“What does any of this have to do with the virus?” Tugarin asked.
“Something has been bothering me about this entire attack. The soldiers sent to retrieve Alexis were reluctant and untrained. The only one that even seemed like a real warrior was Cadmus.”
“Cadmus?” Alexis asked.
“That’s the name of the dragon we captured.” Ladon clarified. “As I was saying he was the only one with a warrior’s eyes, but he easily surrendered and then begged for a swift death. None of them seemed like they actually wanted to be doing Fafnir’s bidding.”
“Or he could be playing a game to gather more information,” Tugarin stated.
Ladon conceded that was a possibility. “But I have the feeling that he is at the mercy of Fafnir as much, if not more, than Alexis was.”
“So you are hoping that severing Fafnir’s control would gain you a knowledgeable ally.” Alexis’ shrugged. “It is a definite pro. My concern would be even if we sever the connection, would that be enough to break a lifetime of cultural norms. I got the impression that Fafnir has set himself up as some sort of all-knowing god king.”
“Plus you said that you didn’t want to torture the man if you didn’t have to. You saw what the process did to Alexis. It could be much worse for him. He has been connected for a much longer time.” Tugarin shook his head. “I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
Everyone fell silent, lost in their own thoughts for a moment.
“I think we should try it,” Alexis finally spoke up. “If we sever the connection and he still turns out to be Fafnir’s man then we do what Ladon planned to do in the first place. Nothing changes. But if he is here under duress like Ladon thinks he is, then freeing him from Fafnir puts him in our debt. We can use that.”
“You know there is the possibility that Fafnir will just kill him off before we can finish the process,” Tugarin states.
“Then we are in the same place we have always been and nothing has changed,” Ladon responds.
“I’m not sure I like this. If we go around mucking with people’s nanos without their consent what makes us any different from that bastard Fafnir?” Tugarin crosses his arms with a glare.
Alexis laid a hand on Tugarin’s arm. “In an ideal world you are right. But this world is not ideal. This is war. I’ve had a lot of time to think about this as I battled to keep Fafnir out of my head. His connection has taken away the choice of an entire species. He is using it not only to control but to kill. Is it wrong to invade people’s mind and body without permission? Yes. Am I willing to bear the burden of that necessary evil if it frees people? Yes.”
Tugarin wiped a hand over his face with a sigh. “Fine. I’ll help.”
“Thank you,” Alexis wrapped her arms around Tugarin and hugged him.
42
Cadmus’s eyes narrowed as the group descended upon him in mass. They widened in surprise as Alexis stepped from behind Ladon.
“Get her out of here,” Cadmus growled between clenched teeth. His eyes were shut tightly as if trying to remove the sight of Alexis from his mind.
Suddenly Cadmus’s voice changed. “So you are alive, my dear. I had feared that my onslaught had killed you when the connection broke. But once again you prove formidable. I’m going to enjoy sucking you dry. Your nanos will sustain me for years to come. You should feel priv…”
Tugarin’s fist fired out. It connected with Cadmus’s jaw with an audible crack. The prisoner slumped in his chair unconscious. Alexis immediately closed her eyes and sent her nano machines rushing towards Cadmus’s mind. She heard Ladon’s protest when he realized what she was doing. It sounded far away even though she could feel him right beside her. She knew if they were going to be successful that this was necessary.
“I’m the only one who can hold Fafnir at bay,” Her voice strained with effort. Already Fafnir was throwing his attacks at Alexis’s protective wall. “Just get it done before we lose him.”
Ladon picked Alexis up while Ryuu and Tugarin carried Cadmus. They quickly headed to the medical area. Ladon laid Alexis on one bed, but refused to let go of her hand. Cadmus was laid on the med table and was quickly covered by the device that Tugarin had used to deliver the virus to Alexis. Once again they were pushing the limits of a body to cut off Fafnir.
“Is this going to hurt Alexis?” Ladon asked Tugarin.
“She already has the virus in her system so she shouldn’t be bothered by a second exposure. Her nanos have already been reprogrammed, so she, in theory, should be fine.”
“In theory?!” Ladon squeezed her hand.
“Just do it, quickly. Something has changed. Fafnir seems stronger for some reason. I don’t know how much longer I can hold him off.” Alexis rubbed her temple with her free hand.
With a few adjustments for the size of the new patient, Tugarin injected the virus in multiple places across Cadmus’s body. For a moment, nothing happened. Then Cadmus started convulsing and Alexis started screaming.
Instinctually all three remaining males sent nanos out to assess what was happening with Alexis. Each saw what was happening differently. Ladon saw images of a metaphorical battle in his mind. Alexis was the avenging warrior woman protecting the innocent masses. Ryuu heard Alexis’s voice as if from far away in his head telling him that Fafnir was trying to kill Cadmus and possibly her. Tugarin had the clearest picture as his nanos diagnostic ability allowed him to see her nanos trying to protect Cadmus’s nanos that had shut down to reprogram from the remaining nanos still under Fafnir’s control.
The three men pushed nanos into Cadmus’s system. They helped push back the Fafnir controlled nano machine. It soon became clear that while it would weaken Cadmus for a while the safest thing would be to physically destroy the remaining enemy nanos. Led by Alexis’s nanos the others herded the enemy nanos into a single area. Unfortunately, Fafnir was smart enough to collect the nanos he controlled in the nervous system, specifically Cadmus’s brain. If they weren’t careful the destruction of the nanos that hadn’t reprogrammed could cause permanent damage.
The group paused their onslaught, unsure what to do. They needed to save Cadmus, if they had any hope of finding out what the hell was truly going on. In the end their choice was taken from them.
Fafnir must have sensed that he was going to be defeated in this battle because the nanos he controlled started destroying Cadmus’s brain tissue. The poor man’s body jerked with violent seizures. The group couldn’t hold back any longer and started to systematically destroy the occupied nanos.
It took nearly an hour as they chased the last few down, but ultimately they removed the last of the Fafnir controlled nano machines, leaving Cadmus with a diminished number of nanos only under his own control.
They all pulled out, except for Tugarin; and Alexis collapsed against Ladon in exhaustion.
“We have got to figure out a better way to do this,” Alexis panted. “I can’t keep doing this for an entire race.”
Ladon held her close and caressed her hair. He didn’t say anything because he wasn’t sure that there was another way to do this. That was a question for the researcher and the scholar.
“He’s stabilized,” Tugarin said as he finally pulled out of Cadmus. “There is brain damage, but we won’t know the full extent until he wakes up. Hopefully over time as his remaining nanos build back up, they will eventually be able to repair the damage Fafnir caused.”
“Go get some rest while you can. There is still a ship floating in orbit out there and no telling how many more Fafnir has dispatched.” Ladon picked Alexis up to carry her to bed as he spoke to the others.
“I’ll take first watch,” Ryuu said. “Someone should keep an eye on our guest. I can monitor the orbit as well.”
Ladon nodded and carried the sleeping Alexis to the guest quarters she had been using. He retracted his uniform and crawled into bed next to her, pulling her flush against his body. He vowed that one day soon she would be able to rest and recover. Maybe they would
take a luxury vacation where their every whim was catered to. Or perhaps a secluded island with just the two of them would be better. Ladon fell asleep planning the vacation they both would need after this.
43
Alexis was sitting with Cadmus, the weapon Ladon insisted on her having sitting on the table next to her. She still had difficulty controlling the information her nano machines glean when she sends them into someone’s mind. She tried to explain to Ladon that she knew Cadmus was a good man and the weapon wasn’t necessary, but still he insisted. She finally gave in to give him piece of mind.
A groan from the bed brought her attention over to the patient. Cadmus’s eyes fluttered until he finally opened them, promptly shielding his eyes from the light in the med room. Alexis dimmed the lights.
“How are you feeling?” she asked quietly.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Cadmus’s speech was slightly slurred and Alexis noticed that the right side of his face dropped slightly.
“It’s alright.”
Cadmus tried to sit himself up in the bed. “No he could use me to get to you.”
Despite his weakened state Cadmus tried to help her.
“Shhh,” Alexis pushed him back down into the bed. “Search within yourself. Fafnir can’t reach you anymore.”
Cadmus let her lay him back down. He closed his eyes with a frown and turned his concentration inward. After a few moments, his eyes popped open.
“How?” Tears shimmered in Cadmus’s eyes. “I’m free.”
He settled back into the pillows and his eyes drifted down. Alexis knew from experience that he would be exhausted until he got a good night’s rest.
“Where are the males?” He asked.
Ladon would probably be upset that she answered truthfully to a possible enemy; but Alexis knew that Cadmus was now theirs not Fafnir’s. “They detected some activity from the ship. They had hoped it would remain dead in the water, so to speak, for a bit longer.”
“No…” Cadmus struggled to a sitting position and swung his legs over the bed. Before Alexis could stop him, he tried to stand. His body was not only weak but the right side didn’t respond as easily as he had expected and he fell to the ground.
Alexis got her small frame under an arm and struggled to help him stand. “You haven’t recovered yet. You should stay in bed, especially with the trauma to your brain from expelling Fafnir.”
She sat him on the edge of the bed and he grabbed her wrist with surprising strength.
“You don’t understand. I need to talk to your mate,” Cadmus’s voice was urgent. “Now!”
Alexis shook her head and laid Cadmus back into bed. “Okay. I’ll bring him to you.”
“Hurry.”
Alexis turned and ran out of the med room.
“Location of Ladon,” she called as she ran down the hall.
The research facility responded with a mechanical voice. “Control room three.”
“Direct me.”
Lights began flashing along the wall and Alexis ran in the direction they indicated. She burst into the control room just a few minutes later.
“Alexis!” Ladon jumped up and rushed to her. “Is everything alright?”
Alexis was promising her inner monologue that they would be joining a gym in the near future between gasping breaths. She had always hated running.
“Cadmus needs to talk to you. When I told him that you detected movement from the ship…”
“You what?” Ladon growled.
Alexis waved a dismissive hand, “Chew my ass later. This is an emergency. Go talk to him, now.”
“Sit!” Ladon barked at her as he pointed to a chair. He then turned and marched towards the med room.
When he opened the door, Cadmus groused at him.
“Took you long enough.”
“Alexis said what you had to say was important so here I am,” Ladon crossed his arms and glared at Cadmus.
Cadmus sighed, “I get that you don’t trust me. I wouldn’t in your shoes either. But I am trying to help.”
“So help,” Ladon took a chair across the room and sat.
“Our squad was a new formation. To be honest, my men and I were meant to only be cannon fodder while they prepared the real attack.”
Ladon leaned forward, “I’m listening.”
“You know that Fafnir likes to experiment, right?”
“And he doesn’t care what happens to his experimental subjects either,” Ladon nodded. “That hasn’t changed in the eons since my last encounter with him.”
“Yeah well, he has had centuries of unchallenged control over a huge population he could use as experimental subjects on a whim. In the last few decades he has been obsessive about creating the perfect soldier. Unfeeling, super strong, and ultimately loyal.”
Ladon looked thoughtful, “You’re saying some of these experiments are on board that ship, aren’t you?”
“Not some…just one.” Cadmus wiped sweat from his brow, inwardly cursing his own weakness. “Believe me, all it takes is one. The damn thing is a monster and almost impossible to kill. It is more nano tech than organic.”
“So what are you suggesting we do?”
“Run…Just one of those things could lay waste to the majority of this planet.”
“Fuck!” Ladon jumped up and started to pace. “I can’t let something like that run amuck on this planet. Like it or not, this is our home. Not to mention the humans would be slaughtered.”
Cadmus sighed, “I kind of figured you would say that. But I had to give you my warning anyway.” He laid back down and rolled over. “You broke Fafnir’s hold on me; something no one else has been able to accomplish before dying. That is a miracle in my book. Maybe you have another miracle in there somewhere.”
Ladon stopped his pacing and watched Cadmus’s shoulders slump. He thought he heard the man say that at least he got to die free. With one last look, back at the man on the bed, Ladon walked out of the med room. He needed to talk to the others. He didn’t believe in miracles, but he did believe that a good strategy could win despite overwhelming odds. It was time to come up with some plans.
44
Ladon was rushing towards the common room that the rest of the group was in. A great boom was heard and the earth shook, knocking Ladon to his knees. He stood and ran towards Alexis. He had to make sure she was safe. His reached out through the nanos that connected them and felt that she was startled but alive and she was getting closer.
Ryuu, Tugarin and Alexis met Ladon in the hall.
“Sensors spotted the main ship orbiting right above us.” Tugarin said.
“Evidently they decided to attack,” Alexis said as she hugged Ladon closer.
Ladon shook his head. “There was only one explosion. That’s not an attack.”
“Then what was that?” Ryuu asked.
“If Cadmus is to be believed…something much worse.”
Ryuu opened his mouth to demand further explanation when a monstrous roar of dragon challenged echoed through the facility. The roar was so powerful that Alexis had to cover her ears. Everyone knew that the sheer size of the creature that produced such a sound must be massive.
Ladon kissed Alexis passionately and held her tightly in his arms, “No matter what happens please remember that I have never loved someone the way that I loved you. Gaia blessed me when she put you in my path.”
“Why does it feel like you are saying goodbye,” Alexis’s voice cracked. Ladon was emotional ad his walls weren’t up as strong as they normally were. She felt his resolve to face whatever it was that Cadmus had told him about and he planned on doing it alone so no one else would have to die.
“No,” she whispered as tears gathered in her eyes. “No, you can’t, Ladon.”
Ladon looked down into Alexis’s eyes and held her gaze. He then closed his eyes and laid his forehead against hers with a sigh. Once last caress of her cheek and he then pushed her into Tugarin’s arms.
“Keep her safe,” he sai
d as Tugarin nodded.
Ladon then turned to walk out of the research facility. Alexis struggled against Tugarin’s hold screaming for Ladon to stop and find another way. When Ladon disappeared from her sight she turned on Tugarin and beat his chest.
“Damn it! He plans on sacrificing himself. He believes that he is going to die!” Alexis screamed as pushed against the immovable blue dragon.
“He’s doing what he must to keep you safe, Alexis.” Tugarin shook her in anger but held her tenderly when she fell against him sobbing. “Honor his deep love for you and don’t make this more difficult for him than it already is. He can feel you through your connection. Give him strength, not grief. Grief can come after if the worst happens.”
Tugarin rubbed Alexis’s back and stroked her hair until her cries subsided. He may have scolded her, but he understood. She and Ladon were bonded mates. Humans would call it a true love match. Many Drakonians had glorified the bonding to the point that they believed it to be some mystical power surge. But the real power was the lengths people were willing to go to for someone they truly loved.
Suddenly Alexis pushed away from Tugarin. His initial reaction was she was going to go after Ladon, but she took off in the opposite direction. It left him and Ryuu just standing in the hallway unsure of what to do next.
Ryuu sighed and gave Tugarin a slight grin. “Sometimes those two can make you feel right useless; can’t they?”
Tugarin gave a gruff chuckle, “I suppose we should prove we aren’t useless.” He looked down the hall in the direction that Alexis disappeared to. “She’s going to get information from Cadmus. We should gather information about what is outside and what weaponry is available.”
“Her bedroom is down that direction as well. How can you be sure she is going to Cadmus? She maybe going to worry in private.”
Tugarin leveled a look on Ryuu.
“Okay, you’re right…Alexis wouldn’t cry in private, she would try to find a solution.”
Tugarin clapped Ryuu on his back, “You go see what the monitors are saying and I will figure out what we can use as weaponry. By the time we are done, Alexis should have her information.”
Breathing Fire (Drakonian Chronicles Book 1) Page 18
