<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>
The Dragons are reunited, though not under ideal circumstances...



The officer jabbed Xathlor with his shock baton before the elevator doors had even finished opening. Despite his irritation at the Human’s incessant prodding, he stepped forward into the corridor obediently. There was a time to resist, and a time for patience. This was the latter.

Much of Xathlor’s life had been spent staying silent and unnoticed. He was good at it. Though admittedly, it was a lot harder now that he was over six feet tall and covered in scales.

No less than six security officers had piled into the elevator with Rax, Gev and him. Perhaps they’d watched Gev’s charge through the crowd and wisely chose to bring enough force to ensure they had no option but to cooperate.

Xathlor still wasn’t quite sure how he felt about using violence in such a scenario, but something within him still told him that coming to the aid of his new friends was the right choice. The rest of his brain, however, could only conclude that what they’d just done was absolutely insane.

They’d assaulted dozens of people on their way to the clinic. Xathlor wasn’t sure, but he thought some of the more badly injured Humans may actually have died. He’d tried to hold himself back during their charge as much as he could, but he'd felt a sense of urgency and impulse he'd never experienced before. He was reasonably sure he hadn’t killed anyone, but he’d hit many of those Humans hard enough to send them to the hospital.

Looking back on it, he couldn’t fathom what had gotten into him. Coming to the meetup yesterday was a huge step outside his comfort zone. In the end, however, it had felt right to be in the company of other dragons. That feeling of comfort and ease in the presence of others was something he hadn’t felt since… Well, ever.

He’d planned on taking today to himself as a reward for stepping outside his comfort zone. It was the first time in years that he’d actually spent time with anyone outside of work. Even when he’d been modified over a year ago, he still kept entirely to himself. He’d thought his coworkers would treat him worse for it, but it had turned out that they were so indifferent to his presence in the first place that their everyday interactions had barely changed.

It hadn’t bothered him at the time. Or at least, he thought it hadn’t. He’d been isolated for almost the entirety of his life and had come to expect it as the default. He’d found genuine peace and joy in solitude. He was bullied relentlessly growing up, so the calm and quiet he found in isolation was blissful by comparison.

It came as a surprise to him how eager he was to accept Gev’s invitation to join him and Rax today, despite how much he was looking forward to simply taking a day to himself. It surprised him even more when he found himself talking for probably too long about the minutiae of architecture of all things. They seemed to take it in stride though, and were warm and welcoming to him despite his rambling. Seeing Gev’s reaction to the mental changes invoked by his transformation into a Dragon was also intriguing. Up until now he had simply been experimenting and crafting theories on his own.

The shock baton jabbed Xath in the back again, snapping him out of his reverie, and was followed by a sharp cracking sound as the officer activated it behind him. The threat was obvious, and Xath quickened his pace through the corridor.

With his mind back on the present moment, he examined his surroundings with a critical eye. His years of work of an architect instantly told him that this place was not meant to be seen or used by the public.

Sturdy beams and sheets of metal fitted together with precision, intended for durability and function over aesthetics. There were only faint splashes of colour near doorways and at intersections on signs that pointed the way to cryptically named rooms or areas. “Alpha-23” could have been just about anything, but Xathlor supposed he’d find out soon as the guards lead the way down the corridor indicated by the small maroon sign on the wall.

They passed through a twisting warren of corridors, probably intended to confuse intruders, each one in the same metallic colour scheme. Steel and slate, chrome and carbon, all lit by uniform LED lights recessed in the corners of the ceiling and floors.

Despite his best efforts, Xathlor lost track of the direction they’d come in. He looked for any landmark to help guide them back out, but similar cryptic signs met them at each turn. He took note of the dark metallic domes placed at each intersection, and some of the longer corridors. He was certain each of them concealed deadly automated weapons.

Some companies requested imitation domes of this sort to intimidate anyone who knew what look for. Xathlor had made a hobby out of spotting the real ones from the fakes over the years. He’d only done so for entertainment in the past, amusing himself by seeing which companies would cheap out, and which were serious about security. Today, he knew that if they tried anything they’d be shredded by high velocity rounds before they could even think to defend themselves.

Before he could examine another of the concealed weapons, Xathlor found himself in a wider corridor broken up at intervals by transparent doors. Looking inside confirmed what he’d already suspected. Prison cells. This was some kind of clandestine military facility, owned and operated by Humanitech. He’d never had the opportunity to work on something so specialized and sophisticated before, but his work on more common corporate structures, coupled with rumours he’d heard already lead him to suspect exactly what this place was.

The lead guard gestured curtly for him to enter one of the cells. The transparent door slid open smoothly at his approach, then hissed shut again behind him.

The cell was composed of the same sturdy metal as the rest of the facility. The bed was too short for his enhanced frame, the sink almost comically small, and the toilet gave an excellent view of the corridor outside. He noticed a button next to the door and hoped it was what he thought it was. He pressed it, and the transparent reinforced glass of the door turned a solid black, bathing the cell in near darkness. Not dark enough to sleep soundly, but at least he could use the toilet without being disturbed.

He was about to deactivate the privacy screen, when it suddenly changed back to transparent of it’s own accord. Outside the door stood a man with thinning hair in a lab coat and large rimmed glasses. He looked to be in his forties, and was staring at Xathlor intently, as though expecting something from him.

Xathlor said nothing, simply staring back until something happened. These people held all the cards here. He was in captivity in a fortified clandestine facility surrounded by armed guards. Anxiety began to rise within him. The desire to be home and safe, away from the obvious danger of the situation, unseen and alone. Fortunately, both the logical and instinctual parts of his brain told him the same thing. Say nothing. Do nothing. Be invisible.

After a long and slightly uncomfortable silence, the man nodded slowly to himself. “So you do all know each other then.” His voice came through speakers cleverly concealed at the edges of the door, making it sound almost as if there wasn’t a sheet of reinforced glass between them.

Xathlor frowned at the man, but said nothing in response. His captor tapped a few times on his tablet, and three of the other doors visible from his cell went transparent in a flash. Kai, Gev, and Rax looked out from cells of their own at him, and to the cell on his left, probably where Amon was being held captive.

“Hey! Let us the hell out of here!” Xathlor heard a loud BANG as Rax pounded his fist against the glass.

The man glanced disdainfully toward Rax’s cell and tapped a key on his tablet, turning the door to his cell opaque again. Xathlor still heard a few more faint bangs as Rax pounded fruitlessly against the door.

“You. Tell me about your episodes.” The man asked Gev.

Gev looked worn out. Exhausted even. He slowly stood up from where he was seated on the bed, his shoulders slumped slightly, and his tail almost limp. “My… what?” He replied tiredly.

“Your episodes. What happens to you when you encounter someone else modified as you are?” The man asked impatiently.

Gev seemed to perk up a bit at the question. The same questions running through Xathlor’s mind were likely going through his. How did he know about the hallucinations? Why did he want to know about them? Is that why they were brought here?

“I… Don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gev replied slowly.

“I’m sure…” The man replied slowly. “Bring them in.” He said into his tablet. He turned to back to Xathlor. “And what about you?”

Xathlor took a moment before replying. “Why should I answer that?” He said carefully. He hoped the man would choose to focus on the others if he was as uninteresting as possible. It was his usual way of dealing with people.

No… It was his way of dealing with Humans specifically, he realized. He was nothing like this with these new friends that he’d known for only a single day. Which was… Incredibly strange now that he thought of it.

The man said nothing in response. He merely turned from the cell and busied himself with his tablet for a moment.

Xathlor exchanged a confused glance with Gev across the hall. Kai didn’t look over. He looked even more drained than Gev, now that Xathlor took a good look at him. What had happened to them down here?

Xathlor’s thoughts were interrupted by the now familiar sensation of rightness beginning to creep it’s way into the back of his mind. That was strange… Why hadn’t it happened when they’d entered the cell block? He was sure it was something that was, as their captor had implied, triggered by proximity to other Dragons.

His question was answered when the guards from earlier returned, steering a new Dragon into the cell on Xathlor’s right. He listened intently for the newcomer’s voice, but heard nothing.

It didn’t matter. The feeling of rightness continued to grow more and more powerful. Xathlor took a seat on the edge of his bed, keenly aware of the strange man now studying him intently.

He didn’t have time to consider the situation further as the darkness claimed him.

…

And he found himself soaring.

The sensation was at once faint and indistinct, yet intimately familiar.

The gentle caress of wind across the scales of his face and limbs. The reassuring sensation of being buoyed upwards as his wings caught the air just so and carried him higher. He pumped his wings, gaining speed and altitude.

The ground far below was an indistinct smear of grey and green. The sun nothing more than red-gold burning brilliance on the horizon. But even with his senses and even his mind caught between existence and the void, the sensation of flight was unmistakable.

He turned his head. Or tried to. Perhaps it was the world that turned for him with his intent. It didn’t matter.

Something vast leapt into his vision. A structure? Perhaps a tower, or a skyscraper. He wasn’t sure what it was with his perception so indistinct. All he knew was the sight of it instilled a sense of pride and courage and strength and life in him.

Rightness. Purpose. Determination.

Animus.

The word leapt to his mind as he felt more than saw the towering shape before him. Small shapes soared in the space around the structure. Other Dragons. He wasn’t sure how, but he knew it. Felt it. He was connected to them, and they to him.

That feeling of rightness, of Animus surged within him at the sight. That they were all part of something greater, something powerful, a higher purpose above and beyond anything else in this world. Each Dragon, indistinct and small as they were in this vision was a fragment of that.

He angled his wings, taking himself in an arcing swoop towards the structure, hoping with every fibre of his being that he could see more of it, be more a part of it.

His efforts were in vain. Instead of arcing closer to the structure, he found the very substance of the world around him shift into a dizzying cascade of images and sensations.

He fell through open skies and through huge rooms. He passed towering Dragons, diminutive Humans and other beings he couldn’t even begin to understand as they swept past him.

Lush forests, towering mountains, vast deserts, magnificent cities and destitute villages all swept past him, each one little more than a blur with a fragment of vague understanding on it’s surface.

He tried to slow down, to stop himself as he would in flight. It was more of an instinct, a reaction to the flood of images.

Shock flooded him as it worked. The cascade of sensation stopped upon a single fixed point.

He stood upon a stonework balcony. He could make out no more detail than that, the world still foggy and indistinct. The sun was setting over a vast valley flanked by mountains to either side.

He looked over to his side and felt, more than saw a figure standing there. Another Dragon. The creature was absolutely massive. It was no more detailed than anything else, but as before he felt the same connection to it as he did to the more distant Dragons from the beginning of the vision. Why was it so much larger than he was? If this was some kind of memory, shouldn’t he be the same size?

He tried to puzzle it out, but thought slipped away as the Dragon looked down at him. He felt warmth, welcoming, encouragement, and that shared sense of Animus from it. Like a smile from a dear friend, but so much more.

Everything began to fade, to go cold, colourless, dark, and empty.

It faded, and so did he.

But the Animus remained.

…

Xathlor still felt it when he opened his eyes again. Animus.

It had two meanings. The sense of purpose, determination, and fellowship with other Dragons.

The second meaning was more relevant to the small man staring at him from beyond the glass, and the guards flanking him. Opposition and rancor for those that opposed Dragonkind.

The strange man was staring intently at him. The lingering feeling of Animus was slowly fading from his mind, but strangely, he felt it stir as he stared back. The sensation was very closeto what he’d felt from the Dragon in his vision, and what he felt in the presence of his friends. Only it was so much smaller.

That shocked him, and he gasped slightly. The man looked back at him in confusion, not comprehending what Xathlor had just discovered.

Behind him, Kai was still still in the throes of another hallucination, muttering to himself under his breath. Gev was watching him with concern, and Rax’s cell was still blacked out.

“What did you see just now?” The man before him asked.

Xathlor frowned at the question. Despite the feeling of Animus, he still didn’t trust the man. He simply crossed his arms and refused to speak for now. Perhaps he’d deliver some kind of promise or threat, but until then Xathlor decided he’d bide his time and try as best as he could to not keep the man’s attention.

The man waited for a moment, then turned to Gev and asked the same question. Gev met Xathlor’s gaze, then looked back at the man, saying nothing.

The man also remained silent, and turned toward Kai’s cell. Kai had come back to his senses and was seated on the bed.

“And you, anything different this time?”

Kai sighed and looked up at the man. “It was hazy, like all of them. This one was just vague sensations of places, people, bits of conversation. Not like the last few.”

The man nodded and tapped the tablet, likely entering some notes.

“How does this help you exactly?” Kai asked.

The man didn’t answer until he was satisfied with whatever it was he was writing. “I don’t know yet. But the way that these cases of psychosis manifest in such specific ways tells me there’s a pattern somewhere. I just can’t see it yet…” He seemed to be speaking half to himself. “Anything I learn here, no matter how inconsequential it seems might be the key that lets me fix this and get back to solving real problems…”

Xathlor focused on the feeling of Animus coming from the man. He found it was actually quite difficult to sense. The harder he focused, the more found he could actually distinguish several sources. He could concentrate on each one and get a vague feeling of… Familiarity?

He focused on the Animus he sensed from Kai for a moment. Strangely, Kai actually seemed to notice. He looked up suddenly and met Xathlor’s gaze. There didn’t seem to be much he could do with that other than bother his friends, but it was still bizarre.

He concentrated on Amon, and despite not being able to see him, he had the distinct sensation of where he was relative to him. In fact, he could sense the direction of two more Dragons he didn’t know nearby. Their presence must have been how the man had triggered their hallucinations.

He noticed the sensation from Kai was stronger than anyone else. Perhaps because he’d been modified the longest? It was weakest from Rax. His mods were still taking effect and would require more time to fully assert themselves, even with his recent Acceleration treatment.

The connection was clear, the more like a Dragon they were, the more powerful the feeling of Animus he sensed from them.

He redirected his focus to the man in front of him. It was difficult. Focusing on his Animus was like trying to look at a candle surrounded by floodlights. Even so, he found the man and tried to focus as he did on Kai, seeing if he could attract his attention.

The man had been silent, scrolling through his notes in silent contemplation. But he did seem to get more animated, his back straightening ever so slightly as Xathlor focused.

He decided to take a risk. If this man was anything like them, then staying silent and unnoticed wouldn’t get him anywhere. And if Kai had already decided to share his experience, perhaps he should too.

“I was flying.” He said simply.

The man looked up at him sharply. The sensation of Animus pulsed faintly with his interest.

“Flying? And what did you see?” He asked.

“Some kind of structure. A… City, I think.” Xathlor decided to try and push a little further. Perhaps if he pressed against this unexpected Draconic Animus he sensed in the man, he could steer him towards a better outcome for all of them.

“It was… Magnificent. There were Dragons everywhere.” The vision was so hazy and indistinct. He’d have to embellish a bit. “The architecture was… Unlike anything I’d ever witnessed. It wasn’t built for beings like you or I. It was made by and for Dragons that ruled the skies.”

The man’s eyes widened and the Animus grew stronger in him, paltry though it was compared to what he sensed in his friends.

“I…” The man cleared his throat. “Very interesting… Unfortunately, I’ve already heard several similar accounts, though none quite so… Colourful.” He said. There was a faint waver to his tone, almost imperceptible.

Gev seemed to pick up on what he was doing. “I blacked out. It happens every time.”

The man turned and frowned at him. “Hmm, not helpful unfortunately. The majority of cases are like yours…” He paused for a moment. “Your other friend though, that was quite the scream wasn’t it? Would any of you care to tell me what that was? He seems… Uncooperative.”

“If it’s like the last time, then he saw himself die.” Kai replied. It hadn’t occurred to Xathlor to share that tidbit.

“He… What?” The man exclaimed. “I… There aren’t any others like that!” He tapped a few keys on his tablet.

The door to Rax’s cell went transparent. He was seated on the bed, but in a flash was up pounding on the door again. “Let me the fuck out of here asshole! I swear I’ll…”

His voice was cut off as the man tapped a key on his tablet. He turned to Kai. “Please talk some sense into him. You and him are outliers. Data points that don’t make sense. Figuring out why the two of you are so different could help lead me to a treatment.”

Apparently a fair bit had transpired between these two before Xathlor had arrived. He watched the exchange with interest. Hopefully his friends could steer this man towards their freedom, if that was even possible. If they could manage that, then Xathlor could go back to simply remaining invisible to these Humans.

That being said… Did he want to? For any other Human the answer was an obvious yes. But this strange man, despite apparently being in charge of their captivity had some sort of connection to Xathlor and his friends…

“Rax look,” Kai began, “ I know this whole situation is… A lot… But I believe this is our only chance to stop these hallucinations.”

Xathlor stopped listening as he thought more on the Human’s motivations… He was obviously heavily involved in Humanitech’s genetic modification program. He had a sense of Animus about him. He’d captured Xathlor and his friends specifically to interrogate them about their hallucinations of all things.

The answer was clear. He wanted to become a Dragon.

There were a few possible reasons he hadn’t done so yet. It could be that he would face repercussions within Humanitech. Extreme genetic modification was not something one did to further themselves in the world. It was a wonder Kai was able to achieve such obvious financial success despite his modifications.

Another more likely reason was that this Human, knowledgeable as he was in genetic modification, refused to use the technology on himself. Perhaps it was dangerous in ways none of them understood. Or, perhaps the hallucinations were something he’d already known were inevitable and resolving them would finally allow him to take the last step and become a Dragon himself.

He wanted more information on the hallucinations. Perhaps there was a way for him to get the information he craved, while also giving the rest of them what they desired in return…

“Wings.” Xathlor said softly, interrupting Rax before he could try to yell more obscenities through the glass.

The Human turned at him and blinked. “What did you say?”

“Wings.” Xathlor repeated. “You already know that the intensity of our hallucinations is correlated directly with the intensity of our modifications.”

What Xathlor didn’t say was that he suspected the strength of the Animus he felt from another Dragon was a much more likely cause, but he’d keep that to himself until he could confer with his friends in private. “Give us wings, and the intensity of our hallucinations will likely intensify in turn.”

The man looked quizzically at him. “Do you have any idea how hard it would be to do something as simple as opening a door if your hands were replaced with wings? It’s an amusing idea, but ridiculous.”

The sense of animus from the Human faded a tad as he shot down what he thought was the idea. Of course the idea of transforming one’s arms into wings didn’t resonate with him. In Xathlor’s visions, the wings had been on his back, leaving his arms free.

He shook his head at the Human. “No, not wings like that. On the back.”

The human gaped and sputtered at him. “On… On the back? Are you insane? There isn’t anything on this planet with six limbs that isn’t an insect!” Despite his protesting, the sense of Animus Xathlor sensed in him began to grow…

“What you’re suggesting would mean rewriting eons of genetic history going back to when the first tetrapods climbed out of the ocean!” He muttered to himself and paced about. “Trying to bestow extra limbs would sooner cause polymelia than give functioning wings… But perhaps cloning and grafting… We do it all the time with replacement limbs and organs now…”

The Human stopped pacing, his Animus a tiny but strong pulse now. “It might be possible. But it’s enormously risky and will take weeks of development to work. I doubt you’ll ever actually be able to fly, or fit through doors properly afterwards...” He abruptly turned to Kai. “If you want to risk all that, then I’ll try it on you. If you’ll consent.”

Kai was taken aback by the sudden request. Xathlor was too. He’d expected that he would be the one offered the treatment as it was his idea, but in hindsight that was silly. His hallucinations were apparently not useful.

“I’ll.. I’ll do it.” Kai said. He still sounded exhausted.

“I’ll do it too.” Xathlor interjected. He had to try. “My hallucinations might be more… Common… But they’re by far the clearest out of all of ours. You’d be more likely to learn something of use from me.” Animus pulsed within him as he spoke. A part of him still wanted to remain silent and unnoticed, but if there was any chance he could become more Draconic, he had to try.

Rax and Gev looked like they were about to demand the same, but the Human held up his hand.

“Stop. Preparing the modifications for just one of you will be challenging… Two makes this far more difficult, though it would at least provide more data.” He explained. “I’d do more if I had the capacity. For now, you’ll have to enjoy our… Hospitality for a while longer, unfortunately.”

"So you're just going to abduct us and keep us prisoner here then?" Rax asked with a growl.

The man turned to him. "You and two of your friends assaulted several innocent bystanders on Humanitech property. We've been granted authority by the government to detain suspected criminals, and you've very obviously committed more than a few crimes in front of our cameras. I think we have more than enough cause to hold all of you for as long as we need to conduct a thorough investigation." He finished with a faint smirk.

He gestured to the guards. “Have those two moved to the lab two floors down. Keep them under armed guard. Move the rest to the Secure Suites. Do not allow them to leave.”

The cell doors opened. Rax looked like he wanted to try something, but Kai gave him a withering glare that seemed to put him in a more cooperative mood, at least for now.

Xathlor allowed himself to be steered through the hallways once more. As they traveled back down the steely corridors, he felt the shared sense of Animus build between the five of them. On the advent of further modification, he couldn’t help but feel that sense of renewed purpose within him. He’d have to be careful not to think too hard on it. It almost felt like the beginnings of a hallucination.

Regardless, he and Kai, and hopefully the rest of them were about to take a massive step forward in their journey towards the Draconic. Where that journey ended, Xathlor couldn’t even begin to fathom. All he know was that they were on the right path…