War of Dragons, Part 12

  The next day I had another training session with Grarr, and for better or worse, that's where I was.  Training and drilling and drilling and training.  We did the same exercises over and over, but neither of us felt like we were learning anything new.  Though the reason for that might that all we were doing was flying through hoops.  Thankfully Scott stepped in.

  "Hey!" He yelled.

  "Hey." I said.

  "So... I was thinking..." He said.

  "That's dangerous." said Grarr.

  "Ha-ha, cute.  Though seriously I was thinking that we're going to have to go into battle whether we like it or not, right?"

  "Yeah..." I said cautiously, I really didn't know where this was going.

  "Well, neither of us have weapons.  So I'm saying that we should go steal some!  There's an army base nearby."

  "Aren't those a secret?" I asked. "How do you know about it?"

  "I did some work there for the military, do you want to go?"

  "Sure."

  "Would you also like... to get some dinner?  Real food, not the Dragon feed." He asked.

  "Are you... asking me on a date?"

  "Maybe... how does nine sound?"

  "That's fine." I said "See you then." 

  Then he left.  I was staring after him, when Grarr leaned over and asked:  "What's a date?  Isn't that a kind of fruit?"

  "You'll learn when you're older."  I assured him. "Or maybe you won't!  I don't know Dragon customs that well." 

  Training went quickly after that, maybe out of anticipation, but at Nine o'clock I was dressed in all black and ready to go.  I met Scott under the crevice opening, he was also dressed in all black.  Grarr was there, but he was there to fly us.

  "Ready?" I asked.

  "Ready." He assured.

  "Grarr, would you be kind enough to take us there?"  I asked

  He sighed: "Okay."  He lowered himself to the ground and we climbed on.  Then we both shook as his powerful legs kicked off the ground!  We were airborne. 

  "So what do you humans use as weapons?" asked Grarr.

  "What do you use?" asked Scott.  Then a small burst of heat came from Garr's mouth and orange flame sparked.

  "Touche" said Scott.  "But we don't have that.  So we use guns."

  "Are those dangerous?"

  "Yes, at least for humans they are."

  "Then why are we stealing them?"

  I spoke up: "Because the humans have waged war with the Dragons and me and Scott need to be able to protect ourselves.  Like Scott said: 'No fire'."

  "Or claws?"

  "Or claws." I confirmed.

  "Or a tail?"

  "Or a tail."

  "Or..."
 
  "I get it!"  I yelled!  Then Scott and me both started laughing.  Imagine that, all the crap that had happened and I was laughing.

  "So Scott..." I said.  "How... exactly are we going to do this?"

  "We sneak around until we find a armory." He replied.

  "And if we run into a guard?"

  "Hopefully we can take him out before he yells for the others."

  "Nice to know you guys have a plan." said Grarr. "Because we're here."

  He was right, all that talking we had done had made me not notice it, but there we were.

  Scott leaned over:  "Okay Grarr, we need to land behind that gate."  The gate in question was at least ten feet tall with barbed wire at the top , there was no way we could scale it. It was no problem for Grarr though, who landed behind it and let us off.

  Then I said to him:  "Just hover around above for now.  We'll be back."  then I turned to Scott:  "Where do we start?

  What was interesting was that instead of one big building, like you'd think, the army base was made of smaller buildings, within the gate.
 
  "I dunno." he answered. "Where do you think?"

  "I'd try the building with no windows and a ton of locks."

  "Unless that's a prison."

  "I'm sure... you're kidding right?"

  "I kid." he said. "The problem is that there are like, four guards between here and there."

  "We can take 'em out... I'll stay here."

  "I'm sure you will." he said.

  Though he then he started off, slowly walking.  I could barely see him in all the black he was wearing.  I couldn't hear him either, but by straining my eyes I managed to see him snap to cover right as a guard turned around!  The guard then walked by right where Scott was hiding!  then he grabbed the guard and knocked him out! 

  "That's one." I said.

  The next guard was close, so Scott sneaked up behind him and took him out!

  "There's two." I whispered.

  Then came the hard part, the last two were across an open patch of grass.  There was no cover.  So Scott ran across and his behind a corner, but one of the guards heard him!  It wasn't a problem though.  When the guard came, Scott hit him across the face!

  "Three down, one to go." I said.

  The last guard heard him, and started to run, but Scott up to him, and slammed into him!

  "Four." I said as I ran to Scott.

  "Thanks for the help." He teased.
 
  "Anytime." I told him. "Now lets check this place out." 

  We started to walk over to the building, but Scott stopped and grabbed a key-card from one of the guards.

  "We'll need this." He said.  Then he walked up and swiped the card.  The door then swung open.
 
  "Jackpot!" I yelled.  It was, because the room was covered with racks of guns!

  "I call shotgun." I said, picking one up.

  "Do you even know how to use that?" asked Scott.

  "It's like a camera, right?"

  "No."

  "Then that's why I have you."

  I also grabbed a pistol, and Scott did the same.  He also picked up what looked like an assault rifle, but I'm no gun expert.  then we ran out and back across the base. 

  "Grarr..." I said. "We're ready."

  "About time." said Grarr, as he landed.  Then we got on, and Grarr kicked off into the air.

 

War Of Dragons, Part 11

The next day, me and Scott were wandering the Dragon's city.  I hate to admit it but I had never been in any of these places, Darsk had always flown me around instead of me walking.  Did you know that they had a marketplace?  I didn't and after an hour of walking it, me and Scott had made some purchases.  I had got a bone necklace, and he had a book on Dragon history.

  "You're seriously getting a book?" I had asked.

  "The Dragons have such a rich history, I just want to learn more about it.  I am a explorer after all." he told me.

  "Don't explorers find new places?"

  "We do research too."  I just nodded and smiled to myself.  He would have loved the catacombs, but I wasn't sure if I was allowed to take him there.  I would have to ask later.  Though as we walked, we found something.  A crowd of Dragons gathered around something in the middle.  It was kind of like when the Council had announced the human's war.  As I looked closer I saw that it was Tw'One that was at the center.

  "My fellow dragons!" she yelled.

  "This again?" I asked.

  "Abby..." whispered Scott, he put his arm on me, but it was more to hold me back.

  "Relax." I told him. "I'll just listen."

  "For now." he added in, but I ignored him and turned back to Tw'One.

  "Today begins a new age!" she yelled. "One without the tyranny of the council!  They tell us to wait and hide, but waiting and hiding has gotten one of us killed!"

  "Stop!" I yelled! and everyone in the crowd turned to me.  I had to say something, I didn't agree with the council either but Tw'One?  Tw'One was making war!  And she was doing it in Darsk's name!

  "Who yelled?!" roared Tw'One! "Who yelled for me to stop?!"

  "I did!" I yelled back!  I stepped forward so everyone could see me, and more importantly, hear me.

  "You." she squinted at me with beady eyes.  She looked ready to tear into me if I dared disagree with her.

  "Yes me, and I don't agree with the council anymore than you do!  But you're creating a war here, and take it from me, war only leads to more war."

  She squinted at me again, and said: "You seem to forget that you're not a Dragon."

  That hit me like a punch to a gut.  She actually went there.  I couldn't believe it, she actually said it.  It actually made grasp for words, but I finally said: "No, but I've made this place my home."

  "You don't know hat we've been through!  You haven't had our experiences!"

  "That's fine 'cause I brought my own."

  At the this point, the crowds eyes were moving back and forth like a game of Ping-Pong.  Everyone seemed to want to know where this was going.  I know I did.

  "Why are you fighting us?" asked Tw'One "We're doing it to honor your friend."

  This is where Scott finally stepped in: "Because you weren't listening at the funeral you ruined.  Darsk wanted peace, doing all this in his name isn't doing it for him."

  "What we supposed to do? Lie down and let them take over?!  That's probably what you two want!  Don't think we haven't noticed that there are two of you now!" she shrieked!

  "Th-that's not we want." though what she had said was making me think.  Is that what everyone thought?  That we were agents?  It sounded stupid, but... not out of the ordinary.

  "How about this?" she asked. "We stop using Darsk's name, and you two figure out who's side you're on."

  "We're on yours." I said.

  "Then act like it."  On that note, I turned around and quickly walked away with Scott.  She continued to rant, but no mention of Darsk was made.

War Of Dragons, Part 10

  I arrived at the funeral right on time, not too early, not too late.  But when I got there something felt... off.  You know how it's always dark and cloudy at funerals?  Well that's bull.  That day it was sunny and bright, one of the nicest we had had in a long time.  But for everyone there it was dark and cloudy.  One of the best Dragons had died, and he was missed.

  I sat down on the grass, because there were no chairs, and watched as a preacher went up to the podium.  No one came to comfort me, no one came to tell me they were sorry for my lost.  I was beginning to wonder if the other Dragons even knew why I was there.  The Preacher had begun to talk, but I wasn't listening.  I didn't need him to tell me that Darsk was loved and would be missed.  I already knew that.

  Though something in his sermon did catch my ear.  He had said:  "All Darsk had wanted was peace, and he tried so hard to get it.  That's why we've decided to use his bones to create a brand new house.  That way future families may find peace ad harmony between his walls."

Oddly enough.. that felt right.  It was exactly wat Darsk would have said, and it was exactly what he would have wanted.  I wondered if Darsk would have been happy with his funeral.  It seemed to me that it was going all right.  After his sermon, the preacher and everybody else started to walk away, they acted like it was over and now they get on with their lives... I wasn't going to let it happen.

  I stepped up to the podium and said: "If everyone could stay, I would like to say something."  Everyone turned back around to hear me, and I noticed that the podium was bigger than me, but my voice could be heard. 
  "Darsk was a friend."  I started.  "But wasn't just that, he was a protector, a confident, and in many ways, the bravest person I've ever known.  When I was down here in those first few months, it was Darsk who talked to me, comforted me, informed me, and even protected me.  He did the things it seemed no one else wanted to do.  So in many ways Darsk was more than a friend, he was part of my family.  And for that, I will always love him.  Thank you."

  I stepped down from the podium and everyone stomped on the ground.  It's the Dragon version of clapping.  Surprisingly Scott was there in the crowd, I hadn't seen him before.

  "That was beautiful Abby." he said.

"It was the right thing to do." I told him. "It was the least I could do for Darsk."

  A different Dragon actually stepped to the podium.  I thought I recognized her but I couldn't place it.  I thought maybe she was a friend of Darsk's.  She was a dark green color, with a shorter neck.  She looked kind of like a sleek, green, bullet.

  "My fellow Dragons!" she said.  "MY name is Tw'One.  I didn't know Darsk, but I will say this.  This can not stand!  One of our own is dead!  And by human hands!  They're the reason we are down here in the first place. and they have the nerve to kill one of us?!  Isn't what they've done enough?!  I say it's time we overthrow the council!  If we follow their rues, we'll all end up dead!  Instead we should take the fights to the humans!  We'll take back our original home, and put them underground!  Now who's with me?"

  "Yeah!!!" screamed everyone else in the crowd, but by then I had ran away.  I was angry, steaming, full of rage!  However you want to put it!  All Darsk had wanted was peace, but instead a war had started at his own funeral.  

War Of Dragons, Part 9

  The very next day I went back to the hatchery.  When I had said "Training starts tomorrow." I had meant it.  We were going to hold a funeral for Darsk later that day, but for now... I had to start training.  It was what Darsk would have wanted.  Zarr was waiting, and I couldn't stand him up.

  Where we were training was the hatchery, but it was a separate room from where I had met Zarr.  Honestly?  I had no idea what to expect.  So I guess I was surprised when all I found was a roof with hoops dangling from the ceiling.  We were that important. 

  Zarr seemed happy with the setup though.  He was weaving in out of the wings.  He wasn't bragging when he said he was a good flyer.  When I looked at Zarr a little closer I noticed something.  He was well... bigger.  Almost adult size, and now he was big enough to ride.  In three days... he had grown to the size of a mini-van.   Though while he was flying all over he noticed me.  Which meant I had to stop staring, and start talking.

  "Oh... hi." he said.

"Hey..." I said. "Wasn't expecting this."

"The training room?" he asked. "Yeah, I guess they decided that having a dragon rider wasn't as important as they thought."

"Why?"

"Probably because yesterday you showed up on the back of a Dragon and they shot at you."

"Yeah, not a single person in that crowd thought 'Oh wow!  She's on the back of a Dragon!  Maybe they aren't as bad as we thought!'  So then why are we still doing training if we're not going to 'mend wounds'?"

"They're probably going to put us on a battle field."

  I was actually kinda surprised, he hadn't just grown, he had also matured.

  "I'm sorry about Darsk." he said. "I wish I had gotten to known him better."

  There it was, the grey cloud in the room.  I was trying my best not to break down, but I was failing miserably.

  "It's okay." I sputtered. "We better start training!"

  I tried to perk up, and managed to fake it, so Zarr lowered himself to the ground, that way I could get on. 

  "Okay, here's the trick." he said. "I have to be blindfolded while you guide me through the rings."

"All right... where's the blindfold?" I asked.

"It's over there by that harness... you'll need the harness too... this means you'll need to get off me."

"Awwww..." I joked.

So I slid off his back and to the ground where I grabbed the tools.  And after fiddling with them for an hour we were finally ready to go.

  "All right." I said. "So I guide you with my voice?"

  I was sitting in the harness on his back while he struggled to see through the blindfold.  The harness was clinging to me tight which meant if we crashed, we both went down with the ship.
  
"That's exactly what you do." he told me. "We begin whenever you're ready."

  "Okay then.  Up!"

  He flew up and through the first ring

  "Down!" I shouted!

  He flew through the second one.

  "Alright.  Down!  Up!  Left!  Left!  Left! No wait I meant right!" but it was too late.  We crashed head first into a wall!

  "Sorry!" I said.

"It's fine, I have tough scales.  Let's just try again."

  Because of my screw up we had to start from the beginning, which was a pain.

  "Start with... Up!  Now Down!" he flew through both rings with ease.  "Down!  Go up!  Left!  Another left!  Right!  Left!  Right!  Up!  I meant right!"  but again it was too late, and CRASH!!! his head met the wall!

  "One more try!" said Zarr.   

"Fine." I grumbled.  "Up!  Down!  Up!  Down!  Left!  Left!  Right!  Right!  Up!  Now a down!  Now right!  A left!  One more!  Down!"

We landed on the ground as lightly as a Dragon can land.

  "Huh." said Zarr.  "We aren't dead."

  I just ignored him and asked:  "Will we be able to use reins next time?  It's kind of hard to stay on."

"Yeah, they just want us to listen to each other while flying.  Especially since you can see more one my back than I can."

"Makes sense." I said.

  We were both quiet for a minute.
'
  "This was fun." I said.

"It was."

"I have to go.  I can't be late."

"Thanks for coming." he said.

"Next time?" I asked.

"Next time."

War Of Dragons, Part 8

  I woke up right where we started: in my room.  Scott was there, Darsk wasn't. 

  "Wh-what happened." I groaned.

"You're awake." said Scott.

"No.  Really?" I grumbled.

"You don't sound good."

"Give me time, give me time."  I was hurting all over, seriously hurting.  It took all my effort just to sit up.

  "What happened?" I asked again.

"They... um... we were shot down..." he mumbled a little more. "We were shot down over the crevice."

"And Darsk?" I asked.  He lowered his head.

  "I'm sorry." He told me.

"No..." I whispered.  That's all I could say.  I was quiet, I was crying, and I was angry all at the same time.  My best friend had died.  Was I going to feel like a part of me was gone forever?

  "It was my fault." I whispered.

"What?"

"I-I was the one who encouraged him to go there!  If I hadn't he'd still..."

  Scott hugged me, his arms were strong but I paid no attention.  Darsk was dead.

  "It's not your fault." He told me.

"It is."

"It's not." He was quiet for a moment, like he was thinking.  Then he said: "Did I ever tell you about my cat?"

  "I didn't even know you had a cat." I said

"Yeah, I did.  You remember when we set out to find this place right?"

"All too well." I thought, but I just nodded.

"Well, I asked one of my friends to feed my cat and clean up after it while I was gone.  I thought it'd be okay, but when I got back the cat had died.  It had died of starvation.  At first I blamed myself, thinking I should have never left home and the cat, but then I realized that it wasn't like that.  I should have blamed the friend who didn't feed my cat. 

  So should you blame yourself?  No, though you should blame the fighter pilot who launched the missile.  To a further extent you should even blame Sophie, who told the pilot to shoot Darsk."

  I looked at him.  "Why are are telling me this?  We barely you know each other."

"I'm telling you because you need it." 

  It wasn't the first time someone I knew had died, but it was the first time close to me had died.  It felt like I had a hole in me. 

  "What would Darsk want you to do?" Asked Scott.

"He'd want me to keep fighting."

"Then that's what you do."  I thought about that for second, then I told Scott everything about the Dragon Riders.  Including that they want me to be one.

  "Wow." he said. "So what do you want me to do?"

"Tell the council." I said

"Tell them what."

"That training starts tomorrow."

War Of Dragons, Part 7

  "Darsk, we need to go now!"  I yelled!

"I'm coming!"  screamed Scott!

"Fine, get on!" 

"I would hurry if I were you." said Sophie.

"F*** off, Sophie!"

"You betrayed humanity, to fly with a lizard!" she screamed!  Darsk starting to rise.

  "Humanity didn't do anything, but put me in a commercial rat race!  I wasted most of my life with them!"

  I almost fell off, as Darks picked up speed!  Scott and I had to use all of our strength to stay on!  Though it was too late, the jets had arrived with a roar!

  "Darsk, we have jets!"  I yelled!

"I know, I know!"  he shot back!

  They started to fire!  KRAKKA KRAKKA!!! and the air ripped with bullets, and the smell of oil!

  "Try swerving to avoid them!"  I yelled to Darsk! 

  My stomach lurched as he went from let, to right, left!  We didn't get shot, but they were still there!

  "Darsk, hover!"  yelled Scott!

"What?!"  said Darsk!

"They'll shoot pass you if you come to a stop!  Hover now!"

I almost fell off when Darsk stopped but it worked!  All of the five jets shot ahead!

  "Light em' up!"  I heard some one yell! 

  FWOOSH!!!  I felt the heat, and smelled something burning!  Darsk was shooting a stream of fire!  I was glad I was behind his head!  I could feel the heat from there!

  "Scratch two jets!" shouted Scott!

  But the other three jets circled around behind us and it started again!  FWOOM!!!  I saw a flash of light, and felt heat behind us!

  "They have missiles!  We need to shake them!"  I yelled!

  We went down into a dive, which felt just like falling!  I was trying hard, to stay on! 

  "Pull up!"  screamed Scott!

  We went straight up, and pulled out of the dive!  As we leveled off, I noticed something!  It was crevice!  we were home free!  All we had to do was fly down!  That's where it went all wrong.  one missile was all it took!  I was blinded by the flash, but I heard Darsk scream!  RARGH!!!  It had hit!  We started to fall, faster and faster.  Everything became a blur!  There was a CRUNCH!!! and everything was dark.

 

  

War Of Dragons, Part 6

  I stood there looking at Darsk.  He was genuinely scared.  Even my offer to go with him didn't make him feel better, then I remembered something that I had seen on the news.  Something that could help us.

  "Look..." I told him.  "They're holding another press conference at the White House tomorrow.  Why don't we up pop then?"

"I guess that's good." he said, but then he had a question.  I could tell just by looking at him.  "Have you been spying on them?"

I don't why but that made me laugh.  "No, it's being shown on pretty much every news channel.  I think everyone on Earth knows." 

I swear I could see the gears turning in his brain.  "So... news crews will be there.  Meaning..."

"That people that aren't there will see us.  Beauty of the press."

  That didn't make him look better, that just made him look worse.

  "We better get to bed." he said.

"Alright."  then he walked away.  So I in turn, went back to my room, feeling I had made the problem worse.  When I got up in the morning, I found Darsk waiting outside my room. 

I just sighed.   "I'll get dressed."  All he did was nod.  So I walked back into my room, and threw on jeans and a t-shirt.  I was ready, or as ready as I ever would be.  I walked back out of my room, and he just nodded again.  He was still scared, and he didn't look like he had slept at all.  When we were under the entrance to the crater, I climbed on his back and we started to rise into the sky.  Neither of us said anything.  Both of us were silent and worried.  Both of us were thinking about what we'd say, and both of us were wondering if anyone would listen.

  We rose straight out of the crevice, and started to fly.  The cool air hit my face, and I realized it was the first I had been out of that crater in six months.  The I started to wonder.

  "Do you now where you're going?"  I asked Darsk.

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked.

"Just checking."  I said.  Then  kept thinking.  "Do you miss this?"  I asked him.

"Miss what?"

"Flying like this."  We were going almost a hundred miles an hour now!  Forget the Artic, we'd be there in seconds. 

"Yeah, I do..."  he replied.  "... but it makes me sad that some of the younger Dragons don't know how it is to really stretch their wings."

"Yeah."  I said, then I thought even more, about something else.  "I hope the other countries don't get into this."

"Are you kidding?!" he laughed. "With our luck this'll turn into World War Three, Dragons against the world!" 

  That actually made me laugh.  Then my thoughts turned back to serious.  "Have you thought about what you're going to say?"  I asked.

"I was actually hoping that you would speak for me."

"Me?"

"Well... I thought they'd be more likely to listen to you then me.  Because you're... another... you know..."

"Yeah, I get it."

"Well... you better think fast."

"Why?"

"Because we're landing."

  I hadn't been paying attention, but that's when I noticed the White House.  We had arrived.  The president was standing in front of the house, and I could here him from how high we were.

  "My fellow Americans..."  but that's as far as he got.  Because that's when we landed on the White House lawn!

"Oh my god!!!"

"Run!!!"  someone yelled!  But no matter what was said all cameras, and eyes were on us.

"My fellow Americans..."  I said  "... we have hijacked this conference.  Any questions?"

"Abigail?"  that one word came from two different voices.  Scott Terrace and Sophie Owlen.  I ignored Scott, figuring I'd talk to him later, but Sophie?  I ripped into her.

  "Sophie...  you @#$%@!" I said.  Everyone was quiet,  all eyes were on Darsk.  He was a fish out of water. 

  Then, Sophie spoke up:  "How dare you..."

"How dare me?!  How dare you!  You're the one that basically lied to us all!"

"That has nothing to do with..."

"It has everything to do with it!"  I yelled.  "You pretended to be our fri-coworker!"

"I was doing it to keep my country safe!"  she yelled!

"Safe form what?!"

"That!"  she waved at Darsk like he was something to be put on display.  It was a lot easier talking to Sophie than that huge silent crowd.  Even the president was quiet.

  "His name is Darsk!"  I yelled!  "And where did you even get footage of the Dragons?"

"I had cameras in my glasses!"  she said, matter of factly.  "Just one more tool to keep these people safe!"

"No it's a perk of being a government puppet!" I yelled.

"I am protecting my country!"

"From something that hasn't even attacked you?"

"Yet!"  she said.  "Yet!  People will feel safer knowing that monster aren't going to crawl out of the ground and eat them!"

"And it's all about your comfort isn't it?  You know the reason they're in that hole is because of people like you!"

"We need to know that something like Dr. Martin's death, won't happen again!"

"Dr. Martin was a @$$-hole anyway!  The Dragons need to know that someone like Dr. Martin won't come and lock them up in cages!"  I then turned to wide eyed audience.  "You here that?!  Dr. Martin was trying to capture Dragons to sell as weapons!  Makes you wonder what else the government is hiding!"

  Murmurs were going around now, and Sophie was furious about it.

  "We need to know that we aren't living in the shadow of evil!" she screamed.

  I looked at her, she not only sounded stupid, she looked it too.  "My god..." I said.  "You really think that?  That the world is black and white?  That good and evil actually exist?  Is that what they tell you?"  I waved at the president.  "There are no virtues on the table with this war."  I told her.  "Only the fear that the bigger dog will bite first."

  I turned to the slack jaw spectators.  "Chew on that."  I told them.  Then I turned to Scott  "Do you want to come back with us?" 

  All he said was one word:  "Yes."  So we then climbed up on Darsk and we started to rise into the air.  i turned on final time to Sophie:  "Don't let fear take over."  I told her.

  Though all she did was whip out a walkie-talkie and grinned.  "Bulldog, this is Commander Owlen, you have permission for takeoff." 

  The radio crackled in her hand.  "Roger that, Owlen."

"No fear..." she said.  "only fighter jets."  I could feel my eyes grow wider.  Now it was my turn to be silent, but not for long.

"Darsk, go!"  I screamed!