Blood of Dragons - Ch 5

Chapter Five: Things Unearthed

Clair Weli’sol prided herself on being an independent woman who above all else, thought almost everything though logically and rationally. Though right now, logic was telling her to panic. She was restrained to a stone block, wrists and ankles shackled and this man was filling a syringe with that black liquid and preparing to inject hew with it. She squeezed her eyes close…

Clink.

The sharp pain that came from having a needle push though her skin didn’t come. Instead, she was treated to a brief snapping sound… like…

She opened her eyes seeing that the needle had snapped in half before it entered her skin. The ion-membrane. She forgot she had it running, keeping in the heat, keeping the sharpies out. He sighed in relief, well aware that along as the membrane was functioning, she was safe and the man, who ever he was, left ignorant of why the needle snapped. Then it hit her…

“Wait a minute. I know you. Your Robert Young.” Clair said, snapping the man to attention. “And you obviously aren’t bitten by those gargoyles… so what are you doing here?”

The man smiled at the girl as her eyes widened.

“That isn’t possible. How did you… How?”

“I don’t expect you to understand. But there were crystals. When I picked them up, I felt a connection…”

“And I can guess the rest. Somehow the rocks from your findings assembled themselves together to create those stone gargoyles.” Clair said, knowing exactly what they are and what they’re used for in the arcane arts. Mana Crystals, like batteries, used to hold mana. Humans have a high mana proficiency rating compared to most physical species, rivalling even elves and dragons, it came to no surprise that he could control those golems with those crystals, amplify the mana available… short coming was, if someone with a larger charged crystal came along, those gargoyles would just fall apart. “But Stella and the mutations? Why are you…” Clair suddenly flashed back to the search with Blake. One of the bathrooms had bottles of pills prescribed to Roderick Young, covered with warnings, all of them for one thing.

Late term cancer.

Roderick Young was dying.

“You did say you would be back Kaltor’le.” Blake spat. Julian noticed that he was holding something behind his back. Somesort of perfume bottle. “Turns out even the Eternal Chaos Fae couldn’t keep you in Tartarus. Titana herself forged the chains of binding to keep your soul from reentering the cycle. You really think her champion wouldn’t notice you sneaking out and whispering in someone’s ear?”

Julian wasn’t sure what to think anymore. Was he mad, or did the voice in his head actually exist. He heard it chuckle before braking out into a full on laugh. Behind him, a figure began to take shape, a large bipedal dragon taller and larger then he was.

So your the runt I’ve heard so much about. Many new prisoners of Tartarus have talked of a half fae taking up the Edge of Existence and the mantle of Titaina’s champion. How does it feel to have the duties of a god on your mortal shoulders? Given the horrors you’ve thrown into the darkest pit of hell, I’d say your doing well. Fallen Angels, Demi Gods, Warrior Demons, Chaos Fae, even Argina the Destroyer of Worlds. But even if you stand in my way, I will still bring winter back to Eternity.

“You can’t. Eternity’s gone.” Blake said coldly.

No. No. You’re lying. Eternity can’t be gone. It was protected by the elements. Unless… No. The prophecy. That could not have happened. You’re lying to me!

“I was there. Not just there. I tore it down. Turned the seven core elements against it. It’s oceans froze, the earth tore itself apart, the air ripped from the sky and fire burnt away what the remains. Light and darkness fought over what was left then… nothing. Just the emptiness, the abyss. I tore it apart because it threatened to take my world with it.” By now, the voice was roaring with rage, spitting out words in an alien language Julian could only just understand. “Like I haven’t been called that before.” The figure lunged at Blake but he branched a gold flask and the figure began to disappear into it.

NOOO!!!!

“Let my friend go or I’ll leave you in there for the rest of history.” He scolded the little bottle. “Don’t give me that.” He said with a pause. “Not my problem. You can live as atoms in the air.” Another pause then the kid just flashed a smile at Julian. “Who says he’s alone?”

Julian felt his mind clear, like something heavy leaving it and taking all the tiredness, self loathing and doubts with it. He felt like himself again.

“Felling better?” Julian nodded, not sure what happened. “Okay. Go left, take the corridor for a tenth of a mile, take two lefts, right, then your third next right. You’ll come to a red door. Don’t go in there. Instead, turn right then left, go though the sun room and take the elevator to the third floor and go though the gym. Should be a set of decent clothes in the open locker. Just check for wing slits before putting them on, wolf fur can be itchy on scales. And Glenn’s been shedding like mad.”

And with that, Blake dashed off leaving the befuddled dragon with the directions, yelling back “Don’t touch anything other then the clothes.” And something about three kid will put him though hell if they find anything out of place.

“Your dying aren’t you.” Clair said softly. “Brian Tumour? It’s risky to target one of those with nano surgery. And nanotechnology is still just emerging on this planet. No doctor would do that surgery. So that leaves… the method rewrites the subject biology, cancer cells would literally be consumed and broken down… disappear into the subject’s biology…”

“Good theory. But do you have the evidence to support it?” Young asked.

“I can cite several sources.” Clair shot back. “And I can guarantee that there is nothing you can do to make the method viable for you.”

Young laughed, attempting to put a syringe though her skin again, only to have it snap in half. “What is your skin made of? Steel?”

“Oh irony.” Clair muttered remembering old Terran comics of the man of steel. “Anyway, are you sure you want to go though with it?”

“What?”

“Change of species to cure cancer. Especially into something that has a reputation for ending up as a villain of fairy tales. Now I understand why they wanted to rewrite those things. Though, did you hear about the one involving the dragon befriending the princess after she was kidnapped by the black knight? Snow White and the Seven Warrior Demons of Dawn? Or the rewritten one about Little Red Riding Hood and the abusive evil stepmother? I quite enjoyed the Lycan depicted in the story.” Clair rambled reminiscing the stories she used to ask her dad when she was four.

“Let me guess, the wolf was depicted as the woodsmen.” Clair laughed at the statement.

“So?”

“Why?”

“Let’s just say I know a few methods.” She pulled at her restraints. “Let me out and I’ll make you a dragon. Or leave me in here and I’ll make you into shoes.”

“And how would you…” He never got to finish as the holographic disguise flickered and was willed away. Young was surprised to see that the human girl was replaced by an alien woman.

“Have we got a deal?” 

When he finally found the gym, Julian found a set of clothes sitting on top of a closet, folded and clean, a singlet top and a pair of sweat pants. The top had a number eight on the back and the words ‘Ashfield Blazers’ on the front with a man made of flame dribbling a basketball. What really surprised him was the top had wing slits in the back of the shirt and a third leg for a tail… it was as if these clothes were designed for someone like him. There was a blazer hanging inside the closet with the word ‘Zane’ stitched on the chest. There was another set of clothes, a black shirt with a nike logo the back, a pair of tracksuit grey pants with a blue stripe up the side and a yellow hoodie. All of them had slits or extra legs for his additional limbs.

Putting them on and looking at himself in a mirror, he got a chance to see what the damage was. The only thing human about him was his eyes and hair, everything else was covered in scales and altered beyond recognition. If he had to guess, he though he was close to nine feet tall, but most of it was from his neck and legs. He noticed the increase in muscle, even if it was spread out though his longer frame. He figured it was from the left over of his brief stent as a larger dragon. He had sharp teeth but noticed molars at the back. Sharp looking claws tipped his fingers and toes, but his hands retained a lot of dexterity. His wings, opened wide measured sixteen feet from tip to tip. It occurred to him that he might be able to fly and with a set of clothes on, he looked more human. He felt a little more at ease with them on.

He wondered back to what his parents would think of him now. His friends back in Cardiff. Moving was hard on him but he was able to make new friends there. Now… he wasn’t sure if he wanted any human being seeing him. He looked like something from a nightmare, the monster in a children’s fairy tale, the dragon that kidnaps the princess and is slain by the knight in shining armour.

“No happy ending for the monster.” Julian muttered in depression.

“I’ve seen monsters.” Came a voice behind him. Julian turned to see Blake leaning against the door, carrying two silver rifles over his shoulder.

“Can you not do that?” Julian demanded. “How do you find your way around this place anyway?”

“It’s complicated. For now, lets just go with the fact that creation is bigger then anyone on your earth can hypothesise. You’ve got parallel universes, alternate dimensions, and in some regard, what you think are creatures of myth are actuarially real, just not from here.”

Julian understand it, a little. “And you?”

“I’m from a parallel version of Earth called Terra, where in 1971, a space craft crashed into the north of France. Both superpowers sent scientists to the wreckage to research and reverse engineer the remains. By 1975, humanity had a working faster then light craft and from my present, we have a formable galactic commonwealth, fuelled by both magic and technology with species a plenty. Some were from the world that I mentioned earlier. Others were from habitable worlds we colonised. Then there are some that have been on our world since the beginning, and still only exist as myths and rumours because that’s how they want to exist. In the shadows.”

“Dragons I suppose.”

“Not dragons. You’d be surprised how often you’d find them flying though the city despite them being a minority species.”

“What else?”

“Griffins. Humanoid dinosaurs. Werewolves. I’m serious. We have werewolves.” Blake protested when Julian gave him a your buffing look.

“Fine. I’m a dragon and I’m talking to a kid from a parallel universe in a place that’s bigger then most suburbs.”

“Not just that but, he’s offering you a chance to slay the monster, rescue the damsel in distress.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Stella disappeared, along with Clair and Zoya.” Blake explained. “And Stella is going though the same thing you went though too.”

“Wait. She’s…” Julian started, not liking the answer. Blake just nodded. Julian could stand the idea that he looked like what he was now. He knew Stella for a while now, only other kid his age. It’s gotten to a point where he melted every time she smiled. The idea of her turning into something like him now, he couldn’t stand it. “Who would take her?”

“No idea. But why don’t we say Zdravstvuite to him.” He said throwing the dragon a rifle. “One thing I love about Russia, is their weapons. AK-47 are probably the most versatile assault rifle to come out of a Terran Gun-smitheries.”

“This is an AK-47?” Julian said confused. It had the shape of an AK-47 but it was mostly silver and the cartridge wasn’t curved. And it was different some how.

“Russian laser assault rifle. Fifth anniversary edition to celebrate the invention of everyone’s favourite assault rifle.” Blake smiled. “And I’ve got a little gift for what ever else is down there. Might not be Russian, but Cuba isn’t too far south.”

“Cuba?”

Blake just smiled. “Think you can get back into the excavation?”

There was a muffled bang.

“What was that?”

“Someone who likes to make sure their weapons are working before they start a full scale siege of an excavation site. Or anywhere generally. Come on.”

Blake lead Julian down the maze of corridors, cutting though a large library and a indoor garden. Julian couldn’t help but smell something that made him relax immediately.

“Coming!?” Blake yelled back, snapping the dragon out of his daze.

The then came to a door that looked like all the others, frosted glass with a steel frame that spit it into two parts that slid away when they approached. Behind it was an armoury.

“And just pull the trigger.”

Bangbangbang… bang…

Julian had to cover his ears to keep from going deaf when the shots rang out.

“Shotgun protocol Lewis!” The voice snapped, a deep growling voice that reminded Julian of an attack dog.

“Sorry Mister Kame sir.” Came a young girl’s voice, teenager, british…

“Don’t be sorry. Just do better.” The first voice said calmer, growl gone.

Julian turned the corner to find two figures standing at a firing range. The first was a human teenager. Long brown hair tied back, wearing a set of military fatigues on her thin, tall figure, with a seven pointed star where a flag should be on the shoulder and chest. The other figure was a humanoid wolf, towering over the teenager with two extra feet. He wore lose fitting clothes, a pair of three quarter cargo shorts and a camouflage tank top, along with a pair of combat boots with holes in the tips for his claws. Both were wearing hearing protection. Somehow, they both heard Blake when he cleared this throat. Both turned to him. The girl put down the rifle, and both pulled off their headgear.

“Julian. I’d like to introduce to you Glenn Kame and Jenny Lewis.” Blake announced. “Guys, Julian McHamish. That’s the good news.” 

“And the bad?” The wolf… Glenn asked. “Not that it can get any worse.”

“Oh it’s going to get worse. Not for us.”