Dragon Breath

Chapter 2: Enemy

My bike snarled angrily under me. The radio from my shop had been going ballistic about a mass killing downtown. I'd bet the twelve dollars in my pocket that it was because of dragons.

Filthy beasts.

The heat waves baking the ground under me made everything shimmer and waver. Buildings, both ruined and somewhat inhabitable, flew by me in a mesh of color as I tore by. Helmet glistening like black ice from the sun's rays and my midnight bike shining proudly under me, I weaved around everything in my path even when the screaming droned above the roar of my stead.

Then I added people to my obstacles. Some were too hysterical to move themselves. Others were more than glad to clear a path for me. Maneuvering around them all with ease, I rode into a shaded labyrinth of alleys that I knew well. A person simply had to know these streets in order to survive for any length of time. Parking my baby simply by stopping, kicking the stand up, then hopping off and taking my helmet off, I left. I'd attuned my bike to turn on only when I was touching it. If anyone else did, they'd get fried. Literally. 4,000 Volts would course through their body in a hearbeat.

Slinking around to get a good look of what was actually going on, I moved silently but quickly. Pretty soon, I could hear voices speaking. After that it sounded like a full on brawl. The sight that I beheld after peering around the corner of a building had me confused for a minute.

A fully changed dragon clawed and snapped at a giant bird that seemed to be made of dirt on one side of the street. On the other, a boy around my age was slashing repeatedly at another bird made completely of ice.

Okay, I've officially seen everything.

Never before had I seen giant birds like these. Dragons? Oh sure, plenty of those. Mutated birds? Ah, no. While I toyed with the new abnormalities before me, another bird-this one seemingly made of wind currents-dove down from high above and slammed into the boy with dragon claws. Good thing I'm in  this building's shadow. I thought dryly. The drake snarled at the creature pinning it down.

 The wind currents laughed in glee in an alien language while raising a talon. I watched as the clawed extremity came down, wishing that I were in its place. With a high pitched screech, the bird was suddenly ripped in half. No! What the hell just happened?!

Blinking a few times and gripping the building to keep myself rooted, I saw the cause of the destruction: a red dragon. He hovered over the boy then glanced over one of its broad shoulders. Oh, I see! The red dragon had ripped its claws through the wind form! Okay I take back wanting to be in its place. These birds must have pea brains.

Snarling in a language that I didn't understand, the dragon near the drake exchanged a few words with the maimed birds. Then the remaining birds took off. After they were out of sight, both of the dragons morphed to their human forms and conversed with one another and the drake as his hands returned to normal. I ignored their words, deciding to choose my order of attack instead. First the drake. Then the dragon that was fighting the brown bird. And lastly, the red dragon. Perfect.

I'd thought they were going to leave. Boy, was I wrong. Finding out that they were simply going to talk seemingly forever, I picked my way up one of the buildings until I was on the roof. Then I sat down and watched them, ignoring the baking heat rising underneath me. After what felt like a day, I hissed, "Move already!" Thankfully, the drake walked off with his savior tailing him. Then they got into an argument. Resisting the urge to slap the palm of my hand to my face, I tried to muster some patience and wait this bullshit out. Patience really is a virtue. The dragon walked off, leaving the drake vulnerable and in a huff. It's now or never. Gripping one of the daggers hidden along my calf high leather boots and standing up, I better positioned myself. All five tatoos on my waist blazed in anticipation.