Chapter 52 Last of the Pure-Bloods
Character Griffen McCandles
"All right, now you owe us an explanation," Riza yelled in his ear as they entered Cortana's bunker. It was quite a remarkable piece of engineering from what Griffen could make of it. Instead of the usual square walls and concrete, this bunker was an underground pyramid with walls of a spongy but extremely tough material, like a super rubber compound. He would have liked to see it without Riza yelling at him but some things just can't be helped.
"In what way," Griffen replied. In his almost 3,000 year life time he had learned to get the specifics of a request before answering it.
"Well you being the same as these other dragons did you come to earth to spy on us or what just stopped by for a joy ride and decided to have fun gaining control of our army," Riza retorted hotly.
"First I did not come from here I am completely earthly in origins, my parents just happened to be dragons," Griffen said, "secondly gaining control of the army was more of a move to keep others from taking the same position."
"What others more dragons," Riza snapped, "just proves never trust a UEF commander."
"If there are other dragons I'll not tell you their names," Griffen replied his temper getting shorter by the second with the difficult female cultist. "And if they aren't you would not be concerned with them."
"Why you…" Riza began only to have Ivan intervene.
"Well he did just save us from an atomic blast which probably would have killed us despite the shield and K's powers," Ivan said.
"As for that, Cortana why didn't you have defenses in place for this type of attack," Riza said her indignation at being blocked in her inquests as to Griffen's race, turning now to the AI.
"I just got the ACU from storage only a day ago," Cortana replied, "I am still completing the lists for its units and their capabilities."
"Then you are not fit to run the ACU and must relinquish it to our custody," Riza ordered.
"No," Cortana replied smoothly unruffled at Riza's rising temper, "you have no jurisdiction here last I checked it was RuGaard."
"She is correct," RuGaard said cutting off a harsh reply from Riza, "as far as I am concerned you could be invaders and should be dealt with as such. Now I suggest that since you don't have your robotic suites to rampage around in that you restrain that tongue and start speaking as if you want to earn my trust. Cortana and her friends have but that doesn't reflect on you."
"And what of me," Griffen asked curious as to what RuGaard and his relatives would think about him now that they knew he was a dragon.
"You said it yourself you are not from this planet," AuRon replied, "we must treat you with the same caution."
"Well said brother," RuGaard affirmed, "even though you are like us you are not one of us, same as K and his Leviathans. However I am curious about the way you changed, it was unlike anything I have ever seen almost as if your actual form was folded up inside the human body."
"That is pretty close to the truth," he replied, "the human body is a remnant of the impure line of dragons, which still flourishes back on earth. Me and my sis however are the last two pure-blooded dragons. It was thought for a long time that we were anywhere from 90 to 95% pure-blooded, but later through a series of tests it was confirmed that we had 100% dragon blood and we're still able to keep the human shape."
"So can you revert back then," Riza asked her voice a little more controlled than before.
"Yes if it is less bothersome for you I can do that," Griffen replied.
"Please," she replied tersely.
Griffen flexed his body and felt the structure of his bones refit to the body he normally used like a hand inside a glove that is slightly to tight.
"Oh that is disgusting," Riza said tuning away until his transformation was complete, Ivan and Cortana simply watched, both eerily analytical in their observation, K looked on as if all this was normal to him which considering that he was leading a rouge dragon, alien, and robo-human group was quite possible.
"So you have a sister," K asked, "Is she well?"
Griffen pondered the question for a moment then replied, "yes she is well."
"Do you want for Earth to stay safe," K continued looking down as in deep thought.
"Yes," he and Ivan and Riza replied.
"Then you will need to help me," K said, "and for that you need to know the truth about who and what I am. You know I am draconic but what you don't know is that two beings have entered your universe they are pieces of me, the physical embodiment of my hatred and rage and loneliness, their names are Void and Despair. You are worried about two ACUs operating on this planet, I tell you Void and Despair can destroy entire galaxies if they choose to."
"And how did they get here," Griffen asked suspicions of K's intentions.
"Through a series of complicated events involving myself and my companions here and some who didn't come through to the reams between the universes," K replied, "I had no intention of letting those two through to a different universe or letting them escape at all. But they found a source of power in this universe and drew me my mate and themselves through. Where they ended up I know not as for how the rest of my friends got here that would be through the work of the marvelous Doctor."
"I see," Griffen said, "and can you prove this?"
"Yes," K replied, "well actually Cortana can."
"Huh," Griffen asked puzzled, "how can she?"
By translating the messages being transmitted by the other commanders, Cortana said. "Almost got it … there listen to these."
With this alliance we would be stronger than the humans…
(different voice) and what about their new allies, something doesn't add up…
(first voice) I would prefer to have them on our side than against us, the human allies will not help us we need a power strong enough to fight them…
(second voice) very well tell Void, we will grant him and his brother the command of two ACUs let them take out a mining operation on Desihre to get use to the units.
(first voice) Fine I'll send the units to them, finish these annoying humans here and head to the Seat- end transmission.
"Desihre that is Aeon controlled, we have to stop them," Riza said.
"It would seem the dragon's story is true," Ivan added.
"Well it seems that your enemies have sided with ours," Griffen said, "so are we in this together?"
"I'm with you," Cortana said.
"And we are with her," the one called Arbiter added indicating himself and the human-mech suit warrior John/ Master Chief.
"We are in because our city is in the cross fire of your armies," Hawk said.
"John you've become a friend to us," Cynder said, "I will see you home however this turns out."
"Then we are allied," K said, "now lets go get us a Commander."
Character Rayon
It didn't take long for the four ACU's to get a location on the enemy, apparently the base was on an island to the north of the landmass they had landed on, typical. Rayon was not overly thrilled about the quick discovery as he wanted to lean more about the power of fear and lightning from Diablo, alas that would have to wait, he was now flying over the island along with the rest of DC plus the people they picked up in Haven. He also was not yet sure if he could trust Hawk and Fisher the other humans he had met seemed noble, these two just seemed like they were trying to survive. Surveying the land he saw that the island was shaped roughly like a claw or hand and was small. It was still doing a good job of hiding the other commander's base.
"Lighten up Ray," Fi said, "this is one of the safer things we gotten to do in a while."
"Safe, no that doesn't bother me," Ray replied he thought safe was basically the same as boring, "it's the always having to be doing that is starting to wear on me."
Fi shrugged with an understanding nod and left him to his thoughts, which wandered to the ACUs. They were outfitted with a flying system involving the same rocket technology that powered the missiles but on a massive scale. Their engines were a constant low rumble that was the underlying sound on their flight.
"Got you," Griffen said, "just over the next hill should be the base."
"Then why don't the structures emit an energy signature," Cortana replied.
"Hmm that is odd," Ivan added, "I guess we are about to find out."
"I don't like it," Riza said, "there have been no sign of defenses."
As they flew over the hill it became evident why they had not been attacked by the planes that had been trying to bomb the city. Where the base should have been were some burnt out wreckage surrounding a crater, that however was not the most impressive sight. In the crater were six figures, three massive dragons each one the size of a small hill, and three people, they looked somewhat human but not quite. The people looked now more than half Johns age maybe 23, 24 at most, but for a dragon to be the size these three were meant they must be hundreds if not thousands of years old. It did make for quite a sight. The dragons were a hard blue, a deep red and a shimmering gold. The people were ornamented in very heavy ceremonial looking armor bearing the emblems of what must have been a long lost order. Neither the people or the dragons moved until DC had landed, then one in a full plate mail suit stepped forward.
"So are you here as friend of what was in command of this place or, judging by the difference in your construction, a foe," the armored man, Ray could tell from the voice, directed towards the ACUs.
"Foes of the ACU that was here and friend to whoever destroyed it," Griffen said, "I am Griffen, the two with me are Riza and Ivan, we represent the people of Earth."
"I am Eragon, this is Murtagh, Arya, Thorn, Saphira, and Varok." Eragon indicated one of his companions to go with each name. Arya was a female warrior her armor was more flexible but still very strong, Murtagh's armor was even heaver than Eragon's making the man look more like a smaller version of the ACUs. Thorn was the red dragon, Saphira was the blue and Varok the gold.
"Did you all do this," Ray asked impressed by the level of destruction that had been wrought on the base.
"Yeah we did," Murtagh said, "wasn't really worth the effort but you all might be, stranger creatures I have never seen."
Ray caught the Primes glancing between each other at that.
"What never seen a demon before," Diablo said with a scoff.
"No dragons that talk with their mouths instead of their minds," Arya clarified.
"What," Ray asked confused, "oh so you three can't speak normally, he addressed the elder dragons. So what do you communicate through your people?"
"No," a female voice said it must have been Saphira, "we can directly speak into the minds of others if we wish, and these are our riders not just some person that we picked up by chance. We are closer to each other than we are to ourselves."
"Oh," sorry Ray apologized.
"No need," Thorn 'said' or Ray thought it was Thorn by the way the red dragon looked at him, "it is apparent that you are more than just dragons yourselves."
"True enough," K said stepping forward in his human form with Celantra at his side, "I am Kalathanon and this is my mate Celantra, we," indicating the dragons of DC, "are Leviathans, a new beginning for my race."
"You are what," Varok asked, "you look human enough."
K smiled then transformed into the biggest form Ray had seen him in yet it was a super sized version of his half-form. While the new dragons were the size of hills K was now the size of a mountain. They were now under him with his body almost 300 feet above them and his head somewhere in the clouds, literally. "Am I human now," K's voice echoed down to them from almost 3,000' in the air.
"Ha-ha," Murtagh laughed, "now that is what I call big!"
K shrank back down so he could seem them, "I do not normally use a form that large but I could get even bigger, do not doubt that we are more than we appear."
"If you boys would stop showing off," Celantra said, "I think the appropriate thing to do is see what the intentions of these adventurous folk are they obviously waited here for something."
"Celantra, the reasonable side of K," Ray thought, "she is right again."
"Our intent was to stop the disturbances caused by the building going on here and when we were attacked we retaliated," Arya said, "further than that we had no other concerns, but I doubt that technology of this level has been discovered here yet, so where do you come from," indicating the ACUs.
"The planet Earth is our home, it is out there," Griffen said as he pointed towards the sky with his arm.
"So you are not from across the sea than but across the heavens," Eragon summarized.
"And we are not even from the heavens you call space," Arbiter added, "all of us are from an entirely different universe."
Eragon tilted his head to look at Saphira then turned back to look at K. "So you are the ones chasing the shades, Saphira says that we are going to help and that means she is going to get her way."
"Shades," K said, "oh Void and Despair yes I suppose they could be considered shades. Well if you all are going to help us then would you, dragons, like the ability to speak with your mouths as well as mind?"
The reaction from the six was worth the entire trip for Ray, he had trouble keeping himself from laughing at their shock. The riders simply stared at K like he was nuts the dragons however seemed to discuss the matter between themselves. Then Thorn nodded and Varok and Saphira followed in agreement.
K smiled then sent a blast of his green energy into each of them. Eragon turned around and Saphira looked dazed for a moment then said, "Hello."
"Wow he did it," Arya said, "Varok can you speak?"
"Why yes it seems I can," Varok replied, "this is going to take some getting used to."
"Indeed," Thorn said, "holding our thoughts is relatively easy but our tongues, I think our riders are better at that."
And so began DC's adventures in this new universe, but lets not forget their other companions for they are more important then even K realizes.
