Song of Awakening

by D. R. Rosier

  She laughed, “Exactly.”

  I shrugged, “It’s not the same on the job. If it makes you feel better, I wouldn’t hesitate to seduce him into our bed if he wasn’t a client.”

  It was true, now that she was making me actually think about it. I wasn’t really a slut though, not really, even when I had no choice and had to gather energy I was somewhat picky. Besides, if I was the slutty one why was it Lisa that kept bringing up the idea?

  She grinned, “Let’s ask him for the night off.”

  I rolled my eyes, but at the same time my lady parts tingled at the thought.

  “We’d better just wait. After the job.”

  Lisa shook her head in mock sadness, I stuck my tongue out at her. I was pretty sure she was only teasing me anyway, mostly.

  After he finished setting up the spell, we grabbed dinner in the hotel restaurant, and went back to the rooms. I took the opportunity to take a shower and clean up, swap out my armor and all that while Lisa watched Harold and gave me a break for a while. It was only early evening, and I couldn’t get Lisa’s comments and ideas out of my head, the evil woman had me entirely wound up for a threesome, and I regretted not taking things into my own hands earlier in the shower.

  It was going to be a long night…

  Chapter 15

  When we pulled up to the site the next morning, there were just over thirty soldiers in fatigues. Human yes, but formidable with armor similar to mine, along with rifles, knives, and swords. A few of them had backpacks, probably filled with explosives. They’d have to be careful not to take down the tunnel, but smaller shaped charges should blow a golem to pieces without bringing down the ceiling.

  An older man approached when I got out of the car, and looked us both over as if to measure us. I ignored it when his eyes lingered on my curves a little longer than necessary.

  “Good morning miss Smith, miss Campbell, I’m Captain Damen Hoyt.” he nodded to both of us as he said our names.

  I nodded back in greeting as Lisa said hello, and opened the door for Harold. I looked at the soldiers again, there were only thirty-two of them, four squads. I hoped it would be enough.

  Harold said, “Captain, I’m ready when you are, this is your show.”

  Damen replied, “Excellent, we are ready to go but a quick briefing of what to expect. When you open the door for us we’ll begin to setup explosives on all the golems on the way in. Once we arrive in the large chamber below, we’ll set up two M60 machine gun positions, and put C-4 on the larger golems there. That, and not before, is when you’ll unlock the last ward.

  “As soon as you’re done, you and your bodyguards will leave immediately and quickly, leave the rest to us, any questions?”

  Harold shook his head, “Just two things captain. One is that you should already be able to go in, just have someone enter the ward’s range and the front door will open. It isn’t locked. Second, make sure none of the soldiers get closer than fifteen feet to the ward on the door below or the spell in the center of the chamber, or you may set off the defenses prematurely.”

  Damen nodded, a look of embarrassment on his face, no doubt from not knowing that first part, and went to brief his soldiers.

  The next two hours were kind of mind-numbing, if watching soldiers set up explosives could be considered boring. We followed the soldiers at a glacial pace, as they set up charges on the golems while we very slowly made progress down the spiral. They seemed to be putting three charges on each golem, one on the neck, and then the two legs. They were set to wirelessly detonate. The golems had been a pain in the ass, but I was more worried about what was behind the door, and if we’d have enough time to get out of the way and behind the lines of fire of the soldiers, before said beings charged out.

  We did eventually make it down though, and then we had to wait while they anchored down the M60s and got the ammo loaded, not to mention the two large golems who received a great number of C-4 placed in various spots on their bodies. We were finally set, and Harold pulled out a plain metal rod, with a large ruby set in on the end. We had about twenty feet to run and get by the soldiers after he cast.

  When Damen gave him a nod, he cast the spell, and that’s around the time the plan turned to shit, color me surprised.

  The lights on the wall went out, I was expecting that. The large golems started to move in the artificial light we’d brought along, thirty feet high with large metal weapons. I expected that as well.

  Captain Hoyt ordered, “Blow the big ones, now.”

  I understood the reason, the spell would still take about ten seconds to finish taking effect on the wards. Unfortunately, we found out the hard way that these large golems weren’t guards in the traditional sense, but more of an option of last resort. I had no way to know what triggered the decision, maybe because it was the last ward, or maybe they flipped a damn coin, but the two large golems swung their large weapons right before the C-4 went off.

  Not at us, or the soldiers, but at the wall they were standing next to. The sound was horrifically loud, and the stone wall cracked as the large golems were turned into dust and rubble in a loud detonation, courtesy of the U.S. military.

  I looked over at the wall in shock, it was cracked badly, and so was the other one, and water was coming in through the cracks. Whoever made this prison decided if the enemy ever broke out, they needed to drown. At least the explosion had prevented the golems from striking the wall again, but it was just a matter of time until this room was flooded, and I wouldn’t make bets against the idea of the water filling in the spiral either.

  The spell took effect, and we turned and ran toward the soldiers, as the door opened behind us. I saw the shocked and terrified faces as we ran past, and couldn’t help but look over my shoulder.

  It was the spider things alright, the doorway was packed with them, and for as far back I could see. They were huge, a little taller and twice as wide as a horse, their bodies were segmented, and had eight legs, the skin on their torso’s was gray, covered in webbing, and they ran forward with a strange battle cry that was obviously not human.

  The machine gun emplacements opened fire, cutting them down as they tried to escape the prison. It worked really well too, until one of the M60s jammed, the soldier had overheated it in his panic. The second one continued firing, but only in short bursts, while all the other soldiers opened fire with their M16s in three round bursts. A few of the soldiers had M-4s with the attached grenade launchers. The spiders were torn apart by bullets and explosions, yellow ichor and body parts were flying everywhere.

  The problem was, there were more spiders than I could count, and for every one shot or blown up, another took its place, and a second made it to the line past the hail of bullets. Soldiers started dying. The front legs of the spiders were being used like spears, and the soldiers armor might as well not have even been there. It was an ugly way to go, they fought back of course, sometimes taking off the leg of an attacker with a dagger or sword, but it was mutual annihilation.

  There were only thirty-two soldiers, there were thousands of those spider men things.

  Of course, the spider people were only a part of the problem. I looked at the wall and the water was coming in faster now, it wouldn’t hold forever. We turned and ran for it, taking the stairs fast and then running up the spiral hallway. I felt bad leaving the soldiers behind, but my job was to protect Harold, it was Damen’s job to prepare and protect his soldiers.

  A minute later we heard a large crash and the sound of rushing water. I could feel more lifeforms behind us, unnatural ones, and I couldn’t feel the humans at all anymore. I hoped that I was just out of range, but I knew better than that, it was a false hope, they were gone. We ran like hell for a little over five minutes, uphill, and the spiders were gaining, as was the water. I had no idea how I knew that, but I could feel the water rising in the spiral, coming to drown us all. If that main chamber hadn’t been so large, and the golems had been able to do more damage to the walls, it would’
ve caught up to us by now.

  The large room had been nothing but a large underground dam.

  We made it to the top and ran for stone door. It didn’t open and I couldn’t feel the pins and needs of a ward.

  Harold cursed intensely, and then said, “I was afraid of this, the saltwater killed the charging spell. Nothing is keeping this door locked, but there’s no ward to lift the door anymore. I have a telekinesis spell, but this thing must way five tons. Shit, I need… two minutes.”

  Lisa and I exchanged glances as he started to inscribe sigils directly on the door, I had no idea what they were for, but I trusted him and his knowledge of magic.

  Lisa said, “The only chance is to take them at the doorway, only one or two at most will be able to come through at a time.”

  I took a deep breath and nodded. I pulled out my guns and we raced back to the door leading to the downward spiral. Well, if the spiders got us at least they’d drown before they could get the door open.

  I turned to Lisa, “I love you.”

  She snickered, “I love you too, slut.”

  I rolled my eyes, way to ruin my moment, “Bitch.”

  She giggled, “You know it.”

  I sighed in a longsuffering way, but I was smiling too.

  I saw the spiders come around the bend, and started to shoot them in the head. I was a good shot, but the spiders behind the ones that I put down weren’t slowed at all by my attack, and even worse news, one of them threw a ball of fire our way making us take cover against the wall. They had magic, which meant they might escape after all.

  We needed to hold them until the water caught up, or we got out, one way or the other. Honestly I wasn’t much for sacrificing myself for the good of mankind, I was counting on option two.

  They were moving quickly, I barely got all my rounds off between them closing the distance, and shooting magic shit at us. I holstered the guns and pulled my sword, and a silver dagger in my left hand. The doorway was only five feet wide, but I wished it was smaller. We each took a side and started to hack at the limbs and stab bodies and heads as they came through.

  The spiders were fast, but we were faster. We had a goodly number of them down when Harold started chanting, I hoped it was a short spell.

  One of them threw a fireball, splashing it on the floor. I flinched away from the heat and bright light, and saw a leg coming at me too late. I slashed up at it anyway and cut into it, but not before I was impaled right above my breast on the right side. It hurt like a bitch, and I couldn’t breathe very well, it must have punctured my lung.

  I raised my sword and lunged to stab it through the head, but the spiders second leg snapped out and hit me across the chest. I went flying back and slammed into the chamber wall on the side, my head exploded in pain and I heard a crunch.

  Huh, how did his leg move so fast? Then I realized I was just slow. I could feel my life running out, and the pain of poison from the leg still sticking through me. I grabbed the leg and pulled as hard as I could. It came out, and I’m pretty sure the wicked reverse spines took half of my lung with it. I felt like I was drowning, which confused me, because the water hadn’t reached this high yet.

  I realized I was drowning in my own blood.

  I looked over to the door, and Lisa had my sword, and hers. She was moving so fast I could hardly keep track, the two blades acted like a blender and cut into legs, torsos and heads. She’d apparently lost it. The room dimmed a bit, and the world went silent around me as the magic turned inward. My song was faint, slow, and discordant from so bad an injury.

  I coughed up some blood and managed a breath, and that’s when I realized the shadow track… wasn’t a shadow anymore. How was that possible? I didn’t know, and at the moment I didn’t care, I could figure it out later, if there was a later.

  I tried to sing the notes that would allow me to change, I could see them there, and hear them so clearly now. I knew shifters healed when they changed, and it was my only chance. I let out a choking laugh when I had a coughing fit, and tried to cough up my left lung, to clear it. I finally got a deep breath while my right side continued to burn in ridiculous amounts of pain, as the spider’s poison moved further into my body, but then I sang.

  My body melted.

  I felt pins and needles all over, all at once, and it felt like my body liquefied, and then my clothes burst off my body as I grew into something else. I saw a dragon once, it was huge, red, and as big as a… well, a red barn. Me on the other hand, wasn’t so big. I couldn’t help but take a quick glance, my body was the size of a minivan, and I had a long sinuous neck with a head the size of… well I wasn’t sure, I couldn’t see my head. I had the ridiculous thought of wishing there was a mirror nearby.

  I was also ocean blue, the same color as my eyes, and covered with scales, and had two very large and unwieldy wings.

  I felt a pain in my chest, but the burning of the poison was gone, and I could breath. I could also feel the water coming, clearly, much more plainly than the faint impression I’d had in my siren form. I had huge claws, and was going to completely kick human spider ass. I roared, which honestly wasn’t that impressive, but it wasn’t a squeak either. Then I took a step forward, intending to rejoin Lisa and guard the door. They wouldn’t stand a chance in hell against a dragon’s power.

  I tripped over my own claws and fell on my face, my snout bounced off the floor, painfully. Well fuck, I might look bad ass, but I had no idea how to drive this thing. I took a different tack, and tried to breath in. I had to have an awesome breath weapon, probably fire, or lightning, right?

  I breathed out with intent, my neck stretched up at the ceiling, to send my breath above Lisa’s head, and into the hallway beyond. I almost chocked in shock when a blast of water left my muzzle, as powerful as a fire hose, and pushed the front line back.

  Water? What the fuck? Look out for the badass dragon, who gives her enemies baths.

  Ice would be cooler at least.

  When I had that thought, something clicked in my mind. Fire dragons could control the heat of their breath. If I was some half assed water dragon, maybe I could do the same. I reached out to the water soaked spider people, and the water froze instantly, turning them into… well, frozen spider people. There were more behind though, and they kept coming.

  I took another deep breath, and this time icy frost left my muzzle. Lisa ducked and moved out of the way, while I froze the spiders in a solid block of ice back about twenty feet. I felt drained at that point, and my neck drooped as I took in large gulps of air. Okay, maybe a water dragon wasn’t so shabby after all.

  Harold was done with his chant finally, and I heard the large rock doorway start moving up. I turned and looked at the entrance in annoyance, it was way too small for a minivan to fit, there was no way I was getting through it. I turned my magic inward, and brought up the other track in my song, because it was past time to go. Lisa grabbed me when I reformed naked on the stone, and we all rushed out of the entrance. Well, Lisa and Harold rushed out, I just held on.

  She had my sword, but I was pissed, all my throwing knives, two daggers, and two guns were on the floor in there somewhere around torn up pieces of my clothes. Still, at least we were all alive…

  Harold released his spell, and the door fell, and I could still feel the water quite clearly. Another thirty seconds, and the jail was completely underwater.

  “Harold, would you mind not telling anyone about what just happened, my life kind of depends on it.”

  Harold nodded, “When did you figure out what you were?”

  I smiled as his eyes kept fighting to stay on my face, I did have a really nice set of perky C cups.

  “A couple of days after you told me, but it was dormant and shadowy, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to change… could we finish this in the car, I have spare clothes there.”

  I wasn’t body shy, and a part of me wanted him to look, but the part of me that took my job seriously wanted to get my hands on clothes and w
eapons as quickly as possible.

  He blushed, “Sure.”

  Lisa still hadn’t put me down, and she carried me over to the car.

  She whispered, “You are beautiful,” she paused a second and then added to clarify, “Well, this you too, but I meant the dragon you.”

  I kissed her softly, forgetting where we were. I was naked, in the woods, with a client, kissing my girlfriend. That actually made me blush when we broke our passionate kiss, and blushing wasn’t something I did very often.

  I pulled on my spare armor, a pair of jeans, and a clingy shirt. I didn’t have spare boots in the car, so I guess I’d be going barefoot until we got back to the hotel. I’d have to remember to strip before changing next time, assuming I wasn’t dying at the time anyway. We got into the car and started out.

  Harold said thoughtfully, “I think it’s the ocean, it woke up your dragon side. Dragons are tied to elements. As a siren, your already aligned with the element of water, so that probably informed your dragon alignment to water. So… I’m assuming you’ve never been near a large body of water before. Most young dragons are raised close by their elements. It’s also why your dragon growth is so small, compared to your human age.”

  I grunted, “So what happens when I go back to Dallas, will it go dormant again?”

  Harold shook his head, “I don’t think so. Your dragon side might grow slower to adulthood in Dallas, rather than living next to the ocean, but now that your dragon side is awake, it will stay that way.”

  I frowned, and reached for the water bottle on the floor, before I got there, it shot up into my hand. Well… shit. I could control water in siren form now too? As a test, I made it a little colder, it was really hot right now in Corpus Christi after all. It worked. Too bad moving a dragon body wasn’t as instinctive as the water magic seemed to be, cooling it had been as easy as flexing a muscle.

  “Thanks Harold, if anyone found out…”

  Harold nodded, “Of course, I know how dragons are about bloodlines, I won’t tell a soul.”