by S. R. TABONE
Stokes and Joe arrived at the beach and met up with the Parkers. They all helped to roll the carriage off of the trailer. Joe and Stokes harnessed the unipegs.
“Are you sure about this Dad?” Olivia asked.
“Yes. This is the safest way to the island. We’ve got to evade the dragons detecting us. They will not hear us coming. All we have to do is avoid being spotted.” Alex said.
“What if they do?” Bella asked.
“Here help me with these.” Stokes told Alex. He was at the back of his Rangie. They removed three pump-action shotguns and a box of shells. “We’ll blow them at out the sky Mrs Parker.” Stokes said loading the guns in the carriage.
“I connect the reins.” Joe hooked the reins to the carriage.
“Right get in Stokes said ushering Alex, Bella and Olivia into the carriage.”
“What about Nathan?” Olivia asked. “We can’t leave without Nathan.”
“He’ll sit on one of the front unipegs and lead the way.” Alex said.
“I sit in front Tony.” Joe said to Stokes.
“Okay Joe, hurry up, get on. We have to leave before 7a.m. to avoid the tourists. Stokes grabbed an old west cowboy leather Bull horse whip from the trailer and climbed on the roof of the carriage. “Is everyone ready?” Stokes shouted.
“Yes!” The Parkers and Joe shouted back.
“Then let’s get going! Stokes un-wrapped the whip and, popped it then cracked it on the creatures shouting “HEEYAH.” Their wings and horns came out. They flaps hard and up they flew into the air pulling the carriage up with them.
Over the Irish Sea Joe was missing Snobby but didn’t tell anyone. He wondered how long it would take to get to the Vonberg Island. Olivia felt tired so slept most of the way until she heard the sound of the guns being fired.
Chapter 6: Capturing Dusur
In Nevada U.S. military scientists had been observing the dragon behind a bomb-proof glassed holding cell. They were planning to conduct a number of intrusive tests on the dragon. They were going to put him to sleep so that they could probe at him without him retaliating.
Dusur was afraid of what the people who walked about in white coats might do to him. He knew what Rex might do to him if he got caught but he’d rather take his chances than face what was coming. He sent out the dragon distress signal.
Kinta, a white dragon and head of all the other dragons received the distress signal. He reported the news to Rex.
“Nevada…U.S. Air Force…Area 51.” The Headmaster mumbled as he thought. “Gather 1,000 dragons to capture the traitor and bring him back alive.”
“Yes Master.” Kinta rushed around the Castle calling for recruits for the mission. He also flew to the dragons patrolling the sky, the sea and on the island itself. They set of towards Nevada. They flew at such great speed before any of them realised they had flew over the whole country and ended up on the east coast of America. They slowed to turn back.
The U.S. military picked up unidentified flying objects on its radars. Something big was flying off the coast of New York. An alert was sent out to navy ships in the area. Two fighter jets were scrambled to intercept whatever it was up there. When the jets got close some of the dragons flew towards them. The pilots changed direction but the dragons pursued close behind and breathed fire on the jets. The jets exploded in the sky. The navy found out their fighter jets had been destroyed. They sent some more with orders to destroy the dragons. But the dragons had sped out of the New York area heading for area 51 in Nevada.
The United States Air Force at Homey Airport had been informed of the UFOs heading their direction. Satellite imagery showed the Air Force what they were up against. When he saw the hundreds of dragons just like the one they were holding the air base general ordered 300 fighter jets to prepare for all out war.
When the general viewed the satellite tracking data of how fast the dragons flew he said “Get the president on the phone.” The president was contacted.
“President Trump speaking. Go ahead general.”
“Mr President regarding the dragons. Their speed is too high for our missiles. If they don’t slow down in the sky over us the missiles from our fighter jets will not be able to lock on.”
“What do you suggest general?” the president asked.
“Mr President I would suggest we use the star wars programme and laser them out of the sky.” The general said.
“Will it work?” President asked
“I believe so Mr President. It’s a 5,000-kilowatt laser. We can position the satellite and attack when their flying over the desert so as to minimise collateral damage. Despite their high speed they’ll not escape the laser strikes Mr President.” The general said.
“Okay I agree. Permission to precede general.” The president said.
“Thank you Mr President. I’ll inform NASA of our intentions sir. Goodbye Mr President.” The general said.
“Goodbye and good luck general.” The President said before putting the White House hotline phone down.
The general gave the order to engage the space laser. When the dragons were over the desert area of Nevada the satellite began shooting lasers at them. Hundreds of them were destroyed. Their bodies heated up and exploded. Nearer to the base the lasers stopped shooting. With still over 5 hundred dragons remaining the general gave the order for the 300 fighter jets to take off. Each jet was fully loaded with 6 missiles. The battle was intense. In the end a further 2 hundred dragons were destroyed and 190 fighter jets destroyed. The remaining jets and fired all of the missiles. There was no more the base could do to stop the dragons getting what they came for.
The 300 dragons landed on the base. Kinta stood at the front and waited to be meet by someone in charge of the base. A pair of hanger doors opened and the general walked out towards the dragons with a number of armed combat support officers. When he got close to the creatures an officer lost his mind and began shooting his rifle at one of the dragons. The same dragon was injured. Another dragon breathed fire on the officer and he was badly burnt and died.
“I suggest you order your men to throw their weapons on the ground before I order my dragons to unleash all they have on this airbase.” Kinta warned. The fighter jets begun landing on the nearby runways.
“Men…lay down your arms.” The general ordered. The officers did as he ordered.
“Give us what we have come for and we’ll leave.” Kinta said.
“I—I don’t know what you mean.” The general said.
“Games!!?” Kinta replied. “You want to play games with us. Dragons!” Kinta shouted. “Spread out and find what we have come for.” The dragons ran through buildings, climbed areas of the base, and flew onto buildings and begun pulling apart roofs. They pushed staff aside, smashed through doors, broke glass. Some of the dragons approached the jets that had landed and started breaking them. They searched for Dusur but he could not be found.
“Release the dragon you’re holding. If you don’t we’ll destroy this base. We’ll burn it and kill every human on it.” Kinta was about to order the dragons under his command to do as he warned. Would the general give in to his demands and give the dragon what he had come for or would he risk the lives of all those he was in charge of? Kinta stood on his two lower legs, opened his wings and raised one of his upper legs as is about to signal the other dragons. He pulled a strange horrible determined face.
“Okay! Okay!” the general shouted. “I’ll bring out the dragon you’ve some for.” The general ordered his men to go and release the dragon and bring it to them. They ran to the rear of the hanger and down some stairs. They got into a lift that took them an underground level deep below the ground. They released the Dusur but he still wasn’t able to walk. They placed a flat wheeled trolley under him and pulled him to a loading platform. It rose up to the airfield.
As he rose up he could fill the air becoming thinner. He sensed the other dragons waiting for him. He knew they had come for him, he could sense it within the deepest
of his conciseness.
Part of the concrete ground opened hydraulically. The platform continued to rise but slower until it was level with the ground. The dragons gathered round the opening. They circled Dusur and stared at him. His sight was blurred due to the strong sunlight.
“Daynar, Chulus, Seize him.” The two dragons moved towards Dusur and took hold of his top legs. The other dragons began to taunt him. They cursed him. They mocked him. They pocked their webbed feet about him, their claws scratching into his flesh. He tilted his head looked at the sky and made roaring-screaming sounds a reaction to the pain he felt.
“Get up.” Daynar said trying to lift him to move of his own accord.
“Up! On you feet.” Chulus shouted.
“What have they done to you?” Daynar asked.
“He is injured. He can’t walk.” A scientist interjected. “We think he has spinal damage he cannot walk.” The doctor explained.
“We’ll make him walk.” Daynar said.
“Yeah we’ll force him to stand up.” Chulus said.
“Enough!” Kinta shouted. “If he can’t walk he can’t walk. The main thing is his alive just as our Master ordered. You and You take hold of one of his legs. Dragons! We’re leaving!” Kinta shouted. The dragons cheered and beat chests with the top webbed feet. Some of them breathed fire into the air above them. They jumped off the ground flapping their wings and lifted themselves into the air. Dusur was carried upside down by four dragons each holding one of his legs.
Kinta was the last to leave. He turned to the general and said “Any attack upon us from land, sea or the air and my Master will send 10 million of us to destroy this whole country.” He was lying. He knew Rex only had a few thousand dragons but wanted to scare the general into not resuming the laser attacks.
When the dragons patrolling the sky above Vonberg saw the return of what was left of the 1,000 dragons they roared and breathed fire in the night sky so that everyone in the castle could see and hear their alert.
Chapter 7: Headmasters Hunger for Justice
As the dragons had set off for Nevada the Parkers arrived in the area where the island should have been. Had Alex made a mistake for Vonberg could not be seen. Below the carriage carried by the four unipegs there was blue ocean and only ocean and the whites of breaking waves.
“Where is this island? I don’t see any land.” Stokes pointed out. Alex checked his map again. Olivia tried to use a Sat Nav App but she couldn’t pick up internet connection. China Joe looked concerned sitting out in front on one of the unipegs trying to spot any sign of anything other than the ocean below.
“I’m certain it should be below up somewhere.” Alex said. Hearing him the unipegs circled the area. They circled for hours and hours.
Stokes had had enough of the endless searching he popped his bullwhip the sound echoed on and on between the ocean below and the thick clouds above them. In that moment Bella who had been dozing off to sleep screamed to the sound of the whip action. Alex tried to clam her, Olivia was afraid they might never find the island and Nathan will end up dead.
A mist gathered from the clouds down to the ocean within the area they circled. Within moments the white-grey mist was dense. Its presence came upon the area very fast that none of them had noticed it coming. They couldn’t see beyond the mist. The unipegs seemed unafraid and continued to fly albeit flying blind. Stokes popped his whip again and as quickly as the mist appeared it vanished and there below them as if put there by a hand from the heavens was the Vonberg Island. A self-satisfied grin spread across Stokes’ face as he thought about the treasure, the gold and his future.
The unipegs pulled up suddenly, Stokes struggled to hang on. China Joe shook in his skin when he saw how many fire breathing dragons were racing towards them. Was this how his life would end he thought, burnt by dragon flames? His life flashed before his eyes. He prayed within his soul to Jesus he’d kept hidden within his subconscious for many years of his life.
“God, God O God,” His lovely cat Snobby left alone as he saw himself dying many miles from the comfort of his home. He could feel his armchair beside his electric fire and his television in front of him. He thought about his mother and father long since had they past away. And though most of his life had been a challenge right from being abandoned by his mother and then brought up in a Catholic children's home, he tried to come to terms with the years he’d lived since. The monotonous and pathetic—almost artificial existence—he’d somehow felt he’d experienced all those years. In that moment of split second realisation of all that he had been and all that he was all that mattered was that he survived beyond that moment so that he could go on living for Snobby. In the end nothing but his cat mattered.
As cruel as Stokes was at times Joe owed him the hope he gave him especially when he heard the bang gang banging of the shot guns blasting off from the carriage. Stokes shooting from his position on the roof while Alex from inside the carriage. Bella and Olivia supplied shells to the two. It was working, the multiple metallic shot from the shell cartridge exploded in the dragons faces damaging their eyes and the insides of their mouths. They backed off.
Rex had been viewing the encounter his dragons had been having from his bedroom window in one of the castles towers that housed the largest bell. A rope from the bell hung through his ceiling so that he could pull it instead of having to climb the tower. When the dragons heard the sound of the bell they retuned to the island. Rex looked down into the courtyard. Many of his monsters who had seen what had happened in the sky looked up at him and one of them said,
“If they come, let us deal with them for you Master. Please Master we’re not afraid.”
“Patience my monsters, patience. Go hide and if I need you I’ll shout my orders.” The monsters hid in anticipation.
“Yeah! Woohoo! That'll teach ya to mess with scousers.” Stokes shouted. The Parkers cheered. Stokes told the unipegs to land the platform just outside the castle doors. As soon as they landed, Nathan’s spirit set of in search of his body.
The castle doors opened. Rex stood in the centre of the courtyard opposite the open doors. Stokes climbed off the carriage roof and approached the entrance to the castle holding his shotgun.
“Welcome to Vonberg Island and to Dark Bells.” Rex shouted. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Brutus Rex Barbatus and I am the Headmaster of the Dark Bells Foundation.”
“Year and I’m the Queen of Sheba. Now you listen to me! I’m not here to be educated. I’m here for one reason and one reason only.” Stokes said.
“Guns won’t be necessary here. We’re a peaceful community.” Rex said.
“Yeah right, and flame throwing dragons I’m guessing is your way of showing that” Stokes said with his finger firm on the trigger expecting the dragons to reappear at any moment.
“What is the purpose of your visit?” Rex asked Stokes.
“Treasure, gold and a lot of it.” Stokes said.
“I’m afraid I can’t help you with that since I have no knowledge of any gold on this island. It’s news to me Mr?” Rex said. “I see some familiar faces amongst your party.” Rex said looking each side of Stokes. The Parkers walked towards the entrance of the castle outer wall.
“Are you sure we should?” Bella asked Alex as they were about to step into the courtyard.
“Yes, listen, it is fate, it was meant to be, the unipegs gaining their wings, we’ve helped Nathan and now we have to fulfil our promise to help the other children.” Alex whispered. Hand in hand the walked through the open doors and into the courtyard.
There was a loud bang. The Parkers and Stokes turned to see what caused it. The doors had slammed shut. Stokes turned back and pulled the trigger. The shot seem to go right through Rex. He laughed. But the sound of his laughter emanated above them from a window in one of the towers beyond the courtyard. What was before them was a hologram representing him.
Rex shouted order to his monsters in wait and they appeared in the courtyard. Stoke
s made a run for it and when he saw some of the monsters getting close to him he shot again. He got one of them but didn’t have enough time to reload. One of the monsters jumped him and brought him down to the ground. Another monster bit his lower leg. And another took his shotgun bent and twisted the barrel as if the metal were a stick of liquorice. Stokes was dragged to a holding cage to await interrogation.
A group of monsters held buckets of green coloured slime sauce. They threw it over Alex and Bella. As the slime made contact with their skin it turned thick like sticky bogie snot and prevented their bodies from moving and escaping. The monsters salivated, their stomachs rumbled and growled. They inhaled through their noses slowly and deeply and exhaled out of their mouths making rumbling-roaring sounds.
Olivia asked Joe to help her remove the reins from the unipegs. She climbed on one of the unipegs whose name was Morning-Star and asked him to fly her over the courtyard. She saw more than hundred monsters with blood covered faces but couldn’t see her parents or Stokes. The monsters walked off and the courtyard was empty. Olivia spotted pieces of material she believed had been her parent’s clothes. She asked Morning-Star to land. She dismounted and walked over and picked up some of the material and brought it close to her face. Tears ran from her eyes. Rex who’d been looking on all along laughed out loud. Morning-Star advised Olivia to climb back on that they get out of there as fast as they could.
She wanted to kill Rex. Her anger boiled up inside but she felt powerless, her limbs weak, her thoughts frozen, grieving, her mind in shock. Morning-Star communicated with the other unipegs his intentions to get to safety. As they prepared to fly off they heard thump thump thump, the ground shook as the 80 foot giants closed in around them. The unipegs wondered whether it was wise to take flight. They worked out that on their way up the giants might grab them with their hands that were as big as whole windows. Any other direction other than flying straight up wasn’t an option because the giants had walled around them.
