Dragons of War - Rising Storm

Chapter 2 (2/2)

I was closer to Aaron than anyone I knew, other than Lewis. I had met the two around the same times. Even so, I trusted few others and Dragon Warriors even less. Despite my dreams to become one, I knew their reputations well.

Ruthless, uncaring, lairs, the list went on and on. The favorite being psychopathic.

I met Aaron long before he joined their ranks and he never changed when he became one. I figured that the job just attracted those types of people, it didn't make them that way.

I didn't know the full story.

Aaron turned in his seat and I followed his green gaze to the entrance. Three men came striding in our direction, pushing past people like they weren't there. They all wore matching uniforms to that of Aaron and they crowded in around the booth. I slunk down in my seat, my limbs tensing.

"Server know we're here yet?" One of them asked, he had a scruffy beard and wide shoulders. His clothes had dirt scattered over his shoulders and chest.

Aaron replied yes and then glanced down at me. He shook his head and leaned over slightly so that his shoulder was pressing gently against me.

By now he knew all my tricks. He had to. I would never have made it if he hadn't.

"Who's the kid?" Another man, next tot he first, asked pointing at me. He was considerably shorter than the first and also younger, the same age as Aaron likely. He had black, ear length hair.

My lips trembled when his attention shifted to me and I looked away into the crowd of people around us. They all were absorbed in their own worlds, their expressions ranging from peaceful, excited, to angry. Most wore the common pale green uniform, but a rare few were black.

"This is Jaya, Ben," Aaron replied and Ben seemed happy to hear that. I turned to look at him confused and Aaron turned to me.

"I talk about you all the time to Ben since you're my best mate and I'm his." Aaron laughed and I squinted my eyes.

Why would he talk about me to someone else?

"Well, she sure talks a lot, like you said," Ben laughed.

"Yeah, real funny, but why's she here." The bearded man asked with rigid eyes.

Aarons face shifted and he straightened in his seat.

"I just wanted her to join me since there was quite a ruckus outside the galley earlier." He replied.

The bearded man deepened his gaze into Aaron and then it slowly scanned the crowd.

"So... Is the instructor still mad?" Aaron asked and glanced around the group.

"Oh he's mad alright," the last man to speak finally said something. He was younger as well with uniform features and buzzed hair. His gaze kept above the crowd, he seemed lost in another world until something was brought directly to his attention.

"What did you expect Aaron, him to just brush it off? You know you're going to get it tomorrow." Ben said with teeth flashing.

"Kinda hoped for that yeah." Aaron pursed his lips.

"Next time maybe don't prank the most serious man in the unit then?" The silent man spoke again. A fleeting smirk lit up his face and then he again returned his attention to the crowd. "It won't much matter if they send us out early, anyway," the silent man continued, his gaze lost.

"Always the buzz kill Omega," Ben muttered.

Omega looked directly at Ben with narrow eyes.

Somehow I guessed that wasn't his real name. A sinking feeling settled in my chest with his words.

"Right! Can't mess around with a real Dragon Warrior as much!" Ben sat up in his seat.

"And real Dragon Warriors can't mess around." The bearded man looked over to Ben through the corner of his eye.

"Yeah I think Drew takes the cake with the buzzkill," Ben said and he dropped his head.

"Doesn't that worry you though? I mean it means things are getting worse." Aaron spoke, his voice trailing off.

"Everything is falling apart these days. The Warriors might be ending, the ol' Docs gone missing and no matter how hard we try we just keep loosing." Ben shook his head and folded his arms.

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Did they say the Doctor had gone missing? I only knew one person in the research division, and he was the lead scientist. Worry crept into my mind.

"Now who's the buzzkill?" Omega said.

"The Order gave the doctor an ultimatum," Drew said and all eyes turned to him.

"What?" Aaron asked.

"One of the lieutenants told me that they might be putting it on hold. If he can't make things work better soon, they'll cut the entire project." Drew continued.

"But it's a success!" Ben cried out.

"If you count 2 out of five a success," Aaron said under his breath.

"Hey, I don't know about your group but mine had five out of seven success." Ben boasted.

"Mine was four out of six." Drew.

"One out of twenty." Omega.

The table got silent again.

"Man, that's just fucked up," Ben mumbled and looked down at his feet.

"Lewis is missing?" I took the chance and leaned over to Aaron to ask. The rest of the table, now silent, must have heard me speak.

"Lewis? Do you know the guy?" Ben asked, his expression suddenly bright.

"Jay I wouldn't worry about it, you know how he is, better than anyone." Aaron leaned over and spoke softly to me.

I was worried about it. Lewis's cave looked like it hadn't been touched in a while.

I needed to go check on him.

If those rumors were true, then he wasn't in a very good place right now. His research was his life and to lose that, would kill him.

The thought sent a jolt of energy through me. I needed to find him.

I jumped up from my seat and only turned around when Aaron cried out for me to stop.

"I'm going to find Lewis," I told him.

"You know where he is?" Drew gave me a hard stare and I looked away.

"Yes, he only hides in one place," I replied with a small voice.

The burly man seemed surprised by this answer and sat back with folded arms.

"Just be careful okay? People aren't very happy today." Aaron told me and I nodded.

I almost ran from the galley to the cavern outside, dodging around the many moving bodies on my way. Once I was out and had left the noise behind me I could finally let out the breath I had been holding in. I stood there to look around the cavern floor a story below me and saw that there were few people out. It was late now. I needed to hurry.

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(Authors Note:) 

Here is part 2! The first part of chapter 3 will be out on Friday :) 

Thank you for reading and if you are enjoying this story please leave me a simple comment or even just a rate <3