Dragon Men

                   Dragon Men
Teal ran down the sidewalk talking to herself, “I am so late, he is going to kill me.”
She rounded the corner and barely dodged someone walking their dog. She rolled and sprang back to her feet and kept running.
She ran across the crosswalk and into the café shop, and was about to grab her apron when her boss stepped out and said, “you are lucky things are slow today. I want you to inventory the back room for starters, then check the bathrooms if no customers have come yet. If I wasn’t best friends with your mother, I would fire you right now. Now, GET GOING!”
Teal ran to the back room, trying not to smile to big.
Her uncle JJ maybe mad, but he would do anything for her and her mom.
Her mother and JJ had been friends for forever, though they acted like siblings sometimes.
He was also her godfather and, to her at least, was like a stepfather to her.
When she turned thirteen he offered her a job at his café shop slash bookstore so she could earn some spending money.
He even promised he would ‘try’ to teach her how to drive with his car in a couple of mouths or so.
But only ten months later everything changed.
Several cars ended up in the dry/riverbed, most of the people in the cars didn’t make. Teal’s mom was in one of the cars.
JJ kept Teal away from it all, and handled all the paper work.
When it was done, he became her new dad with her now living with him.
She soon found out what happened and cried for days, then shut herself up in her rooms and sulked.
JJ arranged for her to start school so her mind would be on something else.
But the first day of school, things got weird.
~
Teal dragged herself from bed and took a shower, more or less just standing under the shower head and let the water fall on her.
She got dressed and looked at herself in the mirror, though she never really questioned if she looked good or not.
She looked up and down first, then glanced at the corner just above her shoulder, and screamed.
JJ runs up stairs to sees what was wrong.
He opened the door and started to ask, “what happ…” he stared at Teal, and the wings on her back.
He stammered, “h-how did…when…hu?”
Teal was almost at tears, “JJ I’m scared. What is going on?”
JJ wrapped his arms around her, trying not to touch the wings, and gently rubbed her back. “We’ll get through this, together.”
Teal said through the tears, “I can’t go out like this, who knows what people might do or think.”
Then for no apparent reason, the wings slowly retracted into her back. A minute later there was no way of telling there had been wings there at all.
JJ stared openmouthed for a moment, then said to Teal, “why don’t you take another look, things might look different now.”
Teal looked over her shoulder at the mirror, and her jaw dropped.
“But how. Where did they go?” she asked, trying to touch her back to see if the wings were hiding or something.
JJ shrugged, “I don’t think it matters, as long their not there now. Now get dressed so you can go to school, just keep your cell phone handy incase they make a reappearance.”
Another two hours later, Teal was at school trying not to think about what happened that mourning.
Lunch came around, but Teal wasn’t that hungry.
She hid at the preschool while she nibbled on the lunch JJ made her.
When school finally ended, Teal was relieved.
She ran to the pick up spot for parents to get their kids.
She hid behind some bushes because she wasn’t sure if her wings would come out even though she had gone all day with them not showing up.
JJ drove up and Teal nearly jumped in the back seat, then slammed the car door closed behind her.
“Lets get home before anything happens,” Teal said while checking to see if the wings were trying to come through her shirt.
They made it home, with no wings showing up.
Teal did her homework while JJ made supper.
Everything was fine, till Teal said she had to go get something from the library. “I forgot to check out a book for school. I’ll just pop over and…JJ!”
JJ ran to see what had happen this time. The wings were back.
Teal was trying to pull them off, but JJ stopped her, “that may only make it worse. Lets just see what they are.”
He grabbed one of the wings to feel it. It felt like a reptile’s skin but a lot stronger. The place where it joined with her was a socket joint with the skin smoothly joining, with strong muscles from the base to the first bend/elbow of the wing.
He moved his hands along the edge, “how ever it got there, it seems to be a part of you. The only difference is, last time it vanished soon after it showed up. I’ll call the school and say you aren’t feeling well. We can only hope they fall for it,” and went to call the school.
Teal ran up stairs and hid in her room.
She closed the curtain and had only one light on so no shadows could show through.
She stuck her books in the corner, there is no way I can do that now, she thought as she grabbed all the blankets she had in her closet.
She sat in the corner with her blankets covering her wings, and hopped things might look better in the mourning.
JJ came in just before he went to bed and checked on Teal.
He found her with all her blankets wrapped around her and her wings.
He shook his head, “we can only hope this all clears up soon. Sleep well Teal.” and closed the door.
It was nearly ten o’clock in the mourning when Teal came downstairs, with a blanket over her back like a robe.
JJ suppressed a giggle and asked, “wings still there hu?”
Teal sat down heavily on the kitchen chair and said, “haven’t bothered to look in the mirror yet today. Guess I’m a little scared to. You can look if you want,” and let go of the corners of the blanket she was holding.
JJ slowly moved the blanket, afraid of what he might see.
The blanket fell to the floor as JJ’s shoulders sagged. The wings were still there.
He headed in to his office and said, “you can use my computer to keep up with your studies until we can figure where and how you got wings. There is fruit on the table if your hungry.”
Teal reached out and took a green apple from the fruit bowl on the table.
She didn’t feel that hungry really, but she knew JJ would make her eat something if she didn’t.
She bit into the apple and glanced over her shoulder.
Her wings peered back at her, like it was taunting her somehow.
She finished the apple and threw it away, and turned her attention to those wings.
It all seemed like a prank or bad joke.
She reached around and grabbed one wing and pulled at it.
JJ came in at the same moment and ran over and grabbed her hand.
He glared at her, “that wont help anyone. We need to study this and understand where they came from and why you have them. Maybe I can find out about something that is similar to this on the internet. We can do school later, just wait here and let me get my camera so I can have photos to compare to.” and ran off again.
He came back quickly and snapped a few photos, then hid in his office for the next few hours.
Teal stared at his office door with her hands on her hips, “glad your having fun with this. Since I can’t go out, I might as well do some homework. I’ve nothing better to do.” and dragged her feet back up stairs.
Teal spent the rest of the morning finishing her homework assignments, basically anything to keep her mind off her new ‘wings’.
It was nearly one o’clock when JJ called her down for lunch.
She munched on her lunch as JJ talked about what he had found online. “there have been other, stranger things, that have been seen growing out of someone’s body. Some common ones are extra fingers or toes, ear and noses can grow into a different shape all together. There was a big claim that one person was growing real fur all over his body, but it was just movie makeup and photo shop.”
Teal was getting tired of the whole thing, “you have said nothing about people growing wings, or tails, or anything else that a dragon might have. Did you find anything about that?”
JJ tossed the papers onto the table and shook his head, “no, nothing. Old Chinese stories about people becoming a dragon to help their village, but not on people just growing wings like you did. The thing is, your wings just popped up that morning. Wings can’t just hide out under your skin like that. Then they somehow shrink back into your back. The whole thing makes no sense.”
Teal glanced over her shoulder at her wings and asked, “can I stay home tomorrow? Even if they do go back to, wherever, I don’t want to chance it.”
“yeah. I’ll call the school and tell them you got a bug or something. I set up some work you can do in my office, its on the sofa bed in there,” JJ motioned with his hand as he got the phone.
Teal grabbed the blanket from the floor and draped it over her wings as she walked into the office room.
The office was set like a normal office space, a few pictures and some knickknacks on the shelves.
The pictures were of her and her mom, of her mom and JJ throwing popcorn at each other, and one of JJ holding Teal just after she was born.
She picked up the file from the sofa couch and sat down as she opened it up to see what she had to do, “read Hamlet and Macbeth, I guess he wants me to sleep for a while. Check out science site I found that lets you do experiments on the computer. Cool. Watch history videos I have saved in ‘history’ folder on computer, but do not delete them yourself! Ok, videos are more exciting then reading about it all anyway. Might as well get started, with the science site first.”
She grabbed the paper with the site name and sat down at the computer, without her wings damaging anything as she did.
She did one with metal in some liquid stuff that caused it to light up like fireworks, then a old-fashioned volcano that had her mold the shape and choose the ingredients to put in to see what would work best; then it gave a test to see if she had watched and remember or just sat there staring.
She pumped the air as it put up a A+ on screen, which was sent to JJ’s e-mail box as soon as she closed the window.
She then moved onto the history videos, sense she was already on the computer.
The first video was on a war over who got a piece of land where they had never been.
She shook her head, “some of these wars make no sense.”
The next one was the back story of money and where it got its name.
“it sounds more interesting then it looks,” she rested her chin in her hand as she waited for the video to end.
The others had glitches or something so she couldn’t watch them, so she moved onto the books.
She grabbed the top book from the pile, and grimaced. It was Macbeth.
“they make no sense. Maybe I will fall asleep before he comes to quiz me,” she opened the book and started reading, sure enough she fell asleep before she reached page ten in the book.
JJ walked in and found her laying in a odd position on the sofa bed, with a book on the floor.
He shook his head and put the book back with the others, then carried her up to her room.
He was surprised to find it was not that hard to carry her with her wings out.
He set her down on her side and covered her with her favorite blanket, kissed her on the forehead, then closed the door as he left.
For the next several days Teal would do assignments that JJ assigned her to do sense she didn’t not want to go anywhere with her wings.
Soon though people started to wonder what had happened to Teal.
JJ knew he had to do something or people would come around asking questions.
On Friday he stashed Teal in the back of the van, covering her with a black blanket.
Their drove to a country house one of his family members goes to too relax.
Teal crawled out of the van and looked around at all the trees.
She ask JJ as he tried to fold up the blanket, “no one will think to look for us here?”
JJ gave up and threw the blanket into the van and said, “I left a note saying we were going on a vacation around the world. By the time they do realize we should have those wings figured out. Now get inside while I go get our stuff from the house to bring up.” she ran in as JJ drove off.
It took several trips to get nearly everything they needed up to the cabin, and it was nearly sunset when he got back with the last bunch.
Teal stood at the door, ready to help in anyway she could.
As JJ stepped up to the door, she open it and said, “lets leave the rest for someone else to get and do with what they want. You brought the most important ones up in the first two trips, and I can live with out Shakespeare.”
JJ stuffed the bundle into her arms and said, “I left the old stuff that was in the attic and crawl spaces. I brought the books in this load, including Shakespeare.”
Teal glared at JJ but carried the bundle inside.
It was nightfall by the time they brought in the finally box of stuff.
They fell onto the sofa, both exhausted from the whole days work.
Teal’s wings drooped onto the sofa, one nearly lying on the floor and the other falling across the back like a blanket.
JJ lightly rubbed a wing and suggested, “you might want to try flying with these things one day.”
Teal slumped even more so on the couch, “you know I don’t like heights. Flying is the last thing I plan on doing. What do you have for home school work for me?”
“why not take a break from home work for a while. I brought your books up, why not go and read for today?” JJ pushed himself off the couch and went to try and research more on dragon folklore from china.
Teal rolled her eyes, “that means you have not made up any assignments for me. Might as well see what I can do with these things,” and headed for the basement to try out her wings.
She tried just folding her wings close to her body, and even managed to link the elbow joints behind her head.
She then tried to bend the wings in front of her like a shield, but the wings just kept flapping behind her.
She stood in front of a mirror and worked at matching her wings to her arms, soon she felt like the flags sailors use when at sea to signal other ships.
“maybe this wont be so bad,” she thought as she did side moves with her wings.
Just when Teal was about to try yoga moves, JJ walked in and asked, “what are you doing to yourself?”
Teal was so startled she fell onto her wings, and for the first time it hurt.
“I was trying to see what I could with my wings. I was about to do yoga, but now they hurt really bad,” and tried to get up by herself.
JJ offered his hand and pulled Teal to her feet, then checked her wings. “they do feel swollen, just a little. Lets get some ice on them before it gets any worse,” and gently holds her wings until they left basement.
With Teal lying on the living room floor face down, JJ carefully laid ice packs down on any swollen areas.
When he set the last one, he sat back against the wall and asked, “so you want to try flying tomorrow?”
Teal rolled her eyes, even thought she knew JJ couldn’t see, and said, “I want to try fighting moves next, or defense if you prefer. I could use some help with trying to fold them in front of me like a shield, good for high winds or rain.”
“we’ll work on that tomorrow, today lets just try and get your wings to relax from your spill,” he gently rubbed one wing, “they feel less swollen, but stiff now. I’ll shut the blinds so you can rest for the night out here, easier then trying to get you in bed with your wings in a comfortable position.”
Teal watched as JJ adjusted everything to protect her, just like he did during the car crash in the river bed years ago.
He never had to and was never asked to do anything for her, he was a dad to Teal even when she drove him mad.
She started to cry and tried to hide her face, but JJ heard and sat down next to her and rubbed her neck until she fell asleep.
He grabbed a blanket and sat down across from Teal, just to be there if she needed anything that night.
Before he fell asleep he thought back to the day Teal was born, all the times he gave her a bath when she was small, he saw her take her first steps, when she got her first bad scrap and how she cried to sleep in his arm after he fixed her up, but after all these years he didn’t want her calling him dad because he never married her mom or anything like that.
“tomorrow we’ll try wing exercises. Maybe I can get you to try flying, or hovering in the air anyway,” he yawned and closed his eyes, and get some real sleep for once.
~
Teal woke first, but soon realized she still had the, now water, packs on her wings and couldn’t stand up.
She called out, “I could use some help, please.”
JJ opened one eye and saw Teal trying to shift the heavy bags of water off her wings.
He groaned and shoved the bags off and said, “I guess you feel better this mourning?”
Teal sat up and flexed her wings, “a lot better. I’ll go stretch them out a bit, while you wakeup,” she giggled as she headed for the basement.
JJ rolled his eyes, “ha ha, vary funny,” he stumbled to his feet and managed a quick shower before he heard Teal say she found out something else she could do.
He dressed and walked into the kitchen, where Teal had a small fire going in a cooking pot.
Teal beamed a big smile at JJ, “I can breath fire. Watch,” and blew out wisp of fire from her mouth.
JJ stared at the whole thing. “ok, so we have to work with your wings, and control fire breathing. What’s next?”
Teal giggled, then after breakfast JJ helped Teal really stretch her wings out.
JJ showed Teal drawings of dragons in poses she could try, but just ended up falling on her face or bottom.
They worked on everything from mirror exercise to yoga poses to try and get her wings to work with her and not against her.
It was well past noon when they stopped on wing-works, and Teal slumped onto the couch and was already starting to doze off.
JJ chuckled at the sight, “you can’t sleep now, one you need to eat something because it is lunch time, and two if you sleep now you wont sleep tonight. Come on, on your feet and to the table.”
With a lot of effort on his part, he got Teal into a chair at the table and her head resting in her hands just to keep her head up right.
Teal yawned and tried by herself to stay in the chair, “how about a smoothie? No real work involved in eating that.”
JJ stated, “you need to eat something, and a smoothie is something you drink. Try a sandwich, your favorite kind,” and placed a plate with a sandwich right in front of her.
Teal picked at the sandwich for a moment, caught JJ watching her, and took a small bite out of the sandwich.
After eating a few more bites JJ makes and eats his own lunch.
Around an hour later Teal finished her lunch and started to doze right at the table.
JJ could hardly believe it, and this time just carried Teal back to her bed to sleep everything off, he would later figure out how to get her to sleep at a regular time.
She managed to sleep till early the next day, and woke to not feeling like she had knots on her back.
As he gathered things to go out, JJ said, “I need to get a some food and such, I shouldn’t be long. don’t do anything with your wings that might make it hard for you to move after. Try sitting in front of a mirror and posing.” but the moment he was out the door, Teal slumped onto the couch with her wings laying across the back.
“I don’t want to stay inside and stretch, I want to learn to fight and defend myself. He said not to do anything that might hurt my wings, but he didn’t say I couldn’t go outside and try some moves there,” Teal jumped off the couch and ran out the back door to get some wing practice in.
She was so happy to finally be outside she didn’t notice she was heading for a cliff/waterfall till it was too late.
Her foot stepped off the edge and she fell down with her wings struggling to catch the air, “maybe learning to fly is not such a bad idea.” she grabs a small branch sticking out of the cliff side, and over the sound of the waterfall next to her she heard the sound of voices.
“great, can this get any worse,” she wondered, and felt the branch give ever so slightly.
~
JJ came home expecting to find Teal in the basement doing sitting yoga in front of a mirror, like he suggested.
He walked in and found that the house felt empty, and that worried him.
He banged open the basement door and called out, “Teal you down here?” but heard nothing.
He ran to every room in the house but didn’t see her anywhere, the only answer was that she went outside.
He ran out back, hopping she would be smart with that at least, and saw foot prints leading towards a cliff/waterfall near the house.
He took a side path and ended up higher then the cliff/waterfalls, and saw several people gathering to look at something.
He clinched his hands and thought, “please don’t let it be Teal.”
~
Teal hung onto the branch just feet from the raging waterfall.
She knew she couldn’t hold for much longer, but if anyone came to help her they would see her wings.
She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
~
JJ stared at the scene from a cliff that overlooked not only the waterfall but the town as well.
He could just make out Teal hanging onto a branch with what strength she had left, her wings flapping around in the air.
He knew he had to do something, but what?
Teal screams as she feels her hands letting go, and JJ jumps off the cliff without a second thought heading for her.
~
Teal’s hands hurt and could not hold on for much longer.
She screams as she hands let go, suddenly something slammed into her and carries them both away from the waterfall and prying eyes.
They land hard, knocking the wind out of Teal. Once she can see again, she sees JJ looking down at her. She glances behind him and her eyes open wide. JJ had wings.
Teal stared at JJ wings and asked, “how, when did you get wings?”
JJ smiled and flexed his new wings, “I really don’t know, I just knew I had to save you somehow. So I jumped and the wings appeared. Good timing I think.”
“yeah. We have to get out of here before people come looking for me, or us.” Teal glanced all around for any sign that other people were near by.
“no problem, I can fly us out of here,” JJ stretched his wings out all the way to nearly 20 feet.
Teal was not convinced, “can you carry me while you fly? I mean, your wings can carry you, but me as well?”
JJ scrunched up his forehead in thought and said, “you have a point. You have had your wings for a while, and I just got mine. I am not even sure I would call what I just did flying or gliding. I guess we climb back up to the house.”
They hike for hours, but when they reached the area with the house they see several people walking around.
Teal takes a step back and into a gun barrel.
She said in a small cracked voice, “uh, JJ.”
JJ turned, and came within inches of another gun.
One man with a gun stated, “you will both come with us, now.”
JJ took Teal’s hand and they walk quietly between the two armed men back to a large van with blacked out windows.
They shove them in and lock it up before driving off to somewhere that JJ knew would not be easy on either of them.
Teal leaned into JJ and asked, “this is not a hiding to protect us thing is it?”
JJ wrapped his wings around Teal and said, “I am afraid they may do stuff to us, vary uncomfortable things. I just want you to know I have always loved you like a daughter Teal, I just didn’t want you to call me dad because I never married you mom nor am I your birth father.”
Teal rubbed her face in JJ’s shirt to dry the tears starting to flow, “I love you to…dad.”
JJ wrapped his arms around Teal and kissed her for a long moment on her forehead, thinking this was their last time together.
They sat close together in the back of the van, waiting for it all to end, when the van suddenly jerks to a stop and they hear people yelling.
The doors swing open to show the men knocked out lying on the ground.
JJ climbed out first to help Teal out, and saw several other people with wings on their backs.
Teal sat on the edge of the van and stared at them all as JJ asked, “where did you come from?”
One with navy blue wings stepped forward and said, “we have been looking for the girl for a few weeks, and by chance you found your wings just as we get close. Unfortunately so did the fake hunters. We are Dragon-men, or Dragon-woman for girls, and have the powers of dragons of days long past. We are not even sure how we came to have them, but we do not fight it unlike your friend there,” Teal rolled her eyes and looked away with annoyed groan, “we have come to bring you back to the dragon colony, be with others like you.”
JJ was not yet convinced, “why didn’t you send a letter or something to say there were others like, us, out there. I have looked around but have found nothing about dragon people anywhere.”
A female with pale red wings said, “we must hide to protect ourselves until the dragon lair is found and we all can live in peace in our own home.”
Teal jumped down off the bumper and asked, “what is the dragon lair, and why can’t you just look it up on a map or something?”
The big one in the group stated, “the dragon’s lair is a world made for dragon-men and woman, where we can live out our lives with no one looking at us like we were freaks of nature. Only the two chosen ones can find it and showed the way for the rest.”
“let me guess. You don’t know who the chosen ones are, so you look for any Dragon-men to see if they are the ones?” JJ asked, though it sounded like telling to Teal.
The others all nod then start walking back to the dragon colony they mentioned.
After what seemed like hours they to a cave with a small opening.
JJ looked at the hole questioningly, “can we all get through there?”
The big one smiled and pulled its wings back in before climbing through the hole.
The others follow until there were five out side.
Teal bit her lip and said, “I can’t control my wings like you guys can. I guess I stay out here.”
JJ opened his mouth to say something, but one of the girls walked over and gripped Teal’s wings.
Slowly and gently she pushed the wings back down and into Teal’s back until the wings were completely gone.
Teal’s mouth hung open at the sight, so the girl pulled her to the hole and nudged her inside then followed after her.
The two others help JJ with his wings before going in the hole to wait for him.
JJ took a deep breath and said, “here it goes,” and climb in. it was utter darkness for the first several feet, then suddenly the whole room filled with light.
When he could see again, his jaw dropped.
Inside was huge cave were hundreds of people with wings on their backs.
Kids over the age of four ran around with tied wings to keep them from knocking to much over, and older one with wings that were almost see through.
It looked like a community of dragon-men, hiding from the rest of the world.
Teal backed up at the sheer sight of it all, right into JJ who instantly wrapped one arm around her middle to give her balance.
Teal cringed as she said, “sorry”, but JJ smiled and gave her a little squeeze.
A man with big brown wings stepped forward and bowed, “welcome to this small dragon colony. Please tell me your names.”
“I am called JJ by everyone. This is Teal,” JJ answered, then tickled Teal in the side till she giggled.
“I am known as the mayor, though I really just hand out food rations to everyone. Is there any chance either of you have a map on you?” the mayor pleaded.
Teal and JJ looked at each other for a moment, but shook their heads.
The mayor sighed, “I was afraid of that. This colony was started years ago, by dragon-men who are now old winged. They maybe gone before we ever find the chosen ones.” he walked away with his wings dragging on the ground.
Teal and JJ were given a house they could stay in together on the side with a wall right behind them.
Teal sat on the bed and asked, “how do they know to look for a map anyway?”
JJ shrugged, “they may think that to get anywhere, they need a map. When we were in the car, did you get a tickle on the back of your neck?”
Teal closed her eyes as she thought back, “yeah, I think so. Like something was trying to get me to go one way, but we were moving so fast I couldn’t do a thing about. You don’t think we are the ones they are looking for, do you?”
JJ laughed, “who knows. I mean, it would be something if we were. I raised you, you got wings first then I got mine saving you all in under a matter of weeks. They maybe looking for the Draco constellation to point the way or something. Looks like everyone is turning in for the night, we should to.”
JJ laid down with his back to the wall, then Teal laid down facing him and her wings out.
JJ wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “we need to do something about your wings in the mourning”.
Teal laughed and draped one wing over them both to act as a blanket.
Soon they were fast asleep, Teal’s head resting on JJ’s chest.
They woke to a bell ringing loudly outside the house, though they both wanted to sleep a little longer.
Teal tucked her head further under her wing and whined, “five more minutes.”
JJ pushed up the half of her wing on him and said, “we better get up now, or they may do it their own way.”
Teal just rolled over to get more sleep, and fell onto the floor with a thud.
“you ok?” JJ asked leaning over the edge of the bed.
Teal groaned, “yeah. Hope I can take wing training today, cause I am tired of them hurting all the time.”
JJ chuckled and climbed over her to get some cloths, but soon realized neither of them had any spare cloths with them. “what do we do about cloths?” he looked back at Teal, who looked just as confused as he did.
A knock on the door and a voice saying, “cloths” drew their attention away from their own thoughts.
Outside their door was two piles of cloths, one for each of them.
Teal smirked, “that takes care of the cloths problem.”
JJ shoved her to the side and grabbed both piles of cloths.
Teal closed the door and jumped onto JJ’s back, sending them both to the floor giggling as they tried to grab not only their own change of cloths but each others just to annoy the other.
After several minutes they finally get on their cloths and walk out with their old cloths tied together to see if there was a place to clean them.
They drop the cloths at a cleaning station then walked to a viewing ledge, with a view of some amazing stalactites.
“so how long do we stay here?” Teal asked as she leaned out to look down and try to see the bottom.
JJ though didn’t want her falling so he wrapped his arms around her middle and answered, “as long as they will let us stay. don’t lean out like that, you could fall and I may not be able to get you back up.”
Teal wiggled in his grip, “I am not that clumsy with my wings. At least let me bre…” Teal’s body went limp in his arms.
JJ laid her down away from the edge. “Teal can you hear me?” she didn’t respond, “Teal say some…” then JJ fell down beside her, both in some kind of trance.
*it felt like they were being pulled through something thick.
Everything blurred together like a kid’s finger painting, making them think they would be sick; but strangely weren’t. soon though the blurs slowed and sharpened into places, then into what could only be called realms.
Each realm seemed to be in a bubble, and all the bubbles were zooming around at once; except for two.
A blue-brown bubble and a multicolored bubble, looked stuck together as they spun in place.
The two bubbles inflate, then burst open with intense light that filled the area they were in.*
Teal and JJ open their eyes to see several people standing around wondering if they were ok.
A few people help them back to the center of town where some medical people could take a look at them in the fire light.
They sat next to each other with blankets wrapped around them.
Teal asked, “did you see the bubbles, flouting around?”
JJ slowly nodded, “all the bubbles zooming around, and the two stuck together. The blue-brown one reminded me of Earth. Any idea on the multicolored one?”
“yeah, a really good idea. The dragon realm. I could see purple and brown among the other colors, which is the basic colors of dragon scales. Does this mean, what I think it means,” Teal chewed her lip in worry.
JJ open his blanket and pulled Teal close to him, “whatever happens, we don’t leave the other behind. The mayor will likely want to ask us what happened, and what we may have seen.”
Teal rested her head on JJ’s chest, “we tell them exactly what we saw, then go from there.”
They hugged each other as they waited for the inevitable questioning to come.
Once everyone went back to what they had been doing, the mayor and several people that looked like they spent a lot of time reading walked over and invited Teal and JJ back to the library to talk.
Everyone sat around a round table with a chandelier over the center.
The mayor asked with great concern in his voice, “are you two all right?”
Teal yawned as JJ answered, “our heads still feel a little off, but over all ok. Who are all these people?”
“they are our scholars. They have red all they can about the dragon lair, in the few books we could find. Like you, a few people will black out and have a dream, they then tell them and they see if they are the ones. Most of the time they are not. If it is not to much trouble, could you tell us what you have seen; tell as much as you can remember,” the mayor sat back and waited with the rest of them men.
JJ and Teal looked at each other for a moment, then Teal started. “we felt like we were being pulled through something thick, but it didn’t hurt us and we didn’t feel like we had to breath. Everything was a blur for a while, then,” JJ took it from there, “we slowed down and the blurs shaped into bubbles that were flying everywhere. We then saw two bubbles that looked stuck together, and spun side by side in one place. They suddenly started to inflate then burst open with light. Then we woke to find the town standing over us, wondering if we were ok.”
The scholars sat for a moment, like they had to absorb everything they had said.
Then one by one the scholars walked to another room in the building.
After just sitting for a while the mayor lead Teal and JJ back to their house so they could try and recover from the day.
Teal sat on the end of the bed, to scared to sleep right now, “you didn’t tell them my idea.”
JJ paced back and forth in the room, “I didn’t want to get up their hopes. With the dream and your idea, they may parade us around and call us heroes even though we may not be. We will let the brains think about what we told them, and go from there. You ok after all that?”
Teal pulled her knees up to her chin, “I just wonder, why us? You have been looking after me sense mom…I know I have not been easy to live with. Then I got wings and I stayed home to hide them, then you got them and we were nearly sent to a lab or something and…” Teal broke down in tears.
JJ gathered Teal his arms and sat on the bed.
He stroked her cheek as he tried to calm her down, “even if I had known what would have happened, I would still look after you. Whether you had wings or not wouldn’t have made a difference to me. You and I will always be together, no matter what. I think you should get some sleep, sense you had a lot on your mind…did you hear that?”
A siren blared outside. Teal and JJ ran out and saw everyone running to try and get everything they might need.
JJ grabbed a man as he ran past and asked, “what is going on?”
The man yelled over the sirens “we’ve been found. Get out while you can.” then jerked out of his grip as he ran off.
JJ had to think fast. He kneeled and said to Teal, “find the mayor and ask him where to go, then just run.”
“what about you? I wont leave you behind,” Teal could hardly think with the siren blaring away.
“don’t worry, I will find you, no matter where you are. Now go,” JJ pushed Teal away as he ran toward what he thought was the library.
It didn’t take Teal long to find the mayor, but a while just to get close enough to ask him anything.
He did say ‘follow the rest of the group, they should all know the right way’, though she had the feeling he was just repeating what he was saying.
Everyone ran through the tunnels, trying to get away from the people that wanted them in ages and who knows what.
Teal ran hopping she would find JJ soon.
Someone ran right past her, and gripped her hand.
“hold on and stay close,” JJ turned and smiled back at Teal, just so she didn’t freak out to much.
“where were you,” Teal yelled as she tried to keep from getting run over.
JJ pulled them to the side where there were less people. “I went and found the books at the library, but found they are just stories from a kids book from china or somewhere. You and I will try and find this place, even though neither of us know what to do. Isn’t this the way to the drop off?”
They see people jumping off the end, into the cave below.
When they reached the edge and looked down, Teal and JJ saw everyone gliding away into the darkness.
Teal dragged JJ away from the edge before saying, “I can’t fly JJ, I can’t. I’m sorry.”
JJ looked back once, but said, “don’t worry, I don’t want to try flying at this moment either. There has to be a path out of here, and not the way we came in.”
Teal’s eyes open wide as she remembers and says, “I think I saw a path when I look over the view spot, we maybe able to get to it.”
JJ smiled wide, then they both ran back to the view spot and try to find another way.
As they near the view spot, Teal jerks her head around when she hears people yelling.
She whispered, “some got caught. Looks like we can’t help everyone” then continued her climb up.
JJ pulled Teal the rest of the way before looking around for the path she mentioned. “I just see a bunch of rocks, nothing that looks like any kind of path. Are you sure about what you saw?”
Teal leaned out to the far side, and just kept from yelling out, “its over here.”
A line of stones looked lighter then the rest.
A blast from town caused them both to turn around, and see fire and smoke rising all over town.
“lets head out before they head over here,” JJ nearly jumped down on tot eh path, then helped Teal down then they both walked as fast as they could.
Even though they were going farther into the cave, the stone path grew brighter ahead.
After walking for hours they finally see a spec of light ahead.
Avoiding slipping and falling farther down into the cave, they reach a small underground rocky hill that led to a hole with bright light pouring in.
JJ climbs up halfway, then offers his hand to Teal to help her to the hole, “be careful, we don’t know what is out there waiting for us.”
Teal stumbled to the hole, then slowly pulled herself through to the outside.
Once out she kept her eyes open for anything off while JJ made his way out.
Together they ran through the clump of trees trying to get as much distance between them and the dragon hunters.
JJ had run only a few minutes, when he heard Teal yelled “JJ help!” he found Teal tangled in some vines.
He tried breaking the vines, but they were young and strong. “pull in your wings, then you can get out yourself.”
Teal tried but her wings didn’t budge, “I can’t, they wont work with me.”
JJ grabbed Teal’s head and said, “you have to relax. Focus your mind on what you want to happen, like back in your room the first time. Relax your whole body and focus on the one thing.”
JJ stepped back as Teal closed her eyes. She thought of rain slowly falling to relax, but was jerked back at the sound of something blowing up. “their getting closer,” she turned to look, but JJ forced her to look at him again.
“I will keep them away from you until you can get out, if need be. Now calm down.”
Teal closed her eyes, and thought of her wings shrinking back into her back.
With one last grunt she opened her eyes and looked behind her; no wings.
With some help she stepped out of the vines and ran once again with JJ away from the hunters, and maybe to the entrance to the ‘dragons lair’.
They had been running for at least a week now, and Teal was having a weird reaction to something.
Using a radio JJ and Teal could keep track of if people like them had been seen or taken.
The latest one was about sudden surge of items being stolen from stores.
“they are not making it easy for the rest of us to get anything. You feel ok there Teal?” JJ pressed his fingers lightly against her neck to check her pulse.
Teal breathed in a shaky breath, “I don’t know. My chest feels smaller then my lungs. JJ…” she fell into him as she started to sob.
JJ slid his hand under Teal’s shirt, rubbing her chest to try and relive some of the pressure she was feeling.
She was soon asleep in his arms, so he just rested his head on hers and tried to get some sleep with her.
They were awoken by a loud bang. They look around and see smoke rising from about a mile away.
JJ got to his feet, then pulled Teal to her own, “we have got to move. Now.”
They ran through as much woods as they could, only running across a road as a last chance route.
They see what could have been other dragon-men, but neither stopped to find out.
When the sun started to set they tried to find some shelter to stay in for the night.
With the last few rays they find a gutted building that didn’t look vary stable.
Teal bit into some fruit they had found, “we can’t keep running like this. What do we do?”
“honestly, I have no plan. I have no idea where we should go, or what to do. The only thing I will do, is keep us alive and away from people who might try and harm us. Lets try and get some sleep while…did you hear that?” JJ look toward the doorway as he tried to listen for the sound.
He crept up to the door, then walked around the corner.
Teal sat and waited in the quickly darkening building.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she crept to the doorway and called out, “JJ, where are you?” someone covers her head with a bag and pulls her right off her feet.
~
“Teal, you ok?”
Teal opened her eyes and saw JJ smiling down at her. She threw her arms around his neck, happy to see a friendly face after being abducted.
“JJ, thank goodness you are ok. You were gone so long, I thought…WOW,” she finally got a good look at the room they were in.
It was of oriental style, with carvings in the furniture and the walls, with a drawing on the ceiling.
The large bed had a beautiful quilt laid out, with a story of something stitched into it.
There were windows, but had sheets covering them so no one could look on them.
After a long moment of Teal hanging her mouth open, JJ said, “we weren’t kidnapped or abducted. We were rescued, by them.” he pointed as the door opened and a few people with different shaped and colored wings on their backs walked in. Asian Dragon-men.
“we apologize for the way we took you. We only meant to get you to safety, and would explain things at a later time. JJ has told us about your dreams, and we believe you are the chosen ones to leads us to the dragon’s lair,” the one in sand colored robes said, with his face not showing any emotion.
Teal blushed, “we really don’t know what we are doing. We have dreams, we can’t tell what they mean, and one time we fell something but don’t have time to think on it. How in the world are we supposed to find a ‘door’ that will lead to this dragon’s lair?”
JJ coughed and said, “I have a slight idea how.” he pulled a book out from under the bed. “I took this from the library just before I met back up with you. It has all the info they ever found about the lair, and a map of sorts that may lead us, and the other dragon-men to a safer place.”
Another Asian dragon-man clapped his hands together, “good, good. You can start your search for the lair tomorrow, for tonight we are throwing a festival in your honor. Ah, the gowns are ready for you. Get dressed then follow the girls that will be waiting to escort you to the festival room.” the men left, allowing the girls to lay the gowns on the table before leaving themselves.
Teal laid back on the bed with a huff, “they expect us to know what to do. They are crazier then we are, cause they believe all of this. Do you even know how to read the dreams, or whatever they are? Cause I sure don’t.”
“no, I just thought I should mention I had the book, never thought they would go full throttle with it. We should go to the party thing though. They went to all that trouble,” JJ looked at the gowns, trying to figure out who’s was who’s.
Teal knew he was right, but she didn’t have to like it.
She reach for a gown with pink lace work, but passed out right on the floor.
JJ kneeled next to her, “not again. Teal, can you hear…” then he passed out right next to her.
*they zoomed over the Earth, barely able to see where they were at all.
In a flash they saw the Sphinx, Great Wall, and even Big Ben.
Teal somehow asked, ‘how do we find the entrance?’
JJ looked at the scene as it sped by, ‘I don’t think we find it, it finds us. There must be a marker we can follow as dragons.’
Teal spots something as they slow down, ‘up ahead. Does that look like a dragon?’
‘yes, it does. It must be near there. We need to find something that can tell us where this thing is, so we can spot it on a map.’ their vision is soon filled with clouds.*
They opened their eyes, and smiled when they saw that they were both ok.
JJ gently laid his hand aside Teal’s face, “I think I saw a locator spot just before waking up. Should we go to the party, or tell them what we just found out?”
The door to the room banged open and the men from earlier stumbled in. “are you two all right? You have been getting ready for half an hour, so the girls knock to ask if you needed help. When you didn’t answer they came and told us incase you were sick. What happened in here anyway?”
Teal rolled onto her back and moaned, “we think we saw the ‘first step’ to finding the lair. We need maps, detailed ones, and some paper so we can get a basic idea of what we are looking for before we forget.”
Everyone darted out of the room to get the maps, papers, and whatever else they thought Teal and JJ might need.
For the moment they had some time by themselves again.
JJ pulled Teal close and said, “we may have to fly to get there you know.”
Teal leaned her head on his chest, “yeah, can of figured that. Maybe they have a flying training thing here I can use to get used to flying. Are we really up to what they think we are meant to do?”
“I am not even sure we are they think we are. Lets get to the table, then wait for them to bring everything so we can ‘start’…whatever.”
They both sit down moments before everyone returned with what they asked for, and then some.
Teal started with sketching the image she and JJ saw in the shared dream.
JJ rolled out the maps on the floor and went over the whole thing to spot the map marker he saw in the dream.
They worked well into the night and as the sun shined through the sheets on the windows.
Teal yawned big as she stumbled to the bed, “we need to get some sleep, before we make mistakes. JJ did you hear me? JJ?”
She peered around the bed, and saw JJ asleep on the last map he was looking at, with one of his wings out acting like a blanket.
She grabbed a spare pillow and blanket from the bed, gently raised his head and placed the pillow under his head then covered him with the blanket.
“sweet dreams dad,” kissed him on the forehead before climbing into bed and getting some shut eye herself.
*Teal could feel the wind on her face.
She opened her eyes and saw she was flying high above the ground.
‘how did I end up here?’ she looked around but only saw clouds.
As she started to panic, she lost altitude and headed straight for the ground.
She raised her arms and closed her eyes just before she hit.* her eyes snapped open, taking deep breaths.
She sharply turned her had as she heard a murmur, but it was only JJ who had finally climbed into bed at some point in the night.
“guess he got cold. Good thing no one has come in and seen this, or we could be in trouble.” she rolled over and went back to sleep.
JJ woke first, to find Teal face laying on his hand. He smirked as he wiggled his fingers, “come on, time to get up.”
Teal scrunched up and rolled away from his hand, and right off the bed.
“why am I always falling off?” Teal sat back down on the bed and grumbled under her breath.
“guess we should get back to work. If you finish the drawing, then you can give me a hand with the maps.” knock, knock. “or see who has come to visit today. Come in!” JJ yelled as he got out of bed himself.
A dark tanned wings man, with two girls following him, walked in and asked, “do you require anything?”
JJ eyed the two girls, “are they dragon-men, or girls?” the man nodded with a raised eye brow. “could they help Teal here with flying with her wings?”
The man glanced at the girls, who both smiled. “I think they would be happy to. I could find a dragon-‘man’ to help you with your flying.”
JJ grabbed Teal’s arm and dragged her toward the door, “I need to keep looking through the maps, but help her as much as you can with the aspects of being a dragon-man. She doesn’t like heights, so just keep that in mind.” he shut the door, with Teal standing in the hall.
Teal glared at the door for a moment, then turned and said to the girls, “where do we start?”
The girls giggled and led the way to the flight training garden.
From bungee cord to wire lifts, they tried everything to try and get Teal used to being in the air via flying.
She slowly walked back to her room where some of the staff were setting up the noon meal. “good, I could eat a horse. Not literally though.”
They left with a grin and a nod of understanding.
Teal grabbed a sandwich and tore in as JJ asked, “guess you worked hard, by the way you are devouring that sandwich. don’t forget to breath.”
Teal took a big gulp of juice then asked, “how are things going with the maps? See anything that looks like the dream?”
JJ held a map slack in front of him, “nothing looks right, not even with the drawing that you did. A vary good job on by the way. I have looked at ever map they brought us.”
“we need to know where these maps show, how zoomed in they are. If these are of their home land and nothing else, then I smell a set up,” Teal stated as she looked at some names written in the corner.
Teal and JJ went looking for anyone, but couldn’t find a single person.
JJ crossed his arms across his chest, “this is a huge set up. They want the lair for themselves, no one else allowed. We should leave vary soon, and start our own search.”
“that would not be wise,” Teal and JJ turn and see several men walking towards them, none of them looked happy. “you will find the lair, and we will take our rightful place as royal dragons. You two will keep the gate closed so others can not get in. it will be a great honor.”
Teal slid in behind JJ and did a quick look for escape routes.
There was one large window, not to high up, but no way of knowing how high they already were.
Teal lightly pushed her hand into JJ’s back, to quietly say ‘I think I have a way out’.
JJ got the signal, and slowly they walked backwards towards the window, Teal trying to guide without showing she was to the men.
A rather large man with dark brown wings said, “you can not escape.”
They didn’t have anymore time.
“that is what you think,” JJ gripped Teal’s hand and they both jump up and through the window, out over a ten story drop.
Teal dropped like a rock out of panic.
JJ spread his wings wide, then dived for her.
Within a few stories he grabbed her hand and tried to help her right herself.
For a while they both quickly flouted down, JJ flapping his wings hard and Teal to scared to do a thing. They were running out of flying space.
JJ yelled, “open your wings Teal. Let them catch the wind.”
Teal shut her eyes tight, and shouted in her head, ‘just open wings. Please’.
Without warning her body is jerked upward.
She screamed for a second, then started to giggle.
With her wings flapping along with JJ’s, Teal said, “I am flying. I am really flying. This is…” she looked down, “high. Really, really high. Man that is high.”
JJ playfully tugged at her hair, “don’t look down, it helps. I have a good idea where we are, and where we can find a computer with a map locator program on it. Its our best bet right now.”
“yeah, I think your right about…wow!” Teal stumbled in the air, after turning to look at JJ, “ok, lets just keep out heads straight for now. Ok?”
JJ laughed out loud as they flew through the sky, not knowing how many people were watching them.
It was nearly sundown when JJ and Teal landed behind a building, just out of view of the people walking around.
Teal peered around the corner and asked, “where are we anyway?”
JJ pulled her away from the corner, “don’t lean out like that. People may see.”
He started gently pushing Teal’s wings in, “it’s the local library. Most modern libraries have computers for people to use to find a book, but students use them for school. I figured they should have a mapping program we can use.”
Teal made a deep grunt as the wings finally disappeared into her back, “if we find a scanner, we might be able to do a image search with the drawing that I happen to still have in my pocket.” pulled out and unfolded a piece of paper from her pocket.
“nicely done Teal. Now, give me a hand with my wings, then we can ‘try’ and go in and look around,” JJ stood as still as he could as Teal pushed his wings back into him.
They walked into the library with no one even noticing them.
With JJ on the computer and Teal on the scanners they find a map program and the image matcher, but couldn’t get them to work together.
Teal was about to kick the computer when a rather nerdy man walked over and asked, “may I be of some assistants to you?”
JJ pushed himself away from the tech, “yeah, we want to find a place that has a image somehow in it, but it wont let us put the two together.”
“oh, that again. It has been doing this for a few days. The library called the makers of the program, but they just gave us a long list of things to try. Just give me a second…done. That is a vary unique. Where did you…?”
JJ hit print while Teal jotted down the location, then the moment the paper was out he grabbed it and they ran out and for the trees.
Once they found a place to hide out, they got a chance to really look at the print out.
JJ looked at both papers, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “this is crazy. The image is not exact, and the location you wrote down really could be anywhere. All I know is its in America, but from there we are still lost.”
Teal paced around the clearing, “we have to do something! There are several dragon-men hiding in mountains, the Asian dragon-men are hunting us down so they can get the lair for themselves, and who knows how many more are out there. We were nearly taken to a lab, or a facility, where they may have dissected us. We can’t let that happen to others, not if we can stop it.”
JJ looked at Teal with astounded eyes, “sense when did you care about other dragon-men?”
“well, we are all in the same boat. I just figure we should work together to keep our heads on our bodies. Anyway, we still need to find the ‘door’ before we do anything else,” Teal reached for the papers, but grabbed her head instead, “I really hate head rushes.”
JJ touched her arm, then they both had the same ‘dream’.
They were running through different places, first they were in the woods then a desert then a jungle.
They ran through at least a dozen more areas before they ‘woke up’ back in the clearing.
Teal looked at JJ with wide eyes, “did you see all of that?”
JJ nodded, “yeah, and I think it just gave me a clue of why the map was not spot on with the location. The image can be seen in various places, but you have to be in the air to see them. The address you got is for the closest one, but you wont believe where it is.”
Teal grabbed the map and looked hard, then her jaw dropped, “are you serious!? We have to go to area 51. No one can go there, it is off limits to everyone who doesn’t work there already.”
“but maybe we can get in, by air travel,” JJ crossed his arms, and let his wings spread out to their full extent.
Teal groaned, “I was afraid of that. How far it that from her…” She stuttered and stumbled as something hit her.
JJ grabbed Teal as she started to fall to the ground, “Teal, are you ok…” then fell onto his hands as he felt a dart hit him in the arm.
Just before JJ drifted to sleep, he saw men walk into the clearing with dart guns in their hands.
He fell onto his side, and hugged Teal close as the dart took full affect.
JJ woke to find his hands tied tight in front of him, and his wings clapped together behind him.
He looked around and saw Teal not far away, still asleep, in the same state as him. He had a bad feeling where they were going.
After another few miles of bumpy roads, and Teal finally waking up, the car stopped moving.
The men drag Teal and JJ out of the car, to the sight of a large low building.
They shove the two inside and in a elevator, go down a few levels, and enter a long room with several cages along one side of the room.
They put Teal in one cage and JJ in the one next to hers, then leave them alone in the dark room with only lights on over their cages.
Teal wriggled her hands free, “this is just about the worst thing that has ever happened to me.”
JJ asked as he wrestled with his ropes, “even worse then the day you first saw your wings?”
Teal rolled her eyes, “not funny. We are in real trouble here. What do you think they will do to us?”
JJ kicked the rope away the moment it fell to the floor, “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know. We have to find a way out, before their brains get here to start their work.”
The elevator door opened and a man in uniform walked up to JJ’s cage and asked, “are you two who I think you are?”
Teal narrowed her eyes as she asked, “who do you think we are?”
“I, we, think you are the chosen ones to open the way to the dragons lair.”
Teal and JJ exchange looks of confusion JJ asks, “we? Why did you say we?”
The man looked around before answering, “because there are several dragon-men here, in this vary base. If I can get you out of here, will you help us get to the lair?”
Teal bit her lip, ‘they sound like the Asian dragons’.
JJ grabbed the bars and stated, “on one condition. You and the others will allow others in, not just you!”
The man smiled, “I would be glad to let others like me in, for a safe place to live. Now, stand back.” he lifted his gun and fired the locks off the cages.
He said as Teal and JJ stepped out of the cages, “lets get out of here before seeing if anyone heard that gun fire.”
They ride the elevator to the floor just below the first, then make their way to the stairs and hopefully not be seen.
The man opened the door, and saw several other men in uniform standing around keeping watch.
He motioned with a mirror to one a few feet from the door. The other guy nodded and said something to the other guards to make them leave for a while.
Once all but the one guard were gone, Teal JJ and their escort made a run for a tarped car.
“the others will be waiting for us outside,” said the second guard as they got closer.
The first guard nodded, “good. You two need help getting in?”
JJ watched as Teal climbed in and asked, “how many should we expect?”
The first guard headed for the front of the car to get in, “at least five, maybe seven if they are not found out. We are going to as far away from here as we can, then plan from there.” he waited till JJ was inside with Teal before getting in and shutting the door of the car.
They drove for about ten minutes, then stopped as the rest of the ‘winged’ guards climbed in.
The rest of the drive was bumpy and boring, trying to attract as little attention as they could.
The car finally stopped outside a house that was out in the middle of nowhere.
Teal gave a half laugh at the sight of the place, “rugged hu.”
JJ gripped Teal by her hips and said into her ear, “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. They are going to a lot of trouble to help us, so don’t be rude.”
Inside there were cots beds and sleeping bags everywhere, giving the sense maybe these are not the only men or people who have stayed here.
JJ made Teal get some sleep while he and some of the guards looked at the printed map one of the guards managed to get back.
A guard with two toned wings didn’t need to look long to know where they were going. “are we really going to break into area 51?”
JJ compared the map to the picture again, “from what I am seeing, yes. The buildings seem to form the dragon, and that somehow means there is a door there. If I could find another one I would go there, but Teal and I can’t really understand our ‘sight’ dreams that well.”
“if we get you in there, can you two find the door on your own?”
“in theory yes. We are meant to find the door, so the door should call out to us or something,” JJ scratched his neck as his own words made his head hurt.
“if we are going to get in without being killed, we will need to get high enough to fly in and dodge anything they throw at us. How is Teal with flying?”
JJ glanced over where Teal was dozing, “she doesn’t like heights, so we could have a problem with that part.”
“that is a crucial part of the whole plan!”
JJ glared at the guard, “Once we get in the air, it should be easy for her to go with the flow, so to speak.”
“then tonight we sleep here, and get up before first light and start our trek. I know where we can jump and get plenty of air for what we need.”
Everyone agreed on the plan.
Most of the guards slept on cots along the wall.
JJ laid down next to where Teal was sleeping. He knew he should sleep, but his mind wouldn’t let him forget what happened that day.
Everything flashed by in his head, like a movie in fast-forward.
Teal seemed to sense JJ was bothered, cause she opened her eyes and said, “none of this was your fault JJ. You couldn’t have seen this coming, no matter which side you were on.”
JJ sighed heavily, “thanks, but that doesn’t stop my mind from racing. I should have known Asian anyone would just keep the lair for themselves. I should have known those men were there. I should have tried harder to keep you safe.”
“I am safe, and we are still together. JJ you may have wings, but you are not Superman. You are my father, by the fact that you were there when I was born, and for raising me as your true daughter. I love you JJ…dad,” Teal tried to smile, but yawned instead.
JJ could almost feel his mind slow down.
He smiled back at Teal and said, “thanks Teal, I guess I really needed to hear that. Goodnight baby girl.”
Teal’s eyes were half closed before she could say ‘night’ back.
He closed his eyes and got the first goodnight sleep he had had in a long time.
~
By the time the sun was pouring into the windows of the house, everyone had already started their long walk to the jump spot.
Three guards led the group, three behind, and one walking with Teal and JJ in the middle.
Teal was still unsure about flying, “are you sure there is no other way?”
The guard patted Teal on the shoulder, “I think it might be one of those things where you have to want to do it and it will come naturally to you, you can’t practice doing it cause you may think to much without knowing it. We are nearly there. Get low.”
The three guards up front look out over the edge, then turn and give the nod as signal that it looks good.
After going over the plan one last time, they run off the edge in groups of three with their wings open wide.
Teal stumbles for a moment, but stays looking ahead and regains stability.
They are hardly in the air for a few minutes when they hear sirens going off somewhere.
One guard chuckles, “guess we appear on radar hu?”
JJ lightly touches Teal’s hand, and sees men readying to fire on them. “we need to dodge their bullets. Teal, you ready?”
Teal took a deep breath, “yeah, I can do this, I have to.”
The fist bullet whizzed right for her, but she swiftly tilted in the air and it missed by inches.
For the next several minutes they dodge and duck bullets flying by them, not one of them hit.
They land on top of a building, then walk along it until they see where they can drop down with no one seeing.
Four guards drop first, they then help Teal and JJ to the ground before waiting for the other guards.
Teal looked around, feeling like a cat in a house of mean dogs, “I really don’t like it here.”
“don’t worry, as soon as we find the door we will be home free,” JJ wrapped his around Teal’s shoulder, and they both a weird head rush of info.
He turned back to the guards and said, “we know how to find the door.”
“great! How?”
“it is pulling us towards it, like it knows we are getting close. All JJ and I do is follow it, or let it guide us,” Teal faked coughed realizing her choose of words were not the best.
JJ knew what she meant, “all we need to do is walk, the door should do the rest.”
The guards all did a salute, “then let us cover your backs.”
JJ and Teal ran, not really knowing when to turn but did for some reason.
A few people saw them, but they were going so fast the other people didn’t have time to even catch up to them to do a thing.
They stop in what the guards guessed was the middle of the facility.
The guards looked around, but saw nothing. “now what?”
JJ picked Teal up in his arms, and immediately a large door sized glow showed up right in front of them.
Slowly what looked like two huge dragon wings unfolded, revealing a door with what looked like dragon teeth along the bottom and top.
The guards were really confused now. “and we are supposed to go in there?”
JJ didn’t even look back at the guards before stepping into the doorway and vanishing.
The guards took only a moment to think, then ran after them as they hear people yelling and gun being fired again.
Beyond the dragon mouth door, everything looks amazing.
There were houses made out of scales, clouds, and plants on what appeared to be platforms scattered around this world.
Some dragon-men that already lived there landed and asked, “who are the chosen ones?”
The guards turn to point out Teal and JJ, but they were heading for another platform all together.
The two of them hold hands, and open all the doors for all the dragon-men to come through.
All over the planet glowing doors appear to only people with wings, and in ruins large doors open with a call only dragon-men can hear.
Slowly but surely people start to walk into this dragon world.
The natives land and offer them places to live, food water and anything else they thought the newcomers might need.
The Asian dragon-men walk in with deep frowns, and glare at the American guards as they watch everyone coming in.
Once they feel all the dragon-men that want to have arrived, Teal and JJ collapses into the waiting arms of some guards and locals.
They are placed in the house made out of scales from gold and silver dragon.
While Teal and JJ slept everything off, everyone else settled into their new home.
Several hours later Teal wakes up and looks out a window in her new room at the activity.
She breathed out, “this is incredible.”
JJ walked in and hugged Teal tight, “best sleep ever. How do things look to you?”
Teal turned around in his grasp and hugged him in turn, “it looks, and feels right. No one is in fear of people chasing, poking, judging, and one other I do not even want to mention.”
They turn as someone knocks on the door.
A dragon-man with brown wings with green edges asks, “we didn’t get an answer before. Are you two the chosen ones?”
Teal smiled, “yep, that’s us. What’s up?”
The man bowed, “we are grateful for the task you have undertaken, but we have a problem. We didn’t know there would be so many more dragon-men out there, we need a leader. Are either of you willing to be the leader?”
JJ took this one, “a place like this can’t be maintained with just one leader. We need a dragon council. A group of dragon-men who will work together to better things for everyone.”
Teal then added, “we also need to go and see other dragon-men who stayed behind because they didn’t understand what was going on.”
The man smiled, “I think I know who will be willing to help you with all of that.”
They turn as the guards that helped Teal and JJ back in the human walk in.
“we’re ready when you are.” they all do a salute, with their wings.
It took a while, but Teal JJ and the guards help several more make their way to the lair, and explain to the others what and who they are.
Some stay behind, hiding their secret from the world and knowing they always have a safe home elsewhere.
A matter of days later some monks in China find a scroll, that foretells of two dragon beings becoming warriors to fight one of their own kind.
But that is a different story all together.