Table of Contents
Title Page
Dedication
Hummel Books
The Story So Far
1 - Homecoming
2 - Clear Mind
3 - It Takes Work
4 - Communication Problems
5 - So It Begins
6 - Everyone Must Fight
7 - First Encounter
8 - Aerial Battle
9 - Let the Bonding Begin
10 - Matchmaking
11 - Retalliation
12 - Arachnaphobia
13 - On the Run
14 - Harrowing Journey
15 - Thirteen Strong
16 - Administering the Cure
17 - Dragon Hunting
18 - Welcome to Colorado
19 - Searching For Another Home
20 - Return of the Dragons
21 - Dragon Fight
22 - New Denver
23 - Bargain Struck
24 - Captured
25 - The City
Acknowledgments
LitRPG
Recommendations
Landmarks
Cover
Author: Richard Hummel
Cover Artist: Dusan Markovic
Typography: Bonnie L. Price
Formatting & Interior Design: Caitlin Greer
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 Richard Hummel
ISBN-13: 978-1-7323374-3-5 (Paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-7323374-4-2 (Hardback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-7323374-5-9 (Digital)
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be produced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by US copyright law.
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Nuclear war devastated the planet and the nuclear fallout rendered much of the planet inhospitable. Pockets of survivors carve out a living while society’s elite flourish in floating utopias.
Professor Igor, sympathetic to those dwelling below, synthesized bio-nanites and dispersed them over the earth’s population. The tiny machines gave humanity the ability to survive radiation poisoning. This miraculous technology had unwarranted side-effects resulting in the need to reset them every few years or risk falling prey to the radioactive waste blanketing the world. The nanites also included a hidden mechanism that could change everyone’s fate. Unfortunately, the professor failed to send out instructions for this hidden technology and it wasn’t until Jared Cartwright accidentally stumbles upon the secret that mankind realizes they can be so much more than human. They can be super human.
Jared makes the discovery, while also uncovering the fact that dragons are real. Experimenting with what he thought was a rock that gave off an electrical charge, Jared unknowingly triggers the nanites fusing a bond between himself and Sildrainen Maildrel (aka Scarlet), the only heir to the queen of fire dragons.
Jared and Scarlet set out to discover who they are, tangling with mercenaries, killer bunnies, and a giant Godzilla worm. With each creature they kill, the pair becomes stronger and gain abilities that propel them to heights previously thought impossible. During their exploration, Jared nearly dies at the hands of a deranged water dragon called Razael. He recovers after spending weeks trapped in his own mind. Jared creates a plan to destroy the manic being that nearly ended him.
Secrets abound as Jared uncovers a hidden military complex, Razael imprisoned beneath a lake, and an entire colony of people warped into mutants by the once great water dragon. The malevolent dragon eliminated, Jared takes these people, aptly named water folk, under his wing to help them survive and grow in strength.
Beset at every turn by the cruel overlords in the floating cities, Jared and Scarlet realize they need to bring in the cavalry and set out to find Scarlet’s family hibernating deep beneath the earth’s surface. A harrowing journey into the depths of the earth finally see the bonded duo emerge victorious, ushering in a new era where dragons once again walk among men.
“Go!”
In one quick leap, Kitty cleared the lip of the nest and disappeared inside. A moment later a piercing cry ripped through everyone’s mind. If Jared hadn’t fortified himself and had the mental enhancements he did, the sound would likely have crippled him. He watched Vanessa and Elle farther down the cliff drop to their knees, hands over their ears. A pained sob from inside snapped his attention back to the nest.
Leaping onto the edge of the nest, Jared watched Carla on the creature’s back expecting her to stab it with the injector, but her hands were empty.
“Carla! Where’s the injector?”
“I dropped it!”
By this point, the large, bird-like creature had risen to its feet and stood a towering twenty feet high. Carla clung to its back with everything she had. Fear shone bright in her eyes, and Jared surged into motion. He dove at the creature’s feet, desperately searching for the injector. In his haste, he missed a claw descending for him, and a searing line of heat ignited up his back. Jared shrugged off the pain, wrapped his hand around the injector, and somersaulted away from the creature. His dive carried him to the other side of the nest, Carla’s back now in front of him.
Jared leaped, activating Maximum Muscle, and vaulted up to meet Carla’s outstretched hand. She nearly lost her grip on the bird’s back as it crouched to leap into the air. As quickly as she could, Carla slammed the injector home and jammed down on the plunger.
Another piercing shriek tore through the air and penetrated deep into the minds of those less protected. It nearly dislodged Carla from the back of the creature. Somehow, she maintained her grip, but appeared paralyzed in fear.
The griffon launched itself into the air and rapidly climbed altitude.
“Scarlet, come!”
Scarlet swooped lower, and Jared vaulted twenty feet into the air to land on her back. They ascended and chased the fleeing griffon. His primary concern was making sure Carla survived this bonding.
As if the creature had heard his thoughts, it jerked through the sky to throw Carla off its back. Horrified, Jared watched the frail woman press herself to its body, burying her hands and arms in its feathers or fur. Jared wasn’t certain what this creature was, nor did he know anything about a griffon.
Since Scarlet didn’t know much about them either, it was merely a guess, but he had nothing else to enlighten him about the massive creature. Scarlet positioned them behind it while it continued evasive maneuvers to knock the pest from its back. Carla might have been a tick for all the jostling did to dislodge her.
The fierce determination of this tiny woman impressed him beyond words. They’d known this wouldn’t be an easy task, but this might’ve been more than Carla had bargained for. Yet she handled it like a trooper, refusing to give even the slightest inch to failure. Her courage and strength of resolve spoke well to the remaining colonists. If everyone behaved in such a manner, their efforts to get everyone bonded might go faster than originally thought.
Their only hindrance was a lack of crea
tures worth bonding. Sure, Scarlet’s brothers were on the way, but already several of them didn’t want to bond. They had forty-four people needing companions. Only Carla had found something worthy of bonding. In a best-case scenario, only nine of Scarlet’s brothers would accept a human companion. That left thirty-four more creatures to find.
“Dive under them, quick!” Jared’s heart leaped into his chest as the griffon flipped upside down, and Carla’s tiny form detached from its back. Only her vise-like grip on the creature’s fur kept her from falling to a painful death. He saw the strain on her face and the white-knuckled grip.
Hold on, Carla, you can do it.
Several tense moments passed while Scarlet maneuvered herself beneath the griffon so they could catch Carla if she fell. Finally, the giant airborne creature righted itself.
Carla wrapped her legs around its back as best she could and reaffirmed her grip.
Why did I agree to this?
This griffon was way out of Carla’s league. When Jared had finally caught a good look at the creature, he’d balked. Even with his enhancements, he hadn’t wanted to get too close. Its beak could easily bite him in half, and the razor-sharp talons looked vicious. Its strong, muscular body barely resembled a bird, but rather the powerful body of a lion. When Scarlet called it a griffon, he’d questioned her at first, firmly believing they were simply a legend, but bit his tongue. Dragons had been only a legend to him mere months ago, so it shouldn’t surprise him more creatures of legend existed.
He’d nearly called off the mission when he’d seen the creature sleeping in its nest. They were in way over their heads, especially Carla. She was no more than five and a half feet tall and barely weighed a hundred pounds. The griffon’s head was as large as her entire body.
When he’d voiced his doubts, Carla had vehemently opposed him. Her heart and mind made up, she had to have this creature as her own.
Jared realized it was partly his own fault for inciting a sense of urgency in everyone about the bonding. When he’d gotten home the previous day, he’d told everyone about their journey and what had happened with the cities.
Home.
There was a novel concept. He’d told everyone it was just a staging area, a temporary shelter, but it felt like home. It could’ve been the people, the place, or a sense of belonging. He didn’t know for certain, but it was wonderful having a place to return to. Though, after this little adventure, he wasn’t so sure they’d welcome him back with open arms.
As Carla clung to the griffon for dear life, a sense of dread pervaded Jared’s thoughts. He wondered if he’d been premature in his wishes. If Carla didn’t survive this encounter, he had only himself to blame. He’d agreed to this too quickly even when Vanessa had expressed her doubts. He’d told her Scarlet could handle the creature and keep Carla safe, but they hadn’t anticipated the speed and agility. It was incredibly fast. Faster than Scarlet could fly. It was all she could do just to stay close enough to catch Carla if she fell. Jared didn’t know why the nanites hadn’t taken effect yet. Or, if they had, then it was a completely different process to the one he’d experienced.
If Carla dies, will Vanessa ever forgive me?
Jared’s thoughts spiraled into despair. Yesterday, when he and Scarlet had approached home, he’d wanted nothing more than to see Vanessa again, wrap her in a fierce embrace, and return the kiss she’d sneaked in before they left to find Scarlet’s family. The anticipation had built to a crescendo, and when they’d finally touched down, he’d found her running toward him with a wide grin splitting her face. She’d thrown herself into his arms, and Jared’s heart had soared. His lips tingled, remembering the kiss she’d planted there weeks earlier.
That tiny jolt of electricity turned into cold fear the longer the chaotic flight through the sky transpired. If Vanessa did forgive him, he’d need to find a way to forgive himself for letting them all down.
Jared snapped out of his reverie when he heard Carla cry out. He focused on her tiny form clinging on with everything she had. He wished there was something more he could do, but every scenario he considered put her in even further danger. In hindsight, he should’ve had Scarlet restrain the griffon from the onset. He’d stupidly thought the creature would just freeze up when injected with the nanites. Clearly, that hadn’t been the case.
Thankfully, it couldn’t twist its head around far enough to get at Carla on its back. If that’d been the case, Jared would’ve had Scarlet bring it down even if it’d be more dangerous for Carla. She needed to survive the encounter, or everything was for naught.
“Scarlet, is there anything else we can do? Can you talk to it with telepathy?”
“I tried. The creature does not understand. In its current state, I do not believe it would heed anything I said if it could. It is scared, angry, and in pain.”
Jared grunted in frustration. He hated this waiting game with Carla’s life hanging in the balance. If something happened to her, he’d have a hard time looking Vanessa in the eye as the guilt ate away at him.
“Scarlet, can you fly above them?”
“Jared…”
“I’ve got to do something.”
“This is too dangerous.”
“It is, but I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to her. Vanessa wouldn’t forgive me. You can be absolutely certain George would use this to his advantage to sow more discord with the group. No, I’ve got to do more to help.”
Reluctantly, Scarlet climbed above the griffon, and Jared prepared to jump. The creature flipped, and again Carla dangled from her mount. Jared growled in frustration as Scarlet dove beneath them again.
“As soon as it rights itself again, we move.”
One of Carla’s hands came loose.
Hang on, hang on…
He couldn’t take this emotional roller-coaster. Just when he thought she’d fall, the griffon flipped back over.
“She won’t survive another one of those. Let’s move!”
Scarlet flew above them, and Jared jumped. He landed on the griffon’s back and straddled Carla, wrapping his arms around her. He grabbed fistfuls of the creature’s fur, wrapped his legs around tight, and secured Carla to its back. His enhanced strength would help hold them in place if it flipped over again.
“Carla, are you okay?”
She didn’t respond, but Jared felt her squirming beneath him and knew she was still conscious.
“Carla?”
Jared craned his neck around to see her eyes closed and moving in a silent prayer.
“Carla, can you hear me? Nod if you can.”
Still nothing. Jared grew concerned after several more attempts to speak with her.
“Scarlet, she won’t respond to me. I can see her lips moving, but it’s like she’s in a trance.”
“Perhaps it is the bond finally taking effect.”
“How is she clinging to its back if she’s not aware of her surroundings?”
“Instinct?”
“I don’t know…maybe? Just be ready to catch us if we need to abandon it. I’ll jump straight off its back so follow below and behind us.”
“I will be ready.”
Jared knew he’d need to tell everyone about this experience when they got back. He hated to do it, but everyone needed to know the dangers involved. He knew this was yet another reason George would speak out against him. The man had largely shut up when they got to their new home, but small things made Jared realize he still worked against him. It wasn’t as brazen and open as before, but George had managed to sow seeds of doubt in people’s minds. They’d started questioning Jared’s choices.
Vanessa assured him she’d take care of things and make sure there was no doubt in people’s minds. They only needed to remember he’d saved them from the lake.
Jared had his doubts since George could turn the tables and suggest he’d on
ly rescued them because he knew they were there and hoped to use them as pawns in a larger game. Jared really hoped no one believed that. He’d done nothing to show any malicious will toward these people, but after everything the water folk went through, it was tough to take the word of a stranger when compared to someone who’d spent a decade imprisoned with them.
“Scarlet, can you still reach Vanessa and Elle from here?”
“Yes.”
“Good, can you send them back home please? I…don’t think we should leave everyone else alone for long. There’s nothing they can do here anyway.”
“I relayed your message.”
Both had come on the trip to capture the griffon. Elle had come because she knew the way, as she and Kitty had explored the path a few days prior. Vanessa had come because she didn’t want to leave Elle’s side, but Jared hoped another part was she didn’t want to leave Jared again so soon after his return. He needed to have a long conversation with her after this. They owed it to themselves to figure out their feelings for one another.
A part of him longed for a relationship with another human and he really wanted it to be with her. The feeling actually surprised him. He hadn’t realized he had anything left to give. For years he’d wandered aimlessly, avoiding human interaction. Now, he hoped for a relationship and realized he did have room in his heart to love another.
“Scarlet—” Jared’s next words died on his lips as a familiar high-pitched whirring noise reached his ears, “—get down!”
Jared flipped backward off the griffon, putting his trust in Scarlet to catch his fall. He wrapped his arms around Scarlet’s neck and they rocketed toward the creek running between the cliffs. Thankfully, the griffon leveled off and there didn’t seem to be any threat of Carla falling off, but there was still a risk of discovery from the drop ship.
“Carla! If you can hear me, you and the griffon need to get down and out of sight!”
Jared lost visual on them when Scarlet entered the gorge and abruptly flared her wings to halt their rapid descent. A shared worry emanated between them. Jared dared not fly out of the ravine to see if Carla had gotten the message or been able to control the griffon enough to send it down. A jolt startled him, but it was only Scarlet landing on an outcropping. The moment they landed, she tucked her tail and wings close to her body and made herself as small as possible.
Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Page 1
