Blood and Sand : A Monster Story

Part 1

  The day was hot, the class boring, and the teacher lazy. The scales on Ali's back shifted uncomfortably where his human torso connected to his snake body. He had been sitting coiled for an hour now, and felt like he was going to collapse any minute. He only caught bits and pieces of his teacher's lecture.

"-the great snake society founded this town over 200 years ago-"
The teacher blathers on. He slumps, god did he hate history, who cares what old guy did what?

  "-Then, 76 years ago, the great steam and cog revolution sprung the kingdom forward, -"
His head perks up, Mechanics, that was something he could understand. No matter how much he couldn't stand history, he always had loved mechanics, and how they came to be.

  "The great Mechanist, Zahir had led the great revolution for over forty years, but, the on the 70th anniversary, he had vanished, it still up to debate if he is even still living!"
The teacher gave a half-hearted chuckle

  '"That class is where our story ends for today, no textbook work tonight, have a nice weekend"
Ali coughed through a sigh of relief. He lifted from his coiled tail stretching, red and gold scales angling in odd directions before coming back to rest. Gathering his things into his side bag he slithers off out of the one room schoolhouse into the dust swept street. Buildings of sandstone loomed, dense around him. Alleys and side paths webbed out in every direction. The Queen's "Lead Guard" lined the street, named for the ancient powder and cartridge guns they carried. Ali slithered quicker at the sight. Lead-Guard had restless eyes, and even more restless trigger fingers. They were only deployed on royal command, which meant something scared the queen enough for her to send them out in such high number.  That's trouble.
 
As if on command, trouble reared its head. The sound of shearing metal filled the air, Lead-Guard scramble. Ali holds his bag tighter and dashes down a nearby alley, heading for the main road. His vision blurred; his cotton shirt blew behind him. Shouting, no, screaming, beat against his ears as he arrived. The slits of his eyes narrowed, saving him from being blinded from the sight before him. A dragon, not a dragon of flesh and blood. Not even one of scales and venom, but one of brass and steam. The dragon's mechanical claws dug holes into the barracks fortifications. Fire flew white-hot from its mouth. He could see men inside, soldiers, armed and armored to the fangs, flee in terror. Ali was frozen in terror. As luck would have it, the Lead-Guard were not as easily frightened.

"STEADY, FORM RANK!" A man in full dress uniform shouted firmly, as if trying to suppress all emotion from his voice.
 
  A single thin rank formed in a semicircle around the barracks, Lead-Guard already shouldering their rifles.
"ON ME, RANK, FIRE!"
A uniform "CRACK" temporarily deafened Ali as at once, every bolt on every rife slammed back. The tremendous sound shook him from his trance. Realizing the danger he was in, Ali ducked behind the ranked guard and sprinted around another back alley towards his house. His tail whipped frantically behind him. If there was another volley, he didn't hear it, it was if the entire world dropped from around Ali until he slammed the front door of his house soundly locking it for good measure.
 
  His dad sprawled unfazed on the living room couch, a cigar dangling from his mouth. The only real sign he even acknowledged Ali's existence was him lazily ashing his cigar and an eye roll.
 
  Ali broke the stalemate. "DAD! DAD! A DRAGON, A MECHANICAL DROGON IT-I-UH–IT– Oh SHIT!" A harsh cough cut him short.

  "Why?" He continued. "Why? How? Who?" With every word growing more dumbstruck and confused. "You're wise dad, why would a dragon attack? The kingdom isn't even at war!"
The dad blew a puff of smoke into the air. His spindly prosthetic arm gestured towards his son, valves and steam vents giving out a small hiss.

  "Perhaps," The dad rocked his head, as if mentally rolling dice. "The dragon could have been threatened by the military, I'd imagine having the Lead-Guard out didn't help any"
Ali tried to but in, but was cut off.