From Soldiers Rifle To Dragons Wings: Resistance (BOOK 4)

Stranger Tides

I sat on the flight deck of the USS. Draco. We had returned from New York earlier today. Now the moon sat high in the sky, reflecting off the mirror of the ocean. We left the Draco to find Tyson with my dad, Firedrake, and Hunter. Both Firedrake and my dad were gone now. Both taken by there once known friend. I closed my eyes and remembered the statue that had been made for my fathers grave in the Lung Wei temple. I missed him so much right now. Why did it have to be me? Why did they have to take him? I thought to myself as i looked out into the waves the ocean made. They once seemed so close, but felt so strange to me now. The flight deck was silent. I was the only one above deck. We had been ordered into 'Black Out.' Meaning everything is off and nobody is making any noise. It was a drill, but i a real combat situation, it would save our lives.

I heard footsteps approach me from behind. The tap tap tap of talons told me it was Hunter. He sat beside me and looked out into the ocean with me.

"You ok kid?" He asked glancing toward me. I nodded my reply.

"Don't bullshit me. You forget i was around you when you were little. You cant lie to me." He said with a smile.

"So what? I can try cant i?" I asked with a weak smile. Truthfully, i felt horrible, lonely. Normally i would be tucked against mom and dad sleeping right now. Instead only cold holds there places. The cold brought on fear and loneliness, and soon nightmares would follow. I could still see dads bleeding out. His neck covered in teeth marks, and coated with blood.

"Don't worry Shadow, everything will be alright." Hunter said leaning back on his arms to look at the moon, his legs dangling over the edge of the ship. I looked at him with a shocked expression. How would he know?! He hasn't lost his parents! He lost nothing! I gritted my teeth.

"How do you know things will be ok!? You didn't lose your parents!" I growled loudly at him.

"I don't have parents, thats true. What i did have was the man who created me. The man who gave me life. I did lose him though, and was devastated for weeks. I also lost friends in my life. None meant more to me than Taro ad Firedrake Shadow." He said looking at me with a hard look, one my father gave me when he scolded me......which he rarely did.

"You don't think it hurt to lose them? To have Taro die in my paws, knowing i couldn't do anything to help him?" He asked looking at one of his paws. His voice was calm and collected.

"I made your father a promise, and its one i intend to keep. I will protect you and Nina for as long as i live. Even when I'm not around, ill still be there for the both of you, watching from the shadows to protect you. I want you to live a meaningful life Shadow. One where you can live free, and raise a family with a pretty female. But you need to walk your own path kid. I cant lead you along the right path, but i can sure as hell make sure to kick your ass when you make a mistake." He replied quickly wrapping an arm around my head and pulling me close to him.

"I never had kids Shadow, so being there for you and Nina has sorta made me imprint on you. Even when you were small i was there, silently protecting both of you. I see you as my own flesh and blood and will give my life to protect your anyway i can." He said. I was stunned. I never knew he saw me as a son. Without thinking, i buried my head into his chest, i could feel tears begin to fall down my muzzle as i began to cry. Hunter began petting my head as i cried.

"Mo matter how things look Shadow, there os always good in the bad. Don't ever forget that, no matter what happens. Grow up and become a respectful father and mate Shadow. That way, when i die, ill know that my protection is no longer needed for you. Can you promise me that kid?" He said tapping on my head.

"Yes sir." I said, my crying calming down.

"I cant hear you kid! No way your son of Taro, the greatest Project Draco dragon to ever live!" Hunter said tapping on my head harder.

"SIR YES SIR!" I shouted back as the dream faded and i was back in the run down house. My eyes stayed close as woke from my sleep. The tapping i felt from my dream was brought into the real world with me. I ran a paw over my head to swat at what was tapping me on the head. It stopped for a moment and began again. With another sweep of my paw, the tapping stopped for a few seconds. Finally i opened my eyes to see a little boy, around 7 years old tapping me on the head.

'Hey, a kid? Why is there a kid on an active duty aircraft carrier?' I thought to myself with half woken thoughts. Suddenly, reality was separated from the dream and i remembered i was I'm the run down house. Everything began coming back to me quickly.

'Dammit kid go pick on another dragon......wait, kid?' "SHIT!" I yelped jumping up and quickly slamming into the back of the closet. The boy jumped away from me as i made the quick motion. As i hit the wall, i landed on my left wing, my broken wing. A searing pain ran through me and i put my good paw into my mouth and bit down hard. Screaming with agony as i began tasting blood. I quickly collapsed to my right side, keeping my paw in my mouth until the pain began to stop.

"Are you ok?" The little boy asked as he slowly approached me. I opened an eye to watch him. He looked to be an active, athletic kinda kid for his age. Wearing a flat billed hat with a red B on the front. He had long brownish, copperish hair, and blue eyes. He was proudly sporting a pair of camo cargo shorts and a red Pokemon shirt. He got onto his knees and reached out to grab my good paw.

"Your, your a dragon aren't you? Like in that dragon movie where the kid gets the black dragon who has the messed up tail. UGHHHHH, what was that movie? Never mind! Imma help you like he did, then we will be best friends and i can ride you to school and you can eat all the people who pick on me!" He said with an excited tone. I was curious about the kid. He didn't seem too scared of me, or he would have gotten his parents when he found me. I was defiantly curious about this kid.

"My names TJ, and ill call you.......Toothless!!" He said happily reaching out to pet my head.

"Ill get some things to help your arm and wing Toothless. I bet your hungry too, ill bring food when i come back!" He said quickly standing and running out.

"Wait right here Toothless!" He called as i heard the door shut.

"Well.........that just happened." I said to myself as i stood and limped out of the closet and to the window. I watched as the little boy ran all the way to the first house in the block, the house that had the dog that almost got me caught. The German Shepherd ran to meet the boy as he reached the house beside his. His ears perked up in a sign of happiness. Dogs speak kinda like a dragon does to its hatchling. An instinct that relies on ears, tail, and attention. Since a hatchling doesn't understand speaking, they speak with there body. Ears are the most verbal, and can often show most of there meaning even after they learn to speak. Dogs were the same way, so it was easy to read the dog as he happily followed his Masters child. I smiled as i read the dog. He had imprinted on the kid, and saw him as his own child. A very protective breed of dog, seeing a child as one of his own. I was glad i didn't kill the dog now, it would be hard to find another one like him. He happily hopped around, speaking to the boy with happy yelps, barks and constant ear movement. Then i saw it, an ear movement that made my eyes go wide. I watched the dog closely as he flashed the same 3 ear movements in rapid succession. It was one i could read very well. One i had been told my by parents when i was little, one i remembered always. I copied the dog with my ears as he kept flashing the same 3 moves at the little boy.

It started with the ears flat against the head, then moved to them strait to the sides, and ended with them standing strait up at attention. The 3 simply movements translated to the most heart breaking word to me. They were words i remembered through thick and thin. The 3 words Hunter told me thousands of times. The 3 words that brought a tear to my eyes.

"I.......Will.......Protect."