THE NIGHT OF THE BLUE DRAGON

By Andamogirl

WWW

ACT FOUR

It was a split second later that Jim, Artemus-Dragon and Drakstil materialized in the middle of Mintee's vast lab, all of them disoriented.

Drakstil looked around her, growling, teeth bared, blood on her lips and chin.

Mintee, terrified, hid behind a table at the sight of Drakstil. Then his teeth chattering, he cast the spell which would de-dragon Sir Artemus.

He had just pronounced the last word when a bright blue light filled the room, enveloped Artie-dragon and Drakstil nearly blinding them all and they ended up human-shaped and stark naked.

Drakstil leaped on Artemus, pinning him to the carpeted floor and started biting and clawing and, then she froze, realizing that he was a human again, and that her teeth and – nails! – didn't do much damage, she frowned, puzzled. She noticed that her claws were gone. She cocked her head, stunned, and then surveyed her very human body.

She screamed in pure dismay (she wasn't a dragon anymore) and stood, looking around her, now confused, disoriented, and snarled when Jim moved toward her.

Raising a hand to calm down the ex-female dragon, looking friendly and non-threatening, Jim softly said, "Take it easy, we're not going to harm you, Drakstil."

Looking like a trapped animal, Drakstil hissed and growled as she looked around her and, spotting a window, she ran there as she wanted to escape.

But Jim tackled her to the floor before she broke the stained glass. Mintee cast a spell and Drakstil instantly fell into a deep magical sleep.

Lifting the woman's body in his arms, Jim said to Mintee, "Just in time! Without her wings she would have died crashing to the ground." He carried her to the bed covered in furs where the Mage took naps and gently lay her down on it, then he added, "What are we going to do with her now?"

Holding a jar Mintee knelt beside Artemus and winced in sympathy while surveying all his wounds. "I don't know," he said. He sprinkled a little of green powder on the wounds. There was a flash of green light as it touched the bloodied skin and when it disappeared, the deep gashes and bites had vanished. He stood and sighed. "You're healed, Sir Artemus."

Grinning, Artemus stood and looked down at his naked, human form. "I'm back," he said.

Followed by Artie, exhausted but intact again, the old man joined Jim next to the bed. "She's beautiful!" he said, admiring the sturdily built brunette.

Taking from the small bed what looked like a black bear fur, Artie gallantly placed it on Drakstil's naked body. "I prefer her that way," he said.

Mintee nodded, "Me too. She's harmless compared to the dragon-her, but if Sir Artemus is a human being and happy to be back in his born-shape, Drakstil is a dragon. She won't get used to be a woman. Being human is going to drive her crazy. And I don't want her to suffer."

Nodding, Artie said, "I don't want that either. Do you think Daviina still controls her or is she freed from her magical influence?"

Mintee shook his head. "Now that she's a human being, no Daviina doesn't control her anymore, and I'm sure I can find a spell to prevent this when she's a dragon again." He paused. "But we have to keep her true identity secret, because people here in the castle could kill her for what she did as a dragon. She killed a lot of people and badly injured others. They would take revenge the same way."

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Artie said, "But Daviina was controlling her mind. Did she force her to kill people or is it something that dragons do here?"

The old man shook his head. "Dragons don't kill people, unless of course they are thieves stealing gold from their hoards. They live in the North in the High Mountains and they avoid people, protecting their territory and hoards in deep caves, feeding on sacrifices offered by locals to preserve their livestock grazing on the grassy plains, usually cows and sheep."

Jim nodded. "I know now why there was no hoard in the cave where we woke up, Artie. It's not her cave. Drakstil came with Daviina from the North where she was exiled. She probably captured Drakstil using magic and brought her here to use her as a weapon."

Sitting at the end of the bed, Jim said, "Find that spell, then you will transform her back into a dragon, and she'll be free to go back home." He looked at Drakstil and added, "I suggest that we keep her here, asleep until you find that spell, Mintee."

The old Mage nodded. "Good idea."

Jim said, "Speaking of spells and of good ideas, I'd like you to cast one to protect us with some kind of temporary magic shield, because we'll need it when we go home."

The old Mage smiled. "It's not a problem. It's an easy one."

Raising his hand, Artemus added, "And I'd like you to use magic to so that I can turn into a dragon, just for a few minutes, because I'll need it."

Snapping his fingers, Jim said, "And we need something to keep Vautrain from vanishing again too!" He told the Mage.

His hand still in the air, Artie added, "I'd like to be able to turn myself into a dragon twice, something tells me that I might need it in order to come out alive from deadly situation."

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The next morning, in a field soggy with rain

Drakstil slowly woke up, blinked her eyes open and saw the gray sky above her. She was sprawled on her back, facing big clouds.

Her round belly was exposed, her feet hanging limply, claws retracted, her large wings were outstretched and her tail curled to the side.

She blinked in (very good) surprise. She was a dragon again!

She rolled to her side and got to her feet and saw her reflection in a big puddle of water. Yes, she was a black dragon again, she was herself again.

She let out a long, powerful roar just to be sure.

She looked around then, and next to a rounded rock, a little further away, she spotted three human beings watching her warily.

Recognizing the three humans, she snarled threateningly, teeth exposed, flexing her wings and twitching her tail, and she huffed - smoke coming out from her maw.

Mintee took a step forward and gulped as the dragon's eyes locked on him, its head stretching several feet above his. "I am Mintee, Mage of Queen Mirael. I cast a first spell to transform you into a dragon again, and then I used another spell to free you from Daviina's hold."

Drakstil realized then that she couldn't hear the constant buzz sounding in her head – since the sorceress had captured her.

Mintee added. "She won't be able to use you as a weapon to kill people. You are free to go back to the North, Drakstil."

Drakstil looked up, watching the gray sky above her for a few seconds. Freedom! She thought. Then she looked down at Mintee and bowed her large head.

Mintee imitated the dragon. "It was a pleasure," he said. "But before you go, I'd like you to do something for me, Drakstil and I'm sure you'll be pleased to do it – kill Daviina. Kill her otherwise she'll capture and weaponize a dragon again and kill innocent people."

Lowering her head toward the old man the dragon huffed, saying 'yes' that way and then she launched herself off the ground and flew away.

Mintee said, "Daviina is going to die, that's for sure."

Placing his hand on Artie's shoulder, Jim said, "All's well that ends well." And, suddenly the two men vanished in a bright white light…

Dr. Loveless and Colonel Vautrain grinned as Jim and Artemus materialized inside the large electrified cage they had built by engineers.

Disoriented the two men collapsed to the cold ground. They both looked around them and spotted their 'captors' through the bars and recognized the place - they were back to the Golden Card saloon. All the tables and chairs had been piled against the counter to make room for the cage in which they were locked. And all around them, burly men pointed rifles and guns at them.

Miguelito Loveless moved closer to the 'trap' where the two Secret Service agents were held captive and he cackled. He smiled smugly and said, "If I were you I wouldn't touch the bars. They are electrified and the energy discharge would kill you instantly. I designed this cage myself, and you know how I love electricity and building electrical machines…" And chuckled softly meeting Artemus's back gaze aimed at him. "After our last very surprising encounter, I needed to take precautions you understand – and I can see that you're yourself again, Mr. Gordon, and that the two of you are still alive." He paused, savoring what he was going to say, "So I will have the great pleasure of seeing you die, finally, without you being able to escape." He turned around and glanced at his henchmen. "At my signal they will open fire, shoot you, and you'll be riddled with bullets. I know what you're thinking, it lacks originality, yes, I agree with you, but sometimes what is simple is more effective that all the most elaborate plans."

Ex-Colonel Vautrain joined his accomplice and pulled his cigar from his mouth, exhaling the bluish smoke into the cage.

He addressed a cold smile to the two men now standing in the cage and threw his cigar against one of the sizzling metal bars. There was a flash and it disintegrated in a mini shower of sparkles and ashes. "I will count the bullets one by one, up to 100. 50 for each of you."

Glancing at his partner Artie whispered in Jim's hear, "Now or not now?"

Shaking his head Jim replied, "Later."

Loveless pulled out a vial filled with a green liquid and a black leather notebook from the pockets of his jacket and said, "I wanted to show you this before you die. This is a sample of the serum against the yellow fever and my notebooks where I wrote all my research and the formula. I'm going to sell it to the highest bidder because I need money, and when I have enough to raise an army, I will seize Mexico to become king, or emperor I still hesitate, and I will soon be able to do it."

Looking bored, Jim said, "I heard this before, and it didn't work, and it's not going to work again." He turned toward Artie and said, "Now."

Nodding, Artie tighten his ponytail, took a deep breath and said what Mintee had told him to say to start the temporary transformation. "Dragon!"

Loveless and Vautrain, mouth agape, paralyzed with fear, watched Artie morphing into a massive dragon. Then their instinct of survival finally kicking in, they moved back in a hurry cowering away from the fantastic winged creature.

Coming to his senses, but still terrorized, the former Confederate officer raised a shaking hand and frantically said, "Fire! Fire! Kill it!" and then dozens of bullets hit… a blue energy forcefield, shielding the two agents. Bullets ricocheted off it, flying in all directions, breaking windows, a chandelier, the large mirror behind the counter, vases, disappearing into the ceiling, making holes in the curtains ... and wounding and killing instantly several henchmen.

It wasn't long before the dragon-Artie broke the electrified cage – barely noticing the sparks covering his blue scaled body.

He shook himself, stretched out his wings, stretched his neck up and roared.

Scared out of his mind, the diminutive man hid behind the counter. He pulled his legs close to him, burying his head into his knees, curling into a tight trembling ball, and before the terrified ex-Confederate officer could vanish thanks to his power, Jim leaped forward on him, pinning the other man to the floor.

In a flash he unlocked the gold band he had around his right wrist and closed it around Vautrain's left wrist and it glowed blue.

Frowning, puzzled, the former Colonel asked, "What's this?"

Proud of himself, Jim smiled and said, "It's a magical bracelet. I asked a powerful Mage to create it. You can't remove it now it's on your wrist. It's going to 'ground' you here, I mean stop you from using your power to vanish. It's magic and the spell is permanent!" Then he stood and said, "You are under… dragon-arrest."

Dragon-Artie bared his teeth, growling, as two of Loveless's minions fired at him – and the bullets ricocheted again, hitting the walls.

He let out a big bolt of fire just beside the armed men – making the wall explode - and they fled, screaming, panicked.

Smiling Jim picked up a revolver from the floor next to a dead body and moved between the dragon's front feet protectively. "Good dragon!" He said.

Dragon-Artie purred. Then as Jim moved to the side, he went toward the counter behind which Loveless was hiding, Vautrain standing in front of it, trying to remove the bracelet, Artie making the wooden floor crack under his considerable weight, destroying it.

He had to keep his head low in order not to touch the ceiling with it and keep his wings folded too, to be able to move easily.

He lowered his head toward Colonel Vautrain, the beast in him telling him to eat the human, and he was very tempted to listen to the dragon's instinct.

But he chose not to.

Moving behind the counter, Jim grabbed the vial of serum and the notebook from Loveless's shaking hands, then he grinned. "All's well That ends well," he said.

Dragon-Artie let out a low rumble – signifying that he was very happy too, and then using his forked tongue he playfully licked Jim.

Immediately Jim scrunched up his nose at the revolting smell of dragon's glop and he said, "Yuck! Bad, bad dragon!" And, nauseous, swallowing thickly and slowly, he rasped, "I'm going to be sick…" and promptly vomited at his feet.

WWW

Later in the Wanderer

Enroute to Washington

In the bathroom

Sitting in the big bathtub filled with hot water, his knees poking out of the cloudy water, Jim smiled and took the full glass of whiskey that his best friend was handing him. "Thanks Artie."

Draped in his thick bathrobe, naked underneath, his long hair still wet from the shower he had taken five minutes earlier, Artemus sat down on the stool set beside the bathtub and said, "You're welcome," and he took a sip of coffee from the steaming mug he was holding. "It's to say sorry for licking you, Jim, I know you hated it, but couldn't help but do it."

Smiling Jim said, "I know." He took a sip of alcohol and added, "It's my third bath you know? and the third time I change the water. I needed the first two to remove the Dragon's gooey saliva – which stinks more than a ton of manure off me! – and this one to get rid of the stench."

Smiling too, Artemus nodded, "I know." He drank a little coffee and said, "Hopefully there's a shower in addition to a bathtub." He yawned and stretched. "Maybe I should bring coffee to our guests in the 'rolling- cell, it's cold in there," he said.

Shaking his head Jim replied, "No, no coffee for people who tried to kill us both – I don't know how many times. They don't deserve your kindness, Artie." He sat the glass of whiskey on the rim of the bathtub, took the tin-plate jug at the bottom of it and rinsed the shampoo out of his hair.

Looking at his free hand Artemus said, "I'm happy to be a human again, Mintee's spell lasted long enough for me to capture Loveless and Vautrain, escort them to the Wanderer where you put them in the cell and fly for one hour high in the sky… and I landed just in time too. If I had transformed back into a man in the air, I would be dead by now." He swallowed a mouthful of cooling coffee and then added, "But I'm gonna miss flying. It was so great, so exhilarating!"

His hair soaking wet, Jim said, "I can imagine."

Scratching his stubbled chin, Artie said, "I should have taken you on my back for a ride ya know. You would have loved that."

Stretching out in the big tub, leaning back against the porcelain of the bathtub, Jim told his best friend, "Yes, I'm sure." He ran his fingers through his hair flattened on his head to weed out any tangles. "But if you want to fly again, then build a flying-machine, I'm sure you can." Then he soaped up the washcloth ran it up and down his arms. He smiled inhaled the minty scent and continued, "It's a nicer scent than the abominable gooey stuff you covered me with!"

Artie chuckled softly. "I should have swallowed mints for a fresh breath."

Following his thought, Jim said, "You can build anything you want, so if you want to fly again, build a flying machine." Seeing his partner rub his tired eyes, he said, "You're dead on your feet, Artie, you should go to bed and sleep."

Artemus hummed in acknowledgement and stood, his muscles aching. "You're right."

Glancing at his reflection in the mirror, he sighed. "Next time I want a peaceful mission…" Then he frowned realizing what he had just said. "What? No! No! No! Correction! No missions for me anymore. As soon as they are in a cell of the federal prison in Washington, I go back to the Comanche reservation. " Stretching again he winced this time, his whole body stiff and sore from his two transformations. "You're right, I'm exhausted and feeling like I'm over 100." He moved toward the door and paused. "I think I'm falling asleep…" He turned around and, for a few seconds watched Jim scrubbing his chest. "See ya later Jim. G'd night," he slurred.

He left the room, slowly padded in the narrow walkway and then entered his sleeping compartment. His leg gave way with exhaustion and buckled beneath him.

He slumped bonelessly on top of the mattress.

His arms slid under the pillow and he closed his eyes. He fell asleep in a matter of seconds and started snoring lightly.

He dreamed of dragons and flying machines.

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The next morning

Holding a mug of steaming coffee, Jim, smiling, moved toward the 'rolling cell' in which Miguelito Loveless and Noel Vautrain were both locked. "Good morning!" He said. Looking at the former Colonel he added, "Still here?" And he chuckled softly. "How does it feel not to have your power anymore?"

Vautrain's lips tightened and his eyes darkened in cold anger. "My power is still here, I can't use it, but it won't last. I'll find a way to remove this enchanted bracelet," he growled.

Jim smiled. "Good luck with that."

Loveless sent a black look at the agent of the Secret Service and said, "You won't gloat anymore when we escape this cage, Mr. West."

He had just said that when a loud screeching noise resounded and the train slowed down brutally – propelling Jim backward against the wooden bulkhead and then to the floor – and sending the two prisoners forward to hit the bars of the cell.

Falling down on his knees to the floor, the diminutive man grinned in triumph and said, "Speaking of my men… they are here to free me and the Colonel – and kill you."

Standing, Jim calmly said, "I don't think so." He picked up his mug that he had dropped during the impact with the bulkhead, he said, "Such good coffee, what a pity!" Feeling the Wanderer coming to a halt, he added, "I'll be back."

He ran toward the last car and once he was in the narrow walkway, he spotted a dozen armed men dismounting their horses.

His first intention was to go inside his sleeping compartment to open the secret panel where he kept a mini-arsenal and froze in front of the door, realizing that it was no use. The Wanderer had been decommissioned and everything removed – revolvers and rifles included.

He was heading toward the parlor car when several bullets broke the windows, flying by him and missing him by inches, making holes everywhere around him.

He ducked for cover to the carpeted floor, wondering where Artie was. The last time he had seen him he was in the galley preparing breakfast.

Then he heard the muffled thud of his body hitting the ground.

He felt his heart skip a beat. "Artie!"

He stood as another shootout sent a new volley of bullets to hit the side of the train and two of them slammed into the wooden wall just above his head.

He rushed into the parlor room and once there, he stumbled against Artie's body, the older man lying prone on the floor and collapsed next to the couch.

Deeply worried he crawled to his partner's side - Artie wearing his pajamas and an apron - his green eyes surveying him up and down and he paled as he noticed that the older man had blood smudging the right side of his lax face down to his neck.

He pressed two fingers against Artie's throat and found a pulse. He sighed in relief. Then he shook the unconscious man's shoulder. "Wake up, Artie!"

Opening his eyes, Artie winced and rasped, "I'm okay…One bullet grazed my head when I left the galley and I passed out." He smiled reassuringly to his partner Artie said, "I'm fine. The bullet tried to scalp me, but it's not serious, head wounds always bleed a lot."

Feeling better Jim noticed that Artie was holding a fork and said, "You're not going to kill anyone with that you know?"

Moving into a sitting position, keeping his head low, Jim raised his eyes toward the flat cupboard with two doors located above the dresser where he kept his rifles and revolvers. "If only I could open it and take out a rifle," He said. But the constant deluge of bullets which hit the train turning it into a colander, made it impossible. He was empty-handed, he thought.

He glanced at Artie who had moved onto his back and was touching his head wound, wincing. "We need to do something, Artie!" Then they heard new volley of gunshots.

Lifting his fork Artie replied, "I could threw my fork at them Jim… but I'm not sure it would stop them. Do you have a better idea?"

Scratching his head Jim said, "Usually you're the one who has great ideas…" Then he had one. He touched his best friend's biceps and added, "I have a better plan. You asked Mintee to give you the possibility to become a dragon twice, in case you needed it, to come out alive from a deadly situation – then use the last possibility so that we can get out of this!"

Shaking his head, Artie touched his head wound which was bleeding sluggishly his face twisted into a painful wince and then looked at his blood-covered fingertips. "No! One day we could be in a far worse situation than this one, one day, so I intend to keep it as an ace in the hole." And his vision darkened around the edges again.

Frowning at his partner Jim said, "A far worse situation than this one? Such as what? Facing a horde of hungry cannibals? Legions of armed husbands who have been cheated on?"

Sending Jim a black look, Artie said, "I never put a married woman in my bed, ever! I respect the sacred bonds of marriage."

Suddenly the door opened and a gun-wielding man entered the room as a spray of bullets hit the side of the car already covered with dozens of holes.

It all happened in a blink of an eye. Reacting instinctively, Jim grabbed the fork, moved onto his knees and, with all his might, he threw the fork at Loveless's henchman.

Hit right in his left eye, the other man screamed in pain, dropped his gun at his feet and staggered backward onto the rear platform.

Seizing the opportunity, Jim made a bee line there and picked up the Colt. Then he pushed the injured man against the railing and unbuckled the henchman's gun belt in a flash.

Then as Loveless's minion tried to punch him, Jim pushed him over the railing making the other man drop to the ground with a thump and heard him shouting with pain.

Holding the gun, Jim came back inside. He crouched beside his partner who smiled at him in appreciation and said, "Well done with the fork, Jim!"

Jim smiled, waited for the assailants to reload their weapons, and stood. Then, through a broken window he pulled the trigger and fired at them, killing four of Loveless's men with a bullet to the heart. "Five down, five to go!" He said. "Now that I have a gun, it's a piece of cake." He crouched beside Artie again, reloaded his smoking evolver and then said, "We won't need the dragon after all."

Black spots invading his vision, Artie sniffed the acrid air and said, his voice is sluggish and slurred, "My omelet is burning…" And then he went limp.

The world faded to black.

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Much later in Artie's sleeping compartment

His eyes fluttering open, Artemus woke up to the light roll of the train on the tracks and to the repetitive sounds made by the Wanderer.

His vision still a bit blurry from sleep he looked around him and was met with familiar surroundings – and he saw his best friend sitting on a chair at the end of his bed. He had a book on his lap and was watching him. "Hey Jim, how long was I out?" He croaked his vision clearing, and he moved a limp hand to the top of his head where it hurt. "Ow! Ow!"

Jim left his chair to sit on the edge of the bed. "You shouldn't touch it – and you were unconscious for a couple of hours."

Artie felt a short line of stitches under his fingertips and winced – then he realized that there was no hair around his wound. He sent his best friend a black look. "Did you have to remove my hair? It's going to take weeks to grow back." then he ran a hand through his messed up curls.

Patting Artie's shoulder soothingly Jim said, "I'm sorry, Artie, but I didn't have a choice. You needed a few stitches and shaving your skull here was necessary to access the wound, and it will heal faster this way now that the hair is gone. When back with the Comanche you'll find something to hide that part of your skull, I'm sure, like a piece of beaded buffalo hair. In the meantime, Artemus, I suggest to keep your hat on your head if you don't want anyone to see it."

Propping himself on his elbows Artie grimaced in pain. "Ow… headache!" He said and leaned back against his pillow. "I suppose you killed all Loveless's henchmen?"

Jim shook his head. "Not all of them, no. Three are wounded, it's serious but it's not lethal. I locked them into the cell with the others."

Rubbing his jawline Artie asked, "And how are our special guests? No, let me guess, they're very disappointed their rescue didn't work and still fuming against us."

Smiling Jim nodded. "Even more, Vautrain especially. He's terribly mad at being stuck here. I think if he could do it he would cut his hand off to get rid of Mintee's bracelet – and would go to the future again to get a new one, the same way he got new legs."

Sitting on his bead Artie said, "You're right, Jim, it's a possibility. He would do it without hesitation. No sharp objects for him from now on." He yawned, stretched and heard his stomach growl. "I'm hungry – and I'm sure you didn't make breakfast."

Moving his hand to his chest, looking falsely surprised, Jim replied, "Me? Making breakfast? You're kidding right?" A smile crossed his face. "Have we met before?"

Tbc.

Robert Conrad (1935-2020)

Rest In Peace.