Dragons of War - Rising Storm

Chapter 3 (3/3)

Lewis's stare became unbearable and I had to look away again.

"You should leave before curfew, unless you want to spend the night." He finally said.

I looked around in shock but there was no way to tell the time. Was it that late already?

"Do you remember me telling you, a long time ago, about my own dream?" Lewis asked and I turned back to look at him.

"Of course, your dream inspired me to share and create my own," I told him and he smiled. I had to try harder. "I also remember how badly you wanted to prove yourself to those pigs who didn't believe you could do it." I grinned at him and he laughed.

"Don't let them hear you say that!" He scolded me and I cringed, realizing the mistake. Words like that in front of any official and I would have been beaten in a flash.

"But that wasn't the only thing." He went on and I cocked my head. "I wanted to create a masterpiece. An example of everything my work could be. Perfection I guess, is something every artist aspires for."

"Then don't stop aspiring," I told him.

"Don't give up easy do you?" He smiled again, looking at me through the corner of his eye.

"I never give up, if I had I wouldn't have survived this long." I knew it was a mistake to say it, but once I had I watched his smile grow grim again and he nodded.

"You need to go." He waved me away.

"Only if you promise not to give up yet," I told him and stood firm.

He looked me in the eye for a moment and then nodded slowly, a smirk on his face.

I turned to leave but he jumped up behind me and ran over. In his hand, he held a lamp.

"For the wheezing pipes." He smiled and returned to his chair by the table.

I smirked back and watched him for a moment before I left. His final words remained in my mind even as I walked, though.

Had I told him about the wheezing pipes? I thought to myself. I threw the thoughts away and moved on to the more pressing matter.

I didn't know what his smirk was, or if he really wouldn't give up, but I couldn't even begin to guess. I wanted to believe that I had helped him, that both our dreams would live, but somehow I knew I was dreaming. That's what it was all along anyway, a dream. I could never become a Dragon Warrior. I didn't even have the strength of personality, let alone the training. Or qualifications. Not for many years, anyway.

The lamp helped me as I walked back down the tunnel, like a protective shield. My thoughts were focused on the worry of Lewis but I couldn't ignore the darkness and the threat it brought. The many horror stories I'd heard flashed through my mind as I walked.

Dragon Warriors born and killed on the same day, the horrors of what their bodies had become too much to bear. Some survived long enough to escape and roam freely through the tunnels, never to be seen again. Bodies or remains included.

Or so the stories would go.

I heard the wheezing again and shined my firelight lamp at it. Steam rose from a large pipe on the ceiling.

I guess Lewis was right, it was just an old pipe.

Once I was out of the cave and back in the cavern I relaxed and began the trek to my shared sleeping cave. I walked quickly and it didn't take me long to leave the abandoned part of the cavern. There were more people around then and I noticed a group of soldiers walking in my direction. Fear rose up quickly since I didn't know what time it was and I walked faster, keeping my gaze ahead of me.

The man in front was faster and caught up to me. I stopped when I noticed that he wore the metals of a Lieutenant . He was not someone that would be worried about curfew.

"Are you Jaya?" He asked me once he got close enough.

"Yes..." I replied quietly.

"Do you know where Doctor Lewis is?" He stopped next to me and I had to look up to meet his gaze. The fear in me rose.

Why did he need to know that? Why didn't he already?

"He's in the old lab," I told him.

The guard nodded and walked away. I watched them leave and wondered if I should have told him that.

The men that followed the guard all wore the same black uniforms as Aaron's.

They were Dragon Warriors.

Why were they looking for Lewis? What trouble had I just sent Lewis's way?

Most people became a Dragon Warrior because they wanted a cool ability. Others because they wanted an honorable death. Some, because it was a fast way to die. But a very small few, did it because it was something they believed in. Because they wanted the power to change the war.

There needed to be more of those kinds of people for it to happen though.

Lewis always used to tell me that I was a fool to have a dream to become a Dragon Warrior. He told me that they only accepted trained soldiers and that they rarely let anyone in their ranks unless they showed promise. Among those, only a few survived the procedure and fewer yet had any real abilities.

I always used to tell Lewis that creating a dragon army to fight in a human war was a pretty crazy idea too...

But all the best ones are.---------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Author's Note:)

Thank you for reading and please let me know what you think of the story so far in a comment or rate! I will love you forever <3 <3 <3