Night of the Dragons

by Miranda Martin

  This stuff is miraculous!

  I finish the plant off and look up at the dragon-men, grinning in my happiness. They smile back at me as I wiggle down from Anguis's arms, feeling like skipping, like doing cartwheels.

  "I feel great!" I exclaim, taking a step in that warm water. I did not expect it to feel that warm. Weird. But just as I'm getting my bearings with this new burst of energy, there's an odd rumbling sound. I frown as the ground trembles a bit under us, the water rippling. What is that?

  The dragon-men immediately move into place, surrounding me with their bodies, facing out to defend against . . . something. My heart is racing as my eyes dart around, trying to see down either side of the tunnel. I'm adding this is another reason not to enter dark, underground areas.

  The rumbling gets louder, as does the shaking of the ground. Whatever is making that sound is getting closer. Fast. As the dragon-men raise their weapons in preparation, their strong backs tense, I know a couple things by their reactions and the sound.

  It's something big.

  And it must be terrible.

  16

  I don't know what I'm expecting.

  But I'm certainly not expecting for those . . . things . . . to just burst up from the ground like they do, sending water and mud flying. Something close to a dozen worm-like things explode out of the ground, their flesh-colored hides covered in thick, overlapping protective scales, their mouths agape, showcasing row upon row of glistening, sharp teeth arranged in concentric circles.

  And they aren't small. Maybe just under a yard in diameter and about three yards long, they're hefty to say the least.

  I huddle in the middle of the men, my eyes darting from side to side as I try to avoid being hurt while the men hack and slice furiously, engaging before the worms have a chance to attack. Not that I think they weren't going to attack anyway. With teeth like that, they're definitely carnivorous. And we're readily available meat. I shiver at the thought as I see Fire's blade slide harmlessly off one of the scales and cry out as he darts to the side just in time to avoid some kind of fluid the thing spits at him. It lands on the rock behind him and I watch it sizzle, partially eating away at it. Okay—don't let them spit on me either.

  Emerald swings at one of them, his curved blade slicing right through the section where the plates overlap below one of their heads. Its head slides clean off.

  I swallow bile as I look away, just in time to see Anguis chop one in half, again at the intersection of the plate scales.

  Before I have a chance to react to that, Mikhos shoves me aside as one of those things lunges at me, its mouth open and ready.

  Anguis steadies me, moving me behind him as he bludgeons one of them in the head with the other end of his bladed staff.

  I lean back against the rock behind me, using it to steady myself and to make sure nothing can attack me from behind. I don't want to distract the men with another attack when they should be focusing on their own safety. The guys are slicing and dicing for all they're worth, staying loosely arranged around me to make sure none of those monsters can get to me.

  If they can just kill a few more, maybe we can start inching out of here. The ground rolls underneath us so hard that I stumble to the side despite the support of the wall behind me. What the hell is that!?

  I have my answer almost immediately. Unfortunately. Another one of those worms shoves itself out of the ground with a tearing, crumbling sound that I can feel in my gut.

  Only this one is the size of a freaking house.

  I scream as all of us are crowded to the side of the tunnel when it takes up all the available space. The earth above us starts to cave in, its movement and entrance destabilizing the tunnel. The other side is caving in as well.

  The men shove me back farther behind them as they step back, all of us trying to keep our feet as the thing in front of us keeps thrashing, too big to get at us effectively in that small area. It’s taking up too much space for the any of the men to get at it, especially with the tunnel basically collapsing around us, dirt now raining down along with strands of that glowing plant.

  We need to get out of here. Like, right now. The others must have the same thought because I feel someone grab one of my hands. And then someone else grab the other. I stumble behind them as they tug me along, ducking my head and trying to protect it from the falling debris. The other two come behind us, defending our backs as we fight our way out of that section of the tunnel.

  But that thing doesn't want to let us go that easily. We all hear the sound of loud scraping. Mikhos and Fire are yelling something. Before I know it, Anguis throws me over his giant shoulder and I crane my head up to look behind us.

  I bite back a scream as I see that house-sized thing barreling towards us, widening the tunnel around it, its mouth open wide, teeth glistening and dripping with its caustic saliva. That mouth is large enough to swallow any one of us whole.

  Mikhos and Fire are running behind us for all they're worth, which means Emerald is the dragon-man next to us. Mikhos and Fire's faces are grim as they run as hard and fast as they can, Anguis keeping up with no problem, his extra strength helping him carry me through the tunnels without a discernible change in his pace.

  Mikhos shouts out an order and Anguis turns right at the first intersection we reach.

  The creature follows right behind us, its bulk turning easily. This is its territory after all.

  And I have my answer about the giant animal that must have dug out this network of tunnels, don't I? Shit. The end of the tunnels is still some distance away.

  We had to travel down pretty far for that plant, which I'm now sure is what we came here for. They're all risking their lives for me. We're only down here because they were so worried about my health.

  My heart is pounding, my eyes locked on those teeth, staring down into that dark maw of death as these thoughts dart through my mind.

  Is it closer than it was before?

  Mikhos shouts another direction and we take a left, the sound of the men's pounding feet drowned out by the rumbling scrape of that giant worm chasing after us.

  Yes, it's definitely closer.

  I hang on tight, trying not to move, not to be an even bigger burden as I also keep my screams down, not wanting to distract Anguis or draw more attention from that thing.

  I don't know when it dug these particular tunnels, but it must have grown since then. They're collapsing around it as it rushes towards us, destroying the integrity of the hard-packed earth as it ignores intersections and moves sinuously, not bothering to stay within the pre-set paths.

  Closer still.

  It's gaining.

  My hands grip Anguis tightly, my nails digging in.

  How much farther do we have to go?

  As we turn once again, I pray Mikhos remembers the directions correctly. If he doesn't, we're done for.

  I know this chase is going to haunt my dreams for some time. The darkness, the maze-like tunnels. The giant monster chasing us. Assuming we get out of this alive, of course.

  Wait. Did it just get warmer? And is that a breeze? We take one more turn and then the light gets visibly brighter. Yes! We must be nearing the tunnel entrance!

  Anguis puts on another burst of speed and the tunnel changes into the rock of the cave we entered from. And then we're outside! Out of that nightmarish network of tunnels! Finally!

  I feel relief rush through me. Definitely preemptive. I don't know what I was thinking. That we'd reach the ground above and be free of that thing, I think. But it doesn't stop just because we're not underground anymore.

  It collapses the cave we entered from behind us, and then Anguis stumbles as the ground starts to sink in as well. He yells something and then picks me up and literally throws me to Emerald! I let out a short scream as Emerald snatches me from the air, far enough away from the cave entrance that he's on solid ground.

  Anguis rights himself and hurries over along with Mikhos and Fire, who I'm glad to see have also mad
e it out safely.

  Emerald puts me down as the four of them fan out in front of the thing.

  Now that we're not running anymore, it moves vertically.

  I tilt my head back to keep it in sight as it rises up.

  And up.

  And up.

  Shit.

  I stare at it, at how stupidly big it is.

  The ground sinks in around it, a significant portion of its body still underground. It’s left a trail of destruction behind it. I would never have believed that those smaller ones were babies until this thing showed up. And I can see it even more clearly now in the daylight. Unfortunately. Its scales are even thicker than its smaller counterparts, plates of armor that run up its length, slightly shiny and glistening in the light as it angles its head down at us.

  It looks like something out of a nightmare, but running away isn't an option. It's followed us all this way, and I doubt it'll let go of the chase now. It doesn't waste time attacking. My breath catches and I step back as it darts down, moving liquid-fast, faster than anything that size has a right to move—straight towards Emerald.

  Emerald darts to the side as Mikhos rushes in, stabbing directly into the thing's mouth. It makes a horrible grating sound as it pulls back, whipping around to spit at Anguis out of nowhere. He darts to the side, that acid liquid hitting the ground right where he'd just been, eating away at it until there's a small crater in the ground.

  Fire uses his wings to get up high as the thing lunges down towards Anguis, stabbing down into the gap between one of the scale plates, revealed by the movement. It thrashes, throwing Fire to the side as Anguis attacks the head and Mikhos attacks its rear, Emerald coming in to get its underbelly from the front. I watch as they leap into the air, fighting like the cohesive unit they are, their wings flaring, their blades slicing through the air.

  Emerald deflects the thing’s attention when it looks like it might get Fire. Mikhos shoves Anguis out of the way when it gets too close. They all have each other's backs as they work to destroy that thing, stabbing and slicing strategically. The acid splashes a little on Mikhos, and the thing manages to body slam Fire, but they're all basically unharmed as the thing bleeds from between its scales and from its mouth, the small wounds starting to accumulate. The tide is turning, the worm slowing down as the pain and the bleeding distract it.

  Then they go in for the kill. Mikhos distracts it, drawing it down in his direction. The other three fly up in unison. They stab down, right into that small gap in armor at the base of its skull. Mikhos leaps out of the way as the three ride the thing down. It slams to the ground, shaking it underneath all of us as it writhes in its final death throes, making a high-pitched squealing sound combined with that grating one from before. I slam my hands over my ears in a vain attempt to block it.

  Mikhos walks up and stabs up into its skull from inside its open mouth, the others holding it down with their blades. It finally goes still, all four of them breathing hard, their muscles still straining as they stare down at their vanquished foe.

  I'm not staring at that monster now. I'm staring at the four of them. They're magnificent. Better together than apart, though they're each impressive on their own. They belong together, at each other’s backs, helping each other like they just did. They're more than friends. They're family.

  I know with utter certainty that I never want to tear them apart. I never want to be responsible for anything like that happening. No matter what.

  Mikhos, with his steady kindness and leadership, and that intelligence that shines through in every situation. Emerald with his sarcasm and competitiveness not managing to hide that he cares deeply about everyone. Fire with that conceit and natural seductiveness, willing to put everything on the line when needed. And Anguis, with that intense stare and silent demeanor, a strong and integral part of the group despite his few words.

  I watch as they finally relax, saying some quiet words to each other as they catch their breath. My eyes scan their muscled bodies, their relieved faces, feeling a thrill of interest, but mostly just relief at seeing them all in one piece. And I want to keep it that way.

  I don't want them to fight with each other. Especially not over me.

  How can I get them to see that they're so much better together?

  17

  Almost immediately after the monstrous worm is dead, the dragon men start combing the area around the cave, not wasting any time. The cave itself is fully collapsed now, the thing's careening exit making sure of that. It wasn't exactly following us delicately.

  I try not to look directly at it as I walk over to the cave, but Mikhos immediately moves over to me and warns me back with a look and a gentle nudge away from the collapsed earth. I can see his point. I don't want to force them to babysit me even more than they already have to. So I stay in place and just watch as they try to find a way through the fallen rock and dirt.

  It looks pretty damn impassible to me, but they seem determined to find a way, getting dangerously close to the parts of the ground that don't look at all stable. Anguis pulls Kaidan back when a large piece of rock tumbles down, almost taking the smaller man out. I let out a relieved breath at the close save, even more worried for them now as they continue their search. Kaidan gives Anguis a nod of acknowledgment, and then they keep going, trying to dig through the collapsed cave to no avail.

  Even if they could get through the destroyed entrance, how would we get through the tunnels that also collapsed behind us on the way out? They seem to finally come to the same conclusion, Mikhos calling something out in a firm but unenthusiastic tone. The others nod reluctantly, pulling back at the order.

  None of them seem happy about it. Ejder is frowning, cracking his knuckles. Kaidan scowls at the collapsed cave, glaring at it as if he could undo the damage through will alone. Anguis simply stares, his face stoic, his arms crossed over his massive chest, his eyes narrowed. And then there's Mikhos, frustration clear in his expression, in his clenched fists. His reaction tells me how upset all of them must really be that the cave is now impassible. He's usually the calmest of all of them, but this seems to have him feeling not so calm too. He says something else that has all of them moving even farther back, away from the sketchy edges of the ground around the cave and worm-thing.

  They surround me again, and then Mikhos leads us back into the oasis, the mood grim. The roller coaster of emotion over the last couple of hours has given me mental whiplash. I don't think I'm cut out for adventuring. Definitely would not voluntarily join Starfleet. I consider that as I follow Mikhos quietly. He leads us to a small clearing and I take a moment to enjoy the fact that I'm at least feeling better physically. I don't know what the plan is now, but I'm glad I don't have to be carried anymore. For the time being anyway. It's kind of nice when it's a choice, but irritating when it's a necessity.

  As soon as we reach the clearing, the men start to set up camp, their less-than-stellar mood still obvious in the quiet and efficient way they set everything up. Nobody makes small talk or conversation. Not even Ejder. When he comes over to give me some water and I thank him, he simply acknowledges it with a nod before getting back to work. It isn't like him at all.

  Why are they so upset? So concerned? I mean, we got the plant and we got out in one piece, both of which I would count as a win. What am I missing here?

  I watch them start to talk after the prolonged silence, their voices low as they discuss something intensely, Anguis shaking his head and Mikhos laying a staying hand on Ejder when he turns away in frustration. Since it looks like they might be at it for a while, I sit down on one of the bedrolls to continue watching. I wonder if—

  Wait. What is that sound?

  I start to turn my head at the soft rustling behind me, but before I can look fully in that direction, I'm jerked back by my hair.

  What the—?

  I scream, my hands automatically reaching up to try to take the pressure off my scalp as something drags me back, its grip inhumanly strong. My graspi
ng hands hit what feels a massive forearm.

  What the hell is it!? What is this strong? I don't have to wonder long as I'm pulled abruptly back against a hairy, musky-smelling chest, another trunk-sized arm wrapping around my waist in a rough grip.

  Ugh. That is not a pleasant scent.

  Swallowing, I slowly ease my eyes open, afraid of what I'm going to see. I stop breathing when I catch sight of the massive head, the powerful upper body.

  It's some kind of ape. I really jinxed myself with those thoughts of Congo didn't I? It looks like a gorilla, but only has that shaggy fur over the top half of its body and upper arms, baring cobalt-blue skin over its thick forearms and hands, along with the rest of it. I stare at those arms aghast. I thought Anguis had huge arms. This thing looks like it eats steroids for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a side of nails to round things out.

  It's stroking my hair in a very unsettling way, like I'm a cute pet or something. Sharp, dark eyes glance at me for a moment, but then look away again, tightening its already rib-bending grip on me.

  Not daring to move my head, I carefully roll my eyes to one side and then the other as I catch movement all around us.

  Oh no.

  He isn't alone.

  I watch in horror as a large pack of the animals come out of the foliage, their powerful bodies large and silent, their attention on the dragon-men.

  The one holding me grunts something in a deep voice and the others move forward, baring their long, curved teeth.

  The one holding me must be the alpha. Joy. Okay, think. I try to calm myself. My heart is beating so fast, it feels like it's going to burst right out of my chest. But I can't move. This thing just has to squeeze me a tiny bit tighter to do some real damage, and I'd really like to avoid that now that I'm actually feeling better, thanks.

  Come on, guys. A little help here. Just as I'm thinking that, I see a blade flash next to me, silent and deadly, and one of the gorilla-like things loses its head.