A Dragon's Tale #Watty's2015

A Long Day

“Hey I know that boat”, Fireclaw said, “I was stationed there for a while.”

“Us too”, Shadow said.

“Then each of you three will be going on a different team to help guide us”, I told them.

They nodded as I continued, “Looks like there are several ways ton approach this mission. Shadow, you'll lead Hudson and the Humans to the armory and, I want it captured and every weapons vest retrieved.”

“Understood”, Shadow said.

“Nina”, I said shifting the hologram to the rear of the ship, “you'll lead Val, Vez, Rolland, Cora and the Anthro's to take out the engines and cripple the ship. Once you place explosives on the ship's engines, you'll cut the power and then join us up on the cell block.”

Nina nodded her reply as I turned to Fireclaw, “you'll lead me, Adelind, Sozenn and Emelia to the cell block. Once were there we'll locate Nolan's friend and then open as many cells as we can. Once we have them open I'll call Artimus to confirm were on our way out, don't hesitate to shell the daylights out of that carrier. Understand?”

“Fully sir”, Artimus replied.

“Shadow, how often do the guards change shifts?”, I asked.

“Every two hours or so?”, Shadow answered.

I out the window and then down at my watch, the time was 6:59 PM, “is the time usually even or odd numbered?”

“Odd.”

“Then the next shift change is at 9pm”, I said, “let's go get some sleep and meet on the deck at around...say eight forty.”

“I'll give it steam until then”, Artimus said, “if we position ourselves just right we can hit right at the beginning of the change.”

“Let's go get what sleep we can guys”, I said as we started to walked out.

“Hey Tyro”, Artimus said, “mind hanging back for a minute? I wanna talk to you.”

“Sure”, I said as the others left. Once the others had left, Artimus threw herself into me, sobbing like a baby and for the life of me I couldn't guess why.

“What's wrong?”, I asked.

“Hunter”, she said between her sobs, “I loved him!”

I sighed. How had I not seen that one coming?

“So did I”, I answered.

“No you don't get it”, she cried, “I never told him that I did. The last time I saw him we got in a fight and it ended with me saying I hoped he didn't come back. He died thinking that I wanted him to.”

I didn't answer. I didn't know how too. It made no sense, at least not to me. If she loved him, how come she never told him. A pride thing maybe? Out of simple respect, I didn't ask. Artimus cried into my jacket for a good ten minutes before she finally came off.

“Please, please bring Mnerloth, Shadow and Nina back Tyro”, she begged, “I couldn't live with myself if they died. It was enough for me when Malir died.”

“Malir?”, I asked.

“Mnerloth's birth mother”, Artimus said, “Hunter was a train wreck for months afterwords, especially since he lost three people that day.”

“Three?”, I asked, scared that I already knew how she was going to answer me.

“Hunter's first born Seddrin got killed that day”, Artimus answered, “he found out when he made it back here. And Malir...she was carrying a boy.”