The Dragon Strikes, Chapter 7
Before you read on, I just want everyone to know I have edited the entry after doing a bit more proofreading. I was really tired by the time I finished this and forgot to go through some proofreading. This, like the other chapters, are not in final condition. I have a lot of retooling to do before they are really ready for viewing.
Part 1
Chapter 7
Characters
The Dragon of Mystery
Young Randy Marsala
Jack: half elf, caravan guard, newfound friend to Randy
Alexa: Halfling; caravan guard, newfound friend to Randy
Shadow: (1/16 human) wood elf, caravan guard
Sven, Jimmy, Steve, Hilt, Onyx, and Karl: anonymous thieves
A wolf howled in the distance as the train charged through the mountain pass. The beast cried and cried at the approaching locomotive. The full moon shined brightly enough that the usually hidden wolf was easily seen in the thicket of trees overlooking the train tracks. From the west the train’s lonely whistle answered back as it came. The lonesome sound echoed to the top of the highest mountain peak. As it crossed the rarely used mountain path, fifteen miles east of the pass town of Emerald Valley, A dark lump could be just barely made out atop the first passenger car beyond the Train Engine. The wolf stared down at the figure, trying to tell the difference between it and the magical contraption rolling down the tracks. With a twitch the figure turned, staring cold eyes into the very heart of the wolf. The wolf turned around to run into a better hiding place, oddly frightened. Were that wolf to have looked closer it would have seen a man riding on the top of the passenger car, cloaked in shadows.
The man leaned back against a chimney in the car, his legs bent slightly ahead of him as he sat. His long ruffled in the wind and dirt and bugs flipped by his long hair, but were somehow deflected. Though the moon was full and shined brightly on the rest of the train, the area on that car in particular seemed to be missing the light, as though a mystery cloud was hanging in the sky. The hero leaned forward and scanned around himself once more. All was quiet and in harmony in the mountain pass. The few monsters about kept to themselves, and the animals did the same. There were no threats about.
Behind him the passenger car door opened, and the rungs of the latter were heard ringing. A tall cloaked woman stalked forward on the roof of the train moving toward the shadowy figure, as it barrelled along at a thunderous pace. The woman’s hood was off and her long curly hair flew back with the wind, leaving her dramatic pointed ears in plain sight. She crouched down in her heeled boots, her cloak opening to show the tall black boots and the armoured black leather pants that were her garment of choice. Once she reached the place where the dark hero sat, she reached out her gloved left hand to tap him on the shoulder.
“Just because were on night shift doesn’t mean you have to sit on the roof all night lover, you know well enough that the lounge car is a great place to sit between patrols of the train.” She cooed into his ear with a teasing tone.
“Sorry Shadow, I just seem to enjoy the evening air so much lately,” The rugged man responded absently. He peered at an upcoming mountain that housed an abandoned mine. The dwarves were efficient miners, but they rarely left things as they found them it seemed.
“Bullshit, you are out here because three trains have been hit by bandits in the last two weeks, and you think that you will somehow be able to deter train robbers by stalking around out here like a gargoyle,” She clapped his shoulder and called his bluff with a mischievous smile. She moved around in front of him and crouched down to look him in the eye. “If someone is going to rob the train, they will try it with you up here or you in the dining car between patrols,” she placed both hands on his shoulders as she looked at him.
“I suppose your right,” Randy sighed as he admitted his defeat and stood up. As they began walking to the back of the car, where they could jump down to the platform, Randy put his arm around the elf’s curvy waist to rest his hand on her hip. “You know, I do really like the view of the mountains. I didn’t see much of nature when I was growing up, with the exception of the occasional ski trip.”
With three feet left to the edge of the car roof Shadow grinned her sneaky grin. Before Randy could ask, she reached around with her left hand to smack his backside and leapt her long body into the air. She had the grace of a ballerina as her cloak caught the wind around her and she caught the vertical railing to the right side of the oncoming car in her un-gloved hand and the arch of her long black boot. Her acrobatic form slid down the remaining three feet of the rail to land on the steel platform with a muted clang sound. It seemed that she was always doing something playful around him. Not to be outdone Randy, after an entire year of frequent practice, changed to his shadowy form and rematerialized behind her as she looked up to the car and mocked him where she expected him to be “come on kid, you can admire the view later, our next patrol is up in a few minutes and I want to finish my coffee while its hot.”
“BOO!” Randy yelled from behind Shadow, and followed with an “Ooooow!” She reflexively elbowed him in the ribs as she turned to face the surprise. Her serious face quickly melted with mock sympathy “Aww, poor thing, did I hurt you?” she started to giggle as he patted his left side, where his armour plated shirt did not cover. She leaned in and kissed him, biting his lip. Before she withdrew from the embrace she whispered to him “there’s a lot more where that came from, and you know it.” She let go, opened the door and stalked into the first passenger car, where she seductively moved her hips with each step.
“It used to be so much easier you know,” he told her as he caught up and returned his right hand to her backside. “You walk for sixteen or 17 days, you trade with the villages, and then you walk back. Nobody attacked us, well almost nobody, and we didn’t have gangs coming after us greedy for gold,” He thought out loud with a reminiscent smile on his face, “and we had a lot of fun too.”
“Oh come on buddy, the only reason nobody really tried to rob the little convoys in the last decade was because they were too well armed and didn’t carry enough gold to make it worthwhile. Since the SWRTC upgraded to a train network and we have all this gold onboard, not to mention the valuables held by the passengers, it’s too tempting to pass up for good robbers,” She jabbed him in the ribs as they quickly walked through the first six passenger cars. “Besides, doesn’t the risk of armed robbery seem too exciting to pass up? I’m really surprised nobody has tried the 17, considering it runs the main lines between Ivory Tower and New Brook, the two largest cities on Woodhills,” She spoke with too much interest for Randy to stay comfortable.
“Don’t talk like that, we don’t need anybody getting hurt, especially the hundred or so passengers on this train,” Randy became overly serious as they walked into the dining car. Although standard size on the outside, the Lounge or Dining car took on the size of a full restaurant with kitchen in the front right side of the car. Magically enhanced it was a full thirty metres wide and fifty metres long. At this time of night it wasn’t overly busy however, as most passengers had retired to their sitting rooms.
“Oh loosen up Randy; any banditos wouldn't stand a chance. From what I here these idiots have seen too many of the old earth western movies and make like outlaws. However, nobody the likes of “the Kid or Sundance” have come about, and between my guns, Shadow’s quick whip and swordplay, Ley’s dancing daggers, and your sheer mystery and surprise combat we could do away with anyone who tried. That is our job anyway.” Jack swaggered up from the table where he and Alexa were sitting near three cups of coffee and two full platters with partially eaten cheeseburgers and fries.
“Don’t you guys have five more minutes until your hour is done?” Randy looked at his new steel wrist watch and teased Jack with the overdramatic gesture.
“I’ll have you know we are patrolling the dining car as we speak. There was a suspicious individual came down to eat and we had to check on that.” He pointed down the dozen or so tables barely occupied by people at the late hour. “And Alexa here was starving with that halfling metabolism of hers,” Jack indicated to the long haired hobbit eating a triple cheeseburger to his left.
Shadow swivelled her hips, as she never failed to do, within her flowing coat as she pivoted to her right and slid into the booth next to Alexa and picked up her coffee mug. “Geese kid are you going to sit down already, you’d think you were used to watching your lady move by now,” Jack teased as Randy sat down only after watching Shadow move.
“Is there anything wrong with him showing appreciation Jacky… and what the hell happened to my coffee,” Shadow retorted impassively and eyeing Jack suspiciously. She tilted the mug in her right hand to show it was empty.
“What are you talking about? It was like that when we got here.” Jack replied as he slid tossed a fry from the table into his mouth with expert precision.
“Bullshit, you were too thirsty to wait for your own coffee to get here and you drank hers.” Alexa finally piped up after devouring everything on her plate.
Before Shadow could give a smug confirmation of her suspicion Jack widened his smile and waved his hands in front of him openly as if to offer something “It was already cold, I did you a favour by drinking it.” Shadow could hardly contain herself at this point and started laughing hysterically, causing Jack to question “Now what’s so damned funny?”
“It’s alright, I was actually done and suspected you might be by, so I spat in it” Shadow managed to get out before laughing some more. The usually straight face on Randy cracked wide as he and Alexa joined Shadow in the hearty enjoyment.
The train attendant pushed her cart past and Shadow grabbed a pair of cokes from the middle shelf. One of the many perks of working for the company was that all beverages were free on shift and they were entitled to a free meal each day. She handed Randy one and added “Well I guess we had better start moving, its 11pm as of now. Have fun guys.” Gracefully she slid out from her seat and Randy Followed, regaining his adrenaline. Even if it was only a one hour patrol, stalking through each car gave him a sense of purpose.
“Good luck guys” Alexa said as she turned to look out the window in a very childlike gesture with her head on her hands.
“Ewwww, you are disgusting Shadow. See you guys in an hour,” Jack managed to stammer out now that the laughter had died.
As they walked out of the lounge car and into the games car and passed a pool game being played by two older looking elves, their hands met and Randy squeezed hard. “So do you think I should tell him I really didn’t spit?” Shadow asked under her breath.
“Let him stew until the end of the shift, and when we trade off again each hour you can tease him a bit.” Randy commented eyeing the room. His face got serious again as they neared the door.
Randy opened the door ahead of her and they slipped out. As Shadow’s heels clanged against the metal of the platform that bridged over the line between the two cars Randy silently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around to the side of the door. He brought his left index finger to his mouth in a silence motion and pointed up to the roof, before he gracefully leapt landing silently in a crouch near enough to the rear of the car that he could see Shadow launch herself on her powerful warriors legs to make a similar silent landing in her enchanted boots. If one were to note the inconsistency of the noise they made it would be easy to see the mentally triggered silence incantation of her casual and seductive looking armoured uniform. As she landed to Randy’s left and turned quickly around, she looked at him inquisitively. Keeping his eyes on the platform between cars below them he raised his left hand with three fingers raised, he dropped one, then the next, and finally the third.
On cue the door opened and out stepped two of the scraggly looking men who had been in the corner of the games room. They wore brown leather coats and kept unshaven beards. Not unlike many people in Curvaturn they were armed. And not unlike trains on earth, passengers on trains were not allowed to keep their weapons on their person. A knowing grin flashed on Shadow’s face as the lead man walked across the platform to the far door and looked inside. He held his sawed off double barrel shotgun at the ready as he looked through the window.
He turned to his associate and explained “they are already through the next car; this is going to be real easy. Remember, we follow staying one car behind them until the ambush. It’s too easy as long as you don’t catch up to them from behind Jimmy.”
“I’m not that dumb Sven, just because I shot the wrong guy on the last train doesn’t mean I’m a total liability here. Remember, it was me who saved your neck in the woods against that forest troll on the way here. You’ve gone through the plan six times tonight, we ain’t gonna fuck up!” Jimmy indicated.
“Alright, I was just being thorough, I know you’re capable,” Sven appealed to the other robber and looked up above the car where Shadow and Randy sat “I don’t remember it being this dark out, You cant even see the sky for the cloud cover in these mountains. I hope we will be able to see Bill with the horses when we jump off.” He commented before Jimmy leaned back through the open door to call out.
“Okay Steve, you know the plan, keep our passengers busy until the landmark and then take your leap. And to the rest of you...” He indicated to the passengers inside as he waved a long revolver in his right hand before he finished “Steve here won’t hesitate to shoot any troublemakers, so nobody try and be a hero.”
As Sven and Jimmy walked into the next car of the rushing train the mysterious darkness above the cars dissipated, showing the two heroes whispering to each other, if anyone would have cared to look. Not wasting any time Shadow stood up and headed to the opposite side of the car and leapt over the side towards the lounge car. Randy did the same landing squarely in front of the games car door.
He swung the door wide and swaggered in, head held low carrying an ominous aura about him. A dark mist seemed to follow him in from outside as the door swung shut behind him. In the opposite left corner of the car another brown jacketed figure pointed a handgun his way and yelled “Don’t move mister, put your hands up or I’ll shoot.”
Randy started laughing and looked at the man known as Steve, before the man spoke again “What’s so damned funny? I said put those hands up.”
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to move; now I’m supposed to put my hands up? Which is it?” Randy stopped laughing suddenly and glared at Steve with a mad gleam in his eye.
Obviously a little spooked Steve looked confused as he stammered “JUST PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” The passengers in the games car crowding each of the walls cringed as the man yelled.
“Alright, how’s this?” Randy brought his muscled arms over his head in a stretching motion with his hands together.
“Much better,” Steve commented grimly as he stalked towards the hero, gun hand held out in front of him in his right hand. He held his left hand open and moved to open Randy’s coat.
“Whoa buddy, why don’t you buy me dinner first and see where it goes from there.” Randy commented as his coat was opened revealing his armoured shirt and the two black sheathed katanas hanging from his belt.
Eyeing the swords Steve moved his hand to grab one and screamed suddenly “OWWW” as he found his gun hand pulled back by a long black whip. “Hey, what the hell!” he called as his body spun back with the force of the whip. At the entrance to the car facing Randy stood Shadow holding her magical whip in her left hand and a very large sword in her right. To her left stood Jack, one pistol in his right hand aimed squarely at Steve, his left hand at his hip ready to grab his other holstered pistol. On her right stood Alexa holding a throwing dagger in each hand, leaving her main blades still hanging from her belt.
Before he could contemplate his next move Steve could smell flame and saw a flash of light on the right side of his head that materialized into the end of a flaming blade. From behind him he heard Randy instruct “now it’s about time you dropped that gun and put your hands in the air.”
Well the crowd in the games room clapped and cheered they quickly went about frisking and handcuffing the first of the robbers. As Jack and Alexa went to the bag of stolen goods Steve had left in the corner and redistributed the items from within to the passengers, Shadow stood over the thief sitting in his corner, hands cuffed and feet tied. “How many of you are there?” She said firmly looking him in the eye.
“Shove it, I ain’t telling you nothing,” he replied belligerently.
Shadow smiled wickedly and cracked her whip into the open space on her left and grabbed him by the neck with her now free sword hand. “Listen here your arrogant ass. Either you’re going to tell us what I want to know or I’m going to throw you to the ground and whip you until you cry and tell me… which will only take a minute, and then we will hunt down your friends.” Her voice carried a threatening posture but her face displayed an incredible joy. Randy shivered a little as he watched her work. Steve noticeably shook in his seat looking into her eyes now. Sweat came off his forehead as his face went pale. Her stare bore into him.
“How many of you are there?” Her tone had gone to ice now. Steve stared at her, frightened for his life and not knowing to answer. “Alright have it your way.” She cut into him with her words as she pulled his quivering body up by her right hand and through him to the floor. With only a slight wrist motion her whip flew up behind her and cracked down into his back with an overdramatic crack that stopped everyone in the car cold as they looked over.
“AHHHHH, alright alright! I give up. There are 5 more of us! Jimmy and Sven are moving back through the train robbing all the passengers, and Karl, our boss, and his two dwarf buddies Hilt and Onyx are waiting to ambush you in the last cargo car before the caboose where we got on the train. Just don’t hit me again!” He cried out babbling barely coherently and whimpered.
Shadow turned as the attendant entered with a food cart filled with snacks, and stopped startled at the sight of the sobbing man on the floor. “Jane, I’m glad you’re here. We caught a train robber, mind running and getting the conductor to take care of him while we get his friends?”
“Certainly Miss Walker, I’ll be back in a moment.” She looked at the sobbing Steve once more and hurried back towards the lounge car.
Jack, who was handing one of the elves they had seen playing pool his watch back, gave the man Steve’s pistol “you look like you can take care of him for us while we clean up the rest of the trash. The conductor will be here in a minute, hand him this gun when he gets here, and if this ‘dangerous criminal’ tries anything, shoot him in the kneecap.” The Elf smiled wide and nodded, taking the gun in his hand, and moving towards Steve.
Present business completed, the four heroes quickly took to the far exit heading for the next passenger car. The wind had built up in the few minutes since randy had been outside, and his and Shadow’s coats furled around them as they crossed the platform and entered the passenger car.
With a giddy voice Alexa jabbed Jack in the ribs as they ran through the car, “way to suck up to the VP of transportation, smart guy.” Looking in the standard semi-private rooms and waving to the frightened passengers. Since being robbed each of the rooms interior windows had their doors opened to show that that most passengers had their reclining seats in standard position on the edge of each room. Each car had four rooms that could fit eight people each. Each room housed reclining seats in two rows facing each other. On the ceiling in the middle of each room were mounted TVs, one in front of every seat. The first time Randy had seen them when they were transferred up to train duty the rooms had shocked him, reminding him of airline seating combined with train style rooming.
“Well when one of the executives just happens to be in the room after everyone saves the day, it’s a great idea to give him a bit of the action too.” Jack replied as they exited the car heading to the next one. “It also doesn’t hurt that he had mentioned to me an hour ago that he envy’s us the excitement that we get on duty.” Jack was smiling as he waved at the people seated with similar terrified expressions. The people in every room seemed to pacify at seeing the guard troupe running through the train after the bandits. An old man leaning on a cane held his head out a door near the end “They just went through the door; I hope you show those thugs what for!”
“Don’t worry sir; they will be taken care of.” Randy piped up as they hurried out the door. As they approached the next car Randy jumped up to the roof and hurried to the other side, Shadow right behind him. As they dropped to the platform on either side of the door they heard a shout from inside.
The rear door burst open and Shadow stalked in on the right sword held high and whip poised, Randy to her right both flaming blades in a defensive posture. Darkness crept through the magically lengthened car and seemed to defeat the incandescent lights. On the opposite side of the train stood Jack with guns aiming forward on Randy’s right, and Alexa once again holding throwing daggers. In the centre of the aisle of the car Sven held a shotgun aimed at Jack and Jimmy held his pistol to the head of a girl streaming tears. As Shadow and Randy walked in the end of a threatening sentence could be heard from Sven that sounded something like “or else” issued towards Jack and Alexa. Sven turned around swivelling the shotgun with him to see who had entered and aimed his shotgun squarely at the only target he saw; an elfin woman in a dark coat holding a whip and a sword “Put your sword down. Take one step further and the girl gets it, like I was telling your friends here.”
Shadow smiled at him “What girl?” and her whip began to fly. Confused, Sven turned to look at Jimmy, whose gun hand jerked as the girl in his left arm blurred away cloaked in darkness. The preteen girl reappeared behind Alexa and Jack just as the whip came down on Sven’s shotgun and jerked it out of his hand. Jimmy’s gun swivelled towards Jack and Alexa and he found himself dropping the pistol as a bullet struck his hand, and falling on his right side as a dagger cut into his left leg just above his knee.
At the same time, Sven reached into his coat and pulled out a rapier as he charged towards Shadow, who remained smiling. He slashed down at her as he tried to sidestep her going towards the door to her right. Shadow easily deflected the downward strike with her massive sword in her right hand, adding momentum to his movement with an upward block and a push towards the door. Using the momentum to her advantage she brought the whip around in her left hand to wrap around his legs. He fell face-first into the door, loosing all consciousness.
Within a minute both of the roving robbers were cuffed and sitting in passenger seats, rendered very immobile. The door leading to the front part of the train opened and Chesterbeard, dressed in fancy tan suit, white shirt. Ran into the room brandishing a pistol designed for his large, dwarf fingers. His look was made complete by the overdramatic cliché belt buckle, western tie, and white cowboy hat. Since being made conductor of the number 17 he had started dressing professionally for work. He huffed and puffed as he asked “How many are there?” He was quickly followed by Silverleaf and Matt, two of the guys from the day shift patrol.
“Three more. Can you take these two away? The others will be simple since they are waiting for us at the caboose. Oh, and the loot is from the last few cars, you will have to sort it out,” Shadow half asked, half instructed as they started out again.
As they ran out the door Shadow leaned towards Randy, “Great job saving that kid; you’re a hero once again.” Her voice was so seductive when she wanted it to be, and Randy lost his focus for a moment as they ran.
He regained composure after a few more cars and as they ran the darkness enveloped him more and more, and his form became less corporeal. As they reached the last few cars Shadow made the motion to stop.
“Lets take the roof and come in from the back and the windows; it will be easier to give complete surprise since they are waiting to ambush us.” Without any further explanation the most experienced guard amongst them leapt to the roof of the second to last car and crouched down. The other three followed her easily enough, Alexa forced to take the ladder. “Randy, could you hide us please?” she asked unnecessarily as they were already being enveloped in darkness with very little visibility. When they arrived at the edge of the car, Shadow picked up Alexa and leapt, followed by Jack and Randy. Shadow signalled with her hands that she and Jack would go in the back door and that Randy and Alexa were to dip in through the windows. Shadow and Jack slipped over the other end landing silently and Alexa and Randy went to the middle of each side of the caboose roof. As they heard the doors open Alexa acrobatically used the edge of the roof as leverage and swung her body into the air and down crashed feet first through a window. Randy on the other hand enveloped himself in mist, the technique he had been practicing for months and surprised Shadow with earlier, and consciously shifted his body to a shadowy form. The dark mist that was Randy seeped in through the opposite window into the Caboose.
The magically expanded caboose housed a few cubicles wear train auditors sat tied up and a guard station with security camera monitor where Joe the night watchman was also tied up. Near the front of the caboose in an employee lounge area was a couch, usually along the wall, which had been turned to face the door. Behind it was a man holding a rifle aimed towards the door, and two dwarfs with pistols, all waiting to ambush the front door. The back door opened with a crash and in stepped two Elves armed to the teeth. As the three turned around in synch to see the disruption to their careful plan come closing down, the window on their right crashed open due to a halfling woman flying through it and landing her feet squarely on the jaw of Hilt, knocking him cold. She landed in a roll and arose holding two long wicked looking daggers.
Karl took aim and fired his rifle, missing by inches as the halfling dived over the slumped form of Hilt for shelter. He couldn’t get off a second shot as his trigger hand developed the sudden condition of being ripped open by a bullet courtesy of Jack, who had taken cover behind one of the cubicle desks, and pushed Perry the auditor down under cover with him. At the same time Randy appeared near the front door, out of the spotlight and withdrew his swords.
When Shots were taken Onyx took the smart move and dived to the other side of the couch for shelter only to see the fast approaching Randy. He managed six quick shots, each of which were deflected by the flaming katanas. Onyx ran to Randy’s right as his shots were deflected and withdrew a battle axe from within his coat bracing himself in a defensive posture. Randy smiled as he stalked forward, darkening the room as he moved. His right sword came up and arced down across the left. Onyx brought his axe up for an easy parry carefully watching the left sword. Sensing an opening after the right sword was deflected back Onyx brought his weight to bear and hacked inward for Randy’s neck and struck thin air. Confused Onyx leapt forward swinging his axe to hit an invisible foe. A ‘whoosh’ sound became noticeable as a flaming blade came around from behind Onyx promptly removing his right arm just below the elbow. The axe dropped and the hardened warrior dived toward the door, sensing defeat. He was promptly cut off by a blade of flame blocking his path. He turned to look the victor in the eye and raised his remaining hand “I surrender,” he spoke before he slumped down against the wall.
On the opposite side of the enhanced, office looking caboose two electrical bolts jumped from a wand in Karl’s healthy hand, aimed at both Shadow and at the desk Jack hid under. Shadow dived out of the way, but was still knocked to the ground by the blast The Desk exploded in splinters and both Jack and Perry were thrown to the back of the car, next to the other desk where the bound form of the other auditor, Sally was already cowering under it. As that shot was fired, Karl’s hand healed and he grabbed another wand from within his coat. Alexa leapt from his left, daggers aimed for Karl’s head. The wand wielder ducked low without looking at her as she landed in a roll on his right. At the same time he shot another electrical blast, this time at Alexa who was knocked unconscious as she was midway through rolling towards the couch. It was then that he noticed Randy stalking towards him swords out.
A fireball came from one bolt, and another electrical bolt from the other. Randy leapt to the side with unnatural speed and avoided them both, only to be rewarded by another electrical bolt to surge at him. He absorbed the charge feeling only slightly stunned and shook it off. A smile crossed his face as he turned to the balding thief, and started to advance.
“Not so confident now are you?” He asked as he started to move his swords quickly in an instinctive rotation.
The grin that Karl had worn until that moment had disappeared as he vainly shot lightning and fire at the shadow cloaked figure and began to trip over his feet as he back-stepped.
Randy stalked forward, angered by the danger his friends had been put in, terrified for their safety, and giving over to instinct as his swords moved independently of his brain. He leapt onto the chest of the thief, taking another blast of lightning directly to the stomach without feeling his flesh start to singe.
“MERCY,” Karl called out, but Randy could give no mercy. Randy was not in control, the darkness was in control as the mysterious shadowy hero brought both swords up and struck down, driving deeply into the villains chest.
An hour later Randy and Shadow sat together in the lounge car. A bandage covered her right shoulder from where the lightning bolt had hit, but she held Randy tightly in both arms. His face was blank as he stared into his glass. Tears streaked down his cheeks as thoughts ran through his mind.
“It’s okay baby, you did what you had to do. He nearly killed us.” Shadow cooed into his ear. Her forest brown eyes were deep and moist as she surveyed him. Her hand squeezed his. It was one of the rare moments where she didn’t know quite what to say.
Randy wasn’t all there at this moment either, but instead of letting the dragon instinct envelop him, he was remembering the last time someone deserved mercy, his mother and sister. He could only stand to whisper “Mercy… even he could have had mercy…Why?”
Shadow went to kiss him but was distraught; Randy had passed out in her arms.
Part 1
Chapter 7
Characters
The Dragon of Mystery
Young Randy Marsala
Jack: half elf, caravan guard, newfound friend to Randy
Alexa: Halfling; caravan guard, newfound friend to Randy
Shadow: (1/16 human) wood elf, caravan guard
Sven, Jimmy, Steve, Hilt, Onyx, and Karl: anonymous thieves
A wolf howled in the distance as the train charged through the mountain pass. The beast cried and cried at the approaching locomotive. The full moon shined brightly enough that the usually hidden wolf was easily seen in the thicket of trees overlooking the train tracks. From the west the train’s lonely whistle answered back as it came. The lonesome sound echoed to the top of the highest mountain peak. As it crossed the rarely used mountain path, fifteen miles east of the pass town of Emerald Valley, A dark lump could be just barely made out atop the first passenger car beyond the Train Engine. The wolf stared down at the figure, trying to tell the difference between it and the magical contraption rolling down the tracks. With a twitch the figure turned, staring cold eyes into the very heart of the wolf. The wolf turned around to run into a better hiding place, oddly frightened. Were that wolf to have looked closer it would have seen a man riding on the top of the passenger car, cloaked in shadows.
The man leaned back against a chimney in the car, his legs bent slightly ahead of him as he sat. His long ruffled in the wind and dirt and bugs flipped by his long hair, but were somehow deflected. Though the moon was full and shined brightly on the rest of the train, the area on that car in particular seemed to be missing the light, as though a mystery cloud was hanging in the sky. The hero leaned forward and scanned around himself once more. All was quiet and in harmony in the mountain pass. The few monsters about kept to themselves, and the animals did the same. There were no threats about.
Behind him the passenger car door opened, and the rungs of the latter were heard ringing. A tall cloaked woman stalked forward on the roof of the train moving toward the shadowy figure, as it barrelled along at a thunderous pace. The woman’s hood was off and her long curly hair flew back with the wind, leaving her dramatic pointed ears in plain sight. She crouched down in her heeled boots, her cloak opening to show the tall black boots and the armoured black leather pants that were her garment of choice. Once she reached the place where the dark hero sat, she reached out her gloved left hand to tap him on the shoulder.
“Just because were on night shift doesn’t mean you have to sit on the roof all night lover, you know well enough that the lounge car is a great place to sit between patrols of the train.” She cooed into his ear with a teasing tone.
“Sorry Shadow, I just seem to enjoy the evening air so much lately,” The rugged man responded absently. He peered at an upcoming mountain that housed an abandoned mine. The dwarves were efficient miners, but they rarely left things as they found them it seemed.
“Bullshit, you are out here because three trains have been hit by bandits in the last two weeks, and you think that you will somehow be able to deter train robbers by stalking around out here like a gargoyle,” She clapped his shoulder and called his bluff with a mischievous smile. She moved around in front of him and crouched down to look him in the eye. “If someone is going to rob the train, they will try it with you up here or you in the dining car between patrols,” she placed both hands on his shoulders as she looked at him.
“I suppose your right,” Randy sighed as he admitted his defeat and stood up. As they began walking to the back of the car, where they could jump down to the platform, Randy put his arm around the elf’s curvy waist to rest his hand on her hip. “You know, I do really like the view of the mountains. I didn’t see much of nature when I was growing up, with the exception of the occasional ski trip.”
With three feet left to the edge of the car roof Shadow grinned her sneaky grin. Before Randy could ask, she reached around with her left hand to smack his backside and leapt her long body into the air. She had the grace of a ballerina as her cloak caught the wind around her and she caught the vertical railing to the right side of the oncoming car in her un-gloved hand and the arch of her long black boot. Her acrobatic form slid down the remaining three feet of the rail to land on the steel platform with a muted clang sound. It seemed that she was always doing something playful around him. Not to be outdone Randy, after an entire year of frequent practice, changed to his shadowy form and rematerialized behind her as she looked up to the car and mocked him where she expected him to be “come on kid, you can admire the view later, our next patrol is up in a few minutes and I want to finish my coffee while its hot.”
“BOO!” Randy yelled from behind Shadow, and followed with an “Ooooow!” She reflexively elbowed him in the ribs as she turned to face the surprise. Her serious face quickly melted with mock sympathy “Aww, poor thing, did I hurt you?” she started to giggle as he patted his left side, where his armour plated shirt did not cover. She leaned in and kissed him, biting his lip. Before she withdrew from the embrace she whispered to him “there’s a lot more where that came from, and you know it.” She let go, opened the door and stalked into the first passenger car, where she seductively moved her hips with each step.
“It used to be so much easier you know,” he told her as he caught up and returned his right hand to her backside. “You walk for sixteen or 17 days, you trade with the villages, and then you walk back. Nobody attacked us, well almost nobody, and we didn’t have gangs coming after us greedy for gold,” He thought out loud with a reminiscent smile on his face, “and we had a lot of fun too.”
“Oh come on buddy, the only reason nobody really tried to rob the little convoys in the last decade was because they were too well armed and didn’t carry enough gold to make it worthwhile. Since the SWRTC upgraded to a train network and we have all this gold onboard, not to mention the valuables held by the passengers, it’s too tempting to pass up for good robbers,” She jabbed him in the ribs as they quickly walked through the first six passenger cars. “Besides, doesn’t the risk of armed robbery seem too exciting to pass up? I’m really surprised nobody has tried the 17, considering it runs the main lines between Ivory Tower and New Brook, the two largest cities on Woodhills,” She spoke with too much interest for Randy to stay comfortable.
“Don’t talk like that, we don’t need anybody getting hurt, especially the hundred or so passengers on this train,” Randy became overly serious as they walked into the dining car. Although standard size on the outside, the Lounge or Dining car took on the size of a full restaurant with kitchen in the front right side of the car. Magically enhanced it was a full thirty metres wide and fifty metres long. At this time of night it wasn’t overly busy however, as most passengers had retired to their sitting rooms.
“Oh loosen up Randy; any banditos wouldn't stand a chance. From what I here these idiots have seen too many of the old earth western movies and make like outlaws. However, nobody the likes of “the Kid or Sundance” have come about, and between my guns, Shadow’s quick whip and swordplay, Ley’s dancing daggers, and your sheer mystery and surprise combat we could do away with anyone who tried. That is our job anyway.” Jack swaggered up from the table where he and Alexa were sitting near three cups of coffee and two full platters with partially eaten cheeseburgers and fries.
“Don’t you guys have five more minutes until your hour is done?” Randy looked at his new steel wrist watch and teased Jack with the overdramatic gesture.
“I’ll have you know we are patrolling the dining car as we speak. There was a suspicious individual came down to eat and we had to check on that.” He pointed down the dozen or so tables barely occupied by people at the late hour. “And Alexa here was starving with that halfling metabolism of hers,” Jack indicated to the long haired hobbit eating a triple cheeseburger to his left.
Shadow swivelled her hips, as she never failed to do, within her flowing coat as she pivoted to her right and slid into the booth next to Alexa and picked up her coffee mug. “Geese kid are you going to sit down already, you’d think you were used to watching your lady move by now,” Jack teased as Randy sat down only after watching Shadow move.
“Is there anything wrong with him showing appreciation Jacky… and what the hell happened to my coffee,” Shadow retorted impassively and eyeing Jack suspiciously. She tilted the mug in her right hand to show it was empty.
“What are you talking about? It was like that when we got here.” Jack replied as he slid tossed a fry from the table into his mouth with expert precision.
“Bullshit, you were too thirsty to wait for your own coffee to get here and you drank hers.” Alexa finally piped up after devouring everything on her plate.
Before Shadow could give a smug confirmation of her suspicion Jack widened his smile and waved his hands in front of him openly as if to offer something “It was already cold, I did you a favour by drinking it.” Shadow could hardly contain herself at this point and started laughing hysterically, causing Jack to question “Now what’s so damned funny?”
“It’s alright, I was actually done and suspected you might be by, so I spat in it” Shadow managed to get out before laughing some more. The usually straight face on Randy cracked wide as he and Alexa joined Shadow in the hearty enjoyment.
The train attendant pushed her cart past and Shadow grabbed a pair of cokes from the middle shelf. One of the many perks of working for the company was that all beverages were free on shift and they were entitled to a free meal each day. She handed Randy one and added “Well I guess we had better start moving, its 11pm as of now. Have fun guys.” Gracefully she slid out from her seat and Randy Followed, regaining his adrenaline. Even if it was only a one hour patrol, stalking through each car gave him a sense of purpose.
“Good luck guys” Alexa said as she turned to look out the window in a very childlike gesture with her head on her hands.
“Ewwww, you are disgusting Shadow. See you guys in an hour,” Jack managed to stammer out now that the laughter had died.
As they walked out of the lounge car and into the games car and passed a pool game being played by two older looking elves, their hands met and Randy squeezed hard. “So do you think I should tell him I really didn’t spit?” Shadow asked under her breath.
“Let him stew until the end of the shift, and when we trade off again each hour you can tease him a bit.” Randy commented eyeing the room. His face got serious again as they neared the door.
Randy opened the door ahead of her and they slipped out. As Shadow’s heels clanged against the metal of the platform that bridged over the line between the two cars Randy silently grabbed her by the arm and pulled her around to the side of the door. He brought his left index finger to his mouth in a silence motion and pointed up to the roof, before he gracefully leapt landing silently in a crouch near enough to the rear of the car that he could see Shadow launch herself on her powerful warriors legs to make a similar silent landing in her enchanted boots. If one were to note the inconsistency of the noise they made it would be easy to see the mentally triggered silence incantation of her casual and seductive looking armoured uniform. As she landed to Randy’s left and turned quickly around, she looked at him inquisitively. Keeping his eyes on the platform between cars below them he raised his left hand with three fingers raised, he dropped one, then the next, and finally the third.
On cue the door opened and out stepped two of the scraggly looking men who had been in the corner of the games room. They wore brown leather coats and kept unshaven beards. Not unlike many people in Curvaturn they were armed. And not unlike trains on earth, passengers on trains were not allowed to keep their weapons on their person. A knowing grin flashed on Shadow’s face as the lead man walked across the platform to the far door and looked inside. He held his sawed off double barrel shotgun at the ready as he looked through the window.
He turned to his associate and explained “they are already through the next car; this is going to be real easy. Remember, we follow staying one car behind them until the ambush. It’s too easy as long as you don’t catch up to them from behind Jimmy.”
“I’m not that dumb Sven, just because I shot the wrong guy on the last train doesn’t mean I’m a total liability here. Remember, it was me who saved your neck in the woods against that forest troll on the way here. You’ve gone through the plan six times tonight, we ain’t gonna fuck up!” Jimmy indicated.
“Alright, I was just being thorough, I know you’re capable,” Sven appealed to the other robber and looked up above the car where Shadow and Randy sat “I don’t remember it being this dark out, You cant even see the sky for the cloud cover in these mountains. I hope we will be able to see Bill with the horses when we jump off.” He commented before Jimmy leaned back through the open door to call out.
“Okay Steve, you know the plan, keep our passengers busy until the landmark and then take your leap. And to the rest of you...” He indicated to the passengers inside as he waved a long revolver in his right hand before he finished “Steve here won’t hesitate to shoot any troublemakers, so nobody try and be a hero.”
As Sven and Jimmy walked into the next car of the rushing train the mysterious darkness above the cars dissipated, showing the two heroes whispering to each other, if anyone would have cared to look. Not wasting any time Shadow stood up and headed to the opposite side of the car and leapt over the side towards the lounge car. Randy did the same landing squarely in front of the games car door.
He swung the door wide and swaggered in, head held low carrying an ominous aura about him. A dark mist seemed to follow him in from outside as the door swung shut behind him. In the opposite left corner of the car another brown jacketed figure pointed a handgun his way and yelled “Don’t move mister, put your hands up or I’ll shoot.”
Randy started laughing and looked at the man known as Steve, before the man spoke again “What’s so damned funny? I said put those hands up.”
“I thought I wasn’t supposed to move; now I’m supposed to put my hands up? Which is it?” Randy stopped laughing suddenly and glared at Steve with a mad gleam in his eye.
Obviously a little spooked Steve looked confused as he stammered “JUST PUT YOUR HANDS UP!” The passengers in the games car crowding each of the walls cringed as the man yelled.
“Alright, how’s this?” Randy brought his muscled arms over his head in a stretching motion with his hands together.
“Much better,” Steve commented grimly as he stalked towards the hero, gun hand held out in front of him in his right hand. He held his left hand open and moved to open Randy’s coat.
“Whoa buddy, why don’t you buy me dinner first and see where it goes from there.” Randy commented as his coat was opened revealing his armoured shirt and the two black sheathed katanas hanging from his belt.
Eyeing the swords Steve moved his hand to grab one and screamed suddenly “OWWW” as he found his gun hand pulled back by a long black whip. “Hey, what the hell!” he called as his body spun back with the force of the whip. At the entrance to the car facing Randy stood Shadow holding her magical whip in her left hand and a very large sword in her right. To her left stood Jack, one pistol in his right hand aimed squarely at Steve, his left hand at his hip ready to grab his other holstered pistol. On her right stood Alexa holding a throwing dagger in each hand, leaving her main blades still hanging from her belt.
Before he could contemplate his next move Steve could smell flame and saw a flash of light on the right side of his head that materialized into the end of a flaming blade. From behind him he heard Randy instruct “now it’s about time you dropped that gun and put your hands in the air.”
Well the crowd in the games room clapped and cheered they quickly went about frisking and handcuffing the first of the robbers. As Jack and Alexa went to the bag of stolen goods Steve had left in the corner and redistributed the items from within to the passengers, Shadow stood over the thief sitting in his corner, hands cuffed and feet tied. “How many of you are there?” She said firmly looking him in the eye.
“Shove it, I ain’t telling you nothing,” he replied belligerently.
Shadow smiled wickedly and cracked her whip into the open space on her left and grabbed him by the neck with her now free sword hand. “Listen here your arrogant ass. Either you’re going to tell us what I want to know or I’m going to throw you to the ground and whip you until you cry and tell me… which will only take a minute, and then we will hunt down your friends.” Her voice carried a threatening posture but her face displayed an incredible joy. Randy shivered a little as he watched her work. Steve noticeably shook in his seat looking into her eyes now. Sweat came off his forehead as his face went pale. Her stare bore into him.
“How many of you are there?” Her tone had gone to ice now. Steve stared at her, frightened for his life and not knowing to answer. “Alright have it your way.” She cut into him with her words as she pulled his quivering body up by her right hand and through him to the floor. With only a slight wrist motion her whip flew up behind her and cracked down into his back with an overdramatic crack that stopped everyone in the car cold as they looked over.
“AHHHHH, alright alright! I give up. There are 5 more of us! Jimmy and Sven are moving back through the train robbing all the passengers, and Karl, our boss, and his two dwarf buddies Hilt and Onyx are waiting to ambush you in the last cargo car before the caboose where we got on the train. Just don’t hit me again!” He cried out babbling barely coherently and whimpered.
Shadow turned as the attendant entered with a food cart filled with snacks, and stopped startled at the sight of the sobbing man on the floor. “Jane, I’m glad you’re here. We caught a train robber, mind running and getting the conductor to take care of him while we get his friends?”
“Certainly Miss Walker, I’ll be back in a moment.” She looked at the sobbing Steve once more and hurried back towards the lounge car.
Jack, who was handing one of the elves they had seen playing pool his watch back, gave the man Steve’s pistol “you look like you can take care of him for us while we clean up the rest of the trash. The conductor will be here in a minute, hand him this gun when he gets here, and if this ‘dangerous criminal’ tries anything, shoot him in the kneecap.” The Elf smiled wide and nodded, taking the gun in his hand, and moving towards Steve.
Present business completed, the four heroes quickly took to the far exit heading for the next passenger car. The wind had built up in the few minutes since randy had been outside, and his and Shadow’s coats furled around them as they crossed the platform and entered the passenger car.
With a giddy voice Alexa jabbed Jack in the ribs as they ran through the car, “way to suck up to the VP of transportation, smart guy.” Looking in the standard semi-private rooms and waving to the frightened passengers. Since being robbed each of the rooms interior windows had their doors opened to show that that most passengers had their reclining seats in standard position on the edge of each room. Each car had four rooms that could fit eight people each. Each room housed reclining seats in two rows facing each other. On the ceiling in the middle of each room were mounted TVs, one in front of every seat. The first time Randy had seen them when they were transferred up to train duty the rooms had shocked him, reminding him of airline seating combined with train style rooming.
“Well when one of the executives just happens to be in the room after everyone saves the day, it’s a great idea to give him a bit of the action too.” Jack replied as they exited the car heading to the next one. “It also doesn’t hurt that he had mentioned to me an hour ago that he envy’s us the excitement that we get on duty.” Jack was smiling as he waved at the people seated with similar terrified expressions. The people in every room seemed to pacify at seeing the guard troupe running through the train after the bandits. An old man leaning on a cane held his head out a door near the end “They just went through the door; I hope you show those thugs what for!”
“Don’t worry sir; they will be taken care of.” Randy piped up as they hurried out the door. As they approached the next car Randy jumped up to the roof and hurried to the other side, Shadow right behind him. As they dropped to the platform on either side of the door they heard a shout from inside.
The rear door burst open and Shadow stalked in on the right sword held high and whip poised, Randy to her right both flaming blades in a defensive posture. Darkness crept through the magically lengthened car and seemed to defeat the incandescent lights. On the opposite side of the train stood Jack with guns aiming forward on Randy’s right, and Alexa once again holding throwing daggers. In the centre of the aisle of the car Sven held a shotgun aimed at Jack and Jimmy held his pistol to the head of a girl streaming tears. As Shadow and Randy walked in the end of a threatening sentence could be heard from Sven that sounded something like “or else” issued towards Jack and Alexa. Sven turned around swivelling the shotgun with him to see who had entered and aimed his shotgun squarely at the only target he saw; an elfin woman in a dark coat holding a whip and a sword “Put your sword down. Take one step further and the girl gets it, like I was telling your friends here.”
Shadow smiled at him “What girl?” and her whip began to fly. Confused, Sven turned to look at Jimmy, whose gun hand jerked as the girl in his left arm blurred away cloaked in darkness. The preteen girl reappeared behind Alexa and Jack just as the whip came down on Sven’s shotgun and jerked it out of his hand. Jimmy’s gun swivelled towards Jack and Alexa and he found himself dropping the pistol as a bullet struck his hand, and falling on his right side as a dagger cut into his left leg just above his knee.
At the same time, Sven reached into his coat and pulled out a rapier as he charged towards Shadow, who remained smiling. He slashed down at her as he tried to sidestep her going towards the door to her right. Shadow easily deflected the downward strike with her massive sword in her right hand, adding momentum to his movement with an upward block and a push towards the door. Using the momentum to her advantage she brought the whip around in her left hand to wrap around his legs. He fell face-first into the door, loosing all consciousness.
Within a minute both of the roving robbers were cuffed and sitting in passenger seats, rendered very immobile. The door leading to the front part of the train opened and Chesterbeard, dressed in fancy tan suit, white shirt. Ran into the room brandishing a pistol designed for his large, dwarf fingers. His look was made complete by the overdramatic cliché belt buckle, western tie, and white cowboy hat. Since being made conductor of the number 17 he had started dressing professionally for work. He huffed and puffed as he asked “How many are there?” He was quickly followed by Silverleaf and Matt, two of the guys from the day shift patrol.
“Three more. Can you take these two away? The others will be simple since they are waiting for us at the caboose. Oh, and the loot is from the last few cars, you will have to sort it out,” Shadow half asked, half instructed as they started out again.
As they ran out the door Shadow leaned towards Randy, “Great job saving that kid; you’re a hero once again.” Her voice was so seductive when she wanted it to be, and Randy lost his focus for a moment as they ran.
He regained composure after a few more cars and as they ran the darkness enveloped him more and more, and his form became less corporeal. As they reached the last few cars Shadow made the motion to stop.
“Lets take the roof and come in from the back and the windows; it will be easier to give complete surprise since they are waiting to ambush us.” Without any further explanation the most experienced guard amongst them leapt to the roof of the second to last car and crouched down. The other three followed her easily enough, Alexa forced to take the ladder. “Randy, could you hide us please?” she asked unnecessarily as they were already being enveloped in darkness with very little visibility. When they arrived at the edge of the car, Shadow picked up Alexa and leapt, followed by Jack and Randy. Shadow signalled with her hands that she and Jack would go in the back door and that Randy and Alexa were to dip in through the windows. Shadow and Jack slipped over the other end landing silently and Alexa and Randy went to the middle of each side of the caboose roof. As they heard the doors open Alexa acrobatically used the edge of the roof as leverage and swung her body into the air and down crashed feet first through a window. Randy on the other hand enveloped himself in mist, the technique he had been practicing for months and surprised Shadow with earlier, and consciously shifted his body to a shadowy form. The dark mist that was Randy seeped in through the opposite window into the Caboose.
The magically expanded caboose housed a few cubicles wear train auditors sat tied up and a guard station with security camera monitor where Joe the night watchman was also tied up. Near the front of the caboose in an employee lounge area was a couch, usually along the wall, which had been turned to face the door. Behind it was a man holding a rifle aimed towards the door, and two dwarfs with pistols, all waiting to ambush the front door. The back door opened with a crash and in stepped two Elves armed to the teeth. As the three turned around in synch to see the disruption to their careful plan come closing down, the window on their right crashed open due to a halfling woman flying through it and landing her feet squarely on the jaw of Hilt, knocking him cold. She landed in a roll and arose holding two long wicked looking daggers.
Karl took aim and fired his rifle, missing by inches as the halfling dived over the slumped form of Hilt for shelter. He couldn’t get off a second shot as his trigger hand developed the sudden condition of being ripped open by a bullet courtesy of Jack, who had taken cover behind one of the cubicle desks, and pushed Perry the auditor down under cover with him. At the same time Randy appeared near the front door, out of the spotlight and withdrew his swords.
When Shots were taken Onyx took the smart move and dived to the other side of the couch for shelter only to see the fast approaching Randy. He managed six quick shots, each of which were deflected by the flaming katanas. Onyx ran to Randy’s right as his shots were deflected and withdrew a battle axe from within his coat bracing himself in a defensive posture. Randy smiled as he stalked forward, darkening the room as he moved. His right sword came up and arced down across the left. Onyx brought his axe up for an easy parry carefully watching the left sword. Sensing an opening after the right sword was deflected back Onyx brought his weight to bear and hacked inward for Randy’s neck and struck thin air. Confused Onyx leapt forward swinging his axe to hit an invisible foe. A ‘whoosh’ sound became noticeable as a flaming blade came around from behind Onyx promptly removing his right arm just below the elbow. The axe dropped and the hardened warrior dived toward the door, sensing defeat. He was promptly cut off by a blade of flame blocking his path. He turned to look the victor in the eye and raised his remaining hand “I surrender,” he spoke before he slumped down against the wall.
On the opposite side of the enhanced, office looking caboose two electrical bolts jumped from a wand in Karl’s healthy hand, aimed at both Shadow and at the desk Jack hid under. Shadow dived out of the way, but was still knocked to the ground by the blast The Desk exploded in splinters and both Jack and Perry were thrown to the back of the car, next to the other desk where the bound form of the other auditor, Sally was already cowering under it. As that shot was fired, Karl’s hand healed and he grabbed another wand from within his coat. Alexa leapt from his left, daggers aimed for Karl’s head. The wand wielder ducked low without looking at her as she landed in a roll on his right. At the same time he shot another electrical blast, this time at Alexa who was knocked unconscious as she was midway through rolling towards the couch. It was then that he noticed Randy stalking towards him swords out.
A fireball came from one bolt, and another electrical bolt from the other. Randy leapt to the side with unnatural speed and avoided them both, only to be rewarded by another electrical bolt to surge at him. He absorbed the charge feeling only slightly stunned and shook it off. A smile crossed his face as he turned to the balding thief, and started to advance.
“Not so confident now are you?” He asked as he started to move his swords quickly in an instinctive rotation.
The grin that Karl had worn until that moment had disappeared as he vainly shot lightning and fire at the shadow cloaked figure and began to trip over his feet as he back-stepped.
Randy stalked forward, angered by the danger his friends had been put in, terrified for their safety, and giving over to instinct as his swords moved independently of his brain. He leapt onto the chest of the thief, taking another blast of lightning directly to the stomach without feeling his flesh start to singe.
“MERCY,” Karl called out, but Randy could give no mercy. Randy was not in control, the darkness was in control as the mysterious shadowy hero brought both swords up and struck down, driving deeply into the villains chest.
An hour later Randy and Shadow sat together in the lounge car. A bandage covered her right shoulder from where the lightning bolt had hit, but she held Randy tightly in both arms. His face was blank as he stared into his glass. Tears streaked down his cheeks as thoughts ran through his mind.
“It’s okay baby, you did what you had to do. He nearly killed us.” Shadow cooed into his ear. Her forest brown eyes were deep and moist as she surveyed him. Her hand squeezed his. It was one of the rare moments where she didn’t know quite what to say.
Randy wasn’t all there at this moment either, but instead of letting the dragon instinct envelop him, he was remembering the last time someone deserved mercy, his mother and sister. He could only stand to whisper “Mercy… even he could have had mercy…Why?”
Shadow went to kiss him but was distraught; Randy had passed out in her arms.