The jeep turned onto another road where a smashed sign lay on the right-hand side. It was crimson with a black border and white lettering which read ‘Fra…ingham State University.’
Moments later, they approached a massive metal wall that had been built from scavenged debris and discarded metal panels. A huge iron gate stood at the end of the road. Behind it, Jagger could see intact buildings and large trucks lining the side of the street. He was home.
The jeep pulled up to the gate and stopped. As Jagger pressed on the horn, he noticed Raiya turn to the side and pull on one side of her hood. Her chin disappeared behind the dark cloth.
Is she really that worried? Maybe bringing her here wasn’t a good idea.
His thoughts were interrupted a voice from the other side of the wall, “What do you want? Identify yourself or you will be fired on!”
“Lieutenant Jagger Bishop, reporting back from patrol. Let me in, asshole!”
“Sorry sir.” The voice replied. “You know the rules.”
“How could I not? It’s the same damn thing every single day; I go out, do my job, come back, you yell out ‘identify yourself,’ and then finally let me in.”
“And you’re always surprised when I do it. You should expect it by now. Hold on a sec.”
Jagger looked over at Raiya as he let out a deep sigh, “Sorry, this should only take a few minutes.”
Sure enough, the gate opened and a stout man with a scruffy beard came out carrying a bolt gun. The man pointed his weapon at the jeep as he looked Jagger over, “How was your patrol, Lieutenant?”
“Fine, mixed it up with a couple of wyverns. Nothing out of the ordinary. How was guard duty, John?”
John kept his gun trained on the jeep with an annoyed expression, “It’s sergeant to you, buddy! Oh, you know… peaceful and quiet. Nothing fun… or profitable.”
“I hear that…”
“Who’s this?” John asked, beckoning towards Raiya.
“A civilian. I found her out wandering in the old Natick area.”
“A nomad, you mean.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Nomads don’t think like us civilized folk.”
Jagger rolled his eyes, “John, she saved my life out there. I got ambushed by a wyvern.”
“You let yourself get jumped?”
“I know… first time for everything… Anyway, she killed it before it got too close.”
“That a fact, huh?”
“Yeah… look, she’s just looking for something to eat. I owe her that much. She won’t be any trouble.”
John eyed the girl suspiciously, “Why are you hiding your face, you sick or something?”
“The sun hurts my skin…” Raiya replied.
John’s eyes narrowed as he looked at her and then glanced at Jagger, “All right… Well Jagger, your word is good enough for me. I’ll let her in, but you’re responsible for her. I’ll notify command. If she puts so much as a toe out of line… you know…”
“I get it.” Jagger said in an annoyed tone. “It’ll be my ass that they throw out. Understood.”
John stepped away from the jeep, “All right, –Let them pass!”
The gates opened wide enough for Jagger’s jeep to pass through. It moved forward as Jagger tapped on the gas, “There see? No big deal.”
Raiya turned and looked at Jagger from beneath her hood, “Thanks…”
“No worries. Just don’t cause any trouble. These people tend to be jumpy around strangers.”
“Yeah… I know…”
“Oh?”
Raiya turned and looked forward as the jeep passed through the gates, “Let’s just say this isn’t the first time I’ve tried to get into a city. People aren’t very accommodating.”
Jagger nodded, “Well… you can’t really blame them. Dragons aren’t the only thing out there that’s a threat.”
“Sure…” Raiya replied as she rubbed her arm.
Jagger looked down and noticed a rather large scar on the small part of her wrist that had been exposed, “Where did you get that?”
Raiya flinched and immediately hid her gloved hand under her robe, “Human raiders.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“So, you tussled with dragon, but it’s humans that actually managed to hurt you.”
“Yup.”
“That’s kind of sickeningly ironic…”
Raiya turned away, “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Okay.”
Jagger sat back as the jeep passed by several massive trucks at the entrance. They were a dark green color with numbers and military insignia.
Raiya eyed them suspiciously as they passed by, “I’ve never seen trucks that huge before… at least not intact.”
“Well these are…”
A loud siren cut through the air and pierced Jagger’s ears. People immediately came running out to the trucks. A small group of men in uniform split up and got behind the wheels. Loud roars emanated from the engines of each one as they were started and moved into position near the gate.
“What’s this about?” Raiya asked.
“It’s what I was about to say. Those trucks are for evacuation. What you’re seeing is a weekly procedural drill the local militia does in case of a dragon attack.”
“You have an evacuation procedure? Smart…”
“Yeah well, when Hartford fell, most people couldn’t get out of the city quick enough. They were roasted alive within the city limits by dragon fire. Since then, procedures have been put in place to prevent a repeat. Now most settlements have escape vehicles and procedures for civilians to follow.”
………………….
The jeep picked up speed as it passed through the military encampment, into the civilian areas. The militaristic area acted as a second wall to the city. It sat behind the makeshift ramparts and surrounded the town. Only a barbed, chain-link fence stood between the two areas.
Raiya gasped as they entered town. She hadn’t seen anything like it since she was a child, “This is…”
The jeep passed by intact buildings with windows that hadn’t been blown out. There were no burn marks or melted debris. Trees with actual green leaves were flourishing next to sidewalks, whose pavement had not been smashed. It was as though she had traveled back in time to before the Red War, “This… how is this possible?”
A prideful smile stretched across Jagger’s face, “Impressed?”
“Yes…”
“We’re one of only a handful of cities in the Western Coalition that haven’t been successfully pillaged by the dragons. We were able to set up laser citadels before they got here. Since then, we’ve successfully beaten off any dragon attack.”
“So all this… it’s original? The dragons never got this far?”
“Nope, these buildings have never been attacked.”
Jagger turned the wheel, pulling the jeep into the parking lot of a nearby building. It was a two-story brick building with a large window out front. The window had been painted with red lettering spelling the name ‘Jerry’s.’ He put the car in park and turned to Raiya, “This is the best place around to get some food.”
Raiya nodded, “Thanks…”
She got out of the car without another word and headed for the entrance. Her gloved hand reached for door, only to be blocked by someone else’s. She looked up to see Jagger pulled the door open, “I haven’t eaten today either, can I join you?”
“If you must.”
“Probably not a bad idea… I am responsible for you after all.”
“Don’t remind me…”
Inside was a small bar on the left with at least four people propped up on stools. The bar was clearly not part of the original room, given how out of place it looked against the tanned wall. Several small chips of dark wood were missing from the surface. Raiya figured they’d salvaged it from an actual restaurant outside the city.
Two of the patrons at the bar were hunched over a
plate of food, the others stared blankly at a mug of brownish liquid. Their clothes were torn and covered in soot. The stench of stale booze rose from their seats.
The casualties of war… She thought as she watched them. The people left behind by those that have died, forced to endure a life of misery and loneliness. I know that look all too well.
The sound of juvenile laughter interrupted her thoughts, “What the…”
The sound had come from the next room over. A makeshift wall had been constructed of old pieces of wood and brick that separated the restaurant from the bar. It wasn’t a perfect seal. Small slits of light escaped right where the wall and ceiling met.
Raiya moved to the small opening in the wall that acted as the doorway to the actual restaurant. Five small wooden tables with at least two chairs apiece took up most of the floor. There were also five booths lining two of the walls, giving the place a cluttered feel.
A family of five with three young children sat at one of the booths in the opposite corner. The children were standing up in their seats, looking around while the parents tried to get them to sit and enjoy their meals. Everyone had a smile on their face. It was a completely stark contrast to the next room over.
Raiya didn’t know how to handle this. A bunch of passed-out drunks at a bar was one thing. She was used to seeing this, even on the frontier. This was something different. She froze in place, not entirely sure what to make of it or how to react.
Raiya stood in place, staring at them for a few moments. Jagger stepped in next to her and followed her gaze, “Something wrong?”
“No.” Raiya replied.
“You sure?”
“Yes, it’s just… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen children playing like that.”
“That so?”
“Out on the frontier, they’re usually huddled in fear in some dark house. Usually they’re missing a parent… if they have any at all.”
“Must be hard.”
“It is.”
“I know that family, their name’s Foster. Would you like the meet them?”
“No.”
“You sure?”
“I am, what good could come of it?”
Jagger looked like he still had something on his mind. She braced herself, waiting to hear whatever the question may be when a voice appeared behind them, “Hey Jagger, hungry?”
The uneasy look disappeared. He smiled and turned to see an older lady with blonde hair smiling at him from behind. The portly woman had a clean white apron on with a notepad in the front pocket. He nodded as he spoke, “I’m starving.”
“You going to be able to pay for it this time, right?”
“Really, Mariam?” Jagger replied. “You’re still sore over that one time I asked for a tab? I paid you within a week. Come on, give a guy a break. Times have been tough.”
“They’re tough all over, sweetie. Jerry doesn’t like loans or debts. He certainly gave me an earful the last time I gave you a tab.”
“Don’t I know that?” Jagger replied as he looked at Raiya. “Don’t worry, Jerry will have nothing to complain about this time. Lucky for me, I’ve brought in enough of a haul to pay not only for my meal, but my friend’s here as well.”
“A new friend for you Jagger?”
“Yeah I met her outside the town. She helped me kill some wyverns.”
“I see.”
Mariam looked at Raiya with suspicious eyes, but spoke with a kind voice, “You always this talkative, sweetie?”
“Do you always call everyone sweetie?” Raiya replied dryly.
“Every chance I get.” She replied with a chuckle. “Take a seat anywhere you want. I’ll be by with some water for you.”
“Any chance of getting a beer?” Jagger asked.
“Sorry, this week’s supply run didn’t have any.”
“Two weeks in a row…”
Mariam reached out and rubbed Jagger’s arm, “It’ll come at some point, just be patient. I’ll put some aside for you when it comes in.”
“Right…”
Mariam smiled, “We do have some of Jerry’s blood booze if you’re interested?”
“No way! I don’t know what’s in that stuff and frankly, I couldn’t see straight for days last time!”
Mariam laughed, “All right then. Have a seat.”
Jagger followed Raiya to the nearest booth. She abruptly dropped into the seat opposite him, “I’m not letting you pay for my meal.”
“How are you going to pay for it then?”
“I have some wyvern’s teeth too.”
Jagger frowned, “Come on, I still owe you for saving my ass.”
Raiya looked at him for a moment. Her hood was strategically placed so that no one could see past her chin. The dark lighting of the restaurant didn’t help. The glow of her yellow eyes cut through the darkness, giving her an eerie appearance.
Mariam came over a few minutes later with a pair of menus and glasses of water, “All right you two, take your time.”
As she stepped away to bring a refill to the Fosters, Jagger looked over the menu, “What’s your pleasure?”
Raiya held the menu up in front of her face as she scanned the page, “Not in the mood for anything that came from a bird… I eat too much of that.”
Jagger frowned, “Yeah well… sadly beef is hard to come by these days.”
“What about the mutton?” Raiya asked, looking at the menu.
“Mutton… yeah one of the few things I haven’t tried yet.”
Jagger lowered his menu and leaned back. He watched Raiya for a few moments. She quickly blocked his gaze with her menu. He pretended not to notice as he spoke, “So Raiya, what’s the deal with you?”
Raiya lowered her menu, “Excuse me?”
“How long have you been on your own?”
Raiya slowly placed the menu on the table. Questions about her past were an annoying subject that she saw no value in. She sighed, deciding to indulge him for the time being, “You really want to hear this?”
“Yeah.”
Raiya twisted her lips, “Since my grandparents were killed in an attack… eight years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“They were good people, but I got the feeling that they looked at me as a bit of a burden…”
“So how did you survive?”
Raiya fidgeted her fingers as she spoke, “At first I just scavenged for whatever I could find. Then a group of nomads took me in. They taught me how to fight, how to stop a dragon, how to survive…!”
“Sounds like a tough life.”
“It was mine to live.”
“Sorry.”
“What for?”
Jagger looked at her for a moment. It looked like he was trying to carefully word his answer, “That you had it so rough.”
“It was my life. I’ve live it well. I neither want nor need sympathy.”
“Fair enough.” Jagger replied as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “My family died years ago too. We lived in Foxboro and were there when the dragons hit. I got separated from them and placed on a different transport… I never saw them again.”
“Couldn’t they still be alive?”
Jagger smiled, “After all this time? You’d think I would’ve found them by now. No, likely they were in one of the transports that the dragons took out. We made it all the way here and… well as soon as I was old enough to shoulder a weapon, I joined the Western Coalition and became a scout.”
“So, you’ve had one too…”
Raiya didn’t get a chance to complete her sentence as her hood was pulled back.
“Boo!” Apparently, the Foster’s youngest girl had snuck over, hid in the booth behind Raiya, and grabbed her hood.
Raiya yelped as the light revealed her face. She tried to cover it with her arms, but it was too late. The incident had drawn the attention of everyone in the room. Her arms simply didn’t hide enough and she had no time to grab her hood.
………………�
��.
Jagger’s eyes widened at what he saw. Raiya’s face and hair were exactly the colors he thought he’d seen out of the corner of his eye. Her skin was a flesh tone, but it had a green hue to it while her hair was dark olive in color. Her hair had been done up in a bun with only a small section of bangs coming down to her left cheek.
Her eyes were shaped like those of a human, but the pupil looked more like that of a cat… or a dragon. The outermost part of her iris was a dark green that faded into yellow around the pupil. They were bright and definitely glowing.
Her ears were noticeably prominent. The hood had kept them pressed against her head, but now they stood out completely. They were sharp and slanted so that they pointed outwards to either side. They were notched near the tip, almost giving the illusion of two separate lobes. The rear ones were longer and slightly curled upwards.
The most striking thing about Raiya was her face. Reptilian scales covered her forehead, and ran down the bridge of her nose to its fairly pointed tip. They also ran the length of her forehead and down her temples, where they disappeared behind her ears, only to reappear on the sides of her neck. A small row also ran under her neck to her chin. Her cheeks, thin nostrils, eye sockets, cheek and jaw bones were the only areas that actually looked human.
If her human features were to be trusted, she couldn’t have been more than eighteen or nineteen years old. Though almost alien in her appearance, she was strikingly pretty.
Jagger sat back, not knowing what to make of this. His jaw hung open as his eyes studied her appearance, “Wh… what are you?”
Raiya looked at him with sad eyes, “I…”
“Aiiiiyyyeeeee!” Screamed the little girl. “Mommy, Daddy, a monster!”
Mr. Foster got up and walked over to the table, “Miranda, that is not nice! –I’m really sorry miss, my daughter is…”
Then he saw Raiya’s face, “What the hell? –Jagger, who is this? Did you bring someone into this town with Dragon’s Bane?”
Jagger’s eyes darted between her and Mr. Foster, “She… saved my life when I was on patrol. She said she was hungry, so I brought her here.”
“To infect us all with Dragon’s Bane?” Mr. Foster demanded.
“Does that look like any form of Dragon’s Bane you’ve ever seen?”
“Then what is she?”
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 3