A Dragon's Heart (2 page)

He looked around, disgusted at the unacceptable conditions the humans had given. The room was old and tattered, with plumbing overhead and industrial pipes and beams lining along the walls. The miniscule humans looked at them as an inferior species, when in fact they were an inferior race. With little information given, and the plans to keep it that way, their new dilemma was to find an escape route without drawing attention. Whatever the government was up to, they could not get their hands on the power of the dragons.

“You all are losing sight of the problem at hand. We need to come up with a way to get out of here before you go making vacation plans. Most of the security here we can override without them having a clue. The motion alarms are our only real obstacle. Without using magic, even if we go invisible, we can't avoid setting them off.”

“Why do you insist we refrain from using magic? It is ours. They could never stand a chance against us even if they tried. One dragon could wipe out the whole country if desired,” Peyon exclaimed annoyed.

“Do you not realize the scientific technology they have created? Things have changed tremendously in the past three centuries. Without us knowing exactly how advanced they are, it is a risk we can't take,” Drakk shot back.

“Drakk is right. It is best to avoid any confrontation with them for now. We know they have discovered the celestial cave, and are close to figuring out how to enter past the wards. If they do, they will know our one and only weakness. That is a major problem.” Brakton shifted his weight, still uncomfortable and hating being in human form. The others didn't seem to mind being reduced to a puny little helpless shell, but he did. He was a dragon for shit’s sake. Magic in human form or not, it didn't compare to that of his dragon. Brakton hadn't been himself since being made to stay in this hideous form.

“Bullshit! Why are we cowering to these imbeciles? We are dragons! I do not bow to anyone! We can walk out of here in a casual stroll and they can't do anything. By the time they figure out how to get into the sacred cave, we will have figured out how to remove the amulet. This is a waste of time!” Peyon stomped around the room. He had always been the hothead of the group, and was known for wiping out entire villages for the sins of one man without a second thought.

“Stand down, Peyon! Until we figure out what their plans are, we will all tread lightly,” Gandore growled dominantly. Gandore was the peacemaker of the group who had always defused the hot tempers all of them shared.

“It may be possible to use one of the old cloaking spells undetected, but magic in large amounts is off limits for now,” Drakk suggested.

“Spells? We have reduced ourselves to such lengths as to resort back to the simple amateur spells! This is a disgrace! Next you will tell us we have to stay in this God forsaken form!” Brakton roared.

“Exactly. We will stay in their form to blend in,” Drakk said with a smirk.

“You have lost your mind, and your balls, Drakk! And, how long will that be? A few days? Weeks? Years? How about we just stay like this forever. We can all join a bowling league and reduce ourselves to worthless, wastes of oxygen and space like they are!” Brakton complained.

Before Drakk or any of the others could respond, General Wallace Washburn stepped through the door. His shoulders were squared, his chest puffed, and his expression cocky. Out of all of the humans, this one was the most irritating. He talked and acted like the dragons were mere pets to be commanded. When the time came, he was first on the list to be fried to a crisp.

“This is over. Now, follow me, it is time to start the testing. I will not stand for any more delays.” He held some sort of Taser gun, which seemed ridiculous. It would take a hell of a lot more to take down a full size dragon, but Drakk decided to humor the asshat and see where he was taking them. With a simple nod command, he threw a smirk at the others and followed.

Peyon snorted, grumbling under his breath loud enough only the others could hear, “Bullshit. Bite this asshole's head off and let's get the fuck out of here.” Drakk turned and gave him a dirty look, stopping the young dragon from doing something stupid.

If the General wanted them to follow, they would. It could give them a better idea of what they were up against. A plan started forming in his head as they walked out of the huge hanger toward another sand brown metal structure. It was odd...there were no soldiers around this area like the rest of the base. There were three buildings lined up together, all identical.

“This way.” General Washburn opened a side door that was hidden and camouflaged into the metal siding. Beneath a small panel was a keypad. Drakk focused in on it, magnifying his vision to watch the numbers to the code.
5, 2, 1, 9, 9, 8, 7, 6.
The door popped open with a click, and they all stepped inside. The General was a cocky son of a bitch. He stood holding the door, waiting for them all to enter like disobedient children, or prisoners. Drakk had to grit his teeth, and hope that Peyon didn’t barbeque and eat him as a snack on the way in.

Trevor Langston IV stood beside a huge machine. Amongst the room were different vials, electronics, and other things the dragons couldn't identify. A metal table stood at his side, with huge needles filled with different colored concoctions. Two of them actually seemed to be glowing. Against the wall were cages that held other animals, including monkeys, wolves, and big cats. It became evident at their reaction to seeing them that they were test animals. Each one had weird characteristics, from being totally lethargic, to thrashing and fighting against the cage. A bright blue liquid was in a tank overhead, which went down through tubes to them. Each animal had a hole surgically made and the tube inserted into his or her back in what he assumed was the spinal cord area. The disconnected, glazed look in their eyes made him want to vomit.

Trevor walked over to greet them. From the slight shake in his hands, and his dilated pupils, the dragons knew he was nervous, and lying. “Hello. I am sorry to take up your time, but we would like to do a few simple little tests. Each one will only take a few minutes, and you will be up and ready to go by nightfall.”

As he pointed to the curtain partitioned beds that lined the entire length of the room, a group of soldiers came in from all sides and moved in on them. They all had some sort of metal cuffs, and there was no guessing as to what they were for. Drakk turned and shot a look at the others, knowing that none of them would allow themselves to be cuffed. The troops moved in slowly, weapons in one hand and the restraints in the other, boxing them in with no escape. Moments before they got within reaching distance, the ground beneath their feet began to shake and rumble. A bright, blinding light flashed with sparks flying in a cyclone around Peyon as he shifted into dragon form.

Strong, tall, and mighty, the ginormous beast filled the room. He was a magnificent color, sparkling in the richest blue with turquoise rimming each of his scales. His long mane shimmered in a glossy black sea down the side of his massive neck. Both of his eyes seemed to light up the room in a turquoise hue. His wings spanned out at his sides, sending every last soldier flying. Each wing was black in color, altering in the direction of the light. One low, reverberating, fierce growl was all that could be heard.

Both Trevor and General Washburn covered their ears, wilting to the ground in pain. The troops all struggled, but the years of training and special equipment left them stronger, and more persistent. The Tasers were triggered, firing at Peyon. The leads didn't penetrate his scales but instead bounced off, ricocheting back to tag a few of the shooters. With a full rotation of his tail, all of the soldiers were sent flying through the air across the room, slamming into the metal with enough force little were left conscious. Those who were left standing attempted to trigger the alarms, but Daganth sent a simple thought to them, immobilizing them temporarily.

“Let's move!” Drakk's voice sent them all into motion. With one big ass bright blue dragon, they couldn't count on escaping unnoticed, so obviously the plans had slightly altered.

Xavier, who usually was unaffected by things and for the most part—emotionless to everything, made a dash over to the cages. He had always had a soft spot for animals, and had been the butt of many jokes because of his numerous pets. Jex was insistent on calling them snack cakes or hors d’oeuvres every time he was around, once he smothered his lion with mustard, and wrapped a puppy in tinfoil like a baked potato just to get a rise out of him. Every day, he found another way to take a dig at the softhearted dragon. After smacking a hand full of buttons, he finally found the one that opened all of the cages, freeing the drugged prisoners. They were still attached to the machines, so with a wave of his hand, he released them all, healing the gaping hole that was left in their back. They may be doped up and who knows what, but at least they could be free.

“Really? You couldn't resist, could you?” Jex said somewhat irritated.

“What? Would you want to be left in a cage to live like that? I wouldn't have given a flying fuck if it were humans. But animals? How could they be so cruel?” Xavier's voice rose two octaves, sounding unmanly if nothing else.

“You are kidding, right? Dude, they are freaking spoiled crunch and munch. We can't eat them without getting some sort of mad dragon disease or something.” Jex laughed.

“Jex, I swear I will become the first cannibal of our species if you don't shut your trap. Animals have pure souls, unlike you.”

“Xavier, tuck your dress in. Jex, if you don't quit I will do the honors of rotating the skewer to get you evenly cooked. Now, if you two are done, let's move!” Gandore barked.

Drakk an
d Gandore
opened the hanger door, giving Peyon enough room to get out without taking out the whole damn wall. Thankfully, they had a small window of opportunity. The guards hadn't been alarmed until the group exited the building. Giving the shock factor, the watchtowers all took a few extra seconds to call it in. Peyon bent down enough that the others could climb on, and took flight. It proved to be a bit of a challenge to get enough run space to catch air, and given the extra load he was carrying, they barely made it over the razor wire unscathed.

Just as the bullets started to fly in their direction, Peyon climbed elevation reaching above the cloud cover giving them concealment. Once his speed leveled out, the others took a dive off his back and shifted, falling into formation around him. “Well that didn't exactly go as planned,” Drakk grumbled.

“Thank God we are good at improvising. Nothing ever goes as planned with us. No one became lunch. That is a victory in itself.” Brakton turned to look at the others, soaring through the fluffy clouds in all their glory. Each dragon had a unique color and pattern. He had always felt a strong since of pride as they soared through the sky together, all displaying their colors bright.

“No one likes the taste of shit,” Dag mumbled.

Jex turned and looked at the others, noticing how the tension was still thick. Doing what he does best, he cleared his throat before breaking out to sing “Danger Zone” off the movie Top Gun. After the first few lines, the group had relaxed some and laughed, shoving him into a nosedive playfully.

Twenty minutes later, they landed down two hundred miles from the base for a drink and to rest. It wouldn't be their last visit to the unknown Area 51, but a quick flee had been necessary to stray from the air assault that launched shortly after they took flight. Thanks to all the nifty dragon abilities, the jets were soon set off course and blind as to their location. Invisibility was one of their favorite specialties. Using a magnetic current to screw with electronics was a close second.

Chapter Two

The dragons continued their flight through most of the night, and by the time they found shelter, it was almost daylight. Instead of searching for the closest cave, the group had opted to rent rooms in a little bed and breakfast, knowing the military would be using their radars to search all natural landmasses and caverns. Thank goodness they had amassed a fortune over the years, and had access to their funds at a moment’s notice, the humans had not been given the information. So, with one phone call from a pay phone they were in business.

The men had stumbled upon a small little dinky place with old charm ran by a sweet older couple just on the edge of the city where they had decided to stop. The place sat far enough out of the public eye, but remained close enough to hide right under the noses of anyone looking to find them. So far, there had been no news or public announcements about their capture, and if the military were smart, they would keep it that way. Something was going on, and whether they all agreed or not, they were going to hang around long enough to figure out what. With the sun peaking over the horizon, the clan settled in for a short nap before regrouping to decide what the next move would be.

Around eight, Drakk jerked awake. One of the perks of being a dragon was the additional powers they held, not only could they shift, but each of them had something to help them along to way, it was as if the gods knew they needed something to survive throughout the years. Drakk had always been able to see things. Sometimes the future, sometimes the present, and sometimes the past. However, all of his visions or dreams would lead them to someone or something that would help them. And right now, it was a blessing his night had been restless. It meant that once again they would find someone to help them along the way.

His dreams had revealed a woman...who had insight on what they were up against, and he knew where to find her. Drakk thought he and his brothers were aware of what was going on, but if his dreams were correct, they had no idea the cluster fuck they had just started by escaping. He jumped up and hit the shower, dressing in a rush. Figuring it best they not be seen in a group, he woke Gandore and Jex.

“Hey. Get up.” He kicked Jex who had been nominated to sleep on the floor given his younger age, and he grunted in disapproval. Getting the youngster up before noon was always a task. He was the most like teenage humans, which pissed him off on more than one occasion. The little shit was a royal pain in the ass and had a lot to learn. But underneath all of the irritating pranks and jokes, he would turn into a powerful dragon. As the only red dragon known, he harnessed magic from a place none of the others could. They had yet to tell him to avoid him misusing it, but all were anxious to see what exactly he was capable of. After the first four strings of cuss words thrown at him, he reared back and punted him in the side. “You forget who you are cussing at, Jex. Now, get your ass up now. We are leaving in fifteen minutes.”