Chp. seven
The distant rumble of a Gustav's engine sounded. A roll of dust appeared on the horizon. Fenix looked up, glad that the Gustav and Raven were getting back. She stayed sitting with her back against the foot of the Dragon Bone until Raven and the pilot of the Gustav stepped out of the cockpit. Raven walked over to her, and she stood up with a disappointed look on her face.
"It took a long enough time. Glad you're back." Fenix gave Raven one of her beautiful smiles.
"Its a little way to town, Fenix. You don't have to act so surprised, I walked half the way."
"Well, then we can ride the rest of the way back. Get your hunk of junk on the trailers and lets go."
When this was done, Fenix loaded her Dragon onto the trailer. Then the three of them, Raven, Fenix, and the repairman, were going back to town. At first there was nothing. Then, as if a mere speck, there was a single house. Past this, there was a cluster of small houses. Then, an entire town of houses. The change was drastic, and Fenix was amazed at it. She had, so far as she had said, lived in the desert all her life. Therefore she had never seen a city, or even a town.
The Gustav stopped in front of the repair shop, coming to a grinding halt. It creaked and exhaled a cloud of powdery black dust as the cockpit opened. Raven and the repairman jumped out of the ancient Zoid, and Fenix followed them, talking to the repairman.
"Old Zoid, isn't she?" Fenix asked.
"Old? I don't know how old she is, but I'd say positively antediluvian." The repair man smiled at Fenix. "But I'd say you're a spry young'n. Fancy to take a dance with me tonight?"
Fenix smiled and laughed. "Actually, sir, I was going on a little romp with Bones. You're welcome to come along, if you wish."
The repairman, near twenty in age with a head of barely contained dirty blonde hair and green eyes, took Fenix's hand. "I dare say, you shouldn't have asked more!"
"Fenix, are you going to chat with him all day or are you going to get the Breaker off the trailer?" Raven had suddenly appeared between the two, breaking the young man's grasp on Fenix's hand.
"Ahem, excuse me, sir. I have a matter to attend to." Fenix stalked off to the Breaker's cockpit, climbed in, and lazily popped a few buttons. The cockpit closed, and with a few more buttons, the Breaker stood up, though very creakily. Fenix manuvoured the wrecked Zoid to the hangers, but as soon as it got there, it collapsed. When Fenix came stumbling back to Raven and the young man, she was out of breath.
"What happened to you? Pick a fight with a fly?" Raven asked sourly.
"No, I-" Fenix was cut short of her explanation by a sudden glimpse of something. It was a gaily painted sign, hanging over the window of an old school. There were children, singing, laughing, dancing, having a grand old time, inside. Then, in a split second, it was gone, replaced by the sounds of screaming, the smell of burning flesh and hair, the cries of sirens, to far to be of any help, sounded in the distance. Then it was gone, and Raven was standing in front of her.
"You what?"
"I have to go... I mean, I don't feel good."
"Here, I'll show you to the inn. Its a grand little place, if you don't like many people." the young man took Fenix's hand and pulled her down the street. Raven was left to sit behind.
Once to the inn, the young man introduced himself. He took a deep, swinging bow, and kissed Fenix's hand. "My name's Jack Redstone. Its a pleasure to meet you, m'lady."
"Nice to meet you too, Jack. Now, about our romp, with Bones, do you think you could still meet me out there?"
"Out where?"
"About three miles from the southwest point of the town."
"Yes, I can still meet you there."
"Then you can go back and work on the Breaker right now. I can check into a room myself. Besides, Raven is going to be a little annoyed if you don't finish quick-like."
Jack nodded and went back to the repair shop. Raven was sitting with his hands folded across his chest and an utter look of distaste upon his face. Jack avoided him and walked into the hanger to start working on the Zoid. Raven walked into the shop and looked at the guns. There were sniper rifles, long range, and more. But what really caught his eye was the brand new 5005 Sniper Nightmare, a gleaming barrel of gold, the shooting accurate enough to hit a fly from a hundred yards. The gun was beautiful, mounted easily on any Zoid. What a great weapon that would be to have. He could hit Van before Van even knew what hit him. But the price tag was a little over his range.
"You thinkin' 'bout buyin' that'n?" A gruff voice interrupted Raven's thoughts.
"No, just looking. I don't have the money for a fine piece of hardware like that."
"Then git out o' here."
Raven took one look at the overweight man before turning heel and stalking out of the store. He ran a hand through his black hair and looked around town. There weren't very many things to do in such a small town. That's when Raven noticed the sound of Jack working on the Breaker was gone, and with it the Dragon Bone.
The distant rumble of a Gustav's engine sounded. A roll of dust appeared on the horizon. Fenix looked up, glad that the Gustav and Raven were getting back. She stayed sitting with her back against the foot of the Dragon Bone until Raven and the pilot of the Gustav stepped out of the cockpit. Raven walked over to her, and she stood up with a disappointed look on her face.
"It took a long enough time. Glad you're back." Fenix gave Raven one of her beautiful smiles.
"Its a little way to town, Fenix. You don't have to act so surprised, I walked half the way."
"Well, then we can ride the rest of the way back. Get your hunk of junk on the trailers and lets go."
When this was done, Fenix loaded her Dragon onto the trailer. Then the three of them, Raven, Fenix, and the repairman, were going back to town. At first there was nothing. Then, as if a mere speck, there was a single house. Past this, there was a cluster of small houses. Then, an entire town of houses. The change was drastic, and Fenix was amazed at it. She had, so far as she had said, lived in the desert all her life. Therefore she had never seen a city, or even a town.
The Gustav stopped in front of the repair shop, coming to a grinding halt. It creaked and exhaled a cloud of powdery black dust as the cockpit opened. Raven and the repairman jumped out of the ancient Zoid, and Fenix followed them, talking to the repairman.
"Old Zoid, isn't she?" Fenix asked.
"Old? I don't know how old she is, but I'd say positively antediluvian." The repair man smiled at Fenix. "But I'd say you're a spry young'n. Fancy to take a dance with me tonight?"
Fenix smiled and laughed. "Actually, sir, I was going on a little romp with Bones. You're welcome to come along, if you wish."
The repairman, near twenty in age with a head of barely contained dirty blonde hair and green eyes, took Fenix's hand. "I dare say, you shouldn't have asked more!"
"Fenix, are you going to chat with him all day or are you going to get the Breaker off the trailer?" Raven had suddenly appeared between the two, breaking the young man's grasp on Fenix's hand.
"Ahem, excuse me, sir. I have a matter to attend to." Fenix stalked off to the Breaker's cockpit, climbed in, and lazily popped a few buttons. The cockpit closed, and with a few more buttons, the Breaker stood up, though very creakily. Fenix manuvoured the wrecked Zoid to the hangers, but as soon as it got there, it collapsed. When Fenix came stumbling back to Raven and the young man, she was out of breath.
"What happened to you? Pick a fight with a fly?" Raven asked sourly.
"No, I-" Fenix was cut short of her explanation by a sudden glimpse of something. It was a gaily painted sign, hanging over the window of an old school. There were children, singing, laughing, dancing, having a grand old time, inside. Then, in a split second, it was gone, replaced by the sounds of screaming, the smell of burning flesh and hair, the cries of sirens, to far to be of any help, sounded in the distance. Then it was gone, and Raven was standing in front of her.
"You what?"
"I have to go... I mean, I don't feel good."
"Here, I'll show you to the inn. Its a grand little place, if you don't like many people." the young man took Fenix's hand and pulled her down the street. Raven was left to sit behind.
Once to the inn, the young man introduced himself. He took a deep, swinging bow, and kissed Fenix's hand. "My name's Jack Redstone. Its a pleasure to meet you, m'lady."
"Nice to meet you too, Jack. Now, about our romp, with Bones, do you think you could still meet me out there?"
"Out where?"
"About three miles from the southwest point of the town."
"Yes, I can still meet you there."
"Then you can go back and work on the Breaker right now. I can check into a room myself. Besides, Raven is going to be a little annoyed if you don't finish quick-like."
Jack nodded and went back to the repair shop. Raven was sitting with his hands folded across his chest and an utter look of distaste upon his face. Jack avoided him and walked into the hanger to start working on the Zoid. Raven walked into the shop and looked at the guns. There were sniper rifles, long range, and more. But what really caught his eye was the brand new 5005 Sniper Nightmare, a gleaming barrel of gold, the shooting accurate enough to hit a fly from a hundred yards. The gun was beautiful, mounted easily on any Zoid. What a great weapon that would be to have. He could hit Van before Van even knew what hit him. But the price tag was a little over his range.
"You thinkin' 'bout buyin' that'n?" A gruff voice interrupted Raven's thoughts.
"No, just looking. I don't have the money for a fine piece of hardware like that."
"Then git out o' here."
Raven took one look at the overweight man before turning heel and stalking out of the store. He ran a hand through his black hair and looked around town. There weren't very many things to do in such a small town. That's when Raven noticed the sound of Jack working on the Breaker was gone, and with it the Dragon Bone.