Jagger unhooked the bolt pistol holster from his belt and offered it to Raiya, “Here, you may need this.”
She took the gun and slowly inspected it. Jagger turned and glanced at her momentarily, “You know how to handle that?”
“It’s been a while, most of the pistols I get to see are broken and usually won’t fire. I haven’t held a functional one in a long time. Still… I think I did all right with your rifle.”
“True, but pistols are a bit different.”
“I know. I can handle it.”
For the most part, the pistol looked like the Springfield that Jagger had on his other hip. No doubt it had been modeled to look that way. However, the sides bulged out more with an indicator bar built in just above the grips. There was no ejector and no hammer either.
“What do you think?” Jagger asked. “I customized that myself.”
Raiya placed it on the console next to her, “I think it’s a little barrel-heavy. Hard to aim…”
Jagger looked hurt as he continued driving. Raiya saw it and forced a partial grin, “But it should do the trick. I doubt I’ll use it much anyway.”
“Well it’s better to have it and not need it, you know?”
“If you say so. Where are we going anyway… partner?” Raiya asked with a grimace.
Jagger smirked as he glanced down at her bare legs, “Well first we need to find you some clothes. It’s too hot for you to keep wearing that jacket… and frankly you’re a little… exposed.”
Raiya looked down to see the jacket opening low on her chest, as well as riding up on her legs. She quickly closed it and pulled the ends down as far as they could go, “What, don’t like what you see?”
“I didn’t say that… it’s just…”
“Maybe you should just keep quiet for now. You talk way too much. Keep it up and I may just feed you to the Dragon Lord as bait.”
The look on Jagger’s face told her that he wasn’t certain if she was serious, “Okay fine, I’ll keep it to a minimum.”
The sound of a low grow, mimicking that of a lion made Jagger stiffen up, “Sorry.”
Raiya sat back, “But yeah… I do need some clothes. Any ideas?”
“As a matter of fact, yeah.” Jagger replied. “The old Natick Mall is up the street here. It’s been pillaged, but if we’re going to find anything for you, that’ll be the place.”
“How long ago was it attacked?”
Jagger shrugged, “It was abandoned six or seven years ago. I don’t know when it was actually attacked.”
“And you think we’ll find anything wearable there?”
“Worth a look.”
Raiya sighed as she thought about the moldy, bug-ridden cloth they’d likely find. It wasn’t ideal, but what other choice was there? “Fine… let’s go.”
Another ten minutes up the road, Jagger turned the jeep into a building that was surprisingly still standing. It had several large blast holes and appeared to have been the scene of a battle.
“Here?” Raiya asked.
“Yup.”
“Is this wise?”
Jagger looked at her oddly, “What do you mean?”
“City boys…” Raiya said softly. “You’ve got a lot to learn about living outside the cities. Places like this are best avoided. Usually raider clans or… or worse hide out here. Going in could be suicide.”
Jagger frowned, “I’ve driven by here several times and never seen anyone. Besides, we’re going in there armed.”
Raiya looked at the building as an ominous feeling came over her, “I don’t like this…”
“Either this or you’re going to have to get used to walking around with no clothes.”
“What about those stores?” Raiya asked, pointing to the collapsed strip malls on the opposite side of the road.
“They were completely pillaged long ago. The people of New Framingham conducted trips out this way. They took everything that wasn’t already destroyed.”
“Then how do you know there’s anything left in the mall?”
“I don’t, but it’s the one place we never went.”
“Why?”
Jagger pointed at the roof of the old mall, “Look at the place. It’s one thing to raid a small store, but something that huge is a different story.”
“All right… I still think this is a bad idea.”
For the most part, the building was either a solid brick or concrete gray. Raiya squinted in the dark to try to make out the writing on the side of the buildings, “I’ve been curious… what’s Crate and Barrel? Was that like a place that had storage supplies?”
Jagger chuckled, “You’d think so. It had some storage stuff, but it was more of a store that sold décor, furnishings, and kitchen supplies. It was pretty good from what I was told.”
A second later, they passed by another part of the building that was suspiciously shaped compared to the previous ones. Through the burns, this one appeared to be painted yellow and red, “Jagger… what’s a cheesecake?”
“It’s a type of pie. A desert that’s supposedly very thick and very sweet. I’ve never had one though.”
“And they needed a whole factory to make them?” Raiya asked suspiciously.
Jagger burst out laughing, “Hahahaha, no!”
She frowned and flashed him an irritated look, “What’s so funny?”
“You’re just kind of cute with questions like that.”
“Excuse me… cute?”
“Yeah, what?”
“Cute is what you call a small child or a baby. I’m neither!”
“Maybe not, but your curiosity…”
Raiya made stabbing gestures with her fingers, “Just shut up and answer the damn question.”
“All right… no, it’s not an actual factory per se. It was a restaurant and a pretty good one from what I was told. Apparently, they were well-known for their cheesecakes, so that’s where the name came from.”
“All right…”
Jagger pulled the jeep into the bottom floor of the garage and parked it against the interior wall. Raiya smirked, “What, you afraid your precious jeep is going to get rained on?”
“Or get stolen… or seen by a dragon.”
“Good point.”
Jagger turned the car off and locked it. The bolt gun was in the back waiting for him. He quickly switched out the cartridges and picked it up.
Raiya pulled her pistol out of its holster and reached inside the jacket instinctively looking for her blade, “Fuck!”
“What?”
“My dagger…”
“Did you leave it in the apartment?”
“No… I had it when I confronted the dragon lord.” Raiya insisted.
“It must have been destroyed when you got hit with the blast.”
“Maybe…”
“I still have no idea how you survived that, but I seriously doubt anything you had on you would have survived.”
Raiya buttoned the jacket together and raised her pistol, “Maybe we can find a blade while we’re in there?”
“We can look.”
They slowly approached the entrance on the far side of the Cheesecake Factory. Bits of paper that were burned on all side, and shards metal littered the ground in front of the entrance. Jagger kicked in the remains of the glass door that had once been there. The metal frame immediately collapsed and a few shards of glass shattered across the floor.
Raiya stepped in front of him with the pistol at her side and proceeded into the darkness. Her vision was near perfect and despite being in complete darkness, she could usually find her way. This was different than what she was used to, however. She wasn’t outside or in an area where even a little light shine through.
“There’s a flashlight on that pistol.” Jagger said, pointing to the red button under the barrel.
He then activated the large one on his rifle and shined it through the door. The hallway lit up as the two lights came on. A smashed escalator appeared at the end of the hallwa
y that had clearly been knocked down during a dragon attack.
Raiya quickly pressed the red button. A beam of white light shot through the darkness from the barrel of her gun. It wasn’t much, but at least she could see where she was going.
She quickly walked to the end of the hallway. It opened up into a massive atrium with an upper and lower floor. Abandoned stores lined the walls on either side.
Raiya looked at the hallway opposite her. There was also the pathway to the right which led down the atrium. “Where do we go?”
Jagger pointed with his rifle, “Take a left. There should be more stores down that way.”
“All right…”
Raiya quickly turned the corner and looked down yet another dark hallway. She flashed the light over some smashed wooden stalls and a collapsed crosswalk from the upper level. “This place looks like it must have been something in its prime.”
“Yeah, kind of wish I’d seen it. Who knows, maybe they’ll rebuild it after the war.”
“You still think there’s a chance you’ll win?”
“You don’t?”
Raiya shrugged, “Like I said, I just want that dragon lord’s head. Whatever happens after that is not my concern.”
She looked at the first outlet on the right. The doors were left standing open and broken mannequins were strewn about on the floor. Various pieces of clothing covered the inside. Most were badly stained, ripped, and completely unwearable. None of it was still hanging up at all.
Raiya picked up the first shirt she saw. It was full of massive holes. She held it up in front of her face and watched as the tears got bigger. The weight of the wet areas was too much for the worn-out fabric to hold. It smelled of mold and had several bugs and black spots on it, “Um… I think this was a clothing store, but I don’t think…”
The sound of debris falling nearby made her flinch. She turned around and pointed her bolt pistol in that direction. Her yellow eyes scanned the darkness, “Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“Something moved…”
“Yeah so? It was likely a bird or a raccoon or something.”
Raiya took another step forward into the darkness. There was another sound off to the right. She turned in time to see a foot disappear into the darkness, “No… That’s no animal… someone’s here with us.”
She quickly looked back at Jagger, “These people are either nomads or canbans. Get behind me.”
Jagger stepped behind his friend and aimed his rifle into the darkness, “I’m familiar with nomads, but what are canbans?”
Raiya kept her eyes forward and gently shifted them to either side. If she was frightened, she wasn’t showing it, “I’m not surprised you haven’t heard of them… Very few people that encounter them get away. They’re nasty creatures.”
“Creatures?”
Raiya nodded, “Creatures… trust me. Nomads simply wander the lands attempting to build a home for themselves. Canbans… take what they want and destroy the rest. It doesn’t matter what it is; food, water, tech… if you have it, they’ll kill you and take it. What’s worse… some of them have become so desperate that they’ve gone feral and some have even resorted to cannibalism. Hence the name.”
“I can’t believe anyone would have lost that much of their humanity.”
“Believe it.” Raiya replied. “I’ve seen it myself. It’s not pretty.”
Another scampering sound echoed through the room. This time, both of them turned and looked back the way they came.
“You heard it too?” Raiya asked.
“Yeah… I think it might be time for us to go…”
“No… we can’t…” Raiya said in a low voice.
“Why not?”
“Because we’ve been seen… we’re being stalked.”
“What?”
Raiya slowly turned her gun in the direction where she was certain an ambush was waiting for them, “Behind the rubble… over there.”
Jagger shivered as though the temperature had just dropped several degrees, “Great…”
Raiya held her gaze on the rubble, “Don’t worry… it’ll be okay.”
There was another sound off to the left. Raiya’s ears perked up as her head turned, “Go… back to the entrance as fast as you can.”
“And leave you here?”
“I’ll be right behind you.”
“All right.”
“Now, move!”
Jagger took off running. He looked back to a few times as they neared the opening. Raiya was right on his heels, brandishing her gun behind her. They were a mere hundred feet away from the door. If they could at least get to the jeep, they would be safe.
Raiya could feel the breeze on her face. Come on… come on…
All hope was dashed when six people appeared in front of them. They were all wearing ragged clothing, some of them had attached metal plates to their outfits and most had some kind of scarring or tattoos. There was a sinister air about these people.
Raiya eyed them carefully. Could they be canbans? I’ve never heard of any this far north… still…
Jagger raised the rifle and rested his finger on the trigger. The sudden stop caused Raiya to collide with him, forcing his body forward and knocking him off balance. He dropped the rifle as he struggled to stay standing.
Raiya’s feet shuffled to stay level as Jagger quickly reached for the gun, but a long knife appeared in his path. Raiya looked up to see one of the odd-looking people glaring at them. Oh shit…
No matter which way they turned, there was no way out. Raiya and Jagger were surrounded. The man with the knife stepped forward and brandished his blade close to Jagger’s throat, “You have trespassed into our land.”
Raiya pointed her gun at the man, “Back off!”
The two stared at each other for a few moments. Neither appeared to be deterred by the other’s threats. It wasn’t until Jagger raised his hand that either of them moved, “Raiya, lower the pistol… please.”
Raiya looked at him for confirmation. He nodded, “It’ll be all right.”
Raiya hesitantly lowered the gun to her side, but did not drop it. She was not about to surrender her only defense, especially not with a knife at her friend’s throat.
“What do you want?” The man asked.
“We didn’t know this area had been claimed.” Jagger replied. “Sorry for the mix-up. Let us pass and we’ll leave you in peace.”
“Not gonna happen…” Raiya whispered.
“I’m afraid I can’t allow that.” The man replied. “If we simply let you leave, who’s to say you won’t come back with others? Who’s to say you won’t lure dragons here?”
“Told you…”
Jagger sighed, “All right, look, we’re just trying to find her some clothes. We got attacked by a dragon and thrown out of our city. We’ve got nothing and nowhere to go. What do you want from us?”
The man looked at one of his comrades and then back at Jagger, “A dragon attack? You mean the one in Framingham?”
“Yes.” Jagger replied.
“We saw him fly overhead. That was a dragon lord. How did you survive?”
Jagger shinned the light on Raiya. The people surrounding her took a step back in shock. The darkness had veiled most of her features, but now they could be seen clearly. She glared at Jagger angrily as he spoke, “She has some kind ability to resist dragon fire. We don’t know how, but when the dragon saw that he couldn’t harm her, he withdrew.”
One of the other men walked up to the leader and whispered in his ear. The leader turned to the side and nodded, “This confirms what we witnessed from outside the city. We were wondering why the dragon withdrew.”
“Well now you know.”
He watched them for a few moments, clearly trying to decide what he wanted to do with them, “Very well. You will come with us. Our elder will decide your fate.”
“Wonderful…” Jagger replied.
Chapter 6
Jagger and Rai
ya were escorted out of the mall to a small encampment up the road. A large brick building that looked like it had once housed offices stood in ruin. Several small tents and shanties stood around it with fires that were no bigger than embers. The ceiling had collapsed and there were no windows, but as Jagger looked at it, he noticed that it was perfectly defensible.
Jagger surveyed his surroundings looking for any possible means of escape. He would have to be quick and he would need Raiya to be ready, but there was no way to communicate that to her.
Raiya’s eyes also appeared to be scanning her surroundings. The look on her face told him that she wasn’t having any luck either. Anything flammable had long since been burned out, thus dragon fire would have little effect on the walls. The roof was collapsed in such a way that there was enough of it left to provide protection against an aerial attack. The windows were numerous, but most were narrow slits in the walls. Not wide enough to squeeze through.
The only entrance he’d seen was heavily guarded. It looked like he was stuck for the time being. Well great…
“This place is a fortress.” Jagger whispered.
Raiya nodded as she pointed to the burn marks on the brick “By the looks of it, the building has a history of dragon attacks.”
“We have endured here since the fall.” The leader replied as they approached a makeshift gate. “Wait here.”
Jagger stood with his arms crossed as the leader of the group disappeared inside. He let out an impatient sigh, “How long before they kill us?”
“No idea.”
“You haven’t dealt with these guys before?”
“Nope.”
At that moment, he noticed another two of their captors roll the jeep up next to the building. Oh fuck…
One of them, a younger man got out and looked at it from the front, “Nice ride!”
“I’ll be getting that back when we leave, just so you know.”
He took a threatening step towards Jagger, “If you leave.”
At first, it looked like he was going to try something. The man’s fists were balled at his side, ready to go. A sudden growl made him flinch. He turned to see Raiya glaring at him.
“Not worth it.” The man said as he turned away.
The leader came back out a few moments later and beckoned to Raiya specifically. “The elders would like to see you.”
Drakin: The Story of Raiya Page 7