The Dragon Baby

Chapter 4

We helped set up the command center in the field where we landed before beginning our hike to our recon zones. I made sure to give Nova a big hug and as quick of a run down of what I learned as I could. I don’t know what her senior partner told her or is going to tell her but everyone needed as much information as they could to survive this next week. She is going to make sure who she's paired up with knows too and try to pass it along to the others in our class. 

Unfortunately Sergeant Ryans’ partner is Kayla. A blonde bombshell of a girl that fits every mean girl stereotype you can think of. With platinum blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, 5’9 height and slim, with legs for days, she is the hottest person at the school. She was also number two in the class and hates me on the principle of I’m number one and keeping that spot from her. This should make for a fun hike in the woods. She’s eyeballing Sergeant Cafael backend while he starts walking ahead, already speeding up to catch up to him.

She’s gonna be in for such a rude awakening, I smirk slightly to myself. I step back to Sergeant Ryans side. Making sure to keep up with the brisk pace Cafael is setting. Ryans is a late 20s man with an Irish complexion of red hair, pale skin and freckles. His eyes are already rolling, watching Kayla match Cafael’s pace.  I had quickly introduced myself before we set off but I did not want to be anywhere near when Kayla started trying to flirt with Cafael. He was a no nonsense type and I did not think he would entertain her at all. 

Ryan pitches his voice low without looking at me. “How much do you want to bet he’s going to glare at her till she’s quiet?”

I pitch my voice to the same low tone. “How much do you want to bet she’ll just keep going?”

Kayla is a lot of things but a quitter she is not. Now other words that start with a B and end with an itch on the other hand.

She had purposely gone out of her way to get me in as much trouble as she could. The reason I got sent to the Mind Melter in the first place was because of her. I had been trying to quietly talk to other students about our captivity with the government and the captivity of the people in the compounds. Others at the school were starting to listen and getting comfortable saying their opinions. So I know I am not the only one that doesn’t agree with what the government is doing to us and the other captives. Kayla went and told the teachers that we got a little club together who aren’t happy about the government “saving” us and the human race from the violent beasts. The other students didn’t have a track record of being troublemakers but I did. I was pointed out as the so-called leader. So I got shown the mind melting chair and threatened.

So you could say we don’t get along. 

She kept up a constant chatter with Sergeant Cafael the whole seven mile hike uphill. He didn’t really engage unless asked a direct question about the mission. Not that that caused any missteps for Kayla. I wanted to throw a rock at her just to shut her up after the first hour. 

It was really awkward to watch. Sergeant Ryans would occasionally catch my eye and make a face but by the end even he was impressed with how she kept going. I mean it was seven miles up hill hiking and she kept up a stream of conversation that was mostly her. 

It took five hours for us to arrive at the start area of our recon mission. From here Sergeant Cafael and I split off from Sargeant Ryans and Kayla. Much to Kayla’s complaining about doing a line search and working “together.” She just wanted to stick with Cafael. 

The plan is to search the area for any cave openings that could hold a large dragon. The older generation tended to stay in dragon form rather than human one especially out in the wild. The other groups searching are in the surrounding area spread out so we will have the mountain searched well within the next few days.

The area I’m assigned to definitely has not seen anything but nature for a long time. If a human ever actually came out here. There are no paths but the one you make trying not to fall down the mountain. I feel like I need to be a mountain goat. But maybe Sergeant Cafael is cause he is moving from boulder to boulder with ease, eyes alert for any sign of trouble or an opening big enough to get into the mountain. If an opening is found then you radio into base with approximate quardernets before going in to explore more. If there is irrefutable proof there is a dragon then get out, radio in and wait for back up in a safe location. Base will let you know what your instructions are. 

I’m huffing and puffing by the time we finish our first area before nightfall. Sergeant Cafael was quiet the entire day besides warning me of slippery or loose spots in the rocks. But I let him have it because there was no way for me to speak while trying not to fall down a mountain. There were cave openings but none that he felt were large enough for an adult dragon. 

Not that I would have known, I have never seen an older adult before. When you are in your senior year of training, the instructors bring in an adult from one of the communities to demonstrate how dragons shift from human to dragon and back. The adult was about as long as two semi-trucks and as tall as one. But this dragon had been born in the community. Our textbooks say that the largest rogue ever found was as long as four semi-trucks and as tall as three stacked together. I can't even picture how big that would be. Whatever scientists the Government has working on studying dragons have theorized that because of hunting, dragons are getting smaller and smaller every generation. So they are adapting to be able to hide and blend in better, be more stealthy. Survive better.

“Do you think the rogue is hiding in the mountain?” I ask Sergeant Cafael as we are setting up a basic camp for the night. No fire just in case we are anywhere near the dragon. But a basic tent and two cots. We will switch off sleeping in the night to keep an eye out for each other.

He pauses unpacking his bag before looking at me, “Normally before they send out a search party the pros and cons are weighed out along with the probability. They have also, in the past for classes like this, completely made up scenarios to see how trainees would do in the field. Not even the senior partners know if this exercise is real or not. So you need to treat this as real until proven otherwise.”

I stop myself from gulping at the news. He didn't offer his opinion but it's confirmation enough as it is with how serious he looked. I offered to take the first shift because I napped pretty hard on the plane and I didn’t want to try to sleep yet with so many scenarios on how the next day would go in my head.

. . .

About three hours after nightfall, I heard the echoing of small rocks skidding down from above. We had made camp alongside a boulder with a large enough outcrop to hide the tent. I moved out from underneath and peaked up, there was nothing there. A shadow moved out of the corner of my eye and more rocks scattered around. I whip around again, nothing. I did a slow perusal of my surroundings. 

Rock, rock, more rock. A rock with a wiggling shadowing. Rock, rock, wait. A rock with a wiggling shadow? 

Twenty feet away on a small ledge just above my head there was a small cluster of rocks that seemed to be vibrating. The shadow wiggled in place like an excited puppy. As I got closer the wiggling intensified until the small thinner ledge crumbled. The cluster of rocks gave a small yelp and rolled to a stop in front of me. I jumped back in surprise as a tiny teal dragon reoriented himself so he wasn’t lying on his back with his butt in the air. 

“That’s right Hu-man! Fear me, for I am Tugurios! Lord of Fire and Destroyer of Things!” The baby dragon said in my head as he thrusted his chin up in a way that demanded respect, showed off his tiny little light blue nubs of horns and added a little flare of his wings that caused a small breeze to hit my legs. Now would’ve been a terrifying sight, if he didn't reach up to my knee. 

I am trying my best to hold in a laugh but a few stray giggles escaped at this adorable tiny boy dragon. Which is definitely a boy because only males get horns. A few more rocks came stumbling down after the dragon causing a lot more noise than even Sergeant Cafael wouldn’t ignore.

Ignoring the looks of indignation that the little guy is giving me, I quickly pick him up and throw him onto the ledge above the tent. I whisper a quick sorry as he thuds out of sight just before Cafael comes leaping out of the tent with a gun ready in his hands. I throw my hands up when he points the gun in my direction before moving around assessing the situation.

“What was that?” 

“Nothing sir, there was a wild cat and I was just trying to scare it off without alerting anything else to our presence but I may have thrown a rock a little too big.” I gesture to the crumbled ledge on the other side of our small camp.

He looks at the mess then back at me, shrugging as he holsters the gun. “Next time say something, I’m going for at least another hour of sleep before we switch off.”

“Yes sir!” I say with a salute that I totally didn't need to do. Awkwardness hangs in the air around us as he gives me a confused look.

“Whatever” He mumbles, heading back into the tent.