A Dragon's Crimson Cry
By: Tippi
Ch 86 Serpent Search
"Great we just went through miles of sewer and didn't catch so much as a glimpse of the snake just a bunch of skin" Jake was saying as he swirled his noodles around in the bowl with his chop sticks.
"According to this it's best we didn't" Fu said eating and flipping through his book at the same time. "It says her it sheds it skin when it gets bigger and judging from the sizes of skins we found he's gotten very big and it says here the bigger he gets the stronger. If we're going beat him we need to weaken it considerable before we, and by we I mean you two, take it on."
"I take it you'll be whipping up a potion to do just that" LS assumed.
"I am but this potion will take me maybe a day" Fu said.
"What, can't you put a rush on that" Jake yelled.
"Hey this is a Mexican creature I need Central American ingredients and that going to take some serious search among my suppliers" Fu explained.
"While you do that we will continue to search for it" LS said.
Somewhere in the sewers Q was slithering through them looking and following an alluring smell of prey. He had grown quite large and the sewer rats no longer satisfied him. He came to a sewer grit blocking his entrance to the area with the food. Using his ever growing strength he head butted the grit breaking it. He slithered to the surface world that was the zoo.
The animals all sensing the serpent's arrival became unnerved hiding or pacing in their enclosures and many making quit a nose.
The serpent ignored them and made it way to the petting zoo, or more pacific to the goat pasture.
The goats were running every which way in their designated gated area as the serpent came upon them.
Minutes later a night zoo watch man came to see what all the noise was about. He shined his flashlight on goats in the pen there were some many goats he never really counted them before but if had and then counted them now he would have noticed 5 were missing. And if he turned around he would have seen a large snake with wings disappearing down a sewer drain with 5 bumps visible on him.
While the watch man was left to be confused to the animal's reaction Q went to find a dark quiet place to sleep off it's late night meal.
~The next morning at school~
"How do you not find a 15 foot snake with wings" Trixie asked. They were in third period with a sub so it was basically free study time all class but what kids really study with free class time. "How can you not find anything that big?"
"First we're guess that about how big it's gotten and two this is New York sewers that's a lot of pipes" Jake explained.
"What I want to know is if it's so hungry what has it been eating up till now" Trixie asked.
"Well every year hundreds of people go missing in this city never to be found what's a few more" Al suggested.
The thought was making them a little uneasy and sick.
"Dude this is like the movie Anaconda," Spud said. "That was one heck of a big snake it eats like 4 people before they killed it. To add it didn't die easily"
"That was a movie besides things in horror movies also come back once or twice before their dead for good" Jake informed.
"What's up with the dead guys getting up three times in a movie" Al asked before the bell rang signaling them to go to the next class.
In the magical community Fu was facing a different problem as he went from shop to shop and stand to stand asking if they carried anything on his list of ingredients.
"Clam shell orchid" a shop keep, that was a male with four arms, said. "It doesn't matter if their dried their not big demand for them so I don't keep a fresh supple" the keep asked.
"Sure, whatever as long as the right orchid genes" Fu said.
The keep took out a jar from a cabinet under the counter blowing the large amount of dust it has accumulated over the years.
"Final now the last ingredient" Fu said putting the jar in his bag. "Do you have venom of the Mexican black king snake" Fu asked.
"Why on earth would I have that you're asking for some very exotic ingredients" the keep said.
"I don't suppose you know where I could find such a thing" Fu asked.
"Well I might know" the keep said.
"And" Fu persisted.
"Money talks" the keep said rubbing the fingers of one of his four hands together, the motion for paying.
Fu dropped a few dollars on the counter.
"Listen closely I'm only telling you once…" the shop keep said leaning in close.
Jake was making his way back home and the closer he got to home the more it began to look like Chinese New Year.
With the new year being tomorrow and every one of Chinese descendent and some that wished they were was gearing up for the day. Stands selling everything from fireworks to food were being set up. The parade works were putting finishing touches on the floats and acts. Stores and homes had all their decorations up setting atmosphere for the celebration.
The shop was dressed with paper lanterns and lengths of sting holding triangle flags with the zodiac animals printed on. There was also many other decorations making the shop look even more festive.
Jake came inside only to smell a sweet and sour scent but it wasn't food.
"What's the smell" Jake said coming into the back to see Fu mixing ingredients in a boiling pot. "Well that answers that."
"Is it almost done" LS asked walking over to the working dog.
"No I still need the last ingredient…" Fu said and stopped stirring to let the portion sit.
"So what no one sells that" Jake asked.
"No I found someone in a shady underground shop" Fu said taking the pot off the fire.
"So what's the problem" Jake insisted wanting this done as soon as possible.
"They won't sell it. I've tried everything and this potion is useless with out it" Fu answered.
"Take me there I'll make them give it to us" Jake yelled.
"And how are you going to do that" LS asked.
"I don't know yet, I'll figure out when I get there and know the exact situation" Jake admitted.
~At the very shady shop~
"It's not for sale" the shop keeper, who was a green goblin, said.
"I got a friend that can pay you any price" Jake tried.
"I've got bigger plans for this venom so scram" the goblin hissed.
"I so don't have time for this" Jake said transforming.
"How about giving it to us now" Jake asked standing on a five story building his tail wrapped around the goblins leg dangling him over the edge.
"And if I still say no" the goblin asked trying not to sound scared.
"I think it's self exclamatory" Jake said.
"You won't" the goblin tried.
"O won't I" Jake said loosening his tails grip.
The goblin slipped a few inches.
"Wait" the goblin yelled and Jake returned his strong tail grip stopping the goblin from falling the five stories.
"Yes" Jake asked smiling.
"You can have just don't do it" the goblin answered.
"You're not going to tell G about this" Jake asked Fu as they were walking away with the vial of venom.
"Hey we got the venom no one needs to know how we got it" Fu said.
~At home~
"Now we got to let it boil for 30 minutes one every hour for seven hours. Then chill it for an hour" Fu said.
"What it's like 7p.m. now and the parade and fireworks started going off at 9a.m tomorrow" Jake exclaimed. "It won't be ready till 8 that will give us only like an hour to find this thing."
"Better get to bed early we're going to need to get up early if we want any chance of finding it before it finds the celebration" LS said.
Jake was awoken at 7 the next morning which Jake wasn't happy about especially when it was Saturday.
Within 20 minutes Jake and his grandfather were back in the sewers looking for the snake with little success. They found more skins and a few more sewer dwellers that said they sighted it or heard it but the directions they gave were vague and lead to dead ends.
"I think I agree with Trixie how hard can it be to find a giant winged snake in the sewers even if it is New York" Jake said as him and LS continued walking through the sewers.
"This serpent has certainly been keeping its self well hidden" LS agreed.
Then Jake's cell went off.
"Fu" Jake said answering.
"Good news the potion's ready, you know where the snake is" Fu asked on the other end.
"No" Jake said simply.
"Either way let's head back and pick up the potion before we resume" LS said.
~A the shop~
"So what exactly is this suppose to do" Jake asked as Fu gave Jake and LS each a vial of glowing blue potion.
"You get him to drink it, it will weaken him enough to where he's no more dangerous then your average grass snake" Fu answered.
"Great how we going to get him to drink it" Jake asked. "The only time it opens it's mouth is when he's about to eat you."
"We'll just have to be tactical about it" LS said. "We'll also have to hurry we got one hour till the festivities begin" LS added looking at his watch.
LS, Jake, along with a reluctantly Fu re-entered the sewers each with their own vial of potion. The plan was to find the snake and then call the others. They were to keep track of it and not attack till the others arrived unless they were left with no choice.
Jake came to a fork in the road; he was following a few scattered scales when he came to a ladder leading to an open man hole. He could either go top side through the man hole or continue through the sewer. Jake shined some light down the sewer tunnel not seeing anymore scales in the tunnel he went up the ladder. Upon reaching the surface Jake saw he was in an ally next to one of the many streets the parade was going to go down. A crowd of people were already gathered, lining the streets waiting for it to start. Just then Jake's watch went off signaling it was exactly 9:00.
"If there was ever a time for the parade and fireworks not to start on time now would be it" Jake said out load to him self.
But this year it was right on time. Floats, performers, and other assorted things needed in a parade filed down the streets as fireworks went off from floats, rooftops and ground. People cheered and clapped as many happy kids climbed on to their parents' shoulders while others scrambled to the front and jumping up and down with happiness.
Jake could only hope at the moment the serpent was in a part of New York City that doesn't celebrate Chinese New Year.
Luck wasn't with Jake under one of the streets the parade was on the serpent was under. The load noises and vibration alerted him that prey was near and he was bigger and hungrier than before.
To big to fit through any man hole the serpent made his own hole and shot straight up crashing through concrete. The action made him appear right in the middle of the parade. He let out a roaring hiss and stretched out his wings. The now two story large snake looked down at the on lookers searching for its first victim.
A/N So what do you think?The next few chapters will stray from the TV series which some of you have been asking for and the next chapter will be the final battle.