The Eve of the Dragon

by Michael Dunn

  Steven provided cover while Sallie fired. As he chucked another rock, he thought, If Dan were here he would have made a video game joke about Sallie’s shooting.

  “We’re running out of space and ammo!” John shouted.

  Sallie pulled the trigger and nothing happened. “I’m out!” She shouted.

  As the dinosaurs closed in, they all heard a horn blaring at the entrance of the geology exhibit. The doctors and the dinosaurs saw Dan riding a velociraptor in a saddle while wielding a sword and blowing a battle horn.

  All three stunned doctors uttered in unison, “What the fuck?”

  Dan charged as if he were part of a cavalry, swinging his sword, cutting down the velociraptors, and slicing through the T-rex’s foot. The monster roared and collapsed onto a couple of velociraptors crushing them. The fallen monster smashed apart upon impact. The bony stegosaurus charged toward Dan, trampling two raptors on its way to attack Dan.

  Dan slapped his raptor/horse on the butt with the flat of his broadsword and his raptor charged. The magically enhanced doctor played chicken with the rampaging dinosaur, and only at the last second pulled his velociraptor to the left, so right-handed Dan could decapitate the stegosaurus. He sliced through the last two velociraptors, the closest to his friends.

  A slack-jawed Steven said, “Dan, we thought you were dead.”

  “Nope,” Dan said.

  “How did you…?” John began, but it was too hard to comprehend. “Where did you get that saddle?”

  “Stole it from Genghis Khan in the great warriors exhibit. The sword I took from King Arthur. Behold, I wield Excalibur!” Dan held it high above his head, an impressive sight.

  The other three doctors stared, too stunned to talk.

  “Come on, guys. I’m riding a dinosaur and wielding Excalibur. I’m like Jesus!” Dan said, raising his sword. “Or at least Chris Pratt.”

  The museum rumbled, as if the building itself were moaning.

  “Let’s go help the wizards, so we can get out of here.”

  Down below, they heard a woman scream.

  John yelled, “Teresa,” and ran to her.

  Chapter Twenty-One: The Sacrifice

  The severely wounded Count lie bleeding, feeling his life essence seeping away. The Professor did not kill the Count quickly, because he wanted to gloat. He wanted the age-old Count to know who the better wizard was, but the Count still had his sacrifices — three young, healthy, and virile, American sacrifices to give to the beast and maybe that would please Momowango enough to anoint the Count with the powers he lusted after. It had happened before.

  He may not defeat the Professor this time, but there would be another time when he would show the fat fop that he was the better wizard. If he could get up, he could offer the Americans to Momowango.

  “NOW, JOHN!” Teresa shouted.

  John hesitated about what to do next and if he should do it, but then she saw Teresa charge with lightning speed toward her ancient and defeated husband. He may have been wounded, but he was still very dangerous.

  His eyes were blazing blood red, and he hissed, “Your treacherous witch! I took you in as a lowly peasant girl, and this is how you repay me by betraying me? You will all become my sacrifice to Momowango.”

  As he wrestled with Teresa, he was whispering in Latin and inching her closer to the pit.

  John jumped down as the Count was about to push his wife into the pit. The Count screamed all the way down.

  As he was falling, Teresa stood on the edge transfixed and repeated his words in Latin. His magical essence fired back upward like a geyser. After she stopped whispering, she wrapped her arms around John and kissed him hard on the lips.

  “Can you feel it?” She asked. “Can you feel the surge of power?” Teresa closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let the golden, ephemeral glow wrap around them. John, hesitant at first, did the same. He could feel the surge of the power enveloping him. It was euphoric and like a powerful narcotic; he wanted more.

  “Yes, and it feels wonderful,” John said.

  “And I have so much to teach you over a very long time,” she smiled and embraced him. “Let’s get out of here.”

  “What about the portal, to hold court with Momowango?”

  Teresa shook her head and said, “We are not ready for that yet. It was mostly my husband’s doing. He wanted to be a big shot. We’re outta here.” She wrapped her arms around John and they took to the sky as though she was Superman.

  *

  The Professor shook his head and whispered to himself, “I did not see that coming.” Then he continued performing the ritual.

  He held out his arms to the sky and his ring was glowing, while he recited the incantation. A swirling portal, the size of an average home doorway, appeared over the crater. The Professor cheered and then returned to performing the ritual. It was not over yet.

  “Dr. DuBois, please come here.”

  Sallie did as her boss asked. He took her by the hand as she stepped down and then held her wrist tightly.

  “Professor, what are you doing? You’re hurting me.”

  The Professor ignored her and continued with the ritual.

  Sallie understood and said, “Wait, I cannot be a sacrifice. I am not a virgin and I haven’t been since I was fourteen.”

  The Professor laughed and said, “That doesn’t matter. It never has. Only the health and strength of the sacrifice are important.”

  The Professor continued with the ritual. Heavy blue smoke arose from the pit and the smell of sulfur was acrid to their noses. A blue demon, who was twice the size of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, emerged from the hole. Below in the pit, they heard screaming and screeching. Many flames emanated from the hole, but the flames were cold, not hot.

  As the demon Momowango arose, the Professor spoke louder holding Sallie’s wrist so tightly that it felt like he was breaking it.

  Steven ran down toward the pit and dove elbow first into the back of the Professor. The Professor screamed in surprise and fell. Steven saw the large, blue demon and Momowango saw him. Steven stood stunned for a moment, and only a moment. He pulled Sallie out of the pit and away from the demon demanding its sacrifice.

  “Are you okay?” Steven asked Sallie, who was rubbing her purple wrist.

  “Are you kidding? Since I’ve met you guys, I have been nearly killed by wizards, eaten by animatronic dinosaurs, and sacrificed to a minor demon by my boss.”

  “Welcome to the wonderful world of Dan Carter,” Steven said. “Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Steven took her by the hand and he led her out the front door where John and Teresa floated down.

  “Wait here,” John said.

  “No,” Sallie said. “We have to go back. We have to close the portal. I know how. I memorized the rite, but I need your help, Contessa.”

  “But the Professor has…”

  Steven shook his head. “No, the Professor lost the ring. We think Dan has it.”

  Teresa gasped.

  *

  As the Professor plummeted into the pit, the orb slipped off its ring, and the mighty wizard crawled to get it. Dan jumped down into the pit into the pit after him, landing on the Professor’s hand, breaking it instantly.

  Dan dove and swallowed the magic rock mid-air. He fell on the edge of the pit. His hands were around his own throat, trying not to choke on the green rock. He then took his fists and slammed them into his abdomen as hard as he could. It took three tries before the marble flew out of his mouth and then back down his esophagus and into his stomach.

  The Professor grabbed Dan by the ankle with his useful hand. It was painful and it was cutting off the circulation.

  “Cough it up, you sonofabitch!”

  The Professor held onto Dan’s leg, pulling Dan toward him.

  Dan struggled to get out, but the Professor was stronger than Dan imagined.

  Maybe he has some performance-enhancing magic. We should test him for that. He would be disqualified from professional mag
ical sports.

  “I will rip that stone from your stomach, you thieving lunatic!”

  “What happened to politeness and decorum, asshole?” Dan asked.

  The Professor roared and pulled Dan closer. Dan clawed at the pulled up tiles of the floor, but the Professor’s grip was too strong. Dan saw Momowango rising behind the Professor.

  “We have to help Dan,” Steven shouted to John. John nodded and they both ran toward the pit.

  Teresa called out, “No, wait!” However, John had taken off to help his friend.

  Steven and John jumped down onto the ledge, kicking and punching the Professor until he let go of Dan with one hand.

  With his friends’ distraction, Dan kicked at the Professor’s face, each time harder than the last. The first kick broke his nose. The second kick cut the Professor’s face. The third kick blinded him. He shrieked as blood poured out of his eye socket and he finally let go of Dan.

  Steven rolled the Professor off the top ledge and then pushed him into the pit. The Professor screamed as he fell. The doctors climbed out of the hole.

  Dan raced to get up, but slipped on the ledge and nearly fell into the pit. He held onto the ledge and pulled himself out of the hole. From the ledge, he tried to climb out of the pit, but the demon grabbed his leg this time.

  The demon pulled.

  John and Steven grabbed onto Dan’s wrists and pulled. John said to Teresa, “A little help here.”

  Both Sallie and Teresa helped their respective partners pull.

  The demon pulled a little harder. Momowango dug a sharp fingernail into Dan’s calf. Dan screamed and pulled away from his friends.

  Steven shouted, “Dan, what the hell are you…?”

  Then they saw Dan’s eyes blazing green and a green glow encapsulated Dan.

  Dan faced the demon. He opened his mouth and blew out a smoke ring that repelled the demon. The demon fell and let go. Dan pulled himself out of the pit.

  “We need to close the pit!” Teresa screamed. “Everyone grab hands. I need all of you to focus and imagine the beast falling and the portal closing.”

  The angered demon fell into the pit when the rift closed. They sealed the beast inside the cavity. The hole was still there and would mean a lot of confusion for the morning shift to clean up, but that was not their problem.

  *

  They walked out of the museum, got into the Contessa’s limousine Hummer, and headed back to her castle. In the back, Steven and Sallie were making out, and John and Teresa were happily holding each other. Dan felt nauseous after ingesting the highly valuable magical emerald, which he had stolen twice in three days.

  “You okay, Dan?” John asked.

  “Huh? Yeah, just thinking.” His eyes were still glowing green.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Exhausted. This trip has been more tiring than our medical school schedules.”

  They chuckled, except Dan, whose stomach was performing a gymnastic routine.

  *

  They went inside the Vincenzo castle. Refreshments were waiting for them. They were exhausted. They ate and drank little. The Contessa’s staff escorted Steven and Sallie to a separate bedroom.

  John carried Teresa to the master bedroom.

  “Is Dan going to be okay?” John whispered to Teresa.

  She nodded, “He will be fine. He is now part of our bigger journey. We will see him occasionally over the years, but never for long. The players in this game are mostly old and worn out. The game needs new blood like you and your friends to keep it going. Let him go.”

  “And Steven?”

  Teresa nodded. “And him and Sallie too.”

  John nodded. In the master bedroom, a green smoothie-like drink waited on the nightstand for John.

  “What is that for?” John asked.

  “For you, my handsome boy.”

  “Why? Will it make me immortal? Will it give me magical powers? Will it kill me?”

  Teresa laughed, “No, darling. It will give you energy and a strong erection. I want you to give me an orgasm this evening to celebrate my new widowhood.” She chuckled.

  John smiled. She was hardly the grieving widow. John felt no remorse since the Count had planned and attempted to kill him and his friends. He took the glass and drank it down in practically one gulp. He winced because it tasted awful.

  “Are you okay, my love?” Teresa asked.

  John nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m fine. The recipe could use some sugar and mint if possible.”

  Teresa chuckled and turned on the shower and disrobed. “Let’s make some magic.”

  Epilogue

  The next morning, three of the four doctors were escorted back at the hotel by the Contessa’s staff. John chose to stay with Teresa. Dan felt as if he had not been back in his overly expensive room in over a week when in reality it had been only three days. Dan planned to sleep late and charge his phone again.

  Steven and Sallie crashed into Steven’s bed, holding each other as they slept. They deserved the rest. Steven came out as the hero who had saved Sallie from the Professor’s nefarious plan to sacrifice her to a god for more power. Thankfully, neither the so-called ‘god’ nor the Professor got what they wanted, because Steven saved the girl. How much more romantic could you get than that?

  Steven did not know what he would do now, but whatever it was, Dr. Dubois was most likely going to be a part of his life. Sallie mentioned that they could go back to Marseilles, where she had grown up. It was always a possibility. Their plans depended upon on how well they spent the next few weeks together. Maybe this relationship was meant to last or perhaps they were attracted to each other because of the intense and unarguably messed up situation they had just survived. Perhaps the relationship would fizzle out like a fireworks display.

  Dan watched the sun coming up over the Mediterranean horizon, and it was as if he had never seen a sunrise before. He was not sure what do now. He was not sure he could go on the same as he had after what he had witnessed over the past week. He did not believe in magic when he landed in Italy, and after what he had seen, he did not know what to think.

  He had never killed anybody before arriving in Italy, but a week later, he had killed not one, but two men, and he was not sure how he felt about that. He guessed he was supposed to feel horrible, but he felt great when he killed Tex, whom he felt deserved to die and the Professor, well, he was trying to be an evil wizard in this world. He was not sure he could go back to Miami and be a plastic surgeon. Then again, maybe he could.

  Perhaps this was his moment of growing up. He was not in a funny mood and had not been since the whole thing went down. He still had the two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand euros in a bag in his penthouse bedroom. The orb, now part of Dan, was talking to him the way it had since the first night he had it. He understood why the Professor and the Count were willing to go to war and leave a trail of human carnage for the orb, and he now understood Gollum from The Lord of the Rings on a far deeper meaning than it had before. He stole a book from the Count, and one from the Professor.

  “You guys can have the penthouse for a while,” Dan told Steven and Sallie, who were heading to the patio. Dan had his bags packed and heading for the front door.

  “Oh?” Steven asked.

  “Yeah, I’m going away for the next few weeks.”

  “A vacation from your vacation?”

  “Something like that.”

  “I can’t say I blame you.”

  “Where are you going?” Sallie asked.

  “Bonn, to find that Balik Malistane guy the Contessa mentioned while we were meditating. She gave me contact information. The Contessa said I needed to find a qualified teacher soon, otherwise my magically-delicious midnight snack will eventually kill me. Teresa flat out refused to train me. It might be because she already has an apprentice and cannot have more than one or it might be because I clogged almost every toilet on the second floor this morning.”

  “Tough call,” Steven said
shaking his head.

  “Maybe this Balik guy needs an apprentice,” Dan tapped the bag of money.

  “Think you will need it?”

  “Probably. Education is expensive.”

  “I hear that,” Steven and Sallie said in stereo and then giggled.

  Dan rolled his eyes.

  “Good luck to you, man,” Steven said. They shook hands and hugged.

  Dan hugged Sallie too. Dan lingered too long and rubbed his hand up and down her back. She pulled away and slapped him.

  “Okay, I had better get going. I heard Bonn is lovely this time of year.”

  Dan put on his sunglasses and left the building.