Did he know what he’d become? Did he feel his mind slipping into madness?
Tears came unbidden to Jared’s eyes, his mind reeling. Scarlet’s desire for vengeance and willingness to end human life now resonated with him. He understood her plight. He now knew how it felt for Alestrialia to lose her family to the evil whims of men. Fire raced through his belly when he thought of the humans in this room torturing the poor dragon. If anyone still remained in here, he’d kill them no questions asked because of the spectacle before him.
Mustering a shred of courage, Jared rose to his feet and scrutinized the being in the cage. Scarlet would want to have as many details as possible.
Half of Razael’s head no longer remained, and it was clear where the explosion had ripped into the cage, killing him. A gaping hole occupied one corner.
Your freedom granted too late, Jared thought.
He said a silent prayer for Razael and hoped he was in a better place. Although he was dead, Jared saw no creatures swimming around the dragon, but it was likely they’d wanted nothing to do with him and fled the area as soon as they regained free will.
Jared wanted to give him a proper burial. No way would he let this be the final resting place for the mighty dragon. If Jared could get the electricity up and running, then he could release his body from the metal prison.
Drawing in a shaky breath, he tried to push thoughts of Razael to the back of his mind, but no matter how hard he tried to think about something else, the suspended body haunted his thoughts. Finally, Jared gave up and concluded that until they laid his body to rest, exploration could wait.
Scarlet, we’ve got to put Razael’s body to rest.
You found him?
I did.
Where is he?
You might not want to see what they’ve done to him. I can barely stomach the sight myself, and I don’t think I’ll be able to explore any further until we put him to rest. Only I’m not sure how to unless we can get some electricity to power these machines. Can you please ask the waterfolk if there’s a power source around here and how to turn it on?
Jared. What happened to him?
It’s bad, Scarlet. If you really must see it, I’ll show you, but I’d just as soon spare you the pain. Jared knew how Scarlet would react to the scene, but he also knew she was strong, and she had him to help her through it. When Scarlet responded, it wasn’t about Razael.
Vanessa said her dad used to take her to a solar panel array.
Does she know how to work it, if it’s still functional that is?
She said she would try.
All right, I’m coming back. I’ll stay with the rest of the waterfolk while you take her over to the panels.
Jared?
Yes?
I want to see Razael before we do this, even if just in your mind.
Are you sure? I’m warning you, it’s really, really bad. No doubt you can feel the rage and anger coursing through me. So much, in fact, that I want to throw myself at the city responsible for this and massacre anyone that played a role.
He is already dead, and I have accepted the loss. Anything further to lay at the feet of those in the cities only adds fuel to a fire of vengeance burning within me.
I’ll be there soon.
Jared jogged back to the barn, in no hurry to get back and show Scarlet. He knew the scene would devastate her and wished for some way to bring him justice, right then and there. Instead, he added this injustice to a tally he kept in his head, longing for the day of reckoning when he held those responsible accountable for their actions.
When he reached the barn, Scarlet stood outside the door awaiting his arrival. Sighing, Jared walked up and looked her in the eyes.
“Scarlet,” Jared began, and rested a hand on her side. “I’m serious, this might be worse than you’ve ever imagined.”
Scarlet bowed her head and said, I have to see it. I must know what became of my brother.
Jared tensed. With great reluctance, and as gently as was possible, he recalled the images of Razael in the cage.
Anguish.
Heartache.
Rage.
Loss.
Helplessness.
These emotions swept across their bond, and Jared dropped to his knees at the same time Scarlet fell to the ground, losing strength in her limbs. Sobs racked through both their bodies, and it felt as though a small piece of Scarlet’s heart died forever. The torrent of emotional pain raged through him, rendering him incapacitated. Neither of them moved for what felt like an eternity, Scarlet’s desire for vengeance magnified tenfold, and like him, she wanted to fly to the nearest city and rip it apart.
“I’m so sorry. I wish we could’ve helped him.”
All Scarlet managed was a single word.
Why?
That one word echoed in Jared’s mind and flooded him with such a deep sense of loss and pain, he wept. Wept for Razael and what he endured. For Scarlet and the relationship she’d never have. With every tear that trickled down his cheeks, his resolve hardened. Nothing would stand in his way. No one would escape justice. All those complicit would feel his wrath. Now, more than ever, they had a driver pushing them to get stronger as fast as possible. They needed the strength to withstand the combined might of an entire city, and Jared purposed in his heart to achieve it.
They sat next to each other, letting the emotions run their course, and Jared did his best to comfort her, remaining by her side for as long as she needed. While he cared for the people in the barn, the one person he cared for most needed his love and support. No matter what it took, he’d do anything she asked of him to help ease the burden.
Several hours later, Scarlet lifted her head and nudged Jared from his stupor.
Thank you. I could not do this on my own. If not for you being here with me, I would follow my ancestors and leave the affairs of this world behind. I do not understand how anyone could do that.
“Some humans are...evil. Those we’ve sworn to bring justice to, those that left most of humanity to die in the aftermath of the wars, consider themselves elite. Better than everyone else. That includes anyone or anything not human. Even then, they seek to dominate other humans.
“I’m sure many of the people who did this to Razael thought they were advancing science. Although, I must believe a few people didn’t like the work they performed, but it’s possible they had no choice. This is a military complex, and when someone in the military gets ordered to do something, they must obey, or the consequences are dire and immediate. I wonder if they thought him dead, and that’s why they abandoned him. They couldn’t have known about the nanites from Igor. Scarlet, maybe that’s why Razael killed all the colonists here? Maybe he though they were those that imprisoned and experimented on him. Maybe he though we were coming back to finish him off?”
But he would know their minds.
“You said it yourself; he likely went mad. Maybe all he knew by that point was an instinctual desire to survive and do all he could to right the wrongs done to him.”
Perhaps you are right, but I do not understand why anyone would want to do this.
It took her another hour to muster enough strength to rise to her feet. Once standing, Scarlet focused her will, locking down her emotions and calming her troubled mind. When Jared stood and turned around, he found all the waterfolk sitting behind them in a silent vigil. He hadn’t heard any of them approach, but then he’d been lost in the pain and misery roiling off Scarlet.
Jared opened his mouth to speak, intending to ask them back into the barn, but he changed his mind and turned to Scarlet.
“Can you show them Razael? Show them what he looked like before? Then show them what they did to him?”
Scarlet nodded her head in agreement.
Turning to the group, he asked them to walk forward and place a hand on Scarlet. Follow
ing suit, Jared urged Scarlet to show them.
When Jared placed his hand on her side, a brilliant, blue landscape filled his vision, and a beautiful, blue-scaled dragon dove in and out of the water. His scales reflected the sunlight and seemed to absorb the light, drawing the eye in a mesmerizing display. Although not as large as Scarlet’s mother, he was huge, his wingspan easily a hundred yards across.
While Jared watched the huge being frolic happily, he felt immense joy from Scarlet. The memories were exactly what Scarlet needed to help heal. Just before Scarlet showed them scenes from the laboratory, he felt the joy from Scarlet diminish as her pain once again surfaced.
What I am about to show you is what the humans who used to live here did to my brother. It drove him mad, and the creature you know as water devil was no longer my brother. It was a shell of him, driven to kill and destroy.
The scenery flipped to the chamber, homing in on the viewport. It showed Razael in every gruesome detail. As soon as the group caught site of the water devil, he heard outcries, sobbing, exclamations of fear, and several people fell to the ground in shock. A clamor of voices rang out in Jared’s mind, voicing their disbelief and anger at what became of the majestic being. Jared even heard whispered vows from several to see justice delivered.
It was almost enough to share the rest of the truth with them, but after his previous naivety trusting others, he wanted to have zero doubts before revealing their secrets. It would take several more nights for Scarlet to finish eradicating Razael’s presence, and then they’d make a joint decision to reveal the truth.
At first, Jared thought all the waterfolk felt the same way after viewing the scene. However, George stood off to the side, a stony expression on his face, his arms crossed. But even Damien appeared deeply affected by the scene and looked at Scarlet with a new appreciation.
Scarlet, were you able to feel the emotions and minds of those touching you just now?
No, I—
Don’t worry about it. I was just curious. This George character is really giving me some bad vibes. He’s the only one that showed no response to Razael’s plight. Maybe he’s just good at keeping his emotions in check, but I don’t like it.
I will watch him closely.
Jared waited patiently for everyone to recover from the experience before he addressed them.
“As you can see, dragons are not monsters. Mankind...we are the monsters. At least, some of us. What they did to Razael is unthinkable. An unspeakable act of violence. All of you saw the irrefutable proof of that evil. I, for one, vowed to see whoever is responsible brought to justice, and I heard a few of you utter similar sentiments.”
Looking around at the faces before him, he saw most of them nod and agree with his words.
“I’ve no right to ask any of you for help in this. The last nine years have been a living hell for you, and it was because of Razael. I’m asking a lot from you, but if we are to see any kind of justice for what happened to you and Razael, we need all of you working hard to recover and regain your strength.”
Jared watched the conflicted emotions cross their faces. Like him, they’d all felt the heartache and loss through Scarlet. They’d seen Razael in a new light. Yet, it was impossible to erase almost a decade in mere days.
Vanessa stepped forward, laid a hand on Jared’s arm, and said I will help.
Not everyone was willing to go along with Jared just yet, but he saw willingness in many of their eyes. It would take time. Now that Razael was gone, time was something they had in abundance and he wouldn’t rush their healing process for selfish reasons.
Jared turned back to Vanessa. “Are you willing to go with Scarlet to these solar panels? I’d like to give Razael a proper burial at the bottom of the lake, but I need the power on, so I can open the cage he’s in. I’ll stay here with everyone while we wait.”
Her hand still on Jared’s arm, Vanessa agreed.
Jared stepped to the side and offered Vanessa his hand to climb aboard Scarlet. Though her hand was already on his arm, when her fingers brushed his, they sent tiny sparks of electricity through his hand. He looked into her eyes, seeing compassion and determination.
“Are you ready?” Jared asked gently, his voice coming out in a whisper. He didn’t know why, but her presence made him nervous.
Yes. Thank you for sharing the experience with us. It is truly heartbreaking, but I am glad to know the truth and understand how we became enslaved.
“You’re welcome. Hold on tight to Scarlet’s neck. First time I tried to fly I fell off her back.”
Scarlet snorted at Jared’s words, and Jared playfully punched her side.
Vanessa climbed into the makeshift seat on Scarlet’s back and wrapped her arms around her neck.
Nice and easy, Scarlet. She doesn’t have all her strength yet, and you formed that seat for me, so she isn’t very secure up there.
Scarlet acknowledged him and gingerly leapt into the air, heading toward the solar array.
While Jared waited with everyone in the barn, a few people expressed their sympathy for Scarlet, and let him know they harbored no resentment for the dragons now that they understood what happened. The amount of support and genuine sympathy from these people amazed Jared. After so many years entombed in the bowels of the lake, they’d emerged with such strength and determination it was astounding. He felt certain he’d be able to share the truth with them and they would agree to help in their fight to come.
Scarlet, how are things going?
We found the array, and Vanessa is doing her best to remember everything her father showed her, but she says it has been at least fifteen years and is uncertain if she can get it working.
If she can’t figure it out, we’ll find some other way.
Wait, she might have it. I can feel a slight thrumming beneath my feet, but there are no lights, and she says all the dials are broken.
“Woohoo!”
Jared’s outburst startled a few of those near him.
“Sorry, Vanessa got the electricity working,” he apologized. “I had my doubts, but this will make our efforts a lot easier.”
A few minutes later, Jared heard Scarlet thump to the ground outside, and he went to help Vanessa down.
“Thank. You,” said Vanessa, accepting his hand. “That amazing! Everything beautiful up there. Forget about worry. I…free.”
Jared smiled at hearing Vanessa speak and encouraged her to keep working on it.
“Yes, I felt much the same way when I first flew. As did Scarlet. I haven’t told anyone this yet, but Scarlet is only a month old. Well, she’s several hundred years old, but she didn’t enter the world until about a month ago. I hope to show you how it happened someday, but right now I must head back to the laboratory.”
Vanessa’s eyes widened, and she looked at Scarlet in shock. She clearly didn’t know what was more impressive, the fact that Scarlet was hundreds of years old, or the idea that a twenty-foot-tall dragon was only a month old. Jared didn’t blame her; it was truly amazing.
“Scarlet, please keep helping everyone with their recovery. The sooner we can get everyone back to peak mental health, the sooner we can work on physical strength and rebuilding everyone’s lives. In the meantime, I’m going back to the laboratory to get Razael out of the cage.”
Thank you.
You’re welcome, Scarlet. Jared laid a hand on her, expressing his sympathy and love before he turned on his heel and jogged off toward the cellar once again.
Jared immediately noted the difference in the tunnels as several lights flickered in the dining hall. He saw a couple sparks shooting from a few of them and suspected they’d blown out when the power came back on. Still, the few lights were a welcome reprieve from the darkness, though it made the tunnels even more creepy as shadows flittered against the walls.
In the laboratory, he found the panels in fro
nt of the viewport. They hummed with electricity, and lights blinked across the display. He read through all the labels until he found one that read “Cage Release.” Pressing the button, he held his breath as he heard a metallic click, but nothing happened.
Frowning, Jared pushed the button again, and again the clicking noise followed by a whole lot of nothing.
Why isn’t it working?
Walking closer to the viewport, Jared tried to figure out why the door wouldn’t open and saw the problem right away. The cage bent at an odd angle, and the release mechanism looked jammed. The only other equipment outside by the cage was a pair of mechanical arms sporting sharpened implements, no doubt what they’d used to slice into Razael.
Jared went back to the control console and found levers that controlled the mechanical arms. Thankfully, one of them still worked, and he maneuvered it beneath the cage. Carefully, he stuck the sharp implement through the slats on the cage and twisted, bringing the tool perpendicular to the cage bars.
Jared pushed the release button one more time and then pulled down on the lever. A rush of bubbles outside the viewport followed in the wake of the cage’s bottom dropping out. Razael’s body slowly sank toward the lake floor, and Jared made certain to watch until his body disappeared from view. He wanted to give Scarlet a measure of peace knowing he’d put his body to rest.
It’s done, Scarlet.
Thank you, Jared. I feel better knowing his body will rest in freedom.
I’ll keep exploring now that we’ve done what we can for him.
Jared spent another thirty minutes in the laboratory but found nothing else worthy of his attention and moved on. There were two tunnels branching off out from the lab. One tunnel led to a storage room lined floor to ceiling with boxes, creates and various lab equipment. Finding nothing of interest to him or the waterfolk, he quickly moved on and started down the other tunnel.
After a mile, he found a large, round room lined by dozens of doors. Staged plastic furniture decorated the area, but everything was sparse, minimalistic with no evidence of the massacres from the previous rooms he encountered.
Radioactive Evolution Page 27