Drakon_Awakening

by Erik Schubach

  She was soothing my mind with hers, and she spoke, “I can't let you Myra. He'll kill you.” I nodded. But I couldn't let Mei die.

  I tried to shield my mind from my protector. I angrily said, “Fine. I'm going to bed. I don't want to see you right now.” I pushed away from her and stomped into my room and locked the door.

  I pulled out my phone and the card Blaine had given me the first time we met. I looked at the door, trying to shield my thoughts and made the call.

  Chapter 8 – Elemental Fury

  I was able to bend the security bars on the bedroom window just enough to squeeze out. My strength seemed to be getting greater as time progressed. I could see like it was daylight outside and I could smell the the FBI agents patrolling the perimeter. That made it child's play to slip out between them. I had left my cellphone in the room so I couldn't be tracked.

  I felt guilty for running out on Quinn, but I couldn't let Mei die. I left the card with Reginald's cell number on the bed beside my phone for Quinn. I wish I had remembered I had that yesterday, maybe they could have tracked Blaine and stopped him before he could get to Mei.

  He had expected my call and as I thought, Steamboat Springs was just a ruse for the FBI. He wanted to meet me at a pumping station at the Chatfield Reservoir. It was the water supply for the city. The closer I got to my destination, the angrier I got. How dare him use an innocent woman to get to me?

  I was within sight of the reservoir when the portion of my mind that was connected to Quinn went from a concern for me and for Mei to an almost panic and anger at me. I smiled fondly. She just found out I ditched her. A question was pounding in my head. Like she was asking me where I was. I just tried projecting serenity and reassurance to her that I did not feel.

  Then I saw her. Mei was just calmly standing on a platform overlooking the water of the reservoir, with that damn knife to her neck. She smiled and waved to me when I stepped out of the shadows. About twenty thralls stepped out from behind some structures between us.

  I called out as I marched toward them with confidence I didn't feel. I was on the verge of hyperventilating and it was all I could do to stop myself from shaking. “Blaine! Show yourself!”

  He seemingly stepped out of nowhere and stood beside Mei. He looked to have more grey in his hair and little crows feet at the corners of his eyes. He was holding a gnarled wooden staff that even from here I could see was covered in runes similar to those from the Morgan la Fay writings.

  From what I remember about the myth of her powers were that they were the opposite of druids, whose magics were those of nature and life. Hers were something darker, they originated in death.

  His thralls started moving toward me. In an instant, my entire body was covered in orange, blue, and yellow flame. I could feel my claws extend. “You said me for her! Let her go!”

  He put his hand out to her and she handed him the knife but stayed by his side. The thralls charged at me. On instinct, I growled and flame erupted from me. Before it struck the men, Blaine slammed the base of the staff on the ground and a huge wave grew instantly behind him in the reservoir and the water streaked forward to intercept my flame. In a hissing steam, my flames died as I was drenched in the onslaught of water and it knocked me tumbling across the ground. I was instantly on my feet again. I felt Quinn's urgency double. She knew the battle had begun.

  The thralls were soaked and I saw the runes on most of them had washed off. They looked confused and started running away. Only a couple remained with the mark. So, the mark gives him the control, and it can be removed.

  Blaine laughed as he tore his shirt open, showing a claw shaped burn scar on his chest. “You've already shown me you were a fire elemental.” He tapped his staff. “Making it easy to counter with a water elemental staff.” He was so smug and sure of himself. Then his face turned dark. “I have the shard, now I need your heart.” His lip went into a snarl as he started walking toward me with a knife.

  I watched as the distance between him and Mei increased while I formulated a plan. He needed to be closer. I chided him. “You're lookin' a wee bit worse for wear since our last meeting. Why are ye needin' the Fire Stone and the hearts of dragons.”

  He smirked. “So you realize what you are now? You have what belongs to me and I intend on taking it back.” That was cryptic, I had nothing of his.

  He was far enough now. I curled my lip back in a snarl. “You're making a mistake, forgetting what I am.”

  He smirked. “A dragon? I've killed more that you can imagine.”

  I burst into flames again and hissed, “No! A Queen dragon!”

  He instantly struck the staff on the ground and another huge wave came toward me. I raised a hand and it stopped in mid air. I could feel it, I could feel the nature power in the water, the energy flowing through it like it was an extension of me. Just as I could feel the fire, and something else. Something huge, what was it? The very ground around me? I was an earth elemental as well?

  I grinned at the shock on his face as the wave split, a small part of it drenching Mei and the remaining thralls, removing the bloody runes on their foreheads. The rest formed into a fanged water serpent that slammed into Blaine, sending him crashing through a wall of a storage building.

  I grabbed the staff he had dropped and I burned it into ash in my flaming hand. I was now charging full tilt with my enhanced speed toward a confused and terrified looking Mei. I heard an explosion behind me and turned my head to see the rest of the the wall of the building I threw Reginald into had been disintegrated. He stood there, bloodied and enraged, raising some sort of gnarled twig toward me as he chanted something.

  I put out my flames as I reached Mei and slammed into her, knocking us both into the reservoir as a sickly energy went blasting past where Mei once stood. I could feel the fetid rot and perversion of the mystical energy as it passed.

  As we hit the water, I grabbed her and pulled her to me and willed the water to help. A swirling vortex of water formed into a whip that encircled our waists and dragged us across the surface at incredible speeds.

  After we had crossed the reservoir, I had the water deposit us on the shore. A gasping, panting and terrified looking Mei looked at me. “What's happening Myra?”

  I was so tired and I just gasped out. “It's ok now Mei... you're ok now...” I looked around. My eyesight sharpened to see Blaine watching us from far across the water. He started running for a vehicle. “We need to get out of here.” I was so exhausted, but I was willing myself to move. Even so, she was slower than me and was slowing us down.

  I gave her a crooked smile. “I'll be apologizing for this up front now.” I grabbed her and threw her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and ran as fast as my augmented speed and strength could provide.

  She was trying to talk over the jarring of my running. “What... is... going... on... Myra? I had... the worst... nightmare.”

  I shook my head. “Twas no nightmare. Blaine got to you and he made you a thrall.” I heard her gasp at that and could feel her crying now. Shite. I'm a feckin insensitive eejit.

  I got us to some buildings and had to set her down. I collapsed beside her panting and gasping for air. Then she swung her head at me. “You're... you're a dragon?”

  I shrugged. “It appears so. Through no fault of me own, mind you.”

  My body was screaming at me to sleep. I couldn't believe how exhausted I felt. All of that elemental magic had drained me. Yes, I had resigned myself to admitting that it was magic. But we couldn't afford to rest. He was on his way. I looked at the building. I'm a fool! I punched the window and it shattered, scales appeared across my hand where I should have been cut by the glass.

  I helped Mei inside and I followed and grabbed the phone on the desk. I needed Quinn, I needed her safety. I was about to dial 911 when a couple black SUVs came screeching up to the building. I could feel Quinn's panic and anger and concern as she almost dove out of the lead vehicle. Agents flowed out of the vehicles with weapons drawn
.

  I poked my head out the broken window and the flood of relief from Quinn flowed through me as she came running up to the building. She kicked the door open and ran inside. Before I knew it, she had yanked me into a hug. “Don't ever do that to me ever again you stupid woman!”

  I smiled at her through my fatigue. “But ye found me somehow.” I glanced back. “I got Mei, ya know.”

  Quinn put her forehead against mine. “Yes, you did.” I could feel her hot breath on my face, smell her scent of safety. I stared at her lips as I basked in the concern and compassion she was feeding me over our link. My last thought was that I just wanted to kiss her, then I collapsed as the world went black.

  - - - -

  I was walking down a cobblestone path toward a great cavern in a mountainside. I glanced over and Caragh was walking beside me with her hands clasped behind her back. She looked smug. “What?” I asked playfully.

  She grinned. “I knew your soul tasted familiar. You truly are my child. It is my spirit inside you. When I saw you take on Georgios, wielding multiple elements, I knew. But you still hold back, you must embrace yourself. Let the dragon out or he will win.”

  I looked at her. “You saw me fighting Blaine?”

  She nodded and tapped my chest. “From within. His name is not Blaine it is Georgios of Lydda. They made him a saint for his treachery?”

  I was getting more confused by the second. “Reginald Blaine is Saint George? How is that possible? What did he do to the dragons? I thought you and he were in love.”

  Her face got dark. “I was in love. Let's talk no more of that vile man.” We entered the cavern and there were hundreds of people and a small medieval looking village inside.

  She smiled at me. “Welcome home Queen Myra. Your children wait for you.” There was a warm feeling of love radiating throughout the cavern. I smiled.

  My eyes fluttered open as I awoke. Quinn was sitting above me with her face close to mine. I was on the bed. I could feel her reprimand building in my head as much as her relief. I squinted an eye. “Hi?”

  She squinted back. “Don't you hi me! Do you have any idea how reckless and foolhardy that was! You had me worried to death you bullheaded woman! That was a stupid thing you did.”

  I nodded, looking down. Then she continued, while raising my eyes to meet hers with a finger on my chin. “And brave and selfless. Mai filled me in. But that doesn’t make you any less infuriating!”

  I nodded like a wee girl, staring at her lips as she reprimanded me. They were just soooo.... She paused. “None of that now. I'm trying to stay mad at you. And be careful, one of these times I may just take you up on it.”

  Oh my lord! I was really blushing hard now. I looked at my hand, it was wrapped in gauze. I squinted my eye at it in confusion. She chuckled. “Some of the sexiest scales I ever did see are living under there. Don't let the other agents see.” She shot a playful wink at me and the heat from my blush doubled. The trollop!

  I was so uncomfortable, my bra was almost cutting the circulation in my shoulders. I blushed again and reached under my shirt and took my bra off. Quinn grinned a bit. I'm glad this is feckin amusing to her.

  She tilted her head. “You ready to go out to see the others?”

  I crinkled my nose. “Others?”

  She grabbed my hand then paused. I loved the feel of it in mine. She seemed to change her mind and moved her hand to my elbow instead. I could feel her reluctance to release my hand, that made me internally smile fondly at her.

  She led me to the door saying. “Thank you for leaving the card with Blaine's number. We were able to track you to the Reservoir. I could... feel you, from there. He's discarded the phone now.” Then she opened the door and led me into the living room of yet another safe house. It looked to be a high end hotel suite. There were three other agents in the room as well as Henry, Mei, and James.

  I smiled as I looked at James. The dense bloke finally went and got himself a clue. His arm was protectively around Mei, who had a bandage over the cut on her neck. Mei shot me a knowing and happy smile as she squeezed in closer to James.

  I glanced at Quinn, who only said, “Can't have the bastard using anyone else from your team against you. Your parents have agents assigned to them in Seattle.” I relaxed a little knowing she was looking out for everyone I cared about.

  Henry spoke up, “Please, can someone explain to me what we are all doing here?”

  One of the agents looked at Quinn and she turned to Henry. “A man, Reginald Blaine has made an attempt on Doctor O'Connell's life and drugged and kidnapped Doctor Kamia in an attempt to get to Doctor O'Connell. So until we capture him, we need to keep her team in protective custody so that Blaine doesn't try something similar.” Henry was almost in shock over the revelation.

  I nodded, it was all basically the truth. All she left out were the little facts about magic and dragons really existing. She shot me a reproving glance for my line of thinking. I grinned a little in response. Her speech was for Henry and the other agents since James and Mei know about me.

  Then Quinn addressed the other agents. “ Why don't you guys secure the corridor and get Henry situated in his room. I need to debrief the others before they go to their rooms.” I grinned again. Very smooth Quinn.

  Chapter 9 – Blood Tie

  After Henry left we all sat down in the couches in the seating area. Mei cuddled into James in one as Quinn sat beside me in the other. It didn't escape my attention the way she sat. Subtly and slightly forward on the couch, positioning her body ever so slightly between me and the others. Even now she was protecting me whether she knew it or not.

  Before Quinn could speak, Mei spoke meekly, “Thank you Myra. I was stuck in that nightmare and couldn't do anything about it. It was terrifying because I couldn't tell if it were real or not. You really kicked Blaine's ass though. I didn't know you could do all of that!”

  I blushed. “I didn't know me-self. And don't be blowin' it all out of proportion. I didn't kick his arse, I was just runnin' away in style.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, because of me.”

  Quinn was on her cellphone as we spoke and her face went white. I could feel the sudden apprehension. I looked at Quinn as James asked, “Would someone explain to me what happened, I'm only getting bits and pieces here.”

  Quinn replied, “I don't think we can keep things quiet much longer.” She grabbed the television remote and changed to a local news station that was in the middle of a report.

  The anchorman was saying, “The explosions lit up the night sky. We got some grainy footage from the pump house security cameras. We don't know if this is a hoax but the footage is unbelievable.”

  The black and white security footage started playing. You could see Mei standing on the platform with the knife to her own throat. You couldn't quite make out her face but of course we knew it was her. Then she waved at someone off camera. A moment later I stepped into the field of view. Again, it was too grainy to see it was me.

  There was no sound. I watched silently as the thralls poured out of hiding between me and Mei then I was yelling something and Blaine seemed to fold out of space beside Mei. I watched as the thralls charged and I burst into flames. The visage of a wingless dragon of flame enveloped my body instantly. The force of its manifestation knocked over steel drums and crates nearby.

  I seemed to spew flame from my fire serpent's mouth toward my attackers. I couldn't pull my eyes from the screen as Blaine's water attack killed my flaming apparition and knocked me to the ground. But I rolled to my feet gracefully.

  I appeared to be taunting him as he approached me, the camera got a good shot at his face, and even though it was grainy, it was recognizable as him.

  Again I burst into flame but more violently this time as some of the nearby crates exploded. Blaine's second water attack stopped as I raised my flaming claw. Then I made a splitting motion with my arms and part of the wave hit Mei and the last two thralls. The water serpent I formed was majestic on
the video as it slammed into Reginald and drove him through the wall.

  I was almost a blur as I hurled myself toward Mei, extinguishing my flames as energy lanced out from the twig a battered Blaine was holding. It missed us by mere milliseconds as I knocked Mei and myself into the water below.

  They played the video for a few seconds longer as Blaine ran up to the platform and looked to be screaming in frustration. Then the anchor was back, prattling on about the local police being hindered in their investigation by federal investigators. And how this may be a military experiment gone wrong.

  Quinn shot the television off and we were all silent for a minute. I was anxious after watching that. What the hell was I thinking? I finally uttered, “Feck.”

  James was shaking his head with an amazed smile as he looked between the blank TV screen and me. Quinn started nodding and said, “Holy shit Myra. That was sort of amazing. How did you know you could do all that?”

  I shrugged as I blushed profusely. “I di'n't, it was all instinct.”

  She smiled at me and I could sense her warm feelings. She powered up her computer on the coffee table. “Well, I was trying to keep all of this from the bureau but it is pointless now.”

  I was frightened. “I don't want to become a government lab rat!”

  She was nodding. “I know, and I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen.”

  She pulled up a few files on me including security video of my first encounter with the shard and she forwarded them to the bureau. She looked at me apologetically. “I'll profess that there was so much going on that I didn't have time to file the reports. Maybe this way I can keep my assignment and protect you through whatever is about to come.

  Mei was looking at Quinn in an accusatory manner. “They wouldn't would they?”

  My protector just shrugged as she pulled up a couple new case files from Interpol and skimmed them. “I really have no clue. But it seems the others are manifesting too and Interpol can't keep a lid on it. The whole world is about to know. And it looks like there have been seven more shard incidents in the past two days. Interpol is confiscating the Fire Stone from Dublin as we speak to contain the 'outbreak'.”