Dragon walker: Cog in the
machine

Inside any
ship lies a dragon. Eating water and coal, breathing smoke and steam. The
hunger of the dragon never dies, it’s metal mouth open to devour all you give it.
Feeding this flame was the job of the coal boys. Allen walker was such a boy. A
cog in the machine who long ago abandoned his dreams of becoming a dragon pilot
on the flight decks above the boilers. His job was simple, requiring no complex
thought. Keep the fire roaring in the dragon’s belly. The flames forever hungry
would die without food.

Each shovel
of coal turned up ash and dust that turned Allen’s body as black as the coal he
was shovelling and just as flammable. The counted the days, the seconds on the
ship and how long he has to do this mind-numbing forsaken job. He joined the
navy to become a nautical pilot, but without parents, without education and
influence to his name his dream turned into the dust that settled on his skin.
Now he was given to the ten thousand tonne machine that was the carrier, the
same as his fellow boiler boys, all young man, all forsaken. Even the dragons
on the stall desks above where nothing but cogs. He remembered seeing them when
he moved into the belly of the carrier. They had this same empty gaze on them,
slaves to the wishes of the captain and the admiralty.

Only when
the ship took port could he see a glimpse of a dragon, boiler boys lived their
lives in the belly of the best, near to the dragon who’s mouth they fed. A
dragon who right now demanded fuel for war. The enemy was spotted and the ship
demanded full steam ahead to give enough head speed for the dragons to take to
the sky without problems. Allen did not know where he was, nor if the enemy was
near. He was cut off from the world in the box of coal and steam, He had his
own dragon to tame. “More coal!” the foreman bellowed over the thundering fires
of the boiler. “Boiler 3! More coal!” he shouted. “If you value king and
country you put more coal in that dammed boiler else I feed you to the dragons
myself!” Every bigger shovels of coal, ever more speed. Allen could no longer
count the boys they lost to the war, slipping falling in the fire. Last week
they lost five good man to a coal fire in one of the fuel bins. Alas the
machine cared for nothing, they could be pig to a slaughter for all it cared.
The turbines had to keep spinning, the fire had to keep roaring.

A pang on
the hull of the ship emanated trough the boiler room, for a moment an icy
silence felt, like even the fire has died down out of fear. All knew that pang,
all feared to hear it. The pang of metal on metal, the pang of an undetonated
torpedo hitting the thick armoured hull. At this depth? It was defiantly below
the heavy armour belt. As soon as the silence felt, the buss of the boiler room
returned, new life has been breath into the workers. The fear of death made man
run. The foreman only hoped to even process the pervasive power of an
undetonated torpedo on the hull of the ship. How the foreman had to keep the
boys back, the fire must not boil to hot.

Little
known to Allen something was dropped through the flight deck, it crashed
through the wood and into the belly of the beast. The blast that followed of
the two hundred kilo bomb bend the ship. It left the boiler room disorientated
to what just happened. The dividing plates that separated the boiler room from
the turbine room had buckled. Allen could feel the sudden loss of speed, the
ship was slowing down and into two of the five boilers the pressure was
building in rapid speed.  “Close the
hatches!” The foreman shouted, almost as unphased what ever happened. With that
command the mouth of all the dragons closed up, the firing hopefully dying out.
“she is going to blow!” one of the boiler boys said, looking at the pressure on
the boilers. The foreman glanced a sweaty glance before giving the unthinkable
order. He shouted into the command tube running to the bridge. “Boiler room is
going to blow! Orders!?” but all that came back was blood.

“Sir?”
Allen pointed to the meters entering the danger zone. The foreman took a deep
breath, looking at everyone. “Abandon ship…” he said with a quavering voice.
“run and hope that you reach the deck before we blow.”

Allen
dropped his shovel where he stood, his heart pounding, his adrenaline
rushing.  He had to climb twenty decks to
safety and even if he reached it, he could only hope on safety and not a POW
camp. He rushed to the third portside staircase, a staircase reality quite in
the rush going around. It couldn’t lead straight to the top but it led to one
of the weapon balustrades around the ship. If the command tower was gone, the
main stairs could be inaccessible. He could only hope his guess had turned
alight. He ran the stares, taking two three at the same time. Water was pouring
down the corrivated metal stairs. Steam was collecting near several doors
revealing fires raging beyond and the screams.

Men were
burning alive within the metal convinces of the ship, the safe metal
compartments had been turned into a hellish death. Only on the first stall deck
he could see the extent of the damage. The deck was covered in bones and blood,
parts of which were once great dragons that had been where the blast was. The
dragon deck had filled with smoke of fires raging deep within the ship. A
dragon on the far end of the deck was roaring, he was in pain but couldn’t
escape from the hell that was now his nest. Chained to the stall he could only
look at his pilot laying before him. A pipe had lodge itself into the torso of
the pilot, blood rushing over the hot metal ground. Allen wanted to open the
door to the weapons belt but he stopped and turned to look at the dragon.
Should he? He could see the fear in the dragon’s eyes, the first emotion he
ever seen from the beasts and he felt like the eyes reflected his own soul. The
dragon turned to Allen, as if it begged for its life and Allen stepped towards
the dragon, slowly at first but then running past the corpses of other dragons.
He reached the pilot’s dead body, he reached for the silver chain around the
pilots neck and pulled the dog tags from the pilot and pocketed them.

He was
properly going to die no matter what, might as well free a dragon even if that
might mean being eaten by one. He hit the release button of the chains that
held the dragon in place but to no effect. No power that could release the
heavy chains. The release bar was luckily still in place. Hanging in the class
cabinet next to the button. “hold on big boy” he said to the blood and soot
covered dragon. The heavy metal bar slotted into holes in the ground and one by
one the chains released. “please don’t eat me” Allen begged as the last chain
that hold the dragon’s neck back was released. The dragon moved its head close
to him and snorted, taking in his scent. Its maw opened and he knew he was done
for.

The dragon
yanked him by his cloths on its own back. Allen could feel the soft leather of
the saddle and gripped into it. It was not for long that the dragon was
speeding to the side elevator, the only one lowered. Claws on metal screeched
trough the burning desk as the dragon climbed the walls of the elevator to the
flight deck. The carnage didn’t stop, as they came on top they were sprayed by
seawater from a bomb that barely missed them. Up in the sky dragons under the
bright red and yellow flag flew, breathing fire at anyone who dared to take
their air domination from them. Dragons under the orange flag scrambled, trying
to flee with their side somewhat intact, the dragon crew scrambling to put some
sort of defence as the fought for the lives of themselves and the great
dragons. Allen and the dragon under him could only hope they escaped without
being spotted.

“Fly!” he
shouted to the paralyzed dragon, it gazed at the carnage on the deck. Dragons
with wings, heads, tails and legs blow off, some where nothing but a pile of
bones as bombs had struck them. It made Allen sick, the sight, the smell of
burned flesh and the screams of dragons and man burning alive. Pounding on the
red hot hull of the ship in desperation. “FLY!” Allen shouted again and tried
to wake the dragon from its trance. The dragon slowly took to the sky and flew
low across the waves. They passed enemy ships, only escaping as they were too
busy shooting at the dragons in the sky. Some fired machine guns at them but
all missed, the flaks were to slow and couldn’t aim this low.

Behind them
the carrier heaved partly from the water as another explosion send the water
rippling, steam and fire erupted trough the flight deck silencing the screams from
those who are trapped inside of the ship. Soon fire spread trough everything
that remained from the ship. Allen could feel the heat while flying away from
the ship.

Sea water
splashed against Allen’s face, washing the soot from his face. The dragon was
getting cleaned from the gore and soot, warm orange and sand scales were
revealed from below them. It was one of the new dragons, one that never seen
war. It flew with an break neck speed, flying as fast as it’s wings could carry
it. Allen couldn’t navigate, Allen could only cling to the dragon’s harness
with the fear of falling off. He had no harness to secure him, he couldn’t
control this beast and he was yet again left in the clutches of someone else.
Though away from the battle, in the distance the roaring of fighting dragons,
he felt free for the first time in his life. The water cleansed him and the
dragon finally gained some height, no longer was his washed by the salty water.
Allen could hear the dragon heave with the raw power the speed required but now
it could rest. Slow down a little.

The island
where they landed was small, not settled by any, no air base, no ships in
sight. The dragon laid on the beach resting. Allen could only hope it was
recently fed. There was no fresh water to be had, no food that he could find.
He sat in the sand, placing himself against the hide of the dragon, using one
of its wings to partially shield himself from the hot midday sun beating down
relentlessly. “Thank you for not eating me” he petted one of the large forelegs
of the dragon.

“And
thank you for not leaving me to burn or drown.” A soothing voice filled Allen’s mind. His face
turned white and he looked around for an explanation. “who said that!?” he
jumped to his feet, looking around if somewhere was sneaking up to them. “Can
you see anyone?” He asked the dragon as if it could speak. “We are alone
little human” the voice came again, it was defiantly feminine but with an
odd rumble in it. Slowly Allen turned to the dragon, it was the only one here,
the only one… but no dragons never spoke, they could not. They were just
beasts. His mouth opened and closed without sound awestruck looking at the
dragon. He just pointed. “I believe you humans said it was impolite to
point” the voice spoke again. “Please tell me your name little human so
I can one day pay the depth you bestowed on me” Words finally formed in
Allen’s mouth. “Who, what, how?” he stumbled over his words. “Oh, my
apologies, I forget that besides the pilots no human normally hears dragon
voices.” The voice spoke again. The eyes of the dragons where sharp on
Allen. Finally he started to see other emotions in those eyes, relief, sorrow,
and pain. “Dragons speak?” He finally managed to say. He gotten an affirming
yes from the voice in his head. “Well sort of, we speak in the way we see
fit. But my pilot died so I am free to speak to those I want.” Allen
managed to slowly regain his wits. “Why you are not allowed to speak?” he
asked, closing over the obvious first question the dragon asked him

“Would
you want to speak to a beast? An animal? People would think you mad” the gaze in the dragon’s eyes
turned soft with sorrow. “I pray you to keep it to ourselves that we spoke
trough” Allen suddenly nodded “You have a name dragon?” he received a small
snort of hot air over his head from the dragon “I hoped you showed a bit
more respect, but old habits die hard it seems. You can call me Tanith, it’s
the name given to me by my previous master. What is your young one?”

“Allen,
Allen walker” Allen responded to the dragon. “They told me you would eat any
human who ventured to close” The dragon gave a low rumbling laugh. “Well why
would you free me then?” Allen looked into the dragon’s eyes. “Because I
saw myself in you.” A stern look formed on the dragon’s face as it stared at
him “Explain.” it demanded. “The fear, to be trapped and burned to
death? To be just a play thing to those in power?” Tanith’s face turned soft
again as she leaned close to the human. “Whatever job you did on that hell
place, you reek of fire and ash” Allen gave a soft laugh “Well I fed
another type of dragon so to speak.” “You are a pilot?” the dragoness
asked “No no, I worked in the boilers. I put coal in the fire, nothing more
nothing else. I am luckily I even made it to the dragon decks.”

“I am
lucky you did, you might be the only non-pilot who ever thought of freeing a
dragon.” She turned
to sorrow again “Even though there was nothing much left to save from that
bomb…  my brother…” she pulled her
face into a wrinkle and looked down…Was she? Crying? “Brother?” Tanith nodded “One
moment I saw him in the hall, getting ready for fighting, the next moment…fire,
death. I could only see part of his wing after it, the rest gone… Oh my sweet
brother, luckily death came quick.” Allen just sat down next to the dragon,
gazing down at the sand. “I have lost my parents to a bomb” he said softly “I
know how you feel”

“This
damned war.” She
growled to him “I wish I could just fly off” She kneaded the warm sand
between her large claws. “that’s desertion, they could hang you for it” He was
answered by a growling laugh “Hanging a dragon, I would like to see them
try. I owe no allegiances to them they treat me no better than cattle.”
Tanith looked to the distance for a long moment before bringing her attention
back to Allen. While she did not speak, Allen could see the worry in her eyes
and the wonder. The possibilities and the fears, when she spoke again it was
for a single question.

“what do
you want Allen? You want to be a pilot?” The dragoness asked him looking him dead in
the eyes. ”Why do you ask? Why does it matter” Allen asked in return “Because
you might not have an option. I might just set you off somewhere along the
coast but people will ask where you came from… perhaps question you if you are
a deserter…but if you fly on my back, the corps properly have no choice but to
make you a pilot. Dragons don’t bond easily”

Allen’s
gaze followed the dragon’s flank down the sand and into the fast ocean. “Well I
always wanted to become a pilot. I just never been in any position to join the
corps.” He could feel something large and warm settle on his lap, looking down
he could see the large tail of Tanith on his lap, holding him against her body.
“that settles it then.” She hummed softly “We can’t stay much longer
here, without food or water. When you are ready we fly.” Allen pushed her
tail from his lap and dusted some of the soot and sand from his clothes. He was
aware that his clothes left a black mark on the side of Tanith where he was
pressed against her. “you are going to clean that when we are back home”
she teased him before letting him get in the saddle again. “At least I now
have someone to talk to.” She hummed softly, getting ready to launch
herself skywards again.

Her mighty
wings beat the sky into submission as she lifted into the air. She took a few
rounds of the island before flying north. The sun was just about on their left
as it passed its highest point of the day. Allen could see the island disappear
into nothingness as Tanith gained distance and altitude from the island. Yet
again he was surrendered to someone else who knew what he should do, through
this time he was happy to have someone in charge.

Talking to
Tanith was difficult with the wind in his face. His words hardly ever reached
her. It made him wonder how the pilots even communicated effectively with the
dragons. Could they to learn this strange mental speech? We tried to get closer
to her head to speak better with her but only resulting on nearly slipping and
falling to a watery grave. He resorted to just make himself comfortable in
the  saddle. Listening to Tanith’s
stories and occasionally screaming question.

They
arrived near land when the sun was setting, Tanith banked to fly along side the
land for a while until they reached a port with a large city. Allen’s eyes
opened, he knew the city, they set sail from it. He lived there. The port of
New London was filled with ships of the fleet that just scraped by. It seemed they
were not the only one who were hit. Somewhere barely afloat, others loaded to the
brim with survivors that slowly gotten unloaded onto the docks.

“Allen
right saddle pocket. Get the flag, put a knot in it and wave it.” Tanith commanded sternly and
lowered herself slightly to be seen. Allen fumbled with the pocket but managed
to get out their coloured flag in the air. He loosely tied the knot and then
barely waved it in the air. Soon enough two dragons took to the sky,
intercepting them. One of the dragons raised two signal flags.

“They
ask if we are okay. We should follow” Tanith responded by holding her wings and
rocking side to side to acknowledge the messages. The dragons formed a lose
formation with the two dragons leading Tanith and Allen to one of the airbases.
Their landing was hard, Tanith nearly collapsing in exhaustion when she made
contact with the ground. Soon there was a buzz around the landing zone as
helpers scurried to the spot. Allen was slowly pulled from Tanith, receiving
distrusting gazes from the crew around. His sooty clothing, barely even showed
the insignia of the ship he served.

He was held
there and then while the medics looked over Tanith. “Just wait. And when
asked tell the truth but not that I am talking to you.” She assured him as
a tall women walked up to them. She wore a rather thigh leather outfit and carried
one pistol on each of her hips. Her golden hair was cut short and she wore a
aviators cap with googles to protect her eyes. “You” she said with authority,
her voice formed by command. She pointed at Allen. “You are not one of us” On
her shoulder Allen could see the admiralties rank. It took a moment but as she
arrived he saluted. “No ma’am I am not from the corps”

“At ease”
she commanded him and Allen could relax ones more. “Now tell me who the hell
you are and what the hell you are doing with one of our dragons.” The air
became charged and apart from two beefy looking crew members to each side of
Allen, most of the crew moved backwards. “I am Allen walker, cadet of the first
class carrier Goliath” his answer send a wave of murmur along the crew gathered.
“Silence!” the admiral shouted. “Cadet, your answer raises more questions. The
Goliath was supposed to guard us. What the hell is someone from the Goliath
doing over here? And where is Tanith’s pilot?”

Allen took
a deep breath and reached for the silver dog tag. He read the name and handed
it over to the admiral. “I am sorry for the loss of your pilots ma’am” he
steadied himself, being the bearer of bad news was never good. “I don’t know
the details what happened, but the Goliath got attacked. By the time I reached
the decks all but Tanith was dead. I freed Tanith from the burning wreckage and
she flew me here” He could hear a soft hiss from Tanith “Idiot you slipped
up. Normal people don’t know a dragons gender”

Suddenly Allen
gotten cold while the admiral inspected him. “Alright Walker. I am Admiral
Evans, First commander of the south air force, you may address me as Admiral
Evans or Ma’am understood?” She gazed sternly at Allen as if he was not taught
the proper manners. “yes Ma’am” he replied. “Now, follow me.” The admiral said
“Captain Smith” she called one of the doctors over “Make sure the dragon is put
somewhere warm and safe. It must have gone through hell and back to end up
here.” She walked off in the direction of the camp with Allen in short tow.