Three Days Before: Atlanta, Georgia
He had been to this bar in south Atlanta before. It was called the Emerald City and it certainly looked that way. Everything was green, green lights, green neon, green walls, green shag carpeting. Everyone dressed in green, including him. The rule about this club was that if anyone was not dressed in some shade of green, they were immediately dealt with by the bouncer outside. There were other rules as well, such as 'No magic no entrance' and 'mortals unwelcome'. This was a bar belonging to the underground world of magic beneath the city of Atlanta, Georgia. Magic, since the time of the Dark Ages, was hidden from the world of Mortals because of how Mortals viewed all things magic. Since the rise of the Roman Catholic Church, magic was viewed more and more as evil and such practices and creatures were slaughtered because of it. Even dragonslaying was becoming more widespread until only a handful of dragons existed. But those dragons were only animals no more intelligent than a hungry alligator and no larger than a school bus. They paled in comparison to him.
"I need another one," he groaned, his voice clearly held a distinct Australian accent. The bartender nodded and poured another drink.
The air inside the club was not of his tastes. Smoke clouds accumulated and cling to the ceiling and gathered in corners. He could smell various other scents too of questionable origins. He stared at the glass in his hand, swirling around the melting ice. All he had was a shot of rum. His bartender was an overworked and underpaid Dwarf college student. Right beside him was a 3-foot tall pixie dressed in a light green sweater and blue jeans, her gossamer wings folded over her back and her bouncy, fiery red, curly hair tied into a topknot with a green bow. She had a trench coat swung over the back of her bar stool—a way to conceal her wings when she went outside the bar. He heard a hiss and a rattle behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to find a naga slithering by. Behind him sitting on a couch was a Troll talking to a Drow elf—who herald from his planet—a planet where magic was more welcomed than here. Magical creatures from various worlds came here to visit, traveling through the various magical gates and portals locked away from mortal eyes. Which is how he got here as well. But the reason why he chose to stay was not because of the thrill of watching college football from a wide screen TV. Rather, it was because he was in love with a mortal. He loved, as any living creature would, loved a mortal, shared his secret to her—which she accepted—married her—and then…watched her die of leukemia nearly 9 years later. Not even the magic of an Ascended Great Wyrm Blue Dragon could hold back the bony hands of Death. The memory of his wife dying sent a bitter chill down his back again. Though, he did have something to remember her by—a child, his niece named Melissa. Melissa was all that he had left from Kirsten. And that was why he was at the bar tonight, his thoughts drawing him back to just yesterday.
"Watch me, Uncle Skie!" Melissa called. "Watch me!"
Skie sat back on the wooden bench with a camcorder in his hands, waving at his 7-year old niece and adopted daughter swing higher and higher on the swing set in the park.
"Be careful, darling!" he warned. "Don't swing too high, now. I don't want you falling off and hurting yourself."
He grinned from ear to ear when he heard her joyful giggles. Her laughter was his only means for happiness. Then, Melissa leapt out of her seat and came plummeting towards the sand that covered the area of the swing. Skie gasped and threw down the camera, lunging out of his bench, flinging himself to the ground with arms spread. She landed in his arms, taking hold of his neck, gasping for air and laughing. It was like she had no fear in her heart. She was so much like Kirsten. She had the heart of a dragon. She was tough, but Skie was protective of her despite that toughness.
Melissa!" he called. "Don't do that again. You could have broken something."
"I'm alright, Uncle Skie," she said, tapping him on the bridge of his nose. "And you were there to catch me."
"Someday, I'll not always be here to catch you," Skie breathed, setting her down as he lifted up. He dusted the sand off his jeans and his navy blue jacket. "Let's do something a bit more safe, eh? How about the carousel?"
"Okay," said Melissa. "Only if you push me."
Skie gave a deep chuckle and gathered up the camcorder into his pocket. Melissa took his hand and they started off towards the carousel. Skie glanced down, noticing how she was skipping merrily along beside him, her dusty blonde curls bouncing around her shoulders. She was happy and that was all that mattered to him. Ever since Kirsten died, Skie made it his priority to keep Melissa happy, but not spoil her. She was his world and she was worth more than any dragon's hoard. He did not care whether or not she was mortal; she was his everything—just like Kirsten was. Melissa hopped onto the carousel and Skie took hold of the handles.
"You ready?" he asked.
"Yeah!" she called.
"Now, you tell me if you start to feel sick or something…right?" he asked.
"Uncle Skie…" Melissa sighed.
"I want to make sure," Skie said.
"Bobby Johnson said that getting sick on the carousel was the best part," Melissa grinned sheepishly.
"Well!" Skie snorted. "We'll pay no mind to what Bobby Johnson says…"
"Aunt Kirsten was right," Melissa wrinkled her nose at him. "You are a grumpy, old dragon."
"I may be an old dragon," Skie said, creeping closer to her. "But I'm certainly not grumpy."
Melissa giggled again as he poked her playfully in the stomach.
"Push me!" Melissa called.
"Here we go!" Skie replied as he grabbed the handle and gave it a good push. Melissa laid down on the carousel, looking up and watching the world spin into a gradated blur above her.
"Okay, let go, I'm gonna push myself!" Melissa called. "You push too hard."
"I told you to tell me if you get sick," said Skie.
"I know," Melissa nodded as she slid off. Skie backed away and sat down again on another bench. He got out his camcorder once more and turned it on, filming his niece spinning around, waving as she made her turn to him. He could not help but to wave back. Then, other people began to walk around the carousel, taking their children to different parts of the park. Skie leaned over to see if he could get a better view of Melissa, standing up from his seat. He heard her laugh but the sound itself seemed muted and far away. Her voice was slowly being drowned out by other sounds. Though his keen ears had the ability to distinguish between one sound another and isolate that sound, for some reason that was not working for him. Skie's smile faded when he began to hear a ringing sound become louder and louder and he looked back to see a women standing between him and his nieces.
"Excuse me, you're in my way, ma'am," he sharply informed. Skie felt his parental instincts kick in and he started to worry about Melissa now that she was not within eye sight.
"Sorry," she said as she moved away. Skie sighed as soon as the carousel was in view again. He blinked and his teeth clinched tightly. Melissa was gone.
"No…" Skie gasped. "Uh…ma'am, did you see a little girl with blonde curls on that ride?"
"Sir?" she asked.
"Little girl with blonde curls and a hot pink parka on that carousel over there…"
"Sorry, I didn't see anything," she shrugged. "But I'll be happy to keep my eye out for her."
"Thank you!" Skie nodded as he began to run, tucking the camcorder in his pocket again. "Melissa! Darling! Melissa!"
He ran passed the swing, passed the sea-saw and passed the metallic slide. His eyes picked up movement going into the green belt beyond the park itself and he heard a faint sound of a girl cry echo through the trees.
"I'm coming!" Skie called as he raced after the sound. Just as he was about to dive into the forest, his face slammed into something flat and invisible. Skie fell back onto his spine, the camcorder tumbling out of his pocket. He reached for it and clutched it tightly as if it held the very last memories he would ever have of his dear niece. Rising up, he felt in front of him, his hand coming in contact with something smooth. It had no taste, no scent, but it was something that was keeping him from his Melissa. A magical barrier. Skie growled and the sky itself echoed his anger with a clap of thunder. He lunged for the barrier and slammed his fists against it, hearing his fists clang against its surface. Skie growled again and the thunder echoed through the sky as dark, angry clouds rolled in. The wind began to pick up around the park and parents and kids swiftly made for their cars and vans and trucks. The storm did not, however, chase Skie away. Skie placed his hands on the barrier and began to whisper softly to himself. His hands glowed and the barrier fluctuated in front of him. With a roar, Skie broke the barrier and it shattered like glass around him. Angered filled his stomach as he dispelled the spell that kept his human form and his shape stretched out, growing higher and higher above the trees in front of him. Wings that could encompass Turner Fields spread wide as the massive, sapphire, draconic form took to the stormy skies. Skie Khellendros had begun his feverish search for his niece…
That was a day ago…Skie sighed as he stared down at his glass. His hand slowly came down to an object in his pocket—his camcorder with the remaining last moments he had with his precious Melissa. When the night came after that day, Skie received a call that told him to come here to this bar and meet with the one who stole his niece. Skie's lip pulled back into a snarl as he thought of what he would do to the foolish 'two-legs' who dared steal his beloved Melissa. He knew that once he got the information as to where Melissa was held, he would devour whoever it was that took her. He would be more than satisfied with digesting the kidnapper. His brilliant blue eyes sparkled with anticipation to meet with this person.
"Khellendros the Blue…" began a gurgling, snorting, British-accented voice behind him. Skie did not even look back.
"It's Skie to you lesser folk," Skie snorted.
"Whatever…"
Skie growled, swinging around, his eyes meeting with the dull and less than intelligent, gold eyes of a hobgoblin. He reached down and grabbed the green, slimy creature by the neck and pulled him closer.
"Don't ever dismiss me, you pathetic, little worm," Skie growled. "Such idiocy will see you become a permanent resident in my belly."
"If rumors are true," the hobgoblin sniffled. "You've gone soft. The—great and powerful Khellendros, the Storm of the Northern Wastes of Oererth, son of Electrius—High Chancellor of Wyrms—nothing more than a sniveling, worry-about, weeping over the loss of his mortal wife and now—the loss of his mortal niece. Your time in the mortal world has made you weak."
The hobgoblin let out a yelp as a blue-white lightning bolt was sent streaking towards him. He ducked under a bar table as the bolt exploded the TV-set behind him. The Troll that was watching the Braves game rose up from his seat and bellowed back at Skie.
"The Braves were ahead in the 6th!" he bellowed. "And you had to blow up the only TV set with satellite broadcast of the game, you blue salamander!"
"I'm surprise there are Braves fans in this joint," Skie grinned sheepishly as the Troll stomped towards him, rearing a fist back. "But I'm sorry; I don't have time for this…"
The Troll thrust his fist towards Skie's face just as Skie raised his hand and flicked his finger. Despite the fact he was in human form, all of his draconic strength was still there and one flick on the Troll's nose was enough to send the Troll flying back towards the wall.
"Anyone else want to complain about the TV set being broken?" Skie bellowed to the other customers. Everyone else who had their heads up looking at Skie, now shifted them back down, trying to pretend they were minding their own business. Skie knelt down and flipped the bar table over, grabbing the hobgoblin by the throat again. "Alright, state your business…"
"My—master sent me," the hobgoblin sniveled. "He has your niece."
"Where?" Skie asked.
"Outside," he replied. "Just go outside in the parking lot. He'll have two Orcs standing beside him."
Skie flung the green, pebbly-skinned creature to the ground. With a heavy step, he made his way out the bar and passed the bouncer, showing his stamped hand. As soon as Skie walked out onto the slick black pavement of the parking lot outside, he scanned his surroundings.
"I was wondering when that stooge gathered enough courage to speak to you," called a soft voice from behind a Chevy Blazer. "But at least you're out here, Khellendros."
Skie turned around, his right first clinched tightly. With one hand outstretched to the SUV, Skie called to it. The SUV rose up high into the air and then was flung back, crashing into the empty street behind the bar. Skie found the one who kidnapped his niece standing between to Orc body guards. It was a gnome.
"A gnome?" Skie asked.
"My name is David," the gnome began. "And I have a proposition for you."
"Not interested!" he bellowed, sending forks of lightning spiraling towards the gnome and his henchmen. The Orcs dove away, and David ducked behind a mailbox. The Orcs rose up, pulling out their semi-automatic pistols from their holsters and started firing. Skie grinned and raised a hand up causing the bullets to slow and then halt right before his palm. With a dismissal gesture, the bullets turned around and shot back towards the two Orcs, spraying into their bodies. Blood splattered the pavement and the two Orcs collapsed to the ground, dropping their weapons as they fell. David lifted his head up and crept out from behind the mailbox. All he could do was applaud.
"Well done," David laughed, a haughty tone tipped his timbre. "Well done. I've heard about the magic of blue dragons, but I never thought magnetism was a part of it. Though it makes sense—you're practically a living Tesla coil. But I didn't come here to pick a fight."
"Don't you know the old saying?" Skie asked, a low, animalist growl rumbled out from his lips. "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons…" As he spoke, Skie's form began to enlarge—spreading out to fill the entire parking lot. Hands twisted into blue-scaled claws, wings sprouted from the back, a tail grew out, slamming down upon a Porsche parked behind. Skie's face elongated, his nose and mouth growing into a lengthy, wedged like snout. Dramatically frilled ears roved around to catch every sound that was emitted from the parking lot and alley. Curved, ivory white horns jutted out from his skull, fading off to a blue shade at the ends. Two tusks protruded out from the lower lip and the lower jaw was covered in a pelt of shaggy, blue fur—similar to a beard on a human. A short blue mane grew out from the neck—like the mane of a horse. The dragon's massive head towered nearly 200 feet above the gnome. David stood back, craning his head awkwardly to get a better view of the dragon. His nose could pick up the distinct smell of sand and ozone—a scent common among all Chromatic Blue Dragons. He felt the ground shake beneath him when he heard the dragon let loose another growl and he heard the sound of static crackling and buzzing. Looking up, David saw the tips of the frilled ears ignite with sparks of blue-white. The dragon's mouth parted open and his purple-blue, forked tongue rolled out between his tusks. David's eyes widened when he saw the blue-white glow build up inside Skie's maw.
"Now…now…" he called. "You kill me…and you'll never find your mortal niece, Khellendros…Storm!"
Skie's head dipped down to the gnome's eye level. He dipped as low as he could bring one furious, fiery colored, slit-pupil eye on top of David's head. David duck down, feeling weak in his knees and his stomach dropping beyond his feet. Dragonfear, that is what it was called—an aura of dread and terror that all Oererth Dragons emanated from their hides. And a Great Wyrm was capable of unsettling the strongest of warriors just by being there. Though David was scared right now, Skie could not help but to notice the level of fright the gnome exuded. A deep sniff and the Blue Dragon could easily sense that David was being protected by something magical. It was enough to bypass most of the aura the dragon produced. Skie gave a mental shake to his head and his eye blinked.
"Where is she?" the dragon's deep, bellowing voice sent a chill down David's spine. The gnome let out a yelp when he heard a foreclaw slam down onto the pavement, sending shards of harden asphalt and tar up. Cracks splintered the blacktop from where the white talons sank in.
"Don't worry…" David began, trying to regain some amount of courage. "She's safe. I don't want to harm her. If I did—our deal would be null and void."
"I haven't agreed to anything," Skie growled. "Now, where is she?!"
"I won't tell you!" David cried. "Not unless you make a deal with me!"
"No deal!" Skie bellowed back. His frilled ears picked up a faint thumping sound echoing off from the tall buildings behind him.
"I have ways to make you listen to me…" David whispered.
Skie reared back, his red eyes picking up a reflection of streetlights on a shiny, back surface. The sound of blades whipping and chopping the air, sending a gust of wind towards him. It was a helicopter. The Blue Dragon parted his jaws and shot forth a mighty, lengthy bolt of lightning towards the chopper, causing it to explode in a fiery blaze into a glass-covered skyscraper. His ears picked up another thumping sound and he swung his head around to find three more helicopters hovering above him. Their undercarriages opened up and they sprayed a white powder upon the massive, 400-foot long Great Wyrm below. Skie ducked his head as the powder covered him in an ashy-gray film. Then, the helicopters flew off.
"What is this?" he asked, wiping some off his forearm. Suddenly, the world itself began to spin around him as he felt his joints weaken. Skie breathed heavily, his body crashing onto the pavement below. His body felt heavy, his strength was suddenly stolen from him.
"Interesting isn't it?" David asked. "Don't think I didn't come prepared for you, Skie. Not even an Ascended Dragon such as yourself can go against a wonderful mixture as this. It's my own concoction—pixie stun dust blended with a touch of Dragon's Bane. Granted stun dust has little affected against a blue dragon, but add a pinch of Dragon's Bane to it and it can bring even the biggest dragon down with ease. You won't die from it, of course—it's only a sprinkle of Dragon's Bane. I wouldn't want to dash you with the whole batch. You're no use to me dead. But now that I've got your attention…"
"What do you want?" Skie asked.
"Now you're in a listening mood…" David laughed. "I need you to fetch something for me. Do this task and I'll let your dear Melissa go. And you and her can live happily ever after. I knew I couldn't get you to do this without collateral."
Skie lifted his head up off the ground: "What—what is this task?"
David pulled out a scroll made of papyrus from his coat. Unrolling the scroll, he placed it before the Blue Dragon. Skie leaned over and examined the scroll. The scroll was written in hieroglyphics from Ancient Egypt. Various pictures detailed a story that Skie could only get a gist of. He was not familiar with the writings of Ancient Egypt. Though at the center of interest was a cartouche with symbols that were not hieroglyphics matching the rest that was written on the scroll. Beneath the cartouche was an ornate ring that had symbols, some matching the seven symbols on the cartouche. On the ring was also nine chevrons spaced evenly about the ring's surface. Skie knew this ring from somewhere, but his mind was a bit fuzzy about it.
"I want you to steal that," the gnome replied, pointing at the ring. "It is called the Stargate."
"Stargate…" the dragon whispered. "I know that from somewhere."
"Oererth has one," said David. "Though, I've heard it's unused since like all magical people, you have no use for such a device. The people of Oererth can travel by other 'roads'."
"If that's so, then why do you want it?" Skie asked, noticing the effects of the powder were beginning to wear off.
"While we magical beings have powers to create gating systems to various other planets and even the Planes that Be themselves, there are other places we cannot go," David said. "The Stargate has expanded that—it can go anywhere. Even places magic has not touched."
"You want me to go to Egypt, dig around the desert to find this—Stargate of yours?" Skie asked, even more perturbed than before.
"No, I want you to go to Colorado, and steal it," David replied.
"Colorado?" Skie asked. "It's in a museum in Colorado?"
"No," David replied. "It's inside a military installation called Area 52—Cheyenne Mountain."
"Absolutely not!" Skie bellowed. "I will not go marching into a heavily-armed, military installation to steal this Ancient Egyptian piece of scrap for your amusement."
"Then, you will not see your precious Melissa again," David warned. "And try to attack me again and the next drop will have a stronger dose of Dragon's Bane. I'll put you into a coma so deep that by the time you wake up—Melissa would have died of old age!"
Skie felt a pain pierce his heart when he heard those words 'Melissa' and 'old age'. One of the things he hated about himself as a dragon that he would out live Melissa. Many times, he thought about committing suicide after her death so that he would not out live her. The only reason why he did not commit suicide after Kirsten's death was because of Melissa. She was the only reason why he still lived. She was his life. Skie shut his eyes tightly for a moment, his mind fighting with itself on whether or not he should go. Then, he opened his eyes and stared down at the papyrus. Finally, he gave in.
"Very well," he rumbled. "I'll fetch your Stargate."
"Then, we have a deal?" David asked, holding out his hand. Skie hooked his fore-talon around the tiny hand.
"We—have a deal," the dragon replied.