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Here is chapter 7! the chinese writings read Luo zhensiao or Luo Medical Clinic

bah apparently SF doesn't support chinese writing =(

Chapter 7- Awakening

The rest of the day went very slowly... Unfortunately Lucas was right-handed so he was forced to use his left hand to write and take notes which resembled chicken-scratches more than his usually impeccable penmanship. He also had to deal with all the whispers. Mr. Carter had demanded to see what was wrong with Lucas' arm. He was shocked to see the bandages and asked the fox what had happened. Lucas had quickly made up a lie about cutting himself accidently while he was cooking and promised the man that he would go to the nurse if his arm got any worse.

He also thought about Allison and her offer. Even after knowing her for a year he realized he knew almost nothing about her... true she was Erin's classmate not his, but it seemed hardly anybody knew much about her, not even Erin who knew everything about everybody... plus she was probably the only person before Ian, who'd bothered engaging in conversation with him no matter how short. And it seemed that she knew what Ian was and what happened to him.

Finally school let out and he began to walk outside. Erin had managed to find him on her way to gymnastics practice, "Hey bro, how come you're not heading on home?" she asked him.

"I'm waiting for Allison; she said she would be able to do something about my arm..." Erin just nodded and smiled.

"Kay, hope she can help... I just hope Ian doesn't get jealous," she whispered into his ear and walked off giggling at the look of shock on her brother's face.

He loved his sister very much, but she never missed an opportunity to tease him... he sighed again and sat down on one of the benches scattered throughout the front courtyard. After a few more minutes of silence he saw Ian. He waved at the wolf, who waved back and began to walk towards him.

"Is this seat taken?" the wolf asked him and Lucas just shrugged.

"Where's Greg?" he asked Ian as he sat down, "I doubt he would just let you out of his sight like that..."

Ian just laughed knowing how right what Lucas said was. Truth be told he knew Greg was watching him from the other side of the courtyard, "He's right over there," Ian replied pointing towards one of the tables shaded by a very tall oak tree. Lucas could hardly make the tiger out but sure enough there stood Greg his eyes not leaving Ian for a second. He laughed a bit. "What's so funny?" Ian asked.

"Greg, he's always watching out for you... why is that?" Ian looked down a bit.

"He's my Protector... my bodyguard essentially... My family is the most powerful of the clans back in Scotland..."

"Clans?" Lucas asked confused.

"Yeah, clans are the different mage families in a specific area... as I said, my family the Mansfield clan is the head family in Scotland... we have several subordinate clans... Greg's family for example, the Moore's had served mine for ages... his dad served as my father's protector before he died..."

"How did his parents die? Doesn't he have grandparents? Why is he staying with you?" Ian's face darkened at that.

"His grandparents died in the same incident that killed his parents... my Uncle and one of my older cousins died as well... but how they died is up for Greg to tell..." he said closing the issue.

Lucas felt his ears droop a bit at that but nodded... they talked for a few more minutes until he heard a female voice ring out behind him. "There you are, I have been looking everywhere for you Mason."

He jumped slightly, but sighed as he knew that voice. He looked and saw that Ian had fallen out of his seat in surprise Lucas couldn't help it and burst out laughing. He couldn't remember the last time he laughed so hard. When Ian recovered he just gave Lucas a glare that just made him laugh harder. After a while he managed to calm down enough to see Allison standing behind Ian with a small smirk on her face.

"I was sitting here the entire time..." he told her. He noticed Greg quickly running towards them Richard following a bit behind.

"You okay Ian?" Greg asked glaring towards Allison who only gave him a small smirk. Richard looked like he was trying not to burst out laughing but was failing miserably.

"I've never seen you jump so high bro, or fall over like that," he said to his brother who just gave him a spiteful glare. Ignoring it, he turned towards Allison. "That was amazing Monet! I've never seen anybody sneak up on Ian before!" he said.

"Thank you," was all she said to him she then switched focus to Lucas. "We should get going Mason. I do not want that taint to spread any more than it already has... it was good seeing you Moore, Mansfield and Mansfield," she said to the boys before walking off. She walked a few feet before turning and saw Lucas was still sitting. "Do I have to drag you? I will if I have to..." she told him calmly.

Ian growled at that and she looked right towards him. "Do not go picking fights you cannot win Mansfield," she told him coldly. Ian just glared at her a look she returned. Sensing that he should probably defuse the situation Lucas got up and turned towards Allison.

"No, you don't have to drag me... I'll go with you," he said before turning towards Ian, "I'll be okay... I trust Allison even if you don't." He sighed and decided to follow Allison leaving Ian behind. Seeing the wolf's worried look he just gave him a smile and walked out trying to keep up with the Coyote girl's quick pace. They walked several blocks in silence before Lucas decided to speak up. "So, how do you plan on removing the taint?" he asked her.

The girl just shrugged a bit, "You will figure it out when we get there..." she said ending the possible conversation. Lucas just sighed as they continued to walk down the street and found themselves outside what looked like a small clinic. It was a small brown building with two windows above the door he saw what looked like traditional Chinese calligraphy Lucas couldn't read Chinese so it meant little to him but it looked pretty cool.

"So... will you be able to get rid of that taint here?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes, follow me," she said entering the small clinic once inside he saw an old goat being followed by a middle-aged female tabby they were walking out of one of the room's.

"I hope I was able to help your pain Mrs. Wilson...take this three times a day after you eat and be sure to rest after you take it," the old goat said handing the tabby woman something wrapped in paper.

"I feel much better Mr. Luo... I will come back for treatment next week as scheduled. And thank you for the medicine," she replied before walking out. When she noticed the two teens she smiled, "Good seeing you Allison dear," she said to the girl who returned it.

"It is good seeing you as well Madame Wilson," she replied back politely.

The woman smiled and looked towards Lucas, "And who is this? Have you gotten yourself a boyfriend dear? He is quite cute."

Lucas flushed but Allison gave no reaction at all, "This is Lucas Mason... and no he is not my boyfriend ma'am he is the brother of one of my classmates," she told the woman., "He is my patient..." she explained.

The woman just nodded and smiled, "Good meeting you Lucas," she said to the boy before walking out the door.

The old man then turned to smile at the young coyote, "Oh, I didn't expect to see you today Allison... I thought you were going to go home and relax..."

Allison only bowed to the man, "Plans change Master Luo... my companion here Mason has been tainted by an angel... I need to remove the taint..." she said before turning towards Lucas. "Mason, this is Luo Huang the best healer in western Canada and probably the entire west coast... Master Luo this is Lucas Mason the brother of one of my classmates," she said introducing them.

Mr Luo just chuckled a bit, "You are to kind child, you are very close to surpassing my skill... are you sure you don't want me to help?" he asked her but she shook her head.

"I need to do this by myself... trust me Master Luo, if I thought I was unable to handle this I would not let myself do it alone." She told him as she led Lucas into one of the random rooms.

"Very well, be careful my young Tong líng..." he said just as she closed the door behind them.

"I will sir," she said before shutting it fully. "Now," she said turning towards Lucas. "I will need you to remove your shirt and pants... you may keep your underwear on..." she said. Lucas flushed brightly and she sighed. "Your clothes will only get in the way. Now strip, I am not looking," she said turning around. Lucas sighed and unbuttoned his jacket. This was awkward. She sighed a bit.

"If I was Mansfield would you be as reluctant to strip?" she asked him. "Do not worry Mason, I have no designs for your body... you are quite cute I admit, but seeing as you are into other men it is not worth my time pining after you..." she told him matter-of-factly. "So if it makes it any easier just pretend I am that childish wolf..." she told him.

"Ian isn't childish! He saved my life..." he said defending the wolf. Ian became his friend when nobody else gave him the time of day...

Allison sighed, "Yes he did... and you obviously care very much about him..." she told him calmly, "Now will you please strip so we can get this over with?" she told him tiredly, "The longer that taint stays the harder and more painful it will be to get it out..."

He eventually obeyed and managed to strip down to his briefs. It was a bit awkward having a girl who wasn't his sister seeing him so underdressed.

"So Allison how old are you exactly?" he asked her.

"I turned fifteen last week why?" she answered calmly.

Lucas just shrugged, "Err... happy late birthday... wait? You just turned fifteen? Shouldn't you be in 9th grade?" he asked her.

"I was able to skip 8th grade... I was home-schooled most of my life and I was far ahead of what was being taught in that grade so they allowed me to skip a grade... actually I should be in your grade, but they refused to let me skip two grades... I am outcast just like you, but unlike you I'm a scholarship student... my family isn't poor per se, but they would never have been able to afford to send me to Greenheart on their own bucks..." She admitted and chuckled. "It's funny, I'm more intelligent than most of my peers and I'm not from a rich family... so it would seem I will never fit in with the crowd."

"You get along with Erin don't you?" he asked.

"I do get along with your sister but then again Erin is friendly with everybody so she does not count... the girls in my grade despise me and whisper horrible things about me when they think I'm not listening. The boys are intimidated by my intelligence..." She stated bluntly. "Now, stand still please," she told him.

"Okay, so what are you going to do?" he asked her.

"Remove the taint... now hold still," she said bringing out some bubbling liquid.

Lucas looked at it nervously, "What is that?" he asked her.

"It is a potion that will remove the taint from your body... it's going to taste nasty and it is going to burn once you drink it..." she said he looked warily at the brew. "Do not worry it is safe, trust me..." She told him.

He still looked at the bubbling liquid warily but sighed and took the bowl and wrinkled his nose at the smell, "Gah! This stuff reeks!" he muttered pulling it away from his muzzle but seeing the look on Allison's face made him wince so he held his nose and hurriedly drank the vile liquid. He gagged a bit at how disgusting it tasted but persisted and after what felt like forever he finished it. He felt something funny bubble in his stomach before his body was struck by spasms of horrific pain. He moaned in agony as the burning wet from his stomach and spread throughout his body eventually leading to his arm. His agony reached an even higher level as the burning intensified tenfold. He was so distracted by his pain he didn't notice Allison but her paw on his forehead.

"You will be okay, the burning is the potion forcefully removing the taint... it is boosting your Yin energy... Normally your energy would be entirely Yin given what you are but the Angels Yang energy is reacting violently to your normal chi alignment."

"What do you mean given what I am? I'm a mundane right?" he asked. "Ian said he can't sense any magic coming from me..." he said trying to fight through the pain.

"You definitely are not a Mundane Mason, your Chi would imply you are a Dark Mage... completely aligned to Yin... but I cannot sense any magic either which makes me curious... If you were a mundane you'd have a balanced and fluctuating chi pattern instead of one that is pure Yin... curious..." she muttered rubbing her chin with her paw. "If my theory is right your magic has been blocked ever since you were a small child... once the removal of the taint is complete I will check for a block."

Lucas was about to say something but was cut off when the pain increased even more. He was starting to pant as sweat began to pore from his body staining his white fur. After what seemed like forever he felt the pain fade gasping he managed to sit up. "How do you feel?" he heard Allison ask him.

He didn't say anything at first. He was running a diagnostic test on his body and found he was able to move his right arm without burning pain again.

"It's... gone..." he said in wonder.

Allison only chuckled, "Of course, I did say that it would get rid of the taint... any soreness will only be temporary," she told him calmly, "Now I will need you to lie on your stomach... I want to see if I can find and remove that block..."

He sighed and obeyed and this got it thinking... all his life he was a mage and never knew it? Someone had sealed his magic? Had he been lied to his entire life? His head hurt... he felt Allison's hands on him and he jumped. "What are you doing?" he shouted jumping up.

Allison looked at him annoyed and sighed, "I am trying to find that block so I can unblock it... do not worry I will not be touching you in an inappropriate manner... it would not be professional to try anything with a patient," she said before pushing him back down on his stomach. "So, what exactly has been going on between you and Mansfield, Mason?" she asked him.

"Na-nothing! Nothing is happening between us... okay... he's uh... he's kissed me a few times..." he muttered blushing, "He has a habit of kissing me at random moments when it's just us Richard Erin and Greg... Why are you asking anyway?"

"Indulge me, I am curious... Mansfield does not really seem the type who goes for long term relationships but he seems quite fond of you..." she admitted causing his face to burn bright red. "And did you enjoy those kisses Mason?"

"I... guess I did... he is a great kisser I just wish he'd give me a warning or something before he did so..."

"So do you like him?" Allison asked calmly," If you do not it would be quite cruel to lead him on... but you do not seem the type to do that," she said as she felt around his body he felt his muscles loosen underneath her skilled paws she went up towards his heart. "I think I found it... your magic is locked in your anahata... your heart chakra... let me see."

She put pressure on the spot and Lucas went rigid images flashing in front of his eyes...

He saw himself around five years old with a four year old Erin standing beside him. He saw his father speaking with a very old panther they were in a small dark room Lucas remembered his dad had taken them to Victoria that day he was amazed at how he had forgotten that location completely...

"I think this is wrong... sealing their magic could end disastrously..." he heard the panther say.

_ _

His father just shrugged. A look of irritation crossing his face, "I paid you to do this and I expect you to do this... I do not want my children to have anything to do with the hidden world... they will be better off living as Mundane's... If the Knights found out they are mages they might take them from me... I won't let that happen Aaron... I won't let some Council asshole raise my children," he said looking to the two of them who were standing in a corner. Erin was playing with a doll while Lucas himself was reading a book.

"Aren't you a Knight yourself Evan?" the panther Aaron asked.

"Only in name...I have no love for either the Knights or the Council, but I despise those hunters... yes having their magic sealed is the best bet... I don't want them or Marie involved with the hidden world..." Lucas' father said.

_ _

The panther only sighed, "Very well Evan but I do not like this..." he stated before turning towards the younger version of him, "Just close your eyes child... this will be over quickly."

_ _

Before everything went black.

He woke up from his vision feeling... strange... He felt an odd energy coursing through his body... he felt so much power on a whim he looked towards a vase and concentrated he wanted it to come to him. He was surprised when the said vase started to float towards him.

"Woah!" he shouted his concentration broken leaving the vase to shatter on the floor, "Oh, oops..." he said towards Allison who was sitting in a corner.

"It is okay, I never liked that vase anyway... I am impressed you managed a spell so fast... you blacked out for a second though... what happened?"

Lucas looked down at the ground trying to figure out the vision he just saw, "I think I saw how mine and Erin's magic was sealed... my father... he said he mentioned Knights... and some panther asked if he was a knight himself..."

A fire lit behind the coyote girl's eyes causing the boy to gulp, "Ah yes... so your father is a Templar..." she said coolly. "No wonder he sealed your magic... the Knights do not like magic very much... when a Tahleno...sorry, a Mage who has Mundane parents is found they are usually taken from their parents and put in the care of a mage family... so I guess your father sealed it so he would not lose you two... it would be sweet if what he did was not terribly selfish... wait..." she said realizing something, "Of course! How could I forget! Your sister! If you were tainted that might mean she could be as well! Dammit!" she shouted. "Come-on, we need to get to your sister fast! If she is tainted we need to get rid of it!" she said running out the door Lucas quickly managed to follow after managing to put his uniform back on.

"Hey wait!" he shouted at her. "What are you talking about? Is my sister going to..." he asked not able to finish the question.

Allison stopped and sighed, "I do not know... I do not know what type of Mage she is..."

"That Angel kept on calling her Wind-Shifter does that mean anything to you?"

"Of course! An Air Mage! This is not good... Air mages are notoriously unpredictable when cornered... I have to stop by my house... we have to be prepared to fight if need be and I will need my gear." She then looked towards the fox. "The Taint will affect her in a different manner... she will not die but the taint is slowly turning her into a thrall... she is losing her sense of self, any longer she will be no different from the things that attacked you but she will still look like a fur... if she reaches that point, we will have no choice but to end her..."

Lucas looked towards her in horror, "She's my sister! I won't let you kill her!" he told her.

"If it reaches that point she will no longer be the girl you know as your sister, she will just be a slave to the angel who tainted her...a living zombie... death would be a blessing..." she stated bluntly, "But hopefully we can save her before she gets to that state..." Allison said before walking up to Mr Luo who looked worried for the girl.

"Will you be alright child? Do you think you are ready for this?" he whispered to her.

"I do not know... I've never had to use my power in such a drastic manner... If I use to much I will probably fall into a coma..." she also whispered making sure Lucas couldn't hear her. "But I have no choice... I will not let Mason's sister become a thrall to a damn angel!" she said, "Now come-on Mason my gear is at my house it is only a short walk from here, three blocks at the most... we will also need assistance as well and I think I know where we can get it."

"Where?"

"You will see," was all she said, a rare smile crossing her face.