The Charred Lands: Apocalypse of Fire

by Josh A. Murphy

  “We have to destroy the eggs.” Timothy finally said, a firm harshness to his voice – as though his mind was set in stone, and no arguing otherwise would change his mind. Timothy was often like that.

  “Who knows what kind of consequences that would bring on Haven.” My father replied. Just as they always did, I could see the two brothers locking horns. In the past – especially after Timothy lost his wife and unborn child – their relationship had broken down. Timothy was second in charge only because my Grandpa had made it so, had it been up to my father I had no doubt in my mind that Dexter Payne would have been placed second in command. It wasn’t unusual to find dad seeking Dexter’s advice before Timothy’s.

  For a few seconds the two brothers stood in front of the small crowd, their eyes firmly locked upon each other, a single trickle of sweat began to drip down my dad’s forehead. Neither of the two was going to budge easily on this. And so, the debate began.

  “So you’re suggesting we just leave the eggs there and wait for a nest of Dragons to spawn?” Timothy almost laughed, looking to the crowd for support in a shroud of arrogance.

  “So let’s say we destroy them. We could be bringing whatever gave birth to them right to our doorstep! This is more than likely a dragon we’re dealing with here, if we destroy its eggs it will come looking for whoever was responsible!”

  “It’s already on our doorstep, brother. This animal murdered Barry Deer, and slaughtered three of our own. Tony, Amy and Kyle Olsen are DEAD because of that monster!” He spat. Quickly it was becoming easy to see whos side the crowd were on. All I could do was sit and watch as others began to nod their heads at Timothy’s points. Antonio Payne even went as far as to clap.

  “We could move them further away from Haven. The mother would probably still be able to find them, that way we would potentially be out of harm’s way.” My dad tried, desperately trying to gather his composure and come up with some good points, but already the crowd had turned. I heard various sighs from around me after my father said that.

  Timothy stood silent for a moment, before bursting out in controllable laughter, he wiped away a tear from his cheek before his face fell deadly serious, “The eggs must be destroyed, dear brother. It is decided.” He said, his face void of any emotion. Without so much as another word he barged past my father and made his way out of the meeting room.

  The room fell deadly silent. People began to follow Timothy’s example and disperse from the room, leaving my father stood alone at the front; annoyed and embarrassed. His head dropped down in defeat. I wanted so desperately to say something to him, but I simply couldn’t find the words. Instead, I quietly stood to my feet and made my way out of the meeting room.

  Chapter Six

  I couldn’t sleep. I spent what felt like hours rolling around on my old, rough and bumpy mattress, with no luck. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t keep my eyes shut. Every time I managed to close them, I would have flash backs of Tony Olsen’s burnt, charred bones – that image was going to stick with me for quite some time.

  Not only was I being haunted by the image of the body, but my mind was filled with an abundance of activity over the nest. It had been decided that a small team would head out and ‘deal’ with the eggs tomorrow. It was a scary, risky mission – but it had been decided that it was for the greater good. I wouldn’t be taking part in the expedition, father had decided that it was far too dangerous for me. Instead, he, Timothy, Brandon and Ruby were heading out to do the deed. I was surprised to find that everyone in Haven, aside from myself, Ruby and father had been in favour of destroying the nest, even Brandon had stood up to dad. It was rare that my dad found himself fighting against the majority – people usually flocked to his side during debates, but not this time. All he could do was grit his teeth and go along with what the community, as a whole had decided.

  The soft, yet extremely grating sound of Brandon’s snoring was beginning to grind on my nerves. I never usually had trouble sleeping, I usually went to bed before everyone else, but not tonight. Elsewhere in the house, I could hear distant, mumbled voices. I instantly recognised one of them to be my Grandpa. I knew exactly what was going on.

  I quietly slipped out of bed, dressed in nothing but my pyjama bottoms, and tip toed out of my bedroom and down the hall way to the room where my brother and sister slept. Just as I suspected, the sound of my Grandpa’s voice was coming from here.

  I found the door to be slightly agar. A thin trail of light shone through into the otherwise pitch black hallway. Inside the small room, my two younger siblings, Toby and Amber sat up in their beds; their faces alight with fascination as my Grandpa sat beside them, telling the same old stories that he used to tell me when I was their age.

  Hearing his soft, warm voice talk about a distant time filled with technology and peace brought a rush of warmth and nostalgia to my heart. It took me right back to my childhood, when I sat in the very same bed that my younger brother, Toby sat in. Stories from before the Rise always fascinated me.

  “Tell my favourite story, grandpa!” Amber said as Grandpa finished telling a story about how he had once gone on holiday to a foreign country called Spain. Amber’s face was a picture of youth and innocence, at the tender age of seven, she was too young to comprehend the harshness of the world that she had been brought into. I would do anything to have a time machine and visit the days Grandpa told us of.

  “Which one is that?” My Grandpa chuckled.

  “The one about the Dragon Rider.” She replied, sitting up eagerly.

  “Ah, Mogbane.” He said, pausing and looking to the ceiling as though trying to remember the story.

  I remembered the story of Mogbane. Just like my sister, it fascinated me, though part of me never truly allowed myself to believe this particular story.

  “One day a traveller passed through Haven and with him, he brought stories of a man living high up in the mountains beyond Manchester. The man he told us of had a rare, and special ability. It is said that this man, named Mogbane, has trained and tamed one of the winged beasts that ravaged the skies. People speak of seeing him riding upon the dragon, thousands of feet into the air like a majestic angel.”

  “How did he tame one, Grandpa?” Toby interrupted, his voice thick with doubt – I wasn’t surprised by this. Toby was a smart kid who had a habit of questioning everything. He wanted to know the causes and reasons for everything, a trait which at times could be a little annoying, but would surely eventually craft him into a perfect citizen of the Charred Lands.

  “It is said that he raised the dragon as his own from birth. It is still a small dragon, but powerful nevertheless. Mogbane comes from a small group of people living in the mountains who call themselves ‘The Church of Fire’. These people have different views about the dragons. They seem to think that they have religious roots and look to the creatures as Gods - looney’s if you ask me.” My Grandpa finished, with a laugh.

  “Do you think it’s true?” Toby asked.

  “I’m afraid I don’t. There’s a lot we human’s don’t know about the Dragons, but one thing that we have been able to concur on is that they’re killing machines. They live to breath their reign of destruction or tear anything apart that moves. They’re monsters, plain and simple. I don’t believe that they can be tamed.” He sighed, the mood in the room shifted somewhat.

  “Aren’t you a little old for stories?” A voice said from behind. I almost jumped from my skin as I spun around to find my father standing alone in the dark hallway.

  “I was just…” I stuttered, feeling my face turn red with embarrassment.

  “It’s okay. I can’t sleep either, but we won’t drift off if we’re not in bed now, will we?” He said, gesturing me to return to my room. I nodded my head and silently made my way back.

  “Goodnight son.” He said, giving me a quick kiss on my forehead as I returned into my bedroom, and returned to Brandon’s insufferable snoring.

  Chapter Seven

  I d
rifted off the second my head hit the pillow, before I knew it, it was morning.

  “You’re going to miss breakfast.” Brandon said as I groggily opened my eyes. He was already dressed, ready for his venture out into The Charred Lands. With all things considered, he looked surprisingly calm.

  “Are you nervous about going out there?” I asked, rubbing my eyes and sitting up in my bed. I still felt half asleep, my eyes were almost glued shut.

  “Nervous as hell.” He laughed, before giving me a wink and quickly exiting the room.

  The smell of bacon suddenly found its way to my nostrils, my mouth instantly began to water.

  I quickly got dressed and made my way downstairs, almost being hypnotised by the sweet smell of bacon. It was a rarity these days; Mum had obviously decided to cook some because of today’s importance. She wouldn’t let her family go out into The Charred Lands without first spoiling them rotten and filling their bellies in the process.

  “Good timing, we’ve got one piece of bacon left and Ruby’s been eyeing it up for quite some time now.” My mother laughed as I entered the kitchen. Ruby grinned but said nothing as I sat beside her.

  “Not going to wish me luck, little brother?” She asked, sounding as sarcastic as usual. Ruby and I never really got on too well. It never stretched above the usual sibling rivalry, but for some reason, out of all my siblings it was her that I always seemed to clash with. The worst thing was, it was always her who instigated it. Brandon always treated me with respect, whilst Ruby seemed to do her best to look for an opportunity to treat me like shit. I suppose it’s because of how close we are, age wise. She’s eighteen years old and probably sees me as an easy target.

  “Good luck.” I simply replied. As usual, I refused to take her bait. It always annoyed her more if I didn’t reply, than if I had a full blown argument with her. I could feel her scorn at me as I bit into my bacon. As usual, it tasted as though it had been sent from heaven, just thinking about mum’s bacon was enough to make my mouth water.

  “Are you ready?” Brandon asked as he popped his head around the corner. Ruby let out a sigh before standing up – I couldn’t blame her. It was always a nervous occasion whenever someone was preparing to enter the Charred Lands, never mind to meddle with the nest of a monster capable of reducing you to a pile of bones with a single breath.

  “Good luck!” My mother said, throwing her arms around her oldest daughter.

  “We’ll be fine.” She confidently smiled, almost pushing my mother off before she left to follow Brandon to the barn.

  “I hate it when you guys go out.” My mum sighed as she collected Ruby’s dirty plate, falling into her usual depressive routine. She did nothing but mope around Haven wasting the time away whenever one of her children was out.

  “It’s for the good of Haven.” I said, finishing off my bacon, what I would have done for more.

  “I know that, but you’re all my children, now.” She smiled as she began to wash the dishes.

  Before long everyone headed out to see off the brave foursome. I did my best to hide my anxiety as I watched Ruby, Brandon, Timothy and my Dad disappear down the dirt path on their mission. I couldn’t help but think about how the Olsen’s had done this less than a week ago, and now they were all dead. Four members of my family were heading out to murder the young of a creature capable of causing unspeakable destruction and suffering. I knew it was for the best, but it was hard knowing that they were out there, risking their lives whilst I was stuck inside, twiddling my thumbs.

  I decided to retreat to the solitude of my bedroom to be alone with my thoughts. I suspected a long day of worry lay ahead for me. I wouldn’t be able to relax until all four of my much loved family had returned home safe, and even when that did happen, we would be living with the fear of having to possibly deal with the consequences of their actions, there was no telling exactly what destroying that nest would do to their mother.

  In all likelihood, we were dealing with a dragon nest here. This was bad, very bad. Up until recently we had assumed that the dragons had all become infertile due to malnourishment, giving us hope that one day the dragon breed may eventually be exterminated, allowing mankind to take a step up in the food chain, but now that looked unlikely. The world really did seem void of any hope for the future for us humans. Not only did we face a constant threat from people that would murder us for what we have, but we have the countless volcano creatures to deal with. Of all the creatures that the volcanos spewed, the dragons were the most deadly.

  In terms of defence, Haven was well prepared for an assault from marauders, but the threat that other human’s posed was nothing compared to even a single dragon. The entire farm yard was surrounded by a wall ten feet high, constructed using mainly wood and scrap metal. Wood would seem like an impractical form of defence against a fire breathing dragon, but the walls were more to keep out other threats, like land walking volcano creatures and humans. They were steady, well-built walls. They had started out as a simple fence, but over the years they had been added too and thickened. There’s even a section of the wall behind the main farm house that has a walk way atop of it. There’s plans to make the walkaway go the entire way around the wall, but just like most other expansion plans, we haven’t been able to locate enough supplies for it.

  We did have a little defence against dragons. Atop of the small walk way on the wall, we had a single harpoon constructed many years ago, before I had even been born, never had it been used, so I could only imagine the damage that the twelve foot long harpoon was capable of doing. It was theorised that the underside of the dragons was their weakest spot. Everywhere else was coated with near impenetrable armour, brewed in the fiery depths of the earth’s core. Capable of withstanding the heat of lava, the armour made the beast’s near invincible. The only chance man had of killing one of the largest beasts was to aim for its underside. Its neck was the place to aim for, only here was the animal void of its impenetrable armour.

  The chances hitting one of the creatures in their soft spot with the harpoon was small, but even having some form of defence – no matter how minimal – was reassuring for the whole community.

  I almost collapsed onto my bed, mentally exhausted by the time I reached my room. All I had done last night was worry about my four family members, venturing out on perhaps the most dangerous mission of my lifetime, and from the way today was going, I sensed that plenty more worry was to come.

  Less than a minute had passed before I heard a knock at my door. For a few brief seconds I thought that it might have been my father, returning from the mission already, but it wasn’t. But once I saw Florence pop her head around the door, I wasn’t too disappointed.

  “You okay? I saw you slipping off and thought I’d check up on you.” She smiled, welcoming herself into my bedroom. I immediately felt embarrassed, Florence had never before been in my room and right now, it was in a bit of a tip. Dirty clothes littered the floor, she had to tip toe around them to reach my bed.

  “I’m fine, just a little worried.” I sighed, deciding not to put up a macho bullshit shield. I had known Florence for far too long to try and act all brave and tough around her. She had seen my soft side plenty of times; I think it might even have been that side of me which she preferred.

  “I’ll do my best to keep your mind off of things.” She smiled, sitting beside me and placing a hand on my shoulder. Her touch made my skin tingle. She always brought a warmth with her, a warmth that could brighten up even the darkest of days.

  I returned the smile, and for a few silent moments we stared into each other’s eyes, neither of us letting our smiles go. I couldn’t help but think about how stunningly pretty she was. Her green eyes seemed to mesmerise me, just as they always did. Countless things ran through my head, things to say, things to do, but I remained silent. Finally, it looked as though she was about to say something, when a noise came from outside. It was a strange noise, but one that I knew all too well. Though I had only heard it on several o
ccasions in the past, I knew exactly what it was, and exactly what it meant.

  “Fuck.” I almost spat, jumping from the bed and charging towards the door. The warm moment that I had just shared with Florence now far from my mind. Behind me I heard he stumbling to her feet to follow me.

  Still, the sound coming from outside the farm house continued to sound out, I knew this wasn’t a drill. This was real. The siren grew louder as I made my way towards the exit, we were under attack.

  Chapter Eight

  I charged out of the farm house and into the strange world outside. I scanned the yard, all around people frantically ran back and forth. I spotted my own mother handing out weapons to anyone available. My Grandpa slowly limped his way across the yard with my two younger siblings by his side, they were running for cover.

  I could hear panicked shouting and screaming combined with the sounds of Dexter Payne shouting out orders from somewhere. All I could do was stand, numbed still by shock as I watched everyone run around, desperately preparing to defend Haven against a currently unknown assailant.

  “What’s happening?!” I heard Florence scream from behind me as she finally caught up. For a few moments I couldn’t reply, all I could do was watch my family and friends go about their duties.

  “Zachary!?” Florence spat, giving me a quick push from behind to snap me into action.

  “Oh, erm, I don’t know…” I managed to stutter. With a roll of the eyes and a sigh, she pushed past me and took off running towards her older sister, Antonia, who was helping my mother hand out weapons. I felt numb with terror. Only a few times in the past had I heard that siren wail out – only drills of course, but this was real. Something, somewhere was attacking us.

  Only then did I think to look to the skies - and there it was. A dragon, five times the size of any that I had ever seen, and a thousand times as frightening. I watched the creature circle through the orange skies above, it glided so elegantly - was this not a creature of such brutal destruction, it would almost have been a joy to see. The first thing I noticed was the size of its claws and talons. Its front legs sported almost man sized talons, as sharp as razors, whilst its back pair had a set of claws, somewhat thicker but equally as sharp. I couldn’t even begin to imagine what damage they were capable of inflicting. The dragon was an absolute killing machine. Designed to murder and destroy. Its entire body – bar one small patch under its neck – was coated in a thick, grey, rocklike armour. I recognised this dragon straight away from Grandpa’s old stories. This was Grayhorn. The very first dragon to be birthed into the world. It was a humongous, terrifying specimen of destruction, larger than even the other Elders.