12-22-2010, 09:03 AM
The Invasion
The sky was filled with a dark shade of purple as the night tried to hold back the day with its host of stars. Off in the distant horizon however the faint orange of morning crept at a steady pace. Dark clouds lingered here and there hiding the moon with its ominous glare. A young man stood at a bus stop staring at the night sky’s princess with spirited dark brown eyes. He stood a little over 5’9” and had a medium build. He dressed simply; a dark brown jacket worn over a white long-sleeved polo, dark gray slacks, polished leather shoes and a book bag slung from his left shoulder to his right hip. Looking down the street he ran his hand over his shoulder length black hair and checked if it was still neatly ponytailed. It was one of his small joys, one that he was denied of for six years. Satisfied he pulled a newspaper from his bag and read while waiting for the bus to arrive.
Arnel scratched his head as he looked at the paper's headlines. He knew what the words in bold capital letters meant, but it simply didn't make any sense. The moon growing an eye? He would have dismissed it as a drunken bum’s hallucination if it was some tabloid, but it was from one of the leading broadsheets. The article went on sighting various sightings of strange human-like beings roaming the woodlands, of creatures bizarre and monstrous, and disasters happening as if on cue. While he did not believe it whole-heartedly, he felt disturbed. What if, just what if just a fraction of this was true? He sighed and tucked away the paper as his bus rounded the curb.
It was only five in the morning yet the bus was nearly full. After a few seconds of looking around, the young man found a vacant seat. While moving carefully towards his seat he took note of the other people on the bus. Most of the passengers had their eyes closed; trying to get some more sleep even for just the few minutes of the ride. Others were reading the paper, some with a worried look, and the rest smiling and taking the article as a joke. As he approached the vacant seat he looked at the girl looking out the window sitting next to it.
The young woman wore a, dark red, zipped up windbreaker with a hood that was pulled on. It was probably a few sizes small for her as it hugged her body closely making her curves distinct and enticing. The sweater also came up short and exposed part of the white t-shirt she wore underneath. In contrast to her tight top, she wore loose gray cargo shorts with a digital camo pattern. It was held in place with a simple black leather belt. For a brief stretch her skin was laid bare before high socks hid them again. On her feet she wore a pair of black hi-top rubber shoes. She had a small frame, and was probably shorter than him. Her arms and legs were slender yet toned. Arnel could tell that the girl was an active individual, not just from her arms but the tan on her legs, and her choice of clothing. He wanted to pull back her hood and turn her head, curious if such a beautiful figure had an equally beautiful face. Although part of him already knew that to be true.
“Cold morning huh,” Arnel commented as he sat down, trying to start a conversation. When the girl didn’t respond he simply yawned and watched his breath in the chill air waft by. It was supposed to be spring already, but with the whole climate change phenomenon, winter was staying for a few weeks more. He looked to his side once more and wondered if the girl was asleep or had just ignored him. The young man wanted to say something but realized it was better leave her alone. He looked past her, to the outside and watched as the buildings went past as bus started on its way.
His destination was at least an hour away, a private academy near the edge of the city. It was his first day on the job, and his first normal job. After high school he skipped college and enlisted. His father was of course against it, but Arnel was never understood his old man, and paid little attention to what he thought. The Magtanggol family was a proud line of soldiers, and almost all of the males in the family served in a branch of the military. Almost all - since his black sheep of a father chose to be a doctor instead. Thus Arnel took it upon himself to carry the family tradition. For six years he served, first proud to defend the country, but later on unsure and confused. When word of the atrocities in the Middle East reached him he realized why his old man deviated from the Magtanggol tradition. He finished his tour of duty and promptly left the military.
For a while he lived off his savings but eventually decided to continue his schooling. With his remaining savings, and help from his father he has started gaining favor with, he took a two year IT degree. Finding work after was hard due to the global financial crisis. After a year of job hunting and on the verge of giving up, the young man by luck ran into an old friend from high school who taught at a private academy near the city outskirts. That was a few days ago. Now he drifted off to sleep.
Before sleep could fully sink in however the bus violently swerved to the left before screeching to a stop. There were outbursts of anger and curses flung about as the initial shock wore off from the passengers. Arnel managed not to fall out of his seat as his hands instinctively gripped the armrest. He did not notice immediately that the girl sitting next to him had grabbed onto his arm instead of the armrest.
Looking at the young woman he asked if she was alright. The girl looked up to him still dazed from the sudden jolt. While waiting for an answer he put his attention on her. The hood had fallen back revealing an oval face framed by short light blonde hair. The girl had sharp green eyes atop a nose that’s neither pointed nor blunt. She looked young, perhaps four, five years younger than him, but had an air of self-confidence about her. For a few seconds they stared at each other, their eyes not breaking off. Both aware it would feel awkward to be the one to shy away, both wondering why the other looked so familiar.
“Could you let go of my arm now,” Arnel asked wincing a bit. The girl’s grip was firm and he wondered what kind of sport she played to have such a strong hand.
“Oh! Sorry,” came the girls voice surprised. She let go of the young man’s arm quickly and looked away.
“It’s alright,” the young man replied as he gently rubbed his arm. “I wonder what happened,” he asked as he looked towards the front of the bus where some passengers have gathered, stretching his neck. From what he could hear, the driver narrowly missed hitting several cars, and that there’s some sort of accident up ahead.
The girl crossed her arms and remained silent, lost in thought. Arnel looked at her wanting to tell her about the accident down the road, but held his words back as the girl shot him a look. He didn’t know if it was anger, irritation or concern. He stroked his hair and looked towards the front of the bus again. Only then did he recognize the familiar sound of dozens of car horns blowing.
"You know, I think we should-" the young man's words was cut-off as the bus shook violently. Most of the passengers, including him were knocked back into their seats. The whole street lit up in vivid orange as the deafening sound of an explosion filled the air. The sound of blowing horns was quickly replaced with screams. Arnel tried to stand to look at the cause of the explosion, but fell back into seat as another explosion rocked the bus.
"GET OUT!! RUN! RUN!" one of the passengers outside shouted as he hit the windows of the bus to stir the others still inside. Another explosion shook the bus as another car up ahead exploded. The chill morning wind was now replaced by hot stifling air which smelled of burning rubber. The young man sat stunned for a second as the explosions reminded him of a time when he was still a soldier. The passengers were now in a panic. Everyone was trying to get out, determined not to be consumed by the fire that was consuming everything just a few car away.
The girl calmly watched as the people rushed towards the door. Looking at the young man beside him she shook her head slightly. “Hey! Snap out of it!” she commanded. “Useless,” she muttered as she got off her seat and stood over the young man. Without a word she slapped him across the face hard. This had the desired effect and made the young man jump in his seat. “Good. Let’s go,” the girl said coldly as she headed to front of the vehicle.
Arnel shook his head as if to clear head, his ponytail swinging wildly from side to side. He took a deep breath and took stock of the situation. The accident up ahead caused a chain of car explosions. The spilled gasoline was feeding the fire and it would only take just a minute or another exploding car before their bus caught fire. The front of the bus was already crowded with the people trying crowding the exit. The windows were made of laminated glass and would not break easily. He looked behind him and spotted what he was expecting.
“Over here!” he shouted to the girl as he moved towards the emergency exit. None of the passengers have thought of using it because of how quick the panic set in. The street was now beginning to darken as the column of smoke from the burning cars was rising. The wail of sirens now mixed with the screams and raging cackle of fire and the occasional explosions. Arnel pushed down on the handle and quickly kicked the emergency door open as soon as he heard the lock disengage. He then jumped out and held the door open. “GO! GO! GO!” he shouted as the passengers filed out.
The paramedics and some other volunteers finally arrived on the scene and helped with the people fleeing the bus. "Thanks, we'll take it from here," a man in a blue told Arnel patting him on the back before pointing him to an ambulance not far away. The young man simply nodded while he waited for someone to exit the bus. Finally he smiled as the girl in the tight jacket emerged. The girl did not return the smile however; instead she looked down the street, searching for something. Her eyes filled with both fear and determination.
As if to confirm her fears the ground shook and a deafening sound filled the street. It was like metal tearing but had an organic feel to it and a slight gurgle near the end. The young man looked down the burning street and could make out a large silhouette amidst the fire. “What the hell,” he muttered as he tried to figure out what he saw. The ground shook once more followed by two loud thuds. The sound came again, only with more familiarity.
The sound of screams now prevailed as people who looked at the glimpse of the dark shadow in the fire ran. "I'm not sure I know what that is, but I don't want to find out, we should go," Arnel said to the girl who stood and stared at the fire. She made no reply and simply made a fist. Another deafening roar came and shattered the windows of the nearby buildings. The young man instinctively ducked and covered his head. “Fuck! Look, lady! It’s not safe here! Let’s go,” he exclaimed. The young woman remained silent. Left with no other choice he took the girl by the hand and headed to the avenue the street branched off from.
“It’s no use, it’ll catch up,” the girl said as she followed Arnel reluctantly.
"What do you mean it," he asked stopping just as the avenue came into view. Ahead of them rescuers were sorting the people out and loading the wounded into ambulances. Several police cars were also there with its occupants now running, arms at the ready, and heading down the street. Yet another roar came and Arnel recognized the familiar sound of something large and leathery unfolding.
“You know what is,” the girl responded before pulling her hand free.
The young man found it hard to believe what he was thinking, but one look at the dark silhouette and he simply let his logic go. "Hide behind the cars quick," he ordered as he ducked behind a squad car. The roar came again, this time more pronounced. It was similar to that of a bird of prey, but not as high pitched. In the distance a large reddish thing peeked from behind the fire and smoke.
“You have to be freaking kidding me, a dra--" the young man's voice was cut off as a powerful burst of wind came forth. The enormous fire yielded to it flickering faintly while the smoke was blown away revealing the monstrous yet elegant creature behind it.
It was a very large creature, standing nearly three stories high and looked like a very distant cousin of the dinosaurs. Its body was larger than a car, sleek and muscular, and covered with orange-red scales on the top and sides, and lighter, yellow orange scales on it’s underside. Supporting it were two pairs of legs. The rear legs looked very much like a Tyrannosaur’s, but much larger – at least twice the diameter of a grown man’s torso, more muscular, covered with scales and ended with massive talons. The fore legs were more slender and looked more like scaly, clawed arms. Like the body, it scales changed hue as they came closer to the inside. Attached to the large creature’s body was a tail roughly double the body’s length. Its underside had the same light colored scale. The top part featured large upright black scales and spikes that ran not just the length of the tail, but continued through the body and stopped around the base of the neck. From that point on longer spikes protruded with leathery fins attached to them. The scale covered neck extended for at least eight feet. The same light yellow-orange scales covered its front from where it connects to the body, to the bulge of its throat. At the end of its neck rested a fearsome head. Lizard-like and covered in scales, it was elongated and sleek like an alligator’s head but also narrow, sharp and triangular like a Allosaur’s. Its mouth was lined with numerous sharp fangs and if opened, it could snap a man in two, maybe even swallow one whole. Two large horns protruded near the top of its head making a V shape along with its brow spiked with small sharp scales. At the sides of it head were two large fan-like fins that seemed to be its ears. Two blazing golden eyes sat below the base of the creature’s horns. They were reptilian, sharp and had the look of intelligence behind them. Finally, two large wings protruded from the creatures back. The leathery appendages were colored dull red-gray and were easily longer than the creature’s tail.
The creature was hidden again however as smoke mixed with the wind rushing out of the street. The sun had begun its crawl up the sky and light was now starting to fill the city. The people at the junction screamed at the sight of the dragon and ran as the police called for backup and ordered their fellows to pull out of the street. "We should get out of here," Arnel suggested as another surge of wind came.
The girl quickly put a hand on the young man’s shoulder as he attempted to stand. “You’ll get blown away, stay down,” she instructed as the leathery sound of the dragon flapping its wings came faster and faster. The smoke and fire succumbed to the wind quickly and exposed the mythical creature to everyone’s shock and awe. The force of the wind grew stronger and the sound of creaking metal mixed with the chaos as the numerous vehicles shook. After getting its wings ready, the dragon let out a roar and lunged into the air. It flapped its wings hard as it leapt causing cars near it to be blown away. All manners of debris were thrown back as the creature took flight. People who were not taking cover were blown away or knocked down by the powerful gust of wind.
“Oh fuck,” Arnel cursed as the squad car they were hiding behind was started to tilt on its side. It slammed back down however as the wind died. The dragon was up in the air now, hovering where its winds had little effect on the ground below. It looked down at the street below and surveyed its surroundings frantically. “What the hell is it doing,” the young man asked himself and the girl beside him. “It’s looking for something,” the young woman replied as she covered her head with the jacket’s hood.
As if sensing its prey, the winged creature roared and flew a little higher. It then flapped its wings one final time and swooped down towards the intersection. Its shadow covering the street in darkness as it passed overhead. With another roar the dragon landed at the intersection Arnel was heading for. People scattered and ran as the creature savagely swung its tail at the squad cars and ambulances. The creature was irritated by the flashing lights and the sounds of sirens. A few people were caught by the creature’s tail and were thrown several meters away. Screams mixed with the sounds of gunfire as the police, now joined by the SWAT, opened fire on the creature.
The hail of bullets caught the creature’s attention which had begun tearing open one of the ambulances. Most of the bullets ricocheted off the creature’s scaly hide and what few that managed to penetrate the dragon’s natural armor did negligible damage. Irritated, the dragon reared its head and then thrust it forward roaring at the gunners. Those too close to the creature’s head were knocked back by the sheer force of the sound. Worse, the intensity of the roar caused many of those who had no ear protection on, or failed to cover their ears, to have their eardrums burst. Those who were lucky to survive the dragon’s roar were met with a different problem however. For as soon as the creature finished roaring, it swiped at the vehicles in front of it. Causing them to turn over and crush those taking cover behind them.
The dragon’s attack did not affect everyone however as the other squads located farther away continue to fire on the beast. Orders were barked to continue firing and draw the dragon’s attention to let those too close to it run away and to give time for the military to come. This tactic worked as the scaly beast picked up its pace and continued attacking those firing on it. The police reacted by backing up avenue as they slow led the creature away from the heart of the city.
Back on the street Arnel and the girl started making their way forward to the avenue. Other survivors were now moving towards the avenue where several new ambulances have arrived, this time with their sirens off. The young man looked around him as he walked; he was in awe at how fast everything happened. Not ten minutes ago the street was clean and everything was normal. Now, injured people lay about and a few dead bodies were being moved in body bags. Upturned cars, newspapers, and the spilled contents of knocked over garbage cans filled the street. The air was hot and smelled of burning rubber and gasoline. The street seemed dark despite the sun already visible on the horizon, no thanks to smoke rising from the numerous wrecks.
“You guys okay,” a paramedic who ran up to Arnel and the girl asked with concern. The young man replied with a simple “yes” while the girl silently nodded.
“The military will be here shortly to evacuate the survivors. Head over there so they can pick you up,” the man informed them and pointed to a small group of people forming a line near a humvee. The man then quickly left looking for other survivors.
“I guess we’re safe now,” Arnel said with relief as he walked towards the military vehicle.
“Yeah,” the girl replied, almost a whispher.
“You don’t sound too happy,” the young man commented, looking back at the girl.
The girl stopped walking and looked to the left, where faint sounds of gunfire still came. “Those men need help. Their weapons will not be enough to kill that dragon,” she replied. She then looked at the young man waiting for his response.
“What?” he replied, confused. “Why are you looking at me like that? There’s nothing I can do,” he added, uneasy at the sharp eyes that looked at him.
The girl shook her head and looked down before replying, “You humans are truly hopeless.” And with that the girl ran towards the sound of gunfire.
“Hey! Wait!” Arnel exclaimed as the girl ran. “It’s not safe,” he shouted as he chased after the girl.
The girl looked back a bit and smiled, then she let herself slow down a bit. A few meters behind her, the young man ran as fast as he could to catch up. The figure ahead of him ran eerily fast. He knew he wasn’t in his best condition since he left the military, but he was sure that no human could run that fast. While it was true that she was smaller and thus lighter, it bothered him that her footsteps sounded so light. Like she had no weight at all. A shiver ran down his spine when he considered that idea that the girl was a ghost of some sort. It was possible considering he just escaped being torched by a dragon. Lost in his thought he didn’t notice that the girl had stopped. By the time he came to his senses he was already to close to her and ended up running into her.
“What an oaf,” the girl thought as she braced herself and then caught the young man by his shoulders. Leaving him to his panting she turned around and looked ahead. The battle was still within the city, but by now the buildings were lower. The dragon seemed unhurt, but it was moving slow, like it was losing interest. The unit that was firing at the beast however looked severely fatigued, and numbered few. Despite the danger and the odds, the few brave officers drew the creature’s attention and led it to a large intersection. The girl bit her lower lip and closed her eyes to think.
Composing himself, Arnel looked at the fight ahead. He did not want to get involved but he couldn’t leave the girl alone either. He wanted to drag her back to where the military was going evacuate people, but he knew the girl was serious in helping. Instead, he looked towards the intersection the police were heading. A small laugh escaped him as he recognized the vehicles parked at the intersection. He then leaned towards the girl who was still deep in thought and asked “you haven’t seen all of their weapons yet have you?”
The girl opened her eyes and looked at the young man, her eyebrow raised. Arnel simply smiled and pointed towards the intersection. Curious at the young man’s sudden change in attitude she looked. There were people at the intersection, all dressed in same light brown cloth, with helmets and masks. Some were holding the same weapons the police were using, while a few carried large metal tubes. She could make out some barricades with what seemed to be a larger version of the weapon the police were shooting at the dragon. Finally near the back of the intersection three vehicles lined up. All of them had the same light brown color, a boxy shape and a long protruding tube in front.
The sky was filled with a dark shade of purple as the night tried to hold back the day with its host of stars. Off in the distant horizon however the faint orange of morning crept at a steady pace. Dark clouds lingered here and there hiding the moon with its ominous glare. A young man stood at a bus stop staring at the night sky’s princess with spirited dark brown eyes. He stood a little over 5’9” and had a medium build. He dressed simply; a dark brown jacket worn over a white long-sleeved polo, dark gray slacks, polished leather shoes and a book bag slung from his left shoulder to his right hip. Looking down the street he ran his hand over his shoulder length black hair and checked if it was still neatly ponytailed. It was one of his small joys, one that he was denied of for six years. Satisfied he pulled a newspaper from his bag and read while waiting for the bus to arrive.
Arnel scratched his head as he looked at the paper's headlines. He knew what the words in bold capital letters meant, but it simply didn't make any sense. The moon growing an eye? He would have dismissed it as a drunken bum’s hallucination if it was some tabloid, but it was from one of the leading broadsheets. The article went on sighting various sightings of strange human-like beings roaming the woodlands, of creatures bizarre and monstrous, and disasters happening as if on cue. While he did not believe it whole-heartedly, he felt disturbed. What if, just what if just a fraction of this was true? He sighed and tucked away the paper as his bus rounded the curb.
It was only five in the morning yet the bus was nearly full. After a few seconds of looking around, the young man found a vacant seat. While moving carefully towards his seat he took note of the other people on the bus. Most of the passengers had their eyes closed; trying to get some more sleep even for just the few minutes of the ride. Others were reading the paper, some with a worried look, and the rest smiling and taking the article as a joke. As he approached the vacant seat he looked at the girl looking out the window sitting next to it.
The young woman wore a, dark red, zipped up windbreaker with a hood that was pulled on. It was probably a few sizes small for her as it hugged her body closely making her curves distinct and enticing. The sweater also came up short and exposed part of the white t-shirt she wore underneath. In contrast to her tight top, she wore loose gray cargo shorts with a digital camo pattern. It was held in place with a simple black leather belt. For a brief stretch her skin was laid bare before high socks hid them again. On her feet she wore a pair of black hi-top rubber shoes. She had a small frame, and was probably shorter than him. Her arms and legs were slender yet toned. Arnel could tell that the girl was an active individual, not just from her arms but the tan on her legs, and her choice of clothing. He wanted to pull back her hood and turn her head, curious if such a beautiful figure had an equally beautiful face. Although part of him already knew that to be true.
“Cold morning huh,” Arnel commented as he sat down, trying to start a conversation. When the girl didn’t respond he simply yawned and watched his breath in the chill air waft by. It was supposed to be spring already, but with the whole climate change phenomenon, winter was staying for a few weeks more. He looked to his side once more and wondered if the girl was asleep or had just ignored him. The young man wanted to say something but realized it was better leave her alone. He looked past her, to the outside and watched as the buildings went past as bus started on its way.
His destination was at least an hour away, a private academy near the edge of the city. It was his first day on the job, and his first normal job. After high school he skipped college and enlisted. His father was of course against it, but Arnel was never understood his old man, and paid little attention to what he thought. The Magtanggol family was a proud line of soldiers, and almost all of the males in the family served in a branch of the military. Almost all - since his black sheep of a father chose to be a doctor instead. Thus Arnel took it upon himself to carry the family tradition. For six years he served, first proud to defend the country, but later on unsure and confused. When word of the atrocities in the Middle East reached him he realized why his old man deviated from the Magtanggol tradition. He finished his tour of duty and promptly left the military.
For a while he lived off his savings but eventually decided to continue his schooling. With his remaining savings, and help from his father he has started gaining favor with, he took a two year IT degree. Finding work after was hard due to the global financial crisis. After a year of job hunting and on the verge of giving up, the young man by luck ran into an old friend from high school who taught at a private academy near the city outskirts. That was a few days ago. Now he drifted off to sleep.
Before sleep could fully sink in however the bus violently swerved to the left before screeching to a stop. There were outbursts of anger and curses flung about as the initial shock wore off from the passengers. Arnel managed not to fall out of his seat as his hands instinctively gripped the armrest. He did not notice immediately that the girl sitting next to him had grabbed onto his arm instead of the armrest.
Looking at the young woman he asked if she was alright. The girl looked up to him still dazed from the sudden jolt. While waiting for an answer he put his attention on her. The hood had fallen back revealing an oval face framed by short light blonde hair. The girl had sharp green eyes atop a nose that’s neither pointed nor blunt. She looked young, perhaps four, five years younger than him, but had an air of self-confidence about her. For a few seconds they stared at each other, their eyes not breaking off. Both aware it would feel awkward to be the one to shy away, both wondering why the other looked so familiar.
“Could you let go of my arm now,” Arnel asked wincing a bit. The girl’s grip was firm and he wondered what kind of sport she played to have such a strong hand.
“Oh! Sorry,” came the girls voice surprised. She let go of the young man’s arm quickly and looked away.
“It’s alright,” the young man replied as he gently rubbed his arm. “I wonder what happened,” he asked as he looked towards the front of the bus where some passengers have gathered, stretching his neck. From what he could hear, the driver narrowly missed hitting several cars, and that there’s some sort of accident up ahead.
The girl crossed her arms and remained silent, lost in thought. Arnel looked at her wanting to tell her about the accident down the road, but held his words back as the girl shot him a look. He didn’t know if it was anger, irritation or concern. He stroked his hair and looked towards the front of the bus again. Only then did he recognize the familiar sound of dozens of car horns blowing.
"You know, I think we should-" the young man's words was cut-off as the bus shook violently. Most of the passengers, including him were knocked back into their seats. The whole street lit up in vivid orange as the deafening sound of an explosion filled the air. The sound of blowing horns was quickly replaced with screams. Arnel tried to stand to look at the cause of the explosion, but fell back into seat as another explosion rocked the bus.
"GET OUT!! RUN! RUN!" one of the passengers outside shouted as he hit the windows of the bus to stir the others still inside. Another explosion shook the bus as another car up ahead exploded. The chill morning wind was now replaced by hot stifling air which smelled of burning rubber. The young man sat stunned for a second as the explosions reminded him of a time when he was still a soldier. The passengers were now in a panic. Everyone was trying to get out, determined not to be consumed by the fire that was consuming everything just a few car away.
The girl calmly watched as the people rushed towards the door. Looking at the young man beside him she shook her head slightly. “Hey! Snap out of it!” she commanded. “Useless,” she muttered as she got off her seat and stood over the young man. Without a word she slapped him across the face hard. This had the desired effect and made the young man jump in his seat. “Good. Let’s go,” the girl said coldly as she headed to front of the vehicle.
Arnel shook his head as if to clear head, his ponytail swinging wildly from side to side. He took a deep breath and took stock of the situation. The accident up ahead caused a chain of car explosions. The spilled gasoline was feeding the fire and it would only take just a minute or another exploding car before their bus caught fire. The front of the bus was already crowded with the people trying crowding the exit. The windows were made of laminated glass and would not break easily. He looked behind him and spotted what he was expecting.
“Over here!” he shouted to the girl as he moved towards the emergency exit. None of the passengers have thought of using it because of how quick the panic set in. The street was now beginning to darken as the column of smoke from the burning cars was rising. The wail of sirens now mixed with the screams and raging cackle of fire and the occasional explosions. Arnel pushed down on the handle and quickly kicked the emergency door open as soon as he heard the lock disengage. He then jumped out and held the door open. “GO! GO! GO!” he shouted as the passengers filed out.
The paramedics and some other volunteers finally arrived on the scene and helped with the people fleeing the bus. "Thanks, we'll take it from here," a man in a blue told Arnel patting him on the back before pointing him to an ambulance not far away. The young man simply nodded while he waited for someone to exit the bus. Finally he smiled as the girl in the tight jacket emerged. The girl did not return the smile however; instead she looked down the street, searching for something. Her eyes filled with both fear and determination.
As if to confirm her fears the ground shook and a deafening sound filled the street. It was like metal tearing but had an organic feel to it and a slight gurgle near the end. The young man looked down the burning street and could make out a large silhouette amidst the fire. “What the hell,” he muttered as he tried to figure out what he saw. The ground shook once more followed by two loud thuds. The sound came again, only with more familiarity.
The sound of screams now prevailed as people who looked at the glimpse of the dark shadow in the fire ran. "I'm not sure I know what that is, but I don't want to find out, we should go," Arnel said to the girl who stood and stared at the fire. She made no reply and simply made a fist. Another deafening roar came and shattered the windows of the nearby buildings. The young man instinctively ducked and covered his head. “Fuck! Look, lady! It’s not safe here! Let’s go,” he exclaimed. The young woman remained silent. Left with no other choice he took the girl by the hand and headed to the avenue the street branched off from.
“It’s no use, it’ll catch up,” the girl said as she followed Arnel reluctantly.
"What do you mean it," he asked stopping just as the avenue came into view. Ahead of them rescuers were sorting the people out and loading the wounded into ambulances. Several police cars were also there with its occupants now running, arms at the ready, and heading down the street. Yet another roar came and Arnel recognized the familiar sound of something large and leathery unfolding.
“You know what is,” the girl responded before pulling her hand free.
The young man found it hard to believe what he was thinking, but one look at the dark silhouette and he simply let his logic go. "Hide behind the cars quick," he ordered as he ducked behind a squad car. The roar came again, this time more pronounced. It was similar to that of a bird of prey, but not as high pitched. In the distance a large reddish thing peeked from behind the fire and smoke.
“You have to be freaking kidding me, a dra--" the young man's voice was cut off as a powerful burst of wind came forth. The enormous fire yielded to it flickering faintly while the smoke was blown away revealing the monstrous yet elegant creature behind it.
It was a very large creature, standing nearly three stories high and looked like a very distant cousin of the dinosaurs. Its body was larger than a car, sleek and muscular, and covered with orange-red scales on the top and sides, and lighter, yellow orange scales on it’s underside. Supporting it were two pairs of legs. The rear legs looked very much like a Tyrannosaur’s, but much larger – at least twice the diameter of a grown man’s torso, more muscular, covered with scales and ended with massive talons. The fore legs were more slender and looked more like scaly, clawed arms. Like the body, it scales changed hue as they came closer to the inside. Attached to the large creature’s body was a tail roughly double the body’s length. Its underside had the same light colored scale. The top part featured large upright black scales and spikes that ran not just the length of the tail, but continued through the body and stopped around the base of the neck. From that point on longer spikes protruded with leathery fins attached to them. The scale covered neck extended for at least eight feet. The same light yellow-orange scales covered its front from where it connects to the body, to the bulge of its throat. At the end of its neck rested a fearsome head. Lizard-like and covered in scales, it was elongated and sleek like an alligator’s head but also narrow, sharp and triangular like a Allosaur’s. Its mouth was lined with numerous sharp fangs and if opened, it could snap a man in two, maybe even swallow one whole. Two large horns protruded near the top of its head making a V shape along with its brow spiked with small sharp scales. At the sides of it head were two large fan-like fins that seemed to be its ears. Two blazing golden eyes sat below the base of the creature’s horns. They were reptilian, sharp and had the look of intelligence behind them. Finally, two large wings protruded from the creatures back. The leathery appendages were colored dull red-gray and were easily longer than the creature’s tail.
The creature was hidden again however as smoke mixed with the wind rushing out of the street. The sun had begun its crawl up the sky and light was now starting to fill the city. The people at the junction screamed at the sight of the dragon and ran as the police called for backup and ordered their fellows to pull out of the street. "We should get out of here," Arnel suggested as another surge of wind came.
The girl quickly put a hand on the young man’s shoulder as he attempted to stand. “You’ll get blown away, stay down,” she instructed as the leathery sound of the dragon flapping its wings came faster and faster. The smoke and fire succumbed to the wind quickly and exposed the mythical creature to everyone’s shock and awe. The force of the wind grew stronger and the sound of creaking metal mixed with the chaos as the numerous vehicles shook. After getting its wings ready, the dragon let out a roar and lunged into the air. It flapped its wings hard as it leapt causing cars near it to be blown away. All manners of debris were thrown back as the creature took flight. People who were not taking cover were blown away or knocked down by the powerful gust of wind.
“Oh fuck,” Arnel cursed as the squad car they were hiding behind was started to tilt on its side. It slammed back down however as the wind died. The dragon was up in the air now, hovering where its winds had little effect on the ground below. It looked down at the street below and surveyed its surroundings frantically. “What the hell is it doing,” the young man asked himself and the girl beside him. “It’s looking for something,” the young woman replied as she covered her head with the jacket’s hood.
As if sensing its prey, the winged creature roared and flew a little higher. It then flapped its wings one final time and swooped down towards the intersection. Its shadow covering the street in darkness as it passed overhead. With another roar the dragon landed at the intersection Arnel was heading for. People scattered and ran as the creature savagely swung its tail at the squad cars and ambulances. The creature was irritated by the flashing lights and the sounds of sirens. A few people were caught by the creature’s tail and were thrown several meters away. Screams mixed with the sounds of gunfire as the police, now joined by the SWAT, opened fire on the creature.
The hail of bullets caught the creature’s attention which had begun tearing open one of the ambulances. Most of the bullets ricocheted off the creature’s scaly hide and what few that managed to penetrate the dragon’s natural armor did negligible damage. Irritated, the dragon reared its head and then thrust it forward roaring at the gunners. Those too close to the creature’s head were knocked back by the sheer force of the sound. Worse, the intensity of the roar caused many of those who had no ear protection on, or failed to cover their ears, to have their eardrums burst. Those who were lucky to survive the dragon’s roar were met with a different problem however. For as soon as the creature finished roaring, it swiped at the vehicles in front of it. Causing them to turn over and crush those taking cover behind them.
The dragon’s attack did not affect everyone however as the other squads located farther away continue to fire on the beast. Orders were barked to continue firing and draw the dragon’s attention to let those too close to it run away and to give time for the military to come. This tactic worked as the scaly beast picked up its pace and continued attacking those firing on it. The police reacted by backing up avenue as they slow led the creature away from the heart of the city.
Back on the street Arnel and the girl started making their way forward to the avenue. Other survivors were now moving towards the avenue where several new ambulances have arrived, this time with their sirens off. The young man looked around him as he walked; he was in awe at how fast everything happened. Not ten minutes ago the street was clean and everything was normal. Now, injured people lay about and a few dead bodies were being moved in body bags. Upturned cars, newspapers, and the spilled contents of knocked over garbage cans filled the street. The air was hot and smelled of burning rubber and gasoline. The street seemed dark despite the sun already visible on the horizon, no thanks to smoke rising from the numerous wrecks.
“You guys okay,” a paramedic who ran up to Arnel and the girl asked with concern. The young man replied with a simple “yes” while the girl silently nodded.
“The military will be here shortly to evacuate the survivors. Head over there so they can pick you up,” the man informed them and pointed to a small group of people forming a line near a humvee. The man then quickly left looking for other survivors.
“I guess we’re safe now,” Arnel said with relief as he walked towards the military vehicle.
“Yeah,” the girl replied, almost a whispher.
“You don’t sound too happy,” the young man commented, looking back at the girl.
The girl stopped walking and looked to the left, where faint sounds of gunfire still came. “Those men need help. Their weapons will not be enough to kill that dragon,” she replied. She then looked at the young man waiting for his response.
“What?” he replied, confused. “Why are you looking at me like that? There’s nothing I can do,” he added, uneasy at the sharp eyes that looked at him.
The girl shook her head and looked down before replying, “You humans are truly hopeless.” And with that the girl ran towards the sound of gunfire.
“Hey! Wait!” Arnel exclaimed as the girl ran. “It’s not safe,” he shouted as he chased after the girl.
The girl looked back a bit and smiled, then she let herself slow down a bit. A few meters behind her, the young man ran as fast as he could to catch up. The figure ahead of him ran eerily fast. He knew he wasn’t in his best condition since he left the military, but he was sure that no human could run that fast. While it was true that she was smaller and thus lighter, it bothered him that her footsteps sounded so light. Like she had no weight at all. A shiver ran down his spine when he considered that idea that the girl was a ghost of some sort. It was possible considering he just escaped being torched by a dragon. Lost in his thought he didn’t notice that the girl had stopped. By the time he came to his senses he was already to close to her and ended up running into her.
“What an oaf,” the girl thought as she braced herself and then caught the young man by his shoulders. Leaving him to his panting she turned around and looked ahead. The battle was still within the city, but by now the buildings were lower. The dragon seemed unhurt, but it was moving slow, like it was losing interest. The unit that was firing at the beast however looked severely fatigued, and numbered few. Despite the danger and the odds, the few brave officers drew the creature’s attention and led it to a large intersection. The girl bit her lower lip and closed her eyes to think.
Composing himself, Arnel looked at the fight ahead. He did not want to get involved but he couldn’t leave the girl alone either. He wanted to drag her back to where the military was going evacuate people, but he knew the girl was serious in helping. Instead, he looked towards the intersection the police were heading. A small laugh escaped him as he recognized the vehicles parked at the intersection. He then leaned towards the girl who was still deep in thought and asked “you haven’t seen all of their weapons yet have you?”
The girl opened her eyes and looked at the young man, her eyebrow raised. Arnel simply smiled and pointed towards the intersection. Curious at the young man’s sudden change in attitude she looked. There were people at the intersection, all dressed in same light brown cloth, with helmets and masks. Some were holding the same weapons the police were using, while a few carried large metal tubes. She could make out some barricades with what seemed to be a larger version of the weapon the police were shooting at the dragon. Finally near the back of the intersection three vehicles lined up. All of them had the same light brown color, a boxy shape and a long protruding tube in front.
![[Image: bwAvs6a.png]](https://i.imgur.com/bwAvs6a.png)
