"So that's the God given truth." The Colonel stared intently at the Major with a solemn expression.
"Every word." Replied the Major.
"Sargent escort the Major to my car."
The Major's eyes widened. "Colonel I need to stay here."
"Captain Walker will take over your command. I need you as an advisor to oversee our offensive."
"Now see here Colonel…"
The Colonel motioned to his Sargent who grabbed the Major's arm. The Major pulled away from his grasp before walking on his own accord outside. The Colonel then dismissed the other soldiers leaving him alone with the Captain.
"Captain the National Guard will actually be federalized at 0700 tomorrow once that happens have Commander Paul arrested and keep Sargent Henderson under close watch. Send those from National Guard to protect the major towns and roads around Charleston."
The Captain was trying desperately to make sense of what he had just heard. "What do you make of this?"
He stared with vindictive eyes. "Captain I fear this is a widening conspiracy orchestrated by the leaders of the National Guard to undermine the authority of the federal government."
"But why? Why would…"
"I can only assume the coal miners have begun a new uprising, and the West Virginia Guard has joined them."
"Colonel you really believe that such a thing would happen?"
"Is what the Major just told me more fathomable?"
"Well, no but if he did really intend to deceive you don't you think he would have said something a little more realistic?"
"Either the Major was lying, or a large hostile army is present. Either way the situation is very dangerous. Were about to kick a hornet nest and there's no telling how badly we're going to be attacked."
"I understand your concern, but our numbers and fire power should be a match for anything we come up against."
"Similar attitudes to that got a lot of my friends killed in France. I have a plan for how to proceed which I will explain tomorrow. Until then you have your orders."
"Yes Colonel."
Commander Paul saluted the staff car as it sped away leaving dust in its wake. He turned to his grey house sitting at the end of the driveway. He had been meaning to paint it white for a while now but could never make the time. He walked up the cement stairs to the old pine door and turned the handle opening it with a slight creak.
A woman emerged into the hall from a doorway to the left. "Henry what are you doing here?" She asked with a puzzled expression.
"I got some time off. I want to go on a trip. What time is James getting home from school?"
"He was sent home early."
His eyes widened, and he turned slightly pale. "Why?"
"There was a gas leak in the schoolhouse, he's not going back until at least Monday."
Paul faked a smile. "Perfect. Let's start packing."
"What's wrong? You look sick."
He shook his head. "It's nothing, work was tense. Come on now I want to leave by the early afternoon."
The woman rubbed her head. "The early afternoon? Wouldn't it be better to leave in the morning? It's going to take at least a few hours to pack and shut down the house."
He laughed. "Don't worry about the house just pack for yourself and James. I'll take care of everything else."
"Henry what's really wrong?"
"I told you everything is fine I just want to get away for a bit."
"In that case why don't you just stay home. Traveling will just make you more stressed."
"Come on Mary. Don't you remember when I got home from France? I practically swept you off your feet and took you to Hawaii."
"We're not kids anymore. Where are you planning to take us anyway?"
"New York to see your parents."
She winced. "You want to drive all that way just to see my parents?"
"Of course, dear. Your mom has been nagging you for a while, now hasn't she? She wants to see our son again."
"Well sure but…"
"Just trust me on this. It's really important to me."
Mary gave a slight nod. "Ok let me just pack some food so we can eat on the way."
Paul's smile widened. "We'll have fun I promise."
Paul quickly prepared the house and packed his things into the car. All the while his wife nagged him about little things like the food in the fridge, dishes in the sink, asking if he found someone to pick up the mail, etc. Despite this he soon got his family and luggage into the car.
"Did you turn off the water?" asked Mary.
Paul rolled his eyes. "Yes."
"Should we stop at the teacher's house and tell her James…"
"God! We got to get going its already 2 o'clock."
"Don't you raise your voice at me!" She screamed.
He attempted to start the ford a few times, but it would not turn over.
"Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. Do you even have enough gas?"
"Hang on I'll just hand start it."
He got out of the car and walked to the front, bent down, grabbed the crank and gave it a half turn. It quickly roared to life and he returned to the driver seat.
"See nothing to worry about."
She sighed and nodded.
"ROAR!"
Paul turned to the backseat to see James playing with a toy brontosaurus. He returned his attention to the car shifting it into gear and it lurched forward.
During the ride he constantly eyed the hills on his left and right. His wife had finally settled but James kept making obnoxious noises.
"James could you shut up for five minutes!" He yelled.
"Don't talk to your son like that!" Mary replied.
He nodded. The last thing he wanted to do was work her up again. "Sorry James."
"Why don't we have our lunch now?" She reached down to her feet and picked up a basket and distributed some hand sandwiches. Paul had three but James refused it eat. "DINOSAUR DINOSAUR!" he screamed over and over.
"James, please! Can we have peace and quiet for five seconds!"
"I told you before don't… She stopped looking out ahead. "My God what is that?!" She said pointing upward out the passenger window.
Paul looked out the windshield into the sky and caught a glimpse of a large, scaly creature flying about. He gulped. "It's just a rough-legged hawk."
"That's no hawk!" She was hysterical.
The creature soon swooped down, and a man could be clearly seen riding on the creatures back. It looked as if it would smash through the windshield.
He swerved the car, and a loud bang shook the car. It went down into a ditch on the right of the road and he slammed the brakes. The car jerked to a stop causing him to bump his head. "The Hell with this idiot!?"
He opened the door and got out. He then pulled out a revolver and shot several rounds as the dragon flew away.
"HENRY GET BACK IN THE CAR!"
He got back in. His son was crying, and his wife looked like she was about to have a heart attack. "Is everyone ok?"
"No, we are not ok!" she replied in terror. "Look at you you're bleeding."
He felt his forehead and found blood on his hand. "It's nothing."
She handed him the cloth from the lunch basket and pressed it against the wound. After waiting a few minutes, he soon examined his family and found they were both fine despite the traumatic experience. His relief was short lived however when he tried to start the car. He found that the crank was seized. In his haste to leave he left his tools, and they were forty-five minutes from the house with nothing around but trees on a dirt road. He knew that the next town was a twenty-minute drive and now he would have to walk.
He did not know what to do. If he left his family the monster might come back, but if they all left the car, they would be even more vulnerable. Could he leave his gun with his wife? What if he was killed on the road and his family was left on their own?
"Mary its five o'clock now we're going to stay with the car until morning and then I'm going to have to go for help."
She just nodded in reply. It was going to be a long night.
Three flying dragons sat in an open field with their riders just ahead of where they lay. The siren listened to what they had to say before waving them off. The riders retired to a nearby camp leaving their dragons to sleep. She was initially disappointed as two of the riders had wasted time attacking civilians with one killing two men walking on the road, and another destroying a horseless wagon. However, the last had found a large army and the base where they were congregating. Once she informed the Apostate, she was sure he would take the great dragon and burn them to a crisp.
She walked back to the camp it was dusk now and the nearby hills made long shadows. The landscape was so ominous, and she could not help but feel vulnerable. She hummed a tune to herself to calm her nerves. She walked through the camp to the large tent in the center. She did not bother to announce herself. She knew he knew she was coming. She merely opened the flap and walked in. Inside was the Apostate still in his armor.
"Do you think the report is valid?" He voice was not deep and bellowing as when he talked on the battlefield, but instead creaky like that of a youth just starting the hardships of life.
"I have no reason to question it. What do you seek to do?" she replied.
"Gather the army here, only allow the dragon riders to venture out and monitor the enemy positions."
The siren became confused. "You intend for us to abandon the positions we gained?"
He nodded. "None of my forces will be a match for the fire spitters. The first thing they will do is retake the positions they lost. Have our forces burn everything before they leave, that will frustrate the enemy."
She shook her head. "What do you intend to do once they reach us here?"
He let out a cough. "We wait until they are nearly on top of us and then attack. I want to see how the enemy leaders react. Learning their tactics is of great importance if this campaign is to succeed."
She nodded. It made perfect sense. The humans would expect the dragon to return. The strategy would lull the enemy into a false sense of security as well as show how they would react in a large battle. "I will carry out your orders immediately my lord."