by Laura Wylde
“Well, that was still gross,” I muttered.
“Just wait until you develop full use of your tongue. You won’t think anything of it.”
I doubted it. I couldn’t see how slobbering all over her was any worse than touching her beer with a lizard tongue. I never considered this the most beautiful aspect of our creation. Most dragons have a pretty decent tongue, usually forked at the end, and in proportion to their large muzzles. But not an amphibious dragon’s tongue. In dragon form, our tongues can extend over four feet and crack like a whip, but that’s not the most remarkable aspect. We can poison and paralyze or heal with our tongues. When you become an old geezer like Reuben, you become a walking pharmaceutical company, but it takes practice. I’m barely able to discern between basic poison and heal, but I don’t get all my juices until full maturity. In dragon life, that’s seventy-nine years, so I still have five years left to go.
They say I’ll get bigger as I grow older. I hope so. I’m a shade short of standing as tall as Macy, although she doesn’t seem to mind. She smiles at me a lot. She doesn’t ask me about favorite movies or books, although she likes to talk about music. Not about favorite bands, but what music does for her and how she always hears it, especially in the wild. “It’s why I like to get away from crowds,” she explained. “To hear the music.”
I heard music every time I looked at her. I stayed in the pilot’s cabin long enough to watch Reuben saunter up to her – I might as well take a few pointers from the old sea dog –and hand her the glass of bear. He sat down beside her as though he too, was just out enjoying the sun, and she responded by sitting up and toasting his drink. Reuben was smooth. The saltier he looked the more women fell over him. In their eyes, he became a lone crusader, the hero of the seas chasing pirates. That was one way of putting it. If they knew the whole truth, they wouldn’t be making puppy dog eyes, however. They would be terrified.
I went below deck where David and Kauris were huddled like mutineers. David scowled when he saw me. “What took you so long?”
I grabbed another beer from the cooler they were guarding between them. “Me and Reuben were having a conversation. Reuben put a little sleeping potion into her beer. We’ve got the whole night.”
I chugged down what I felt was my just reward for being the middle- man and sighed. “He put the boat on auto-pilot for the Aegean Sea, thirty knots per hour.”
David sat back as though the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. “Good man. AMP wants some answers. Kauris, I want you to coordinate with the water dragons. Find out who is currently holding the palace. We all need to keep our ears open for who created the storm. Have some of the gods returned or was it the making of a demi-god? We need to know.”
Reuben clattered down the steps, cheerfully whistling a tune. “Well, mates. She’s sleeping like a baby.”
David leaned forward and beckoned us into a tighter huddle. “When she wakes, I want her in a completely controlled environment. Reuben, you are to set anchor in the Oceanus Wilderness Reserve. I’ll contact Oceanus Parks and Recreation and ask them to close the park for the day. They still owe me a favor or two. You contact the National Coast Guard and tell them to quarantine the area for twelve hours.”
“No special mission for me?” My voice was half-bitter. They always felt I was too young for special missions and gave me lame things to do.
“There is. I want you to talk with the mer people. Find out where their loyalties lie. I especially want you to keep your eyes and ears open for pilgrims from Eurynome.”
I scoffed. As I said, lame. “What do a bunch of religious old farts have to do with our mission?” I asked.
He tightened his lips and leaned back, breaking the huddle. “Maybe nothing. Maybe a lot. That’s what I want to know.”
The boat sighed as it drifted into place and automatically shut down its engines. David stood up. “Show time, mates. Hit the rails.”
In the dark waters of the sea, nothing stirred except three dragons, wriggling deeper and deeper toward the magical cities where the gods still reigned and where all creatures were mythical and ancient.
Chapter Four –Reuben
As the pilot, I sometimes envied the divers. I operated the boat. I operated the lines. Sometimes, David took over the boat so I could dive, but that’s not with a visitor on board. That woman wrecked him. I’d never seen him come apart so badly. I didn’t really blame him. It was harder to tear your eyes away from her than it was to lie to Wonder Woman. It wasn’t any easier for me than it was for the others, but I’m a crusty old fella. I’ve got my sea legs on. I’ve done wined and dined with the best of the ladies. I know the score, but damn! She sure was something to look at.
Everything about her had been touched by the sun. Her hair was auburn but turned ginger where it twirled around her face and streaked over the top of her head. She tanned well. Her tan was a warm golden color, interspersed with a few freckles. When you looked closely at her face, you saw a few more freckles scattered over her little nose. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and squeeze her tight. Instead, I picked her up as carefully as I could so I wouldn’t disturb her, carried her into the cabin and laid her on a bunk.
She was even more beautiful in her sleep. Her cherry-red lips pouted, slightly open, the lower lip full and glistening. I wanted to taste it, just slightly, with my tongue, but stuck to gentleman’s code. My code didn’t say I couldn’t look, which probably makes me a dirty old man.
When I had gone out to the deck, she had turned over and untied the strap of her bikini top. I had neglected to tie it back when I picked her up. The tiny piece of cloth floated uselessly now across her stomach - her breasts fully exposed. Her breasts were as sunlit as the rest of her. Instead of blushing, the nipples stared up at me boldly from soft, round, golden mounds.
One of her legs had fallen off the bunk and I could see some red, curling hairs creep out from under the bikini. I imagined to myself cupping that mound, my finger exploring inside until it found the slippery clit throbbing with heat and swelling into a small, juicy head. I imagined myself bending over her, holding one of her plump tits, rolling the swollen nipple, and sliding my tongue between her lips, pressing her mouth to mine. She moaned and I blinked, bringing myself back from my fantasy.
She was cold. The night air was moving in. I tucked her leg back inside the bunk and covered her with a blanket. Covered made it easier to concentrate on the things I needed to do. I contacted the Greek authorities and told them to quarantine our coordinates for the next twenty-four hours while we conducted research. We were setting up boundaries. The Oceanic’s would not be happy with their wilderness refuge closing, even if for only a few hours. Some might try to create an incident. If they did, we needed to be ready without any witnesses from the boats that sailed through these waters.
We weren’t extremely popular among the Oceanic’s. They felt that creatures who could live on both land and water were somehow inferior. I fail to understand their reasoning as it seems more advantageous to me, but they said it had to do with creating civilizations. Mer people created civilizations. Land people created civilizations. Amphibians did not. They only borrowed from both to make themselves comfortable.
I suppose in some ways they are right. We like the best of both worlds, but we contribute to the balance. We are the mediators. We keep the land people safe from ocean predators and the ocean people safe from prying land eyes. Of course, since we’re part of the secret forces, not many people know that.
It’s better that way. Land people don’t like mythological creatures – not even dragons. They exterminated so many species, even most of the gods fled. Land humans are peculiar, but now that the gods are coming back, maybe things will get better – or worse. The last god to awaken destroyed everyone in Crete that he could find that carried the smallest fraction of Zeus’s blood. Hyperion escaped this world with the aid of Triton and is now searching for Zeus and Poseidon somewhere in the cosmos. Triton wants to kill h
is father. Hyperion wants revenge on Zeus and their battle zones are ripping worlds apart. It doesn’t matter where they are, once the gods start battling, it affects everyone.
Like the storms that washed that damned seahorse to shore. They didn’t even occur during the rainy season. This was our long, hot, peaceful dry spell. Ships were drowsing in the bay. The tourists were sprawled on the beaches. There was pure, golden sunshine one minute, and the next, clouds gathered from the four corners of the earth, as thick and black as burning charcoal. When the clouds met together, there was a clash of thunder and a lightening flashed like never seen before.
The storms were furious. They pummelled in, one after another, for five days. The sky would be clear. Minutes later, it would turn black as night, with the wind blasting and tearing through the rigging and the rain beating down in torrents. Lightening flashed. Thunder roared. The waves of the sea grew higher and higher, chasing each other madly around.
It was a god battle. There are a few minor gods and goddesses still swimming around in the ocean and there’s nobody seated on Poseidon’s throne. There’s a portal in the palace that can carry you to the distant worlds. That’s how Hyperion escaped. Nobody knows if it is being used or safely guarded. It’s one of the things we’re trying to find out. We’re not as concerned about those who might be leaving as we are about who might step through on this side of the portal. With the gods, you never know.
I left Sleeping Beauty and went back to the pilot’s cabin, where I could watch. I didn’t have to worry about my mates. In dragon form, they didn’t need any assistance with oxygen tanks or pulleys. They slid into the water wriggling like catfish and would be able to stay under indefinitely. My watch was for anybody above or below water who was violating the quarantine.
It was a quiet night with the moon overhead and the ocean sparkling like diamonds. I lit my cigar and inhaled the rich flavor. I’m a grunt. I work hard and get my hands dirty. I don’t ask many questions. I just do what needs to be done, but I like my little luxurious. A good smoke in the pilot’s cabin on a solitary evening was one of those little luxuries.
I was interrupted by a beep on my cellphone. Caller ID said it was the faceless, nameless AMPS director. He had probably tried to call David first, which meant this was important. I clicked on voice. “Hathaway.”
The director has a modest voice, which never fooled anyone. He is a genius. “Can you speak freely?”
“Our guest is sleeping like a baby,” I assured him.
“She’s not the one I’m worried about right now.” He was quiet a minute and I thought I had lost him with our poor reception, but then he spoke again. “There has been trouble in the Aegean Sea, not far from where you are located. An oil tycoon disappeared about twenty nautical miles west of where you’re at while taking his yacht out to see. Two celebrities disappeared from a cruise ship. A local fisherman said he saw a Ceti.”
The cigar didn’t taste good anymore. I tamped out the end and set it in its tray. “The Ceti? There haven’t been any of them around in years.”
“There were, but they were young. They’ve grown up, had children. Now they are moving into Mer space. We need you to find and stop the Ceti, even if it means letting the biologist know the truth. She’s a scientist. She should be able to take it.”
I was a little speechless. “She’s been cleared?”
“Not exactly, but we may have to trust her. You are already in the conflict zone. If you need to take immediate action, don’t waste your time bringing her back to shore first.”
“Now wait a minute!” I said, sputtering. “We’re not putting her in the middle of a danger zone. If things are heating up here, you fire up one of them helicopters and get her out of here.”
“We will if it becomes necessary,” said the Director calmly. “Just do your job. Hopefully, we can get her back to shore without her suspecting a thing.” He clicked off before I could present any more arguments. The evening wasn’t as pleasant as it had been fifteen minutes ago. I needed to wet my tonsils. I needed a beer.
Kauris returned while I was still stewing over the message. He flopped on the deck, still in dragon form, shedding water under the moonlight. When I approached, he swished his tail lazily with his snout pressed against the floor, his eyes half-closed. “Well?” I asked impatiently.
“Well, what?” He asked, his words slurring.
“What did you find out?”
He rolled on his back and scratched his belly. “Female water dragons aren’t half-bad.”
“Blimey!” I chewed my cigar in half, I was so astounded. “You did not spend your time doing them!”
“Doing?” He mumbled. “No. Professionalism, you know.” His words butted into each other thickly. “But my gods! They will do anything for a little juice from my tongue. The good stuff, of course.”
Kauris wasn’t quite the sea-faring man I had thought he was. He had been green with those conniving sea vamps. Female water dragons are extremely fond of drugs. They extract the poisons from sea urchins to turn into a sedative. They send nymphs to steal grapes from the coastal vineyards to make into wine. They even milk jellyfish to produce a mild hallucinogenic. One of their favorite highs is the tranquilizing saliva of cooperative amphibious dragons. I would have warned him if I had realized he had no experience with female water dragons. “Let me see your tongue.”
He opened his mouth and it lolled to one side. I groaned. “Just as I thought. Completely flat. How many girls did you juice up?”
He felt his tongue. “I don’t know. Twelve or fifteen. Does it matter?”
“Yes, it matters! You dunderhead. They juiced you out. How do we explain this to David? It will be hours before you get your juices back.”
“Ugh. You can’t do something?”
He had already lost me a cigar. I might as well go all the way. I fussed through a shelf in the pilot’s cabin, keeping an eye out to make sure Kauris wasn’t watching and brought out a bottle of peach schnapps. I added a bit of saliva and brought the entire pint to him. “Drink it straight down. It will get your juices going in about ten minutes.”
“Thanks, mate,” he said weakly. He sat up and poured it into his mouth in one swallow.”
I spat out the little tired fibres of my tobacco. “You owe me.”
In a few minutes, he had changed back to human form, although his tongue was still hanging out. “Don’t try to talk yet,” I advised. “You’re still weak.”
David appeared while Kauris was still recuperating. “What happened to him?” He asked, nodding. Kauris looked like he was in the fifth day of a hunger strike.
I rolled my eyes. “Female sea dragons.”
“Oh.” He squatted next to Kauris. “Now you know, eh, fella? Were you able to get any information out of them between feeling them up?”
Kauris groaned. “Could I have a glass of water?”
I let David bring him the glass of water. I had waited on Kauris enough.
He drank the water as greedily as he had the schnapps. “There are two houses of the Poseidon clan claiming the palace. In the meantime, the throne room with the portal is being guarded by water dragons and whales. The squids and the seahorses are also on their side, as a neutral force in the battle. The nymphs have decided they are loyalists of Aphrodite and the sirens are waiting for Pontos to reappear.”
“Then it’s complete anarchy. Who caused the storms?”
Kauris was returning to his usual self. He rifled back his hair, which had a habit of falling to one side, and gave a sidelong look with his black eyes. “Nobody knows. At least, nobody’s saying, but there was an explosion inside the palace.”
“Did it damage the palace?”
He gave a jerk of his chin and huffed. “The squids are good builders. They say the damages were minimal and there were only two injuries, a water dragon, and a whale. Both recovered.”
David patted his shoulder. “You did well, mate. Next time, don’t be so generous with your rewards.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” I said, playing the game and giving him a salute. “Our guest is in quarters, still down and out. The coast is clear. And the director called.”
Even Kauris stirred. “What did he want?” Asked David uneasily.
I picked over my words thoughtfully. “While we show Macy the wonders of the sea, he wants us to keep a close eye out for Ceti. There have been reports of Ceti kidnapping… rich people.”
“Ceti?” David spat. “If there’s Ceti around, she’s going back, now. Tonight.”
I shushed him. He was getting loud enough to wake the dead. “They don’t want that. They want her to leave here satisfied she’s seen all there is to see. He said, at the first sign of a Ceti, to phone him and he’ll send a helicopter for her.”
“We tell her, there’s a sea monster. Out you go?”
“No. We tell her there is a dangerous, giant squid. She’s already seen a large seahorse. She’ll believe in the squid.”
“That would explain a lot, actually. She would understand why we’ve been covering up. Where’s Kazan?”
I made a helpless gesture. “He hasn’t arrived yet.”
Chapter Five –Kauris
It was nearly dawn when Kazan came back. A pale streak had appeared on the horizon below the black sky, when the water broke, and his head appeared above the surface. He climbed over the side in human form and shook himself like a puppy. “Phew. That was a rush.” He went immediately to the cooler for a beer.
“You were really pushing your time out there,” said David irritably. “Let me see your tongue.”
Puzzled, Kazan stuck out his tongue. David examined it, then shot a meaningful look at me. “At least, you didn’t get juiced out.”
He didn’t need to rub it in. I folded my arms over my chest and scowled. Kazan pushed up his green-tinted hair. “Who me? Nah. I just got lost. Those mer people get confusing. They sent me in every direction. But the Oceanic’s are nearly all siding with the house of Demeter. About thirty percent want the House of Amphitrite.”
