by Darren Lewis
He's trying to merge dragon and human! Gabby called out, a wave of nausea passing through her.
So that's it. That's what he wants. A new voice commented in a measured tone. But Gabby realised it wasn't a new voice. She'd heard it the first time during her race to get-away from Jack. Jack collapsed to the ground, his strength spent. Gabby gave the army waiting not one hundred meters away a quick look, they still maintained their vigil in silence.
What do we do now? Gabby sent to Mary and Brooke. It's not as if we planned for this! Though neither responded Gabby could sense their confusion and inability to form a cogent response. Jack twitched and Gabby jumped back a step. She groaned with indecisiveness. With the barrier in place, the station was safe for the time being. She had hoped this might lead to more time for the evacuation as she continued a dialogue with the person on the ground before her, now she was completely at a loss as to how to proceed. One thing was clear however, Jack could never be allowed to enter the station whatever the cost.
Jack groaned and a transformed hand groped along his back. Gabby shook her head as she noticed ridges pushing against his riding clothes. A talon flicked out and sawed through part of the material, then with a huge shrug of his shoulders Jack came to his knees causing the clothing to tear and a haggard, deformed pair of wings to emerge from his spine. Gabby acted instinctively, while she watched in horror at the gruesome spectacle before her she stumbled sideways, out of the pavilion and towards the station.
Gabby! You have to calm down otherwise the shield will fall! Mary's desperate tone tore Gabby's gaze away from Jack. She eyed the shield only just erected and immediately saw several parts 'thinning,' in response to her panic.
I can't! I can't! She sobbed as more snapping of bones from Jack's direction made her flinch and hunch her shoulders. The shield wavered for a few seconds more as if somewhere a switch was repeatedly switched on and off in rapid succession, and then evaporated completely. A roar of triumph brought Gabby to her knees. Jack stood, or tried to stand. One leg was bent backwards from the knee, driving the foot toes first into the ground. The other was normal in all except size. The muscles in the thigh and calf were distended, bulging hideously against the leather of his riding trousers. As with his spine, Jack released a single talon and carved a line down the front of the leather, allowing the gross muscles to bulge outwards and blood to gush down his leg where his talon had shredded skin. All the sights and experiences the world had offered Gabby could in no way prepare for the visceral sight of a man transforming, or at least attempting to transform, into what resembled a dragon. Jack's magenta eyes wept blood from the pain induced by his body, but his mouth held a hideous grin.
“This is what I sought for all!” The voice was mangled by the elongated jaw and the blood rushing from broken vessels within Jack's face causing a deep throated gurgle. “You have the power I need within that building and I shall have it! Give it to me or I will drag every last one of your companions out here and nail them to the floor for my rider's and dragon's pleasure!”
So much for honour amongst dragon riders. The voice not belonging to Mary or Brooke remarked laconically, totally unfazed at the sight that stole Gabby's strength from her legs.
You've done your best, Gabby. But now it's our turn and regardless of what happens this day it will end one way or the other.
Gabby nodded numbly and felt some of the dread dissipate by the calm words of the stranger, spoken in her mind. Jack stumbled forwards, catching himself on his unaffected arms. He bellowed unintelligibly over his shoulder and a squad of soldiers responded by setting off in his and Gabby's direction. His eyes never left Gabby as he slowly, carefully pushed himself up.
“Your defence is gone. I thought we had a connection you and I, and I'd hoped for a peaceful resolution. No matter.” Jack spat and black blood splattered the ground. “You and your friends have nothing.” He stumbled forwards once again, quickly figuring a method of locomotion with his new limbs. “You and your friends are nothing. Just like the rest of your pathetic race! You have no one. There is no help, no aid coming and there is no god except me to offer you salvation!” Jack was less than six feet away and Gabby's breathing was so rapid her chest was light and she was unable to look away from the creature before her.
“So what is your answer? Cower and live or stand and die?”
Gabby's lips trembled and Jack watched with morbid anticipation, waiting for her response. He lifted himself upright and flexed his massive hands, now altered to large pads, and flicked talons outwards in readiness. Gabby bit her lips together and felt the sting of tears as her dread, for herself and her friends occupied her thoughts. The tang of blood entered her mouth. Gabby already knew what her answer was to be and the taste of her own blood painted the words she spoke.
“Neither.” Gabby said, her voice harsh from fear. As the word left her lips she found herself standing straighter. The weight of the moment was gone and despite the horror in front of her Gabby realised she was more afraid of failing to honour her friends and the millions of people left on this world and the billions whose desiccated bodies littered it still.
Jack tilted his head in brief confusion, as if the word had no meaning or it hadn't been spoken at all. Even without his human eyes Gabby saw the moment comprehension formed in Jack's red orbs. His face twisted, not in anger but agony. That his moment must wait. That this one human whom he'd discovered a brief connection with was exactly like the majority of every single one of her race, defiant.
The squad of soldiers were at the pavilion awaiting orders and now Gabby could see the expressions they wore. Horrid fascination mixed with true fear. The fear so pure that every single one of them was now contemplating desertion or adulation.
Gabby took a step back but Jack reacted instantly and lunged forward on his new legs. His talons were aimed at Gabby's chest and Gabby knew in an instant she couldn't dodge their wicked sharpness in time. She wanted to close her eyes but couldn't. Her gaze fixated on the points of the talons and she wondered if they were sharp enough to penetrate her without hurting.
Jack's distorted face came into view as his body was at full stretch behind his arms. He was whispering or shouting at Gabby, she couldn't be sure, though the words were simple enough to understand.
“Then die!”
NO!
NO!
Gabby's friends screamed in unison from inside the facility into her mind at such volume it should've made her cringe from the assault on her senses. To Gabby they were two voices lost in the wind but one voice came through powerfully.
GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!
Gabby was rocked backwards slightly from the impressive power of the voice and she sensed rather than saw the enormous figure rear up from behind Jack. Two great paws grabbed Jack's shoulders and halted his deathly lunge towards Gabby instantly. Claws snapped around his arms pinning them down and Jack screamed in defiance at losing his quarry. He was lifted and Gabby caught a flash of red skin from whatever was attacking Jack. With one fluid movement Jack was hoisted thought the air and launched towards the pavilion. The soldiers watched dumbfounded as their leader crashed into the apex of the large tent bringing it crashing to the ground and enveloping him.
Gabby shook her head as she tried to process events as swiftly as possible. She slowly looked away from the collapsed tent and the soldiers attempts to cut it open to release Jack. A growl and puff of black smoke made her jump and she found herself staring at a red, scaly face. The jaws were huge and held daggers for teeth. Her eyes drifted upwards and found the creature's eyes swirling with many colours. The creature lowered its head and Gabby saw a human sitting astride the spine of this enormous red dragon. They were dressed in what Gabby identified as rider's clothing, soft leather jacket and trousers but these were dark brown and not the standard black associated with dragon riders. The face was covered by goggles and a piece of headgear that enclosed the remainder of the face and hair except for the nose and mouth. The rider leaned
forward and offered Gabby a gloved hand.
“You must be, Gabby. I believe you know Cerys and Blue?” A woman's voice asked. A voice that sounded strangely familiar.
An infuriated scream reached Gabby from the collapsed pavilion and the rider waved her hand impatiently at Gabby. “Come on, I haven't got all day. We're the Grey Rose. We're here to help as promised.” Gabby laughed, half crazed that she was still alive and being offered help from the very people she'd denied assistance to and from. She grasped the offered hand and was pulled up by the rider and assisted by the dragon's leg pushing her up. Before taking her place behind the rider, Gabby paused and crouched down.
“I'm sorry but who on earth are you?”
The rider smiled and removed her goggles, revealing large, dark brown eyes that seemed familiar. She reached down and gave the dragon's spine an affectionate rub as if the army closer than five hundred meters away didn't exist.
“This beautiful guy is Cole.” To that the dragon nodded a greeting which Gabby returned, completely flummoxed at the whole situation. A host of roars, growls and bellows sounded from the sky surrounding the station. The dragon named Cole turned in a circle to give Gabby and his rider a full view of the great mass of dragons circling high above them. Gabby cowered against Cole's back as the full enormity of the situation turned her thoughts dark. A hand was placed under her arm and she was lifted to face the rider. With a free hand the rider pulled off her head covering, releasing long, brown curls to her shoulders. Gabby saw scars about the face and head, previously hidden.
“Don't worry.” She said with a terrible grin full of hatred. “They're with me.” Gabby looked up again and saw the dragon's circling in closer to the station. Some landed while others took up positions above the highest buildings. “It's them you have to worry about.” As the rider said this, a slew of horns interrupted the trumpeting of the dragon's near Gabby causing a new hoard of dragons to rise from Jack's army. More dragons appeared in the sky but away from the station this time. They glided in to land with the main army. The rider pulled Gabby onto the dragon's back to a sitting spot behind her.
“Okay, my love. Up we go.” The dragon tilted backwards and Gabby sensed the enormous power the creature contained within its back legs. The energy was released and Gabby's stomach turned over as they left the ground forcing her to grab the woman's back. Gabby frowned, the world momentarily forgotten as she realised she'd grabbed the leather scabbard of a massive sword. The dragon's wings thrust strongly against the air, bringing Gabby back to her situation and they swiftly attained height above the station.
Gabby are you okay? Mary screamed and Gabby became aware that her two friends had been shouting at her continually since the red dragon had appeared. Not able to trust even her inner voice Gabby merely squeaked in reply.
Dragons soared, dipped and turned all around her. Their colours were many, but all were massive, dwarfing any creature Gabby had ever encountered up close.
“Oh I'm sorry, Cole tells me I'm being rude.” The rider said over her shoulder, half turning so Gabby could see her profile. “I'm Ellie. Pleased to meet you.”
Gabby's eyes widened at such a casual introduction but then she caught Ellie's cold expression in profile as the rider leaned over Cole's shoulder and studied the army ranged against them.
The red dragon bellowed and every dragon close to the station circled in close or lifted from the surface to rise and meet them. Gabby saw dragons of so many colours she laughed in nervous fright at the sight. Two beautiful blue dragons coasted in on either side of the dragon named as Cole and trumpeted a greeting. Gabby saw one dragon to her left was rider-less but she recognised the rider to her right.
“Blue!” The woman sat in front of Gabby called out. “Have the wings form up on Lapis and Lazuli.” The rider named Blue let his eyes briefly meet Gabby's before he disappeared beneath the red dragon.
“What the hell is going on?” Gabby screamed.
“Cerys told you to call for help and you did.”
“What?”
“Just sit back and listen okay…but not with these!” Ellie pointed a finger at her ear. Cole tipped forwards and Gabby's stomach lurched. Every dragon was now set behind the red dragon and split into two groups with each of the blue dragons at the fore.
Riders of the Grey Rose. We will not cower in the face of death. We will not stand aside and allow tyranny to prosper unchecked anymore. The lives of the people here depend upon us even though our lives may be forfeit, but that is true of all when the time comes and nothing, no power on earth can stop that!
For every one of us they take, we will take five. For every inch of ground they take, we will take five more of them.
Remember what they've taken. Remember what they've destroyed and make a vow on this day to bring about their ruin!
Gabby heard cries and yells of defiance and jubilation from behind her. All the while her own mouth was wide open in astonishment as she recognised Ellie's 'voice' in her mind.
“You were the fourth dragon in the sky when I escaped on the motorcycle?”
“I've been watching you for a while, Gabby.” Ellie called over her shoulder. Before Gabby could answer a massive wall of noise sounded from the army camped opposite. Hundreds of dragons took to the air, each screeching their own battle cry.
“Cole.” Ellie ordered. “Let's get this over with.”
Epilogue — The Prisoner
The woman's first waking breath was a scream. But no noise resulted from her act of fear. The unheard scream altered to a whimper of panic and her eyes frantically shifted left and right for any indication of what was happening. The room was still in darkness and though vague shapes were visible to her the woman could make no sense of them. A cold sweat enveloped her body as terror, the like she hadn't experienced for many years, took a tighter hold. Responding to the instincts of her youth she tried to turn, compress her body into a small knot but failed as she discovered her limbs were paralysed. Tears of outright panic streamed into her ears and she thrashed her head about, clenching her teeth, making small tight sounds of horror as her body failed to obey her commands. Imagination took over and during her ceaseless thrashing she saw movement in the darkness. The woman became completely still in an instant, her eyes fixated where she thought something had moved. Feeling exposed and totally vulnerable her breathing responded by quickening. She tried to clamp her mouth shut to stop the short, sharp breaths from being heard but they simply forced their way out through her nose. Tears of panic transformed into tears of near hysteria as she detected more movement, a swift sliding of something tall. With her last ounce of reason, the woman cried out into the darkness of her mind.
HELP ME!
ELLIE! ELEANOR! WHAT'S WRONG? WHAT'S HAPPENING?
Lights flickered and then snapped into harsh life. Eleanor squinted and turned her face away from the glare. A loud thump brought her attention into focus and her body back under her control. Another thump and with adjusting eyes Eleanor saw a guard standing with a frown at her cell door. He glanced to his side quickly and an intercom crackled to life.
“Are you okay?” The man's tinny voice echoed slightly in the room. She nodded, the reality of her situation dispelling the terrors of the night as swiftly as they had taken hold of her. The guard nodded and Eleanor managed a small smile of appreciation. Despite her position here she and her various guards made the best of a bad situation and knew each other fairly well.
Ellie! What's going on? Eleanor's smile widened as Cole's voice warmed her mind.
I'm sorry, my love. The dreams have started up again. She explained
I thought as much. Cole replied quietly. I could feel your distress and was able to 'see' some of it.
Eleanor rose from her small bed and stretched the kinks and small cramps from her waking body. The dreams had first started approximately a year ago. Their intensity and frequency had lasted six months before finally fading to be replaced with more mundane dreams. During that time Eleano
r had documented each dream as their detail and realism seemed to dismiss any notion that these were just night terrors visiting her. Eleanor's hypothesis was correct when the Institute themselves investigated when one of their local spotters' detected energy that apparently had no source that would appear each time Eleanor slept. She was questioned as they obviously believed it was some kind of ploy or escape attempt, but as time went on and Eleanor's notes and diary were analysed they accepted she was as much in the dark as them. The content of her notes however were dismissed and the documents confiscated.
This must mean something. Eleanor continued striking her fist into her other hand. But it's all coming out of order. Cole was silent but Eleanor could sense him listening patiently as she worked through the problem.
Eleanor nodded and looked about her cell. White, durable plastic for the most part, furnished with a bed, chair and desk. The desk held her current personal task. Stacks of paper, all filled with her neat penmanship detailing her life. She moved the few paces required to get to the desk and carefully shifted her work to the side before pulling out a clean sheet of paper.
I need to get the Institute's attention. Eleanor told Cole, tapping her fingers on the desk. Otherwise I think something much worse than them is coming.
End of Book One of The Lucent Series.
In book two Eleanor must try to understand her dreams of Ellie and Gabby and what they mean to the survival of humanity.
Afterword
Hello to the end of the first book in the Lucent Series.
I thought I'd take a small opportunity here to write about how this novel came about. As always if an author prattling on about their own work is as dull as the proverbial dishwater to you please close the book or app and thanks for reading! (If you could leave a review it would be much appreciated)