It was once again an early rise for Mercury, the sooner they got this mission done with, the sooner he'd get the heat off their backs. As much as he despised playing as Warfang's cleanup crew, there was no backing down from this. Too many lives were at stake, lives of his comrades.
Not to mention the three precious dragons he had under his roof, he made a mental note to move them away just in case things go awry.
But it was time to focus on the more practical aspect of the job, especially after his last endeavor. Turns out his high-end, state of the art suit wasn't as impenetrable as it was praised to be. Mercury had changed long ago in a warm coat, fitting for the chilly climate of these waters, but seeing the remnants of his protective gear turned his stomach. He could have quickly been impaled or worse during that rescue attempt.
One could only imagine how much more damage a set of draconic claws could do. It was factual, no other blade, artificial or natural could match up to them. It has been proven in the battlefield one too many times, the bloody evidence of its lethality staining the earth.
He could train his body to withstand excessive amounts of pain, but a fatal wound is terminal.
It wasn't the pain Mercury feared, he'd experienced enough pain worth two lifetimes, it was all the unfinished work he'd leave behind, all these loyal soldiers who looked up to him, the dragons he was supposed to protect.
Was he getting attached again?
His ears perked, a numb feeling on his shoulder, his head snapped to find Sigint placing a worried hand on him.
"Hey, you got lost a bit… I heard about the dragons…" He asked with hesitancy, the last thing he wished was to see him lose it again. "Not so good, eh?
Mercury waved his hand dismissively. "I will forever ponder as to why nature chose to bring them into the world like this, but my place is to see to their nurturing. Zofia can ease their pain at the very least."
Sigint shrugged his shoulders but didn't comment, wondering who on earth tasked his boss with upbringing dragons. He still leaned towards the theory that something shifted Mercury's psych significantly in these underground caves when he lost touch with him.
"The staff in R&D are waiting for you, they'll give you a rundown of your upgraded gear." He started in a business-like tone. "It sounds impressive from what I've heard."
Mercury smiled, that's what he loved to hear, business talk, like usual. "Let's meet them."
As they walked to the weapons lab, Mercury observed the central platform from afar, a spiral tower rising high above the raging waves. Construction crews accompanied with mechanized units were reinforcing the outer walls, he knew their purpose very well. After all, he ordered them.
They are radiation-proofing the place.
He sighed, fearing that this may not be enough, no matter the safety measures and security he might pile up on the central hub, his mind would never ease. After all, he couldn't just ignore he housed the mother of all bombs inside his abode.
They sped up their step, eager to get on with the weapons briefing. The lab was colored pristine white on the inside, a large, multi-level research center.
Where great minds were put to work on instruments of war.
All military units relied heavily on technology, private researchers made fortunes out of them, while pursuing their dream. Mercury doubted how being remembered for destruction and mass-murder could be one's dream.
Then again there was nothing else he'd be remembered for than those exact same things. It wasn't just the hand that made the weapon blamed, but also the one who uses it.
An elderly looking mole approached the two taller officers with an exciting step, he adjusted his glasses and announced with a cough. "Mercury! I trust your recent encounters went just dandy since you last left."
Mercury shook his hand, the professor was perhaps the oldest member on the installation, he couldn't count the gadgets this bright mole had cooked up for him. It was only fair to provide him with means to get the most out of their alliance.
"It was… semi-successful professor. What concerns you, however, is my worn down equipment for sure." He raised a brow in anticipation.
The mole tapped his clipboard vividly. "A certain concern indeed, the suit was meant to shield you from fatal injury and natural elements. It didn't hold up to its potential apparently."
He led them to a new room, an armory where prototype gear was stored and secured. Only those with top-tier access could even so much as glance at these marvels, which were also locked away in air-tight forcefield cages. Even in a remote location like this one, it'd be foolish to leave unstable prototypes lying around.
Immediately the professor got to work, handling a control panel without any particular interest, one of the force fields disengaged, a polished, black, air-choking suit propped neatly inside of it. It almost seemed like the standard fatigues Mercury would don in his outings. He found its simple style oddly comforting, yet he knew better than to expect the same old gear from a mastermind of innovation.
"Well… Give it a test run." The elder nudged him in great anticipation.
"I hope it doesn't burn my fur this time…" Mercury grumbled and lifted the suit in his arms, for all the protection and the hefty utility belt it offered its weight was surprisingly minor.
Once he was out of the dressing chamber, Sigint was baffled to find the same Mercury he had seen countless other times, the new suit was barely any different.
"Must be the color, black makes everything so monotonous. So what's the catch professor?" The raccoon gestured interested.
"Ah, there is no catch… Only life-saving improvement," He mentioned in an upbeat tone.
He conjured up a digital board on a nearby wall, he almost seemed like a child showing off his new toy.
"We are entering a new era of technology, pioneered by this small, yet courageous beauty here."
A black dot appeared on the board, they both had to squint their eyes to see it. Sigint picked up on it quickly.
"Nanotechnology, about time you perfected it."
"Oh no! It's far from perfect, but combat-ready… We can settle on that."
There was a zoom on the dot, what was a mere speck on the wall had now transformed into an intricate maze of connected digital nodes and cables.
"The nanite will give dragons and their magical stunts a run for their money, in the hands of a skilled user of course." He was almost euphoric about the whole ordeal.
What a petty dream, was all Mercury could think of. The mole was wise, a genius, but also an overly ambitious individual. Even though he hated to crush his little world, the "skilled user" that would be wearing this suit had no intentions of antagonizing dragons for the sake of proving science dominates over magic.
"Focus on the suit. Does it do the job or not?" To say he was not intrigued about the power of nanomachines would be an understatement.
"It does. Not only it does the job, but its performance will ensure you come out unscathed." He reassured, proud of his creation.
Mercury runs his fingers across the surface, feeling the tightness of the material, sturdy, leathery and…
Scaly?
"Feels odd like I'm wearing a skinned dragon hide." He cringed at the statement.
"Ah, keen observation. Although the material is purely lab-generated, polymer nanofiber, the pattern imitates dragon scales. Not only has it proven to be the most efficient natural armor, but our studies have also shown that even the scales' diameter and thickness are ideal for protection. Indeed, science learns from nature." He chuckled slightly.
Sigint seemed to like the idea particular. "Using their own weapons against them, lateral thinking professor. But if the material is enough, what do the nanites provide?"
"The material is the nanites! My creations keep the structural integrity of the suit intact. They generated it in the first place. An intricate maze of bonded nanomachines forms plates that are interconnected, the chemical compounds provide sturdiness, while the nanites attach themselves in order." He explained proudly.
"It feels looser than my old suit." Mercury wondered what response he'd have to that.
"That's because you haven't activated it yet, it's merely a bulletproof vest at this state," He deadpanned "Check your hologear."
With a tap on his wrist, the fox found out a whole new section had opened up on his holographic display. He merely clicked on the device a final time and the cogs, or nanites, were set in motion.
The general feeling of being constricted by rubber reminded him that this was not some casual outfit. The nanomachines, invisible to the naked eye, already got to securing the suit, scanning his body and utilizing that information to adjust the scaly protection to the point it acted as a second layer of skin to him. The odd uneasiness brewed in him since when was he allowing his own body to be handled by a machine.
The process didn't even take ten seconds, and the suit was fully operational, he stretched himself to get his limbs accustomed. The last thing a crucial piece of equipment should do is hinder movements.
"Fascinating, if only such technology had been put to use earlier," Sigint commented in awe.
"I did just fine before, you know. Lugging equipment around doesn't make the operator. Though the edge is a welcome addition."
"Could your body regenerate from wounds before though?" The scientist asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, I'd usually have to duck for cover and mend the injuries myself." The wince was evidence that sometimes that was just not possible and bearing through enemy lines with a bullet lodged inside you was a pain in the ass. It took the fight out of you and nagged at you with sharp jolts of pain constantly, demanding to be treated.
"I figured so. The nanites not only shield you, preventing injury, they also interfere in areas where your suit has been breached and apply the medical treatment. Not to mention the suit auto-repairs itself, courtesy of these beauties."
"You said it was an improved version?" He asked peculiarly.
"That does not mean you can't get hit. We'd need a whole generator to carry a forcefield around you to achieve that. Let's just assume you won't stand idly in the middle of a firefight. The nanites, however, will take care of you in almost every case, despite some attacks that are devastating beyond their healing capabilities. You also have to take into account the protection they offer from the elements, the stable body temperature, special reinforcement around the neural centers of the body, water and electricity proofing." He said as he counted down his claws.
"I can work with this. So, scale armor and regeneration, just like dragons do." He still couldn't fathom how narrow the gap between nature and science had ended up.
"We might never achieve ideal and quick regeneration like dragons do, but trust that our current technology is not the last case for non-magical creatures. Nanotechnology will take us far."
"Can it be mass-produced? The infiltrator unit could benefit from this." Sigint shifted the topic to sate his intrigue.
"Sadly no… We just came to this breakthrough, and this is the only fruit of our labor," He pointed at the nanosuit "The materials and energy consumption just for this one prototype took a hefty amount of our research funds. It'll take years before we can replace expensive compounds with more affordable ones, and even then we can't guarantee full protection."
Sigint slumped his shoulders, this was not the answer he expected to hear. He respected that all the effort had not gone to waste though.
"Protection is critical to success, but a trusty weapon will get you further." He was quick to pop in, as he led them to a nearby counter. The dim light glimmered on the artificial surface, enhancing that lethal look they sported.
Mercury immediately hunched over the handgun in the display. "From the cartridge, I'd say it's a .45, capable of medium penetration. Perfect for my assignment."
"The Compact Action Pistol 45, made by our benefactor, Starfire Armory, with a slight tactical twist. We ordered this one to be smithed especially for you. If you need quick, concealed, silent performance, you found your arm of choice. The barrel's threaded and ready to be attached with a silencer, rendering the gun noiseless. The slide is reinforced, and the grip is ergonomic, crafted with polymer alloy for reduced weight." He explained quickly but plainly, knowing Mercury could comprehend all these.
The fox picked it up, pulled back the slide with a slick sleight of hand and detached the empty magazine "Eleven rounds, plus one in the chamber, enough to put an entire squad down and save the rest for Volkron."
The gun felt and handled smoothly, he inserted the magazine back and cocked the hammer, the slide and trigger came to place with a satisfying echoing click. To most it would go by unnoticed, to him, it was the calm before the storm before the hail of bullets started.
"The Single Action/Double Action system will ensure you'll fire with minimal pressure on the trigger after each shot, every second count. The underside sports a rail assorted with both red and infrared invisible laser sight device. Combine this with the unobtrusive VTS light optic, and you achieve unparalleled target acquisition."
Mercury was pleased to hear this weapon matched all his standards, even if he'd preferred to never use it.
It's not like he had a choice anymore.
He never had a choice.
He brought the gun up to eye level, aiming down the sights. As if on cue, the optic recognized the eye signature and turned on, providing him a clear view of the wall ahead with a pinpoint green dot in the center of the bluish hued frame.
He really adored a responsive and accurate gun, this one could probably zero 100 meters with barely any bullet drop.
"Say goodbye to jamming cartridges too, this gun will simply get rid of a jammed round, by loading up the next one and forcefully ejecting the faulty cartridge from the chamber as you pull the trigger. Fear of saltwater, sand or general murk destroying it from the inside is a thing of the past now, even the stainless finish will remain polished after dipping it in the mud."
Mercury helped himself to the silencer on the table, screwing the metal rod on the threaded barrel, urging his friend to finish the review of its subtle but damaging capabilities.
"The last two touches are entirely calibrated to your style and purpose. While the gun receives .45 bullets as you mentioned, I did not forget to include a non-lethal sedative round conversion, they fit in the magazine like standard ammunition. It'll help to keep your profile low while saving the hard-hitting bullets for your final target. Just don't mix different magazines together.
"The second feature is the identification system. As you may have noticed, the sights responded to your iris, by tracking its signature pattern. I took the liberty of installing a DNA analyzer chip on the trigger, as well as a fingerprint scan. The gun scans you and identifies you as its owner, while the trigger can only be operated by your hand. It's just a safety precaution in case you lose it to someone else, ensuring they can't shoot you. It is practically useless unless you hold it. Disassembling it will also result in the genetic data being corrupted via failsafe so no worries. You still remain untraceable."
After finishing his in-depth analysis of the weapon, he left Mercury stunned, not only because his genetic code was implemented inside the system of this contraption without his permission, but also because he was intrigued by all these safety measures.
"I commemorate your concern for me Sigint, and I genuinely appreciate the effort into equipping me for a new generation of warfare, but you should never on any occasion handle personal data without my presence. Whoever has access to them could very well compromise our entire operation."
"Understandable, I assure you though I am well aware of the danger and focused on negating all risks first." He assured reasonably.
Mercury looked at the gun again, machines running on organic matter genetic data was a new concept to him. Exploring it further with the funds he could provide could either have catastrophic or world-saving consequences.
It was a nice gun though, he always had a soft spot for expertly crafted arms. As long as he took care of them, they took care of him. He'd proved that on numerous occasions by still being alive.
"The gun is only half of the equation." He urged him to reveal something else.
Sigint nodded and with meticulous care lifted a sheathed knife, the leathery wrapping hiding a prominent blade beneath.
"Once again nature has provided us with the means to combat the food chain," he slid the knife off its cover, the shiny blade immediately blinded all of them. "Bless the dragon who sacrificed themselves for those means."
He twirled the knife in his hand, passing it over to Mercury who brought it to eye level. "This'll do. Either this thing's sharpened to death or you guys found steel too niche."
"That's because it's not steel, we used dragon claws for the blade, the handle is fiberglass and provides a solid grip for performing handiwork with the serrated side or slitting throats with the smooth, consistent blade all the way to the tip. Not to mention it accumulates to your… unique fighting style."
Mercury remained neutral when he heard a draconic talon was now the blade of his brand new knife, how it had been shaped to accommodate his pocket was knowledge the science lab possessed. Moles had studied the molecular compartments forming up claw tissue belonging to both living and dead dragons for years, searching for the secret chemical reaction or mineral that would lead them to a new metal harder than diamond. Indeed, dragon claws were this sharp and deadly.
All the more of a reason to fight Volkron on the same terms. He spun around, both weapons grasped. The razor-sharp tip of the knife facing downwards, its grip locked in place by the aimed CAP's stock. Mercury swiped the blade a few times while keeping the cocked gun raised, assuming a defensive battle-stance.
The knife was clearly not the standard military kind, designed for an unofficial covert type of confrontation, he fully appreciated the craftsmanship when the draconic blade cut through the air, even the barrier of sound was slashed by this fearful tool.
Pleased with his revamped equipment, he set down the weapons and crossed his arms. "Anything else for me?"
"Your standard set of field gadgetry, not aiming to put much weight on you. As you said, lugging gear around is worthless." The professor explained, his excitement contained.
"Hm, then all that's left is to find out where the dragon's den lies. I doubt Volkron has carved his way into a cave." There was uncertainty dripping from his voice, it all just didn't add up.
"It's not just Warfang's request that got you into this, right?" Sigint suggested with a demanding tone.
"I'm… just finishing what I started long ago. That's the price for leaving loose ends. Although it still nags me that Warfang decided to hunt Volkron now after all these years." He massaged his temples, multiple scenarios going over his head.
"It doesn't help that you haven't set foot in the city for years, the only information we get is from our agents and of course the web."
"Who trusts the internet these days anyway?" He scoffed sarcastically.
As he padded to the door with Sigint in tow one of his employees popped from behind it, surprising Sigint while Mercury remained unfazed.
"Sir, we found a possible location for the target." He breathed in sharply with each word, Mercury found it odd that no one just called him to share such chilling information.
"What do you got for me? Tell me a location and I'm out of here." He was headstrong, his troops gave him that.
The Intel team operator raised his hands defensively. "Bahamut Desert, just as we suspected, he was spotted via cameras on a beaten down road near the north-east edge of Luxor, unknown destination. The Intel team there called for a dispatched squad stationed in one of our safe houses in the city. They're giving chase right as we speak. No need for you to hurry."
Mercury assessed the situation with a level head, this was the chance to strike, it wouldn't take long for Volkron to realize he's being tracked. He didn't want to push his luck further with Warfang either. "Prepare a chopper, we can't give them any breathing room, retrieve information from that convoy pronto."
"Sir, your own troops can handle it with great respect." He politely interjected.
"And I trust them completely to point me in a direction. This is not debatable any further." He stated calmly, and the operator quickly hastened to call for a means of transport.
"Sigint, what about my equipment?" He focused on his puzzled friend.
"The gear is ready for deployment and this time you don't have to hide. Warfang wants us to make an example of Volkron, right? The killing should be noticed by them."
"Very well, while I'm off on this, I have a special task that has top priority over anything and everything. I need you to schedule the dragons for evac. I'm confident this mission will run smoothly, but I can't help but think that something is awry." He looked Sigint squarely in the eyes. "Promise me that you'll do it."
"I promise you that it'll be done," Sigint reassured, a smile plastered on his face. "Now you may wanna awaken your fiery spirits now."
Mercury gazed down at the polished gun frame in his hand, his own reflection looked back at him.
A weapon once again.
Clear skies and a horizon reaching as far as the eye can see, this was a special morning for Ira. She'd finally gotten permission from Zofia to drag her brothers out and show then the sun and the sea. She remembered a lullaby sung by sea-faring sailors that her mother would recite every so often, but struggled to string the words together.
Nonetheless, the two clueless dragons didn't seem to be bothered by her particular failure, they eyed her in their usual curious manner then proceeded to snuggle up to her. She scoffed at how often they'd cling to her, she wasn't dreaming at least.
She really was the oldest dragoness they knew.
It sounded silly even to her, mother would simply never have time for a second egg, she was barely two when they were all still a family.
She never got that much time.
These two first years were ripped like a dry twig from a tree bark, discarded and forever forgotten.
She gave Pyrus's head a little squeeze, the infant buried his snout in her flank.
She was going to make up for that time, she'd make mother proud and repay Mercury's kindness.
The little dragons were sitting on their haunches like her, to her pleasure she had taught them that basic skill fairly quickly through the power of imitation. Zofia couldn't thank her enough for reducing potty time by a large margin.
It just now had occurred to her how much more she could show them, she felt like an expert on how to guide them through hatchling-hood without a jitter.
"Look, guys, that big fugly blob of fire is the sun." Of course, she wasn't looking at it directly, shielding her eyes behind a paw. The hatchlings were busy spotting clouds in the sky when their attention shifted to the sun. Whenever they would try looking at it, its blinding light would shun their vision away and the two clueless dragons would squeak fearfully, before dipping their heads behind Ira's back for protection. She laughed mischievously, enjoying that bit of control over the imitating children.
"Mum and dad always had different views on the sun, they even fought over it when I was near, but I'm starting to suspect they did it to put up a show." She explained to the befuddled audience, pulling them closer with her wings.
"Mommy said the sun is an endlessly giant star, storing up the life essence of long gone fire dragons, then passing it on to us for in all its warmth and glory. That way the world can flourish."
Mother was always like that, full of life as the sun she carefully described to her two-year-old.
"Daddy had a more "down to earth" view as was often said," she shrugged her shoulders as to why such a tall dragon would lower his snout to the earth all the time. "He claimed the sun is a guide, its light deducting our very daily lives with its intensity. While just by looking at its rise and fall we can always find our direction, preparing for the unforgiving night."
Father was her light, always rambling on and on about how troops needed that guide, a motivation to fight justly. She missed her light, those little dragons would never fear of losing something that important, they probably weren't even aware of what's important.
She envied them, wishing she was her ignorant infant self again, not a care in the world.
The thought struck her and she mentally slapped herself, that was shameful reasoning for her. She always dreamed of being among the big guys, independent, having someone to love unconditionally again.
Who would love these two orphans if not her?
Mercury was the closest second option, she adored him no matter what he said to her and she wanted him to be part of this new little family despite his pleas for peace and quiet. She knew he'd come around sooner or later, accepting the fact that he wasn't her dad was the first step into a ripe relationship between them. Even if her guilty desires demanded he fulfilled that role, it was her selfish harmless fantasy, however.
She promised silently to get rid of these oppressive wishes, Mercury was her friend and she would make it up to him one day. The virtue of honor was something she comprehended quite accurately for her age. Certain acts deserve equal paybacks, like a ball bouncing against a wall, nature dictates that for every action there is a similar reaction.
Nature taught her this through physical abuse for days on end, those scars of hers were itchy all of a sudden. She gasped and the fear of cold claws ripping her skin turned her fight or flight senses on. She brought her own paw to the scar on her flank, wary of the monster raking its claws along her feeble protection.
She found Zephyr plopped neatly on her side, inspecting the faded wound, his miniscule paw running up and down the rosy line as if it were a slippery worm he tried to capture for his childish entertainment. She checked all around the platform, no scary monsters, just her and the two drowsy gifts from the universe.
She squeezed his paw gently, his short attention span had him instantly focusing on her unimpressive scars to her. He nuzzled her paw and purred.
"Yes, these are my scars… Mercury says I'm strong for having them even if I wish they never existed." The babies cocked their heads puzzled, they made zero sense of this but the name of their protector stood out among the mumbo jumbo Ira was seemingly spewing in their ears. At least they were great listeners, their adorable company proving to be a shelter for her darkest secrets. The fact that they were smaller was also inspiring her confidence, she was irritated when everyone who addressed her had to kneel to treat her like an imbecile.
"Then again if I didn't have those scars I couldn't protect you. I wouldn't have even met you actually." She was left staring idly at the sun after that, basking in the shimmering light that turned her scales golden, she hoped she wasn't the cause for the hatchlings going blind. She giggled at her inside joke and let her eyelids droop. Sleepy, again she was, she really had to learn how to conserve her energy. All this time on the wild she never got a proper night sleep, curse her spoiled upbringing in a comfy bed. Even today after her return to society, she still felt tired, even more so than the younger dragons who were brimming with energy during their waking hours.
She followed the lazy rise and fall of the waves until they crashed on a pylon far away from where she was standing. The distance made every hypnotic ripple flow in slow motion. It was sleep-inducing.
Weird, the sun shot straight for the sky, it had just escaped the horizon a moment ago.
She shivered when a chill expanded on her left cheek, she smacked her lips and a trickle of saliva sticking on the metallic floor.
She heard two heavy boots stop beside her, a youthful voice spoke up, definitely not Mercury's certain and calming tone.
"Um, are these yours?" A wide-eyed wolf asked politely.
Ira scrambled to her feet when she realized she had fallen asleep in the middle of the floor, the kids where no longer by her side. She panicked, scanning in frantic circles like a telescope. She slurped up her drool and faced the mercenary, upon spotting the two dragons held on his lap, Zephyr was whimpering with tears staining his wrinkled snout while Pyrus was snoozing like there was no tomorrow.
"Oh, yes thanks for um, finding them. I was searching for them too…" She tried to justify herself.
"By falling asleep out here?" He asked amused at her poor attempt to deceive him.
"I got lost and why are you asking me, huh?" She asked with nerve.
He cooed Zephyr as he retorted with a scold. "I found them snooping around the containers near the medical warehouse, minding my patrol duty. Sadly I found them the hard way when I stepped on poor Zephyr's tail, he was hiding behind the supply crates and then burst out in tears. I felt bad and wondered who left them roam so I brought them back here where I find you sleeping carefree. What would you say about that?"
Ira could not believe it, she was in her little dreamland all morning and the hatchlings were out on their own, possibly exposing themselves to dangers of all kinds that can be discovered in a military place. Some big sister she was, one day on the job and she had already broken her promise to care for them constantly.
"Ah, shit… I mean… You're clearly disobeying orders." She desperately tried to tip the scales, shutting her mouth in the process as she remembered swearing is impolite.
The wolf laughed at her stubbornness, theorizing she just picked that line from Mercury. "In fact, I am going against protocol by ditching my post, but keep in mind, it's your hide on the line too. The boss would be really mad to hear you left a bunch of hatchlings ran rampant and unsupervised. It'd make you look irresponsible and put me in an awkward spot, right?"
Ira bit her lip and extended her front paws in a plea. "I'm sorry, I just closed my eyes for a second. I really don't want my brothers to be hurt, because of me, I'll never sleep again, I swear!" She was near the verge of tears, Zephyr noticed her distress and wiggled his feet too, to comfort her. "Can I please have them back?"
The mercenary crouched and whispered to her. "Sure, you look capable if the doctor chose you to look after them. I'm Zack by the way. I'll be around to clean up after your mess and in turn, we keep your little mishaps between us."
Ira raised a brow, but was cut short from her train of thought as the two dragons rushed to her when placed down, the bundles combined effort of tackling her was successful and she was soon assaulted by touchy paws and slobbery tongues. "Guys stop! It tickles!"
Zephyr whined and showed her his hurt tail, it was slightly red and puffy, the frail dragon probably experienced an unimaginable amount of pain to have cried this much. Ira hugged him and provided the caring attention he needed. "Noooo, my little bro got a boo-boo. Hush-hush Zofia will fix it, okay?"
She kissed his forehead and Pyrus's while applying gentle strokes on the tail, already detecting the jolliness returning to the purple drake who licked her ticklish throat.
"Thank you so much, Zack, don't worry I surely won't tell anyone, I can promise that." She made a paw-gesture, signing that her mouth is zipped. "Why help me though?"
"Well, let's just say I want to live up to Mercury's generosity, he's a real inspiration for us all. In fact, you can come and play here with the little ones under my supervision, I have watch tonight. No need to fear of losing them then, right?" He reassured her, she was overjoyed to hear that.
"Really? You hear that, boys? We can stay up all night and go hog wild!" She tugged at the hatchlings who had little idea of what was going on, or how much trouble they had caused but shared her excitement nonetheless.
"Yeah! Kids are a blast, I have a little brother myself, maybe I could teach you a thing or two." He suggested.
She found the prospect exhilarating but kept her cool. "Why can't we tell Mercury?"
His expression darkened suddenly, the mood dropped quickly. "Mercury is leaving in a few minutes for an extremely hazardous mission, he is very stressed about Warfang, the largest city in the world, threatening to destroy our home here. No need to put the extra pressure on him."
Ira was no less than stunned from this revelation, Mercury told her he'd depart on a mission soon, but not right now. Her gloomy response unnerved Zack greatly. "Are we in danger too?" She wasn't expecting a threat of this scale.
"No, no, absolutely not. Mercury would never allow any harm to come to you or the purple dragon of all creatures. I'll stick around when he's away though, the least I can assure you of is safety within these grounds. We all bled for it."
She paced around for a bit then nodded in agreement. "Ok, it's always good to meet new people, but I really wanna see Mercury if he is to leave now."
Zack was understanding of her "Let's take you to him then." He patted her back and helped with the hatchlings.
Ira settled her nerves down from the previous scare, the dragons were in good paws and she had backup now. This would be her tiny harmless secret, a chance to make up time for all these lost childhood years.
They were by the helipad built by the core strut. Ira could never get used to being towered by the cloud-reaching Command Tower, especially due to her small size compared to pretty much anything and anyone in the base. This place was clearly not designed with housing children in mind. She wondered if she'd have more chances in the future when her height would be up to par with the skills Mercury will teacher.
She was so certain of his acceptance to take her in as an apprentice, the thought that Mercury might back down from his promise to train her for obvious reasons never once poisoned her reverie. Zack nudged her forward and she complied, having a hard time seeing past all the black uniforms. The chopper had already landed and blew a strong wind current with its razor blades, the breeze lashed at her eyes and she squinted them shut.
The hatchlings were utterly befuddled by the occasion, so many unfamiliar faces surrounding them, it must've been a nightmare for the little ones. Pyrus broke in a hack and coughing fit, the suffering dragon drew several eyes away from Mercury, who was making a beeline for the chopper and some concerned murmurs popped up. Mercury halted his step in an instant, he bit his lip, guilt building up in his heart. Of course, he hadn't bid goodbye to the kids, there was too much at stake here and he hated leaving behind a heartbroken Ira with nothing but fat deceptive lies to hold on to. It'd be better off if he disappeared in the night while they were still peaceful and content, then the last thing he could cherish during another suicide mission would be the image of three undisturbed, calm faces, still gleeful in their little dreamland far away from his hellhole of a haven. They wouldn't even know he was gone until he back alive or in pieces.
That's how he spared them from the horror of waiting for your loved one in agonizing silence.
That's how he cared for them.
But alas, they were here and he could finally drop the charade, only to face one disdainful Ira shunning him with a hurt strained gaze.
"Girl, I know what you're thinking. This will be over faster than you can say your name." His hand approached her shoulder.
"Ira Roxanne Galvador! There, now please stay." She exclaimed in a furious manner and squeezed his hand with surprising strength, making him flinch. A few mercenaries stepped forward, wary of the imminent threat to their boss. Sigint cut them off and glared.
"Show some respect, this is a private moment."
"You have every right to be mad at me, I didn't even say goodbye but you gotta understand Ira, I'm not a miracle maker, not a hero and most importantly not a family person. I have to support you in a different way, a horrible, hope-stripping line of work that I've come to accept. When this is over, we'll meet somewhere safe, a beautiful beach, better than what this place can provide you and the hatchlings. You need to show an ounce of faith, I'm doing this for you," He stroked her head and picked up the little dragons on his lap, they chirped happily, finally near the only person they recognized as a familiar figure. "And you two rascals."
Ira was at a loss for words, a thunderous silence reigned all over the platform for mere moments, then she broke it by sobbing once, then again and again. She didn't want the only person who's ever cared for her to just straight up disappear. This was just like when mom left her, for her own good as she claimed, the voice ringed in her ears still.
What good was it doing her, staying away from loved ones all her life?
He wiped her tears and glanced at the squirming boys, they were aware something was up. He pulled them over and put them in front of her.
"Hey, come on. It's okay to be afraid, you're setting an example for them, to let your fears go." She found the adorable faces cooing her through teary curtains. "They need you, Ira, I've seen what you can do. You've already fulfilled my prospects, I never thought I'd ask from a child, but you should watch them out while I'm away. Consider it your first step into my unofficial training regime."
She rubbed her eyes and faced him with determination, there was nothing in this world that would split her and her brothers. She would not disappoint Mercury and most importantly she would not let herself fret over loneliness.
She leaped and hugged his waist, barely locking her paws in place, he got the jitters from the interaction.
"Hold it together, agent. No slip-ups…"
He shivered and fought to regain control over his arms and knees, numb limbs turned to noodles, he almost slumped on top of the girl. He gently, but carefully returned the hug.
"Don't let Warfang hurt us, don't let them take you… The promise, remember?" She whispered with a slight hiccup.
He pulled away and tightly grasped her forelegs. "Ira we've gone through this a million times by now."
"I-I just wanna be sure…" She stammered.
"Well, I'm not going back down on it, it's not just you who is affected by that promise." He gestured to the huddled wyrmlings who reached for him again affectionately.
He turned back without being stalled by her anymore, she hadn't given up, of course, she was just reassured he can keep his promise. This was a final test for him. She stood still and waited until he entered the chopper, the engines sped up, the spinning process began. Ira silently prayed to the Ancestors for safe travels and calm winds to guide his wings.
The last thought that crossed his mind was more of a question, but it was too late to ask. He voiced his doubts inside his mind.
How the heck did Ira know Warfang was part of this?
He had kept this sensitive piece of info secret from everyone, except Sigint and a few select officers he had elected personally. Ira could've never figured this out on her own.
Maybe she overheard a conversation, I had her in my office during the night.
He brushed the suspicions away, focusing on the road ahead, nearing the end of the string lined up for him to follow like a good hound was always making him itchy. Volkron was close to finding them, no doubt. In fact, he was prepared for an ambush or increased security. No matter the parameters of the mission, the first task of calling this mission accomplished was plain as day.
He needed that informative recruit, it was about time he commandeered a convoy raid.
Back at the base, Ira was left alone with the saluting soldiers who were dissipating as usual. She just stared intently at the black dot in the sky, that was now the helicopter, hoping it would make a U-turn and bring Mercury back to her.
When that chance flew by, way out of her range, she got up and breathed, no need to throw more tantrums, her brothers needed her.
"Come on, stubby legs." he tugged at Zephyr who whined, preferring to stay near his sick brother who was evidently tormented by a fever again.
"Oh no, you need medication, let's get back to Zofia." She turned around to look for the troop who assisted her earlier, Zack was nowhere to be seen, she hadn't even heard him slip away.
She rolled her eyes, before taking one final look at the now cloudy, gloomy sky. What she wouldn't give for knowledge on flight right now. She could be by Mercury's side.
Mercer charged through the dark rugged halls of a cavern, his heavy wet footsteps echoed across the natural formations. There was a leak from the ocean in here, the concept of drowning while delivering a simple message was unwelcoming.
He rose his wet paw and snapped his talons to no avail, a small spark flickered and the smoldering flame was out again. He groaned in annoyance and was tempted to punch a wall, he turned with fury, allowing his hot-headedness to get the better of him. His balled fist halted merely away from a shadow against the wall, it was too familiar and too curvy to be mistaken for a rock. It was distorted from the uneven surface it occupied, a demonic presence if he had known less.
What nauseated him, even more, was the fact that he could discern a shadow in pitch blackness. If anyone could call that thing a shadow.
"Don't fret dear ally. Follow the currents of my voice, the streak of shadow will guide you to me." An unnervingly charming voice drew him in, almost like a siren that wished to drag him to the deep end just as in myths.
He focused his vision with squinted eyes, the shadow rose from time to time, stretching and reforming itself, sticking to the floor, then shooting straight up on the ceiling.
The shadow led him down a steep tunnel, he could hear the faint rumbling of water.
Why did she pick an underwater cave of all places?
He marched on, almost tripping on a jagged rock on his way down, the slope was slippery from all the water corroding through it. He just kept his sights fixed on the swirling tendril.
Crunch!
"Gah!" He stepped back and leaned against the wall, suppressing a whimper. He didn't want to look spineless in front of her.
Checking his paw for wounds was a walk in the park most of the time. However, the darkness made all the bigger difference now. He tried to relight his fire with little success once more. The swirling shadows were closing in on him.
And they were alive this time.
He gulped a dry knot, he was going to end up claustrophobic after all this. Cynder knew how to mess with anyone's sanity. To his dismay, he had to crack open his last flare and held it in front of his face, the other flares were lost within the abyssal depths of the hungry ocean. Flight could not help him in this scenario, this made all his movements tenfold times more frantic. His left paw felt completely numb now so he settled against the wall on his back. A few of his scales popped due to the weight pressing on pointy rocks. He hissed when the sight of his bloodied paw greeted him, the engorging shadows only furthered his discomfort. His appendage was pierced by dozens of prickly glowly splinters, as well as their source, a deformed looking sea urchin, vibrating with a hypnotic violet color like a neon sign on a backyard brothel. He was no expert biologist, but that thing was no ordinary creature and those splinters had pierced way too deep into his draconic armor for their miniscule size.
He picked one with two pinpoint accurate claws and jerked it out, stifling a gasp in the process.
"Why the stall? Didn't you insist to meet urgently?" The encouraging feminine voice bounced off the walls once more.
A shadowy tendril snapped out if the wall and curled around his hind leg softly, caressing him with an ethereal chilly touch. The whole talk about the warm embrace of the shadows was a rumor after all. He felt it wrap tightly as if to remind him of a certain deadline, a tug at his conscience. He curled his toes and breathed heavily, trying to shoo it.
"Cynder stops it, this is not the time for joking." He pleaded sincerely.
Silence.
Thump.
Thump.
The veiny tendril pulsated like a heart, a black, rotting muscle, his head rung awfully. There were voices in his head, the darkness gave an image to these sourceless voices.
In the corner he spotted, a shadow, this one had assumed the shape of a dragoness.
"Elaina?"
The blob of dark snapped on his hurt paw, he screamed and slumped against the wall.
"Why?"
"Please stop."
"Why?"
Another heartbeat.
"I was doing the right thing."
The pain on his paw expanded to his foreleg, reaching up to the knee, his tail bounced left and right in panic.
"So much pain..."
"It's not my fault, I tried to save you."
Crack.
This place was cursed.
Thump.
An egg smashed to pieces sounded off in the depths.
"First do no harm."
The voice was distorted as if two persons were trying to communicate through the same sentence
"It was necessary!" He wailed, he nibbled at his claw, the shadows sticking to the flanks and limbs of his deprived of oxygen body, he was rotting.
He tugged at the sea urchin on his paw, a thousand worms crawled out of it, instead of the calming salty smell of the sea he sniffed decay, like a rotting carcass, was embracing him.
"You put duty above family, without a second guess..."
He opened a pouch next to him, the shadows were limiting his movements, he was suffocating under the grotesque tendrils oppressing his curled form, a pathetic sight.
There was a small pill on his paw, he shifted his head rapidly to find out he was constricted.
Thump.
He ripped the magically anomalous urchin with his teeth, blood splattered on his snout and a scream was heard. The sole was tattered, flesh hanging lazily from it, he was too numb to care.
Thump.
He dumped the pill in his gaping maw and gasped, his vision was clouded by tendrils, he wanted it to end.
A swift razor cut drummed in his ears as if flesh had been ripped open by an object, a feminine scream this time.
"Elaina?"
He opened his eyes this time, nothing in sight again. Total silence that made him all the more scared. After the initial shock of waking up, he was already surprised that all of his feet were in perfect working order.
"...I've done the same." A sentence was finished by the usual familiar voice.
Mercer pressed a paw forward and hissed again, this time there was no urchin, but his paw was rendered useless by his own rabid teeth. He inspected one of the splinters.
Hm, probably poisonous, that would explain the hallucinations.
He was in great despair for one, there was something nightmarish about sinking deeper and deeper into a pit of despair you dug yourself, not even the meds could stop it sometimes.
He picked up the trail again, it led closer and closer to the water, until he stopped before what he assumed was an underwater section of the corridor, a dead end of him. His limp was taking a toll on his endurance by the minute.
"Well?" He shouted in irritation, a few pebbles shifted position as if moved by a paranormal entity, then a cool wind blew in his snout.
A wind current leagues below the surface of the ocean.
Oh, Cynder and her awkward way of communicating.
"Take a dive, guardian." She mused.
He swallowed a lump, unable to comprehend how she would expect him to go this deep without an oxygen mask. He felt oddly compelled to do so despite his mind screaming him to leg it.
He had come so far, it would be a shame to just ditch it all for a harmless swim.
He prepared himself mentally, not wishing to receive another pep talk from her, the shadows behind him intertwined like dancing ribbons, sealing the way.
Cynder was one of the dragons he met, that even with all her illusions and tricks had not earned respect through fear.
Even fear itself respected her in that regard.
He took a deciding whiff of air and dove like a sea serpent, his movements quite similar to one in fact. Dragons could adopt all sorts of swimming styles due to their quadruped nature. He could see better down here, courtesy of the luminous organisms and corals decorating this colorful playground of the cave. This could also very well be his watery grave if he swam carelessly, air currents were more frequent below water and pockets of air were rare and precious checkpoints.
He narrowly dodged a protruding hook-shaped rock, which could have easily ended his career in espionage in a split second. He even bumped heads with a vicious eel, its blue glowing veins pulsed upon spotting the larger dragon, Mercer was pretty sure he'd be turned into eel fodder if it stored any poison in its fangs, and thus the malicious creature was struck down quickly with a swipe of his own natural weapons.
It was then that he ran into bigger trouble, the underwater cavern system was split into multiple paths, this drove him to a panicked state. Bubbles burst from his mouth, he'd have to pick now or die in vain.
That was when he saw it, one of the rocky entrances had claw marks on it, no other sea creature could possess such imposing talons. This was clearly Cynder's passageway and he shot like an arrow to it, his vision started going dark again from oxygen deprivation. How longer his abused lungs could withstand all this was unknown to him.
He saw a form hunched over the water's surface.
The red drake flopped out of the water system with a choked cough, spewing water everywhere. His aching muscles failed him and Mercer flopped on the ground with a wet squelch, in front of Cynder's feet.
She towered easily over him, inspecting with scorn on her snout. "Took you long enough." She turned and wrapped a tail around his waist, pulling him completely out of the water.
Mercer pounded at his chest, vomiting water and panting heavily. He attempted to speak, but Cynder hushed him.
"Get your breath first, then inform me. We'll see if I'm taking that breath back then." She commanded sternly.
"Wh-why…? Why here?" He uttered out between coughs.
Cynder tapped a claw on her chin. "Hmmm, I don't recall you coming here to ask questions, but nonetheless this is the perfect place for our setup. This cavern system is thousands of years old and the magical interference here reigns supreme. No tracking devices or satellites across the world could catch wind of our conversation down here."
He leaned against a wall, amazed at her far-fetched idea. "Don't you think that is a little excessive and that's coming from me."
"Oh, Mercer… If only you had been in this vicious cycle as long as I am, secrecy would be your greatest ally. This is how I outlived my enemies and made new ones in the process, then outlived them too and so on." She pondered the times of old when she still believed in heroes.
Mercer looked around, his keen observation never faltering. "You used to come all the way down here, some crazy bond you two shared."
"What led you to such assumption?" She clicked her teeth menacingly.
"Call it a hunch, but that huge carving on the wall says it all. I and Elaina used to do it too, even if our relationship was by no means, intimate." He pointed at the wall behind Cynder, two letters were carved on it, "S" and "C", connected with a cross.
"Hm, indeed those were my early years. Now it's just a memory of the past, memories are not to dwell on, right?" She eagerly anticipated an honest answer.
He nodded quickly. "Right. Back to business then."
"I'm sorry about Elaina, she was tasked with a burden no dragoness should ever carry. However, I still commemorate you for your undivided focus. You are strong, if not stronger than any other guardian to bare through such loss with little impact on your duty practice."
"You still believe all this guardian talk? What's so special about me?"
"Guardians once held an integral place within draconic society, the leaders of the world who would decide justly for all species, but like any position of power, it was abused and pushed to obscurity. Guardians have long since fallen out of history books for obvious reasons. You can relight that fire of Guardianship, but not in the corrupt way the Hive seeks out to do. You will attest to the true rules of a Guardian's life, as I've told you to do so."
"I'll try my damnedest to live up to the ways of the old." He stomped with zealotry.
"But you want revenge too, child?"
"I won't let my mind be clouded by such-" He was cut off from finishing.
"Nonsense! I can feel it raging inside you, you want Volkron to die!" She pressured him into revealing the truth.
He faced her straight in the eye. "While I want nothing more than to see the false Guardian be put down, I requested to see you for useful information."
She was satisfied to hear of his plight. "Share with me and your search will bear fruit."
"I found the location of the purple dragon, he's been hatched though."
Cynder almost pounced on him, this was the answer she was expecting eventually. "It'd be foolish to assume with my experience that you'd disappoint. Where might he be?"
"I have the coordinates detailed right here, Mercury runs a multi-million military company disguised as an oil corporation in international waters, they keep Mercury in the medical ward. Tonight, one of my agents will have him exposed out in the back entrance. All you have to do is swoop in and take him."
He brought up a PDA, it was still shiny from the recent dive. Cynder helped herself to it.
"What about Mercury? Will he be there?"
Mercer shrugged and continued on as if uncaring. "He is flying to Bahamut Desert as we speak, he'll be scouting military proxy companies for suspicious activity."
Cynder grinned, turning to face him for confirmation. "He caused me real grief that can't be undone, the Temple in the Valley was lost to the cheetah tribes. To think we used to be allies."
"The Hive will swallow him whole, let him walk into the beast's maw."
Cynder paced around him patiently, eyeing parts of his body that brought him uneasiness. "Do you always leave things like that to chance, Guardian? He who stole a purple dragon will just be "swallowed" by the Hive?"
Mercer gazed her with a wince ."I'm terribly sorry to be so blind by simply assuming numbers outperform skill. We shall apprehend him at once."
"No, you stay put."
"But I thought you-"
"I require of your capabilities elsewhere, no need for a weakling in the fight."
"Understood, yes." He shook in his place.
"The Black Sky will take care of the purple dragon, you will see that he is transported safely to me. His life essence can still be of use. I want a full report of what will occur in there, anyone who gets in the way will be dispatched silently. I haven't kept my identity a secret for generations only to have it all crumble in a day's matter. It could compromise my plan and even worst, his life." She looked to the ceiling of the cave solemnly, as if they were being stared down at by an invisible spirit.
"I'm sorry but I can't take command of the Black Sky, it's suicide. Those things aren't dragons anymore."
"I gave purpose to these "things" as you so wrongfully misjudge them, you of all people, a spy who plays both sides of the war to keep his precious abdomen intact, who can't go without a day without lying or cheating to make himself valuable to both sides. Ancestors give you the courage to be as real as any dragon out there."
He was on the verge of snapping but kept his cool, this wasn't the time or place to argue, not before the big hit. "Fair enough, I'll be seeing myself out then."
"We'll be meeting here more often than you wish, prepare diving gear next time."
He facepawed, yet chose to keep up the facade for the sake of the plan. If all goes well, they both get what they want. It was business in its purest form.
When he was finally far away from hearing range, she seized the opportunity to address someone else in the cave. "I know you are eavesdropping you naughty. Soon, you'll walk free again, I'm never going to convince you not to guilt-trip yourself over all of this. I never intended for things to be this way either."
She shoved a claw beneath the old writing, withdrawing a yellowed parchment and a purple crystal from a crevice in the wall.
"I'm here my love."
Another chapter down, writing about Cynder is always a jolly time for me. I plan to stray a bit further away from the common trope that has her being an pure of heart ex-criminal that fights for redemption as you can see. I know I'm repeating myself, but once again sorry for the extra delay, I was focused on my little oneshot prior to this chapter. Spyro needed a bath desperately.
Thank you all so much for 1,600 views, this is actually watched by way more people than I expected.
I hope to see you next time and as always a big thanks to my beta-reader, Atlas FF. The real action is about to start.