by Paul Cude
"There's nothing that can be done. I've tried all that I know. Nothing can save them now," mouthed Yoyo, glancing up at Fredric, glistening transparent tears rolling down his cheeks.
Putting a comforting arm on Yoyo's shoulder, a sudden burst of familiarity blossomed inside Peter's grandfather.
"I know you... don't I?"
"You do seem familiar," replied Yoyo. "I do believe I may have patched you up once or twice."
"I think you might be right. But now's not the time for all that. Let me take a look. With the laminium from these chains, nothing seems out of reach for me."
Yoyo got to his feet and stepped back, joining the rest of his shivering youngsters, the damage to their suits irreparable. Nodding at Flash, Fredric closed his eyes and let his mind wander out over the injured dragons. Much as he had with Flash during the battle with the jailer, Fredric's mind encompassed everything, right down to the finest detail or molecule. Nothing now seemed beyond him. With the speed of a supercomputer and the dexterity of a magician, the Crimson Guards founder used his mind to great effect, multitasking on a phenomenal level. Curing two badly injured dragons simultaneously, as well as healing the wounds of everyone else in the cavern... 'epic' would be the only way to describe what was happening. Never before in history had one dragon had so much magical power. It really was mind blowing, and took the breath away from every dragon there.
Witnessing one of the most miraculous events he'd ever seen, it was only then that Flash realised something inside him was... WRONG! For the briefest moment, his mind harked back to his last visit to this frosty hell, and wondered if once again he'd been poisoned by one of the nagas during the battle, because he was sure the feeling deep inside him was somehow related to that. But a more detailed assessment found something absolutely mind-boggling, and only then did he realise what had happened. Not only had Fredric saved his life when the evil jailer had all but killed him, but somehow, using the power stored in the laminium chains, he'd transformed his DNA back to its original state, back to before he'd encountered Antarctica and any of those damn nagas. In effect, Flash was now the dragon he once had been. Everything he'd missed had been returned to him. No longer was he damned in this falsehood of a human form. Happiness ebbed and flowed inside him. Any thought of taking his natural form though was cut short at the thought of what the blistering cold would do to his prehistoric body without any sort of protection. That dream would have to wait just a little while longer.
Releasing a long, slow breath that all but froze in the chilly air, Fredric opened his eyes and watched the injured dragons do exactly the same. Gasps of amazement from those all around rang throughout the surroundings, accompanied by mutterings of thanks. Yoyo offered out his hand, which Fredric duly shook. All the fighting force had survived, and were now fully healed and fit to carry on. But carry on to what? That was the question.
Clasping Flash on the shoulder, Fredric ventured,
"With me."
And so it was that Peter's grandfather strode across the icy cavern, weaving in and out of the butchered cadavers, heading straight for the naga king himself.
Having watched in total silence, barely able to believe what he'd seen, the king of the nagas now looked on with a semblance of a smile crossing his reptilian face for the first time in many years.
"Majesty," declared Fredric, bowing his head ever so slightly.
"Youuu offffff allll beingsss need nottt callll meee thatttt."
"If you would allow me..." offered the founder of the Crimson Guards.
With a nod of his head, the naga king granted his permission to his fellow captive.
Grasping the chains constraining the king, Fredric tapped into his vast supply of willpower, and with the words that Flash had passed onto him, the ones that had changed his life and granted his freedom, let rip with the mantra. A small glow along the length of the chain and a slight change in colour were the only clues that anything had happened, until a guttural roar from Fredric echoed around the cavern as his muscles bulged, seemingly about to rip through his skin. With his chest expanding and a terrifying snarl on his face, 'SNAP!', the chains broke in two, freeing the naga king once and for all.
Panting heavily, Fredric tossed the remnants of the now laminium chain across the icy cavern, straight at Flash, who caught them easily with one hand.
Slithering and sliding, the naga king extended himself to his full height, something he had struggled to do with the chains encompassing him.
"Thhhhaaaannnk yoooouuuuu."
"No problem," replied Fredric, aware that time was not on their side.
"I aaaaaammmm theeeeee kkkiiiiiing offfffff theeeeee ennnnnnntiiiiiiirrrrre cllllllannnnn offfffff naaaaaagasssss... buuuuuut yooooou maaaaaay calllllllll meeee byyyyy mmmmmy giiiiivennnn naaaaaammmmme... Vasuki."
"I am Fredric, and it's a pleasure to be standing here beside you... free. After everything we've been through. But now is not the time to dwell on that. We need your help, Vasuki. It appears that for whatever reason most of your kin are currently allied with a cruel and wicked being named Manson, intent on taking over the earth and transforming it forever. Is there any way that you can get a message out and let them know that you are free and that their obligation to this psychopath is null and void?"
Ever more creased lines stretched across the naga king's forehead as he scoured his mind for anything that would help. It was almost impossible to see how he could contact even one of his kind without knowing exactly where they were, let alone all of them.
A misty, hazy silence encompassed them all. With the naga king racking his brain, abruptly Yoyo chipped in.
"We have to leave this place. It's too cold. We won't be able to survive for much longer."
Flash turned expectantly to Fredric, who was only now weighing up the whole situation. Even with the immense amount of power from the laminium chains, it would be difficult to sustain everyone here for any length of time. But what played on his mind the most were the events taking place on the other side of the planet. If only they were there, then they wouldn't have to worry about being destroyed by the biting cold and could help defend the dragon king, his friend, from whatever fate was now trying to throw at him.
24 Steel Yourself
Stepping over debris and climbing over mountains of rubble as a group was odd in itself. But not as odd or strange as climbing over it all without making any noise, almost as if someone had hit the mute button or the sound had been abruptly cut off on the television news. Still they ploughed on, wary of being ambushed amidst the devastation of what was once a proud and esteemed city. It felt that way no more. Fires blazed, choking smog and smoke made up the air wherever they were, and the scent of death was almost a constant. Weaving their way through the desolate remains of an underground monorail station (they weren't even sure which one, that's how bad the damage was) the old shopkeeper and the humans remained firmly in the middle of the small renegade band, constantly on the lookout for danger. Abruptly the dragons at the front stopped, the leader holding up a closed fist, not for the first time in the last few minutes. With the tension palpable, the eclectic mix of prehistoric beasts and their human charges readied themselves for what at some point would be inevitable... a fight! It hadn't happened so far, thanks mainly to the noise cancelling mantra and the highly skilled nature of those dragons at the front in charge of cutting their way through the ravaged infrastructure. But luck had most definitely been on their side, an ally that was almost certain to desert them at some point in the very near future.
Snaking his long neck out to one side in an effort to see what was happening down at the start of their line, the master mantra maker let out a stifled gasp on witnessing the lead dragon suddenly pulled around the corner of a blazing shop, before being physically thrown up into the air, twisting and writhing uncontrollably, most undragonlike. Like an atomic dust cloud, albeit on a much smaller scale, debris and dust scattered up into the air, before anyone else even had a chance to react.
'THIS IS IT THEN!' was pretty much the single thought that all of those accompanying Gee Tee had simultaneously. Magic humming, crackling and flaring, weapons readied, the group charged as one, determined to use the element of surprise to their full advantage.
"STOP!" came the flustered and rather out of breath shout from their front dragon, belly down on the floor, looking rather more the worse for wear than he deserved to. As one, the old shopkeeper's force hesitated, still ready to act, all wondering what on earth was going on.
From out of the shadows, surrounded by scorching fire just the way he liked it, a young dragon, shiny and supple, cut through the choking black smoke, wings spread out behind his back, muscles rippling, magic arcing across his fingertips. Most stood rooted to the spot, some in awe, most in fear. The look currently emblazoned across the newcomer's face was enough to inspire terror inducing nightmares.
With not a thought for his safety, the master mantra maker wriggled free of his rather constricted position in the middle of the group and with one flap of his aging old wings, propelled himself straight to the front of the line, landing with the delicacy of a feather.
"Tame your temper child. We're not looking for a fight," quipped Gee Tee, tucking back his wings and showing off both his hands in an effort to look as non-threatening as possible. It was only then, close up... that he noticed it. For all intents and purposes, this loner looked young... almost impossibly so. But close up, in the light cast out from the blazing building, there was something else, something the old shopkeeper's know-how recognised immediately: an intelligence and experience, much like his own. Like could easily recognise like and this was no youngster. This was something much more formidable.
"STATE YOUR BUSINESS!" demanded the mysterious dragon seriously, all the time magic lighting up the end of his fingertips.
Taking a breath to compose himself, with everyone else looking on, the shopkeeper replied,
"We're looking to thwart what's going on in and around us. We could certainly use some help."
Surprised at how the encounter hadn't played out as he'd envisaged when he'd caught sight of the dragon poking his head out from around the corner, briefly he wondered how this day could get any more bizarre. It took him no time at all to reach the conclusion that it really couldn't. A dream, was all that he could think, but he knew that not even the darkest dragon mind could conjure up the nightmarish visions that had plagued him since he'd awoken, seventy-two hours ago. This was as real as it gets... unfortunately for him.
"HOW CAN I BE SURE OF THAT?"
"Easy really... my name is Gee Tee and my Mantra Emporium is the stuff of legend. Surely a dragon of your knowledge and experience has heard of me?"
Puzzled humans mingled with even more puzzled dragons. Surely he couldn't have been referring to the young, silky dragon standing before them? But of course he was, and those watching didn't have the benefit of the hundreds of years of experience the master mantra maker had.
"I've heard of you, if of course you are who you say you are."
"Who else would possibly claim to be me?" Gee Tee snorted. "Grumpy, uptight, a stuck up menace to dragon society in general, as well as a cheap old phoney are just some of the nicer things that have been attributed to me over the course of time."
A smile spread out across the newcomer's face.
"I'd heard that too."
"So there it is. You now know that it's me. But you're something of a conundrum youn... I nearly said youngster. But that's not you at all, is it? Perhaps an introduction would go some way to avoid any mistrust. I have my suspicions, but I think it might be better if they all hear it from you."
Fingertips their normal selves, all hint of magic dispelled, the famed dragon in front of them reached the only decision possible.
"Most of you will know me, even if you don't fully recognise my reconstructed body. I'm STEEL... and I've been known to partake in a little laminium ball."
Stealthy gasps were let loose from everyone's mouths, apart from the humans of course, who still had little idea about what on earth was going on.
"YOU DIED!" accused one of Gee Tee's team. "Nobody could possibly have survived beneath the lava as long as you did."
Nodding his head in understanding, the brave laminium ball player thought hard about how to address the dragon's very real concerns.
"I understand your scepticism and in a lot of ways share your apprehension. I don't know the exact details of what happened, but I'll gladly tell you what I do know. Apparently after I bobbed to the surface, but a charred collection of internal organs, some of my scales bubbled up, collected by one of the quick thinking medics. While what little remained of my life was held in place by a series of powerful mantras, a group of geneticists was called in to see if there was anything they could do. Given who I was, money was no object, and so over time these free thinking, experienced individuals were able to clone brand new scales for me from those that had been saved. After a series of life threatening operations, the scales were grafted onto my newly healed skin, and then using a pattern of laminium enhanced laser therapies, it was deemed that the new me was about as good as it was going to get. I was told all this three days ago when I was brought out of the catatonic state that I'd been in ever since the match. Also, it was made clear in no uncertain terms that I would need to rest and recuperate for at least the next six months. Needless to say, that's gone straight out of the window."
"How did you survive?"
"I don't know. They tell me that what little there was left of me refused to give in and die. That's all I know. You think all this is a shock to you. Imagine being in my position, waking up in a new body that feels very much how I'd imagine one of the human's rubber gloves would. And then only a short time later, I'm fighting nagas, slaying dark dragons and then finding the domain that I love and call home is all but under attack. To say I'm still a little confused is something of an understatement. But I'm here, and I'm not running away. I want to know what the hell's going on, and would like nothing more than to get my hands on those responsible for inflicting these dastardly events."
This seemed to have the desired effect on those who had any doubt about the brave laminium ball player's story. Of which Gee Tee was not one. He'd long since made up his mind.
"So will you join us?" asked the shopkeeper.
"With a view to doing what?"
"The world needs to know what's going on. Currently no communication is possible. As far as we know, the crystal node in Fleet Street has been taken down by the enemy's force. We're going to put that right, and put them out of their misery."
"I do like the sound of that," added Steel thoughtfully.
"So what do you say?" reiterated the master mantra maker.
"Do you have room for a few more?"
This raised several eyebrows.
"You can come out now," ventured Steel. "SLOWLY!"
Creeping out of the surrounding buildings, eagerly complying with their elected leader's instruction, a dozen or more dragons made their way into the light of the scorching fire, led purposefully by the two recent additions, Jar Man and DomCon, both ready to fight, both ready to die for the cause.
"These are all who survived from the medical facility. Good doctors, nurses and healers. Handy in a fight and particularly on the kind of mission you've just told me about. I'd be happy to join forces, just as long as you're not going to throw away dragon lives needlessly. I for one value each and every one of them, and while I understand the reality of the situation we all find ourselves in, I'm keen that they, and all of your other dragons, live to see another day."
"I couldn't have put it better myself," declared Gee Tee, offering his hand out towards the famed laminium ball captain.
"Good," added Steel, shaking the proffered hand. "Let's get this show on the road."
And so with the two teams blending seamlessly into one, and Gee Tee casting the noise cancelling mantra onto the new recruits as well as introducing them t
o not only the other dragons but the humans as well, the ragged force filtered off into the shadows, their destination getting ever nearer.
Earth's surface. Salisbridge, England.
Tall, splendid, magnificent, that's how it looked... to nearly everyone, anyway. And just like most days, there were a lot here to admire it today. Overlooking the city and the renowned water meadows, Salisbridge Cathedral glistened in the sparkling sun against the backdrop of a brilliant, clear blue sky. Visitors from across the world milled outside in groups small and large, filling up not only the adjacent grounds but also much of the famed Close surrounding it, most holding cameras, taking pictures of loved ones on their phones, or just the structure from odd and jaunty angles, doing their best to avoid the scaffolding involved in the major repairs to the outside. These had been going on since the late 20th century, carrying on something of a tradition really, as a major restoration effort had taken place throughout the 18th and 19th centuries as well. Standing since the 12th century, with the extraordinary spire added sometime later, the spectacular place of worship has been the centrepiece of the area for many hundreds of years, throughout that time captivating all those that set eyes on it. Parents and children mingled, students lounged about on the benches and grass, as runners and cyclists weaved in and out of the tourists.
Breathless would best describe those that had never seen it in the flesh, so to speak, before. As well as the groups dotted about the grounds, a long, snaking queue meandered back from the entrance with those eager to take in the ancient delights hidden inside, some taking the tower tour all the way up to the top of Britain's tallest spire to soak up that glorious view. Others would no doubt marvel at the stunning stained glass windows, the cloisters, the north and south transepts and the world's oldest working clock. The inside truly was a work of genius and was well worth travelling thousands of miles to see.