A Warrior's Return

by Guy Stanton III

  Maybe she wasn’t an alien, but she was completely alien to anything I had ever seen before.

  She left the screen as Talaric spoke, “It’s good to see you too Zevin. Tell me, has there been any signs of the enemy?”

  His brother’s face darkened from its former happiness, “Yes, four days ago five aircraft came through the beacon array. I was able to take out four of them with the defenses that Ellanara helped me set up, but the fifth one escaped back through. I think it was more of a scouting mission than the main invasion.”

  “Talaric we have to get to the second beacon off the shores of the Shrine of Remembrance now! An entire fleet of craft could come out of it at any moment, if they left four days ago!” Ellanara said, who for the first time since I’d met her looked panicked, which made my insides tighten up in shared apprehension of what we could be facing.

  “Get us there as fast as you can Eleanor!” Talaric said firmly, sounding oddly un-panicked in comparison to Ellanara.

  It was almost as if he knew something we didn’t.

  Zevin spoke up from the screen, “God go with you! I’ve already sent the tannin. You should be able to pick them up on the way!”

  The screen reverted back to normal and Talaric’s brother was gone.

  Tannin?

  What was that?

  We were pressed back into our seats, as Eleanor pushed the throttle wide open. We were flying low in a direct route to the next beacon point. My hands were sweaty on the controls and I dried them off on my pants nervously.

  The water gave way to land and then Eleanor had to rise in elevation as we flew up and over the most majestic mountains I had ever seen.

  “Slow down Eleanor and pick up the tannins.” Ellanara said calmly.

  Eleanor sounded completely puzzled as she slowed the bar-Seth down, “What is a tannin and how am I supposed to pick it up?”

  “You’ll see.” Was all Ellanara said.

  I saw an array of green slower moving signatures on my screen. I looked to my outside view and my jaw dropped open.

  “Dragons!” Katy screeched.

  What, did we do land in Jurassic Park? First there was a woman that looked like she could eat up small children in the night and now this!

  “They’re not coming inside or I quit! Heck what’s the point of that, when we’ll all be dead!” Screamed Katie completely beside herself.

  “Calm down Katie I’m sure that neither of the strange occurrences since last I was here have a penchant for chewing up feisty little blondes, but you never know though. You wouldn’t take long to snack on anyway.” Talaric said in a good-humored tone.

  Katie gave him a dirty look and then faced forward again.

  “Lower the shield Katie.” Ellanara said.

  “What!” Responded Katie.

  “Now!” Echoed both Ellanara and Talaric.

  The shield dropped away and I watched, as the flying beasts of legend swung around with the ease of a barn swallow and landed stretched out all along either side of the main fuselage of the ship. I swiveled my camera view and watched as they latched onto the ship.

  “Reengage the shield Katie and back full force ahead Eleanor!” Ellanara said firmly.

  The shield shimmered into place as Eleanor asked, “Are they going to be able to hang on or breath at that speed?”

  “Step on it Eleanor!” Talaric said firmly and we launched forward with the tannins latched on.

  There had to be at least fifty of them in various ranging sizes. Two of which were absolutely huge.

  “It’s almost as if the ship was built to carry them in such a fashion!” Sparky said staring unbelievably at the screens at the truth before him.

  “That’s because it was. We call them tannin after their Biblical name, but you know them as dragons. They were Tadias’s favorite animal out of all the beasts God made.” Ellanara said.

  “I don’t know what they are, but they sure are tough blighters!” Eleanor said in awe.

  The land disappeared and we were over water again.

  “Get ready Titus!” Ellanara called out.

  “I was born ready!”

  Then suddenly just ahead of us a beacon beam shot down out of the heavens and into the water.

  “Now Titus!”

  Nothing happened.

  “It ain’t working Miss Ellie, it’s flashing red at me!”

  Ellanara looked up from her screen at Talaric, “I can’t fix it from here! I don’t know what we can do to stop the beacon from working without primary weapons!”

  “Can the ship’s shield block the connection?” Talaric asked.

  “No not its connectivity. It would pass right through the ship!”

  “What about the dome?” Talaric asked doggedly.

  Ellanara stared at him for several seconds, “Yes that could work!”

  “Hey guys I hate to butt in, but we don’t have shields now either.” Katie said.

  “What! Why?” Stormed out Talaric.

  “Whatever shorted out primary weapons drained the reserve power for the shield too.” Sparky said his face looking stark.

  I had been listening to them, but I had also been watching my screens. They were coming!

  One by one small craft popped out of the water ahead of us and I opened fire with what I had left and had the satisfaction of seeing one destroyed, but more and more of them were coming to the surface and we were without shields and most of our defenses.

  The dragons flew off the fuselage of the bar-Seth as Eleanor slowed down.

  “Eleanor!”

  “Yes Captain?”

  “Dive the ship as close as you can to the beacon array!”

  “Yes Sir!”

  “But without shields we’ll flood!” Katie said.

  “Yes I know Katie.” Was all Talaric responded with.

  Talaric spoke again, “Can you close the doors throughout the ship?”

  “Already done Sir!” Responded Levyon from the background.

  “Okay then get the generators ready to deploy Ellanara and try to extend the dome upwards as far as you can towards the surface. I think if I remember right the beacon is only around three hundred feet deep at this point in the ocean.” Talaric said.

  “Will do brother, rather smart thinking on your part I must say.” Ellanarra said.

  Talaric shrugged, “I have my moments.”

  Talaric heard Katie gasp and he wheeled to see what she had seen. One of the enemy craft was hovering only a short distance away.

  In the background fire could be seen interlacing across the sky all around the ship’s hull, as the very air was lit up by the flames of the tannin, who were landing on the enemy craft and ripping them apart with talon and fang.

  This enemy ship must’ve slipped through the rain of fire. It opened fire with its guns directly at the forward windows of the control room. There was a red flash across the windows.

  It was the largest of the tannin and Talaric heard Ellanara say, “Kregridor!” The heavy caliber rounds of the enemy craft smashed into the heavy back plate armor of the tannin and sheeted off it in a lead rain to either side. The force of the shots rippled the massive expanse of the tannin’s back, as if giving it a back massage.

  The firing stopped and the tannin turned its head around toward the enemy craft and Talaric saw a missile shoot off at point-blank range toward them. The tannin lunged off the ship’s side and somehow caught the missile midflight with the quick clasp of a taloned paw around the missile. It brought the missile up and bit off the smoke streaming end of it.

  The tannin spit the remains of the missile’s jet pack off to the side, before lobbing the remaining body of the missile at the enemy craft, which exploded into a fireball of flame as the missile hit it. Talaric blinked and looked around the room. Things had certainly changed while he was gone that was for sure!

  “Wow!” Was all Katie could muster and then as if speaking to her inner self she said, “I think I like dragons!”

  “They’re
tough blighters I’ll give you that! Hang on crew we’re going under!”

  The bar-Seth smacked into the waves hard without the benefit of a shield to soften the blow and immediately began to sink dictated by Eleanor’s downward thrust. Bubbles streamed out around the bar-Seth as water made its way into damaged sections of the ship.

  Everyone was still for the most part each reflecting on their own mortality, as they considered the likelihood of the watery grave that they would share with the bar-Seth. It had been a wild ride, while it had lasted.

  The bar-Seth with a crackling groan of crumpling metal alloy hit the bottom of the ocean and even more water started to pour into the ship including the control room, where it leaked in around the hatchway doors.

  “Generators are on their way and drilling into the core. It will take a little while.” Ellanara’s words came through the com completely garbled sounding, as water came up over the top of my seat.

  I fought my way clear of my station which was on the lowest level of the control room. A torrent of sea water was rushing down the stairs so hard that it knocked my legs out from under me. I fought back up to my feet sputtering for air and hacking up seawater.

  I felt myself lifted up bodily and I saw it was Titus. He dragged me along with him, as he waded up the stairs against the full force of the water rushing down at us. He snatched Katie up with his other hand, as she was being carried away by the fast moving current past us.

  Eventually Titus cleared it to the uppermost level, where the water was only a foot deep, but the control room was filling up fast!

  Talaric grabbed a hold of me and I leaned into him feeling completely drained of energy, as my teeth began to chatter from the cold of the water and the shock of our predicament.

  “What’s the holdup Ellanara?” Talaric asked impatiently.

  “It’s done I just need to get some extra power up before engaging the dome!” Ellanara said.

  The water was up to our knees now and I drew closer to Talaric. I didn’t want to die, not now when we had almost made it!

  “Engaging the dome!”

  We all turned to look out through the remaining sections still uncovered of the forward windows to see the dome slide up over both our ship and the bright particle beam of the beacon array that we were parked close to.

  The particle beam sheeted out over the dome as it desperately tried to find a way through to the beacon array, it flickered as its power fluctuated and then it disappeared altogether.

  “At least we have that accomplished. This world is safe for the time being.” Sparky said in the background.

  “Don’t count us out yet Sparky. Eleanor do you see what I gave you?” Ellanara asked.

  “You recharged the power supply with the generators and rerouted all of it over into the engines!” Eleanor responded excitedly.

  “Yes I’ve cut off the power leaks so it shouldn’t drain off on you. The dome is going to expand upward in a couple of seconds. It should reach close to a hundred feet from the surface of the ocean. Can you try to bring the ship up with the dome?” Ellanara asked uncertainly.

  “Yes I can!” Eleanor said resolutely.

  The bar-Seth groaned and creaked before sluggishly moving upward heavy laden with water, as the dome expanded narrowly upward toward the surface. The cold water was up to my waist now.

  It was at my chest, when the bar-Seth stopped and started shuddering.

  “That’s all I can get out of her! She’s gonna slip back under in less than a minute.” Eleanor said grimly.

  “That’s good enough anyway! I see an air pocket outside the glass! We’re at the top of the dome. Put that thing in auto pilot hover mode and let’s get out of here!” Talaric yelled out.

  “I would Sir, but that function wasn’t covered in basic training! Couldn’t tell you where the bloody button is for that!” Eleanor said grimly.

  “It’s this one here!” Said Levyon, as he pointed toward a yellow button.

  His imaging was fluctuating and his voice was somewhat garbled, but still understandable. Eleanor hit the button and jumped out of the chair and into the water.

  “Yikes! That’s cold!” She sputtered out.

  She turned back to Levyon, “Sorry about crashing the old girl! Best old crate I ever flew!”

  “It has served my master’s intended purpose and that is enough. I wish you all well.” He said simply before he flickered once more and went out.

  Talaric drew a pistol and I jumped slightly at the loudness of the percussion of the shots. The forward glass screens busted at the impact of the heavy caliber bullets and the slightly elevated seawater beyond the glass pushed through the broken windows with a mighty whoosh.

  “Swim for it!” Talaric called out as the water levels equalized with those outside the ship.

  We dove forward into the water as the bar-Seth began to sink slowly downward. It was hard to hold my breath let alone swim, because the water was so cold. I wasn’t even sure I was out of the ship or which way was up.

  A hand grabbed me by the foot and drug me upward in the opposite way I had thought the surface to be. More hands pulled me up and my head broke the surface of the bubble formed by the escaped air of the bar-Seth, which had already sunken back under.

  I looked around frantically for Rafael, but relaxed at the sight of him riding high on the shoulders of the man who had taught him how to whittle on the helicopter ride out of the desert.

  “Now what?” Katie chattered out.

  “Now we….” Talaric trailed off as he looked up suddenly at a darker shadow above the dim glow of the dome’s ceiling. Whatever it was sank completely through the dome with ease.

  “Wait for help.” Talaric finished, as we all stared at the massive green and purple dragon as its head rose out of the water massively over top of us.

  “How are you all fairing?” The beast spoke out loud, which was shocking and Eleanor in her typical brashness of character responded.

  “About as bloody well as one can expect sharing a blinking ice water bath with a monster such as yourself!”

  Now was not the time for your big mouth Eleanor, I screamed inside myself.

  The dragon just gave a belly shaking laugh that rippled the water around us.

  “Can you take us all through the shield Thora?” Ellanara asked uncertainly.

  Thora nodded and extended a massive forearm out to us and bent down slightly.

  “Climb on brave strangers and welcome to your new home. You are certainly deserving of it!”

  Like shivering, half drowned rats, we climbed up the scaled arm onto the heavy plated monster’s back. There was plenty to hold onto, but it was hard to hold onto anything because I was so cold.

  Talaric pressed over top of me and secured me to the dragons back, as Rafael was held down by the warrior, who had elected himself as Rafael’s caretaker. I reached my hand out to Rafael and we each held each other’s hand as the dragon, I took to be a female, craned her massive head around.

  “All on board? Good. Now hang on my dears!” She said before she swam through the dome wall that seemed to have no effect on her.

  We were enveloped completely in cold seawater again and I almost lost my breath and swallowed seawater, but I held onto it out of desperation. The pressure was greater to than before.

  I hadn’t realized how much the dome had shielded us from the outside pressures of the ocean depths. In panic I saw Rafael lose his air, but faster than a blink the warrior holding him opened his mouth overtop Rafael’s and shared his own air with Rafael.

  Dear God where did they make these kind of sacrificial amazing men?

  Apparently on this world was the clear answer. I wanted to be a part of raising men like that and fortunately I had just the man to do it with. We broke through to the surface and we all gasped for air like fish out of water.

  The massive wings to either side of us unfurled and beat vigorously pulling all of us into the air with the monster as it took flight.

&nbs
p; It was midday and the sun was bright. The breeze blowing over us was warm and I lay against the dragons back in complete relaxation, as I soaked the heat up.

  Roric moved to the side of Krista and they stared at each other smiling as they lay basking in the sun on the back of the tannin.

  “Was there enough excitement on this trip for you honey?” Roric asked smiling.

  Krista rolled her eyes and laughed, “Too much! Way too much! I don’t think I’m leaving home ever again!”

  Laughing Roric asked, “No more complaints about having to stay home and miss the action then?”

  “No! It’s the home life for me. As for complaints, I’ll never have a complaint, as long as I have you to lie beside me at night and walk beside me in the day!”

  Roric reached out and brushed a stray ringlet of red hair streaked with gray off of Krista’s face and leaned forward toward her, “You know me dear; I never disappoint my lady do I?”

  “Never!” Krista whispered back fiercely before their lips melted together in a kiss of shared passion and physical desire for each other.

  I had to smile and wipe away a tear, as I watched the emotional exchange of love between Talaric’s parents unfold.

  “I want that to be us Eva!”

  I flipped onto my back as my breath caught still in my lungs. I looked up with my heart in my eyes at Talaric, who had risen above me.

  He took my hand and looking into my eyes said, “Would you be willing to make me the happiest of men by becoming my wife? You are my greatest friend, my closest confidant, and the focus of my every desire. I don’t want to live one more day without your presence by my side or your hand in mine. Would you please share your heart with me and no one else’s for the rest of my life?”

  “Oh yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I thought you’d never ask!” I screamed out before I grabbed his head and kissed him with all my heart, as I experienced more joy flow through me than I had ever dreamed possible.

  Titus glanced away from the kissing couples and looked down at Katie lying beside him and grinned big, as he lifted one eyebrow suggestively.

  “Not a chance big man!” Katie said with a grin on her face, because she knew he was only teasing her.