that Elena was also having trouble controlling her beast. She was breathing heavily while her eyes darted to and fro trying to find the hidden threat.

"Relying sight is a human weakness, children." A ghostly voice chided us. A large ominous, black shadow appeared in the mist and then disappeared just as suddenly. "You are not human. That will never change no matter how much you want it to. That is the first lesson we have to teach you."

A thick red tentacle burst out of the mist and swept over the ground knocking half of the kids to the ground. Another tentacle appeared out of the fog and wrapped around the naga's human torso. The tentacle playfully tossed the hissing, cursing snake girl several yards up in the air and then quickly retreated back into the mist before the other kids could do more than gape stupidly with open mouths and snouts.

"A trained werewolf soldier can track his enemy through a desert after a sandstorm. Use your senses. Listen to that beast inside. He knows where the danger lies even if you don't." With those words, another tentacle came sweeping out of the mist knocking down three kids and a werewolf standing on his hind legs.

I felt something tap at my shoulder. I spun around to see the ghostly image of Counselor Ramo's face outlined in the mist. "Ben Holloway. The other children may be allowed to shift during this test but you are forbidden. Is that understood?"