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Slayers: Fatherland
Chapter 2
The Remnants of Hope
Fish reached into the hole in the side of the tree in which she had hidden the
Master's books.
"Hurry up, Fish!" Will begged fearfully.
"Will you relax?" Fish begged him. "They're not going to find us way out here!
You lost them!"
The paperboy hardly seemed convinced. He continued pacing around the small
camp area Fish had set up. "So…You're going to Zephilia now, right?" he asked.
She didn't say anything.
"Well?" he demanded.
"Look, Will," she said as she pulled the leather satchel out of the tree. "Stuff's
fucked up right now. I know that. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to cut and run on
Master Daventry."
"Are you fucking insane?!" Will asked. "They've SEEN you, Fish! They know
what you look like and who you are now! They've going to be coming after you now!"
"Fine!" she spat. "Let 'em come and get me! All they know how to do is pick on
old mages! Let 'em come and try fucking with me, and I'll…"
Will took her by the arm and whirled her around. "And what? Huh? Make 'em
snowcones?"
She pulled roughly away. "I. Am. Not. Leaving. Him." She turned and went to
her tent, gathering up her things.
Will sighed in exasperation. "Okay! Fine! Say you do stay! Now what?"
This made Fish pause.
"You're one person, all alone, against the fucking REICH!"
Fish grumbled as she packed her knapsack. "Glad to know where YOU stand…"
"Don't you think that Mister Daventry told you to go to Zephilia for a REASON?!"
Will went on. "That maybe he NEEDS you there?"
"Shut up, Will." She rose to her feet and hefted the pack. Suddenly, she found
herself turned around with Will's face an inch from her's.
"What do you hope to accomplish all by yourself?" he asked angrily.
"Something…ANYTHING!" she screamed, pulling away from him. "I'm a
sorceress, dammit! I'm SUPPOSED to help people!"
"How many people can you help when you're dead?!"
Fish glared angrily at him. She didn't want to admit he had a point. If she did, he'd
win, and she'd lose, and she really, really, REALLY hated losing…
Especially on something like this…
Will could see that she was starting to cave and pushed it. "Tell you what, you
give me one plan, one IDEA of what you can do by staying…and I'll stay with you and
help."
Fish opened her mouth to retort, to tell Will all about the brilliant plan she had for
busting Master Daventry and the other sorcerers out of that camp and driving the fascists
out of Atlas….
And suddenly realized that she didn't have a plan like that.
"Come on, Fish," he whispered. "There's nothing we can do right now. But…But
maybe we can do something in Zephilia…Tell people what's really going on over
here…That's what Mister Daventry would WANT you to do…"
Thunder roared overhead before Fish could reply. Will looked up and saw the
clouds gathering. "Damn…Looks like a storm. We'd better find some shelter." He looked
at her and tried to smile. "Everything's going to be okay, Fish. Really."
"Yeah," she muttered as the first drops of rain fell. "Sure it is…"
Two dragons bowed to Filia as she walked past them towards the Great Hall of
Anghest. As she entered the mammoth hall, she was once again struck by its beauty and
grandness. It was considered one of the greatest architectural dragon feats of the Fourth
Age, and it never ceased to amaze her. It was easily ten times as tall as she was while in
her dragon form with gold marble columns along the walls. Reliefs and sculptures of
dragons lined the walls in between the columns, and at the very center of the hall was a
fountain with a statue…
Of her.
The statue at the center of the fountain was that of a golden dragon priestess in
human form, standing next to Lina Inverse during the final battle with Dark Star.
But she never let it go to her head…
On purpose, anyway…
"Lady Filia."
She turned, pulled from her reverie and focusing on the golden dragon who now
approached. Lady Sethra was a younger dragon than she, but one more skilled at
diplomacy; one of the reasons she had endorsed her bid to be made Lady of the Clan.
"Lady Sethra," Filia began. "You asked to see me?"
"Indeed, Filia. Let's walk, shall we?"
The two blonde women began to walk around the wall of the hall, admiring the
reliefs etched into the marble. "So…what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Filia asked.
"The war between the humans," Sethra told her, turning to her. "Have you heard
much?"
"Not really," Filia admitted, "Then again, I hardly trouble myself with such things
anymore."
"I have been hearing very disturbing things from humans and sorcerers of some
worth," Sethra continued as they walked. "Very frightening things."
"Like what?" Filia asked.
"Persecution of sorcerers trapped inside the Seyruun Reich. Other…things…"
"So what does this have to do with me?"
"We wish to investigate these claims," Sethra told her, turning to the older dragon.
Filia blinked. "You want ME to…"
"No, no, no! Certainly not!" Sethra told her. "However, we do need someone
onsite to get a first hand view of what's going on."
"So…Why are you talking to me?"
The Lady of the Clan took a breath. Filia wasn't going to like this. "We are
sending ValTerria."
Filia's eyes narrowed. "You didn't just say that…"
Sethra backed up a step. "Lady Filia, please understand that…"
The older dragon took a step forward, her hand going to the mace riding her thigh…
The Lady of the Clan continued backing away. "Lady Filia! We need to send
someone and…"
Filia's mace was whipping through the air but stopped dead an inch from Sethra's
head as the dragon cried out…
"HE CAME TO *ME* AND VOLUNTEERED!!!"
The older dragon blinked. "Val chan?"
It was pouring by the time Fish and Will entered the cave in their search of shelter
from the storm. The cavern was a tight squeeze at first, but got larger the deeper down they
went, and soon they were in a more comfortable area.
Will held out his lantern, illuminating the area. "Well, at least it's dry," he
commented. "We can wait here until the storm passes, then set out across the mountains to
Zephilia."
Fish wasn't paying attention, she was moving deeper into the cave.
"Fish?"
"Hey, Will, come check this out," Fish beckoned him. Will followed after her and
held his lantern aloft, illuminating the chamber Fish had just found.
"What is it?" he asked.
"This place looks like it was carved out."
Will raised the light up towards the wall. Fish was right. The stone walls were
smooth as if hewn over the course of years. Before their eyes was not a cavern, but a
hallway.
"Come on," Fish said, starting downward.
"Um…I don't know, Fish. For all we know this is a military bunker or something
we just walked into accidentally. Maybe we should just go back and….Fish?"
Fish was ignoring him, walking down the corridor to the very end. The darkness
seemed to move in on her as she walked, and soon the tiny lantern she held aloft did
nothing to push it back. She grumbled and handed the lamp to Will.
"Stand back a sec," she warned and held her hand up. "LIGHTING!"
There was a bright flash of light. Will blinked and stood back, surprised for a
moment. The flash subsided, leaving only a ball of pale white illumination that lit up the
entire cavern.
What they saw surprised them.
It turns out that the hallway had ended and that they were now standing in a large
room. The wall were lined with old barrels made of rotting wood. A ring of stones
suggested that there was once a fire there. Along the wall to their left were some sort of
rafts, a large crystal sitting atop each one for a total of four. Chests had been broken open
and tossed aside as if in a hurry.
"Woah," Will breathed. "Fish, have you ever seen this before?"
She shook her head. "No. This is all Master Daventry's land, but I've never been
here before." Stepping forward, the young mage started to look through the debris, trying
to figure out what its purpose might have been.
"Hey, check this out," Will called to her. Fish turned and approached him, holding
the ball of illumination before her. Will was holding an old book, its pages ancient and
yellow, but blank. "Who reads a blank book?" he asked.
Fish took the book from him and examined it. Every single page was blank. Or
was it. "Here, hold this," she said absently, tossing the ball of light to her friend. Will
cried out in surprise and braced himself to be burned as the light ball struck him, but was
surprised to find that it rested a few inches above his hands. "I think this book is
enchanted," she commented.
"Enchanted?"
She nodded. "Master Daventry used to test my scrying spells by writing
instructions down on a piece of paper, then enchanting it so that they couldn't be seen. It
takes a white magic spell to undo. Gimme a sec…"
"Sure," Will said, holding the light up so she could see.
Fish whispered a few words and placed her hand on the face of the book. Unlike
her other, more "original" spells, scrying was relatively easy as long as you were a white
mage. She pulled her hand away and opened the book again. There were letters there in an
older, but still readable dialect.
"So what is it?" Will asked.
Fish thumbed through the book, examining each page quickly. There were more
than letters there, there were hand drawn illustrations. Some of the rafts, some of Lake
Lina that included some kind of grid reference, and some were mathematical calculations.
Other parts of the book, though, were dated. She found one and read aloud.
"'I've decided to make this cave a type of base of operations,'" she read, "'I guess
I'm just used to being alone. It's near the lake, and no one will bother me here as I work.'"
She flipped ahead for a few pages and started again. "'I think I finally have the right
calculations. Going on what Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel told me of the battle with
Ancalagon, I have determined the exact place where Lina died. Sylphiel was carrying an
antique timepiece on her when the explosion hit, and luckily for me, it stopped when the
concussion hit. I have from that determined that Lina died at exactly two-thirteen PM, on
the afternoon of the seventh of month of Elenda.'" She started flipping through the pages
again.
"What was he? An archaeologist or something?" Will asked. "He keeps talking
about 'Lina.' Does he mean Lina Inverse?"
"I don't think so," she murmured. "Listen to this." She started reading again.
"'The Claire Bible manuscript said nothing about how well this will work on a raft, but I
don't have much choice. The crater Lina made with the Dragon Slave…'" Fish looked up
and arched an eyebrow. "Dragon Slave?" Will just shrugged. Fish went back to reading.
"'…has since become a lake, and I find myself forced to attempt this spell under unknown
conditions. Rezo would probably tell me that it's too much of a risk for such a tiny chance
of reward, but I am determined to continue regardless. I owe her too much to turn back
now.'"
"Who's Rezo?" Will asked.
"He was one of the Six Wise Men of the Third Age," Fish answered absently as
she paged through the book. "He was the third, I think. Lina was the Sixth."
"Oh."
She stopped at another page and continued. "'I am almost ready to try, and just as I
should have expected with my luck, something has happened. A man in black has been
asking for me in Atlas City. I took it upon myself to investigate this man, thinking that
perhaps it was a messenger from Amelia or Gourry. I saw the man in the street and quickly
ducked out of sight. I know a Mazoku when I see one.'"
"A MAZOKU?" Will asked incredulously. "This guy must have been high on
something."
Fish ignored him and continued reading. "'I know now that I was right about him.
At first I thought that damn fruity priest might have sent him, however I now believe he
works for Dynast. He's been asking not only about me, but about the Claire Bible
manuscript containing the Hands of Time spell. I've memorized the spell itself, but I don't
dare allow the manuscript into the Mazoku hands. Who knows what they might want it
for.'"
"What's a 'Hands of Time,' spell?" Will asked. Fish only shrugged and turned the
page.
"More dark men in Atlas today. I've been hiding here in my cave, preparing for the
incantation. To make sure that I'm not caught with the manuscript, but can still view it if
necessary, I have placed it in the protection of the owner of these lands, Tarus Cassius
Daventry, a sorcerer of some repute.'"
"Daventry? You mean like…"
Fish nodded. "Must be one of Master Daventry's ancestors. His family has owned
these lands for centuries." She turned back to the book and turned a few pages. "'They've
found me,'" she read. "'I've holed myself up here and made sure they couldn't get in.
There are too many outside to try making a run for it. It's times like these that I miss my
chimera body. At least then I'd have a better chance in a stand-up fight. I pass the time
waiting in this cave like a rat in a burrow, hoping that the vipers outside will leave me in
peace, but if there's one thing my dealings with Xellos have taught me, it's that Mazoku
are persistent…and damn annoying.'"
"I like this guy," Will said with a smile.
Fish turned the page. "'I can hear them outside…scratching at the walls. They
don't dare phase through the walls right now. I might not be as powerful as I was at one
time, but they know I can still take a few of them with me when I go. Even so, there must
be another reason they're reluctant to attack. Then I remember that they were asking for the
book. They're afraid it might be destroyed if they attack……..Suckers.'"
The young mage had to smile at that. She turned the page.
"'I tried to escape today, but there were too many of them. I had to retreat back into
my rat's nest. I keep hoping that Amelia or Gourry will wonder about me and find me, but
things aren't hopeful. I pass the time painting. There's nothing else to do. My water
supply is running short…and I'm very tired.'"
She bit her lip and turned the page again.
"'They're too quiet. I hate that. It's like they're out there waiting for me to die so
they can come in without a fight, but I know that can't be true either. They can't risk me
burning their book before I dehydrate, so they have to leave me some hope, like dangling a
string in front of a cat. They're planning something. I'm going to enchant this journal so
that even if I die, they can't use it to find the manuscript. Fuck them. They get what they
pay for. Despite all the trouble it's caused, I don't regret coming here and trying to bring
her back. In all my years alone, she was the first person to ever call me 'friend' and
actually mean it. The first person to ever really give a damn. I know that if the positions
were reversed, if I had died and she had lived, she'd do the same for me. I've been ready
for death my entire adult life. I don't fear it anymore. I just hope that maybe I'll see my
friend again.'"
Fish took a breath and almost nervously turned the page. The last entry had only
two words…
"'They're coming,'" she read. She closed the book slowly. "That's all there is."
"What was he trying to do?" Will asked, still confused.
"Maybe…resurrect her," she whispered. "I don't know." She blinked suddenly.
Her hands went to the leather satchel.
"What is it?" Will asked her.
"He gave it to Master Daventry's family!" she hissed. "That means…" She pulled
an old, leather-bound book out of the bag and started flipping through it. As if destined to
do so, the book fell open to page with a header that read in large, bold letters…
"'The Hands of Time.'"
She read over the page eagerly as the light drifted from the page. Will was
wandering off, apparently. She used the lantern. It was just enough light.
"Fish, come take a look at this!"
Looking up, the mage walked to the paperboy and gazed at the wall he was pointing
to. "Oh my god," she whispered.
The entire stone wall was a mural. A woman with red-gold hair stood before them,
smiling as the wind whipped her cloak behind her. A ball of light or fire was in her hands.
Crimson eyes danced and seemed to have a light of their own. It was one of the best pieces
of art she had ever seen.
She took the ball of light from Will again and pointed it at the wall to get a better
look. In the bottom, right hand corner of the mural was a name. "'Z Greywords,'" she
read.
"Talented guy," Will remarked. She nodded and continued to stare at the picture.
This was her idol. A woman who killed demons and made her own mark on the
world. She was a heroine in every respect of the word. She fought for justice, for the
downtrodden, for anyone who couldn't fight for themselves.
She never abandoned her friends. And they never abandoned her.
"Fish?"
"Huh?" she asked.
"I think the storm's stopped," Will told her. "We should leave while we can."
Fish stared up at the image of her inspiration and took a breath.
"I'm not leaving."
High above the clouds, looking down as the terrain changed from blue ocean to
green earth, an Ancient Dragon flew towards his destination. ValTerria, last of the Ancient
Dragons, thought again on his mission, but found his thoughts turning more towards his
mother. Filia had NOT been happy to hear that he had volunteered to gather information
for the dragon clans concerning the Reich's conduct, but it was Val's decision, and it was
something he felt he HAD to do.
Filia, of course, had made it sound like the end of the world; ranting and wailing
about how arrogant and misguided humans had turned over the years, and how cruel a
place the continent now was. What she didn't realize was that Val felt dragons were a part
of the problem, that things had gotten out of control because THEY had holed themselves
up in their mountain lands instead of helping guide the younger races, instead of helping
grow as they should.
Besides, what could happen? The Reich wasn't foolish enough to goad the dragons
into a fight…
Celeste Gabriev took the communiqué from the Seyruun soldier and watched him
salute smartly before turning on his heel and marching out. Reading over the brief, she
arched an eyebrow.
"Something wrong, my dear Celeste?" her Gestapo minder asked from his chair in
front of her desk, a desk once belonging to the elected governor of Atlas.
"Our coast watchers have seen a dragon flying in this direction," Celeste told him.
"Gold or Black?" the Gestapo man asked, his smile suddenly gone.
Celeste raised the paper and read, "'Target Dragon appears to be dark green in
coloration. Estimated to be seventy-five feet from tip to tail long with a wingspan of sixty
feet. Wings are black and feathered with…'"
The Gestapo man smiled. "ValGaav," he whispered. "Finally out without his
mommy…"
"Something I should know?" Celeste asked.
He smiled. "Only that it would be wise to scramble fighters and bring him down.
After all, the Reich cannot simply allow dragons to violate its airspace without
permission." He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you agree?"
The RS Colonel picked up the phone.
Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey von Reider of the Reich's Luftwaffe admired the
polish on the serrated combat knife as he ran the whetstone over it again. The blade itself
was eight inches long and deadly looking. Reider had carried it for a few years. Ever
since he had crashed his fighter into a forest where you could still find goblins. After just
barely making it out, and after too many close calls, he had put away the tiny pocket
survival knife issued to all Luftwaffe pilots and bought something he could actually fight
with.
Because you never know…
He ran the whetstone over the sharp edge of the blade again as he contemplated the
world. Atlas had fallen. Xoana was theirs. The Reich was acquiring a good bit of
territory. Zephilia was giving them trouble, but there was no reason to think that they
wouldn't fall eventually too. Now that they had an airbase in Atlas from which to launch
bombing raids, it was only a matter of time.
So why did he feel so cheap?
He ran the stone over the edge again and paused. The answer was always just out
of reach for him. Just when he thought he had it, something would come up, and it would
disappear.
Like now.
The loud, whining alarm was going off all over the Atlas airbase. Pilots ran from
the ready room and the lounge, climbing into their flight gear, sometimes even tripping over
themselves.
Reider looked at his knife and sighed. He had almost had it. Standing up, he
placed the blade in the sheathe in his right boot and started for the flight line.
"This is the stupidest idea you've ever come up with, Fish," Will told her
seriously. "I mean…c'mon!"
Standing near the entrance of the cave, Fish stomped her foot. "What?! Huh?! It's
a good plan! Think about it, Will! I might not be that great of a sorceress; you were right
about that! But SHE was the greatest that ever lived! She'd make short work of the
Reich!"
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE SPELL WILL WORK!" Will screamed.
"But it's worth a try!" Fish argued back. "That Greybeard guy or whatever his
name was thought it would work! He's already done all the hard work for us, Will! All
we have to do is actually perform the spell!"
"You can't even make snowcones without fucking it up!" he shot back.
"FUCK SNOWCONES! THIS IS REAL!"
Will said nothing. "Fine, Fish! Fine! Do whatever the hell you want! I'm going to
Zephilia!"
"I can't do this by myself, Will! I need help setting it up!"
"Tough!" he shouted.
Fish growled. "You promised!"
The paperboy stopped in his tracks. "What are you talking about?!"
The mage marched up to him and put her face an inch from his. "You told me that if
I could give you one idea, one plan, that you would stay and help!"
"This isn't a plan!" he shouted. "It's a fantasy!" He turned to walk away.
Fish bit her lip. She really did need his help. Those rafts were too heavy for her to
lift alone, and the crystals had to be positioned just right…
"YOU FUCKING CHICKENSHIT!" she screamed at him.
He waved, but didn't look back as he walked away from the cave. Fish growled
and came to a decision. Will was staying.
End of fucking story.
Will heard Fish screaming behind him and turned just in time to be struck full in the
chest by a flying Fish. He grunted as his back hit the ground. He rolled over and pinned
the sorceress to the floor.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" he screamed.
"You're staying here!" she shouted into his face.
Will shook his head and stood up again. Before he could make it two steps, Fish
had latched onto his leg and jerked. The paperboy fell forward and hit the ground again.
The sorceress stood up and started dragging him back to the cave. Will kicked out with his
legs and struck her in the thigh. Fish squealed and fell down again.
"Knock it off!" he ordered. He tried turning again, but Fish attacked again,
jumping onto his back and holding on for dear life. Will turned quickly, trying to fling the
hysterical mage off of him.
"You're not leaving, Will!" she hollered at him. "I need your help if this is going
to work!"
"GET OFF OF ME!!"
Fish tightened her grip as Will reached back over his shoulder at her in an attempt
to dislodge her. In the struggle, he stepped on a wet root and hit the ground. The two
started rolling through the mud, each trying to get the better of the other.
Will managed to get on top and held her by the shoulders in the mud. "I AM NOT
STAYING HERE SO YOU CAN PLAY HERO!"
He broke off as he saw the tears in Fish's eyes. She was sniffling and murmuring
something.
He blinked. "Please, Fish…Try to understand…"
She continued to sniffle and murmur, a tear running down her muddy cheek.
"I'd like to help, but it's just too dangerous."
Fish wouldn't look at him. She was still murmuring softly.
"Fish?"
She looked up at him and placed a hand on his chest.
"Fish?"
The sorceress grinned. "LAFAS SHEED!!"
Will's eyes went wide. "What the…" He tried to stand up but found every limb
locked in place! He couldn't move! "What the hell did you do, Fish?!"
"Ha ha on you-ou!" Fish sang. "I froze you in pla-ace!" She stuck her tongue out
at him.
"Well turn it off!"
She smiled. "No, I think you're going to stay here until you get it in your head that
you're going to help me."
"Fish! Chant a counterspell! Now!"
"No!" She stuck her tongue out again. "And you're going to stay that way until you
agree to help me!"
"No way!"
"Then I guess you're stuck here!" she bragged.
"Yeah?" he asked. "Well seeing that I can't move, how are YOU going to get out
of here, huh?!"
Fish blinked, and her eyes narrowed. "Dammit," she muttered.
Thunder boomed overhead. Suddenly, it started raining again.
"Wonderful," Will hissed as the deluge came down on them.
Reider checked his small map again and then looked at the compass in his ME-545
fighter. They were right on course, and if the information on the speed of the dragon was
accurate, he and his three wingmen would be able to see it soon.
"Dort ist es!"
Reider looked up and saw a small pinprick of green against the blue sky.
"Drache," he breathed. He had never actually engaged a dragon in aerial combat before,
but the Luftwaffe had gone through training scenarios of it. Dragons may be as large as
bombers, but were ten times as agile and could outperform several classes of fighters.
Intelligence recommended engaging dragons only when a flight commander had at least a
four to one advantage.
Like now.
"B Flight," Reider spoke into his radio, "Climb to Angels eight and wait for my
signal. Herbert, you're with me."
"Ja wohl!"
Two of the fighters broke off and started to climb as Reider and his wingman eased
around behind the serpent.
Val's sharp ears heard the buzzing even as the fighters were splitting up to ambush
him. The unmistakable sound of angry bees that accompanied a human flying machine.
Turning his head, he saw two of them were coming up behind him. He tensed.
(You ARE in what they perceive to be their territory,) he reminded himself. (Just
relax. They're probably here to escort you away from their airspace.)
This theory lasted only until the two fighters got within firing range. Val heard the
sharp roar and saw the tiny flashes of light from the wings of human's flying machines and
could feel the tiny lead bullets whizzing past him.
The Ancient Dragon rolled onto his right side and made a sharp turn away from the
hail of gunfire. He growled. Val had counted on the Reich not being happy to see him
here, but he thought they would at least obey the terms of international law!
Growling to himself, he made a decision. He wasn't here to start a war between
the dragons and the Reich, so he would have to make a run for it.
Reider saw the dragon change course and start back for the border. He clicked his
radio. "B Flight, stand by to engage." He followed Val into a slow right turn and opened
fire again. The flight leader wasn't sure why the dragon hadn't fired at them yet, but he
wasn't about to wait around and find out while possibly losing good Seyruun pilots.
He saw orange tracer rounds strike the dragons back dead on and, to his dismay,
bounce off.
Reider growled to himself and clicked his radio. "Herbert, did you see that?"
"Ja. What should we do?"
He watched as the dragon flapped his feathered wings and start to gain speed. If
they didn't act, they'd lose it. "B Flight," he spoke into his radio. "Attack." A moment
later, he added, "Schießen die flügel."
"Say again, A Flight. Say again."
Reider grit his teeth at B Flight's misunderstanding and bit angrily into the radio.
"Shoot. The. WINGS!"
"Ja wohl!"
Val smiled as he felt the humans' bullets bounce off his scaled hide. They may
have come a long way technologically, but there some things that you simply had to depend
on Cepheid's gifts for. He heard another roar of gunfire and looked above to see two more
fighters bearing down on him.
He cried out in pain as he felt hot metal tear into his right wing. Looking at it, he
saw feathers and blood exploding up and down the limb.
They were shooting his wings!
As realization of what they were doing dawned on him, there was another hail of
gunfire from behind him as the original two fighters opened up again. A flash of pain in his
left wing made him cry out. He started losing altitude. Flapping desperately, he tried to
hold his height above the ground, but another burst of fire from the Seyruun fighters struck
his wounded right wing again, and he started to fall, blood trailing from his limbs like
smoke would from a burning plane.
He saw the ground rush up at him and closed his eyes.
Reider watched the dragon fall, but didn't smile. That cheap feeling was back. He
adjusted the frequency of his radio and spoke into it.
"Atlas Control, Flight Leader. Flame one. Repeat: Flame one."
"Danke."
Celeste hung up the phone and turned to her Gestapo minder.
"The dragon's been shot down. I've sent three Panzers to retrieve it."
"You should consider sending more," the Gestapo man advised her. "Assuming
ValGaav survived his…landing…he may still be a very dangerous opponent."
The RS officer circled around her desk, eyeing the purple-haired man suspiciously.
"You seem to know a good deal about this particular dragon," she noted.
He smiled. "The Gestapo makes it a point to know a lot of things," he countered.
She grimaced slightly at the reminder. "Then I take it if he IS brought in alive, you
will want him turned over to your custody?"
To her surprise, the man faltered, something she had never seen him do. "Oh, I
think the RS is more than capable of dealing with a lone dragon encroacher." He smiled
and stood up, starting for the door.
She smiled, sensing an advantage, and pushed it. "The Gestapo actually passing up
an opportunity to interrogate someone? I think the world may be coming to an end."
The Gestapo man stopped at the door. Not turning to her, he paused and said,
"You may be more right than you think."
Without another word, he left the Territorial Governor alone with her thoughts.
"So, you ready to help yet?"
Will growled at her. It was the only movement he was capable of thanks to her
spell. The rain had been pouring down on him for forty-five minutes. He was cold, wet,
angry, and knew he was beat. He had known Fish for a long time, and he knew she had
know qualms about keeping him like this until either Cepheid came back or he died.
"Your plan is stupid," he pointed out, unwilling to give up just yet.
"Lots of people's plans are stupid!" she countered. "And you DID promise to
help."
"If you had a good plan!"
"This IS a good plan!" She sighed. "Look, what's the harm in hanging around for
another day and trying it? I'm not asking you to charge a Seyruun Panzer! I'm asking you
to lift shit!"
He took a breath. "And if I don't?"
Her eyes narrowed. "How long can you go without food and water? I can always
cast recovery on myself. You're shit out of luck."
Will growled again. "I hate you," he whispered.
"Yeah, I'm not too crazy about you either right now, buddy. But the fact of the
matter is, I need you. Now are you in or out?"
"Fine. I'll help you with this brain-dead scheme of yours, but after you're done,
whether it works or not, I'm leaving. Got it?"
"Fine," she said. "Now promise."
He rolled his eyes. "Sweet Cepheid, Fish."
"Promise."
"Fine! I promise to stick around and help you with your stupid-ass plan!"
She smiled. "Great! See? That wasn't so hard!"
"Good, now cast the damn counterspell."
Fish smiled again. "Lafas Sheed doesn't have a counterspell."
"Huh?!"
She nodded. "Yup. It wears off after about an hour. I think we have about ten
minutes left."
He stared down at her in shock. "Are you telling me…this whole thing…was a
fucking BLUFF?!"
"You promised," she warned, already seeing where this was going.
"Fine," he growled. "I promised, and I'll stay. But I still hate you."
"Fine," she huffed.
"Fine."
Silence.
"Has it been ten minutes yet?" he asked.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes:
Thanks to Sethra chan, Fish chan, Meg chan, Prince, Will, and Cav. It's going to be
several months before the next chapter of this fic comes out. I'm leaving for the Air Force
in a week so no ficcage for awhile. Gomen. ^_^;;;
Davner
Slayers: Fatherland
Chapter 2
The Remnants of Hope
Fish reached into the hole in the side of the tree in which she had hidden the
Master's books.
"Hurry up, Fish!" Will begged fearfully.
"Will you relax?" Fish begged him. "They're not going to find us way out here!
You lost them!"
The paperboy hardly seemed convinced. He continued pacing around the small
camp area Fish had set up. "So…You're going to Zephilia now, right?" he asked.
She didn't say anything.
"Well?" he demanded.
"Look, Will," she said as she pulled the leather satchel out of the tree. "Stuff's
fucked up right now. I know that. But that doesn't mean I'm just going to cut and run on
Master Daventry."
"Are you fucking insane?!" Will asked. "They've SEEN you, Fish! They know
what you look like and who you are now! They've going to be coming after you now!"
"Fine!" she spat. "Let 'em come and get me! All they know how to do is pick on
old mages! Let 'em come and try fucking with me, and I'll…"
Will took her by the arm and whirled her around. "And what? Huh? Make 'em
snowcones?"
She pulled roughly away. "I. Am. Not. Leaving. Him." She turned and went to
her tent, gathering up her things.
Will sighed in exasperation. "Okay! Fine! Say you do stay! Now what?"
This made Fish pause.
"You're one person, all alone, against the fucking REICH!"
Fish grumbled as she packed her knapsack. "Glad to know where YOU stand…"
"Don't you think that Mister Daventry told you to go to Zephilia for a REASON?!"
Will went on. "That maybe he NEEDS you there?"
"Shut up, Will." She rose to her feet and hefted the pack. Suddenly, she found
herself turned around with Will's face an inch from her's.
"What do you hope to accomplish all by yourself?" he asked angrily.
"Something…ANYTHING!" she screamed, pulling away from him. "I'm a
sorceress, dammit! I'm SUPPOSED to help people!"
"How many people can you help when you're dead?!"
Fish glared angrily at him. She didn't want to admit he had a point. If she did, he'd
win, and she'd lose, and she really, really, REALLY hated losing…
Especially on something like this…
Will could see that she was starting to cave and pushed it. "Tell you what, you
give me one plan, one IDEA of what you can do by staying…and I'll stay with you and
help."
Fish opened her mouth to retort, to tell Will all about the brilliant plan she had for
busting Master Daventry and the other sorcerers out of that camp and driving the fascists
out of Atlas….
And suddenly realized that she didn't have a plan like that.
"Come on, Fish," he whispered. "There's nothing we can do right now. But…But
maybe we can do something in Zephilia…Tell people what's really going on over
here…That's what Mister Daventry would WANT you to do…"
Thunder roared overhead before Fish could reply. Will looked up and saw the
clouds gathering. "Damn…Looks like a storm. We'd better find some shelter." He looked
at her and tried to smile. "Everything's going to be okay, Fish. Really."
"Yeah," she muttered as the first drops of rain fell. "Sure it is…"
Two dragons bowed to Filia as she walked past them towards the Great Hall of
Anghest. As she entered the mammoth hall, she was once again struck by its beauty and
grandness. It was considered one of the greatest architectural dragon feats of the Fourth
Age, and it never ceased to amaze her. It was easily ten times as tall as she was while in
her dragon form with gold marble columns along the walls. Reliefs and sculptures of
dragons lined the walls in between the columns, and at the very center of the hall was a
fountain with a statue…
Of her.
The statue at the center of the fountain was that of a golden dragon priestess in
human form, standing next to Lina Inverse during the final battle with Dark Star.
But she never let it go to her head…
On purpose, anyway…
"Lady Filia."
She turned, pulled from her reverie and focusing on the golden dragon who now
approached. Lady Sethra was a younger dragon than she, but one more skilled at
diplomacy; one of the reasons she had endorsed her bid to be made Lady of the Clan.
"Lady Sethra," Filia began. "You asked to see me?"
"Indeed, Filia. Let's walk, shall we?"
The two blonde women began to walk around the wall of the hall, admiring the
reliefs etched into the marble. "So…what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Filia asked.
"The war between the humans," Sethra told her, turning to her. "Have you heard
much?"
"Not really," Filia admitted, "Then again, I hardly trouble myself with such things
anymore."
"I have been hearing very disturbing things from humans and sorcerers of some
worth," Sethra continued as they walked. "Very frightening things."
"Like what?" Filia asked.
"Persecution of sorcerers trapped inside the Seyruun Reich. Other…things…"
"So what does this have to do with me?"
"We wish to investigate these claims," Sethra told her, turning to the older dragon.
Filia blinked. "You want ME to…"
"No, no, no! Certainly not!" Sethra told her. "However, we do need someone
onsite to get a first hand view of what's going on."
"So…Why are you talking to me?"
The Lady of the Clan took a breath. Filia wasn't going to like this. "We are
sending ValTerria."
Filia's eyes narrowed. "You didn't just say that…"
Sethra backed up a step. "Lady Filia, please understand that…"
The older dragon took a step forward, her hand going to the mace riding her thigh…
The Lady of the Clan continued backing away. "Lady Filia! We need to send
someone and…"
Filia's mace was whipping through the air but stopped dead an inch from Sethra's
head as the dragon cried out…
"HE CAME TO *ME* AND VOLUNTEERED!!!"
The older dragon blinked. "Val chan?"
It was pouring by the time Fish and Will entered the cave in their search of shelter
from the storm. The cavern was a tight squeeze at first, but got larger the deeper down they
went, and soon they were in a more comfortable area.
Will held out his lantern, illuminating the area. "Well, at least it's dry," he
commented. "We can wait here until the storm passes, then set out across the mountains to
Zephilia."
Fish wasn't paying attention, she was moving deeper into the cave.
"Fish?"
"Hey, Will, come check this out," Fish beckoned him. Will followed after her and
held his lantern aloft, illuminating the chamber Fish had just found.
"What is it?" he asked.
"This place looks like it was carved out."
Will raised the light up towards the wall. Fish was right. The stone walls were
smooth as if hewn over the course of years. Before their eyes was not a cavern, but a
hallway.
"Come on," Fish said, starting downward.
"Um…I don't know, Fish. For all we know this is a military bunker or something
we just walked into accidentally. Maybe we should just go back and….Fish?"
Fish was ignoring him, walking down the corridor to the very end. The darkness
seemed to move in on her as she walked, and soon the tiny lantern she held aloft did
nothing to push it back. She grumbled and handed the lamp to Will.
"Stand back a sec," she warned and held her hand up. "LIGHTING!"
There was a bright flash of light. Will blinked and stood back, surprised for a
moment. The flash subsided, leaving only a ball of pale white illumination that lit up the
entire cavern.
What they saw surprised them.
It turns out that the hallway had ended and that they were now standing in a large
room. The wall were lined with old barrels made of rotting wood. A ring of stones
suggested that there was once a fire there. Along the wall to their left were some sort of
rafts, a large crystal sitting atop each one for a total of four. Chests had been broken open
and tossed aside as if in a hurry.
"Woah," Will breathed. "Fish, have you ever seen this before?"
She shook her head. "No. This is all Master Daventry's land, but I've never been
here before." Stepping forward, the young mage started to look through the debris, trying
to figure out what its purpose might have been.
"Hey, check this out," Will called to her. Fish turned and approached him, holding
the ball of illumination before her. Will was holding an old book, its pages ancient and
yellow, but blank. "Who reads a blank book?" he asked.
Fish took the book from him and examined it. Every single page was blank. Or
was it. "Here, hold this," she said absently, tossing the ball of light to her friend. Will
cried out in surprise and braced himself to be burned as the light ball struck him, but was
surprised to find that it rested a few inches above his hands. "I think this book is
enchanted," she commented.
"Enchanted?"
She nodded. "Master Daventry used to test my scrying spells by writing
instructions down on a piece of paper, then enchanting it so that they couldn't be seen. It
takes a white magic spell to undo. Gimme a sec…"
"Sure," Will said, holding the light up so she could see.
Fish whispered a few words and placed her hand on the face of the book. Unlike
her other, more "original" spells, scrying was relatively easy as long as you were a white
mage. She pulled her hand away and opened the book again. There were letters there in an
older, but still readable dialect.
"So what is it?" Will asked.
Fish thumbed through the book, examining each page quickly. There were more
than letters there, there were hand drawn illustrations. Some of the rafts, some of Lake
Lina that included some kind of grid reference, and some were mathematical calculations.
Other parts of the book, though, were dated. She found one and read aloud.
"'I've decided to make this cave a type of base of operations,'" she read, "'I guess
I'm just used to being alone. It's near the lake, and no one will bother me here as I work.'"
She flipped ahead for a few pages and started again. "'I think I finally have the right
calculations. Going on what Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel told me of the battle with
Ancalagon, I have determined the exact place where Lina died. Sylphiel was carrying an
antique timepiece on her when the explosion hit, and luckily for me, it stopped when the
concussion hit. I have from that determined that Lina died at exactly two-thirteen PM, on
the afternoon of the seventh of month of Elenda.'" She started flipping through the pages
again.
"What was he? An archaeologist or something?" Will asked. "He keeps talking
about 'Lina.' Does he mean Lina Inverse?"
"I don't think so," she murmured. "Listen to this." She started reading again.
"'The Claire Bible manuscript said nothing about how well this will work on a raft, but I
don't have much choice. The crater Lina made with the Dragon Slave…'" Fish looked up
and arched an eyebrow. "Dragon Slave?" Will just shrugged. Fish went back to reading.
"'…has since become a lake, and I find myself forced to attempt this spell under unknown
conditions. Rezo would probably tell me that it's too much of a risk for such a tiny chance
of reward, but I am determined to continue regardless. I owe her too much to turn back
now.'"
"Who's Rezo?" Will asked.
"He was one of the Six Wise Men of the Third Age," Fish answered absently as
she paged through the book. "He was the third, I think. Lina was the Sixth."
"Oh."
She stopped at another page and continued. "'I am almost ready to try, and just as I
should have expected with my luck, something has happened. A man in black has been
asking for me in Atlas City. I took it upon myself to investigate this man, thinking that
perhaps it was a messenger from Amelia or Gourry. I saw the man in the street and quickly
ducked out of sight. I know a Mazoku when I see one.'"
"A MAZOKU?" Will asked incredulously. "This guy must have been high on
something."
Fish ignored him and continued reading. "'I know now that I was right about him.
At first I thought that damn fruity priest might have sent him, however I now believe he
works for Dynast. He's been asking not only about me, but about the Claire Bible
manuscript containing the Hands of Time spell. I've memorized the spell itself, but I don't
dare allow the manuscript into the Mazoku hands. Who knows what they might want it
for.'"
"What's a 'Hands of Time,' spell?" Will asked. Fish only shrugged and turned the
page.
"More dark men in Atlas today. I've been hiding here in my cave, preparing for the
incantation. To make sure that I'm not caught with the manuscript, but can still view it if
necessary, I have placed it in the protection of the owner of these lands, Tarus Cassius
Daventry, a sorcerer of some repute.'"
"Daventry? You mean like…"
Fish nodded. "Must be one of Master Daventry's ancestors. His family has owned
these lands for centuries." She turned back to the book and turned a few pages. "'They've
found me,'" she read. "'I've holed myself up here and made sure they couldn't get in.
There are too many outside to try making a run for it. It's times like these that I miss my
chimera body. At least then I'd have a better chance in a stand-up fight. I pass the time
waiting in this cave like a rat in a burrow, hoping that the vipers outside will leave me in
peace, but if there's one thing my dealings with Xellos have taught me, it's that Mazoku
are persistent…and damn annoying.'"
"I like this guy," Will said with a smile.
Fish turned the page. "'I can hear them outside…scratching at the walls. They
don't dare phase through the walls right now. I might not be as powerful as I was at one
time, but they know I can still take a few of them with me when I go. Even so, there must
be another reason they're reluctant to attack. Then I remember that they were asking for the
book. They're afraid it might be destroyed if they attack……..Suckers.'"
The young mage had to smile at that. She turned the page.
"'I tried to escape today, but there were too many of them. I had to retreat back into
my rat's nest. I keep hoping that Amelia or Gourry will wonder about me and find me, but
things aren't hopeful. I pass the time painting. There's nothing else to do. My water
supply is running short…and I'm very tired.'"
She bit her lip and turned the page again.
"'They're too quiet. I hate that. It's like they're out there waiting for me to die so
they can come in without a fight, but I know that can't be true either. They can't risk me
burning their book before I dehydrate, so they have to leave me some hope, like dangling a
string in front of a cat. They're planning something. I'm going to enchant this journal so
that even if I die, they can't use it to find the manuscript. Fuck them. They get what they
pay for. Despite all the trouble it's caused, I don't regret coming here and trying to bring
her back. In all my years alone, she was the first person to ever call me 'friend' and
actually mean it. The first person to ever really give a damn. I know that if the positions
were reversed, if I had died and she had lived, she'd do the same for me. I've been ready
for death my entire adult life. I don't fear it anymore. I just hope that maybe I'll see my
friend again.'"
Fish took a breath and almost nervously turned the page. The last entry had only
two words…
"'They're coming,'" she read. She closed the book slowly. "That's all there is."
"What was he trying to do?" Will asked, still confused.
"Maybe…resurrect her," she whispered. "I don't know." She blinked suddenly.
Her hands went to the leather satchel.
"What is it?" Will asked her.
"He gave it to Master Daventry's family!" she hissed. "That means…" She pulled
an old, leather-bound book out of the bag and started flipping through it. As if destined to
do so, the book fell open to page with a header that read in large, bold letters…
"'The Hands of Time.'"
She read over the page eagerly as the light drifted from the page. Will was
wandering off, apparently. She used the lantern. It was just enough light.
"Fish, come take a look at this!"
Looking up, the mage walked to the paperboy and gazed at the wall he was pointing
to. "Oh my god," she whispered.
The entire stone wall was a mural. A woman with red-gold hair stood before them,
smiling as the wind whipped her cloak behind her. A ball of light or fire was in her hands.
Crimson eyes danced and seemed to have a light of their own. It was one of the best pieces
of art she had ever seen.
She took the ball of light from Will again and pointed it at the wall to get a better
look. In the bottom, right hand corner of the mural was a name. "'Z Greywords,'" she
read.
"Talented guy," Will remarked. She nodded and continued to stare at the picture.
This was her idol. A woman who killed demons and made her own mark on the
world. She was a heroine in every respect of the word. She fought for justice, for the
downtrodden, for anyone who couldn't fight for themselves.
She never abandoned her friends. And they never abandoned her.
"Fish?"
"Huh?" she asked.
"I think the storm's stopped," Will told her. "We should leave while we can."
Fish stared up at the image of her inspiration and took a breath.
"I'm not leaving."
High above the clouds, looking down as the terrain changed from blue ocean to
green earth, an Ancient Dragon flew towards his destination. ValTerria, last of the Ancient
Dragons, thought again on his mission, but found his thoughts turning more towards his
mother. Filia had NOT been happy to hear that he had volunteered to gather information
for the dragon clans concerning the Reich's conduct, but it was Val's decision, and it was
something he felt he HAD to do.
Filia, of course, had made it sound like the end of the world; ranting and wailing
about how arrogant and misguided humans had turned over the years, and how cruel a
place the continent now was. What she didn't realize was that Val felt dragons were a part
of the problem, that things had gotten out of control because THEY had holed themselves
up in their mountain lands instead of helping guide the younger races, instead of helping
grow as they should.
Besides, what could happen? The Reich wasn't foolish enough to goad the dragons
into a fight…
Celeste Gabriev took the communiqué from the Seyruun soldier and watched him
salute smartly before turning on his heel and marching out. Reading over the brief, she
arched an eyebrow.
"Something wrong, my dear Celeste?" her Gestapo minder asked from his chair in
front of her desk, a desk once belonging to the elected governor of Atlas.
"Our coast watchers have seen a dragon flying in this direction," Celeste told him.
"Gold or Black?" the Gestapo man asked, his smile suddenly gone.
Celeste raised the paper and read, "'Target Dragon appears to be dark green in
coloration. Estimated to be seventy-five feet from tip to tail long with a wingspan of sixty
feet. Wings are black and feathered with…'"
The Gestapo man smiled. "ValGaav," he whispered. "Finally out without his
mommy…"
"Something I should know?" Celeste asked.
He smiled. "Only that it would be wise to scramble fighters and bring him down.
After all, the Reich cannot simply allow dragons to violate its airspace without
permission." He cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you agree?"
The RS Colonel picked up the phone.
Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey von Reider of the Reich's Luftwaffe admired the
polish on the serrated combat knife as he ran the whetstone over it again. The blade itself
was eight inches long and deadly looking. Reider had carried it for a few years. Ever
since he had crashed his fighter into a forest where you could still find goblins. After just
barely making it out, and after too many close calls, he had put away the tiny pocket
survival knife issued to all Luftwaffe pilots and bought something he could actually fight
with.
Because you never know…
He ran the whetstone over the sharp edge of the blade again as he contemplated the
world. Atlas had fallen. Xoana was theirs. The Reich was acquiring a good bit of
territory. Zephilia was giving them trouble, but there was no reason to think that they
wouldn't fall eventually too. Now that they had an airbase in Atlas from which to launch
bombing raids, it was only a matter of time.
So why did he feel so cheap?
He ran the stone over the edge again and paused. The answer was always just out
of reach for him. Just when he thought he had it, something would come up, and it would
disappear.
Like now.
The loud, whining alarm was going off all over the Atlas airbase. Pilots ran from
the ready room and the lounge, climbing into their flight gear, sometimes even tripping over
themselves.
Reider looked at his knife and sighed. He had almost had it. Standing up, he
placed the blade in the sheathe in his right boot and started for the flight line.
"This is the stupidest idea you've ever come up with, Fish," Will told her
seriously. "I mean…c'mon!"
Standing near the entrance of the cave, Fish stomped her foot. "What?! Huh?! It's
a good plan! Think about it, Will! I might not be that great of a sorceress; you were right
about that! But SHE was the greatest that ever lived! She'd make short work of the
Reich!"
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE SPELL WILL WORK!" Will screamed.
"But it's worth a try!" Fish argued back. "That Greybeard guy or whatever his
name was thought it would work! He's already done all the hard work for us, Will! All
we have to do is actually perform the spell!"
"You can't even make snowcones without fucking it up!" he shot back.
"FUCK SNOWCONES! THIS IS REAL!"
Will said nothing. "Fine, Fish! Fine! Do whatever the hell you want! I'm going to
Zephilia!"
"I can't do this by myself, Will! I need help setting it up!"
"Tough!" he shouted.
Fish growled. "You promised!"
The paperboy stopped in his tracks. "What are you talking about?!"
The mage marched up to him and put her face an inch from his. "You told me that if
I could give you one idea, one plan, that you would stay and help!"
"This isn't a plan!" he shouted. "It's a fantasy!" He turned to walk away.
Fish bit her lip. She really did need his help. Those rafts were too heavy for her to
lift alone, and the crystals had to be positioned just right…
"YOU FUCKING CHICKENSHIT!" she screamed at him.
He waved, but didn't look back as he walked away from the cave. Fish growled
and came to a decision. Will was staying.
End of fucking story.
Will heard Fish screaming behind him and turned just in time to be struck full in the
chest by a flying Fish. He grunted as his back hit the ground. He rolled over and pinned
the sorceress to the floor.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" he screamed.
"You're staying here!" she shouted into his face.
Will shook his head and stood up again. Before he could make it two steps, Fish
had latched onto his leg and jerked. The paperboy fell forward and hit the ground again.
The sorceress stood up and started dragging him back to the cave. Will kicked out with his
legs and struck her in the thigh. Fish squealed and fell down again.
"Knock it off!" he ordered. He tried turning again, but Fish attacked again,
jumping onto his back and holding on for dear life. Will turned quickly, trying to fling the
hysterical mage off of him.
"You're not leaving, Will!" she hollered at him. "I need your help if this is going
to work!"
"GET OFF OF ME!!"
Fish tightened her grip as Will reached back over his shoulder at her in an attempt
to dislodge her. In the struggle, he stepped on a wet root and hit the ground. The two
started rolling through the mud, each trying to get the better of the other.
Will managed to get on top and held her by the shoulders in the mud. "I AM NOT
STAYING HERE SO YOU CAN PLAY HERO!"
He broke off as he saw the tears in Fish's eyes. She was sniffling and murmuring
something.
He blinked. "Please, Fish…Try to understand…"
She continued to sniffle and murmur, a tear running down her muddy cheek.
"I'd like to help, but it's just too dangerous."
Fish wouldn't look at him. She was still murmuring softly.
"Fish?"
She looked up at him and placed a hand on his chest.
"Fish?"
The sorceress grinned. "LAFAS SHEED!!"
Will's eyes went wide. "What the…" He tried to stand up but found every limb
locked in place! He couldn't move! "What the hell did you do, Fish?!"
"Ha ha on you-ou!" Fish sang. "I froze you in pla-ace!" She stuck her tongue out
at him.
"Well turn it off!"
She smiled. "No, I think you're going to stay here until you get it in your head that
you're going to help me."
"Fish! Chant a counterspell! Now!"
"No!" She stuck her tongue out again. "And you're going to stay that way until you
agree to help me!"
"No way!"
"Then I guess you're stuck here!" she bragged.
"Yeah?" he asked. "Well seeing that I can't move, how are YOU going to get out
of here, huh?!"
Fish blinked, and her eyes narrowed. "Dammit," she muttered.
Thunder boomed overhead. Suddenly, it started raining again.
"Wonderful," Will hissed as the deluge came down on them.
Reider checked his small map again and then looked at the compass in his ME-545
fighter. They were right on course, and if the information on the speed of the dragon was
accurate, he and his three wingmen would be able to see it soon.
"Dort ist es!"
Reider looked up and saw a small pinprick of green against the blue sky.
"Drache," he breathed. He had never actually engaged a dragon in aerial combat before,
but the Luftwaffe had gone through training scenarios of it. Dragons may be as large as
bombers, but were ten times as agile and could outperform several classes of fighters.
Intelligence recommended engaging dragons only when a flight commander had at least a
four to one advantage.
Like now.
"B Flight," Reider spoke into his radio, "Climb to Angels eight and wait for my
signal. Herbert, you're with me."
"Ja wohl!"
Two of the fighters broke off and started to climb as Reider and his wingman eased
around behind the serpent.
Val's sharp ears heard the buzzing even as the fighters were splitting up to ambush
him. The unmistakable sound of angry bees that accompanied a human flying machine.
Turning his head, he saw two of them were coming up behind him. He tensed.
(You ARE in what they perceive to be their territory,) he reminded himself. (Just
relax. They're probably here to escort you away from their airspace.)
This theory lasted only until the two fighters got within firing range. Val heard the
sharp roar and saw the tiny flashes of light from the wings of human's flying machines and
could feel the tiny lead bullets whizzing past him.
The Ancient Dragon rolled onto his right side and made a sharp turn away from the
hail of gunfire. He growled. Val had counted on the Reich not being happy to see him
here, but he thought they would at least obey the terms of international law!
Growling to himself, he made a decision. He wasn't here to start a war between
the dragons and the Reich, so he would have to make a run for it.
Reider saw the dragon change course and start back for the border. He clicked his
radio. "B Flight, stand by to engage." He followed Val into a slow right turn and opened
fire again. The flight leader wasn't sure why the dragon hadn't fired at them yet, but he
wasn't about to wait around and find out while possibly losing good Seyruun pilots.
He saw orange tracer rounds strike the dragons back dead on and, to his dismay,
bounce off.
Reider growled to himself and clicked his radio. "Herbert, did you see that?"
"Ja. What should we do?"
He watched as the dragon flapped his feathered wings and start to gain speed. If
they didn't act, they'd lose it. "B Flight," he spoke into his radio. "Attack." A moment
later, he added, "Schießen die flügel."
"Say again, A Flight. Say again."
Reider grit his teeth at B Flight's misunderstanding and bit angrily into the radio.
"Shoot. The. WINGS!"
"Ja wohl!"
Val smiled as he felt the humans' bullets bounce off his scaled hide. They may
have come a long way technologically, but there some things that you simply had to depend
on Cepheid's gifts for. He heard another roar of gunfire and looked above to see two more
fighters bearing down on him.
He cried out in pain as he felt hot metal tear into his right wing. Looking at it, he
saw feathers and blood exploding up and down the limb.
They were shooting his wings!
As realization of what they were doing dawned on him, there was another hail of
gunfire from behind him as the original two fighters opened up again. A flash of pain in his
left wing made him cry out. He started losing altitude. Flapping desperately, he tried to
hold his height above the ground, but another burst of fire from the Seyruun fighters struck
his wounded right wing again, and he started to fall, blood trailing from his limbs like
smoke would from a burning plane.
He saw the ground rush up at him and closed his eyes.
Reider watched the dragon fall, but didn't smile. That cheap feeling was back. He
adjusted the frequency of his radio and spoke into it.
"Atlas Control, Flight Leader. Flame one. Repeat: Flame one."
"Danke."
Celeste hung up the phone and turned to her Gestapo minder.
"The dragon's been shot down. I've sent three Panzers to retrieve it."
"You should consider sending more," the Gestapo man advised her. "Assuming
ValGaav survived his…landing…he may still be a very dangerous opponent."
The RS officer circled around her desk, eyeing the purple-haired man suspiciously.
"You seem to know a good deal about this particular dragon," she noted.
He smiled. "The Gestapo makes it a point to know a lot of things," he countered.
She grimaced slightly at the reminder. "Then I take it if he IS brought in alive, you
will want him turned over to your custody?"
To her surprise, the man faltered, something she had never seen him do. "Oh, I
think the RS is more than capable of dealing with a lone dragon encroacher." He smiled
and stood up, starting for the door.
She smiled, sensing an advantage, and pushed it. "The Gestapo actually passing up
an opportunity to interrogate someone? I think the world may be coming to an end."
The Gestapo man stopped at the door. Not turning to her, he paused and said,
"You may be more right than you think."
Without another word, he left the Territorial Governor alone with her thoughts.
"So, you ready to help yet?"
Will growled at her. It was the only movement he was capable of thanks to her
spell. The rain had been pouring down on him for forty-five minutes. He was cold, wet,
angry, and knew he was beat. He had known Fish for a long time, and he knew she had
know qualms about keeping him like this until either Cepheid came back or he died.
"Your plan is stupid," he pointed out, unwilling to give up just yet.
"Lots of people's plans are stupid!" she countered. "And you DID promise to
help."
"If you had a good plan!"
"This IS a good plan!" She sighed. "Look, what's the harm in hanging around for
another day and trying it? I'm not asking you to charge a Seyruun Panzer! I'm asking you
to lift shit!"
He took a breath. "And if I don't?"
Her eyes narrowed. "How long can you go without food and water? I can always
cast recovery on myself. You're shit out of luck."
Will growled again. "I hate you," he whispered.
"Yeah, I'm not too crazy about you either right now, buddy. But the fact of the
matter is, I need you. Now are you in or out?"
"Fine. I'll help you with this brain-dead scheme of yours, but after you're done,
whether it works or not, I'm leaving. Got it?"
"Fine," she said. "Now promise."
He rolled his eyes. "Sweet Cepheid, Fish."
"Promise."
"Fine! I promise to stick around and help you with your stupid-ass plan!"
She smiled. "Great! See? That wasn't so hard!"
"Good, now cast the damn counterspell."
Fish smiled again. "Lafas Sheed doesn't have a counterspell."
"Huh?!"
She nodded. "Yup. It wears off after about an hour. I think we have about ten
minutes left."
He stared down at her in shock. "Are you telling me…this whole thing…was a
fucking BLUFF?!"
"You promised," she warned, already seeing where this was going.
"Fine," he growled. "I promised, and I'll stay. But I still hate you."
"Fine," she huffed.
"Fine."
Silence.
"Has it been ten minutes yet?" he asked.
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes:
Thanks to Sethra chan, Fish chan, Meg chan, Prince, Will, and Cav. It's going to be
several months before the next chapter of this fic comes out. I'm leaving for the Air Force
in a week so no ficcage for awhile. Gomen. ^_^;;;
Davner