Left out

Finding Freedom

After getting into the Gryphon Chronicles, I decided to do a short fanfic of it. I don't have any beta readers, so all mistakes are mine. 

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Jake gave a small snicker at the sight of Maddox hunched over on his knees. The girls beside him were chuckling at the young, wannabe guardian. The smell of poo stunk up the air. As quickly as Jake's smile appeared, it vanished at the sight of Derek coming through the portal.

"Enough," Derek growled at the laughing girls. He grabbed Maddox by the arm, standing him up. "Good work out there; go get yourself cleaned up. Thank you for your hard work." Derek's fierce gaze fell upon Jake, "care to explain what that was about?"

Jake shrugged, "he came out of the portal....smelling like poo," he said with a laugh.

"Go to your room," Derek ordered.

"What!" Jake stared at him as if he'd grown two heads. "But it's my birthday."

"I don't care, you acted like a child today. I don't care if you try to say it was a joke; I know it wasn't. Throwing poo on someone isn't a joke! Now, go to your room." Derek growled.

"NO!" Jake shouted at him, "it's my birthday. It's not my fault that he came along. Maybe if he wasn't acting like such a little prat, then he wouldn't have had a little run-in with the p..." Jake was cut off by a sharp swat to his backside. "OW, what the hell!" Jake glared at the older Guardian.

Derek raised himself to his full height, "First, knock with the cussing; second, if I tell you to do something, you do it. Now, GO TO YOUR ROOM!" His voice boomed across the yard, causing the girls to flinch. "I'll be in there shortly."

Jake stared at him in disbelief; his eyes threatened to fill his eyes. He glanced over at Maddox, who was smiling at him being punished in front of the others. Seeing the smug smirk on the older boy's face pushed him over the edge. Without thinking about what he was doing, he launched himself at him. He managed to get one good punch in before the older boy threw him on the ground.

With an angry growl, Derek grabbed Maddox by the back of the neck. "Leave him; I'll deal with him. Get yourself cleaned up." He turned his attention to where Jake was still lying on the ground. "Well young man, you just dug yourself an even deeper grave." He grabbed Jake by the arm, then yanked him up. "You and I are in need of a long conversation." Derek tried to drag Jake back to the castle, but the kid had dug in his feet. He was worse than a colt who was being dragged away from his dam. Now, Derek usually had a lot of patience due to his training as a Guardian, but he wasn't usually dealing with a moody child. He spun Jake around and landed several sharp swats to his backside. "If you keep dragging your feet, you're only going to make this worse on you."

Jake tried to jump away from the swats, but the Guardian's grip was too tight. He wanted nothing more than to sink into the ground. He could feel the stares of his cousins and the other girls. A feeling of dread kicked him right in the stomach as Derek led him into the castle, down the halls, and into Jake's room.

Once they were in the room, Derek pushed Jake towards the bed. He paced the room, trying to calm himself down before saying anything. "Of all the irresponsible things you could have done. You would have just been given a lecture and a day in your room for your prank, but you had to take it further. When I tell you to do something, I expect instant obedience; You aren't to argue. Nor are you to attack a fellow ally!" He stopped pacing when his eyes fell upon the young boy. Jake had pulled his knees up to his chest, tears streamed down his face; his heart ached at the sight.

After growing up with Jake's father and meeting Jake when he was a baby, he'd grown attached to the kid. Derek took a deep breath as memories of Jacob came flooding in like a waterfall. He took another deep breath, then spoke up. "How you acted today is not going to be tolerated. I know for a fact your father wouldn't have allowed this behavior, and neither will I." He sat next to Jake, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders. Before Jake could react, Derek pulled him across his knees.

"Wait!" Jake yelped out. Whippings weren't a new concept to him. His craft masters in the past would tan his hide when they got fed up with him....which they did a lot. Jake tried to push against the older man, but the Guardian's grip was iron tight. "Derek, please," he begged. "I'm sorry, it was just a stupid joke."

"You and I both know it wasn't a joke." Derek took a long deep breath, don't hurt the boy. He thought to himself. Before he could change his mind, Derek quickly got to work, reprimanding his charge.

Jake lay across in lap in a sobbing mess; Derek gently sat the boy up. "Hush now, it's over." He rubbed comforting circles on the boy's back. Once Jake had calmed down a bit, Derek continued his lecture. "I know it's hard for you to accept Maddox into the team, but I ask you that you try to be at least polite to him. You don't have to be friends, just be civil." Darke gave Jake's shoulder a gentle squeeze, "now then." Derek stood up, "stay in your room for the remainder of the day."

"What about dinner?" Jake's voice cracked.

"Not tonight, sorry lad."

Jake stared at him in horror. Trying to get him to stop eating was a challenge. But being told to skip a meal was torture. "Yes sir," he whispered. Once Derek had walked out of the room, Jake rolled over on his stomach, he cried into his pillow. His sobs gripped his body, shaking him to his core. It was unfair! It was his birthday, after all. Derek shouldn't have invited the young warrior on their trip; it was supposed to be a special day between him and Derek.

Once his sobs subsided, he pushed himself off the bed. He'd been told to stay put, but he needed to see Red. His eyes landed on the window; climbing through the window would be his best escape option. He didn't plan to be out long; he just needed to see the one face that wouldn't judge him. "Maybe we should just run away," he muttered under his breath. "I can't stay here. It's my only option." He winched in pain as he lifted his leg through the open window. They won't care if I'm gone. He thought to himself as he climbed out. "We'll start a new life, a life without them."

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Hopefully you guys have enjoyed this so far, I'll be posting chapter 2 soon.

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