“It sounds incredible! I can’t wait until I have a companion and can do the things you do. I feel weak and helpless as I am right now.”
“Vanessa.” Jared lifted her face to look at him. “You are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. Through sheer will you helped every person in this colony survive. If our roles were reversed, I don’t know if I could’ve done it. The person you see in me today is not how I used to be. I left my home colony because I couldn’t bear the loss of my parents. I ran from my issues. You...” Jared was at a loss to find the words to convey what he felt. “You faced those trials head on. You became separated from your sister.” Jared pointed a few yards away where Elle sat beside another fire pit chatting amiably with other colonists. “You lost both your parents to Razael. For nearly a decade you survived and willed others to survive beneath a dark, foreboding lake with no hope of ever seeing the light of day again. I hope that someday, I have even half the strength of will I see in you. You are an incredible person, and I’m so glad we can work together to free others from the slavery forced on them.”
While he spoke, tears trickled down Vanessa’s cheeks. They were tears of sadness at the loss she’d endured, but tinged with happiness when she gazed over at her sister.
“Thank you for saving us, Jared. You—” Vanessa’s voice cracked, and she stopped to compose herself before continuing. “You can’t imagine the years we spent under the water. Sometimes when I close my eyes, I panic. Many times, we were so deep in the lake no light made it through, and it was endless floating in nothingness. We couldn’t see and never developed any kind of night vision like you.”
Jared drew her closer and squeezed her shoulder. “You’re safe now, Vanessa. I’ll do everything I can to protect you and the others.”
Jared held her close while quiet sobs wracked her body. She barely made a sound, and it didn’t attract anyone’s notice. Jared saw the scars left behind by Razael, the veil of strength and willpower she put on for everyone else, gone.
He admired her strength and willingness to put others before her own needs, but it was clear to him she needed emotional support and someone to confide in.
The two of them sat for some time, enjoying each other’s company. Slowly, the rest of the colonists filed into their rooms until only the two of them remained. They didn’t need to share words. The mutual feelings of contentment and belonging were close to euphoria. Something both used to think was far beyond their reach.
Every day, his feelings for Vanessa grew. At first, he’d felt like a guardian and had a strong desire to protect and nurture all of these people, Vanessa included. Over time, those feelings had morphed into a friendship, and looking forward to their next meeting. He enjoyed being near her, talking with her. In this moment, with them side by side, and his arm around her, Jared knew their friendship had turned a corner and a seed of love started to blossom in his heart. He gazed at her form snuggled up to his side and knew he never wanted her to leave it.
“Vanessa, I—” Jared began, but Scarlet’s thoughts intruded into his mind.
“Jared, we are back.”
“Sorry, Scarlet just told me they’re back from the hunt. We’re going to head back to the old colony tomorrow, and I’d love it if you came with. I…want to spend more time with you, and maybe we can talk more about, well. Us.”
“Thank you, Jared.” Vanessa sounded out of breath, and her cheeks flushed slightly. Standing on her tiptoes, she wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly.
Jared returned the hug before he turned and headed down to meet up with Scarlet and the other companions.
He didn’t expect Attis would suddenly understand him, but perhaps Scarlet could share a thought space with him and show what they spoke about. Once he finished here, he needed to find Carla and make sure they assigned any new nanites before sleeping. Although he could make the trip down to the valley floor in two swift jumps, Jared took his time, activating Clear Mind while walking. If he used it enough, it might be easier to convert it into a passive skill.
The walk down was insightful. Scarlet had explained active meditation, but he hadn’t tried it until now. It was surreal for him to be processing the act of walking, breathing, blinking, watching, and listening all at the same time. Things he’d taken for granted when managed by his subconscious now found their way into this purview. It wasn’t as though he needed to manage them, or force them to happen, but focusing on them helped to quiet the cascade of other thoughts running rampant through his skull.
The descent passed rapidly, and the clearing came into view. Scarlet sat in the center with Attis just in front, facing her. Kitty paced off to the side weaving in and out of the desiccated trees. The moonlight cast the area into shadows and the white of the trees stood in stark contrast to the pitch black of night. Jared paused to admire the amazing creatures. The moon reflected off Attis’ feathers like a polished surface. Scarlet appeared a black hole, drinking in the surrounding light with only her molten eyes and burning veins standing out like burning sentinels and tiny rivulets of lava. Kitty’s pacing amongst the trees made her look like a shadow flitting through night.
Magnificent. What will this place be like when everyone finds a companion?
Approaching the trio of otherworldly beings, Jared called out so as not to startle the griffon.
“Scarlet, Kitty, Attis!” As one, they turned toward Jared, and Kitty stopped pacing through the trees. “Kitty, you can go find Elle if you’d like. Scarlet and I can take care of things here. Also, have a chat with Elle about nanite assignment if you gained any tonight. She’s got some new plans for increasing her mental.”
Kitty growled in agreement and silently slinked off into the night. Turning his attention to Attis, the creature stared at him. Its expression neutral, it didn’t shy away from his approach.
“Scarlet? Is it okay for me to speak with him? I don’t want to freak him out if I talk into his mind.”
“It is okay. I spoke with him at length, and he accepts it, albeit grudgingly. His mind is primal, and he does not understand human speech. You may have better luck projecting images and thoughts through physical contact, similar to how we used to do it.”
“Can I even do that? I don’t...” Jared’s brow furrowed in thought. “I’ve never done that with anyone but you. I assumed our bond allowed me to do that?”
“It does, but I believe you reached a point you can project the same to others. It will not be as effortless but should be possible.”
“All right, I’ll give it a try. Attis?” The griffon’s head twisted to the side in recognition of the name given to him by Carla. “Yes, that’s good.” Jared pointed to him and said, “Attis.” He then placed a hand on his chest and said, “Jared.”
Slowly, Jared approached him with his arm extended in front of him. Although eyeing him suspiciously, Attis made no move to prevent Jared from placing his hand on the griffon’s side. As gently as possible, Jared spoke into his mind.
“Attis, my name is Jared. Scarlet is my companion.”
Awkwardly, Jared imagined an image of Scarlet and himself with a glowing bond pulsating back and forth between them. Then he showed an image of Attis and Carla with a similar bond pulsing between them. Although he used no words, the griffon understood him to a degree.
Next, Jared showed Attis the conversation with Carla. At least, he tried to show it, but it was more like a bunch of still images in his head bombarding Attis. The creature shook his head at the influx of images, not understanding.
“Sorry, Attis. Let’s try this slower.”
It was a test of his patience for certain. After learning how to eliminate the boundaries in his own mind, this process was almost painful as he severely limited the flow of information. Besides taking it slow, he had to play a game of charades in his mind, acting everything out.
Eventually the creature understood Jared’s c
rude mental performance. Rather than prolong what would prove to be a futile conversation, Jared left the griffon alone. He’d try again after his mental faculties improved.
Scarlet sent him a mental shrug, no doubt understanding his frustration trying to communicate with something that had only ever known instinct and survival.
“It will take time. With as many nanites as he has, it will be sooner than we think, but it is difficult to say exactly how long.”
“Did you get through to him at all during the hunt? He understood pictures, but literally nothing else I showed him.”
“Let me show you.” Scarlet lowered her head to the ground.
Sitting next to her, Jared rested his back against her side.
“Activate your ability before we join thoughts. Compare your mind with mine.”
Following Scarlet’s instruction, he activated Clear Mind. No matter how many times he’d done this in the past few hours, it still felt like a revelation, or a higher plane of existence. It was like his mind was a prison, and in this state of clarity, he was free. He calmed his mind as much as possible before letting Scarlet know he was ready.
In the next instant, his awareness multiplied exponentially. Sharing a thought space had become a common exercise between them over the past month, but with nothing else to compare it to, he’d thought it was just two sides to one coin. Now, however, he compared the vast difference between his ability and Scarlet’s mind. The comparison to his Clear Mind and Scarlet’s own made him realize there was still a world of endless possibilities before him. Before nanites his mind was a mere spark, then a tiny flame with Clear Mind, but Scarlet’s mind was akin to a raging bonfire. It was so infinitely complex it made his mind spin.
“Scarlet, I—”Jared didn’t really know what to say.
He’d felt proud of his accomplishment, but next to Scarlet he was small and insignificant. She’d simultaneously wowed and humbled him in one go. He purposed in his heart to strengthen his mind any chance he got. One day he’d reach the pinnacle of human development and transcend beyond.
“See how my thoughts follow an ordered path? Without seeing the whole picture, it looks chaotic, but immerse yourself with my mind and see all. Trust me when I say it took hundreds of years for me to reach this level of mastery and control. I also needed to grow and mature and that is part of the reason it takes so long for a dragon to hatch. A human mind, yours in particular, is already very mature and developed. The problem stems from humans not using their mind in its entirety.”
“Before I met you and enhanced myself, I’d disagree, but I know you’re correct now.”
“It happens at a young age for humans when they ignore portions of their mind. They learn how to perform tasks, and it becomes a subconscious activity. The mind no longer actively dwells on it, and over time you lose the capacity to use those portions of the mind. You unlocked that access again, and now you must learn how to use it all over again. Only now, you have a much greater capacity to understand, and you have absolute control over your own mind.”
“I have a lot of work to do for certain. Let’s get back to the reason for this exercise. Can you please help me sort through these thoughts and find where you hunted with Attis?”
Scarlet’s thoughts shifted slightly. Not that they diminished or there were less of them, they simply re-focused. Like shifting a focal point from something near to a distant object. It became clear as if it was always there. The implications of always knowing everything in his mind excited and exhausted him. Shaking off the melancholy thoughts, he focused on how Scarlet communicated with the griffon.
She used no words, only impressions and feelings. Urges, desires, instinct, primal desires to kill, and hunger raged through Attis. He didn’t understand speech or any complex thoughts. Images sometimes worked when Scarlet showed them, but it startled the griffon so much Scarlet stopped showing them and focused on her own dragon instincts to guide Attis. It worked better than any kind of rational thought or reason. Eventually, Scarlet found a pack of wild dogs and pushed urgency and the scent of blood to Attis. He eagerly followed in her wake until spotting the dogs on his own. Then, like a rocket, he dive-bombed the creatures again and again until not a single one of them remained. By the time Scarlet and Kitty caught up, all six of the dogs lay dead and Attis ate one. The faint glow of nanites swirled into the griffon, but he didn’t seem to notice, nor did he care as he consumed the meal.
Scarlet broke the connection and Jared returned to his own thoughts.
“He doesn’t really understand much of anything.” Jared’s shoulders slumped in disappointment.
“He understands only survival and instinct. Any of his intelligence comes from learning to survive other predators. The bond made him manageable, but even now he eyes you like prey. However, he knows you are with me, and he fears me more.”
“Scarlet.” Jared looked at her forlornly.
“I know. We have much to do and the task seems insurmountable. Let me remind you that there are twelve of my brothers on their way here. We can all help the others as they bond, just as I did with Attis. Even if my brothers choose not to bond, they will help us domesticate the creatures we find and bond.”
Relief washed through Jared at Scarlet’s words. Without Scarlet and the other dragons, he didn’t think they’d ever be ready to take the fight against the cities.
“They are still two days out?” asked Jared.
“A day and a half. Though, they are taking their time so it may be close to two days for them to arrive.”
“Thanks for helping out with Attis. I’ll let Carla know your thoughts. I’ve asked her to push everything she has into Mind for the time being. At least until she understands the nanites better, and Attis can think about more than his next meal. They’ll also come with us to the old colony tomorrow, and we’ll let them replenish their nanite stock in the lake.”
“They must rest if they are to be ready in time. They will need time to get used to the changes when they wake.”
“I’ll head back up and tell Carla now. I’m having her stay in our room to keep an eye on her throughout the night. Please do the same with Attis.”
Jared turned and headed back to his home. He had an equal amount of excitement and trepidation. If every creature proved as primitive as Attis, they had their work cut out for them.
Maybe I should put more priority into reaching out to the other dragons?
If they had the other thirty or forty air, water, and earth dragons added to their number, then everyone would have a battle-ready companion, and they could spend their preparation hunting and growing stronger rather than finding more creatures. He had no idea how many of the dragons would join them. Scarlet was the queen of her kind and still several of her brethren outright refused to bond.
Sighing, Jared trudged up the rock wall. Yes, we’ve a lot of work to do.
The short walk did nothing to diminish Jared’s concern over their current progress. They had several tasks ahead of them, and all he could do was take it one day at a time. By the time he returned to his home, the girls were all in Vanessa and Elle’s bed chatting.
He walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I can see you all are ready to turn in for the night.” He smiled, attempting to put them at ease, but it never reached his eyes.
Vanessa, attentive to his mood, frowned. “Is everything okay?”
He really had tried to put on a facade for them, but saw it wouldn’t work with Vanessa. They’d spent enough time together over the weeks that she picked up on subtle cues others missed.
“Nothing’s wrong exactly, it’s just...disappointing.” Jared explained to them everything Scarlet had said and also tried to show them exactly how Attis thought by sending them impressions through physical touch. He wasn’t nearly as effective as Scarlet, but it was sufficient to get the point across.
Carla looked downhearted, but Jared quickly re-assure her. “Carla, please don’t worry about it for now. I probably expected way too much. My experience with Scarlet didn’t exactly prepare me for anything like this. Truth be told, George and some of the others are probably right.”
“Jared, he’s just trying to get under your skin.”
“Maybe, but why? I mean, what purpose does it serve? He’s right in that we went about this the wrong way and put Carla in unnecessary danger. If we’d waited until Scarlet’s brothers got here, it could’ve gone much better.”
“I don’t know why either. He didn’t do anything like this before…you know.”
“How long did you lead everyone after your parents went away?”
Vanessa shrugged and tilted her head in thought. “I can’t say exactly, but maybe half the time we were down there.”
“Maybe he didn’t try anything because no one would’ve listened to him or cared what he had to say. Now that everyone has their freedom back, he’s decided he wants to be in charge.”
“To what end? None of my people would follow—”
“Damien?” interrupted Jared.
“But Damien came around after a while.”
“He did, but you heard him in there. He was quick to back George up. Worse, there’s others agreeing with him now.”
“I’ll talk with them. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“I hope so. George is still the one person who hasn’t said the vow to protect and uphold human and dragon life. I don’t particularly trust anyone who can’t say a simple vow to protect humankind.”
Vanessa looked torn between a duty to her people and her growing feelings for Jared. She was between a rock and a hard place, and Jared didn’t want to make her choose between the two.
Radioactive Revolution: A Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic Adventure Page 5
