Dragons of War - Rising Storm

Chapter 6 (1/3)

The sky a calm blue above me, I reached up for it until my arms ached and strained. Then I lowered them, and my gaze, to in front of me, where another Dragon Warrior was following the same routine.

By now I was used to the early morning stretching but it still felt awkward. It didn't help that our instructor was a supposed 'yogi master' like that odd name made her special. Her mellow voice filled the morning air as she called out the different poses and stretches but by then I had heard it a thousand times and it was drowned out.

The training of Dragon Warriors was harder than any other soldier, I learned quickly, but these particular exercises were always just plain boring.

"Aaron, are you falling asleep?" Ben asked me through telepathy and I glanced behind me and saw him with a grin.

He knew I couldn't reply. I was the weakest in my group at telepathy. Something that was supposed to be normal amongst Warriors. Yet nearly half were like me, we could hear it, but speaking ourselves was far harder. Luckily you didn't need to talk to fight.

"So do you think he'll mess up again this time?" Mel, who was next to me spoke through telepathy as well and I frowned. Here came the morning conversations that I could never include myself in but was always included in.

Mel, who was the same age as me and was in the row ahead of me, had his eyes locked on one of the newest Dragon Warriors to arrive in training. His name was Hank, and he had been Changed only a few weeks ago and was still fumbling with his new abilities as a Warrior. There were three others who survived the procedure along with him, but none of them seemed to have the same trouble he did.

The newbie was closest to Jen, our instructor, and had a hard time with the poses every morning. Despite not being very complex, or challenging, and having had plenty of time to practice since he began weeks ago, he usually fell down at least once, if not three times every lesson. Jen would always get flustered. It usually made at least one person break rank and laugh.

It was hard to find something to laugh at these days.

Despite not knowing him well, Hank was the quiet type who kept to himself and actually tried his hardest in this program. That meant he was easy to pick on. He was a younger recruit and I had heard that, before becoming a Dragon Warrior, he was completely normal. As far as balance goes.

The only thing I knew for sure, was that every day, when the lesson is over Hank will stand up, take a step, and fall on his face. It was like clockwork.

"Any bets if he'll trip up again today?" Ben asked.

"You should at least act like you're paying attention." Drew joined in the conversation.

"Common, you know he will!" He nagged.

I saw movement ahead of me and Hank glanced back at us. Could he hear us? There was a difference between directed communication and group but I never did understand telepathy anyway. I did know, however, that most Dragon Warriors weren't able to use it, until they'd 'found' their form. Meaning, the first time they transform into a dragon. He was nowhere near that point.

The class was soon over and everyone rose to their feet. Sunlight was just beginning to rise over the desert. I rose to my feet and joined Ben's side but we both turned on our heels when we heard a 'flop' behind us. I looked over at Ben and he couldn't hold the laughter back but he tried by covering his mouth.

"I told you!" Ben punched my shoulder and I shook my head.

Drew walked over to us and looked around then leaned in close.

"Did you guys hear what happened last night?" He asked.

"No, what?" Ben questioned, his attention completely shifted.

Omega walked past us and Drew reached out and stanched his shoulder and pulled him into the circle. His eyes grew wide and he glanced around at us all, but in the usual Omega fashion, remained silent and waited.

"Apparently the doctor went off the rails and did something crazy!" Drew went on in a hushed voice.

I watched Drew carefully now, my breathing slowed so I could hear every word.

"What did he do?" Ben asked.

The question repeated in my head.

"He roasted some child in the retired machine!" Drew cried out then looked around to make sure no one had heard him.

My heart stopped.

"Was it a girl?" I asked, my voice barely working.

"What? Yeah, I think. How did you know?" Drew asked.

I took a step away and the people around me flickered out of focus.

No no no.

Omega put his hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay Aaron?" He asked.

I didn't care how out of character it was for him to even speak. I ignored him, and the others as they watched me closely.

It couldn't have been Jaya. She was a dreamer, but no fool... Was she?

Someone at the far end of the plateau called out my name but I barely noticed it against my pounding heart.

"Aaron, I think he's calling for you," Ben said, his gaze followed a man in a white coat that was running towards us.

The man slowed down once he got near and he repeated my name. I stepped forwards.

"I was told to come to get you, someone you know was recently submitted to the infirmary." He told me.

"Jaya is alive?" I gasped out.

The man's brows pressed together but he nodded his head. Like a fire being set in my veins, I burst forwards and shoved my way through my friends. Across the rocky plateau, I ran, to the far edge where a set of stairs led down into the first levels of the Caverns. I scaled them so quickly it felt like I was falling.

It couldn't be Jaya. Why would he do anything to her? 

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