Chapter Two: Dragons, Necromancers, and Mercenaries
Character Kalathanon
"Ok so Carter is on his way to see the necromancers," K repeated to James as he was told how the meeting with Carter went.
"Yes," James replied, "Hopefully he will find something."
"He probably already knows more than he told us," K replied, "Knowing him as I do that would not surprise me."
"Its times like these that I wish the rest of DC was still here," James said.
"If they were we would be to noticeable," K replied, "Its better this way, trust me."
"I do, don't doubt that," James said, "Still don't tell me you don't miss them."
K nodded then replied, "Yeah I do their like kids to me, considering C and I don't have any, not after..."
"I know I'm sorry," James added, "But here you two are fulfilling everything we expected you to when we voted for you, I did you know."
"Yeah I do," K replied then with a sigh, "Its time to drop this charade." K rose up into the air and released the spell that was holding James, C, Blitz, Storm, Xavier, and Carter in their human forms then he focused his power on his own body and morphed back into his Half-form. A form that is a dragon but stands on two legs, and has a general body structure of a human, plus fifteen feet tall, a tail and huge wings. Two swords of pure white energy erupted out of his hands as he clinched them into fists. No more was he K the security head, he had once again taken up the mantle of Kalathanon the King of the Leviathans. James was next to him now restored to his draconic form he took up a good part of the campus green. He was thirty feet tall and one-hundred feet long with a twelve-hundred foot wingspan, he was now a dark black with red strips running through him. He had four horns two coming out of the top of his head and two coming out of the sides of his head.
K was now fifteen feet tall with a wingspan of one-hundred and eighty feet. Each wing had six joints and when they were folded up collapsed into themselves six times as they flattened down onto the Leviathans' backs. K was a bright green like jade with eyes of white flame, the same as the swords that were protruding from his hands. His tail was ten feet long and his legs were six feet tall. His reach from shoulder to hand was also six feet. His torso completed most of the remaining height being seven feet tall and his neck and head were a total of two feet and a ring of horns flowed from his head and fell to his shoulders like hair would on a human.
Celantra erupted out of a building with a happy roar, destroying the structure and shaking the ground when she landed. In an instant she was on top of K and had him wrapped in a giant bear hug.
"Ah, hey let go C, I'm happy to see you back to your old self," K gasped as the force of C's hug crushed the air out of his lungs.
"Sorry," C replied letting go, "Its just soooo good to be back in my normal form."
C was now a good bit larger than even James, probably a good one third bigger. She was white with scales as clear as diamond that reflected the sun's light casting a rainbow of colors in all directions. Her eyes were diamonds literally, her wings were a film of crystal-like membranes. The rest of her body was still flesh and blood the crystal part was a left over from an... 'event.'
Another building crumbled to dust as Blitz and Storm burst into view. Blitz and Storm were both only half the size of James. Blitz was brown with a gray-green underbelly, two tan horns that spiraled out of his head, and hazel eyes. Storm was yellow with a green underbelly and wings and three white horns. One sprouted from the top of her head the other two curled around her neck. Xavier smashed his way out of a third building leaving a gaping hole in its front. He was larger than either Blitz or Storm, but not as big as James. He was a silver color and had four horns two at the tip of his snout and two at the top of his head.
"K nice remodeling, I like the horns," Xavier said.
"I thought you would they remind me of the beard," K replied.
"Hahaha, you would," Xavier replied.
"Ok boys stop playing around and lets go," Storm said as she stared them down.
Looking into Storm's eyes even K had to look away for all the years he had lived it was still to much to look into time through those spiraling portals. Xavier also winced at her stare.
"Thanks Storm," Celantra said, "I could see those two going on for another hour, now Carter was headed to see his necromancer friends right?"
"Yes," James replied "and they live in Orlando."
Character Carter
"Whoa, K not now," Carter yelled, as he started to change back into his dragon form. "Vince, take the controls whatever happens get us put down safely."
"Sure thing boss you ok," Vince replied.
"I'll be fine if I can get into the hold," Carter replied as he dashed out of the door into the cabin and raced for the stairs to the hold of Bertha. He flung himself in as he changed into his dragon form barely avoiding smashing open the top of the cabin.
"Wow, boss, this is huge." a man named Carl said from the open door way back up into the plane.
Carter raised his head to look at Carl, he was a deep blood red, with black spikes coming out from everywhere, his eyes were pure black orbs that drilled into Carl's head as the man stood before him. Carl swallowed hard when Carter's wings tried to open up only to knock the plane around.
"Blarg it K," Carter snarled, "Couldn't wait until I landed could you."
"Uh, I'll head back to see how Vince is handling the plane," Carl said.
"Sure go, Ah whoo this is going to be tight," Carter replied, "Sorry Bertha."
"Hey there hot stuff," Came an all to familiar voice from the door that Carl just left.
"Cloak not now," Carter said.
"What I don't get to become a dragon too," Cloak replied as she walked down and jumped from the third step onto Carter's head. "You know that is totally unfair, how am I supposed to get you into bed now?"
"Get a larger bed," Carter snarled.
"Your fear stuff doesn't work on me," Cloak replied as she patted him on the snout, "I always though you were to good to be true turns out you were, though I am sure I could still make it work mind you, I just doubt that you would care for a human as a wife."
"Uhn, Cloak does nothing ever bother you," Carter said with a sigh, "I've know that you have been after me ever since I had you join my squad."
"Then why did you keep me in the squad," Cloak replied.
"Because your the only one who doesn't cower around me, even the others show slight signs of fear but not you."
"That's because I love you," Cloak said evenly, "even when you look like a devil's nightmare, what the blarg are you?"
"I'm complicated, and large, and, and, oh heck, I'm a Leviathan," Carter replied.
"Nice name sounds important," Cloak admitted.
"Would you get off my nose," Carter said.
"Oh sure," Cloak answered as she walked along his neck and sat down between two spikes on his back.
"I meant off me," Carter added.
"Sorry no can do your just too much," Cloak said, "I think I'll stay here until we land."
Carter sighed and curled up to sleep until Vince got Bertha on the ground in the Orlando airport, it would make for one heck of a scene him getting off a plane like this.
Character Xavier
"So we are just going to land next to Carter's plane in the middle of the biggest air port in Florida," Xavier yelled to K as they winged their way towards Orlando.
"Yup that's the plan," K yelled back.
"I hate your plans," Xavier replied, "they are to embarrassing or awkward. Not to mention down right dangerous!"
"Stop acting like your my father I'm over a goggle years older than you," K retorted.
"Children settle down," C intervened cutting off the conversation.
Xavier huffed and continued following the elder dragons.
"Look there is Bertha," James shouted back at them, "Looks like she is having some weight issues with Carter now returned to his normal state."
"Lets help her get settled back onto the ground," Xavier said, "Orlando air port coming into view now."
Storm got up under one wing of the struggling craft and Blitz was under the other, together they lowered the plane onto an air strip to the amazed faces of everyone at the airport.
Character Carter
"Boss we hit turbulence," Vince's voice crackled through over the radio, "I don't think we are going to make this."
"We'll make it," Carter replied then more to himself than anyone else, "Come on K don't let me down now."
"K who's that another dragon," Cloak asked. She was doing pull ups off of one of Carter's spikes.
"K is our leader," Carter replied, "He's the one who turned me into a human to begin with and now he has undone that spell he knows that I am in Bertha so I know he is going to be heading here to keep anything from happening."
"Can he change a human into a dragon," Cloak asked.
"Of course he can," Carter scoffed, "Matter is at his beck and call he could... do anything he... wants... to. Oh no, no, no, no, no. Well maybe."
Cloak gave him a huge grin and returned to her pull ups. Then she asked one question one word that burned like fire, she asked, "Why."
Do the undead turn and flee from you, do demons scream at your presence, whole planets tremble," Carter tried to explain, "There is only one other than you who can stand in my presence and not feel a little bit of fear."
"Who," Cloak pushed.
"He is known by many names but the one that suits him best is Terror."
"He gave you the spikes didn't he?"
"Yes."
Carter was about to think that Cloak would drop the conversation but then she said something he did not expect even with their close working relationship. "Cool, so how did you meet up?"
"What," Carter asked confused, "You aren't going to accuse me of making deals with the devil or being a demon or something?"
"Your to sweet to be a demon," she retorted, "as for making deals something tells me there is a lot of background to that story and I won't ask you to tell me if you don't want to."
The plane leveled out suddenly and started descending towards the runway.
"Seems you were right about your friends," Cloak said from a window in the side of the plane. "We have got dragons supporting us on each side."
"What are their colors," Carter asked.
"One is yellow, and the other is brown."
"The yellow on is Storm, the Brown one is Blitz they are a bit of an item if you get my meaning."
Cloak laughed as she sat down and started doing situps, Carter knew she understood as he placed one paw on her feet to help her with the exercise. He couldn't fathom how he had fallen for a human, with their oily skin and squishy, wingless, tailless bodies. "I guess what matters is not the packaging," he thought to himself then smiled as a new thought occurred to him. "But the package now that is the special part."
Character Kalathanon
The airport was on full emergency alert as Blitz and Storm landed Bertha on one of the runways. Celantra landed next to the plane with Xavier and James coming in behind it. K jumped down from C's back to confront the army of security and military forces coming to 'welcome' them. K was back in his human form, being able to shift whenever he wanted had its advantages, as the guards approached he threw back the hood that his black cloak had revealing his silver, shoulder length hair and green eyes of fire.
The guards in their cars and vans formed a circle around them then a man with a mega phone shouted, "Put your hands in the air and identify your self and whatever those things are with you."
The human apparently thought that K was not a dragon despite the flaming eyes, K obligingly put his hands in the air, then called down walls of fire to surround the security.
"Now what was that again it is hard to hear you over the fire," K said.
He was answered with several bullets which he easily disintegrated, then Carter burst out of Bertha with a woman on his back who was carrying an AK47 and MPK5. They were followed by three men, one with an M60 machine gun, one with an AA12, and one with an RPG.
"Carter not helping," K said.
"Sorry," Carter replied, "But I just love a good entrance."
"K, K," Someone was shouting into the fire, "Cut out the fire!"
K snapped his fingers and the fire abated.
"Oh K it is good to see you again," said a man in a formal suit with a blue tie black slacks and black shoes.
"Mr. President," K replied, "I assume this explains the security increases."
"That it would," President Jack replied.
Jack Turner was a tall man with black hair, hazel eyes, a hawk nose, broad shoulders, and a tight smile. He was also president of the United States of America and a good associate of K's having provided several missions previously for K and C to do.
"So what brings you all here," Jack asked.
"Business," K replied, "and yourself?"
"Business," Jack repeated with a smile. "I'm not leaving for another few hours though so can I join you?"
"Sir those creatures are a clear and present danger you should not be talking with them and you want to go with them," a security detail said as he placed himself between Jack and K.
"Listen kid," Jack said, "I've know these dragons for a long time, even the spiky one. I have nothing to fear from them. Now I appreciate you doing your job but if K and his friends are involved in something it means that usually the rest of the country should also be involved, so step aside and let me do the job I was elected to do."
The detail looked at Jack then back to K then back to Jack. He sighed nodded and holstered his pistol. "Is that an order?"
"Yes"
"Well hop on," K said as he morphed into his dragon form, "I always believed in arriving in style."
"Where are we going," Jack asked as he mounted up.
"To visit a few necromancer friends of mine and hopefully hunt down one of their clients," Carter snarled.
"Carter, keep it light," Jack said.
"I'll try, but if I find that any of them willingly helped to bomb the college there won't be enough left of them for even a DNA scan," Carter replied as he assumed a neutral expression.
"Ready to go," K asked.
"Yes," Jack replied.
Carter nodded and took the lead kicking himself into the air and heading south-east. K, with Jack clinging on to his back, followed with the rest of his friends. Xavier, Blitz and Storm each had a member of Four on their backs, Celantra was flying next to K and Carter was in front of them with Cloak on his back.
"Wow this never gets old," Jack yelled.
"Nice to see you again," Celantra said as she pulled up beside K.
"And it is very good to get away from the politics and spend some time with you all," Jack added. "Lord knows its been you lot holding this country together for the past five years."
"Well you helped getting reelected and all," K stated, "Congratulations on that."
"Why thank you," Jack said.
"Carter where are we going," K yelled.
"Cuba," was Carter's terse reply.
"Oh I can't imagine that the Castros will be pleased to see me landing in their country with all of you," Jack stated. "It might seem like an invasion."
"Don't worry about them, I did some work for Domingo's father Raul before he died," Carter said, "That is why he extended the offer to the necromancers for them to reside in Cuba in the first place, so I could find them. I've also taken care of a few of Dom's problems."
"He lets you call him Dom," Jack asked amused.
"No I just do," Carter replied, "He never says anything though."
"Carter how many contacts do you have," K asked.
"At this point just about every dictator, president, and head of state for almost every country," Carter replied.
"Your almost as renowned as I am," K observed, "Nice work."
"So the people who I have come to rely on to keep this country safe are also buddy buddy with some of our worst enemies," Jack asked.
"Yes," Carter replied, "and for the record that is the second time I've been asked that. Ah there is their complex, let's go greet Castro."
"Should I announce us or do you want to," K asked?
"Go ahead," Carter replied.
"Castro, get out here we need to talk," K yelled his voice echoing off the ground and carrying enough force to blow the trees around.
Below them there was a flurry of activity then a missile rack was aimed towards them along with a half-dozen RPGs.
"Its K you psychotic nut," K yelled again.
The men on the missile rack hesitated as a man in a formidable looking set of plated body armor
yelled at them and pointed to the dragons. That same man picked up a mega phone and shouted. "K excuse the general he is a bit over zealous at times. Why don't you land and we can talk about what brings you here without me having to shout."
"Thanks for the invite Dom," Carter yelled down as they landed in a clearing near the missile rack.
Seen up close Domingo Castro was not much less than impressive. Square jaw, broad shoulders, deep, piercing, black eyes, shaved head, and every inch of the man covered in hard mussel protected by a customized body armor that had metal plates on the outside and spider silk weaves underneath that could stop anything from 9mm to 50cals.
"K, Celantra, Carter, my friends what are you doing here, and why is he here," Dom asked as they landed and pointed to Jack.
"Relax," Jack said, "I'm only here for the adventure and to get away from Washington for a while."
"It true," K explained, "We picked him up in Orlando just a few minutes ago."
"You can't trust a capitalist," Dom said defensively.
"Says the dictator," Jack snapped.
"Enough you two," Carter said, "Castro the necromancers where are they."
Dom's expression suddenly hardened, "What do you want with them?"
"I need to find a client of theirs actually," Carter replied, "Its of some importance that I find him quickly." Carter ended the last with a smile that sent shivers down even K's spine. Cloak seemed totally unaffected, Jack looked like he was about to bolt and Dom returned the grin.
"Well then if that is the case you can find them just inside, I decided I liked their company and invited them to remain hidden in the complex," Dom informed them, "Come I am sure they will be more than happy to help."
Character Carter
" Helda, Tyler, Joe," Carter called as they entered the complex. "I need a word with you about a possible client of yours."
"Carter," Came a woman's voice, "Whatever you think we did it wasn't us."
"Helda, don't play games with me," Carter snarled, "Get out here all of you."
The three necromancers entered the main hall, Helda was a short stocky lady with white hair, skin, eyes everything, she was albino. The two men Tyler and Joe were much different. Joe was tall and lean and appeared to hail from the Caribbeans, while Tyler looked more Germanic in decent.
"Have any of your clients purchased any spells or potions that could raise the dead for several hours after they were used, or any spells for golems, specifically bone golems," Carter asked coolly.
"No," Tyler replied his voice caring a hint of Hungarian in it, "Those are to dangerous for any of our clients to procure."
"James is this the truth," Carter asked.
"Yes," James said.
"That is troublesome," Xavier stated.
"What you encountered creatures like this recently," Joe asked.
"Very recently in fact," K said, "Our college was attacked and the students that were killed in the initial attack rose as zombies and a bone golem."
"I didn't... Didn't think there were any that powerful, other than us," Helda stammered, "Though that explains why your here."
"We are sorry for having to accuse you first but as you said we don't know of anyone else that powerful," C said.
"Oh, we're so sorry, those poor kids," Helda said.
"Well if it wasn't you, and I trust James on this, then that means that a rouge necromancer is somewhere withing the US and we need to find him," K said.
"Aye but what would he or she want with us why attack the school," Storm asked.
"I would guess that if you figured that out you could divine the person," Dom added.
"K get in contact with Doug see if Cynder and our rider friends can't get here to help us discover the nature of these spells, they seem most adept at the practice," Carter said.
"Way ahead of you, they're already on there way," K replied.
"So we finally getting some of the old DC back together," Xavier said, "That's good, we've been too long apart from the others."
"Agreed," Carter said, "I wonder what fun those mercs have gotten into."
"Well I doubt they charge anyone for their service, the Doctor wont let them," Blitz added.
"True," K said, "Now they will meet us in D.C. So we should be heading back, Jack get on, Dom good seeing you again."
"Better than being viewed," Dom replied as he walked them all outside, "Oh and should the urge ever strike you to come around again, call first."
"We will at that," Carter said.
"Not you, Him," Dom said pointing at Jack.
"I just might, it has been to long since our countries have had good relations," Jack replied.
Then with a rush of wings and the thunder of air being moved incredibly fast they were off, winging their way towards their friends and hopefully some answers.