by Paul Cude
Gathering everyone in, and her thoughts at the same time, she decided to put all her fears to one side about looking weak in front of them, and asked the question.
"As a force, we need to get to London. I suggest we go as one unit until we reach the very outskirts. Then we can split up and concentrate on our own objectives. Has anyone got any ideas about the best way to get there?"
"Can we not jury rig one of the monorail carriages with an independent power supply and go that way?" asked a younger dragon towards the back of the small gathering.
She'd already thought of that, but if she had, then so had they. As well, there was simply no telling how many stranded carriages would be on the line between here and the capital, and no way to know about them until a collision had already happened. Before she could speak, the master mantra maker spoke up.
"Impractical," he bellowed. "Our enemy will already have taken that into consideration."
"I take it above ground would be out of the question?" asked one of the remaining healers.
"I think the same thing applies," answered Richie, "as well as the problem of... THIS!" she stated, pointing at the shopkeeper with both hands.
Quiet acknowledgement rippled through the group, as an elderly female dragon stepped forward into the space at the front. Simply striking, with patches of intense purple fading to deep blue, her stomach edged with a scarlet stripe, she had every dragon's attention.
"We could use the flying tunnels of old," she announced confidently.
For Gee Tee, it was like a light bulb going off in his head, and he nodded his agreement enthusiastically.
'The flying tunnels... of course,' he thought. 'Before that blessed monorail, all we ever did to get around was use the now abandoned network of tunnels that were at that time the only way, other than on the surface, to travel between places. Most were three or four times the width of the biggest dragon's wingspan and served each and every major city, as well as many places in between. Once the monorail had announced its presence, there seemed little or no need for them anymore, so they were just discarded, like so many of us old things,' he thought.
"Weren't they destroyed?" responded Richie.
Before the master mantra maker could reply, the splendid dragon in front of them whose idea it had been answered.
"Not destroyed, their entrances were just blocked up. That shouldn't be too hard to sort out, and it should allow us to fly up to London totally unnoticed."
Richie liked the sound of that!
"Do you know where the entrance to the Salisbridge tunnel is?"
"I do," replied the elderly dragon female. "And it would be my pleasure to show you, and assist in unblocking it."
Richie nodded.
"Well... what are we waiting for?" Eager to get on with things, she let the elderly dragon lead the way.
Twenty five minutes later... they were in! A thick layer of rock which perfectly matched its surroundings, had been laid to waste, revealing a very wide, dark and cloying tunnel. The draught of warm air that had been released when they'd finally broken through had been an invigorating deep lava spa for most of the dragons there. Even Gee Tee seemed to take pleasure from it, puffing his chest out and pulling in great big lungfuls of air. It almost looked as if he were preening and showing off a little. That certainly couldn't be true... could it? And surely it would have nothing to do with the stunning female dragon whose brilliant idea it had been to use the tunnels... would it?
With the small, desperate force ready to go, it was only really a matter of working out who the humans and Richie would travel with. (A polite way of saying... ride upon.)Much to the amazement of all the humans there, Tank had transformed back into his natural dragon form. Sure it would terrify them, to his astonishment, they all came straight up to him to tell him how cool and wonderful he looked. It was indeed a strange old world they lived in. These last few hours had seemingly changed it forever. All they needed to do now was SAVE IT!
Richie bounded up across Tank's left wing, taking up a sitting position astride him, just behind his rippling, scaly neck. Not knowing what lay in store for them in the tunnels, it had been decided that he would fly at the front of the pack, with some of the more physically imposing dragons. Gee Tee and the humans hitching a lift with some of the other dragons, all of whom felt honour bound to take them given their heroics in rescuing them, all travelled in the centre of the small convoy, with the rest bringing up the rear, leaving a solitary few in Salisbridge to search the city for survivors and keep an eye out for any other threats.
Gripping the scales of her friend's neck tightly, Richie glanced over her shoulder at the most unusual group of beings to take up arms together since time had begun. As Tank flapped his powerful wings and leapt into the darkness, followed closely by the rest of the force, she wondered just what awaited them at the other end.
Her serious demeanour cracked just slightly as the darkness closed in around them. Just like the other humans, she couldn't see, couldn't access the so called dragon vision that assisted all the prehistoric shapes gliding all around her. But what had forced the tiniest smile across her face, in the midst of this most horrific crisis, was hearing Hook's hushed words, echoing in and around the tunnel they were all now trapped in.
"Are we there yet?"
50 Get Ready!
Threatening to wake up the city of discarded computer towers at the front of the shop, the loud trilling of the phone echoed all around. Tina, for that was her human name, darted in and around the metal giants, her delicate feet just managing to find little islands of wooden floor as she ran. Eventually reaching the tiny front desk, she hurdled a pile of boxes and reached for the phone. Not out of breath in the slightest, despite her exertions, very politely she announced,
"DJ Hillier computer repairs... how may I help you?"
A voice she recognised followed the briefest of pauses.
"It's nice to know you're still awake... Tina."
'It's Yoyo!' she thought, tidying away some spare computer parts behind the desk, stacking them into their appropriate cubby holes. 'He never uses the phone. How odd.'
"Nice to hear from you, boss. What can we do for you?"
"That SPECIAL order, the one I came to see you about... is it ready?"
Tina thought...
'SPECIAL ORDER! Of course... the suits and the mantra.'
"I believe it's just being finished off as we speak," she replied.
"I'm about an hour out. I need it all ready for when I get there," exclaimed Yoyo urgently. "Also, I might need some of the staff to accompany me on a little... OUTING!"
"Understood," uttered Tina, intrigued about the 'outing' part. We'll see you when you get here."
"See you soon," answered Yoyo, and then he was gone.
Placing the phone back in its holder, Tina raced back the way she'd come, this time leaping computer towers three at a time, sprinting for the secret entrance that led her back to her friends, who were right at this very moment below her, putting the finishing touches to the dragon suits that their mentor had requested. They'd be both nervous and excited when she told them about the phone call, she knew, just as she was. Instead of using the hidden set of stairs, she palmed open the secret locker that was tucked behind an old upright vacuum cleaner, and after pulling open the dented metal door, leapt into the darkness, grabbing a very shiny metal pole and sliding down two storeys in no time at all.
Landing with a thump in full view of everyone else, she stood up and brushed herself down, before explaining what had just happened. Nervous excitement rippled around the room for a few seconds at least. But it didn't last, with the group quickly getting back to work, their minds fully focused on completing their assigned tasks. What would happen next was any dragon's guess, and not worth worrying over without knowing what it was. It would, no doubt, be revealed very shortly indeed.
51 Reaching The End Of The Road
All she could hear was the swishing of wings as the thick, dusty air
washed over her. The darkness was all consuming. Even looking down to where she knew her hands were gripping the scales around Tank's neck, she couldn't actually see them, despite knowing they were most certainly there. Having lost all track of time in the tunnel, she had no idea how far they'd travelled given that she also had no idea of their speed. But she was hoping they were nearly there, if for no other reason than to stop for a drink.
'This heat is soul destroying,' she thought, as sweat poured off every part of her lithe body. 'Still, at least they all seem to be enjoying it.' All around her the flying dragons occasionally roared in approval at how hot it was in the confined space of the tunnel, with some murmuring that they couldn't remember it being like this when the tunnels were actually in use, before the monorail came along. Most seemed to think it was because all the entrances to the tunnels had long since been sealed up, preventing the air from circulating properly.
Gradually, she could feel Tank and the other dragons start to slow. Leaning forward as far as she dared, she spoke in her friend's ear. It was the first time she'd felt able to do so, as for the most part she'd been concentrating on clinging on and after that, the swooshing of wings and the rushing of passing air had made it all but impossible.
"What's going on?" she shouted. It came across to Tank as more of a whisper.
"It would appear that we can go no further. The tunnel is well and truly blocked."
"Have we reached London do you think?" she called, just as Tank landed on the uneven ground.
"I would hazard a guess that we're pretty close to the outskirts," her friend replied, as others around her growled their agreement of his assessment.
By now, the entire group had landed all around them, the humans choosing to dismount their fabulous rides, all thanking the hulking prehistoric creatures who'd been honoured to carry them. With the pleasantries over, it was time for some light in the pitch black, provided of course by the master mantra maker. A mystical fountain of light welled up from the old dragon's hands, while all around him muted admiration from both humans and dragons alike shone out.
"I haven't seen him show off like this in years," whispered Tank in Richie's ear. "I think he might be smitten with the very graceful dragon who suggested the idea of using the tunnels."
Both looked on as the graceful dragon slipped around beside the master mantra maker, eager to learn about the mantra that had formed the exquisite well of light. In the meantime, the dragons who'd been at the front of the pack were examining the rock barricade that stretched across the tunnel before them, preventing the whole group from going any further.
Content to wait for their opinion, Richie stood next to Tank. All the humans came over to join them, breaking out some drinks which someone had thought ahead to pack. Richie was handed a small bottle of water by the diminutive Janice, which she downed in one go.
"That was a blast!" exclaimed Hook, having taken a long slurp of water, slapping Tank high on the thigh. Tank's huge scaly head twisted around, putting itself right in the rugby player's face. For a split second Hook looked mightily unsure of himself, that is until Tank broke out the biggest dragon smile in the world.
"No funfair ride in the world can beat riding on a dragon's back," he opined. All the humans nodded their agreement. Richie stood waiting, for once ignoring the good humoured banter. The dragons turned and came back, disappointment etched across their faces.
"No way we're getting through that anytime soon. Not without letting the whole of the capital know where we are."
As Richie racked her brain about what to do, Tank piped up.
"There was something, a kind of service tunnel or the like, about half a mile back, I'm sure."
One of the others agreed they'd seen something.
"Why don't we take a look?" suggested Tank.
"I'll go," said Richie.
Tank was just about to object, but Richie stopped him by holding up just one finger.
"Let me finish," she pleaded. "I'll go with the heavy squad here," she said, motioning to the dragons who'd been travelling at the front with them. "You stay and look after the others. We'll do a quick reconnoitre and hopefully be back in no time at all. So get comfortable, try and rest, and don't make too much noise. Post a couple of guards as well," she ordered.
Tank nodded, albeit reluctantly. Logically, he knew it all made sense, but that didn't stop him from wanting to go with her. Quickly, she shared the plan with the others and then set off into the darkness.
Tank tasked a couple of the dragons to take a watch in either direction, while they set up a makeshift camp. As well as the fountain of light, Gee Tee managed to produce a raging fire in the middle of their newly formed base, seemingly out of nowhere, procuring its energy from absolutely nothing. Already uncomfortable with the heat, the humans moved way back, while the dragons eagerly consumed the warmth and radiance the flames offered. Tank ordered them all to rest as much as they could, stating that undoubtedly they would need all the energy they could get later on.
All snuggled together, for the first time the humans had a chance to marvel at the situation they found themselves in, whispering in wonder to each other about it, much to the amusement of the dragons around them. After all, they were able to hear every last word with their superb enhanced hearing. This lasted more than half an hour, after which things became much quieter, with all the beings making up this bizarre group choosing to keep their counsel and rest.
Nearly two hours later, the guard nearest the entrance down which Richie had disappeared, alerted Tank's group that they had company. Rising to their feet, all the dragons adopted a fighting stance, with the humans and the master mantra maker protected behind them. They needn't have worried, as it turned out to be Richie's group returning. Tank was more than a little relieved to see her safe and sound, and of course the rest of the group.
Gathered around the fire, much to Richie's discomfort, they explained what they'd found. It turned out they'd reached the outskirts of London, as Tank had pretty much deduced, and had arrived in the urban dragon area of Molesey, close to Hampton Court and some way south west of their objective. In scouting the area, the group had been surprised to find so much devastation around them. Buildings had been looted, ransacked and set ablaze. Clearly, running battles had taken place between two forces, both of which were nowhere to be seen. They had, however, managed to find a source of relative safety... the Hampton Court nursery ring was still intact and untouched by whatever violence was ravaging the dragon domain. The tors on guard there had, on hearing about Richie and her group, offered them the chance to rest and replenish their supplies, which Richie had eagerly taken them up on, hoping that a few more dragons might decide to join her once they knew a little more about what was going on.
And so it was that the small, interesting band of fighters stalked through dusty, uneven streets, moving stealthily from shadow to shadow, always on the lookout for trouble, eventually reaching the temporary respite offered by the nursery ring.
Entering the small but beautifully formed and as yet untouched sanctuary, the young dragons, learning their way in life, were stunned to see actual humans, armed and below ground, bolstering the depleted fighting force. And they weren't the only ones. Whispered gripes passed from tor to tor, most only comfortable about expressing their displeasure to one another, despite most of those around them being able to hear what was going on. For the time being, Richie chose to ignore it, knowing that at the moment she needed all the allies she could get, to stand any chance of successfully carrying out what they were about to do. She hoped that once everyone heard the story of what had happened and how the humans had saved the day, with Gee Tee's help of course, it would bring them around to her side.
So as the small force sat down with all the dragons from the nursery ring and shared their food and water, in her head Richie practised the speech she would eventually have to give.
All around Flash, brilliant coloured lines rapidly slowed, as once more the world swam
into view. Wavering a little, he fought off the urge to be sick as he looked around the dark, deserted concrete runway for any sign that he was in the right place. Exhausted, he decided even if he wasn't where he expected to be, he just had to sit down, for a few moments anyway. So he did, with the cool breeze doing little to stop the sweat pouring off him. He'd had no idea the boots would take such a toll, well, not physically anyway. Draining his reserves of mana, that was to be expected, but he hurt just about everywhere and felt more tired than he could ever remember being.
Abruptly, the faintest of noises rustled out of the darkness from behind him. Instantly he sprang to his feet, forcing the tiredness from his body, willing it to work. Momentarily he thought about taking another step with the boots; it would at least get him clear of trouble, but as far as he knew, this was his supposed destination, and he had no idea where else to go.
Without warning, they appeared from out of the darkness, off to one side of the runway. First one, then two, followed by a whole group of them. In a couple of seconds he was surrounded by over fifteen of them. And by them, he meant... dragons! All in their natural form. Readying himself, his body tensed... just in case.
"You're actually thinking about it... aren't you?" came a familiar voice from off to one side.
A beaming smile broke out on Flash's face as several of the dragons parted to let his friend through.
"Well... you know. Old habits and all."
Yoyo burst into a trot and encompassed the ex-Crimson Guard, wrapping his giant wings all the way around him.
"It's so good to see you again," said the healer enthusiastically.
"I only wish it were under better circumstances," replied Flash, wary of the strangers. Yoyo stepped back.
"It's okay," he said. "They're with me. And I trust each and every one of them with my life, just as I do you."
Turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees, taking in each of the dragons before him, he had but one thought. 'Ragtag bunch of scallywags,' would barely do them justice. Some looked incredibly young... too young in fact. Most should still have been secreted in the nursery ring.
