Mykal's Second Deadly Journey

by Dave Hazel

  The men all started to walk a little faster. The path on the opposite side of the bridge climbed for another thirty feet before it turned downward and started another ribbon like path down the side though this side seemed to be steeper in places. The footsteps seemed to increase and the men tried to remain quiet.

  Mykal looked at Towbar when he thought he picked up the sound of heavy thick flapping that was similar to the sound of the dragons flying in the Pass. The giant looked alarmed but he didn’t look as fearful as Mykal felt. Mykal believed something started to fly up from the black abyss and his heart beat raced with the quickened pace and fearful thoughts of facing a dragon on the side of a steep mountain. ‘Why the hell couldn’t we have just left the damn thing alone?’ Mykal wondered after the deed was done, but he knew he was just as guilty as any of them because he wanted to drop the flashlights as much as they did.

  Mykal watched the Elves who turned to each other and spoke in their original language. They obviously heard the sound of something trying to fly up out of the ‘dark nothing’ below them. Mykal didn’t want to panic the men, but he either heard something with two sets of big heavy wings or there were two or more dragons flying up from below.

  “Oh damn it,” Mykal gasped. “We gotta hurry,” he yelled loudly.

  “What’s the matter Myk?” Mathis asked.

  “Is something wrong?” Roy Jr. asked for him and his brother.

  “I think it’s more than one,” he whispered for them to hear, “and they’re coming up after us.”

  Suddenly the sound of the two Hawkmen squawking loudly caught Mykal’s attention. He turned to see Uminair speaking to Lanorear and the other Hawkman. The two Hawkmen then flew into the air and circled overhead. Mykal was impressed and grateful that they flew overhead to support them rather than to fly away. While they flew they squawked loudly and strung their bows with arrows. Mykal wondered what those arrows would do against dragons. The dragons he saw in the Pass would only be annoyed and angered if they had been shot by bow and arrows.

  “Captain Diaz,” Mykal yelled to stop the column from moving. Without being told Mathis called to Captain Diaz on the radio. Within moments everyone stopped as the sound of the flapping grew louder which meant it was getting closer to the top and out of the darkness. “We need to stop and set up a defensive position. They will rip us apart if we’re running.”

  “Agreed,” Diaz yelled back. “Everyone stop and prepare to defend yourself,” he added.

  “Whadda ya mean ‘They’. You said ‘They’ as if there is more than one,” Finley shouted while men scrambled around him on the narrow mountain path.

  Abruptly, just as the men got into position with their M-60 machineguns two very loud Godzilla like screeches broke the darkness as if they were right around the corner. A moment later Mykal thought he was dreaming when two large pterodactyls flew into view. They were either some strange new creatures or what he grew up believing to be extinct flying dinosaurs. They had the long, thin, pointy heads with long pointy teeth set in the long narrow jaws. The long leathery bat like wings had a wing span that was easily thirty feet in length. These were not like the dragons he saw flying in the Pass last month, but these were living flying dinosaurs.

  They flew over the men making a diving swoop to eye the men. When the smaller Hawkmen flew into the area squawking loudly, they drew the attention of the strange creatures which quickly flew up after them. Mykal eyed their bodies and they looked like a large creature with two arms and two legs in a large winged suit to soar through their air. The long rows of teeth looked vicious, capable of inflicting serious damage if not death.

  Lanorear dove to the left while the other Hawkman flew to the right. One of the pterodactyls hit him high and the other hit him low causing a midair collision that was thudding and painful for the lone Hawkman. Mykal hadn’t met this Hawkman yet, but he was the large dark yellow bird with streaks of bright green throughout his wings and body. Mykal didn’t even know his name yet. Lanorear’s comrade fought desperately but couldn’t fight both of the pterodactyls at the same time. Lanorear shot his bow from mid-flight and hit one of the pterodactyls in the neck as it chomped down onto the other Hawkman’s head and ripped the bird head from its body.

  The Hawkman was killed instantly but his wings flapped wildly. The two pterodactyls chomped down and ripped viciously into the lone Hawkman while maintaining their flight in place. The one with the arrow through its long neck didn’t seem to notice the arrow and continued to attack and bite.

  “Open fire,” Diaz yelled and began to shoot his GAU. The rest of the men opened up with rifle and machine gun fire which riddled all three bodies repeatedly. The Hawkman was already dead but the two pterodactyls didn’t know what to make of the sudden and vicious attack. The men on the M-60s tried to aim for their heads but followed their jerky movements through the air the best they could surrounded by shadowy darkness.

  Two more Godzilla like cries emitted and all three of the flying creatures tumbled down into the black darkness. “Cease fire, cease fire,” Diaz yelled out and waved his arm to get the attention of the men the best he could. Everyone waited to see if the two prehistoric monsters were going to fly back up into their midst, but nothing happened.

  “What the friggin hell?” Mykal yelled. “Is it over?” He yelled to the Elves.

  No one answered. “I do not hear them my friend,” Towbar shouted.

  Lanorear squawked and flew down into the darkness for only a short distance since one of his clan and longtime friends descended into the depths of empty blackness. The sudden flight downward appeared desperate and reckless.

  “Let’s get the hell outta here and be quick about it,” Mykal shouted and watched the return of Lanorear who flew back up to where they could see the Hawkman. He thought he heard a loud desperate groaning from the large Elf bird.

  “Move out and keep your eyes open,” Finley shouted and waved for the men to hurry. “I don’t know if those damn things are coming back or not, but I don’t want to wait here for them.”

  Lanorear squawked several times while he flew over the darkened abyss. Lanorear continued to squawk.

  Mykal wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or if he was projecting himself into the situation, but he got the sense that Lanorear’s squawks were different. They sounded like mournful squawks that displayed his deep sadness rather than the normal loud shrieks the bird man emitted. Lanorear said that he and his Hawkmen clan had been together for many decades. Mykal felt bad that Lanorear lost a close friend and believe the strange creature ached with tremendous loss. But then again Mykal realized it was probably his own emotions. ‘No, I’m not gonna doubt he hurts over the loss of his close friend,’ Mykal thought. ‘And I’m not gonna doubt that he’s expressing his loss,’ Mykal thought with a genuine understanding of the pain the Hawkman felt.

  As much as Mykal wanted to get away from the area as fast as he could, he waited for the majority of the men to get by him so he would be positioned in the rear should more trouble arise. He knew Towbar would stay in the back with him. Mykal felt bad for Lanorear, though he didn’t really know him that well.

  After a few moments the colorful Lanorear flew up from the dark abyss for the final time and squawked. He dove to the Elves to relay to them what he found. Mykal knew the Elves would tell Diaz what Lanorear discovered and then Diaz would inform him. Mykal just wanted to get away from the deep dark chasm. He wanted to get out from under the mountain all together.

  4.

  After an hour or so they found another area that would be large enough for them to camp out and get some rest. The men checked out the cavern to ensure they wouldn’t be caught off guard like they had been previously with the AFA, ‘Area 51 Alien’ creatures or the lessor known UBAH, ‘Ugly Big Ass Head’ creatures that turned the dead bodies into living creatures which in turn desired to feast on the flesh of others.

  When the men settled down, a couple of the Army soldiers called Mykal and Towbar to show wh
at they had found. It looked like cave man drawings on the wall. It depicted flying creatures that resembled the pterodactyls they fought just a short time ago. Scrawled on the walls showed five of the flying monsters and several stick men pictured as dead men. Some lay on the floor dead, others in the claws of the flying creatures, or in the mouths of the flying dinosaurs. Those laid out dead had their weapons of choice beside the bodies. The Elves explained to Mykal the dead bodies referred to specific people. Their detailed weapons and shields showed the individuals were real people who had been taken by the creatures that flew up from the deep. They were not just numbers but real individuals who tried to make it through the mountain.

  Mykal looked at the drawings and listened as the Elves explained that the little stick people etched into the rock wall represented real people, just like Azarski, Jourard, Waxman, Mulloat and Trankle who were killed just recently. He wondered if they would have to face the flying dinosaurs that he believed were extinct creatures of the textbooks from his childhood school days. Mykal pulled away to think about all that had been going on.

  From a short distance away Mykal looked on and observed three Marines, all Private First Class, Anka, Ferria and Taylor moved to a section of the wall and stood there for some time. He could tell they were doing something because they giggled like school kids doing something they were probably prohibited from doing. Curiosity got the best of Mykal and he joined them without calling out to them to keep them from getting into trouble with Diaz or Finley. “What’s going on guys?”

  “Hey Myk,” Anka said as he turned. All three held their bayonets in their hands and stepped aside so Mykal could see the carving they were doing. “We’re just putting Ay-zee, Jory, Waxman, Rooney, Garcia, Mulloat and Trankle’s names on the wall here since they were killed in this damn mountain.

  “They weren’t killed by dinosaurs,” Taylor said as he finished Waxman’s name. “But they were killed here all the same.”

  “What the hell is that?” Mykal laughed as Ferria stepped away to see his creation in the wall.

  “I put ‘Mykal’s Marauders were here 1/17/84’. What do you think? Cool, right?”

  Mykal continued to laugh because no one would ever know what it was or who it referred to. “Yeah, it’s cool. You oughta add one of those ‘Kilroy was here’ with the little face,” Mykal said and continued to laugh.

  Lieutenant Finley stepped up behind them. “You ought to put an arrow pointing one direction and say Wall Drug so many miles,” Finley recommended from over Mykal’s shoulder. “You see those Wall Drug signs all over the world in our world. What is that place, Wall, South Dakota? It’s world famous and I don’t know how many times in South Dakota I’ve seen signs that say ‘Free Ice Water, Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota,” he laughed.

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Mykal said with a laugh and a smile. I’ve driven with some friends a couple of times from Minot down to Denver and I do remember seeing a lot of signs referring to Wall Drug. It’s a Drug Store, right?”

  “Yes,” Finley continued to laugh.

  “Oh yeah, you’re right Sir,” Anka tittered. “I know what you’re talking about. How many miles should I put? Just question marks and the word miles? Or should I put ‘1 Billion Miles That Way’?”

  “Put them both,” Finley suggested and started to laugh to join in their little activity to unwind. “Have two different arrows and one with the question marks and the other with a billion miles away.”

  Most of the men gathered around to see what was happening. Mykal was glad the men could lighten up after the horrific battle they just experienced. Mykal knew Finley was having a difficult time though he hid it well. He heard Finley nearly break down when Finley explained to Diaz that it was his fault that Waxman had been killed. He realized he was feeling overly sad for Finley and the rest of the men, especially those who died and had left behind families that would never see them again.

  Mykal had to walk away to clear his head. The ring on his finger caused his emotions to fly all over the place. From extreme sorrow and sadness which he called his ‘sissy emotions’ to his raging anger and hatred that desired to inflict pain and hurt on those who would stand against him, thus he branded his ‘bully emotions’. But he knew he couldn’t get rid of the priceless magic. It kept coming back to his fear of ‘the powers that be’ would turn on him and kill him if he gave up his power over them. The ring was the only thing that kept him safe from Percy and the President.

  ‘I gotta take it one day at a time and do what I can to rescue Doninka,’ he thought while he went to set up a place to bed down for the next couple of hours. ‘I hate to admit it, but I love that girl. Not enough to ruin my marriage, but I really do care about her. That’s the top priority, no that’s the only priority right now. Then I’ll deal with this damn thing that’s driving me nuts,’ he thought and looked at the gold band around his middle finger. ‘Maybe I’ll give my magic dagger to Nordad,’ he thought and wondered if his generosity would help alleviate his mental torment. ‘But why would it help? Nordad is a human wizard and not a god so that wouldn’t change anything for me,’ he wondered and saw Towbar approach him.

  “Are you troubled my friend?” Towbar asked when he joined Mykal.

  “No, not really,” he said while pointing to the area where he was going to lay down for the night. “I’m just thinking about Doninka. I really wanna do what I can to rescue her from the grip of that scumbag Ziggy Stardust.”

  “I agree with you my friend,” the giant said and gave a slight sigh. “I care dearly for the girl and I fear what may have happened to her during this time we have traveled on this side of the world. I am greatly impressed with the men who have put their lives at risk to help rescue her. It is not just about rescuing her as an individual person. Rather it is about rescuing her to save the nation. For I fear her father will give himself up for her. I believe he will naïvely trust the trade option that will be presented and then I believe the enemy will win when they kill both of them. I am afraid Locod will become king and surrender his throne as a puppet. I should not have started this,” Towbar said with a sad scoff and waved his hand. “I want to end by saying I am greatly impressed with the warriors of your world my friend.”

  “I know,” Mykal replied with a friendly smile and clearly understood his giant friend’s heart in the matter. “I’m so grateful for these people, these great men, these great warriors who put their lives on the line to help us. Even though some may be doing this for selfish reasons, be it for the adventure or so they could sell their story. I don’t care about any of that cuz they’re putting their lives on the line and I wanna reward each and every one of them. If I’m being honest, I’m doing this for selfish reasons too cuz I really care for the girl.”

  “Well, I hope you get a good sleep my friend,” Towbar said. “When I spoke to the Elves, they said we should be out of the mountain within the next twelve hours. I personally would like to be out from under this mountain. It is not that I am fearful, however I do not like to put our lives at risk if we do not have to.”

  “I hear ya. I wanna get out from under this mountain too. Seems like every time I’ve been stuck under a mountain there has been some crazy shit to deal with,” he laughed. “I’m gonna try to get a couple hours of sleep cuz I told them to wake me up to help with the guard duty.”

  When Mykal lay down he made sure to keep himself from the others. He needed to get some sleep and didn’t want to be disturbed by others talking. At the same time he didn’t want to place himself so far away from everyone just in case ‘something’ should happen.

  Mykal didn’t feel he had been sleeping long when something woke him. He didn’t move but just listen with his increased hearing. It didn’t sound like a threat but it was the sound of someone talking quietly, like a soft whisper. When the quieted voice registered, he realized it was Captain Diaz. But Captain Diaz wasn’t talking to another person, he was praying.

  “I thank you LORD God for Your love and mercy,
and I ask You to please give me the wisdom and understanding I need to get these brave men out of this situation without any more harm being caused to those under me. I love You LORD and I only want Your will to be done, but I don’t feel I have the strength and the wisdom to keep these boys from getting hurt,” he whispered and started to sob.

  “I care for these boys LORD and I want to protect them. I know they have the responsibility to make a choice for You. I know I can’t do that for them and I know I need to show them the Truth. You are Truth and I want them all to know You Father. I plead the precious blood of Your Son over these men and ask that You, God, give me opportunity to witness to each and every one of them. I don’t want to see any of them pass away without having a saving knowledge of You. Help me Father God in being wise in dealing with all of them. Give me Your love to share with them. Help me to demonstrate the love of Jesus to each and every one of them. I can’t do this on my own.

  “I ask You Father, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the precious name of Your Son Jesus to give me Your wisdom to deal with every situation and every person we encounter in a way that will bring glory and honor to Your Name,” he added with more sobs. “Father God, I don’t want to lose any more of these boys. I know You love each and every one of them with a love they can’t comprehend. Help me to be an instrument in Your hands to make a difference in their lives and in their eternities,” he prayed and sniffed revealing the sobs were genuine.

  Something about that line of wanting to be used by God to make a difference in the lives of the men and in their eternity struck Mykal’s heart. ‘Diaz cares about our eternity,’ he thought while he listened to Diaz pray. He wasn’t trying to eavesdrop but with his increased hearing he couldn’t help but hear the committed born again Christian crying out to God. It made Mykal recognize with as much danger he had faced over the past six months and the risky mission they were on now he could have been killed many times. And now he knew he could be killed at any moment which begged the question, ‘Where would I go if I die?’ He wondered. ‘I would have to go to heaven, cuz I’m a good guy,’ he paused when he realized he was lying to himself. ‘Well, I’m not as bad as some people are. I’m not that bad.’