Squawk: Beginnings (Book #1)

by Craig Halloran

  Gabe scooted around a two-wheeled cart that cut in between him and Sage. The man pushing the cart kept moving with haste. He wasn’t the only one hurrying, either. On the north face of the compound, people gathered on the wall. Some shouted. Others waved. Sage showed no interest. He led Gabe away from the throng. The grinding squeak of the main gate filled his keen ears.

  Aw, crap. I want to see.

  The gates normally opened early and late to let the farmers in and out. Every few weeks to a month, someone from some other place would come. Gabe couldn’t help but wonder where that place might be. His father hadn’t had an answer. He’d say, “There are more people like us out there somewhere.” The answer was hardly satisfying.

  Sage changed direction, moving toward the station house where the Blue Guard met. The building was off-limits to anyone but them. Sage went inside, startling the man sitting behind the counter, who rose up out of the chair so fast it clattered to the floor. The man blinked repeatedly. His lips pursed as he tried to speak. Sage pointed at the door behind the man. The guard opened it and stepped out of the way, revealing a stairwell.

  Gabe followed Sage and climbed to the top of the steps. They opened out onto the roof of the building. Three men were stationed there. Each of them wore a set of goggles. They were lined up, side by side, staring at the north gate. One turned and nudged the other two.

  With open disdain, one of them said, “What?” When he saw Sage, his lip drooped. Nodding, the three men departed down the stairs.

  Sage made his way to the building’s rim, facing north. They were high enough to get a clear view over the wall. Something was coming through the gate. A pair of oxen pulled an old truck with splashes of red beneath its dusty exterior. A man sat on the hood with reins in his fist. He had more beard than face.

  “Is this what you wanted to see?” Sage asked.

  Not sure what had tipped Sage off to his thoughts, Gabe answered honestly. “It is.”

  The bed of the old truck was filled with crates and boxes. There was a trailer behind it, also stacked up with boxes. The doors of the truck opened when it came to a stop. Two more men emerged from either side. All three men were covered in layered clothing. Each of them had machete-like knives on their hips. The metal glinted.

  The sight wasn’t anything new for Gabe or anyone in the city. It was fascinating nonetheless. Watching the men unload the packages from the truck, Gabe couldn’t help but wonder where they came from.

  The travelers didn’t speak. They unloaded at a brisk pace, stacking the crates and boxes one atop the other. There was no secret about what was in them—dry goods and food. The Blue Guard hustled it away as they always did, smacking eager fingers aside. Then they brought in some packages of their own. Gabe didn’t know what was in those crates. The entire operation didn’t last long. The men loaded up the truck and were on the move again.

  “You wonder where they came from?”

  Gabe nodded. Of course I do.

  “It’s fine to speak, Gabe. Just because I don’t say much doesn’t mean you can’t. You’re young. I imagine you have much to say. To answer the question, they come from another establishment such as this. We trade our goods for theirs.”

  Shielding his eyes from the sun, Gabe looked up. “What goods?”

  “Between us, it’s honey. Honey and wax. Mostly. They don’t have the bees where they are from. We don’t have what they have.” Sage scratched his eyebrow. “It’s been this way as long as I can remember.”

  A large bird cut through the skyline. Gabe and Sage watched it. The bird glided over the compound, casting a shadow over the distracted crowd below. The creature swooped over into the dominion’s compound. It landed on the arm of a man standing on one of the apartment balconies.

  “A carrier. It’s bringing a message from another compound.”

  “What does it say?” Gabe asked.

  “Oh, probably something about the supplies being delivered. A list of wants and needs. Nothing that should trouble the likes of us.”

  The comment surprised Gabe. He was never sure if Sage was a part of the dominion or not, even though the man dressed like he was.

  Sage started walking back toward the stairs. “Are you prepared for the dragon games?”

  “I suppose.” Gabe kicked a little stone across the rooftop. Since the tick encounter, he’d spent much of his time in the dragon den with Mandy. They’d even worked in the arena with Squawk. The deception continued to eat at him. He liked Mandy, but he feared her too. Something didn’t seem right about her.

  “It will be an excellent opportunity to prove yourself to the Count. Remember that, Gabe.”

  “I will.”

  “Good. Good. That is best.”

  Outside of the Blue Guard’s post, another commotion stirred. People gathered around the back side of the Blue Guard’s building. They pushed and shoved at one another, necks craning. On the building’s southern face, the huge letters NA were marked in fresh paint.

  Gabe’s jaw fell. As far as he knew, all of the markings had been scrubbed clean. This was the first new one in weeks. For some reason, it sent his blood rushing.

  “How audacious,” Sage said under his breath.

  Within moments, the Count arrived. Her eyes were wild. Towering over the gawking people, she yelled, “Well, ain’t that some lovely shit! Blue Guard, find the culprits! Find the transgressors! The trail is hot! Interrogate everybody! Find these defilers, and bring them to me!” She grabbed a chinless man out of the crowd. “Get a bucket and brush and scrub that crap off my walls!”

  CHAPTER 49

  Inside the dragon den, Mandy armored up in the gamer suit. “Make that sash a little tighter, Gabe. I don’t want to go out there looking like a newbie.” Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, revealing all of the pretty features of her face—soft lips and little freckles. Her face was a mask of concentration. “Ow! Not that tight. And don’t you dare think about putting this ascot on my neck so tight either.”

  “I wouldn’t dare,” Gabe said. He tied off the sash on her hip. She bumped him with it and giggled. He reached over to the table and grabbed the black ascot. With a smile, he said, “Time for this.”

  “Oh, I think I’d better do that myself.”

  He twirled the ascot on his finger. “You mean you don’t trust me?”

  “No.”

  Harlan moved in, snatching the ascot from Gabe’s fingers. With a grunt, the brute placed it around her neck with gentle fingers while at the same time shielding Mandy from prying eyes. The dragon den bustled with activity. The other gamers were tending to their outfits and dragons. The dragon hunters who escorted them milled about as well. That included Malak and Jubal on the gold team. So far, Gabe had managed to avoid them. He’d face them in the arena when it was time. And Malak wasn’t his only problem. He could tell by the stiff looks on the faces of the other gamers that they didn’t care for Mandy and Gabe’s growing fondness for each other. He was an outsider. He needed to remember that.

  The announcer entered the room with a box in his hands. He wore a button-down coat, a bit oversized but fancy. Slightly humpbacked with a tremendous overbite and long, beaky nose, he leaned over his box and said in his rich voice, “The hunters that escort the gamers will be adorned in these.” He pulled out a mask painted with gold scales, flung it over to Malak, and whipped out another. “For your team.”

  The announcer passed the rest of the masks through the room and said with a flare of showmanship, “See you in the arena!”

  Gabe studied his mask.

  “Why are you frowning?” Mandy asked. “I think it’s a handsome mask.”

  Running his fingers over the edges, he said, “I suppose.” The mask was well crafted. The paint over the blank face was very intricate, the black scales looked real, and the red trim outlining the edges gave it a dark charm. In his gut, Gabe couldn’t help but think the masks were because of him. The dominion didn’t want the people to see the son of a murderer. It was obv
ious. Or perhaps somebody else didn’t want the dominion to see him.

  “Stop pouting. You aren’t so handsome that people will miss getting a glimpse of you.” Mandy picked up the metal leggings made to cover her shins. “Now, help me out with my gamer garb.”

  He set down the mask and did as he was told. Kneeling, he fastened the metal leggings over her shins. One by one, he added the elbow pads and armored plates that covered her forearms. He draped a black vest with leather padding over her shoulders. He stepped away.

  “How do I look?” she said.

  To Gabe, she looked radiant in her ceremonial dragon gear. “You look like a dragon warrior.”

  She extended her hands, wiggling her fingers. “You really think so?”

  One by one, he stuffed the dragonry gloves over her hands. Black tassels hung from their cuffs. “I really do.”

  Mandy took some quick breaths through her pursed lips. “I’m nervous. I never get nervous. And I don’t care for black much, either. Why black?”

  “I guess all of the other colors were taken.” Gabe liked the color. Black had been Lewis’s color in the last fight.

  “All of the other colors are much prettier.” Mandy made a little whistle. Squawk crawled out of his open cage and down onto the floor, where she scooped him up off the floor. He licked her face. “Oh, stop that, Squawk. It tickles. I can’t tell if I like it or not. A lizard licking me. How gross.”

  Gabe snickered to himself. It was a little trick he’d taught Squawk to do to gain Mandy’s confidence in her ability to control the dragon. It worked. Good job, Squawk.

  Squawk jumped from glove to glove.

  “Good trick, my little dragon,” she said. Eyeing Gabe, she added, “You better ready yourself. It seems everyone is prepared besides you and Harlan. Harlan, put your vest on!”

  It had already been discussed that Harlan would go in the place of Gabe’s father even though normally it would have been one of the dragon hunters. Gabe assumed the hunters didn’t want any part of him. They were loyal to Malak.

  Harlan slid a vest over his shoulders with a gentle ease. He then stuffed his face into the mask, which looked too small on him.

  Without anyone seeing, Gabe rolled his eyes. What a troglodyte. Thoughts of his father crept in. He tried to block them out even though he wasn’t sure if it was right or wrong to. Sorrow filled him. His eyes teared up. He covered his face with his mask and slipped the vest on. Facing Mandy, he said in a muffled voice, “I’m ready.”

  “You know, that mask is a good look for you. Maybe they’ll let you keep it.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  “So who are we up against?” she said, searching the room. “I don’t know all of the dragons as well as you do.”

  “Terrance. Sapphire. Gort.” Gabe shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that’s it.”

  “Are they good?”

  “Didn’t you see the last tournament?”

  “I’ve never seen any tournament.”

  “What?”

  Mandy chuckled. “You’re so fun to tease. I swear the brows on your horrid mask leaped up.” She petted Squawk. “Do you think he’ll do well? He’s so much smaller than the others. If he loses, they’ll eat him.”

  That very question had been on Gabe’s mind for two weeks. Squawk was barely half the size of the others. If he got into a scrap with them, like Lewis, he’d be shredded. And even though it was clear that Mandy was fond of the dragon, he wasn’t so sure she’d be devastated if she lost him. That was another layer he contemplated. Since she’d lost one dragon in secret, maybe she’d been set up to lose another in public. The dominion could then wash their hands of the incident.

  CHAPTER 50

  The gamers basked in the roaring of the crowd. Gabe basked in his anonymity. The super-charged citizens screamed wildly. Their colorful banners swung back and forth as if blown by a stormy wind. The people were hungry for battle, violence, and carnage.

  Gabe’s stomach fluttered. He felt as if he was in a cage surrounded by wild animals. He adjusted his attention. On the platform behind him, Mandy worked the crowd with amazing kicks, punches, and acrobatics. Squawk was chained to a ceremonial leash attached to his little black collar with tassels. He sat on all fours with his head up, wings folded behind his back, claws curled underneath his paws. The black banners on all four corners of the stage waved.

  The announcer roused the masses with a booming voice. “Four dragons enter the arena! Only three will leave. But only one can become champion. Who will it be?”

  The crowd cheered.

  “Returning to the arena, we have in gold, Terrance the Terrible!” Clarence did a backflip. He squatted down and picked up his dragon, raising Terrance high over his head.

  “Or will it be, in blue, the sleek skill of the Stupendous Sapphire?” As with the previous game, Sapphire’s gamer was the girl with the shaven head. She looked dead serious. She tucked her dragon underneath her arm like a ball and pumped her fist.

  The announcer continued. “We have a pair of newcomers too. In silver, we have Gort the Grinder!” Gort’s gamer was a boy with short blond hair and a sparkle in his eyes. He made some fighting punches and kicks.

  Waving silver banners with the fury of a gale, the people chanted, “Gort! Gort! Gort!”

  “And finally,” the announcer continued, “in black as a memorial to Lewis, one of the greatest champions the arena ever hosted, we have the fierce, the maniacal, the silvery-scaled Squawk!”

  Mandy froze. Her jaw hung a little. The crowd began to quiet.

  Oh no! Connecting with his dragon, Gabe gave Squawk a command. The dragon quickly climbed up Mandy’s backside. He perched himself on the top of her head.

  Mandy lifted her arms in the shape of a cup.

  Squawk spread out his wings and opened his mouth. He shook his wings and neck and let out a shrill shriek.

  The crowd erupted.

  “Squawk can talk!” the announced said, elated. “Squawk can talk!”

  Mandy was all smiles. Her showmanship exploded as the masses were electrified. This was something new. Different. Gabe felt a new high. It was awesome.

  “It’s going to be a special day, citizens. I can feel it! Can you not feel it? And dare I say, without turning the world upside down, let the dragon games begin!”

  The citizens whooped and hollered. They jumped up and down in their seats. In a section all to themselves, the members of the dominion sat, silent and appalled. The long frowns under their noses stretched down their showy robes to their feet. Many of them cringed.

  Many people of the dominion began to whisper and stir in their seats, and Gabe could see that the exuberant behavior of the citizens riled them. That wasn’t the only thing he felt, either. Right across from him, behind the golden mask, Malak’s hard eyes bore a hole right through him. He pulled his shoulders back. He was charged. His heart pumped in connection to Squawk, who’d come down from his blustery display. Gabe stared right back at Malak. Screw him.

  The announcer continued. “Now, fine citizens of Newton, are you ready for the first round? Are you ready for the chase?”

  The roaring shifted to a civilized applause. The raucous crowd took their seats. The gamers began their gestures. Their arms waved and snapped, and they muttered. In the middle of the arena, the ground split open. The dragons hunkered down, eyes fixed on the gap in the center. The crowd went silent. One never knew what creature was going to burst out of the ground. Every time Gabe had seen the games, there had been a different order.

  In an amplified hushed voice, the announcer said, “Release!”

  The horn blared.

  A black-coated varmint popped out. It was a squirrel the size of a bobcat. The dragons’ claws scraped their stone platforms. They launched themselves to the ground, wings aflutter, darting over the grass and dirt at full speed.

  The black squirrel bounded away. It headed for the arena wall and sprang high. Its claws dug into the stone as it tried to escape over the rim. The ani
mal was a foot short then plummeted into the arena. It jumped up again and again, only to fall every time.

  Gabe, in full command of Squawk, made a beeline for the varmint. Gort had the closer angle and was several feet ahead of Squawk, the silver tassels bouncing along his neck. The squirrel came down from the wall, hitting the ground in a soft landing and springing high again as Gort approached.

  Gort crashed into the wall. Squawk smashed into Gort. Gort tore into Squawk with vicious fury.

  No! Get out of there, Squawk!

  Squawk wriggled his way to freedom. He and Gort squared off on their hind legs, wings fluttering behind their backs.

  The crowd chanted, “Dragon fight! Dragon fight! Dragon fight!”

  Gabe felt a primal surge rush through him. Squawk’s instincts kicked in. Gabe’s control had slipped. He commanded Squawk, Run! Run! Run!

  Mandy gestured at the dragon. “Gabe, what do I do?”

  In the meantime, Terrance and Sapphire gave chase. The squirrel would only last so long against the endless endurance of the dragons. The first one to close in on it would win.

  What do I do? What do I do?

  It wasn’t as if Gabe had any stake in this game, but deep inside, he wanted to win. He especially wanted to beat Malak. He imagined Squawk chasing after the squirrel. Go, Squawk! Go!

  Squawk and Gort blustered at one another. Their wings flapped like crazy. Gort’s head struck like a snake.

  Gabe felt his control return. Squawk tried to slip by Gort and get back into the chase. Gort would shuffle and cut him off. It became clear that Gort had forgotten about the chase. He wanted to battle Squawk.