Resistance

Chapter 23: Personal Defence

[Keane]

Eventually, Atheros calmed down enough to stop stuttering and raising his voice. He ended up fiddling with my pistol while I flopped onto the table, having given up on trying to sit properly.

Fenek came over with a box, and took my phone out. "I forgot to tell you, they went to your old house while you were out and brought your things here. Perhaps you want to use this?"

I shrugged, and immediately regretted it as it set my wings aflame with pain, eliciting an involuntary growl of pain while I took the device.

Fenek looked me over with concern in his eyes and sat next to me. "I never expected this..."

I glanced over at him while the phone started up. "What, the growl?"

"No," He replied, half smiling, "I never expected to end up with my Rider being a dragon himself."

I snorted. "I suppose. Can't really blame you for that."

Fenek smiled and rubbed my back lightly while I started some music playing.

[music] While the truth my vary,

this ship will carry our

bodies safe to shore...

I sighed quietly as the song played. It was called Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men. I liked it, and now it seemed to somehow describe our situation, though I wasn't quite sure how. It actually also made me miss the old life again.

Atheros looked up at the sound of the music, and stared at the phone. "What is that, Father? I've never seen anything like it before... How does it create music out of nowhere? I see no bards..."

I shrugged. "Technology, and I'm proud to say that there's no magic involved." I then ended up giving a short explanation about how the phone itself worked and how audio was stored before settling down again.

Atheros looked up again, serious. "I've been aching to ask this..."

I raised an eyeridge and glanced over. "Then ask."

Atheros seemed uneasy as he fidgeted and hesitated, before asking in a slightly shaking voice, "Why did you save me? It would have been easier to blast both me and the mage with the big moving gun, wouldn't it...."

I blinked. "You mean the tank?"

He nodded, and looked ready to shield himself from an assorted volley of blows. I shrugged. "Undoubtedly, yes, but first off, you're family now, and I would be a very poor parent if I let you get blown to bits within the first day of meeting you. Secondly, we do not drag civilians into the fight, no matter what."

He stared at me for a moment before adding on, "But...I'm a dragon... Wouldn't your men see me as the enemy?"

I snorted. "Not until I say so. Besides, going by that logic, I should have been shot as well."

He nodded slowly, while Fenek watched. "Ah.... So the rumours are true..."

I blinked. "Rumours? What rumours?"

"We dragons have heard about the human that led an effort to reclaim their land and technology. He had your name, and a reputation for being fair but ruthless at the same time. Granted, you're not human anymore, but it still seems to hold true..." He replied, then managed a smile, "I think it's even better that you're a dragon now."

I rolled my eyes. "So all the dragons are telling me these days. I'm just happy that I didn't die gurgling on the floor in a pool of my own blood....well in a sense I did, but that's irrelevant... Do you know what exactly happened?"