by Paul Cude
Hardly able to believe what she was hearing, Richie wasn't alone. What the master mantra maker had just said was news to every dragon there, except Flash. While he hadn't known for certain, he'd heard rumours over the years and had also formed his own conclusion as a result of some of the missions he'd been sent on. Wondering if the old shopkeeper would go any further, deep down, he hoped he would.
"What difference does it make?" demanded Richie, barely keeping her temper under wraps.
"It makes all the difference in the world. Not just to you, but everyone here and across the entire planet. Some of that energy just bleeds off, but some of it is absorbed... by the caster."
"Surely that can only be a good thing," snapped Richie.
Gee Tee shook his head ever so slightly.
"I can understand why you would think so, but believe me, it's not nearly that simple. How and why you use the mantra in question play an important part, as does the mantra itself. Some make little or no difference to the user. But others containing more potent, ancient magic can... change an individual beyond recognition. The mantra you need for your plan is the worst of the worst. It would corrupt you, change you... destroy you. You were chosen by all of us for the qualities you possess. If you were to use this mantra, if any of us were... they'd be of no use as a leader. This isn't the way to go, my young friend. It's not worth it. You must find another way!"
She wanted to scream at him, tell him he was wrong, wanting not to believe what he'd said. But the way he'd said it, the passion behind the words, meant she knew it was all true. Feeling alone, scared and as if she had nobody to turn to, she'd noticed Tank's disgust at what she'd suggested. Didn't they all realise she was trying to do her best, not just for them, but for everyone above and below ground? Standing entirely alone, she just stared back at all those looking to her for answers.
The old shopkeeper had shot up in Flash's estimation. He'd assumed that Gee Tee would have offered up the information on the mantra as soon as he'd stepped forward. But he hadn't. The old dragon had done what he should have, having warned her against using that particular mantra. And now they were back to square one. In fact, from the look of Richie, it might all fall apart at any second. He had to help, and thought he knew how.
Strolling past the old shopkeeper, he approached the young lacrosse captain.
"I can make him talk, at least I think I can."
"How?" demanded Richie.
"I was trained in the art of interrogation. I never needed to use that particular skill. But in theory I know what to do."
With dragons and humans looking on, she uttered two words.
"DO IT!"
Flash turned and called Janice over, remembering her affiliation with the very special weapon embedded in Casey.
"When I say, you're going to pull it out. Okay?"
"It has a name," Janice suggested.
Flash thought this over.
"Ahhh... that's right. Fu-ts'ang. Right, so when I say, you're going to pull Fu-ts'ang out of the wound, and just keep it close by. The first sign of trouble, you hit him again with it. Doesn't matter where, the slightest touch should be enough to incapacitate him again. Got it?"
Janice nodded, confident that she could do as Flash asked.
Strolling right up to Casey's contorted face, Flash told him what was about to happen.
"I'm going to take the weapon out now. Any funny stuff and I'll stick it somewhere where it hurts even more. Understand?"
Casey's left eye lid moved ever so slightly in response, despite the thin film of ice that had manifested itself across it.
Turning, he nodded to Janice. Gripping Fu-ts'ang with both hands, she slid the weapon out, in an almost cake cutting kind of way. Cold, misty breath filled the air as Tank and Flash's torturer exhaled. To rid his eyes of the ominous looking coatings, he blinked a few times. Up until then, he'd looked like a snake about to shed its skin. Quite an apt analogy really.
Poised to one side, Janice hovered Fu-ts'ang inches above Casey's damaged scales, sure she could make contact with the deadly blade before the evil dragon could even think about hurting her. Most importantly, she trusted Richie, Flash, Tank and... what was the old dragon's name? That's right... and Gee Tee, to keep her safe.
Flash looked up into Casey's prehistoric face as he addressed him.
"I think you'd better tell us everything you know," he suggested menacingly.
Casey wiggled his jaws. Janice stood by. Richie drew the laminium dagger from her belt, ready to intercede. A rumbling gurgle, followed by the swilling of liquid led to a splatter of frozen blood being spat in Flash's direction. Lightning reflexes kicking in, he ducked to one side before returning to his upright position.
"I won't be telling you ANYTHING!" boomed Casey. "You may think you've achieved something spectacular here today, but all you've managed to do is delay the inevitable." So great was the venom and aggression in his voice, that those surrounding him immediately took a step back, including Richie. But not Flash. He knew who it was that should be afraid, and it most certainly wasn't him. Taking two steps forward, he placed his human face right up against Casey's scaly jaw.
"Ohhhh... you're gonna tell us what we want to know, tough guy. Because if you don't, I'll make what you did to me look like a treasured memory. Now, where've they all gone?"
For a split second, Casey had been unsure, having seen a little fragment of something in Flash's eyes, and then it had gone. Either that, or he'd been mistaken. But he was certain this dragon, human hybrid, or whatever it was, offered little in the way of a genuine threat. And he was quite sure that the combined might of all present couldn't possibly match the damage that he'd already inflicted with his whip. So he spat out another huge gob full of green blood, and as it hit Flash full on in the face... smiled!
There were a couple of reasons his nickname was Flash, but the main one of course was because of his speed. Ever since he could remember, when he set his mind fully on something... he was quick. Not just a little quick either. Lightning quick. It was so fast, the humans all missed it, even Janice who was right there. Even to the dragons present, it was just a blur, and that was practically unheard of. In considerably less than a hundredth of a second, Flash had moved from right in front of Casey, to behind him on his right side by the exact point where his weak spot was situated. Normally so sure, it was at this point Flash started to question whether or not what he had planned would work. Having heard about Peter's battle with the twisted Manson on the Astroturf during the bonfire celebrations, when that story had been recounted to him by both the king and Peter himself, he'd found the most troubling part to be about Manson's weak spot. Peter had thought he'd killed him with the icicle, having slid it through his defences and scored a direct hit. But to no effect. Before supposedly dispatching Peter from the realm of the living, Manson had boasted how he and his cohorts could disguise their weak spots, thus making them nearly invulnerable. Just then Flash wondered why it was that nearly all baddies, evil geniuses, villains, call them what you will, felt the need to brag about how great they were and share the details of their so called plans. Constantly amazed at the number of Crimson Guard missions that had turned from failure to success at the last instant, purely because of his enemy's ego, he fervently hoped that would continue for a long time to come. Clearly it had saved Peter's life that day, and had saved Flash himself on many occasions. But what if it was a magically learnt ability, and Casey had been taught it? He found it hard to believe. Nevertheless, it was still a possibility.
'Oh well,' he thought as he thrust his hand up into Casey's weak spot. 'Here goes nothing!'
Casey couldn't comprehend what was happening. One moment the hybrid was standing right in front of him, the next, he'd disappeared totally. Just as he came to the end of this thought, the worst pain he'd ever felt in his entire life exploded into being from somewhere behind him and to his right. Frozen globules of blood showered the dark cobbles directly in front of him as his terrified scream
carried across the square.
Flash was quite literally up to his elbow in dragon. If he had one wish at the moment, it was for a pair of really thick rubber gloves. Things had, however, gone as planned. Moving swiftly, he'd punched his way through Casey's weak spot, reached inside and found the small rounded protrusion beneath a layer of scales, about five inches up on the main body side of the cavity. In less time than it takes to blink, he'd run his hand upwards and found the fine ridge he was looking for. Parting the ridge with his fingers, he then thrust his hand inside what felt like a heavily laden pocket, but was in fact a layer of skin beneath Casey's protective scales. From there it was easy. A quick rummage with his hand led him to grabbing the biggest thing within, which was exactly what he was looking for... Casey's kidney! All he had to do then was... SQUEEZE! And he did.
As soon as it started, Tank wanted it to stop. He'd grown to think of Flash as one of his best friends, but he was repulsed by what he saw and heard, despite the fact that only a short while earlier Casey had nearly killed them both.
'Wow, this boy's got talent,' thought Gee Tee. 'I haven't heard a scream like that since the incident with the mantra, that amorous bear, that rather pompous upper class twit of a dragon and the huge pot of honey. Ahhh... happy days!'
With the exception of Janice, the humans all had their hands covering their ears, terrified, and rightly so. The sound wasn't so much inhuman as indragon, and would live with all of them for the rest of their lives, however long that might be.
Releasing his grip on Casey's kidney, the screaming stopped as the evil dragon's body visibly relaxed, only to be replaced by thick, heavy sobbing. Knowing time was of the essence, Flash soldiered on.
"Tell us everything you know... NOW!"
High pitched whimpers punctuated the sobbing, with the odd snuffle thrown in for good measure. But still Casey resisted.
"Go to hell!" he barely managed to snort.
'No more mister nice guy,' Flash thought, as he once again wrapped his fingers around Casey's kidney, squeezing for all he was worth.
Instantly the evil tormentor collapsed roughly to his knees. Janice only just managed to avoid being crushed, as she continued to hold Fu-ts'ang close to the dragon's scales, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
For the life of her, Richie couldn't see how on earth this was a better way than reaching into Casey's mind and plucking the information from it. Of course there might have been risks, but surely that was better than pure and simple torture. But despite the screams, her mind had raced to what lay further ahead. She didn't consider herself squeamish, but the thought of what was to come truly turned her stomach. However, it was her responsibility. After all, they'd chosen her, and now wasn't the time to burden someone else with a deed like that. Not that she necessarily could, even if she'd wanted to.
The scream, or probably screams, it was so hard to tell now as they all seemed to blend into one, had increased considerably in pitch, so much so that even the surrounding local dragons had taken to covering their ears. Flash, meanwhile, had to shout at the top of his voice to make himself heard.
"I'm starting to lose my patience. Tell us what you know!"
Relaxing his grip just a little this time, Flash expected the foul dragon to finally concede defeat. Through the loud sobbing and the intermittent racking coughs, Casey mouthed two words. Flash couldn't quite make out the first, but the second one was most definitely, "OFF!"
With no thought about being watched, the former Crimson Guard reached down deep inside and found the agent persona of the dragon he used to be. Cool, calm and calculating jumped to the fore. It was time to show this scum sucking dragon who was in charge. Who was to be feared. It was time to unleash... the big guns!
Richie watched Casey mouth two words.
'Flash isn't going to like that very much,' she thought, surprised that her ex-classmate was still putting up a fight. Thinking about the outcome between the two dragons, as most of us do about decisions that affect us on a daily basis, it didn't take her long to make up her mind. There and then, she'd bet the house on Flash, and she'd have been right to do so.
With his hand still wrapped around Casey's twitching kidney, albeit not very tightly, Flash had already made his decision. As in a human body, a dragon's kidney is one of the most sensitive organs. Flash not only knew this, but he'd been counting on it as well. Now it was time to see just how sensitive it was. He didn't squeeze this time. Oh no. Instead, he pulled his fingers back ever so slightly, and then with all his might... dug in with his nails!
Dragons and humans alike threw themselves to the ground, all apart from Richie and the old shopkeeper, so abrupt and brutal was the sound coming from between Casey's jaws. Richie hadn't thought the pain could be ratcheted up any further, but quite clearly it had been.
'Flash hasn't been kidding about any of his exploits then,' she thought, looking on.
'Of all the assets I have, he could be the one to turn this in our favour. Even stuck in his human form,' she concluded.
Having dug his nails in for as long as he could, Flash pulled them out, tiny bits of kidney nestling underneath them. The noise subsided. Tears, saliva, blood and urine formed a moat around the spent looking dragon as he coughed, gurgled and cried. Once again, Flash spoke. Not so much a question, as an order.
"Tell us all you know!"
This time he did. Every last thing.
He told them how the enslaved nagas had little choice but to help with the plan, due to the internment of their king. He told them how some of the dragons were nagas in disguise. He told them how the monorail and all the telepathic newspaper nodes had been taken down across the entire planet. He told them about the prison in Antarctica, the one Flash had fleetingly visited. He told them how it would start with London, with the council and the king. He told them they knew about Tim's destiny and Peter's relationship with the king. That's why they'd been taken. He told them about the army of both dark dragons and nagas, here underground and on the surface. Ready to strike. Ready to die. He told them how the planet would be reshaped into something they would barely recognise. He told them it was unstoppable. He told them they had no chance. He told them every last detail.
It was done. She'd got what she wanted. Quite a big part of her wished she hadn't. If any of the others felt remotely like she did, then they'd be stunned, frightened... terrified for their very existence. But she couldn't afford to be any of those things now. Not here. Now she had to be strong. Be a leader. Show... no fear! Grim and determined, she stalked forwards towards Casey, who was by now curled up into a foetal position on the ground. Motioning to both Janice and Flash to move away, they did so.
"Get up!" she commanded, her voice full of steel and passion.
Casey just continued to shudder and whimper in his ball on the floor. Walking round to where his thick, scaly tail had curled up into the shape of a long deceased ammonite, she grabbed a section about a foot from the end firmly, and in a move so swift it would have rivalled anything Flash could have done, she drew the laminium dagger from her belt at the small of her back, whipped it around and sliced right through that part of Casey's tail. The howl that emanated from the broken dragon almost matched those from Flash's torture, for that's what it had been. As the foot long section of tail crumpled to the floor, Richie unrepentantly kicked it away.
"GET UP!" she screamed.
All the time howling, coughing and crying, he did.
As Richie stood and faced her former classmate, she held but one image in her head from when she'd first arrived on the scene. That of Tank and Flash swaying in the air, dangling from the metal monstrosity, their flesh shredded. It was meant to help her. It was meant to make things easier. It didn't.
She thought about words. Words to explain, to justify, to condemn. But there was simply no point. Words weren't the answer. The only answer was action. And so she took it. It was that simple. Almost without a thought, she brought the laminium dagger up and around from her side, all the
time keeping that image in her head and channelling her intentions into the blade. It was easy. All too easy as a matter of fact. Having already chosen the point of impact, she hit it spot on. The laminium dagger cut through the scales, the arteries and the bone, much as a knife would cut through butter. There was little, if any, resistance. Time stood still, as the recognition of what had happened lingered on Casey's face for but a moment. Richie watched, totally disconnected, as his oversized severed head toppled off his thick, muscular neck, dropping end over end onto the dark cobbles, landing with a spectacular THUD. His body fell beside it.
Emma, watching from a distance with Angela, instantly threw up. Janice let out a surprisingly loud gasp, as the local dragons all bowed their heads, some whispering words that couldn't be made out. Tank stood agog, not knowing what to make of it. A tiny part of him had wanted Casey to pay for the horrific events of earlier, but not like this. Never like this.
'He could have been locked up somewhere, until the council were able to deal with him,' he thought. 'Things seem to be spiralling out of control.'
Flash had been surprised, and he didn't consider himself to be a dragon that was surprised easily. When Richie had told him that all the dragons had chosen her to lead them, he'd thought it a mistake. There was of course no doubting her confidence. But being a leader was more than just that, and goodness knows he'd been around a few. But this, this was something else. Despite her outward facade, he could tell that she wasn't happy about what she'd just done. Not that she looked happy in herself, she just looked kind of blasé about the whole thing. Most of the others would think just that, but he recognised the turmoil she was in.
'This,' he thought, 'bodes well. If she's willing to recognise what needs to be done, and has the courage to take the responsibility herself in doing it, despite the fact that it goes against her very nature, she could well be the only being to lead us to any sort of victory.' Things were looking up.