My eyes shot open. I felt my heart racing, the sweat pouring off of me. I quickly looked around. I wasn't in the white room in the other base anymore, I was back at the temple. Adelind and the kids were sound asleep beside me. The clock beside my bed was glowing in blue.
“AM 1:36.”
I carefully stood up and entered the hall way, checking on everyone. Shadow and Nina were asleep, with Nina curled around their eggs, Ator and Vanlith were KO, Val and Vez were curled around one another, while Taro was on his back with a book draped over his snout while Rolland was just putting down, not even seeing me peeking in. Sozenn and Cora were curled around their cubs and Fireclaw and Tala were sleeping, their kids on top of them.
My friends loud snore echoed down the hall way. The light stung my eyes due to still having tears in them. What had just happened? It seemed like a dream, but so real at the same time. Was I still dreaming? Was there a presence? The hall was dimly lit from the nightlights that lined the ceiling. I lost my train of thought and walked back to the room. Sliding the door open stirred Adelind, who obviously saw that I was distressed.
“Something wrong honey?”, she asked softly.
“Not sure”, I replied laying down next to her.
“Your sweating”, she said, “what's wrong.”
“I had a nightmare where we messed up an op and got Trent killed”, I replied, “we were nearly put to sleep and...they killed you, the kids...all of you.”
I felt the tears start to come. Adelind curled around me, twined her tail around mine and began to lick the tears off my muzzle as I let everything come out. I'd always tried to keep my emotions bottled up, but it never worked. After I had gotten done crying Adelind and I showered off and then returned to the bed with the kids.
“Better?”, Adelind asked.
I nodded, yawning, “a little.”
“Goodnight my boy”, Adelind said curling against me.
I smiled and licked her snout, “goodnight my love.”
It took a while, but sleep eventually found me again.
The next morning I was stirred by the kids jumping up and down on my back. One of these days they were going to brake my spine. Or maybe I'd just fake it for an April Fools joke.
“DAD!”, Ace howled, “wake up.”
I groaned as I sat up, “alright, alright I'm up. No need to brake my back.”
“You owe us a day”, Dusk said.
“Who said?”, I asked lowering my muzzle to stare them in the eyes.
Ace put his front paws on my snout, “we said, we had an official meeting.”
“Did you now?”, I asked, “Dusk organize it all?”
“That doesn’t matter”, Tyson howled, “what matters is you owe us a debt!”
I smiled, “Well how about we start off with breakfast?”
They smiled and we walked down to the mess hall where Sozenn and the others were waiting for us.
“Adelind told us about your nightmare bro”, Fireclaw said, “if you need anything Tyro...just tell us.”
“I'm fine guys”, I replied, “Adelind made it go away.”
“You got lucky with her”, Sozenn said, “I barked up that tree for years before I found out you already had her.”
I laughed, “being an Alpha has it's perks.”
“Uh”, Sozenn said, “I'm an Alpha and Fireclaw is an Alpha, what makes you so special?”
“I got Adelind didn't I?”, I asked.
Sozenn laughed, “just so you know, I got the girl of my dreams too, so suck it.”
Fireclaw laughed, “All three of us did.”
“What are you guys talking about?”, Tyson asked.
Sozenn laughed, “when we were cubs your sizes. I used to be in love with your Mom.”
“Gross”, Ace said.
“Seriously”, Dusk said.
I laughed, “it was true. Sozenn's hits got so bad there was a patch where she refused to acknowledge that he existed.”
The kids laughed. Adelind met us at a table in the back and we sat down. Adelind nuzzled me.
“Well good morning my boy”, she said, “did you sleep well?”
“Well I didn't have anymore nightmares”, I said, “so that's good, you always could calm me down.”
“Awww”, Sozenn complained, “not here, get a room.”
“Shut your trap Sozenn”, Fireclaw said, “your a mood killer.”
Rolland laughed as he and the rest of my friends arrived, “that he his.”
“Spying where we?”, Sozenn asked.
“Sorta”, Rolland replied, “watching from a distance.”
“Spying”, I said, “punishable by death by living entombment.”
Rolland just laughed as we ordered. As we ate and talked, we came to an agreement to take some time. The girls wanted to do one thing, while we wanted to do something else, so it was decided we'd split up. Once we were done eating Adelind walked back to the barracks with the girls while, Shadow, Sozenn, Fireclaw, Rolland, Syralth, Val and the kids stayed with me.
“Guys day out”, Syralth said, “what we doing first.”
“I vote hot springs”, Shadow said.
“I second that”, A voice came from behind me. I turned to see a face I hadn't seen since I was 15.
“Hunter Firechaser”, I said smiling, “how you been old man?”
Hunter laughed, “Damn Tyro you got big, what your Dad been feeding you?”
I smiled and pulled hunter into a hug. Hunter was about 6'5 and colored like Taro, black body, blood red belly and spines and green eyes. Hunter had been around a lot when I was little and had thought me quite a bit about fighting and how to survive on my own.
“I see you got kids with you”, he said bending down to pet Tyson and Helix, “so you and Adelind finally tied the knot huh?”
I smiled and laughed, “long time ago, where have you been.”
“Gone”, Hunter said, “don't ask. So we hitting the springs or what?”
“Race you!”, Ator shouted.
We all took off for the springs. There were five huge pools of steaming, bubbly water that were closed off from each other. The Ferals were pushing each other out of the way while Syralth and Hunter tossed their shits back in our faces to try and pile us up as they ran. Some how though, Tyson was the first one in, followed by Helix, Ace and then Dusk. Hunter and Syralth tied out and the rest of us just came in as a tangled mass, it was hilarious.
“I win!”, Tyson shouted.
“Yeah right”, Hunter said petting his head, “your small and you cheated.”
“I didn't cheat”, Tyson said, “I used what I had.”
Hunter smiled, “your Tyson right?”
Tyson nodded.
“Why are you so...”, Hunter paused, “scarred?”
Tyson sighed, “I was a fight dragon.”
“At the age you are?”, Syralth asked, “I was a fighting dragon to for a long time, but at least I was 15, your not even a year yet.”
“I was more of a plaything”, Tyson stated, “the boss Razorback used me like a chew toy.”
'Whose Razorback?”, Hunter asked, “I'll pound on him, for you.”
Tyson smiled, “Dad beat you to it. He sent her to the great below.”
“Serves her right”, Hunter grinned.
We stayed in the hot springs for over an hour. Ace and the kids were splashing around and going crazy and it got to the point where I put them in their own pool so they could do it without killing us. After we were done at the springs we hit the range for a while and then got lunch, which consisted of several large three meat pizzas and guy talk.
The rest of the day consisted of sunning on the rocks, flying around the temple and hanging out around a big boulder, daring one another to try and move it to see if they'd get bit by whatever was living underneath it. The day after that continued with watching at least sixty different videos on You Tube, one of which consisted of at least 20 different possessed cats and one about how to discipline your kids. My favorite was number six, scare them with the color pink.
“I'm trying that the next time Ace gets into trouble”, I laughed.
Ace's cheeks went red.
“Relax son”, I said nuzzling him, “I'm joking...maybe.”
The others laughed. Hunter put away his tablet and we then went for dinner. Adelind and the girls met us at the restaurant.
“Did you kids have a good day?”, she asked coming to my side.
“We did Mom”, Tyson replied.
“Good to hear son”, Adelind smiled.
“Long time no see Adelind”, Hunter said.
“Hunter?!”, Adelind gasped, “where did..when did you get here?”
“I been training here for years”, Hunter replied, he smiled, “your kids are beautiful by the way. When did you and Tyro decide to tie the not?”
“Shortly after we left Tacoma”, Adelind replied, “we spent a while in The Great Pacific before Ace was born.”
“I was born in the Great Pacific?”, Ace asked.
“Yep”, I replied, “you took your first steps on the white sand beach right below the cave where our den was.”
“Were Dusk and I born there too?”, Helix asked.
“No sweetie”, I answered, “just Ace. There were to many dragons to close to our den, so your Mom and I went back home to Tacoma.”
We walked inside and found a long table. As I was sitting down, I noticed for the first time someone was missing.
“Where's Cloud?”, I asked, “I haven't seen him.”
Hunter and Shadow looked at me. Shadow tossed a pair of tags on the table.
“SSGT Cloud Daenerys. J Negative. 22860392.”
I sighed as I held the tags in my paw.
“Did he go out like a soldier?”, Tyson asked.
Neither Shadow or Hunter answered. Tyson started to cry and Adelind pulled him close to her. I felt rage growing inside me. I'd find a way to pay them back. Sooner or later.
“I'll get them back for that”, I growled, “mark my words guys.”
“We'll get them back”, Shadow said.
“Straight up”, Hudson said.
Dinner was eaten mostly in silence and thought of our fallen friend. Hunter had left some time in with Lung, a mission by my guess. After we were done, we were heading back to the barracks when Lung came and got us.
“Tyro”, he said, “come to the tent, I have a mission for you.”
I gave Adelind a kiss and sent her back with the kids as the rest of followed Lung to the command tent.