Dragons of War - Rising Storm

Chapter 22 (1/2)

A/N: The following chapters have been edited far less than the ones you've read thus far. My thoughts to myself about this? Finish the story. Id rather read the whole book, errors and all, than be left hanging. So here ya go!

The land far below, and a blue sky high above, I felt like I was floating through the sky. The air was a sticky warm, and the sun that beat against my scales only made it hotter. The formation flew at a strong steady pace. With Tony at the front, only slightly above my group, I felt pressure from being at the front of the entire congregation.

Behind and below me, flew dragons endlessly into the distance. Their size and length made it seem like they filled the air, but I knew there were fewer with us this time than normal. Not by too much, though.

In my mind, I felt the pressure of so many dragons in casual conversation. It was not against orders to speak, and when nerves were frayed and minds strung out, sometimes chatting was the best remedy.

"-and I told her that's not what it's about. You have to feel the air." Ben continued his ongoing conversation.

The awe of the dragons around me wearing of, I focused in on the dragons next to me. Unfortunately for me, I was directly behind Aaron, and had to stare at his back end the entire flight. It only made things worse that he continued to pretend I didn't exist.

"Yeah but you know some Dragon Warriors just don't get it. I met this one guy, he was in Sivanl's division, and he could not tell up from down when he was standing. On all four feet!" Aaron replied.

Apart of me wanted to reach out. We were going into battle after all. Who's to say either of us would come out alive? But the other half, simply didn't know what to say.

"Will you be okay?" A private voice spoke softly in my mind and my head whipped over to beside me, where Omega flew. Of course, it would be the quiet one, to notice. We noticed everything.

My head turned back around, to the direction of Aaron's back end, and I frowned with my scaly dragon face. It completely blocked the view ahead. Had it been any other time the situation would be humorous.

"I don't know how to answer that," I replied with the same soft tone. With Ben's conversation still going strong, our words seemed like background noise.

"Neither do I," Omega replied, and my head turned back around to glance at him.

"I've been through a few battles now," he went on, "more than most, but I don't think it matters how many you go through. The sheer chaos and overwhelming emotions is something you just don't get used too."

My head turned away, to look around at all the different dragons around me. Almost all of them had been through at least one fight.

"What do you fight for?" I asked. I turned to look back at him in the silence that followed.

"Oh, I don't know. What everyone else fights for, I guess. Freedom." he replied after a moment.

"That's not true though, is it?" I went on.

He glanced over and shook his quilly head before looking back ahead.

"No, not exactly," he went on. "... I want to prove to the world that they can't just control us. They can't just use who they want for what they want. That we're not androids, as the saying goes. But I guess becoming a soldier isn't the best statement is it?"

Our eyes met and I felt the deep desire inside of those hazel eyes. How it bled through his words, and into the very air his wings beat.

"You're not a soldier though, you're a Dragon Warrior. I think there's a difference." I replied.

But in my mind, I pondered my own resolution. What was it that empowered me enough to fight? Was revenge really all I had? Was it enough?

"Jaya, come to point!" Janet called out and all conversations ceased.

I blinked with surprise at the sudden command but picked up my speed enough to settle in beside her at point.

"Sir?" I questioned in open comunication.

"There is something I need to debrief you on," she replied privately. My curiosity only grew.

"We will be arriving soon so I need you to be prepared," she went on. "As this is your first fight, that means you have not yet been introduced to classified battlefield information."

"The subject is extremely confidential and by telling you, you are immediately entering into a no disclosure contract. Any leaks linked back to you will result in immediate expulsion from the colony, if not the death penalty. Do you understand?"

My wings paused in flight and I evened into a glide as her words continued. Every one of them seemed to add weight onto my back and chest. What was she talking about?

"Yes sir!" I responded immediately. The words like a reflex.

"Good. Once the Cabal are in sight, there is a high possibility that they will open fire on us with something known as a 'lightning tower'. If, at any point in time, you notice a spire or tall metal object anywhere on the train, immediately call it out in open communication. If, at any point in time, someone else calls this out, treat it as a command from Devini himself and get as far away, as fast, as you possibly can. Do you understand?" Janet finished.

"Yes sir!" Again, by reflex, I responded, but her words were an ice spear through my neck.

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