A Dark History, A New Story... (Chapter 3) - "Dusk"
#4 of A Dark History, A New Story
Here is another chapter for my story. I know I take long to write, but it's hard for me to keep a steady writing pace so I hope you understand. This one is a bit long, by the way, and I really put myself into it so I hope you enjoy it. But before you read it, I need to put a...
- - - Disclaimer - - -
It is an honor and a privilege for me to have a very special character in my story of whom you'll find out more as you read. This character has appeared already, and will be recurrent throughout the plot, but it does not belong to me, it belongs to someone I esteem and admire.
The 'human in this story is copyright of :
:iconRyan-masterpaladin-Lewis:
- - -
I hope you enjoy reading.
- - - - - - - - - - -
Regardless of who we are and regardless of our beliefs and actions, there is something in common between every existent being in the universe...
All comes to existence to wither away and eventually die.
A Dark History, a New Story...
(Chapter 3)
"Dusk"
A silver horse stands in front of a large window carved in the stone wall he's facing. He stands upright wearing a black cloak with his arms crossed behind his back. His dark green eyes stare deeply into the horizon that lies beyond the unending jungle beneath him.
"Mr. Wilkiefner..." Says a male voice behind him.
The equine turns around and notices a brown haired human around 5'6'' feet tall, with a pair of serious brown eyes almost covered by his hair. He's wearing a black shirt and a brown sleeveless jacket over it. In his lower body he wears black cargo pants and a pair of brown combat boots that match with his jacket. In the outer part of his right leg rests a holstered blaster tightly fastened, and behind his right shoulder rests the hilt of a sword resting slanted on his back while the strap that keeps it in place runs across his chest. He walks with a bold attitude towards the silver stallion.
"Oh, I've been waiting for you, young man. I'm appeased by your hasty attend to my call." The man nods as he stops in front of the horse and remains silent, carefully gazing at the creature. "My... years don't seem to pass you by... you haven't changed at all..." The equid raises a brow and turns around realizing he won't get any reply. "You must be wondering why you're here."
"Well..." He continues "Your former superior has been informing me of all the deeds you have accomplished for our cause in this two year lapse, and I must say I'm amazed."
"Excuse the interruption, sir." Interjects the man "Did you said 'my former superior'?"
"Indeed, your great talent has not gone unobserved. Your potential is too great to waste it in pesky tasks." The creature turns around once again and looks at the human in the eyes "I've seen it. I can see it in your eyes as we speak, you are destined for greatness."
"You flatter me, sir." Replies the man as he looks around the room trying to hide his eyes from the horse's intruding stare and blushing slightly.
"It's not flatter, boy, it's truth. Now, if I may continue..." The man nods "I'm going to prove your worth with the next assignment. Succeed where everyone else has failed and I promise you the greatness you deserve along with a high place amongst our ranks."
Both males remain silent, staring at each others' eyes. A smirk slowly forms on the stallion's face.
"What can be so hard as to make everyone who's tried fail?" Asks the man seriously.
"Not a what, boy, a who." The stallion searches with his hand inside his cloak and takes out a picture from below his cloak, quickly handing it over to the human before continuing "He's a legendary soldier of the Tyrant's army. The title of "legendary" is well deserved and so is his rank of Brigadier."
The human looks closely at the picture for a few moments, then looks back at the silver horse.
"A General, huh?"
"Correctly." Adds the equid before pausing and chuckling "A big pillar in the foundations of the Tyranny... and one of the few still standing. Are you up to the task?"
The man takes a last look at the picture of the adult ocelot before giving his answer.
"Consider it done, sir. It shouldn't be too hard." A shrewdly smirk appears on the silver creature's face along with a approving nod.
"Is that all you've got?" Exclaims the agitated tigon in between breaths "C'mon, give me your best punch!" He taunts.
The young panting ocelot in front of him leans his body back and, with a swift, enraged move, he throws a powerful hook at the white feline's jaw. The tigon's body takes a step back and both felines remain still. The ocelot looks up and sees the tigon looking at him directly as, after a crack, places his jaw back in its right position.
"Ouch." Says the white feline "I'll admit that hurt a little. I may be teaching you a little too well!" Both felines chuckle as they stare at each other.
"Sorry William, I got carried away." Replies the spotted cat after taking a deep breath.
"No, Jack, never apologize after hitting someone in combat, that's a sign to show your opponent he's not worthy of your strikes."
"I'd never seen it that way..."
"Well Jack," The tigon claps his paws "I think that's enough training for today. You've really improved in these two years! And I have to say I expected no less." The young ocelot giggles and replies:
"Well thank you! You're a great master, William." The tigon smiles warmly
"Just don't get confident, you still have some ways to go." He pats the other feline's shoulder and continues "Go get a shower now, no offense but you smell awful.
Both felines chuckle and part ways.
- - -
Later that day, after taking a shower, I headed towards the living room downstairs. As I was walking down the stairs, I heard my mother talking with the lynx named Zephyr. I stopped in the middle of the stairs to catch a part of their conversation without being noticed.
"What is the hurry?" I heard my mother say in a low voice tone, almost whispering.
"There is no hurry, Grace, but I've been very patient, even more than I should. Don't get me wrong, dear, I'll wait as much as I have to for you, but sometimes I'm not sure if you're really interested in us, and--"
"Zephyr, please..."
"Please, let me finish." A moment of silence elapsed before I could hear the lynx's voice again "I already proposed you to go and talk to Julian myself, and you said no. Then... what do you want me to do? I know you care about your son and, in some degree, about your husband, but it's time for you to be selfish for once in your life. I'm sure Jack will understand in time, he's no longer a child."
"Zephyr..."
"Promise me, Grace, promise me you'll do something soon. I- I don't think I can bear the idea of being without you. Please..."
"I promise." Said my mother, and I heard Zulu sigh in relief after that. His sigh was followed by what I supposed was a kiss.
"I love you, Grace." He said warmly, in a tone so sincere that captivated me as I heard him say that "I'll get back to work now. William won't take long to realize I'm not where he thinks I am."
With that said, I heard the lynx head out towards the exit. I silently headed back to my room to meditate about what I had just heard.
As soon as I entered my room, I sat on my bed and laid back. I couldn't believe my mother was having an affair with Zulu. I... wasn't mad, but I wasn't happy about it either... I was confused. I knew my parents hadn't been really close to each other since a few years back, but I never thought it would come to this. The first thing I thought to do was to tell my father about it, but I decided it wasn't my place to do it, nor did I had the guts to do so. Then I thought to discuss it with William, but I knew he would tell my father as soon as I told him. If only David had been there... I knew I could trust him anything... alas, he wasn't. So finally, though it was a hard decision for me to make, I decided to talk to my mother directly. She was my mother after all, not a stranger.
I stood up from my room and headed downstairs once again towards the living room. As I expected, she was still there but apparently had been crying for some time. I approached her, and as soon as she noticed me, she wiped her tears off her face.
"Are you ok, mom?" I asked and sat at her side.
"Yes, son, I'm alright. Well..." She said faking a smile and looking at me "...maybe a little tired." I could see in her emerald eyes, and also knew, that she was far from alright.
"No, mom, you're not ok. I know you." I placed my paw on her shoulder and slightly tilted my head to a side "Tell me what's wrong."
"It's nothing." She replied in a colder voice tone.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing, Jack, nothing I can talk to you about. How do you want me to say it?" A grimace appeared in my face when I heard that, but I swallowed my pride and replied in a calmed tone:
"Mom... I'm not a child anymore."
"But you're not an adult either! There is a time for everything, Jack, and you're neither old nor mature enough." I sighed and clenched my fist out of frustration, but I quickly swallowed my frustration and calmed myself once again.
"Alright, mom, you don't have to tell me what's wrong." I paused for a second, then continued "Let's at least go for a walk outside, I'm sure some fresh air will make you feel better."
She was hesitant at first, but a pair of puppy eyes later, she agreed. Shortly thereafter we headed out to my house's back yard. Both of us remained silent as we walked, only enjoying the cool breeze of the wind, the kind rays of light, the orphean melody of the singing feral birds, and the refreshing and soothing aroma of the grass and trees around us. I discretely stared at her and she seemed calmer, but still distressed. It seemed as if an angel of melancholy was surrounding her, keeping her in his grasp. I had never seen my mother in such dismay, her livelihood, her beauty, and -honoring her name- her grace, had always been characteristic of her no matter what. But now... now it seemed different, as if she was the victim of a tasteless and cruel act from the playwriter. It was then, amongst all that harmonious feelings and sensations, that I broke the silence with a question.
"Is it because of Zulu?" Her eyes widened as she heard the lynx's name.
"What did you say?" She said. I had no idea if she really hadn't heard me or if she was wishing I hadn't said that, but I asked again regardless.
"Are you sad because of Zulu?"
"What do you mean, Jack?"
"Well I... I know there's something between you two." By her following expression I realized she could feel as if a sudden burden fell upon her shoulders and brought her to her knees. Several seconds of silence passed before she replied something.
"How do you know that?" Was the only thing she could say.
"I heard your talk with him this morning."
"Were you spying on us?" I knew she was trying to turn the tables on me, and I didn't blame her, so I just answered.
"Not intentionally at first, but yes, I was spying." I took a deep breath and continued "But mom, regardless of the circumstances, I heard you two. And no, I'm not here to confront you about it, all I want is a little trust and a few answers, nothing more."
I saw her eyes began to turn watery and ready to drench her face with tears. I will never forget that moment, her expression was like a thousand lashes to my heart, not only had I made her feel ashamed, but also regretful. My intention had never been making her feel worse than she was already feeling, and it pained me to see her that way. I didn't know what to do, and I had cast the die already.
I wrapped my arms around my mother as tightly as I could and gently placed her head on my shoulder. Apparently she was right all along, I wasn't mature enough to face things like that. Unable to turn back time, and trying to ease my mother's pain, even if just a bit, I asked her a question:
"Are you in love with him, mom?" She looked up at me before nodding and answering in a low voice tone:
"Yes, I love Zephyr."
My understanding of romantic love was null, and I couldn't understand how it was possible for someone, no, not someone, for my mother to love someone more than the one she had spent many years of her life with. 'The heart works in strange ways' I thought.
"Well," I said "If being with Zephyr is what you want and what makes you happy then I won't, and can't, do anything about it. As he said to you earlier in the morning, 'It's time to be selfish for once in your life'. You have given me enough already and it's time you start thinking about yourself."
Her eyes stared deeply into mine, and in them I found their usual liveliness veiled by a curtain of tears and anguish, but also found a spark of relief. My mother remained silent for several seconds as she looked in my eyes. Was she reading me just like I was?
"Mom..." I said after a few more seconds of silence "If you decide to talk with my father about it... know that I'll back you up, I'll be fighting in your corner."
After I said that, I felt her right paw tenderly caressing my cheek, a gesture that was accompanied by a soft yet meaningful smile. I warmly smiled back at her and slowly hugged and kissed her gently on the left side of her small muzzle.
"Well ma, I suppose you want to be alone, so I'll let you be." I smiled at her again "See you inside later... I love you, mom. Don't forget what I told you." And with that said I slowly headed back to the house, leaving a thoughtful and introspective cheetah behind me.
Hours later, on the same day, dusk befell over Rodina and the bright stars began setting on the sky. It was a beautiful sight but no different from that of any other day. I was in my room, standing next to my window, soaking my fur with the cool haze of the wind and staring at the sky, trying to put my thoughts in order. It was in that moment that I heard my mother's voice calling me over for dinner, I closed my window and headed out of my room.
I headed downstairs to the dining room. When I arrived, William, Zulu, Alvar, my father and my mother were already in their seats waiting for me. I greeted everyone and took my seat. Shortly after that my mother stood up and began serving dinner. That evening was an evening like any other, but my mind was no longer the same. As I began to ponder, I realized I couldn't see everyone with the same eyes of earlier times. My father was no longer David's murderer, which is how I foolishly used to portray him. My mother was still the best mother, but perhaps not the best wife... in any case, my father wasn't the perfect husband either. I no longer saw William as that old bitter tigon, but as my mentor and guide. Zulu... he and I weren't really close, but I knew he was trustworthy and loyal to my father... and apparently someone very dear to my mother. And Alvar... he's the one I got the least contact with. When he wasn't protecting my father, he was patrolling outside the house with the guards. He seemed to be extremely introvert since I rarely saw him chatting or spending his time with someone unless it was work related. In any case, he was part of the family in my eyes and not just a guardian of my home.
Yes, my mind had changed in many ways, but my heart was still the same.
We began eating as soon as dinner was served, and being a kid in their eyes, I was excluded from their conversations as any other day. It was something I was used to, but not something I liked. Remaining silent during dinner had it's advantages, though, I was able to listen and learn from the 'adults' discussions and talks and gain a different perspective of things. But that day was different, that day I lost myself so much in my thoughts, that when I realized, we were already finishing the dessert. I would've still be pensive at that time if it hadn't been for a voice calling my name.
"Jack? Hey, Jack! Jack, are you alright?" As soon as I heard my father's voice I snapped out of my dreamy state.
"Huh?" I said as my ears perked and looked around at all the faces looking at me. As they noticed this, chuckles took over the room. My father simply smiled at me.
"I asked if you're alright, son, you seem very distracted tonight."
"Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about school, that's all."
"You must be nervous about going to high school, then." He smiled warmly at me "There's nothing to worry about. You will have great moments there, I assure you. Isn't that right?" Everyone else assented to his statement with nods and positive responses "So you see?" He continued "You have nothing to be worried about." I dismissed that comment with a nod and took another bite of my blueberry pie. High school was not the reason behind my absent mind that night anyway.
A few seconds later my father excused himself and stood up from the table. He approached the corner cabinets where he kept his drinks and glassware, took one of the bottles and several snifters before heading back.
"I hope..." He said as he returned to the table "...that you won't mind sharing this bottle of cognac with me. It would be a shame if I had to drink it alone." After a chuckle, he placed the snifters on the table and opened the bottle. No one seemed to mind the idea of having a drink, for as soon as my father poured the liquor into a glass, it was swiftly passed around the table to someone eager to drink it. In short, everyone -except for me, of course- had a glass of that cinnamonliquid. I couldn't but stare at each of the people sitting around me carefully, with a hint of envy and a small degree of disappointment, apparently I would never stop being a child for them.
My father surely noticed my frustrated eyes, as he immediately asked me if I wanted to taste some of the liquor. My black ears perked up instantly and a stupid grin appeared on my face as I excitedly nodded my head. My dad chuckled and served some cognac on the last remaining empty snifter upon the table, he placed the cap back on the bottle to seal it, and then took the recently served glass of cognac in his paw and began walking towards the opposite side of the table, which is where I was sitting.
As he was walking, I heard a glass crack, then, unexpectedly, the entire window that led to the front shattered into a thousand bits and twenty with a thunderous shrill that startled everyone. Just as that happened, I saw my father -who was walking next to the window as it burst- stumble onto the back of Alvar's seat and then fall to the ground, along with the snifter that was holding in his paw, which shattered as it crashed with the ground.
Alvar and William, who were sitting next to each other, hurried to the aid of my father. As I watched, transfixed and confused, I noticed a red tint on the floor flowing from where my father was. Before I could say a word I heard Zulu's voice desperately screaming out my mother's name; 'Grace!' he was shouting. As I turned my head to where she was sitting, I saw the most terrible and traumatizing scene I had ever seen. My mother was still in her seat, but her head was looking up, hanging on the backrest of her seat and dripping oceans of blood onto the floor. My eyes widened immediately and my muzzle opened as if it wanted to utter a scream, but not a single sound came out of it. I was in shock, I was terrified, I was paralyzed.
Unable to withstand that scene for another second, and using all the willpower I could gather, I turned my head and looked at the brown lynx beside mom. Zephyr was desperate, he was shaking my mother's body as I once shook David's, futilely wishing to wake her up. Another second and no longer did the lynx shouted nor did he move. His body, leaned right next to my mother's, fell little by little to the ground but no longer did I cared, I couldn't be in a deeper trance than the one I was already in.
I felt a strong force pull my seat and slam it onto the ground, my body rolled out of the chair by inertia, and as I stumbled flat on the ground, I heard a familiar voice.
"Stay on the ground, Jack!" It was the tigon's voice shouting imperatively.
I remained on the floor, flat as if I was just another board of the wooden floor, too terrified to move, but I could feel my body shaking. My ears, though not as keen as my eyes, caught noises of what it seemed to be a gunfight on the grounds around my house. I looked around me and found my father's body close to me, flat just as mine was, but inert and with a pool of blood surrounding him.
My stare turned to a blurry reptilian silhouette behind my father, it was taking cover behind the wall next to the window. It was Alvar, and he was holding a handgun firmly in his hand. On the opposite side of the window, also taking cover, was William, imposing as always and also holding a handgun in his paw, seemingly ready for what may come.
It hadn't passed a minute since I had heard the crack on the window before it burst, but the consequent seconds I lived had felt like an eternity to me, the longest moment of my life.
The gunfire outside the house ceased and William made some hand gestures to the Komodo dragon, both of them nodded and remained still and silent but on high vigil. Their eyes focused on the main entrance to my house, which was visible from the dining room. Suddenly, the electricity flickered and went out completely, leaving the entire house in darkness. I then heard a sound on the kitchen and I immediately directed my sight to the doorway that led to it. A dark silhouette moved swiftly inside the room, and just a it did, an amethyst bolt of light crossed the dining room towards it. When it made contact, the figure staggered slightly before casting its own beams of lights, which by then I realized were lasers.
The unknown creature's shape was very blurry due to the dimness of the room and also to the dark clothes it was wearing. It also seemed to be wearing a helmet of some sort, since I couldn't see its face either. The only thing in its person that I could see clearly in the dark, were those bright flashes that emitted a device in his hands, which I inferred was a rifle.
As both William and Alvar focused their shots on the attacking commando, it quickly was overpowered and ultimately dispatched without difficulty. The creature dropped to the ground and its helm rolled over to where I was, revealing the unknown operative's vulpine face. His helmet stopped right in front of me, and when I saw it, my stare got lost within its metallic red eyes that stood out among among the otherwise black headgear.
Such fixation didn't last long, as I heard William's voice whisper to me.
"Stand up, Jack! Come over here!"
I turned my eyes to where he was and saw him motioning me to come over with his paw. I stood up as quickly as I could and looked back to where the dead soldier was; Alvar was next to him pressing his left arm firmly with his other hand, probably concealing a wound. He too motioned me to follow William, and without questioning, I complied.
The white tigon led me cautiously but hurriedly through the main door and the living room to the back door next to my father's office. Once again I started to hear lasers being shot, but this time they seemed to come from just a couple of rooms away. Realizing this, William commanded me to move faster. Once at the door he stopped me and he went outside first, looking for any hidden or nearby enemies, and once he deemed the area secure, he told me to come out.
Once I was outside he calmly approached me.
"Jack," He said in his serious voice-tone "you need to keep going."
"Yes" I replied "I will move faster from now on, I promise." His expression seemed to darken as I said that.
"No, you don't understand, I mean you need to carry on alone from here."
"What?!" I asked confused.
"I need to stay here and make sure they don't follow you, your life is in danger if you stay with me and I can't let that happen."
"But..." I said as nervousness took over me "...but what about you? I... We're safer I we stay together! I- I don't want to leave!"
"Do you want to die so badly, Jack? I don't like this but it's the way it has to be!"
"William! No! You... You're the only one I have left! I lost my family in... in just a few minutes and now... now you- you can't--" I felt a strong smack across my cheek before I could finish that sentence.
"There's not time for that, Jack! Pull yourself together now! There will be time to meditate on what happened tonight, but not now and not here! Understood?!" I cringed at his words, but they helped me in that moment more than I had imagined. Before I could say a word, he continued "Right now you will do as I say, is that clear?" My ears lowered and my eyes bright disappeared, I could only look down and nod.
The tigon placed his paws on my shoulders and looked directly at my eyes.
"Nothing will happen to me, Jack, I promise." He ran his paw across my ear and pressed his finger against it, what I took for a strange friendly gesture. "Now, I need you to go as far away from here as possible and to run as quickly as you can. Do NOT stop!" He took something from his suit's jacket and handed me a phone "Take this phone, I will contact you when I'm done here. If you don't hear from me, I will figure out a way to find you."
"But... but what if you die?"
"Don't worry, I won't." He said with a fake smile "I promised you." He petted my shoulder and continued "It's time now, GO!"
With those words, we parted ways as I began running towards the woods.
So finally here you stand, in this unfortunate time. All you did is unimportant now, or so it seems. But let us remember... it's the only thing you can do, after all.
Do you remember that first time you met HIM? You couldn't believe what you were seeing before you. All the rumors, all the legends... none did him justice for he was that and much more. A dark shroud surrounded his self yet you knew instantly he wasn't malign in the slightest. In your entire life you had felt fear very few times, but something about him made you nervous, terrified to the brink of panic. You were supposed to be in control, but his sole presence was intimidating enough to make anyone in his presence as restless as you. Then you spoke to him, doing your best to remain, or at least seem, cold and calm; but keeping your voice from trembling was achievement enough for you
.
"Looks like you didn't manage to get away with all you've done." You said to him as firmly as you could.
"Get away, Major?" He replied with a calmed yet unnerving, deep and echoing voice that made every of your bones shiver. "No, I have nothing to flee from to begin with. The question is... can you say the same?"
And little by little he immersed you in his words, or perhaps he disentangled you from all the words that had been told to you before, but if you were sure about something those moments, it was that you weren't the same after that conversation with him; he had showed you his truth, he had opened your ajar eyes and unveiled reality for you to see it clearly.
And then you chose.
What about that glorious moment when the impossibles became facts? Do you remember that? When you stormed through the main door of the building you had been expelled from with death threats and curses. How your past didn't seem to matter as you ravaged the place and those who were in it, those who had once been your family. Each of those deaths was a blood debt you were to pay, blood debts that have now caught up with you and those you love.
But that was just the start, wasn't it?
Then there was that kid... you saw great talent in him, and his bravery during the war had no compare even though he wasn't a trained soldier. The countless feats he did had turned him into a legend among the young. And even though you were skeptical at first, you chose to take him under your wing. That action was for him a blessing, but in reality it was a curse. That day you marked his fate and thus now he lies on a grave.
Just another life on your conscience.
Finally we come to him, to that male that loved and fought beside you, that lover you held and then betrayed. A twin soul you forfeit for a legacy, for a womb, for the unborn. Your pride committed treason, but your soul always belonged to him. You don't seem to let go that memory of the day you parted ways. How could you? It was your greatest mistake. But he came back, didn't he? HE sent it back to you to enjoy the little time you had left together. Was he aware of you two? He probably was and is. After all, nothing escapes his perception. And now your ways have parted once again... this time forever.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Oh... the cheetah it is now? A fine female she was. one that many would've been proud to have mated, but she chose you. Two legendary soldiers seemed like a perfect match, didn't it? 'Think of all the potential their cubs will have' Said some 'A new breed of insubordinate brats.' Said others. Truth is you only had one son, one creature to pass on your torch to. But at what cost? Is your blood an endowment or a poison? Only time will tell, but you won't be here to witness.
But all that does not matter anymore. You... we now face our ultimate fate and look back to what you did, what you didn't, and see it all march before you, like pictures of your greatest and worst moments; the happy times and those full of grief. You feel your mind decaying as you witness one last march to honor you and what you accomplished, hoping the best for your son... and wishing he won't pay for your sins. After this there will be nothing... although... who am I to say? I am simply your last departing thought on its way to oblivion.
Moments Earlier...
A white-skinned, dark-haired human stood upon to the top of a hill overseeing a nearby house in the middle of the forest. The strong wind played with his mildly long hair graciously, revealing his matching brown eyes that were staring at the nearby home. The man was wearing black clothes that were lightly armored on the vital spots of his body. He was carrying a handgun holstered on his right leg and a sword sheathed across his back. He heard a set of footsteps approaching him through the dirt, but he didn't look back.
"Sir, we're all set up and ready. We await for your command."
"Very well," Said the man dismissively "Let's go."
The young human male turned around and began walking down the hill. He glanced at the operative that had just spoke to him and his draconian figure caught the man's interest. The commando was a 6' 7'' tall dragon with dark green scales over most of his body, the rest, like his palms and inner neck, had golden scales that seemed to shine every time light hit them. The man smirked in the mean time he wondered which other places in the drake's body had those golden scales. The drake also had a pair of horns protruding from the back of his head, projected slightly upwards and pointing behind him; they were of a dark sandy color and had many ring-like markings across their length. In his back, the lizard had a pair of large folded wings that matched the color of his scales.
Followed by the dragon, the male individual walked down the hill, and seconds later both of them had assembled with the rest of the team under the human's command. Their commander gave them instructions for their mission and all of them remained silent and listened carefully to his words. After some minutes the briefing was over.
"You know what to do now, so team up, go take your positions and wait for the sign." Everyone around the human nodded and started moving out "Everyone except you, dragon." Added the man "I have a more important task for you."
The dragon's commander began walking uphill once again, as the green lizard followed him confused. They reached the top of the hill and stopped at the edge of the slope that faced the nearby house below, which was being patrolled by a group of around ten armored and well-equipped soldiers. The brown-eyed man turned around to face the dragon, looking shamelessly up and down his body.
"So," He said without stopping his stare from exploring the green lizard's body "I assume you brought your rifle." The dragon nodded, clueless at the reason he was there. "Good." Continued the human as he took out a long and thin cylindrical artifact, and a telescopic sight from two of his wide pockets, and handed them to the draconian "Equip this on your rifle."
The dragon did so rapidly and skillfully, placing the long cylinder as an extension of the gun's muzzle and sliding the scope through the rail on top of the weapon's receiver, making sure it was securely fastened.
"It's done, sir." He said after finishing the adjustments.
"I can see that." The man pointed at the nearby house "Can you see that room there? The one with lights on and several people in it." The man looked at where the man's finger was pointing and nodded as soon as he noticed the described room "Very well, then. Fortunately for us, our three targets are there, and I want you to take them out from here." He pause for a second "You have an outfitted rifle for the job and I was told you have the talent, so do it."
"Which are my targets, sir?"
"Look through the scope and I'll tell you."
The dragon checked his rifle's condition briefly before walking to edge of the hill and kneeling, holding his now improved rifle firmly.
"Alright sir, I see five people in there. I see a male tan spotted feline, an obscure green lizard male, a white male tiger, a brown male lynx and a female cheetah. Which of the are my-- Just one second... another tan spotted feline just came into the room, a younger one."
The man looked closely and carefully at the pictures he had been given.
"Your three main targets, in priority order, are the older spotted feline, the cheetah, and the white feline..." He paused for a moment "...but I want you to kill as many people in that room as possible. That will save your teammates some trouble."
"Understood, sir. I'll await for your command."
"No need for that, fire at will... just exercise discretion and make sure you do it fast. The others will deal with the soldiers outside as soon as you fire your first shot, then they'll sweep the entire house."
The dragon nodded and laid flat on the grass, getting in position to snipe. The man stood a few steps behind him to oversee the mission's progress from the hill. The task he had given to the lizard was one he could've done himself without difficulty, but moments ago, when he had met the dragon, a sudden burst of attraction had rushed through his mind. He was aware it wasn't the best of circumstances to flirt, reason why he preferred to just keep him close for the remainder of the assignment.
As the male human stared at the draconian's body, especially his backside, he saw a flash of light rush out from his rifle without making a sound due to the suppressor. That was the sign for the human to inform him it was time to focus on the outcome of the mission.
"That's right!" Whispered the green lizard happily to himself, unaware that the human was listening "Two in one,! How good is that?"
The young human could see from the cliff that everything was going according to plan. As soon the drake had fired, the rest of the commandos also began firing upon the oblivious soldiers guarding the exterior of the house. From the man's perspective it all looked like a firework show with so many lasers of different tints being fired at once. He saw another another shot come out from the dragon's rifle, which was followed by another remark of his own.
"I bloody hate lynxes!"
The man continued staring at his team's job, watching how quickly they had accomplished their primary task of eliminating all guards. He was also somewhat puzzled by their predecessors failures in eliminating those targets, as he found it quite simple to do.
"Sir..." He heard the dragon say "I managed to take out three of them, two of my main objectives. The rest took cover behind the walls."
"Good job. The rest will be dealt with when they sweep the house." The man took a device he was carrying on the front of his shoulder "Status report" A brief moment of silence elapsed before getting a reply.
"Sir, we've secured the perimeter, we await for your command to storm the interior."
"Do it." Said the man seriously "And report when you're done."
"Roger." Replied the voice through the device.
"You, dragon, let's go."
"Where to, sir?" Asked the lizard.
"You must learn not to question me. Now, follow me. It's an order."
The man began walking down the hill very quickly, followed by the green dragon. Shots were fired in the distance as they approached the house through the back.
"Wait here." Said the man to the drake as he stopped.
"What are we doing here?"
"You'll never get far if you keep questioning. We're here to make sure there are no setbacks to our mission. Stay vigilant."
A few seconds passed before the dragon spoke.
"I can hear some footsteps approaching, sir." He whispered to the man.
The male human couldn't react fast enough as a runaway ocelot bumped directly into him, bouncing onto the ground.
"Shit!" Was the only thing the ocelot muttered before crawling to the opposite side and running as soon as he managed to stand back up.
"Shoot him!" Commanded the man to the dragon.
The lizard took less than a second to take an aiming position, and the remnant of that second to pull the trigger. The laser took even less to hit the young feline's body, piercing his heart directly through the back.
"Excellent job." Remarked the human as the spotted cat made contact with the ground.
The young pard feline stumbled onto the ground motionless. The tall draconian and his superior approached him slowly, stared at him for a few seconds. And before leaving, the dragon kicked the body to make sure he was dead, but he got no reaction.
"Let's go into the house and finish this." Said the human.
Without looking back, the man ventured a few steps further, but not hearing any footsteps following behind him, he turned back. The drake was still next to the body, which deeply annoyed the human.
"I told you to keep going! Let's go!"
The dragon remained still, as if he was oblivious of the man's words. The human approached him just to find that the dragon was in some kind of vegetative state. He tried to move him, but his body was too rigid. An intense light blinded the man, and before he could regain his sight, he heard the dragon's voice.
"What are we doing doing here?"
The human looked around just to find himself right on the bushes behind the house where he had been hardly a pair of minutes ago.
"What happened?" He asked confused.
"Are you alright, sir?" Asked the lizard in response, only having silence for an answer. "Sir, I can hear some footsteps approaching!" He whispered to the man a pair of seconds later.
The man was too lost in his thoughts to listen to the dragon's words and, without warning, an ocelot bumped at an incredible speed into him, making the man take a few steps backs as the feline staggered and fell onto the dirt. The human looked at him, he couldn't understand what was happening and simply stood still and motionless, remaining in a deep state of thought. The ocelot swore loudly before creeping away from the human and running as soon as he regained his balance. It wasn't long, regardless, before the green dragon pierced his heart with a laser.
The scaled creature walked up to his body and as soon as he confirmed his death, he walked back to the human.
"This might be out of place, sir, but you don't seem right. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No." Replied the man "I just need... time. My head hurts."
"Very well, sir. Let us rest for a moment here, then."
The human looked around him, only the dragon was present among that boscage, but he could feel something, some strange force, some unknown presence. His head began hurting violently and the man dropped to his knees due to the intense pain he was feeling. Before long, he was blinded by a fulgent light.
"No, not again!" Was the only thing he managed to mumble.
"What are we dong here?" Asked a known draconic voice.
"Shut up at once, dragon!" Commanded the man imperatively. The lizard silenced immediately after the human's response.
The human pulled out his blaster from its holster on his right leg and gripped it firmly in his hand. Seconds later he heard a a set of hurried footsteps approaching him as he saw a nearby bush shake violently, he immediately shot three times in that direction, and as a young ocelot appeared, he quickly fell to the ground after being hit by by all three lasers. The white man approached the feline's body and shot him again twice in the chest with an emotionless expression on his face.
"Wait here." He ordered to the green draconian before walking away into the thicket behind them. The dragon simply stared at him confused.
The human wasn't sure where he was heading, but wherever it was, he walked at a hurried pace. He felt that strange presence become stronger and stronger until he found the source of such power not too far from there.
What he found, or rather who he found in the woods, was something without precedent. It was anthropomorphic mantis wearing a black robe and a matching hood over his head, only leaving its long, brown mouth exposed. There was nothing strange in him physically, it was the pulsing flow of raw power he was emitting, like a wave of radiation, what was unusual. The man approached the insect warily but valiantly. The creature seemed not to notice him, as if his pair of large compound eyes were staring at nothingness. In a light-like movement, his eyes turned to the human and stared into his brown eyes slightly covered by his hair. Both creatures stared into each others eyes and, after some seconds, the mantis broke the silence.
"Now, now." Said the mantis before tsking several times "Who might you be? It's obvious you are above average mortals since you can see me; so tell me, who are you?"
"Who I am, or might be, is none of your business." The mantid chuckled loudly before replying.
"Mortals... you're all the same. You should all be taught some respect. Be grateful we don't mingle with lesser beings directly."
"You're full of yourself, aren't you? I don't have time for you. I just want to know if you're the one who's been turning back time." The mantis's eyes narrowed in annoyance as he heard the human ask that question.
"How can you possibly know what happens with time?! You're a mortal! Such noumenon is far above your comprehension!"
"You said it" Replied the human "I'm above the average mortal. And I'm pretty sure I'm even above you, so don't waste my time!"
"Very well," Said the dark brown insect concealing the nervousness filling him "Yes, I am responsible for that. You see... I can't let the kid die."
"Which kid?" Asked the human as flashes of the young ocelot passed through his mind "Oh, that young cat?" He chuckled briefly "You know what? I ironically don't have time for this so I'll just kill you instead." The mantis laughed.
"There's a whole difference between being able to see me and being able to even touch me. I'm far above you, kid."
The brown-haired human chuckled silently as a smirk appeared on his face. He drew his sword from its sheath on its back, the mantis staring at him unworried. The man clenched his hand around the weapon's grip firmly and ran two of his free hand's fingers over the side of the blade, which suddenly ignited in flames. The mantis eyes widened in awe, making the look bigger than they already were as a feeling of terror suddenly possessed him, feeling further increased by the human grinning with a maniacal expression in his face. With a sudden movement, the man's sword pierced through the insect's stomach, making the creature utter a mute scream. The human twisted his sword inside the mantis's body and pulled it out, watching how the mantid stumbled to its knees.
"Not so full of yourself now, are you?"
Slowly, the man positioned himself beside the brown creature which was now on its fours, crawling through the ground futilely. The human then grabbed his sword with both of his hands and raised it above his head, then slashed across the insect's neck, severing the head apart from its body and watching nothing but a bright flash of light as the mantid's head rolled motionless through the ground. The man smiled at one of his thoughts before he slashed through the air with his sword, dismissing the flames in its blade, which he then sheathed on his back.
Suddenly, the brown insect's body began to glow intermittently for a few seconds before turning into a being made of nothing but light, being which took the shape of an object. The light entity took rest on the ground before its bright ceased, leaving a sword behind.
The young human carefully approached the sword and looked at it carefully. Its most distinguishing features were, firstly, the pommel, grip and guard of the sword, which were apparently of gold. Its second main characteristic was its black metallic and slightly curved blade, which was around four feet long. Wary at first, the human decided to pick up the sword. As he did so, he felt the sword to be much more lighter than he expected. His eyes then switched to the ebony blade, in which amazingly enough, a golden inscription appeared out of nowhere. It read:
"My beholder you are, but my master you are not. Take me to the one."
The man dismissed this and chose to keep the sword for himself. With no place to sheathe or carry it aside from his hands, he held the sword as he walked back to where the dragon was. A pair of minutes later the human found the green dragon, to whom he approached with a smile on his face.
"Are you alright, sir?" Asked the lizard with a worried voice-tone.
"Yes, I feel fine now. How long was I gone?"
"I lost sight of you on our way here."
"What? Oh..." The human remembered the flashing light when he cut the mantis's head off and realized what it had been "...never mind."
"Is that a sword in your hand, sir?"
"Hmm..." The man looked at his hand "Oh, yeah. I found it on my way here."
The dragon suddenly narrowed his eyes and aimed his rifle to a nearby bush. A young ocelot ran through it at such speed, that he bumped directly into the brown-eyed man without being able to even think of stopping. The human only took a step back to keep his balance, and watched amused how the ocelot cursed himself a thousand times while he crawled away from him as rapidly as he could, the cat quickly stood up and started to run to the opposite side. The man's companion took aim at the ocelot, but the human stood up in front him, impeding him from shooting. The dragon only managed to watch how the feline disappeared through the woods.
"Let him go, he's no threat to us." Commanded the human.
"Yes, sir." Replied the dragon as he lowered his rifle.
The man walked towards the house and found some of his men about to storm the house through the back door. As soon as they noticed him, a feeling of safety and confidence overtook them.
"Sir!" Said one the commandos.
"Report."
"We have tried the other two entrances, sir, but they are very well protected and we lost two of our people there. We believe there are two targets in there, each guarding an entrance, so we are now going to try going through here."
"Very well. Before you do, I want two of you to seek and capture a young spotted feline that fled to the East. Do not kill him, I want him alive. Everyone else move in, I'll go through the main door."
"Sir?" Asked the commando, not believing what his superior had just said.
"You have your orders, don't you? And you know what to do, dragon."
"Yes, sir." Replied the lizard "I'll follow you."
Both, the human and the draconian, walked around the house towards the main door, and stopped right outside.
"You cover the left and I'll cover the right."
The dragon assented and prepared himself. The human drew his blaster and stared at the dragon as if their eyes were communicating with each other. He turned around and faced the door, took a pair of deep breaths and then kicked the door open.
With an amazing speed, both ventured into the house, each looking for hostiles left and right, back to back with each other. The man spotted a silhouette in the dining room to the right of the entrance, and without hesitation, he shot at it. A grunt was heard as the shadow moved hastily out of the way and fired back aimlessly at the man before falling to the ground. The man approached the creature, which was panting heavily sitting on the floor with his back against the wall.
"You got me, asshole." Uttered a raspy reptilian voice "What now?"
"Now you die, simple as that."
The Komodo dragon chuckled as he, using all the strength he had left, aimed his weapon at the human. His attempt was futile, as the man shot him in the head before he could pull the trigger.
"One left to go, now." Said the dragon, who was standing behind him.
"Indeed."
The man walked out of the dining room to find his men near the entrance.
"Sir, we have looked everywhere on both stories of the house and there is no sign of the missing target." The man grimaced in disappointment.
"Alright, he probably escaped along with that young cat. Any sign of him?"
"Our men are in pursuit, they've caught traces of him in the woods, but haven't gotten to him. We haven't gotten a full report from them yet."
"We'll consider this assignment as a partial success, then. Everyone go to the rendezvous point now, and make sure you take the bodies of the fallen with you. We can't leave any trace of our operation."
All commandos swiftly left the house, leaving only the man and the dragon behind.
"Should I leave too, sir?"
"You can stay if you want, just don't move from where you are." The dragon nodded.
The man looked around him, as if drawing a mental image of the place in his mind. He walked into the dining room, where the bodies of an adult ocelot, a female cheetah, a brown lynx, and the Komodo dragon he had just killed, all lied dead across the room on their own pool of blood. There was also a pool of blood near the entrance to the kitchen, where the body of one of his men rested before it was cleared out. The man extended his arm and opened his palm, aiming at the room.
"Flare!" He shouted.
A ball of fire generated in his hand, which then projected itself into the room, causing an explosion as soon as it made contact with the table on the room. A large part of the room ignited in flames after the explosion, and started to consume all which was not already ablaze. The dragon's eyes widened as he witnessed that scene, but he said nothing and remained silent, after all, he didn't knew what to say. The human turned around and faced the living room, he took a few steps forward and extended his arm once again before he pronounced the exact same word as before. He cast a newly created orb of fire at the room, causing another explosion which also covered this room with flames. Both rooms were overrun by the fire which spread rapidly through the wooden floor. The man motioned the dragon to leave the house, knowing it was time to leave.
Once outside, neither the lizard nor the human directed a word to each other. The man was weakened, for it had been a long time since he had last used his powers . The dragon was simply too confused by not knowing what, or how, the human had done that to the house; and still unsure if it had been real of not.
They soon rendezvoused with the rest of their team on their accorded location. The team was getting ready to leave the scene, already storing their weapons, helmets and the rest of their issued gear, readying everything for transport back at their base.
"Excellent jog, guys!" Said the man as he approached them. "Gather up, I need a word with you all."
Every one of his men gathered around him, none of them wearing their helmets anymore. They stared at him, some of them seriously, some of them admiringly, but all of them respectfully. The dragon was among them, still lost in his thoughts.
"Everyone here? Good. First of all I want to congratulate you for your success. This assignment was no small feat, but a very important achievement that many teams like ours failed to accomplish on several attempts. Furthermore, we managed to take out not just our main target, that, by the way, our dragon friend here dispatched scoring two kills in one shot by killing someone else on the same shot." The man looked at the dragon and smiled at him, noticing his absence of mind "As I was saying, we also took out all our secondary targets save one. And as if that wasn't enough, you managed to eliminate every soldier on the perimeter. Excellent work gentlemen, excellent work indeed. And yes, it's a pity we had a pair of losses, but we will mourn our comrades accordingly knowing their lives were not taken in vain." The man looked around at every of his men with a satisfied smile on his face "Now, for my debrief on this assignment I need the name and assignment code of each and every of you, along with a small written report of the mission. Hurry up and do that so we can get out of here already. I'm giving you all five minutes so write quickly."
Everyone scrambled after hearing the man's words, some formed groups to gossip and others focused on their report. A feeling of success and victory surrounded all of them, but among that joyous feeling there was a general mourning for the ones that had died on the mission.
The human, now less serious and commanding, approached the dragon, who was chatting with a stag.
"Excuse us for a moment, please." Said the human to the cervid, who nodded and walked away just to begin chatting with someone else.
"Everything alright, sir?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. But before I do, I want to know your name."
"Dalgor Ragoth, sir."
"Very well, Dalgor, are you alright?" The dragon grimaced before replying.
"I'm somewhat confused about what happened back at the house..."
"You mean the way I burned down the place?" The dragon nodded "Well... do you believe in magic?"
"After what I witnessed I'll believe whatever you tell me."
"Alright then." The human lowered his voice so only the dragon could hear "I have powers, Dalgor, magic powers. I can manipulate any element and harness its power against my enemies or to protect myself and others, I can also heal wounds, take more damage than most people and more things that are too complex to explain."
The dragon remained silent as he nodded slowly and stared into the human's brown eyes with an expression of disbelief.
"I'm not pulling your tail, why would I do that?"
"Sorry, sir, it's just that... well, it's hard to bring myself to accept it. I only need time to assimilate it."
"Fair enough." The man turned around, but stopped before walking away, turning back at the dragon. "Oh, and Dalgor... include your phone in your debrief, please"
"Sir?" Uttered the lizard as he raised a brow in confusion.
"You heard me. Don't worry, the report is for my superior... your number is for me."
The man turned around and began walking away. The dragon stood motionless as he felt his face blush.
"Um... should I call you 'sir' all the time... sir?" He asked at the human, who stopped walking and smiled widely before walking back at the lizard.
"Are you asking for my name, Dalgor?"
"Yes, I am."
The man drew his head next to the dragon's and whispered something at his ear before walking away from him, this time without stopping.
After my brief and unwanted encounter with the human and his draconic companion, I ran eastward towards a road that lied around two miles away. That path connected the nearby capital city of Perun with its sister-city called Veles, and I was hoping I'd find help there. As I ran, my heart pumped rapidly, too rapidly; as if my heart wanted to jump out of of my bosom, digging its way out with every beat. My mind was at that moment troubled, blocked and refusing to think of anything. There was no thing I could focus on except on running and not looking back.
I managed to run a a mile and a half without stopping, but I would've passed out if I had continued any further. I slowed my pace deciding to walk and regain my strength before running again. I walked through the dense woods, and after after a minute I found myself on a small clearing that lead to a precipice just a few steps ahead. I carefully walked up to the edge and looked down. The view I had from that place was simply magnificent; I could see the vast forest of Rodina far below me, illuminated by the bright moonlight. It extended its domain over the land almost to the horizon, but there was something just as imposing to stop its progress bluntly, it was the Great Lake of Tara, whose waters were already visible from my viewpoint even though they were very far away. Above such scene, Khyroma, the color-changing moon, ruled over the skies, seemingly guarded by the myriad of stars scattered across the clear sky. I looked around the sky for the other moon, but it was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't strange due to the unpredictability of both moons.
Khyroma had a light turquoise tint at that moment and the light it emitted was of the same color, making my fur look slightly green. It was a beautiful moment, but the reason I remember it is not pleasant at all.
I stood several minutes watching that environmental masterpiece before me, but I snapped out when I heard noises on the woods where I had come from. In an instant, two of the same commandos that assaulted my house appeared before me, coming from the bushes. Their black helmets with bright red goggles stood out from the rest of their gear. They were aiming at me already, so I knew hiding was not an option, and as I was standing at the edge of the cliff, so I could also forget about running away.
"Don't move!" Said one of them as he approached me while the other stayed behind. "Calm down, we won't hurt you unless you cause us trouble."
As the operative took another step further, he flew back at his partner with an amazing force, both of them tumbling violently onto the ground.
Before I could even start wondering what had happened, three hooded creatures wearing black cloaks appeared between me and the armed personnel. I realized they were all levitating a few inches above the ground, almost imperceptibly; and as I examined them closer, I managed to distinguish their faces, that weren't entirely covered by their hoods. The creature on the right was a green-eyed black cat whose expression gave away a feeling of refinement. The one in the middle was a red wolf with a pair of serious amber eyes and a very strong presence. Lastly, the one at the left was a white Labrador with brown eyes who seemed very distracted. The red wolf stood out from the rest, not only for his presence, but there was something about him that I found familiar, as if I had seen him somewhere before, though I couldn't quite place where. It was then that it hit me.
I had no doubt, that creature was the one I saw in my dream the day David died. It was the same who took him away from me.
All three of them remained silent, staring at me unexpressively. The soldiers behind them got back on their feet, one helping the other.
"What the hell happened?" I heard one of them ask.
"What should we do about them, master?" Said the white dog beside the red wolf.
"Silence, novice." Replied the wolf.
The red-furred canine closed his eyes, and in just a second the commandos suddenly vanished in thin air... without a sound or visible phenomenon happening, as if they had been erased, as if they had never been there in the first place.
"Go look for him, savant." Ordered the lupine as he opened his eyes.
"Yes, magister." Replied the black feline with a nod before he vanished into a dark aura, which disappeared afterwards.
I stood speechless and motionless as this happened in a matter of seconds. I didn't know what to do; I was afraid and confused, but I could also feel my hate build inside me and my mind demanding answers.
"What are you?" I asked.
The wolf smirked without giving an answer and slowly approached me, stopping just a few inches away, staring into my eyes. He was around 5'3'' tall, but as he was levitating he seemed much taller, almost reaching my height.
"You should not ask questions whose answers you're not ready for. Perhaps I'll tell you the next time we meet... if we do. For now..." He extended his arm and pointed to his right "...go find your fate."
"And what if I don't?" I asked defiantly.
"Then your fate will find you." He replied with a smile before directing a nod to the white lab behind him. Both of them vanished in the same way as the black cat, only leaving a dark aura behind, which vanished almost instantly.
I chose to head towards where the canine had pointed; it wasn't too different from where I was heading initially, after all. I walked at first, but I started running when I heard some dry branches crack behind me. It probably was some feral animal, but I was too paranoid at that time after all that had happened that day.
After several minutes of running and finding no trace of the road I was looking for, I slowed down my pace and began questioning me if I was going in the right direction. I began to think that I was lost, and as my hope began to fade, I reached a road made of concrete. I smiled widely as I panted heavily at the same time, delivering some well-deserved air to my lungs.
I had found the road that connected both cities, but what now? I still needed to wait for a vehicle to pass by, and even then, not anyone would give me a ride. The sky was dark, and so was the road, which I decided to walk down while I waited. Fortunately, it only took a few minutes to spot a headlight behind me. I smiled and stood in the middle of the road, waving my arms in the sky to signal I needed help.
I watched how the light turned more intense as the vehicle approached closer and closer.... and closer without any sign of braking, it was coming at such speed that it probably hadn't noticed me until it was already too late. I had to leap out of the way in order to avoid being run over. In safety I watched how the vehicle, which by then I realized was a bike, tried to stop but swerved when it realized it wouldn't make it. The motorcycle lost control and slid through the ground for some fifty feet. I hurried towards the driver, who had slipped of the bike, wishing for him to be ok.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" I asked as I helped him get up.
"Are you kidding? What kind of question is that?! It's obvious I'm not ok! Just look at my bike!"
He stood up without any trouble, measuring around 3 inches more than me. He was wearing an entire suit of motorcycle riding clothes, consisting of a jacket, pants, boots and a pair of gloves, all of them made of black leather. He also had a black helmet on, which was elongated on the muzzle area, so I couldn't see his face but at least I knew he had a snout.
He examined his black bike that had a blue flame pattern on the side. He picked it up and I realized its wheels were missing.
"I'll help you find the wheels, don't worry."
The male turned to me and tilted his head slightly before raising the helmet's visor and revealing a pair of captivating clear blue eyes.
"You're kidding, right?" He shook his head after asking me that "Look, this isn't the right moment for jokes, so please save it."
"I... wasn't joking." I replied confused.
"Then you need to go out more often. This..." He pointed at his vehicle "...is the new model of bikes known as 'hovering bikes'. It doesn't needs wheels, it floats above the ground. And before you ask, it doesn't runs on fuel either, it uses electric energy." He let out a brief sigh before continuing "Why am I bothering? Worse yet, why am I discussing technology with a complete stranger in the middle of a dark road while I need to get home?"
He turned back at his bike and picked it up from the floor. He threw several curses when he saw the paint-job was fairly damaged. He looked back at me and his eyes clearly reflected his desire to kill me.
"You owe me big time, kid!" He looked back at the damage as he approached me "I hope you have enough money to pay me! It's gonna need a whole new paint-job, and that's not cheap."
"P-pay?!" I uttered loudly.
"Yes, pay! P-A-Y! Pay! Are you deaf?"
"I'm not gonna 'pay' anything! You're the asshole who was driving madly and didn't notice me, so no! You won't get a single gard from me!"
His eyes narrowed in annoyance. He took his paws to his helmet and lifted it, removing it from his head. I looked at his face and found myself unable to believe what I saw. He was a black wolf whose dark fur contrasted with his light eyes. What amazed me the most was a long lock of fur hanging loose over his forehead that had white pigmentation.
If he hadn't died in my arms, I would've sworn that wolf was David.
"A-are... is... do you dye your fur?"
"What?" He raised a brow "Oh, you means this?" He grabbed his white tuft of fur, which was long enough to reach his cheek "Nah, it's natural, it's caused by a rare genetic disorder I have called Piebaldism. Normally it would affect my skin too, but for some reason it doesn't. It's hereditary, by the way, I got it from my dad."
"I see..."
"But don't switch subjects, you owe me! Look, I shouldn't, but I'll pay half of the damage and you'll pay the other half. Do we have a deal?"
"I told you I'm not paying anything!"
"Good luck finding another ride into town, then. Perhaps you'll find someone in an hour or two."
"How do you know I needed a ride?" I asked.
"Let's see... you're alone at night in the middle of a road... I say it's pretty obvious." He placed his helmet back on and got on his bike "It's your last chance, kid."
I got really annoyed with his opportunistic though effective coercion. He was my only chance to get out of there after all, so I accepted. In the end I had no way to pay him anyway.
"Alright, I'll pay you my part when we're in Veles."
"You better not be lying, or else a dark road and a ride will be the least of your worries. Hop on!"
I climbed on his bike behind him and wrapped my arms around his lower torso. I felt a strange sensation as he started the bike and it suddenly lifted up from the ground evenly, ready to advance. The wolf adjusted his helmet and placed his paws on the handlebars.
"Here we go." He said right before the bike started moving.
We didn't talk much along the way since he was focused in his driving while I was lost in my thoughts, thinking about all that had happened in that day. I didn't manage to hold my tears as I remembered all the deaths, all the screams, the noises, and all I had witnessed. All the blood that was spilt in just a matter of seconds... coming to the realization that the blood shed was the same blood that ran through my veins. It was something I would never forget, something I would never get over. The image of the human I encountered slowly turned my suffering into anger, hate and lust for revenge. His face was the face of the one responsible of my parent's deaths, the face I swore to never forget.
By the time I realized, I had my head pressed against the wolf's back, which was drenched in my tears. I had no idea if the canine was aware of my condition, but regardless of it, holding him the way I held him was a relief, even if small, to my troubled mind.
Suddenly, I heard the wolf's voice.
"The name is Cole, by the way, Cole Thorne."
Thank you for reading and once again I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions you might be able to give me, so if you can spare another minute, please leave a comment.