Dragon Eye: And so it Began-Part II
William "Revel" Anson: Samrx5@cs.com
Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Universe is the property of Disney and Buena Vista it is used without their knowledge. The Dragon/Fey War, themes and characters are the property of TGS. All original characters in the Dragon Eye Universe are the property of William "Revel" Anson
Dragon Eye
And so it Began-Part II
Eleven Thousand Years Ago
(Four months after Klaru and Fet's arrival in Skema)
Klaru watched patently as the cool gray dragon carefully heated and shaped the white-hot stone between her tongs. She was a Heiri, the highest order of the dragon political and social system. The Heiri were in charge of everything from deciding the quality of one's blood at the time of the hatching, to who lived or died in combat. Nouri was bred into royalty and for over seven thousand years never once questioned the way of things, until she met Klaru.
The master-of-the-smith finished shaping the spherical gem placing it in water to let it cool. Her slightly glowing green eyes turned to the black dragon that had been assisting her work ever since his arrival with his friend, Fet. Both herself and Klaru were no more than a few centuries apart in age, which was not much for a dragon. Nouri had lived in Skema that entire time while Klaru and many other commoners lived in the world below the cloud city fighting for their lives against the Fairy Folk and their allies. That was all they were to her then, commoners. She had never met any of lower blood for they were not considered worthy to even be in the presence of a Heiri.
Klaru had broken her perception of what the lessers were like. His quick intellect and intriguing personality always made her rethink things that she had never questioned. Nouri found herself enjoying Klaru's presence so much that she asked him to assist her in her forge. She did not require help, but it was an excuse to keep him close and her smiling.
"As soon as the eye has cooled we shall begin the next stage," said Nouri setting the gem aside to take a break. Klaru nodded retrieving the original gold casing that held the fairy made eye.
"Are you sure you can stabilize the enchantment that the fey placed on it?" asked Klaru handing her the case.
"Are you questioning my abilities lesser?" replied Nouri with a playful grin. The term was originally used as an insult to a subordinate, but it had now become a pet name that she used for Klaru. The black dragon snaked his tail around the gray dragon's growling playfully to her. Normally Nouri would have played along with his game, but things were becoming increasingly dangerous for them as time passed, a relationship like theirs was unheard of and would certainly shake more than a few foundations.
"What is wrong?" asked Klaru raising his claw to her face. Nouri took a step back.
"You know we cannot," she whispered, "not here. There are too many forces against us to display such things in view." Klaru sighed stepping away settling himself in the corner of the forge.
"I am tired of having to hide how I feel. Is it so wrong to feel such things, to desire ones touch?" he whispered his long beak a mixture of frustration and sadness. Nouri wanted to comfort him to snuggle close the way they did when they were sure no one was watching, but the war was escalating and their were those even in the Heiri who needed only one simple excuse to destroy both of them.
A knocking on the chamber door silenced the subject as Klaru moved to the large wooden door. The black dragon immediately lowered to the floor in respect at the presence of Karos, another member of the Heiri. Behind him was Klaru's life long friend Fet who Karos had taken on as a temporary aid. The red dragon stood next to his friend awaiting orders from either of their masters.
"I would like to speak in private with the master-of-the-smith," said Karos without even looking back at the two lower dragons. After the door had closed the phony smile that had been on the dark green dragon's face disappeared.
"You are playing a dangerous game Nouri," hissed Karos his eyes glowing a slight magenta. The gray dragon held her façade despite the disturbing accusation.
"Do not play coy," he continued, "I know how you spend your evenings despite all the efforts you have taken to protect your dirty little secret. To taint yourself once with a low blood is forgivable, we all get curious, but to fall in love with one. That is inexcusable."
"Did you come here for a reason or to simply make accusations based on rumors and chatter by guard drakes? Such words will make you unpopular," she recovered smoothly. Nouri was stronger than he had thought. She had held her expressions well, but it was time to step things up.
"Lying will make you dead," he replied flatly. "You and I both know that indulging yourself with a lesser would cost you both your lives, just remember that when you are having such thoughts. The others are growing impatient for results. We need to see results from this weapon soon or perhaps it is time that we should elect a smith who is more focused on the job at hand and not their own personal problems." Nouri scowled showing her teeth slightly. He could threaten all he liked, but insults to her abilities attacked the very core of her existence.
"You and the others will see results after I have completed the fusion and tested it to make sure it is stable enough. Such things cannot be rushed no matter how much you or the others want to unleash such powers upon the earth." Karos bowed forcing a smile as he made his way to the exit.
"I suggest that you keep as many allies as you can, things are changing and that change will find its way even to the top of our mountain heaven, I just hope you are on the right side when it happens." Karos exited with Fet trailing behind. The two walked for several steps before Karos allowed his subordinate to report.
"What did you learn from your friend?" Fet lowered his eyes. He hardly considered Klaru his friend anymore. The two hardly spoke and when they did it was to gather information about the other. Things had been better when they were fighting together before all these spy games. When thing began to move Klaru was going to be on the other side of the spear and there was nothing Fet could do about it.
"Nothing really, he is not bragging about being her lover as I said he wouldn't. I tried to bring it up several times and I think he is beginning to question my loyalties," replied Fet just above a whisper.
"I would not worry about him suspecting you, it is only if I suspect your waning trust should you feel concerned. If they wish to continue this game that is fine, things are already in motion and for those like us the reward will far out weigh the sacrifice. Remember that, because there will be hard decisions to make in the future. I just hope that your eyes will not be clouded like your friend's are." Fet nodded and continued to follow his master.
* * * * *
Chicago Illinois, 1990
Jeff Degger could hear the approaching sirens mixed with the confusion of voices. He opened his eyes and found his vision blurry, but could still make out the flashing of lights some distance away.
His body ached everywhere, even in places the teen did not know he had. It was then that he became aware of those extra aches in extra appendages. Jeff rubbed his shoulders, his shirt was shredded, his fingers brushed upon something protruding from his shoulder blade. He felt his other shoulder and there was one there too.
"What the hell?" mumbled the confused teen tracking the protrusion to a wing spur. His eyes adjusted to the night, in fact better than they ever had. His vision was sharper and the first thing he noticed was that his skin color had changed. What once was a creamy tan was now a dull blue-green. Jeff examined his hands and arms. He still counted five fingers on each hand and five toes, but they were slightly thicker with muscle and his nails had grown into sharp claws.
Jeff's examination was soon diverted by the sound of approaching voices and flashlights. They were probably police or firefighters and the teen's first thought was to head to them, but decided against it looking at his hands again. Silently, he trotted the opposite direction down the creek. Jeff glanced over his shoulder again having to push his wing out of the way to see. When he was sure no one was following he found a place to sit to try and determine what happened.
A surprise that Jeff had discovered while trotting through the brush was that something was following him, but it was attached. Jeff examined his tail closely still thoroughly overwhelmed by the fact of even having one to examine. His tail was the same color as his skin except on the bottom where it was a dull yellow and sectioned like scales on the belly of a snake.
"Okay let me get this straight," said Jeff aloud. "I'm driving along like normal and my Bronco flips, crashes, and blows up and I wake up like this. I don't remember that part on those drivers training videos." The light breeze was refreshing, but revealed no answers. The teen buried his face in his hands to discover another change had befallen him.
"Now what," he mumbled feeling along his protruding jaw. His face was beak shaped with his nostrils now two slits at the front like a bird. His brow was larger, his ears were pointed and he had several sharp fangs for teeth. When Jeff tried to rake his hand through his hair he found something else instead.
"Where's my hair?" Jeff searched for his hair, but only found a hardened spike, and another, and another. He felt the back of his head where apparently the last spike protruded.
"Five," he mumbled aloud. A snap in the woods instinctively caused Jeff to jump to his feet before losing his balance and falling over. He fell face first into the little water that was in the creek. For several minutes Degger lied there wiping the mud haphazardly from his face, it was par for the course. "Great," he mumbled, "I have to learn how to walk again."
The moon was now high in the sky its light glowing down between the few clouds that passed by. As Jeff sat up he was able to get a pretty good look at his current condition reflecting in the water. The image staring back was exactly what he was able to feel.
"This cannot be happening," he mumbled sadly. The former human closed his eyes hoping that the nightmare would end, but when reopened them it was the same beak face had seen before. His attention abruptly shifted to his eye pendant that was hanging in front of his yellow scale chest, similar to his tail. Jeff took off the necklace and examined the eye.
"What the hell?" The gem in the center of the pendant now had a slight glow at its core. Jeff's black eyes went wide as the only logical explanation came to mind.
"No way," he mumbled breathlessly, "this can't be happening. There is no such thing as magic, this can't be." Jeff's eyes turned to the starry sky above searching for an answer, but could find none. It was too much; it had to be a bad dream or something else, anything. Jeff felt very tired and collapsed in the grass and dirt hoping that when he awakened things would be back to the way they were suppose to be.
* * * * *
A low flying helicopter skimmed just above the treetops awakening Degger. The teen sat up panting as memories from earlier flowed back into his mind. He could vaguely make out voices some distance away approaching from down stream. Without hesitation Jeff jumped to his feet catching his balance.
"This sucks," he growled, "stupid wings." Jeff trotted through the brush looking for a place to hide. Someone finding him now could be potentially hazardous to his health. He came upon a tree that looked reasonably easy to climb, its first branch hanging down at about eight feet from the ground. The teen jumped for the low branch digging his claws into the bark. Jeff pulled himself up with ease and strength he did not know he had.
"Wow," he whispered looking at his hands. "I have never been able to do pull us that easily." Out of curiosity Jeff slashed his claw across the tree trunk leaving four deep gashes in the wood. His wide eyes shifted back and forth from his hand to the marks he had just carved. He had just gouged a tree with his bare hand and it barely tingled. "Whoa," whispered the teen smirking slightly.
The sky was already pink and red with the rapidly approaching dawn when Jeff had finished his climb to a safe height. Jeff could not see the sun break the horizon but could feel the strange sensation course through his body. It began at his feet traveling upward swiftly like a numbing sensation. "What the f-" his words were cut short, frozen in his expression of bewilderment and fear.
* * * * *
The sun slipped behind the horizon and Jeff Degger exploded from his store shell with a roar.
"Man," he shouted rubbing his neck, grateful that he could move again. Jeff picked up one of the stone fragments from his lap examining it carefully. It looked like a thin dry paint chip, but was made of stone. Jeff dropped the fragment when he noticed that it was not getting lighter, but instead darker again.
"What happened to the day?" wondered the gargoyle aloud. "Freaky." Jeff looked down at his hands then the stone fragments and finally back at the rapidly approaching night.
"Then again," he mumbled, "what else is new?" Jeff dropped from the tree his wings instinctively unfurling to slow his decent. The teen looked at his wings with curiosity moving them with subconscious ease like an arm or leg. "Weird." Even though instinct was telling him otherwise Jeff cautiously walked back to the direction of where the accident had occurred. Everything still felt like it was a bad dream and the teen wanted nothing more than to wake up.
Degger could hear the cars racing by long before he could see the freeway bridge. Slowly he approached scanning to see if anyone was around. The Bronco II was gone, but the soft sand and moist earth that made up the creek bed was scared with tire tracks from various vehicles. Jeff knelt upon the scorched section that would have been about the same size as his Bronco II if it had been on its side. Jeff could feel his body begin to shake as reality was finally beginning to sink in.
"This can't be happening," he mumbled, tears finally trickling down his beak face unable to hold them back any longer. Jeff turned his eyes to the bridge and saw the broken guardrail. It had happened, it was not a dream. He could feel the anger growing inside him finally voicing his frustrations with a beast like scream for which he now was.
A car door closing and footsteps broke Degger temporarily from his sorrow. Jeff dashed for the shadows under the bridge schooling his emotions to a temporary calm. He held his breath as a figure walked past the shadows moving towards the scorched earth. Jeff's eyes focused on the dark clad female who set a single rose upon the ground. It was the way she moved, that slow casual walk that he could recognize even without seeing her face.
"Jill," whispered Jeff fiercely trying to control his emotions. He watched her stand silently for several minutes wanting nothing more than to run to her sweeping her up in his arms, but he could not. His chest was tight and Jeff wanted to scream, hoping it would make the pain go away.
"I have to try," mumbled the former human. It was stupid, but it was even worse to just stand silently while the love of his life stood mere feet away from him. Jeff swallowed hard his whole body shaking with anxiety.
"Jill."
The crying teenager turned to the sound of her name, but could see no one around. Jill Anderson quickly dried her eyes scanning the darkness for the origin of the voice that seemed far too familiar for comfort.
"Hello?" she said. Her voice still slightly quavering. "Is someone there?" Jeff could hold his emotions back no longer. Taking a deep breath he stepped from the darkness into the early evening light. Jill's eyes went wide in horror as the strange beast approached her.
"It's me," it said in her dead boyfriend's voice, "Jeff."
"No!" gasped the teen stumbling backwards into the grassy mud. Instinctively Jeff moved to help her, but his assistance was not wanted.
"NO! STAY AWAY!" she screamed scrambling to her feet tears flowing from her eyes.
"Jill," pleaded Jeff his heart breaking. Jill struggled her way up the trail not looking back. Jeff heard the car door slam shut and the tires squealing on the asphalt leaving him alone once more. It was quiet again the cars above now falling upon deaf ears. Of all the people he never wanted to harm or scare Jill was at the top of the list and now she was gone. Jeff could feel a fire burning in his heart and he wanted to scream to the night once more. Instead, the former human picked up a softball sized rock hurling it at the closest tree he could see.
When the rock left his hand something else went with it. A ball of energy glowing an eerie blue color disintegrated the rock striking the tree with the explosive force of a hand grenade. The tree fell in half with several wisps of smoke emanating from the blackened trunk. Jeff looked at his hand his pain temporarily shadowed by what he had just witnessed. Things just kept getting stranger by the minute with no reasonable explanation in sight.
The sound of approaching sirens broke the blue-green gargoyle from his trance. Jeff once again ran for the trees climbing up as high as he could to hide. The wind was considerably stronger there than on the ground several times he had to cling to the tree to keep from getting blown from the swaying branches.
After thirty minutes there were several officers investigating the damaged tree and the surrounding area. One officer looked to the sky, but there were no storm clouds in sight.
"Guess I should play the lottery tonight if lightning is striking on a night like this." The officer next to him just shrugged. Jeff watched the police circle beneath him and came to a conclusion; he could not stay any longer. If someone found him they would probably call the National Guard and have him locked up for study.
A strong gust of wind caught Jeff by surprise and he lost his balance falling from the branches. His wings snapped open by reflex and for a few brief seconds the teen found himself floating on air. The police officers had apparently not noticed because no one was shooting at him.
"This is so cool," said Jeff with a slight tremor in his voice. There were all kinds of winds passing by and he could feel them, some warm some cool. The slightest change in pitch caused drastic changes in his ability to ride the winds. Jeff attempted to turn, but lost his wind falling for several feet before recovering. "Kind of tricky." As Degger experimented with the winds and his wings a genuine smile crept across his face, the first in over a day. The thrill of soaring over the world below was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling.
"Great," muttered Jeff, this was going to be an interesting trick he thought to himself. How was he supposed to find food? Slowly, so as not to fall again Jeff reached into what was left of his back pocket pulling out his wallet. It was slightly burnt and worn, but still intact. Jeff stopped a picture of Jill. She was smiling so happily on that day, he remembered it was only a year ago after she received her first acceptance letter to college. He wanted nothing more than to see that warm smile again and hold her close. Some how, some way he was going to a way to be with her again.
The ground was approaching fast and Jeff touched down, rolled over and landed on his tail wincing slightly.
"Well that was certainly a two point landing." His eyes shifted back and forth hastily. "At least no one saw me." Jeff crept through the shadows staying near the bushes as his nose did all the work. He had spotted a restaurant near by from the air that was fairly secluded and surrounded by brush.
"If my memory has not gone to hell too this place should have a patio," he mumbled peering through the bushes. Sunday night did not appear to be a popular night to eat out. The patio was deserted except for a single man who set down his tray to eat. A wicked smile spread across the gargoyle's face as the man stood to go get some napkins and condiments. When he tuned back his tray was gone and a ten dollar bill was tucked under the pepper shaker.
Jeff sat silently on a rooftop eating his over priced hamburger and french fries, but considering his circumstances it was worth it. The teen examined his hand again. There were obvious advantages to what ever he had become. Wings for flight, strength and claws for climbing almost any surface and some strange power that he was not quite sure how to use.
* * * * *
A black car stopped just behind one of the patrol cars its sole passenger; a man dressed in clad black stepped out looking down to the creek bed below. Two police offices were coming up the trail and two more were looking at a tree that was blown in half.
He had felt it, he was sure of it, there was no other signature like it. His hazel eyes looked from the tree to the black spot on the ground then to the damaged guardrail. His eyes narrowed, there had to be a connection. The man's eyes widened as he felt it again, not far away. He sniffed the air, it was close, the eye was alive there was no doubt about it.
"Hey," said a police officer coming up the trail. The black clad mad jumped back into his car speeding away.
"Awe let him go, he was just looking, probably a reporter or something," said the other officer standing next to his partner.
* * * * *
Jeff held out his palm trying to do something, but was not sure how. With his hand open Jeff concentrated a small blue flame flickering for an instant before dying.
"Damn, this is hard." With his stomach appease Jeff's thoughts wandered back to Jill and how he was suppose to explain things without scaring her again. Degger looked up to the sky it was the middle of the night, exactly when he was not sure because his watch was gone. Eating the rest of his cooling fries other thoughts came to mind as well, in particular the dawn. The sun did something to him at dawn, but he was still not sure what. His body went numb, consumed by darkness until he fell asleep only to wake up surrounded by stone fragments. The strangest surprise came when he found all his burns and scratches gone or slightly swollen instead of worse. All the mystery was beginning to hurt his head and he decided to clear it with fresh air.
Degger extended his wings taking a few breaths before jumping up with the wind. He glided in silent contemplation about his situation perfecting his turns and maneuvers.
"Well I could try calling," he mumbled aloud. Screeching tires below diverted his attention. Jeff found that his night vision was much sharper than before easily making out the silhouette of a 1970's model Dodge as it swerved back and forth smashing into garbage cans and mailboxes narrowly avoiding several pedestrians. Jeff felt a strange desire to do something, but what and why?
"This is nuts, they'll see me," he argued his feelings aloud. The sound of metal on metal as the driver scraped along side a parked car caused the teen's heart to skip a beat. He could fight the feeling no longer; he had to stop the car.
Growling more at his own foolishness Jeff dove for the car wobbling slightly before altering his pitch. The driver was either insane or drunk and after an aluminum can was thrown out he knew. The Dodge rounded the corner veering towards a more densely urban environment. Two garbage men were caught off guard as the smashed grill barreled down upon them. Jeff dove hard tackling the two men out of the way as the drunk grazed the side of the garbage truck. Jeff slowly stood panting slightly. The older black man was unconscious while his balding partner who was about thirty was more than awake. His jaw was hanging open his dark brown eyes as wide as saucers.
"It's an angel," mumbled the man with thick Italian eyebrows lightly clasping Degger's wrist. Jeff looked down at the man his face one of confusion. He was unsure what to say, if anything at all.
"Um... hi," he said smirking.
"You saved my life," said the man who's shirt tag read: Martin. Jeff smirked again realizing the man was not going to run away screaming.
"Yeah, I guess I did." The sounds of more collisions brought Jeff back to the problem at hand. His eyes flashed white as a slight growl emanated from his throat.
"Stay here, you'll be safe," said Jeff climbing atop the garbage truck using it like a runway leaping into the air. Degger caught an updraft taking a crow's fly direction to cut off the drunk driver. This was going to be tricky; he had never landed on top of a moving car before. Jeff barked out a laugh, up until earlier tonight he had never done a lot of things before.
"This is crazy," muttered Jeff with an ironic smile that betrayed his anxiety. Jeff crashed down on the hood of the car digging his claws into the thin steel. His eyes were glowing brightly as he glared at the driver whose expression of surprise and horror was evident through the cracked glass. The balance of the car shifted as he slammed on the brakes tossing the beast from his car tearing holes in the hood.
"Monsters everywhere," he slurred, "I'll kill'em all."
"Good plan Jeff," he muttered his body screaming at him in several places. Jeff's eyes snapped forward as the tires squealed again propelling the car towards him. The gargoyle rolled to his feet crouched in an attack position his tail slashing back and forth behind him. Using his wings Jeff leaped and turned clasping onto the roof. The driver must have had a death wish, Degger thought as they were easily doing over seventy miles per hour on a short, narrow street lined with cars, trees and other objects.
"Ah crap," gasped Jeff spotting the rapidly approaching cul-de-sac. He was out of time. Growling Jeff dug his claws into the roof retching it back like aluminum foil.
"Stop the car!" growled the gargoyle his eyes blazing. The drunk blinked a few times before giving Jeff the finger. Jeff looked up again and then back at the driver, this guy was nuts. The teen reached into the car pulling the column shifter into park. It would destroy the transmission, but would at least slow the car down before impact. With his other hand he pulled the drunk out through the roof hole, not surprising he was not wearing a seat belt. His wings snapped open the two gliding for a moment before crashing onto the asphalt, Degger receiving the brunt of the impact.
A second later the car skid into a brick covered mailbox exploding on impact. Debris shot from the flaming wreck several shards slicing across Degger's back and nicking his wings. The shards bit like a rabid dog as blood trickled down his back. His back felt as if it were on fire every movement stabbing more deeply. Jeff stumbled backwards turning his eyes first to the wreck then to the drunk who was now unconscious, but breathing. Lights from inside the houses began to come to life, but things began to blur, his eyes going in and out of focus. Jeff was sure there were fragments in his back, but when he turned to touch his back he became lightheaded and fell to his knees. Footsteps were approaching, but he could not see now. Jeff barely registered the hands that wrapped around his arms helping him to his feet and into the back of a vehicle.
* * * * *
Degger awoke slowly his eyes still out of focus. He was inside a room now a single overhead light bulb shining from the ceiling. Someone was chatting softly, but now it was silent most likely the attention focused on him.
"Hey," said a voice. Jeff turned his eyes a face coming into focus.
"Who... who are you?"
"I'm Marty," said the man pointing to his name tag. "You saved me and Rob a few hours ago from the crazy SOB in the car." Jeff sat back squinting from the light. His head was swimming and his back still hurt like hell, but someone had stopped the bleeding and bandaged it.
"Yeah," said another voice, this one a bit more husky, "that guy could have killed someone, but you stopped him good. I heard the police picked his ass up right after we left." Degger shook his head trying to get his bearings. It was so stupid, he thought. The drunk could have killed him, but he had to stop him and that was all that was on his mind. There could have been better ways, but he just acted.
"Where am I?" he asked attempting to move. His back was still sore, as was the rest of his body.
"You're at the truck depot. We picked you up before all the people came out of their houses to poke around. We guessed you didn't want to be seen since neither Rob or I ever seen the like of you before," Marty paused for a moment. "Are you some kind of demon?" Jeff stood shaking his head.
"I have no earthly idea what I am anymore." Jeff looked at his hands they were burned with road rash, but were still blue-green with claws. "A few days ago I was just another high school senior getting ready to go out into the world. Then I crashed my car and wound up like this."
"Degger," said Marty snapping his fingers. "You're that high school kid who died a few days ago just south of here, Jeffery Degger."
"Well except for the died part yeah, that's my name," he replied with and awkward feeling in his gut. Jeff did not like the idea of people thinking he was dead.
"Yeah they showed it all over the news. I saw pictures of the wreck. They say it burned real hot from the gasoline. They guessed it vaporized your remains," said Rob still staying on the opposite side of the office. Jeff sighed at the thought of it, everyone thought he was dead.
"Man," he whispered, "I hope my mother is taking this well. I should probably go see her but," Jeff paused. He turned to a mirror on the wall getting his first clear look at the gargoyle he had become.
"So how did this happen to you?" asked Marty carefully. Jeff shrugged touching his scraped up face lightly on the tender spots.
"I wish I knew."
There were no windows in the office, but the gargoyle could feel it coming like sensation as obvious as hunger or thirst. "What time is it?" Marty looked at his watch.
"Six fifty-four by my watch, almost dawn." Jeff was still not entirely sure what was going to happen, but knew it would whether he wanted it or not.
"I need a favor," said Jeff talking fast. "I don't know if I can find a place to hide before sunrise. Is there a place I can stay until dark?" Marty smirked glade that he could do something to help. He walked over to a broom closet opening the door.
"It's a bit cramped, but no one goes in it. When no ones around you can sneak out."
"Don't worry," replied Jeff wincing slightly as he folded his wings, "I'm not sure what is about to happen, but I will not be going anywhere." The gargoyle moved to the corned drooping to one knee. "Thanks guys, I appreciate this." The two men nodded smiles on their faces. Their eyes went wide as Degger's entire body turned to stone.
"Unreal," whispered Marty before closing the door and locking it for good measure.
* * * * *
It had taken a great deal of fast-talking for Martin Classe to convince his wife that he had to go back to the truck depot office. Luckily he had planned ahead, purposely leaving his ring of keys so that he would have to go back. Rob also agreed to come back to help him into the office since he did leave his keys.
The two men arrived just before dusk hoping that no one had come by or investigated and found Degger.
"So what's suppose to happen now?" asked Rob cleaning his glasses with his shirt. The sun slipped below the horizon and cracks formed across the stone form. Slowly at first, but finally Jeff burst from his stone shell with an inhuman roar. The two garbage men fell back as pieces of rock flew from the closet littering the office. Jeff stretched his limbs his body feeling pretty much back to normal. His back had healed and the bandages had fallen away. His attention then turned to the two men who were now on the floor. With one hand for each Jeff pulled the two back to their feet.
"So now what?" said Rob dusting himself off.
"I need to go," replied Degger extending his hand. "Thanks guys." Marty happily shook his hand, Rob was a bit more hesitant, but took the hand eventually.
"Glad we could help." Jeff crept through the empty building making his way out back in case there was anyone near by. After scanning the area he climbed the wall to the roof.
"Think I should tell my kids about this?" asked Marty with a smirk.
"I wouldn't," replied Rob pulling the broom from the closet, "they'd just blab to your wife." Marty cringed at the thought of what Robin would say if she knew the truth. She would probably have him committed.
Jeff stood on the roof silently the early evening light fading to a dark blue of night. His eyes turned to the direction that he knew was towards his house and subsequently Jill's as well. He had to try one more time. She was too important to give up that easily.
The gliding was refreshing if nothing else he could get use to that part, it was just the rest that Jeff was not agreeing with. It was interesting seeing the world from a bird's eye view. In a way it was faster than a car and certainly more interesting than sitting in traffic. If looking like a monster was the trade off though he would happily fall in line with the rest of the rush hour warriors.
* * * * *
Hey did you hear?" said a teenager to his friend who was reading a magazine. "People say that a monster was attacking that drunk driver who was tear assing through Green Creek last night." A red haired man who had been looking through all the newspapers and magazines perked up his ears.
"Yeah, John's Dad said he saw something with wings holding onto the roof of the car as it went by." The red haired man clad in black turned to the teens.
"Excuse me," he said getting their attention. His features were hard as if they had been carved from stone. His face was dark with several lines under his eyes, skin tinted red like an Irish man, but the accent was wrong. It was more astute with the hint of an English accent. The man's age seemed hard to guess, but he appeared somewhere in the early forties. His eyes had a strange glint to them appearing hazel, but with a yellow tint to them, the boys assumed it was his contacts.
"You said someone saw the dragon?" The taller boy sneered.
"Dragon, who said that?" The two boys exchanged a few laughs, but the man's features hardened. He was taller than both boys, an easy six foot. Something they should have considered before giving him a hard time. With lightning speed the red haired man grabbed the taller boy's shirt collar.
"Where is this Green Creek from here?" he growled his eyes seeming to pulsate with energy.
"What the hell!?"
"Where?" he repeated. The other teen was petrified unable to respond.
"It's a little south of here, take the freeway right before Lake View Parkway." The man released the teen walking out of the gas station store to his car spinning the tires as he pulled away.
* * * * *
Jeff landed softly on the adjacent roof to Jill's house scanning the premises. Her parent's cars were in the street and several lights were on in the house. Jeff glided to the tree outside her window and found Jill sitting at her desk. She appeared tired, frustrated. Her eyes were red from crying and there were several empty tissue boxes in the trash can. It looked like she was trying to study chemistry, but could not concentrate.
He could watch her for days, years, his entire life if possible. She was the only thing that kept him sane through this change; she was everything to him.
A rustling in the tree caught Jill's attention and she moved to the window to investigate. Jill lifted the window scanning the darkness. Jeff felt very awkward. He knew his skin tone camouflaged him, but did not want to hide. Caution was thrown to the wind as Jeff raised his head his sad eyes locking with Jill's scared ones.
"No, you're not real," she gasped stumbling backwards beginning to cry again.
"Yes I am, I'm Jeff," he replied softly.
"You can't be," she sobbed, "Jeff's dead, you're a monster get away!" Jeff could take no more; it hurt him too much to see her like this. She would never accept him. It was truly over and so was his life. A banging on Jill's bedroom door told Jeff it was time to go. He jumped to the roof and glided away leaving his love in her confusion. She opened the door reassuring everyone that she was fine, it was just another hallucination. She would make the hallucinations go away. Yes, it was a guilt ghost, that was why he was looked like a monster. She would make him go away, one way or another. With a smile on her face Jill walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with water returning to her room locking the door behind her. Jill opened her desk drawer placing the prescription bottle that read Limreum on her desk. Jill opened the bottle and one by one began emptying it.
* * * * *
Jeff paced back and forth on the flat gravel roof of the high school for almost two hours trying to decide what was his next move. He could never see Jill again, that much was obvious. She would never come to terms with what has happened to him. What about his mother, how would she react? Jeff stopped and pondered the idea. She might react the same, but she might react better like Marty and Rod. Could he survive another rejection though? The very thought of it depressed the former human even greater.
Degger's stomach was growling, but he did not care. He was too lost in his own thoughts to eat. The moon was high in the sky now and Jill had most likely calmed down and gone to bed. If nothing else at least in her sleep he would be able to see her to properly say good bye.
An ambulance screamed by and out of sheer curiosity Degger stood and began to follow. He watched from above as the ambulance turned and weaved its way down a very familiar path. Jeff suddenly became aware of where it was heading when he spotted the flashing lights from the police cars out in front.
"No," whispered Jeff his life seeming to drain from his body. He landed on the neighbor's house hiding behind the chimney. With wide eyes Jeff watched the horror unfold as they wield Jill out on a gurney. He fought down his first instinct to fly to her side, straining his ears to listen over the surrounding distractions.
"So you said she was prescribed Limreum for hallucinations?" said the police officer filling out the report. With tears in her eyes Jill's mother nodded.
"She said she kept seeing a monster with her dead boyfriend's voice. We thought it would help with the stress."
"So she had total access to the drugs?" he questioned further with a disapproving look.
"Of course," sobbed her mother, "she's eighteen. I thought she was responsible enough to take her own medicine."
"Stress from the trauma of a death can do strange things to a person's mind. She should have been under constant supervision of such a drug."
"Will she be all right?" Jeff held his breath as the cop shook his head.
"I've never seen someone recover when this much time has passed. There may already be too much in her system. It all depends on the person." The Anderson's quickly began to follow the ambulance to the emergency clinic in Green Creek. Above a dark silhouette followed as well.
Jeff landed next to a dumpster sticking to the shadows as Jill was rolled into the hospital. Now all he could do was wait. It was late and now, just pass three in the morning making it easy for Jeff to find the window to the emergency room that Jill was taken to. The clinic was only a two floor building and Jeff found the right window clinging to the wall and listening. The doctors try to pump her stomach and gave her adrenaline to try and clean her system. Jeff was not a doctor, but even he could tell that she was not going to make it. She did not want to live because she thought he was already dead.
Jeff closed his eyes; tears flowing from them silently as her vitals went flat line. The tone broke his heart tearing his soul to pieces. It echoed in his ears like an alarm clock that he tried to silence, but could not find because it was all around. Jill was gone and it was because of him.
Sorrow slowly began to be replaced by anger and guilt, Jeff's chest burning as if a fire poker had been jabbed into his existence and left to burn. Jeff scaled the wall the tears flowing continuous now. He stood on the roof silently gazing into the night sky. It was clear and many of the stars could be seen while the city lights masked the rest. Jeff stared at the moon, now only a quarter and growled. He hated it, hated the night. Where was the sun, he wanted to see the sun again. To bask in its warmth with Jill nuzzling his neck whispering sweet love to him, but not anymore. She was gone, there was no more sun, and his life had become a living hell.
Jeff could feel his soul burning the beast he had become coming to the surface and he had not the will to stop it. Jeff screamed from the pit of his existence into the night energy seeming to glow all around him. He raised his had to the sky discharging his anger in the form of an energy that was as old as the earth itself. He did not care if he was seen or heard. The former human just wanted the nightmare to end, even if that meant dying all over again.
Jeff collapsed to his knees suddenly woozy as if drained. His body felt heavy and his breath was labored, but even over the panting his ears worked just fine. Two feet were crunching on the gravel as they approached, but Degger did not care.
"That was quite a show you gave there." The voice was husky and sounded Irish. Jeff turned his eyes to see a stocky man with ruddy brown hair and a beard wearing suspenders and a flannel shirt. Jeff looked the man over and turned his eyes back to the gravel. Silence hung for several minutes until the man spoke again.
"You're not an easy person to find, the eye masks your energy." Jeff's eyes flashed as he shot to his feet growling at the strange visitor.
"Who the hell are you?" The man smiled warmly.
"I've had quite a few names, but most call me Prometheus." Jeff scowled; he was not in the mood for crackpots.
"Cute."
* * * * *
A car swerved off the road and a red haired man jumped from his car searching the sky. He felt it. It was the eye, he was sure of it and it was close, but there was something else. The man sniffed the air wrinkling his nose as if a foul stench had been wafted before him. He recognized that smell from long ago and knew exactly what it was from.
* * * * *
"Prometheus," replied Degger, "shouldn't you be chained to a rock somewhere getting your organs eaten out." The man smiled modestly.
"You're difficult to find because the mixed magic within the eye masks its signature. Only when you release energy can you be found."
"So you said before, you were looking for me," Jeff said narrowing his eyes, "why?"
"I'm not what I appear to be," said Prometheus, "This may be hard for you to believe, but I am a being of magic, a fairy."
"Sounds like a personal problem," retorted Degger with full sarcasm intended. Prometheus simply smiled again.
"We have lots of names, but I am not important. Do you have any idea what you are?"
"Yeah," replied Degger sadly, "I'm a monster." Prometheus sighed wishing he could alleviate the boy's pain, but things would only get worse before they would get better, he had seen it before.
"Aye, you're not human if that's what your judging it by, but there are others who would argue the definition of a monster. Especially after you risked it all to save that drunk driver."
"You know about that?" asked Jeff his face one of obvious surprise.
"Aye," he replied with a smile, "but because he was human all I could do was watch, my lord forbids otherwise." Jeff was not sure what the stranger was talking about, but something about the entire situation and conversation seemed totally absurd letting out a half laugh.
"Fine, then what am I?" Prometheus smiled, a small twinkle in the corner of his eye.
"You're a dragon gargoyle, half of each."
"Oh, of course, why did I not think of that," said Jeff over dramatizing his lack of understanding that did not go unnoticed by the fairy.
"I'm not making this up," he replied solemnly. "Eleven thousand years a war was waged between the Fairy Folk and the Dragon Society. It did not take either side long to realize that our powers were not able to inflict damage to the other, alternative means were necessary.
"I was one of the few who tried to move towards peace, but the dragons did not give my people a reason to agree with me, so we fought. The truth is that the real fighting and dying was done by the younger mortal races of humans and gargoyles, who divided their loyalties."
"So what does this have to do with me?" Prometheus raised his hand and continued, "The eye was originally given to a gargoyle as a way to avoid their stone sleep and patrol the skies for the dragons. The gargoyle was killed and the eye tampered with. Somehow a dragon was able to stabilize the mix of magic and so this new eye was created.
"After which a coup erupted in the society and a member of their elite social class rose declaring himself King of the Dragons. I'm not sure of the details, but from what I understand was that the eye wearer, a human, was attacked and was reborn by magic looking very similar to what you look like. He had the instincts of a gargoyle, that still existed within the eye and the body of a dragon and a gargoyle."
"Gargoyle instincts?" asked Jeff curiously.
"In a word, protector. It's their nature and now it is yours."
"Terrific," mumbled Jeff sighing. "So I'll be diving at every runaway car I see." Jeff looked down at the slightly glowing eye alive with magical energy. "So how does this magic work anyway?"
"To be honest, I'm not totally sure," he replied smirking slightly. "Dragon magic is different from ours. All I know is that basic spells are controlled by sheer will of the mind and not incantation."
"That's the Reader's Digest version," said the red haired man stepping on to the roof from the fire escape. He seemed familiar, that much was certain, thought Prometheus. He narrowed his eyes looking at the human's aura and found it masking a greater power that was distinguishably dragon.
"You," said Prometheus with a scowl. The man waved his index finger back and forth a wicked little smile creasing his middle age face. Jeff's gut feeling was telling him that there was something not normal about this man before him. The stranger walked right pass Prometheus examining Degger at a proximity that was much too close for comfort in Jeff's mind.
"Remarkable," he whispered, "you look almost just like the last one."
"The last one of what?" said Jeff suspiciously. Prometheus had told him a moment ago, but that did not mean it was general knowledge.
"The last eye bearer. He fought like a true warrior, unfortunately not for us, but that was Apep's fault," said the man, that phony smile never leaving his face.
"You never expected him to evolve after you tried to kill him," said Prometheus standing steadfast within an arm length of the stranger.
"No," he said with a scowl, "we were not." His attention returned to Jeff. The man's expression similar to the used car salesman that Jeff had bought his destroyed Bronco from.
"I offer you the same opportunity that we offered the last eye bearer, join us." Jeff was now thoroughly confused. All he wanted to do was sit on a roof and sulk and morn, but instead he went from a living hell to a rerun of the Outer Limits.
"Who the hell are you people?" The red haired man chuckled slightly.
"He, is unimportant, but you may call me Randolf, Fet Randolf."
"Okay, Mr. Randolf in case you did not know my girlfriend just died so I'm not in the mood for magic wars and all this Clash of the Titans shit. So do me a favor and just leave me alone," said Jeff sitting down again.
"Unfortunately Mr. Degger I do not have the time to be patient with you, my time is precious and I am not comfortable in all present company. Are you in or out?" Jeff turned his eyes to the stranger, flashing white for an instant.
"How did you know my name?" asked Jeff suspiciously.
"In or out? Choose now." Jeff scowled at the man giving him the bird starting for the other side of the roof, "Go to hell." With that Randolf straightened his coat obviously forcing down his agitation. He took several deep breaths starting for the fire escape stopping just before it.
"You have chosen and now you will live with the consequences of your decision." Prometheus uncrossed his arms his face losing its color. He knew where this was going; he had seen it before. "Yes, you will live with it, but your mother will not." The man threw a newspaper at Degger's feet a mysterious black circle forming behind the man. "You can thank the media for the address." Jeff growled leaping at the black hole, but it was gone before he even got close. The former human turned to Prometheus his eyes wide with fear.
"He wouldn't," said Jeff with hope. Prometheus turned his eyes to his feet. He did not have the heart to look the boy in the eye. His master's law forbade him in interfering with humans and it was all Degger needed to see. He leaped off the roof gliding as fast as he could home.
Fet Randolf emerged from his portal standing before a tan and cream house with Degger written on the mailbox.
"He was like the last one, a fool. My master will understand when I explain it to him," said Fet trying to convince himself of this decision. Killing was not a dragon's first instinct because it required efforts beyond magic. More important it was not what he was instructed to do, but an example had to be made. Fet began chanting, a blue aura forming around him. He had to destroy the house utterly and then finish the job quick and clean.
Jeff's mother awoke a strange feeling of unease about her. She moved to the living room the lights flickering violently. She made her way to the window to see if it was storming spotting a strange silhouette standing before her house.
Jeff caught every thermal he could find rushing towards Lake View. He could feel it all around him. The energy gave him goose bumps running down his spine. He would have been more intrigued by the sensation but, his eyes focused on the energy blast leave the dark figure standing in the street.
"NOOOO!" screamed Jeff plummeting for Fet screaming an inhuman war cry. The shock wave knocked Jeff from his path into a neighbor's tree. Fet turned towards the downed gargoyle his eyes glowing bright yellow.
"You should have said yes, pity." Jeff staggered to his feet lunging at Fet. The dragon dodged kicking Jeff in the ribs. People were beginning to emerge from their homes and approached with flashlights, the explosion knocked out the power lines.
"Another time," said Fet backing in to his portal. Jeff growled blood trickling from his nose and several cuts from debris.
"I'll find you, and I swear I'll kill you," growled Degger through his pain. The portal closed diverting Jeff's attention back towards his destroyed home. Jeff hobbled through the debris scattered every which direction. It was gone; it looked as if a bomb had gone off. Jeff spotted his mother lying still near he top, motionless. He hobbled towards her ignoring his own pain that coursed through his body.
He could feel it slightly like a subtle twinge that something was changing. His skin turned tan white, his spikes disintegrated into golden brown hair. The extra appendages seemed to disappear into his body and his balance shifted again. Degger fell next to his mother lifting her head slightly. She had been badly injured and was bleeding profusely.
His mother's eyes opened slowly a weak smile crossing her face. Her breathing was already labored and the color was leaving her face. Jeff could not believe this was happening to him again.
"I knew I would see you again," she whispered weakly.
"Mother," Jeff sobbed, "hold on I'll call an ambulance." Jeff turned his black eyes to one of the approaching neighbors. "Call an ambulance, hurry!"
"Jeff?" called out the balding man surprised to see the boy.
"Yes it's me, hurry dammit!" Jeff's mother touched his still pointed ears, her fingers already cold.
"Baby, what happened to you?" she whispered.
"Don't worry about me just stay awake, please!" Her grip slackened and the light finally left her eyes. She was dead. Time seemed to stand still. The world seeming to be made of glass now shattered in an instant falling to a million pieces. There were others around him and approaching sirens brought no relief or worry. He had nothing now. Both his loved ones were gone and he wanted to scream, but it was beyond a simple scream now. His frozen silence was the loudest scream of all. The police would question him, how could he answer them? What was he supposed to do? Jeff suddenly felt very alone, even more than he had in the past few days.
A soft hand touched his shoulder that was now human again and he was not even sure why.
"I'm sorry. My master's law forbids direct interference in human affairs. There was nothing I could do." The words seemed hollow even as he spoke them. Prometheus sighed, this was not right, but it was the way of things.
"I can help you," he began again, "since you are no longer human I can teach you what ever I can." Jeff's face hardened turning his eyes to the Irish man standing above him. Even in his human form his eyes blazed white hot with frustration.
"Then teach me to use this stupid thing. If that bastard wanted a war well he got one," growled Jeff tuning his eyes back to the still form before him. Prometheus nodded turning his eyes towards the east as the sky began to brighten with the rapidly approaching dawn of a brand new day.
To be concluded...
William "Revel" Anson: Samrx5@cs.com
Disclaimer: The Gargoyles Universe is the property of Disney and Buena Vista it is used without their knowledge. The Dragon/Fey War, themes and characters are the property of TGS. All original characters in the Dragon Eye Universe are the property of William "Revel" Anson
Dragon Eye
And so it Began-Part II
Eleven Thousand Years Ago
(Four months after Klaru and Fet's arrival in Skema)
Klaru watched patently as the cool gray dragon carefully heated and shaped the white-hot stone between her tongs. She was a Heiri, the highest order of the dragon political and social system. The Heiri were in charge of everything from deciding the quality of one's blood at the time of the hatching, to who lived or died in combat. Nouri was bred into royalty and for over seven thousand years never once questioned the way of things, until she met Klaru.
The master-of-the-smith finished shaping the spherical gem placing it in water to let it cool. Her slightly glowing green eyes turned to the black dragon that had been assisting her work ever since his arrival with his friend, Fet. Both herself and Klaru were no more than a few centuries apart in age, which was not much for a dragon. Nouri had lived in Skema that entire time while Klaru and many other commoners lived in the world below the cloud city fighting for their lives against the Fairy Folk and their allies. That was all they were to her then, commoners. She had never met any of lower blood for they were not considered worthy to even be in the presence of a Heiri.
Klaru had broken her perception of what the lessers were like. His quick intellect and intriguing personality always made her rethink things that she had never questioned. Nouri found herself enjoying Klaru's presence so much that she asked him to assist her in her forge. She did not require help, but it was an excuse to keep him close and her smiling.
"As soon as the eye has cooled we shall begin the next stage," said Nouri setting the gem aside to take a break. Klaru nodded retrieving the original gold casing that held the fairy made eye.
"Are you sure you can stabilize the enchantment that the fey placed on it?" asked Klaru handing her the case.
"Are you questioning my abilities lesser?" replied Nouri with a playful grin. The term was originally used as an insult to a subordinate, but it had now become a pet name that she used for Klaru. The black dragon snaked his tail around the gray dragon's growling playfully to her. Normally Nouri would have played along with his game, but things were becoming increasingly dangerous for them as time passed, a relationship like theirs was unheard of and would certainly shake more than a few foundations.
"What is wrong?" asked Klaru raising his claw to her face. Nouri took a step back.
"You know we cannot," she whispered, "not here. There are too many forces against us to display such things in view." Klaru sighed stepping away settling himself in the corner of the forge.
"I am tired of having to hide how I feel. Is it so wrong to feel such things, to desire ones touch?" he whispered his long beak a mixture of frustration and sadness. Nouri wanted to comfort him to snuggle close the way they did when they were sure no one was watching, but the war was escalating and their were those even in the Heiri who needed only one simple excuse to destroy both of them.
A knocking on the chamber door silenced the subject as Klaru moved to the large wooden door. The black dragon immediately lowered to the floor in respect at the presence of Karos, another member of the Heiri. Behind him was Klaru's life long friend Fet who Karos had taken on as a temporary aid. The red dragon stood next to his friend awaiting orders from either of their masters.
"I would like to speak in private with the master-of-the-smith," said Karos without even looking back at the two lower dragons. After the door had closed the phony smile that had been on the dark green dragon's face disappeared.
"You are playing a dangerous game Nouri," hissed Karos his eyes glowing a slight magenta. The gray dragon held her façade despite the disturbing accusation.
"Do not play coy," he continued, "I know how you spend your evenings despite all the efforts you have taken to protect your dirty little secret. To taint yourself once with a low blood is forgivable, we all get curious, but to fall in love with one. That is inexcusable."
"Did you come here for a reason or to simply make accusations based on rumors and chatter by guard drakes? Such words will make you unpopular," she recovered smoothly. Nouri was stronger than he had thought. She had held her expressions well, but it was time to step things up.
"Lying will make you dead," he replied flatly. "You and I both know that indulging yourself with a lesser would cost you both your lives, just remember that when you are having such thoughts. The others are growing impatient for results. We need to see results from this weapon soon or perhaps it is time that we should elect a smith who is more focused on the job at hand and not their own personal problems." Nouri scowled showing her teeth slightly. He could threaten all he liked, but insults to her abilities attacked the very core of her existence.
"You and the others will see results after I have completed the fusion and tested it to make sure it is stable enough. Such things cannot be rushed no matter how much you or the others want to unleash such powers upon the earth." Karos bowed forcing a smile as he made his way to the exit.
"I suggest that you keep as many allies as you can, things are changing and that change will find its way even to the top of our mountain heaven, I just hope you are on the right side when it happens." Karos exited with Fet trailing behind. The two walked for several steps before Karos allowed his subordinate to report.
"What did you learn from your friend?" Fet lowered his eyes. He hardly considered Klaru his friend anymore. The two hardly spoke and when they did it was to gather information about the other. Things had been better when they were fighting together before all these spy games. When thing began to move Klaru was going to be on the other side of the spear and there was nothing Fet could do about it.
"Nothing really, he is not bragging about being her lover as I said he wouldn't. I tried to bring it up several times and I think he is beginning to question my loyalties," replied Fet just above a whisper.
"I would not worry about him suspecting you, it is only if I suspect your waning trust should you feel concerned. If they wish to continue this game that is fine, things are already in motion and for those like us the reward will far out weigh the sacrifice. Remember that, because there will be hard decisions to make in the future. I just hope that your eyes will not be clouded like your friend's are." Fet nodded and continued to follow his master.
* * * * *
Chicago Illinois, 1990
Jeff Degger could hear the approaching sirens mixed with the confusion of voices. He opened his eyes and found his vision blurry, but could still make out the flashing of lights some distance away.
His body ached everywhere, even in places the teen did not know he had. It was then that he became aware of those extra aches in extra appendages. Jeff rubbed his shoulders, his shirt was shredded, his fingers brushed upon something protruding from his shoulder blade. He felt his other shoulder and there was one there too.
"What the hell?" mumbled the confused teen tracking the protrusion to a wing spur. His eyes adjusted to the night, in fact better than they ever had. His vision was sharper and the first thing he noticed was that his skin color had changed. What once was a creamy tan was now a dull blue-green. Jeff examined his hands and arms. He still counted five fingers on each hand and five toes, but they were slightly thicker with muscle and his nails had grown into sharp claws.
Jeff's examination was soon diverted by the sound of approaching voices and flashlights. They were probably police or firefighters and the teen's first thought was to head to them, but decided against it looking at his hands again. Silently, he trotted the opposite direction down the creek. Jeff glanced over his shoulder again having to push his wing out of the way to see. When he was sure no one was following he found a place to sit to try and determine what happened.
A surprise that Jeff had discovered while trotting through the brush was that something was following him, but it was attached. Jeff examined his tail closely still thoroughly overwhelmed by the fact of even having one to examine. His tail was the same color as his skin except on the bottom where it was a dull yellow and sectioned like scales on the belly of a snake.
"Okay let me get this straight," said Jeff aloud. "I'm driving along like normal and my Bronco flips, crashes, and blows up and I wake up like this. I don't remember that part on those drivers training videos." The light breeze was refreshing, but revealed no answers. The teen buried his face in his hands to discover another change had befallen him.
"Now what," he mumbled feeling along his protruding jaw. His face was beak shaped with his nostrils now two slits at the front like a bird. His brow was larger, his ears were pointed and he had several sharp fangs for teeth. When Jeff tried to rake his hand through his hair he found something else instead.
"Where's my hair?" Jeff searched for his hair, but only found a hardened spike, and another, and another. He felt the back of his head where apparently the last spike protruded.
"Five," he mumbled aloud. A snap in the woods instinctively caused Jeff to jump to his feet before losing his balance and falling over. He fell face first into the little water that was in the creek. For several minutes Degger lied there wiping the mud haphazardly from his face, it was par for the course. "Great," he mumbled, "I have to learn how to walk again."
The moon was now high in the sky its light glowing down between the few clouds that passed by. As Jeff sat up he was able to get a pretty good look at his current condition reflecting in the water. The image staring back was exactly what he was able to feel.
"This cannot be happening," he mumbled sadly. The former human closed his eyes hoping that the nightmare would end, but when reopened them it was the same beak face had seen before. His attention abruptly shifted to his eye pendant that was hanging in front of his yellow scale chest, similar to his tail. Jeff took off the necklace and examined the eye.
"What the hell?" The gem in the center of the pendant now had a slight glow at its core. Jeff's black eyes went wide as the only logical explanation came to mind.
"No way," he mumbled breathlessly, "this can't be happening. There is no such thing as magic, this can't be." Jeff's eyes turned to the starry sky above searching for an answer, but could find none. It was too much; it had to be a bad dream or something else, anything. Jeff felt very tired and collapsed in the grass and dirt hoping that when he awakened things would be back to the way they were suppose to be.
* * * * *
A low flying helicopter skimmed just above the treetops awakening Degger. The teen sat up panting as memories from earlier flowed back into his mind. He could vaguely make out voices some distance away approaching from down stream. Without hesitation Jeff jumped to his feet catching his balance.
"This sucks," he growled, "stupid wings." Jeff trotted through the brush looking for a place to hide. Someone finding him now could be potentially hazardous to his health. He came upon a tree that looked reasonably easy to climb, its first branch hanging down at about eight feet from the ground. The teen jumped for the low branch digging his claws into the bark. Jeff pulled himself up with ease and strength he did not know he had.
"Wow," he whispered looking at his hands. "I have never been able to do pull us that easily." Out of curiosity Jeff slashed his claw across the tree trunk leaving four deep gashes in the wood. His wide eyes shifted back and forth from his hand to the marks he had just carved. He had just gouged a tree with his bare hand and it barely tingled. "Whoa," whispered the teen smirking slightly.
The sky was already pink and red with the rapidly approaching dawn when Jeff had finished his climb to a safe height. Jeff could not see the sun break the horizon but could feel the strange sensation course through his body. It began at his feet traveling upward swiftly like a numbing sensation. "What the f-" his words were cut short, frozen in his expression of bewilderment and fear.
* * * * *
The sun slipped behind the horizon and Jeff Degger exploded from his store shell with a roar.
"Man," he shouted rubbing his neck, grateful that he could move again. Jeff picked up one of the stone fragments from his lap examining it carefully. It looked like a thin dry paint chip, but was made of stone. Jeff dropped the fragment when he noticed that it was not getting lighter, but instead darker again.
"What happened to the day?" wondered the gargoyle aloud. "Freaky." Jeff looked down at his hands then the stone fragments and finally back at the rapidly approaching night.
"Then again," he mumbled, "what else is new?" Jeff dropped from the tree his wings instinctively unfurling to slow his decent. The teen looked at his wings with curiosity moving them with subconscious ease like an arm or leg. "Weird." Even though instinct was telling him otherwise Jeff cautiously walked back to the direction of where the accident had occurred. Everything still felt like it was a bad dream and the teen wanted nothing more than to wake up.
Degger could hear the cars racing by long before he could see the freeway bridge. Slowly he approached scanning to see if anyone was around. The Bronco II was gone, but the soft sand and moist earth that made up the creek bed was scared with tire tracks from various vehicles. Jeff knelt upon the scorched section that would have been about the same size as his Bronco II if it had been on its side. Jeff could feel his body begin to shake as reality was finally beginning to sink in.
"This can't be happening," he mumbled, tears finally trickling down his beak face unable to hold them back any longer. Jeff turned his eyes to the bridge and saw the broken guardrail. It had happened, it was not a dream. He could feel the anger growing inside him finally voicing his frustrations with a beast like scream for which he now was.
A car door closing and footsteps broke Degger temporarily from his sorrow. Jeff dashed for the shadows under the bridge schooling his emotions to a temporary calm. He held his breath as a figure walked past the shadows moving towards the scorched earth. Jeff's eyes focused on the dark clad female who set a single rose upon the ground. It was the way she moved, that slow casual walk that he could recognize even without seeing her face.
"Jill," whispered Jeff fiercely trying to control his emotions. He watched her stand silently for several minutes wanting nothing more than to run to her sweeping her up in his arms, but he could not. His chest was tight and Jeff wanted to scream, hoping it would make the pain go away.
"I have to try," mumbled the former human. It was stupid, but it was even worse to just stand silently while the love of his life stood mere feet away from him. Jeff swallowed hard his whole body shaking with anxiety.
"Jill."
The crying teenager turned to the sound of her name, but could see no one around. Jill Anderson quickly dried her eyes scanning the darkness for the origin of the voice that seemed far too familiar for comfort.
"Hello?" she said. Her voice still slightly quavering. "Is someone there?" Jeff could hold his emotions back no longer. Taking a deep breath he stepped from the darkness into the early evening light. Jill's eyes went wide in horror as the strange beast approached her.
"It's me," it said in her dead boyfriend's voice, "Jeff."
"No!" gasped the teen stumbling backwards into the grassy mud. Instinctively Jeff moved to help her, but his assistance was not wanted.
"NO! STAY AWAY!" she screamed scrambling to her feet tears flowing from her eyes.
"Jill," pleaded Jeff his heart breaking. Jill struggled her way up the trail not looking back. Jeff heard the car door slam shut and the tires squealing on the asphalt leaving him alone once more. It was quiet again the cars above now falling upon deaf ears. Of all the people he never wanted to harm or scare Jill was at the top of the list and now she was gone. Jeff could feel a fire burning in his heart and he wanted to scream to the night once more. Instead, the former human picked up a softball sized rock hurling it at the closest tree he could see.
When the rock left his hand something else went with it. A ball of energy glowing an eerie blue color disintegrated the rock striking the tree with the explosive force of a hand grenade. The tree fell in half with several wisps of smoke emanating from the blackened trunk. Jeff looked at his hand his pain temporarily shadowed by what he had just witnessed. Things just kept getting stranger by the minute with no reasonable explanation in sight.
The sound of approaching sirens broke the blue-green gargoyle from his trance. Jeff once again ran for the trees climbing up as high as he could to hide. The wind was considerably stronger there than on the ground several times he had to cling to the tree to keep from getting blown from the swaying branches.
After thirty minutes there were several officers investigating the damaged tree and the surrounding area. One officer looked to the sky, but there were no storm clouds in sight.
"Guess I should play the lottery tonight if lightning is striking on a night like this." The officer next to him just shrugged. Jeff watched the police circle beneath him and came to a conclusion; he could not stay any longer. If someone found him they would probably call the National Guard and have him locked up for study.
A strong gust of wind caught Jeff by surprise and he lost his balance falling from the branches. His wings snapped open by reflex and for a few brief seconds the teen found himself floating on air. The police officers had apparently not noticed because no one was shooting at him.
"This is so cool," said Jeff with a slight tremor in his voice. There were all kinds of winds passing by and he could feel them, some warm some cool. The slightest change in pitch caused drastic changes in his ability to ride the winds. Jeff attempted to turn, but lost his wind falling for several feet before recovering. "Kind of tricky." As Degger experimented with the winds and his wings a genuine smile crept across his face, the first in over a day. The thrill of soaring over the world below was interrupted by the sound of his stomach growling.
"Great," muttered Jeff, this was going to be an interesting trick he thought to himself. How was he supposed to find food? Slowly, so as not to fall again Jeff reached into what was left of his back pocket pulling out his wallet. It was slightly burnt and worn, but still intact. Jeff stopped a picture of Jill. She was smiling so happily on that day, he remembered it was only a year ago after she received her first acceptance letter to college. He wanted nothing more than to see that warm smile again and hold her close. Some how, some way he was going to a way to be with her again.
The ground was approaching fast and Jeff touched down, rolled over and landed on his tail wincing slightly.
"Well that was certainly a two point landing." His eyes shifted back and forth hastily. "At least no one saw me." Jeff crept through the shadows staying near the bushes as his nose did all the work. He had spotted a restaurant near by from the air that was fairly secluded and surrounded by brush.
"If my memory has not gone to hell too this place should have a patio," he mumbled peering through the bushes. Sunday night did not appear to be a popular night to eat out. The patio was deserted except for a single man who set down his tray to eat. A wicked smile spread across the gargoyle's face as the man stood to go get some napkins and condiments. When he tuned back his tray was gone and a ten dollar bill was tucked under the pepper shaker.
Jeff sat silently on a rooftop eating his over priced hamburger and french fries, but considering his circumstances it was worth it. The teen examined his hand again. There were obvious advantages to what ever he had become. Wings for flight, strength and claws for climbing almost any surface and some strange power that he was not quite sure how to use.
* * * * *
A black car stopped just behind one of the patrol cars its sole passenger; a man dressed in clad black stepped out looking down to the creek bed below. Two police offices were coming up the trail and two more were looking at a tree that was blown in half.
He had felt it, he was sure of it, there was no other signature like it. His hazel eyes looked from the tree to the black spot on the ground then to the damaged guardrail. His eyes narrowed, there had to be a connection. The man's eyes widened as he felt it again, not far away. He sniffed the air, it was close, the eye was alive there was no doubt about it.
"Hey," said a police officer coming up the trail. The black clad mad jumped back into his car speeding away.
"Awe let him go, he was just looking, probably a reporter or something," said the other officer standing next to his partner.
* * * * *
Jeff held out his palm trying to do something, but was not sure how. With his hand open Jeff concentrated a small blue flame flickering for an instant before dying.
"Damn, this is hard." With his stomach appease Jeff's thoughts wandered back to Jill and how he was suppose to explain things without scaring her again. Degger looked up to the sky it was the middle of the night, exactly when he was not sure because his watch was gone. Eating the rest of his cooling fries other thoughts came to mind as well, in particular the dawn. The sun did something to him at dawn, but he was still not sure what. His body went numb, consumed by darkness until he fell asleep only to wake up surrounded by stone fragments. The strangest surprise came when he found all his burns and scratches gone or slightly swollen instead of worse. All the mystery was beginning to hurt his head and he decided to clear it with fresh air.
Degger extended his wings taking a few breaths before jumping up with the wind. He glided in silent contemplation about his situation perfecting his turns and maneuvers.
"Well I could try calling," he mumbled aloud. Screeching tires below diverted his attention. Jeff found that his night vision was much sharper than before easily making out the silhouette of a 1970's model Dodge as it swerved back and forth smashing into garbage cans and mailboxes narrowly avoiding several pedestrians. Jeff felt a strange desire to do something, but what and why?
"This is nuts, they'll see me," he argued his feelings aloud. The sound of metal on metal as the driver scraped along side a parked car caused the teen's heart to skip a beat. He could fight the feeling no longer; he had to stop the car.
Growling more at his own foolishness Jeff dove for the car wobbling slightly before altering his pitch. The driver was either insane or drunk and after an aluminum can was thrown out he knew. The Dodge rounded the corner veering towards a more densely urban environment. Two garbage men were caught off guard as the smashed grill barreled down upon them. Jeff dove hard tackling the two men out of the way as the drunk grazed the side of the garbage truck. Jeff slowly stood panting slightly. The older black man was unconscious while his balding partner who was about thirty was more than awake. His jaw was hanging open his dark brown eyes as wide as saucers.
"It's an angel," mumbled the man with thick Italian eyebrows lightly clasping Degger's wrist. Jeff looked down at the man his face one of confusion. He was unsure what to say, if anything at all.
"Um... hi," he said smirking.
"You saved my life," said the man who's shirt tag read: Martin. Jeff smirked again realizing the man was not going to run away screaming.
"Yeah, I guess I did." The sounds of more collisions brought Jeff back to the problem at hand. His eyes flashed white as a slight growl emanated from his throat.
"Stay here, you'll be safe," said Jeff climbing atop the garbage truck using it like a runway leaping into the air. Degger caught an updraft taking a crow's fly direction to cut off the drunk driver. This was going to be tricky; he had never landed on top of a moving car before. Jeff barked out a laugh, up until earlier tonight he had never done a lot of things before.
"This is crazy," muttered Jeff with an ironic smile that betrayed his anxiety. Jeff crashed down on the hood of the car digging his claws into the thin steel. His eyes were glowing brightly as he glared at the driver whose expression of surprise and horror was evident through the cracked glass. The balance of the car shifted as he slammed on the brakes tossing the beast from his car tearing holes in the hood.
"Monsters everywhere," he slurred, "I'll kill'em all."
"Good plan Jeff," he muttered his body screaming at him in several places. Jeff's eyes snapped forward as the tires squealed again propelling the car towards him. The gargoyle rolled to his feet crouched in an attack position his tail slashing back and forth behind him. Using his wings Jeff leaped and turned clasping onto the roof. The driver must have had a death wish, Degger thought as they were easily doing over seventy miles per hour on a short, narrow street lined with cars, trees and other objects.
"Ah crap," gasped Jeff spotting the rapidly approaching cul-de-sac. He was out of time. Growling Jeff dug his claws into the roof retching it back like aluminum foil.
"Stop the car!" growled the gargoyle his eyes blazing. The drunk blinked a few times before giving Jeff the finger. Jeff looked up again and then back at the driver, this guy was nuts. The teen reached into the car pulling the column shifter into park. It would destroy the transmission, but would at least slow the car down before impact. With his other hand he pulled the drunk out through the roof hole, not surprising he was not wearing a seat belt. His wings snapped open the two gliding for a moment before crashing onto the asphalt, Degger receiving the brunt of the impact.
A second later the car skid into a brick covered mailbox exploding on impact. Debris shot from the flaming wreck several shards slicing across Degger's back and nicking his wings. The shards bit like a rabid dog as blood trickled down his back. His back felt as if it were on fire every movement stabbing more deeply. Jeff stumbled backwards turning his eyes first to the wreck then to the drunk who was now unconscious, but breathing. Lights from inside the houses began to come to life, but things began to blur, his eyes going in and out of focus. Jeff was sure there were fragments in his back, but when he turned to touch his back he became lightheaded and fell to his knees. Footsteps were approaching, but he could not see now. Jeff barely registered the hands that wrapped around his arms helping him to his feet and into the back of a vehicle.
* * * * *
Degger awoke slowly his eyes still out of focus. He was inside a room now a single overhead light bulb shining from the ceiling. Someone was chatting softly, but now it was silent most likely the attention focused on him.
"Hey," said a voice. Jeff turned his eyes a face coming into focus.
"Who... who are you?"
"I'm Marty," said the man pointing to his name tag. "You saved me and Rob a few hours ago from the crazy SOB in the car." Jeff sat back squinting from the light. His head was swimming and his back still hurt like hell, but someone had stopped the bleeding and bandaged it.
"Yeah," said another voice, this one a bit more husky, "that guy could have killed someone, but you stopped him good. I heard the police picked his ass up right after we left." Degger shook his head trying to get his bearings. It was so stupid, he thought. The drunk could have killed him, but he had to stop him and that was all that was on his mind. There could have been better ways, but he just acted.
"Where am I?" he asked attempting to move. His back was still sore, as was the rest of his body.
"You're at the truck depot. We picked you up before all the people came out of their houses to poke around. We guessed you didn't want to be seen since neither Rob or I ever seen the like of you before," Marty paused for a moment. "Are you some kind of demon?" Jeff stood shaking his head.
"I have no earthly idea what I am anymore." Jeff looked at his hands they were burned with road rash, but were still blue-green with claws. "A few days ago I was just another high school senior getting ready to go out into the world. Then I crashed my car and wound up like this."
"Degger," said Marty snapping his fingers. "You're that high school kid who died a few days ago just south of here, Jeffery Degger."
"Well except for the died part yeah, that's my name," he replied with and awkward feeling in his gut. Jeff did not like the idea of people thinking he was dead.
"Yeah they showed it all over the news. I saw pictures of the wreck. They say it burned real hot from the gasoline. They guessed it vaporized your remains," said Rob still staying on the opposite side of the office. Jeff sighed at the thought of it, everyone thought he was dead.
"Man," he whispered, "I hope my mother is taking this well. I should probably go see her but," Jeff paused. He turned to a mirror on the wall getting his first clear look at the gargoyle he had become.
"So how did this happen to you?" asked Marty carefully. Jeff shrugged touching his scraped up face lightly on the tender spots.
"I wish I knew."
There were no windows in the office, but the gargoyle could feel it coming like sensation as obvious as hunger or thirst. "What time is it?" Marty looked at his watch.
"Six fifty-four by my watch, almost dawn." Jeff was still not entirely sure what was going to happen, but knew it would whether he wanted it or not.
"I need a favor," said Jeff talking fast. "I don't know if I can find a place to hide before sunrise. Is there a place I can stay until dark?" Marty smirked glade that he could do something to help. He walked over to a broom closet opening the door.
"It's a bit cramped, but no one goes in it. When no ones around you can sneak out."
"Don't worry," replied Jeff wincing slightly as he folded his wings, "I'm not sure what is about to happen, but I will not be going anywhere." The gargoyle moved to the corned drooping to one knee. "Thanks guys, I appreciate this." The two men nodded smiles on their faces. Their eyes went wide as Degger's entire body turned to stone.
"Unreal," whispered Marty before closing the door and locking it for good measure.
* * * * *
It had taken a great deal of fast-talking for Martin Classe to convince his wife that he had to go back to the truck depot office. Luckily he had planned ahead, purposely leaving his ring of keys so that he would have to go back. Rob also agreed to come back to help him into the office since he did leave his keys.
The two men arrived just before dusk hoping that no one had come by or investigated and found Degger.
"So what's suppose to happen now?" asked Rob cleaning his glasses with his shirt. The sun slipped below the horizon and cracks formed across the stone form. Slowly at first, but finally Jeff burst from his stone shell with an inhuman roar. The two garbage men fell back as pieces of rock flew from the closet littering the office. Jeff stretched his limbs his body feeling pretty much back to normal. His back had healed and the bandages had fallen away. His attention then turned to the two men who were now on the floor. With one hand for each Jeff pulled the two back to their feet.
"So now what?" said Rob dusting himself off.
"I need to go," replied Degger extending his hand. "Thanks guys." Marty happily shook his hand, Rob was a bit more hesitant, but took the hand eventually.
"Glad we could help." Jeff crept through the empty building making his way out back in case there was anyone near by. After scanning the area he climbed the wall to the roof.
"Think I should tell my kids about this?" asked Marty with a smirk.
"I wouldn't," replied Rob pulling the broom from the closet, "they'd just blab to your wife." Marty cringed at the thought of what Robin would say if she knew the truth. She would probably have him committed.
Jeff stood on the roof silently the early evening light fading to a dark blue of night. His eyes turned to the direction that he knew was towards his house and subsequently Jill's as well. He had to try one more time. She was too important to give up that easily.
The gliding was refreshing if nothing else he could get use to that part, it was just the rest that Jeff was not agreeing with. It was interesting seeing the world from a bird's eye view. In a way it was faster than a car and certainly more interesting than sitting in traffic. If looking like a monster was the trade off though he would happily fall in line with the rest of the rush hour warriors.
* * * * *
Hey did you hear?" said a teenager to his friend who was reading a magazine. "People say that a monster was attacking that drunk driver who was tear assing through Green Creek last night." A red haired man who had been looking through all the newspapers and magazines perked up his ears.
"Yeah, John's Dad said he saw something with wings holding onto the roof of the car as it went by." The red haired man clad in black turned to the teens.
"Excuse me," he said getting their attention. His features were hard as if they had been carved from stone. His face was dark with several lines under his eyes, skin tinted red like an Irish man, but the accent was wrong. It was more astute with the hint of an English accent. The man's age seemed hard to guess, but he appeared somewhere in the early forties. His eyes had a strange glint to them appearing hazel, but with a yellow tint to them, the boys assumed it was his contacts.
"You said someone saw the dragon?" The taller boy sneered.
"Dragon, who said that?" The two boys exchanged a few laughs, but the man's features hardened. He was taller than both boys, an easy six foot. Something they should have considered before giving him a hard time. With lightning speed the red haired man grabbed the taller boy's shirt collar.
"Where is this Green Creek from here?" he growled his eyes seeming to pulsate with energy.
"What the hell!?"
"Where?" he repeated. The other teen was petrified unable to respond.
"It's a little south of here, take the freeway right before Lake View Parkway." The man released the teen walking out of the gas station store to his car spinning the tires as he pulled away.
* * * * *
Jeff landed softly on the adjacent roof to Jill's house scanning the premises. Her parent's cars were in the street and several lights were on in the house. Jeff glided to the tree outside her window and found Jill sitting at her desk. She appeared tired, frustrated. Her eyes were red from crying and there were several empty tissue boxes in the trash can. It looked like she was trying to study chemistry, but could not concentrate.
He could watch her for days, years, his entire life if possible. She was the only thing that kept him sane through this change; she was everything to him.
A rustling in the tree caught Jill's attention and she moved to the window to investigate. Jill lifted the window scanning the darkness. Jeff felt very awkward. He knew his skin tone camouflaged him, but did not want to hide. Caution was thrown to the wind as Jeff raised his head his sad eyes locking with Jill's scared ones.
"No, you're not real," she gasped stumbling backwards beginning to cry again.
"Yes I am, I'm Jeff," he replied softly.
"You can't be," she sobbed, "Jeff's dead, you're a monster get away!" Jeff could take no more; it hurt him too much to see her like this. She would never accept him. It was truly over and so was his life. A banging on Jill's bedroom door told Jeff it was time to go. He jumped to the roof and glided away leaving his love in her confusion. She opened the door reassuring everyone that she was fine, it was just another hallucination. She would make the hallucinations go away. Yes, it was a guilt ghost, that was why he was looked like a monster. She would make him go away, one way or another. With a smile on her face Jill walked to the kitchen and filled a glass with water returning to her room locking the door behind her. Jill opened her desk drawer placing the prescription bottle that read Limreum on her desk. Jill opened the bottle and one by one began emptying it.
* * * * *
Jeff paced back and forth on the flat gravel roof of the high school for almost two hours trying to decide what was his next move. He could never see Jill again, that much was obvious. She would never come to terms with what has happened to him. What about his mother, how would she react? Jeff stopped and pondered the idea. She might react the same, but she might react better like Marty and Rod. Could he survive another rejection though? The very thought of it depressed the former human even greater.
Degger's stomach was growling, but he did not care. He was too lost in his own thoughts to eat. The moon was high in the sky now and Jill had most likely calmed down and gone to bed. If nothing else at least in her sleep he would be able to see her to properly say good bye.
An ambulance screamed by and out of sheer curiosity Degger stood and began to follow. He watched from above as the ambulance turned and weaved its way down a very familiar path. Jeff suddenly became aware of where it was heading when he spotted the flashing lights from the police cars out in front.
"No," whispered Jeff his life seeming to drain from his body. He landed on the neighbor's house hiding behind the chimney. With wide eyes Jeff watched the horror unfold as they wield Jill out on a gurney. He fought down his first instinct to fly to her side, straining his ears to listen over the surrounding distractions.
"So you said she was prescribed Limreum for hallucinations?" said the police officer filling out the report. With tears in her eyes Jill's mother nodded.
"She said she kept seeing a monster with her dead boyfriend's voice. We thought it would help with the stress."
"So she had total access to the drugs?" he questioned further with a disapproving look.
"Of course," sobbed her mother, "she's eighteen. I thought she was responsible enough to take her own medicine."
"Stress from the trauma of a death can do strange things to a person's mind. She should have been under constant supervision of such a drug."
"Will she be all right?" Jeff held his breath as the cop shook his head.
"I've never seen someone recover when this much time has passed. There may already be too much in her system. It all depends on the person." The Anderson's quickly began to follow the ambulance to the emergency clinic in Green Creek. Above a dark silhouette followed as well.
Jeff landed next to a dumpster sticking to the shadows as Jill was rolled into the hospital. Now all he could do was wait. It was late and now, just pass three in the morning making it easy for Jeff to find the window to the emergency room that Jill was taken to. The clinic was only a two floor building and Jeff found the right window clinging to the wall and listening. The doctors try to pump her stomach and gave her adrenaline to try and clean her system. Jeff was not a doctor, but even he could tell that she was not going to make it. She did not want to live because she thought he was already dead.
Jeff closed his eyes; tears flowing from them silently as her vitals went flat line. The tone broke his heart tearing his soul to pieces. It echoed in his ears like an alarm clock that he tried to silence, but could not find because it was all around. Jill was gone and it was because of him.
Sorrow slowly began to be replaced by anger and guilt, Jeff's chest burning as if a fire poker had been jabbed into his existence and left to burn. Jeff scaled the wall the tears flowing continuous now. He stood on the roof silently gazing into the night sky. It was clear and many of the stars could be seen while the city lights masked the rest. Jeff stared at the moon, now only a quarter and growled. He hated it, hated the night. Where was the sun, he wanted to see the sun again. To bask in its warmth with Jill nuzzling his neck whispering sweet love to him, but not anymore. She was gone, there was no more sun, and his life had become a living hell.
Jeff could feel his soul burning the beast he had become coming to the surface and he had not the will to stop it. Jeff screamed from the pit of his existence into the night energy seeming to glow all around him. He raised his had to the sky discharging his anger in the form of an energy that was as old as the earth itself. He did not care if he was seen or heard. The former human just wanted the nightmare to end, even if that meant dying all over again.
Jeff collapsed to his knees suddenly woozy as if drained. His body felt heavy and his breath was labored, but even over the panting his ears worked just fine. Two feet were crunching on the gravel as they approached, but Degger did not care.
"That was quite a show you gave there." The voice was husky and sounded Irish. Jeff turned his eyes to see a stocky man with ruddy brown hair and a beard wearing suspenders and a flannel shirt. Jeff looked the man over and turned his eyes back to the gravel. Silence hung for several minutes until the man spoke again.
"You're not an easy person to find, the eye masks your energy." Jeff's eyes flashed as he shot to his feet growling at the strange visitor.
"Who the hell are you?" The man smiled warmly.
"I've had quite a few names, but most call me Prometheus." Jeff scowled; he was not in the mood for crackpots.
"Cute."
* * * * *
A car swerved off the road and a red haired man jumped from his car searching the sky. He felt it. It was the eye, he was sure of it and it was close, but there was something else. The man sniffed the air wrinkling his nose as if a foul stench had been wafted before him. He recognized that smell from long ago and knew exactly what it was from.
* * * * *
"Prometheus," replied Degger, "shouldn't you be chained to a rock somewhere getting your organs eaten out." The man smiled modestly.
"You're difficult to find because the mixed magic within the eye masks its signature. Only when you release energy can you be found."
"So you said before, you were looking for me," Jeff said narrowing his eyes, "why?"
"I'm not what I appear to be," said Prometheus, "This may be hard for you to believe, but I am a being of magic, a fairy."
"Sounds like a personal problem," retorted Degger with full sarcasm intended. Prometheus simply smiled again.
"We have lots of names, but I am not important. Do you have any idea what you are?"
"Yeah," replied Degger sadly, "I'm a monster." Prometheus sighed wishing he could alleviate the boy's pain, but things would only get worse before they would get better, he had seen it before.
"Aye, you're not human if that's what your judging it by, but there are others who would argue the definition of a monster. Especially after you risked it all to save that drunk driver."
"You know about that?" asked Jeff his face one of obvious surprise.
"Aye," he replied with a smile, "but because he was human all I could do was watch, my lord forbids otherwise." Jeff was not sure what the stranger was talking about, but something about the entire situation and conversation seemed totally absurd letting out a half laugh.
"Fine, then what am I?" Prometheus smiled, a small twinkle in the corner of his eye.
"You're a dragon gargoyle, half of each."
"Oh, of course, why did I not think of that," said Jeff over dramatizing his lack of understanding that did not go unnoticed by the fairy.
"I'm not making this up," he replied solemnly. "Eleven thousand years a war was waged between the Fairy Folk and the Dragon Society. It did not take either side long to realize that our powers were not able to inflict damage to the other, alternative means were necessary.
"I was one of the few who tried to move towards peace, but the dragons did not give my people a reason to agree with me, so we fought. The truth is that the real fighting and dying was done by the younger mortal races of humans and gargoyles, who divided their loyalties."
"So what does this have to do with me?" Prometheus raised his hand and continued, "The eye was originally given to a gargoyle as a way to avoid their stone sleep and patrol the skies for the dragons. The gargoyle was killed and the eye tampered with. Somehow a dragon was able to stabilize the mix of magic and so this new eye was created.
"After which a coup erupted in the society and a member of their elite social class rose declaring himself King of the Dragons. I'm not sure of the details, but from what I understand was that the eye wearer, a human, was attacked and was reborn by magic looking very similar to what you look like. He had the instincts of a gargoyle, that still existed within the eye and the body of a dragon and a gargoyle."
"Gargoyle instincts?" asked Jeff curiously.
"In a word, protector. It's their nature and now it is yours."
"Terrific," mumbled Jeff sighing. "So I'll be diving at every runaway car I see." Jeff looked down at the slightly glowing eye alive with magical energy. "So how does this magic work anyway?"
"To be honest, I'm not totally sure," he replied smirking slightly. "Dragon magic is different from ours. All I know is that basic spells are controlled by sheer will of the mind and not incantation."
"That's the Reader's Digest version," said the red haired man stepping on to the roof from the fire escape. He seemed familiar, that much was certain, thought Prometheus. He narrowed his eyes looking at the human's aura and found it masking a greater power that was distinguishably dragon.
"You," said Prometheus with a scowl. The man waved his index finger back and forth a wicked little smile creasing his middle age face. Jeff's gut feeling was telling him that there was something not normal about this man before him. The stranger walked right pass Prometheus examining Degger at a proximity that was much too close for comfort in Jeff's mind.
"Remarkable," he whispered, "you look almost just like the last one."
"The last one of what?" said Jeff suspiciously. Prometheus had told him a moment ago, but that did not mean it was general knowledge.
"The last eye bearer. He fought like a true warrior, unfortunately not for us, but that was Apep's fault," said the man, that phony smile never leaving his face.
"You never expected him to evolve after you tried to kill him," said Prometheus standing steadfast within an arm length of the stranger.
"No," he said with a scowl, "we were not." His attention returned to Jeff. The man's expression similar to the used car salesman that Jeff had bought his destroyed Bronco from.
"I offer you the same opportunity that we offered the last eye bearer, join us." Jeff was now thoroughly confused. All he wanted to do was sit on a roof and sulk and morn, but instead he went from a living hell to a rerun of the Outer Limits.
"Who the hell are you people?" The red haired man chuckled slightly.
"He, is unimportant, but you may call me Randolf, Fet Randolf."
"Okay, Mr. Randolf in case you did not know my girlfriend just died so I'm not in the mood for magic wars and all this Clash of the Titans shit. So do me a favor and just leave me alone," said Jeff sitting down again.
"Unfortunately Mr. Degger I do not have the time to be patient with you, my time is precious and I am not comfortable in all present company. Are you in or out?" Jeff turned his eyes to the stranger, flashing white for an instant.
"How did you know my name?" asked Jeff suspiciously.
"In or out? Choose now." Jeff scowled at the man giving him the bird starting for the other side of the roof, "Go to hell." With that Randolf straightened his coat obviously forcing down his agitation. He took several deep breaths starting for the fire escape stopping just before it.
"You have chosen and now you will live with the consequences of your decision." Prometheus uncrossed his arms his face losing its color. He knew where this was going; he had seen it before. "Yes, you will live with it, but your mother will not." The man threw a newspaper at Degger's feet a mysterious black circle forming behind the man. "You can thank the media for the address." Jeff growled leaping at the black hole, but it was gone before he even got close. The former human turned to Prometheus his eyes wide with fear.
"He wouldn't," said Jeff with hope. Prometheus turned his eyes to his feet. He did not have the heart to look the boy in the eye. His master's law forbade him in interfering with humans and it was all Degger needed to see. He leaped off the roof gliding as fast as he could home.
Fet Randolf emerged from his portal standing before a tan and cream house with Degger written on the mailbox.
"He was like the last one, a fool. My master will understand when I explain it to him," said Fet trying to convince himself of this decision. Killing was not a dragon's first instinct because it required efforts beyond magic. More important it was not what he was instructed to do, but an example had to be made. Fet began chanting, a blue aura forming around him. He had to destroy the house utterly and then finish the job quick and clean.
Jeff's mother awoke a strange feeling of unease about her. She moved to the living room the lights flickering violently. She made her way to the window to see if it was storming spotting a strange silhouette standing before her house.
Jeff caught every thermal he could find rushing towards Lake View. He could feel it all around him. The energy gave him goose bumps running down his spine. He would have been more intrigued by the sensation but, his eyes focused on the energy blast leave the dark figure standing in the street.
"NOOOO!" screamed Jeff plummeting for Fet screaming an inhuman war cry. The shock wave knocked Jeff from his path into a neighbor's tree. Fet turned towards the downed gargoyle his eyes glowing bright yellow.
"You should have said yes, pity." Jeff staggered to his feet lunging at Fet. The dragon dodged kicking Jeff in the ribs. People were beginning to emerge from their homes and approached with flashlights, the explosion knocked out the power lines.
"Another time," said Fet backing in to his portal. Jeff growled blood trickling from his nose and several cuts from debris.
"I'll find you, and I swear I'll kill you," growled Degger through his pain. The portal closed diverting Jeff's attention back towards his destroyed home. Jeff hobbled through the debris scattered every which direction. It was gone; it looked as if a bomb had gone off. Jeff spotted his mother lying still near he top, motionless. He hobbled towards her ignoring his own pain that coursed through his body.
He could feel it slightly like a subtle twinge that something was changing. His skin turned tan white, his spikes disintegrated into golden brown hair. The extra appendages seemed to disappear into his body and his balance shifted again. Degger fell next to his mother lifting her head slightly. She had been badly injured and was bleeding profusely.
His mother's eyes opened slowly a weak smile crossing her face. Her breathing was already labored and the color was leaving her face. Jeff could not believe this was happening to him again.
"I knew I would see you again," she whispered weakly.
"Mother," Jeff sobbed, "hold on I'll call an ambulance." Jeff turned his black eyes to one of the approaching neighbors. "Call an ambulance, hurry!"
"Jeff?" called out the balding man surprised to see the boy.
"Yes it's me, hurry dammit!" Jeff's mother touched his still pointed ears, her fingers already cold.
"Baby, what happened to you?" she whispered.
"Don't worry about me just stay awake, please!" Her grip slackened and the light finally left her eyes. She was dead. Time seemed to stand still. The world seeming to be made of glass now shattered in an instant falling to a million pieces. There were others around him and approaching sirens brought no relief or worry. He had nothing now. Both his loved ones were gone and he wanted to scream, but it was beyond a simple scream now. His frozen silence was the loudest scream of all. The police would question him, how could he answer them? What was he supposed to do? Jeff suddenly felt very alone, even more than he had in the past few days.
A soft hand touched his shoulder that was now human again and he was not even sure why.
"I'm sorry. My master's law forbids direct interference in human affairs. There was nothing I could do." The words seemed hollow even as he spoke them. Prometheus sighed, this was not right, but it was the way of things.
"I can help you," he began again, "since you are no longer human I can teach you what ever I can." Jeff's face hardened turning his eyes to the Irish man standing above him. Even in his human form his eyes blazed white hot with frustration.
"Then teach me to use this stupid thing. If that bastard wanted a war well he got one," growled Jeff tuning his eyes back to the still form before him. Prometheus nodded turning his eyes towards the east as the sky began to brighten with the rapidly approaching dawn of a brand new day.
To be concluded...