Into the Darkness: Chapter Four
#4 of Into the Darkness
I buried him later that night, and though I looked around, the only thing I could find of his family I could find was torn cloth, and blood. I moved on that night, ignoring sleep as I made my way north, not stuck to a certain path, as I was numb inside.
I came to a school about midday the next day, and it was obviously abandoned. I read the sign which was in disarray out front. "Willow Creek Elementary." I sighed, before I walked over to a busted window, looking inside to see if it was safe. Once I was decently sure I was alone, I crawled into the classroom, which looked like a kindergarten room, as there were blocks and the such scattered around. A carpet which had roads and had a few toy cars sitting on it sat in the corner, as well as a few Barbies. I watched where I was stepping as I made my way around the room, making sure it was safe before I sat down, and grabbed a few mats which I presumed were for what I was about to do; sleep. Warm and decently safe, I curled up, my SAW within reach. I woke at hearing the door opened with a creak, and I quickly grabbed my SAW and crouched, resting on one knee, and aimed it at the door. I saw a huge shadow on the wall, and my grip tightened as my finger sat on the trigger. A small German Shepherd pup walked in, bumbling around as he sniffed at the floor, licking it curiously, his tail wagging slowly. I lowered my SAW, and he looked over at me, sniffing the air. His ears suddenly perked, and he barked, running over to me, as he rubbed up against me. I gently pet him, which he whined happily and licked at my hands, and I smiled for the first time in a long time. "Hi boy. You scared the shit out of me, didn't you?" I laughed, scratching his ears. He leaped up, licking my face and knocking me over, hoping up on my chest and kept licking my face. "Alright, I get it!" I laughed, and he looked up at me, his tongue lolling out. He barked again, and ran out of the room. "Wait!" I yelled, and ran after him, grumbling. I followed him through the school, as he crashed through it, making tons of noise as he went, which I winced. I thought for a minute I heard somebody say something, and waited tensely, before I shrugged it off, and followed the pup. He led me to the Cafeteria, which I entered, and immediately became nauseated. There was blood splattered on the wall, tables overturned, and scorch marks. "How could they have harmed children?" I asked to myself, as I followed the dog. We got to the food pantry, which he scratched at. I opened it slowly, and heard a whimper from inside. I looked in, my SAW ready, and muttered, "Aw fuck." Inside was a young feral dragon, who was a little bigger than the dog. His back left leg was sprawled out, and there was dried blood that covered it. He was a dark green in color, and very skinny. I looked down at the shepherd, who ran over to the drake and licked his snout, before curling up with him, looking at me with pleading eyes. "Oh no, uh-uh." I said, shaking my head. "I am NOT helping that thing." I growled, as I turned to leave. The shepherd ran over, tugging on my pant leg of my uniform, whining. I tried to brush him off, but he was determined. I turned around, sighing heavily. I looked at the drake, who stared back at me with golden eyes. I pointed my finger at him sternly. "If you bite me while I am treating you, I will pull out your teeth one by one." I walked up to him slowly, and got down on one knee, as I inspected the wound. There was a small caliber bullet lodged in there, a .22 most likely. I pulled out my medkit, which the drake sniffed, before I got to work. Twenty minute later, I had the last fragment of the bullet in between the tweezers, when I heard the door be kicked in, and I looked back to see two armed Dragonite Soldiers, their weapons pointed at me. Both my hands soaked in blood, I looked down to see the young drake just as surprised as I was. The Shepherd ran over to them, but they ignored him. He ran over to me, panting happily. "You are nothing but trouble." I sighed looking at the pup, as I put my hands up slowly. "Drop your weapons." One of them ordered harshly. "Can I patch him up the rest of the way first?" I asked. "I don't want it to get infected. You can search me while I work." I finished, turning before they could answer. I quickly wrapped his leg to stop the bleeding, and sanitized the wound best I could. Meanwhile the two patted me down, and removed my knife and shovel, and I shrugged off my bag so they could search it. Once I had finished, I sat back, now very tired. "Relax." One of them said, as he crouched down beside me. "I do have to ask, do you surrender?" One of them chuckled. He was had scales that where the color of the sky, and he was shorter than they usually where, only about 7 feet, which is still massive. "I don't think I have much of a choice other than a blindfold and a cigerette. " I sighed. He looked at me, seeming puzzled. "It is an expression for being executed." He nodded. "I understand. You will be taken to a prisoner of war camp." he said, before looking over at the little Drake, who had began to slip into a sleep. "Thank you by the way." I just nodded, and sighed. "Will that POW camp be anywhere near the civilian safety zone?" I asked hopefully. He shook his head no, "it is far from it. Why do you ask?" He said, as he watched his partner play with the German Shepherd. "I was hoping to see if my family made it north." I sighed. "I lost them when we were attacked." He nodded, seeming to ignore the comment on being attacked. "Well lets get moving." he said, and stood up. I groaned, as I slowly stood. "We are going to move the feral?" I asked. "No. YOU are going to move him." The other Dragonite Soldier growled, as he stood a 8'4, and was all black. I sighed, before I got an idea, and emptied my assualt pack, pretty much like a civilian backpack, and gently moved the young dragon into the back, padding his leg carefully. I zipped up the bag partially, before slinging it on my back slowly. "Alright, lets get moving." "We will give the orders." The black one spat, as he pointed his weapon at my head. "Now move you piece of dirt." I moved out of the pantry, and we headed out the front of the school. They approached their vehicle, and they argued about where I should sit. The black one wanted me to walk, but the blue one won the argument, and I rode in the back of their massive scout vehicle. The ride was quiet and quick, as without realizing where I was going I had run into one of their bases. They had known the feral ran off, and searched until they found the school , and had sniffed him out. Once at the base. I carried the feral to the med bay, and then both escorted me to their superior officer's office. "Corduth reporting sir." The blue one said. "Askook reporting sir." The black one said. "What have you two brought me?" He asked, as he walked in. He stood at an impressive 9 feet, and was a deep red, with two black horns, and golden eyes. He had a uniform the same color as the two others, and a pistol thing strapped onto his waist. Both looked at me like I should say something, and I repeated what they told me in basic. "Russo, Christopher, Private, United States Army, 125-65-9898. Under the rules of the Geneva Convention, that is all I am to say." "Hmm. What to do with you. Manual labor until you say more?" He grinned. "Sir, what are you information are you looking for me to give? I know nothing!" I said exasperated, and Askook growled as his claws gripped his assault rifle looking weapon. "Where is your squad? How many are there of you? What was your mission?" he asked, sitting behind his desk leaning back. "My squad is nothing anymore, they were all killed but me. So there is one, and my mission was to take my family to the safe zone safely." I said, maintaining eye contact the whole time. "Filthy liar!" Askook growled, and raised his weapon to butt me, when the red drake held his hand up. "He is not lying, I can see it in his eyes." He said quietly. He sighed, as he rubbed his temples. "Sir, he was found treating the escaped hatchling." Corduth stated, much to Askook's annoyance. "You were treating the hatchling?" He asked, sitting up. "Yea, he had been hit in the leg by a small caliber bullet. Not too bad, but it fragmented everywhere. It took me 20 minutes to get them all out. Those two burst in on me as I had removed the last piece." I sighed, very tired still. "Why did you help the hatchling?" He asked. "Because it needed help. Also, I had to keep a promise to another feral." I chuckled, remembering the bus incident. All three of them looked at me confused, so I explained. "I was headed with my family and my Sergeant with his to the safe zone up north, when we were, well, I am going to say surprised by a massive dragon. I ran off to distract him from the others. As I was hiding, he decided to speak to me." I chuckled. "Scared the living hell out of me!" All three of their jaws dropped. "Did you get his name?" Corduth asked. "Yea, after he made me promise to help out some other one of you bastards if you ever needed it. His Name was Hrothgar if I remember right. Knight of something or another." I said, as their jaws dropped more. "He-he has to be lying!" Askook sputtered, as he glared down at me. "Where did you hear that name?" "I heard it from inside my head when he spoke to me! I am no liar damnit!" The officer held up his clawed hand, and he shut up. "I believe you. But this isn't the first drake you have helped, is it?" I grinned. "Yea, I let three others go, uh, hatchlings I think." "Then it is decided." He said, leaning forward. He looked over to Askook. "You will be put onto another duty, as you clearly will kill the human rather than protect him." He said, and Askook started to say something, but then snapped his maw shut. He turned to Corduth.
"Sir, I can watch him. With Mesanth?" he asked, sounding, hopeful? "Very well. Until further notice, you are in charge of him. Something happens to him, you will see it double fold, understood?" He nodded, and then he dismissed them both. Askook stormed off without another word, and Corduth sighed. "Look, just put me in a storage room or something, yea? I wont leave, and you can have your fun, yea?" I said, guessing I was being a nuisance. He shook his head. "Oh no, me and my mate are taking you somewhere special." he grinned, with a wink. "Uhh." I said questioningly. "We are going to Murphy's Pub, the largest pub in the world, and full of Dragons feral and humanoid alike!" He said, excitedly. "I think I would enjoy the closet more." I said, nervous. "To bad!" he laughed, and dragged me off.
You know the schpeel, comments are loved, everything else is too, as well as decisions to help change the story!