About the time the walls went up, Pete finally got all the solar panels working fully. His next task lay in making sure all the wiring to the buildings and rooms worked. Pete conscripted half a dozen people to help him look for areas they needed to fix. They finished the job in a couple days.
Now all the buildings and rooms had electricity, but what they didn’t have were working lights. Nearly all the bulbs burst when flipping on the electricity for the first time. There was a small stockpile of unopened bulbs in a utility closet, but it wasn’t enough to install a new one into everyone’s rooms. The cafeteria used a bunch of high-powered LED lights, and they had plenty of those in the utility room.
Marie took charge of the kitchen and gave it a complete overhaul. The entire room looked pristine, the cafeteria itself cleaned and organized, and the ovens were functional once again. She’d also found rubber seals to place around the walk-in refrigerator that kept a tighter seal on the door. Contrary to his initial thoughts, they couldn’t use it as a refrigerator because the chemicals they needed to generate the cooling effect had expired long ago. Instead, she converted it into a storage room to prevent any rodents and bugs out of the butchered meat Daryl and Kitty brought back.
Everything looked great, but Jared couldn’t help feeling they’d done all this for naught. How much time would they really spend in the place was anyone’s guess. They had a war to fight, and that war could take them anywhere. Finding a place like this had an undeniable effect on everyone’s morale. They couldn’t commit to any action until Scarlet’s brothers returned, anyway. Jared shifted his troubled mind to the here and now and went back to making the lives of everyone around him easier and safer until they were ready to move on.
Two weeks went by in a flash as they had ample work to keep them busy, but Jared grew concerned. Scarlet didn’t seem overly worried, but Jared felt the angst across their bond and knew her brothers’ continued absence weighed on her heavily.
“Do you think they got into trouble?”
This wasn’t their first conversation on the topic and Jared already knew the answer she’d give because she always said the same thing…be patient. He asked more for his own sanity than to hear a different answer.
“I do not know.”
Startled, Jared looked up at her. “You don’t think they—”
“I honestly do not know. None of us expected it to take this long.”
“They’ll make it back!” They had to make it back. Their future hinged on it.
It wasn’t until week seven when Kynderri returned with the earth dragons.
He felt the dragons before he ever saw them. The vibrations running up through the floor painted a clear image in his head. A throng of giant dinosaurs galloped down the mountain toward them. Dinosaurs were the first thing that popped into his head since they resembled their prehistoric brethren so much, but these were, in fact, earth dragons. The picture in his mind was clear. Every jolt of their powerful legs sent thrumming vibration up through the soles of his feet that easily projected a complete three-dimensional rendering of everything around for a ten-mile radius.
The information bleeding into his mind was too much, and Clear Mind activated of its own volition to compensate for the overload of information. He tried to keep the ability activated at all times, but when he slept, it wasn’t a feat he could do just yet.
Vanessa and Elle saw him jump to his feet from across the room and looked at him in concern. That’s when they felt the thumping of the earth. To be on the safe side, Jared blasted a mental note to everyone in the area not to freak out, and that the earth dragons had arrived at last.
Jared sprinted to greet the new arrivals. Scarlet’s brothers led the charge, gliding on silent wings over the mountain, outpacing their land-restricted kin. They moved across the ground at frightening speeds. Steeling his nerves, Jared stood his ground and faced the stampeding mythical beings, praying they arrested their seemingly reckless descent down the mountain.
He almost lost the spirit to remain in place, and only Scarlet walking up to his side prevented him from running the other direction like a scared child. It really didn’t look like they’d stop in time, but somehow, they arrested their momentum.
A series of things happened all at once that left Jared scratching his head. Scarlet stepped forward and roared in defiance at the newcomers, while one of the earth dragons pushed through and roared right back.
Jared cocked his head in confusion, wondering if this was some kind of dominance thing. If that were the case, he wondered if any of the other dragon kin would submit to her will because she was the newest addition to dragonkind. She had more knowledge of the current world than them, but aside from technological advancements, mankind was much the same as they were thousands of years ago.
The standoff continued for many minutes and the tension in the air was a tangible thing. The air tingled, and Jared was certain there was a psionic war waging between them. Looking behind him, Jared found the water folk who’d come out to watch on the ground holding their heads. It hadn’t affected him, and he wondered if it was because he held Clear Mind active.
He quickly jumped between them and felt the pressure in his head explode. He dropped to his knees in pain. Both dragons snarled and snapped out of their posturing match.
“Jared! Why did you—”
He cut Scarlet off with an upraised hand pointing back to those behind her.
“Jared, I…”
“It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to. My head. Feels like it got crushed in a vise.”
“This is a tradition passed from one matriarch to another. You should not interfere.”
The voice wasn’t one he recognized, and it sounded condescending. Jared assumed it was the matriarch of the land dragons. It was female, but more guttural than Scarlet’s silky-smooth voice. Thankfully, the being speaking into his mind didn’t exert nearly as much mental pressure as Alestrialia had, and Jared only cringed slightly.
The fact he didn’t drop to his knees again surprised the dragon as Jared watched her head cock to the side. Deciding it was a good idea to keep her unbalanced and allow Scarlet to regain her composure, Jared opted to use telepathy to reply.
“It may be a tradition and I apologize for interfering, but you hurt my people.” Jared motioned behind him again at those still on the ground writhing in pain. Low growls rumbled from her throat when Jared spoke. Apparently, Scarlet’s brothers hadn’t told them about his or any of the others’ ability to use telepathy. It seemed like an oversight on their part, unless they’d wanted to use it as further leverage to integrate the earth dragons into their budding army.
“Yes, I can use telepathy, as can every one of my people. Only, they have much further to progress before they can project their thoughts or mind meld like I can.”
“You can meld? How?”
“I assume Kynderri didn’t tell you everything, or he wanted to wait until you spoke with Scarlet yourself. You have much to catch up on, and I will let you acquaint yourselves, but please dial back the mental pressure for the sake of everyone here.”
“We will… comply.”
It was obvious she didn’t care for Jared’s lack of subservience, but at least they’d hold themselves in check long enough for Scarlet to brief them. The conversation over, Jared walked away from them and let Scarlet pick up where he’d left off. They’d chosen to make their conversation private, so Jared heard nothing they said. He glanced back to see Scarlet and the earth dragon matriarch, whatever her name, bow to each other and then place their heads together.
The moment Jared got back to his room, a deep, booming voice blasted into his mind.
“We have returned.”
Jared turned back around but paused in the doorway. He didn’t need his gear, but after the brief but rude, encounter with the earth dragons, he brought his weapons.
Jared dashed
outside to see Malsour fly in from the north. The water dragons were so much more impressive in person than when he’d seen them from Alestrialia’s point of view. Though it was dark outside, Jared easily made out the dark forms blotting out the stars and moon. They were massive creatures that dwarfed Scarlet and made Malsour look like a child.
How could creatures so big exist anywhere? How did mankind hunt these things?
Jared couldn’t wrap his mind around how anyone would think to kill one. They floated through the air languidly as if the sky itself held them aloft. Magic was one word that came to mind. Malsour landed just outside their newly erected walls and fourteen water dragons touched down behind him. Jared hadn’t counted the earth dragons, but quickly rebuilt the image in his head when they rampaged down the mountain. There were fifteen in total.
Fifteen earth dragons, fourteen water dragons, and thirteen fire dragons. Forty-two dragons in total, and they had yet to meet the air dragons. If they all joined in their fight against the cities, they’d have no problem taking down one of the floating cities. If just the water dragons attacked one, they could probably take it down themselves.
The only notable difference between all the other dragons and the water dragons was that they didn’t have much defense or attack capabilities. Their size was their only advantage he could see. Their legs and tails ended in wide, membrane-like paddles rather than sharp claws.
Jared’s mind raced back to Razael in his underwater cage and his heart broke for them all over again. Razael was small compared to some of these floating in the sky. Seeing them in person reignited the raging bonfire of vengeance that always simmered beneath the surface of his emotions. Water dragons didn’t look the least bit violent, and everything about them exuded peace and tranquility.
Scarlet walked by him, startling him from his reverie. Instead of locking gazes with the matriarch of water dragons, she embraced her, wrapping her neck around the largest of the water dragons. There was a moment where the air felt charged, but when he looked at those around him, they didn’t react the same way as the earlier introduction. Jared much preferred this welcome over the earth dragons.
Jared watched the earth dragons move to the south and land a half mile from their home. After Scarlet finished greeting them, they walked farther away and bedded down.
“They must rest. The long journey and prolonged exertion taxed them greatly. We will speak to them and introduce everyone in three days’ time.”
“Three days? Why so long?”
“They were asleep for millennia and tire quickly. It will take time for them to regain their strength as it did with my brothers’ ability to fly. I suspect that is what took them so long to reach here and likely why my air kin have yet to arrive. If they needed to wait to regain strength and fly here, it may be awhile yet for them to arrive.”
“I hadn’t even thought about that. It makes me feel better knowing it could just be a delay in their ability to fly versus getting into trouble with the cities. I am a little curious how Malsour and Kynderri coordinated their arrival.”
“Agreed, I did not think of it until speaking with Layonia, the matriarch of our water kin. They swam to the coast and met our earth kin at the southern edge of this continent. Kynderri and the others took the lead because Layonia cannot move so fast across the earth. They regained their flight and caught up to them today. It is a coincidence they arrived at the same time.”
“Did you mind meld with them?”
“I did, but we discussed nothing of import to our current situation. It is customary for a matriarch to acknowledge her peers and they all expected to see Alestrialia. The time we spent communing was to acknowledge my rightful place and honor my mother’s life. The time will come to speak of current events.”
“What of your brothers? Surely, they would have said something, right?”
“They gave only the minimum amount of information. Enough to get their consent to leave hibernation. I will check with my brothers, but it is possible they only informed them of the world’s current state and the decimation of the human population. That would bring them from their slumber. It is my place to ask them to join our cause, which I will do with as much persuasion as I can. As for bonding…”
“I understand. I know your brothers had a hard time with it, but I believe in time they’ll come to see the value in it.”
“We must hope for that outcome. Though, as you can see, Layonia and her kin are not battle ready. A phase round would tear right through their skin, and our earth kin cannot fly.”
“There might be a use for them yet. If you recall the conversation I had with Johan about creating bombs, we’ll need someone to fly overhead to deliver the payloads.”
“Possibly. Though they abhor violence.”
Understanding what little he did of the water dragons, he saw how it would be difficult for them to take part in a battle against humankind. They did not like conflict and would prefer to remove themselves from the affairs of the world again rather than face a battle resulting in massive loss of life on both sides. After they learned of Razael, they might change their mind, but it wasn’t his place to show them unless asked. He would let Scarlet handle everything where her kind were concerned. She would know how to do it properly with the least amount of pain.
With nothing left to do, Jared retired to his room. He couldn’t fall back asleep and eventually went up to the roof. From up top he observed all the dragons. Earth, water, and fire, and the view sent chills up his spine. The raw, primal power these beings portrayed dumbfounded him. If he saw this group headed toward him with hostile intent, he wouldn’t even think about putting up a fight. He’d just roll over and die. The only reason he could see the cities putting up a tangible fight was their army of robots and ships. They could deploy them with impunity and never need worry about dirtying their own hands. That would definitely change soon. If the cities wanted to put up a fight, everyone would need to get involved.
The next three days proved an intense lesson in patience. Scarlet made certain everyone stayed away from the two groups until they went through a more formal greeting process. Scarlet assured him it wasn’t anything to concern him or the other humans. It was simply a three-day mourning period for her mother.
Scarlet shared memories and events with the other dragons. Every so often, a long wailing growl echoed across the ravine. By the end of three days, everyone was on pins and needles. They hadn’t dared venture out beyond their small enclosed space, and only Jared, Elle, and Vanessa would go to the rooftops. They’d grown used to having the fire dragons around, but with the number of different dragons now roaming the area, they were scared.
Jared didn’t experience quite the same level of fear and nervousness from the dragons, but then he’d been around Scarlet for much longer, and he’d met Alestrialia. None of these dragons were as fierce and dominating as her. He tried to put himself in the shoes of the water folk, but try as he might, there was no getting around the fact he’d transformed. These great mythical beings no longer scared him. That was probably not a good thing. Any of them could snuff his life out in a single breath or stomp of their foot, but he knew they wouldn’t. At least, he hoped they wouldn’t.
Finally, Scarlet announced it was okay for him to greet the matriarchs. When the time came, only Vanessa, Elle, and Kitty joined him. That needed to change if he hoped to unify his people with the dragons. They couldn’t start off this initiative with everyone being deathly afraid of them.
“Scarlet, did you tell them of Razael yet?”
“I did not.”
Jared paused as they walked toward the earth dragons. “Uh, I think maybe you should do that before we get these introductions kicked off.”
“No.”
The abruptness in Scarlet’s words made him flinch. “Why?”
“I want it to come from you.”
“You can’t be serious…
” His words trailed off, thinking of the inevitable outpouring of emotions, psionic outrage, and physical reaction to the news he had to share. “Scarlet, I—”
“It must come from you, Jared. I want you to mind meld with each matriarch. When you do, show them through your eyes and your emotional feelings from the moment you met me. Leave nothing out.”
“Ah, you’re hoping they see me for who I am, rather than another pesky human that killed off their kin.”
“Correct. It is not without risk, but this is the best chance we have persuading them to join our fight.”
Jared drew in a deep breath, expelling it slowly as he thought about telling the water dragons that one of their own had died after being brutally mutilated at the hands of humans like him. He shuddered, knowing the news would be a hard pill to swallow and not knowing how they’d react.
“All right, I’ll do it. Vanessa? Elle? I don’t want you around while I do this. If they take the news badly, there’s no telling what they might do. An errant thought by one of them could severely hurt either of you.”
“What about you?” Vanessa latched on to his arms and looked into his eyes, alarm skittering across her face.
“I’ll be fine.” He put on a disarming smile, hoping to set Vanessa at ease, but inwardly his stomach flipped somersaults. “I’m fast enough to get out of the way of any physical outburst. Their psionic pressure hurts, but I can withstand it for a time. You cannot. Besides, if it gets too bad, I’ll just jump on Scarlet and she can get me out of the way.”
“I not like it.” Elle placed herself in front of Jared and crossed her arms.
“Look, both of you, I get it. It’s not an easy thing to do, but when has any of this—” Jared motioned around him, “—ever been easy? I’m losing track of how many times I’ve almost died at this point.”
“That doesn’t mean you should invite more opportunities for de—” Vanessa’s voice hitched and a tear trickled down her cheek.
Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Page 34