With the smoke cleared he can finally see the love of his life, his wife, Marie. She's on the ground next to a bolder sized rock, and isn't moving. He runs to her. His legs feel like they are weighted down, and the ground is made of glue. He reaches out toward her, as Adonis steps next to her. A maniacal smile slowly creeping across his face.
"Were you trying to get to her? Let me make that easier for you."
Adonis reaches down with one hand, grabbing the back of her skull. Marie's body reacts lifelessly as he does. Her eyes open, and she fixates on Vernon with eyes of relief. The relief fades as she realizes who’s holding her. She flails around, unable to break free of the hand on the back of her skull.
She screams, "Vernon!"
Adonis snaps her neck as he whips her around, throwing her at Vernon’s feet. His vision gets hazy as he drops to his knees.
"No, no, no. This can't happen, why is this happening."
Vernon screams himself awake.
Marie wakes up startled, and turns to him. “Is everything alright honey?”
“No it isn’t.”
Vernon is breathing heavily, covered in sweat. The images of fire and death still fresh in his mind. It was all so real, as if he was right there. He tosses the covers to the side, and puts his feet to the cold wood floor. The cold feels good. Rubbing his face he prays the dream fades from memory quickly, not wanting that nightmare to ever come to reality.
Marie asks, “Vernon, what’s wrong?”
He tells her about the dream, rocking the floating bed between the pillars which keep it in place as he heads for the bathroom.
“So it was like the dream on our honeymoon then?”
“Yea, except we were in the arena this time, and not on the boat.”
“Adonis is not going to bother us anymore. Your mother and Tyler already dealt with him, remember?”
“Tell my dreams that. One good thing though, this bed is amazing.”
Marie smiles. “Yes this floating runic bed is something that we desperately needed after that trip.”
“I know, that cot bed was horrible.”
Vernon splashes some water on his face, and can feel himself calmer than he was before. He looks back to Marie, who has a smile on her face. He can feel the corners of his mouth creep up, allowing him to let go of the dream. She was right. Which is something he shouldn’t ever let her hear him say or he will never live it down. His mother and Tyler had already dealt with Adonis. It had been four years since he had seen or heard anything out of him. Which was not long enough.
He had been training to become a Paladin of the Astrum government, over those last four years. The Paladin Order was akin to what the Navy Seals might have been back on Earth. An elite military group, but On Eden, there was no need for humans to fight humans anymore. Eden was the new home of humanity since the collapse of Earth over a thousand years ago.
Vernon had just graduated a month and a half ago, and wed Marie three weeks ago. Their honeymoon was on a cruise ship, which hasn’t existed since Earth. The last night of the trip ended with a nightmare very similar to the one he just had. Since they have gotten back, the nightmare seems to come more frequently.
Splashing more water in his face, he leaves his face wet, and comes back to bed. Today was going to be his first day with his unit, Dragon. This was the first time they have allowed a rune caster to join, and he was excited to meet the people he would be fighting alongside.
Staring at the ceiling memories from the last two weeks fade in and out, as he tries to drift back to sleep. Pictures of cats, shopping, lists of names for said cats, and Marie both clothed and not float through his thoughts. He tries to focus more on his naked wife, because he still can’t believe he’s married to her. That and it’s more enjoyable to think of her than the dream he just had.
Morning comes quickly, and Vernon startles awake by a phone call. Tyler, Captain Commander of the Order, is on the phone. That was not surprising. Tyler had been in Vernon’s life for the last four years, and from what his parents had told him, he was a very close friend to them. There was something in his tone that worried Vernon, because being so close to him over the last four years had given him some insight to him.
“Hey Tyler, thanks for calling, but what’s wrong?”
“You’re getting a bit too perceptive with me you know.”
“Well, we have spent a lot of time together.”
“Hmph, I guess. There isn’t any easy way to say this either. I just don’t know how to tell you this, but I’m headed to your place right now.”
“Ok, just tell me. It can’t be that bad.”
“Adonis is the new captain of Dragon.”
“What!?” Vernon starts to shake. Images of the nightmare flash in his mind.
“Like I said, I’m coming over to pick you up. He just got appointed yesterday by the board, and I wasn’t told about any change until after it happened. Those bastards just don’t know what they’re doing some times.”
“What!?”
“I know kid, but don’t worry about it. Adonis isn’t the same person you knew.”
“What!?” Vernon repeats again in disbelief. His worst nightmare, will now be his commanding officer.
“Vernon.” Tyler says commandingly.
This snaps him back to reality. “Sir.”
“Good. Adonis lost most of his memories, somehow. I’m not sure if by amnesia or other means, but I had trained with him some over the last couple of years, and he didn’t know who I was.”
“How could that have happened?”
“Not sure, my guess is when he unleashed those two elemental forms four years ago. Our bodies aren’t meant for that kind of stress. I’m going to be there when you’re introduced today, just in case. Your mother would kill me if something happened to you. That is something I want to avoid.”
Vernon laughs, easing the tension in his shoulders, “Your afraid of her too huh?”
“I have a reason to be. I’ve seen her in action, you kid, you just fear her because she’s your mother.”
Marie had already left for work. This was her first day actually working for Mech, another division of the Paladins. She had gotten in by completing college, and going into robotics. Her design for a retractable set of armor landed her a civilian contract. She did all that just for him, to be close and helpful.
Vernon walks out of his apartment, and down the six floors to wait on Tyler. He pulls up in a bright red car, with a heavy hum flowing off the mag-drive underneath. That hum was always something that Vernon had found comforting. He pauses there, taking in a deep breath.
Tyler opens the passenger door. “Get in.”
“New car?”
“Yea, the old one’s mag-drive was going out. It wouldn’t hover but an inch or so off the ground, and kept scraping the ground on stops.”
“They couldn’t fix it? I though the magnetic drive systems were easily replaceable.”
“They are, but it’s the government’s car. A perk of being the Commander. They just got me a new one, and said something about appearances. Just get in.”
2
Vernon gets into the new car, and looks out past the windshield. His home in New Atlantis shines like a beacon, under Astrum Lake. This place was still all new to him. He had lived most of his life in Saint Anthony Dome, but the Paladin Order is here in New Atlantis. So now he is too.
The drive wasn’t long, Tyler mostly talks about what to expect of the Dragon Squad members. They all can be a bit rough around the edges. Not mentioning anyone by name, just generalities. Dragon’s HQ is close to one of the exits of New Atlantis, making it easier for them to answer calls for any creatures that may attack citizens. The building is shorter than the those around it, and there are no markings anywhere to be seen indicating this was a Paladin HQ.
“Is this the place?”
“This is Dragon, yea. It doesn’t look like much out here. We don’t want the citizens to know they are next to a military facility.”<
br />
“Alright. Any other advice before we go in there?”
“Don’t be super friendly, they know you’re new, a top class rune user, and that I’m here personally to introduce you. They’re skeptical of the whole deal, and with the recent addition of a new captain, they are not happy right now.”
“Where did the old captain go?”
“He died six weeks ago.”
“Six weeks… When I graduated?”
Tyler looks away, “Yea, that’s why I had to go in after you. He died making sure the entrance to the shifted area stayed open long enough to get that dragon into it.”
Vernon remembers those deep mahogany eyes of the dragon he saw that day. Then alongside those are another pair, belonging to a dragon named Dray-Gon. He still isn’t sure if the dragon he met was real, but those eyes have haunted him since.
“Tyler, there’s something I have been meaning to talk with you about.”
“Oh yea, what’s that?”
“On my honeymoon, I went on a HaLO dive.”
Vernon stops as a man walks out of Dragon HQ, and salutes Tyler.
“Commander, sir, we have been waiting for you.”
Tyler looks over to Vernon, “We can talk later.”
Vernon nods.
“Yes, Rhys, how’s everyone doing?”
“Good sir, just waiting to hear you officially give over command to the new captain. Who’s this?”
“This is Vernon Douglas, the new recruit I was telling you guys about.”
“Hey rook, you already licking the commanders heels eh?”
Tyler laughs.
Vernon looks confused. “No, I’ve known the Commander since before I joined.”
“Oh is that how it is? Commander.”
Tyler shakes his head, and lifts his arms in the air. “It’s true, but you didn’t hear that from me.”
Rhys nods. “So rook, you’re the Commanders pet I’ve been hearing about?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right, just get inside rook. I’m sure the rest of the squad will want to see who they are going to have to clean up after for the foreseeable future.”
They walk into the building, and past the entrance is a security door. They each swipe their HaLO across the reader by the door, which then opens. Vernon can hear the bolts slide out from the wall and into the door as the lock is undone. The door swings open, runes glow alongside the edge amber and green. He had never seen a door this size before that was physically and magically locked. As far as he knew rune locks were something of the past and weren’t used anymore. They enter into a hallway, which has a scanner as they walk through. On Vernon’s overlay he gets a confirmation popup:
Vernon Douglas; recruit; Dragon Squad; Confirmed entry.
Exiting the hallway they enter into a large hall, setup like a rec room. There are a half dozen men and women in the room. Rhys waves at them all, talking in a commanding voice.
“Everyone, stop what you’re doing, the Commander is here and he brought his new pet for us to play with.”
Everyone stops what they are doing and heads over to where Tyler and Vernon are. Each saluting Tyler when they get close. Vernon looks at each of them, and there isn’t one that doesn’t have a visible scar of some sort. Some on the arm, face, and a couple with artificial limbs.
Tyler salutes back, “At easy everyone. First I would like to introduce you to your newest recruit. Vernon Douglas, rune caster.”
Everyone looks to Vernon, nods, then back to Tyler.
“The second thing is I am here to inform your new captain, Adonis Augustus, he will be taking over duties starting today. I’m sure you all might have some questions, and I will be happy to answer them.”
Rhys steps forward, “No sir, no questions. We will follow your orders sir. Captain Adonis has already shown his ability to us.”
Tyler nods. “Any questions about the recruit?”
An alarm sounds interrupting the questioning and all the display screens across the rec room switch over to a report, requesting immediate action. There was a drigh hole with recent activity, that started to show signs they may be getting close to the surface again.
Rhys says, “Commander?”
“Dismissed, deal with the alert.”
“Right. Dragon, report.”
A woman answers, “It’s that hole we cleared out two weeks ago Rhys.”
“Again, what’s going on there now Presley?”
“There are a few smaller sized ones at the entrance. The other cameras down the cave are out, and I can’t see down the hole through the outside one.”
“Rookie.” Rhys commands.
Vernon quickly stands to attention. “Sir.”
“We haven’t been introduced, but I’m your first lieutenant, and you’re going to get a special honor today. Follow me and we are going to get your gear.”
Tyler pulls Rhys aside.
Vernon watches the two talk, and can’t really hear what they are talking about, but they did look back at him a few times. He was sure they were talking about him.
Rhys looks at Vernon. “You ready for this recruit?”
“Yes sir, but I thought drigh weren’t a problem?”
“That’s right, you’re new. They are definitely a problem, but we maintain them here at Dragon. It's one of our duties letting the civs go about their days without a care.”
“So what’s the mission?”
“Kill any drigh you come across, and if there is anything worth bringing back do so.”
Rhys waves Vernon toward the back of the room, where another large security door is. This time only Rhys waives his HaLO at the reader.
“This is the armory. Only Presley, your second lieutenant, and I have access. When there’s a mission for us to do you see it on the displays, and come get us to open the armory if needed.”
As the door opens, everything lights up, showing off a polished steel wall and floors. Racks of weapons line both sides of the room, with a work bench at the back of the room. Swords, guns, hammers, explosives, and other weapons of all types are on display.
“So rook, what’s your weapon of choice?”
“A folding blade, with ice and wind runes.”
“Good. That’s a perfect choice for hunting drigh, but don’t count on the runes doing anything for you?”
“Why’s that?”
“They eat magic. Makes them stronger. So whatever you do, don’t cast a single spell or rune. Same goes for your gunlet, no runic bullets.”
“Understood sir, but what am I supposed to use other than my blade?”
“Look around rookie, it’s christmas and I’m the Santa of epic loot. No random number generators here, you get to pick something.”
“So you game too I take it Lieutenant.”
“I do, now get to picking. We need you outfitted quick.”
Vernon looks through the armory and finds a folding blade, a gunlet that shoots .75 caliber explosive rounds, and a .44 caliber semi-auto pistol. He checks the chambers in both then retracts the gunlet back around his forearm. He finds a holster for the pistol strapping it to his side, and a mag-lock belt for the folding blade. A folded up duffle bag, to collect anything strange he finds, and a few additional clips for both guns.
“Good choices,” Rhys says, “Now for the protection.”
Tyler walks over to Vernon handing him a dragon leather trench coat, and watches him put on the visual indication that he is a Paladin. Vernon checks the runes over the coat, making sure they’re in place and active, hoping he won't have to use the coat’s defenses.
“There is something else that I want to do for you.”
“What’s that?”
Tyler looks down at Vernon’s HaLO. “Your HaLO has a combat mode, and I want to turn it on for you.”
Rhys takes a few steps closer.
Vernon asks, “What do you mean combat mode?”
“It helps with targeting, giving your overlay more o
f a heads-up-display feel. You normally have to be approved to use it, but I’m making an exception, since I can’t teach you the signature spell of Dragon Squad.”
Rhys breaks in, “Wait a minute Commander, I thought he could use the spell. I know he's a rune caster, but you ok’d him to join and not be able to use it?”
Tyler shakes his head, “No he can’t, and yes I did.”
“So why let him join? He's going to die in this squad without it.”
“He's a special case, he'll make it through.”
“Then what about that new HaLO we have been submitting requests for over the last two years, why does he have one?”
“This isn’t the new HaLO, he’s had it his whole life. It’s a model similar to the new one.”
Rhys jokes, “Then the rook here isn’t new to kissing ass. He might make a better politician than soldier.”
Tyler laughs, “No, I think sending him to one of their dinners might be more dangerous than sending him into the cave he’s about to enter.”
Vernon wants to mouth off, but keeps his tongue in check. Not a normally easy thing to do. Tyler eyes him, and Vernon gives him a stare but doesn’t say anything. He gives a slight nod which lets Vernon know he’s doing right. It was something he learned at the academy, with Rajini. Tyler was always hard on him when he's doing something wrong, but stays silent when he's doing right.
Rhys looks over to Vernon, “One more thing before I take you to the jump room, rook. Draw your gunlet and sword before you enter the cave.”
3
They exit the armory, and the large metal door locks into place as they do. Walking across the rec room, down a hallway, they stop at a set of stairs. It leads under the building, and into a garage. It ran the whole length of the building, filled with cars, and tanks. Rhys explains how they never have had to use the tanks, but it’s nice they have them there. A few of the dragons they have tackled have almost required them to get them out. The last one being six weeks ago.
Cypher Theorem Series Box Set: Books 1-3, The Zero Class, Shadow Moon, Dragon Fire: A Science Fiction Fantasy Page 40
