Black wings of death

Allen hold thigh to the metal serving tray that held his lunch. After all the days eating emergency rations he was happy about some solid food down in his stomach. Something warm, what he was not happy about was that that it was greasy eggs with even more greasy bacon and an bit of not quite fresh toast. He looked around the busy canteen that the airman used for their lunch. He could not quite spot a place to himself all the tables were taken with groups of brothers in arms.

“New guy!” He heard a voice calling from the side. He turned around both dreading and hoping they were calling him. A senior airman was calling out to him and waving him over. Allen not wanting to get a bad face manoeuvred himself through the maze of tables.

The senior airman had brown hair and dark skin marked with a large pink/red spot and traced from his eye all the way down to the his neck. The spot looked like a large scaled patch of skin that had been torn from under his skin. He was pointing to a spot next to him

“Sit, eat and do tell us why you are all alone with an admiral out here in enemy seas” He grimaced, obviously ready to exchange war stories. On his chest where two dragon shaped medals, one bronze, one silver. Allen took his advice and gazed around the table of all senior airman. They all smiled at him, trough it made him feel like an imposter like he did not belong here.

“So New guy, you have a name?” The senior asked again.

“Walker, Allen Walker”

“Walker, I am John Tennant. Pleasure to meet you. Now tell me, is it true that you earned your ace?”

Allen gave a wry smile about earning an achievement for murder of other dragons. “It is true, but I have to admit, I lost count.”

“How does one lose count of your kills?” John asked rather surprised “I mean the battle is hectic but don’t you keep shooting until the other falls out of the sky.”

“Because the last group we encountered was breathing down our neck with twelve dragons to our two.”

The table suddenly fallen silent, they all looked at him with wonder in their eyes. Edging Allen to continue on with his story. Now they had tasted the tale of blood, like sharks they wanted more.

“When we came back from bombing the enemy city…”

John stopped him “Hold on, you bombed an enemy city with just two dragons? How do you even get there”

“Well after the destruction south bay city”

John slammed his fist on the table. “Damn all to hell, we lost good man in that bombing! Good dragons” Allen could swear he saw a tear form on John’s cheek.  He slowly put one and one together.

“Sorry I ask did you have a brother named Peter?” John snapped around, looking at him with anger and sorrow at the same time.

“Yes” he simply said, his voice thigh and covering barely contained sorrow.

“I am sorry for your lose.” Allen offered John his hand “I have met him just before the bombing, he was a good guy. It’s a shame we lost him. I dropped some of the bombs on the enemy in his name sake” While he lied the last part, it did seem to do John good.

“Thank you Allen.” He clutched Allen’s hand heart. He whipped his tears away “It does a brother good to hear this. May he be in a better place.”

“Hell is a better place than this war” Another airman chimed in. He received a soft amen from the group.

“who you fly on Walken? And is it true you are only a few weeks from training” A third airman with blond hair and blue eyes asked. He had a scar along his cheekbone that was prominent and a nasty purple.

“Tanith. Yes it’s true, I joined the corps only a few months ago.” Again a soft grimace echoed through the table.

“How the hell you managed to get a dragon after months!? I trained two years go get a dragon” An airman at the head of the table called, slightly angry. Allen could not see who it was.

“By rescuing her from the ship, and her on her turn, rescued me”

John gazed at him. “Okay, how do you manage to rescue a dragon and how the hell you manage tell a dragons gender.”

Allen swallowed slightly but kept his face straight when he started. “I was a boiler boy at the Goliath.” One of the airman his fist on the table, emotions getting to him.

“That act with an act of cowardness! We all here lost friends, family or brothers in arms on that ship!”

John nodded but calmed the airman. “Gentleman, let us hear the story of our newest ace first.”

Allen took a deep breath but his story was not received that well, mostly because most of his story dissolved one the image of the other airman that their brothers have died a hero’s death while in reality they have been blasted apart.

“The reason I know Tanith’s gender is because she told me her gender and her name when we met.”

John raised his eye ridge, the last part of the story turned a sceptical part of his mind. “You are shitting me Walker, dragons who willingly tell you a story?”

Allen smirked a bit “You would be surprised. Tell me, who you fly?”

“Caeruleum, if you ever see him you guess why. It’s that big azure son of a bitch who got a wound on the same side as me. Both have been marked with the same blast”

“Ah, well. Ever hear him speak?” John nodded to Allen’s question. “Well then, just try to ask him next time you see him, to ask him how he is. You would be surprised how it will be received”

Another airman called out to Allen. “Come on, they are dragons. You will be lucky if they understand what the hell compassion means.”

Allen kept his small smile, while looking around the table “There is a reason that I managed to stay alive for as long as I did. Without Tanith I would be killed”

John gave a small laugh “Well it sounds more like Tanith would be happy to be alive because of you. But let’s eat first.” He also suggested in a less subtitle hint to drop the subject.

After Allen’s proposal to talk to the dragons, he felt rather uncomfortable at the dinner table. He received odd stares from the other Airman on the table.

That’s for sticking your head out Allen you did this to yourself. He swore to himself while he hoped that one just one of the pilots would follow his advice.

“You did what?”  Tanith chimed in hearing his train of thought.

“I did what I feel like I had to do Tanith. Trough I might have ruined my reputation with the seniors.”

He could feel that Tanith gave an amused huff trough the link. “You mean the kind of pilots who let their Dragons waste away? I know the stories of the dragons who are here.”

“Well Tanith, you wanted humans to change their minds about dragons.”

Allen let the connection between them hanging trough Tanith did speak again. He continued his dinner in silent listening to other pilots sharing stories about their victories to kill the unpleasant atmosphere. Most where about being able to shoot dragons out of the sky without little effort, or about getting out of a tight dog fight. Trough he heard a lot about how the pilots themselves where feeling about it, not about the dragons. What was to be expected.

Suddenly the room gone quiet and the pilots stood up and saluted. Allen being drunken in his own thoughts was slow to respond when he turned around and stood up to salute who ever had entered he could see Admiral Evans right in front of him.

“Walker, nice to see you stand up to for your commander. Now follow me Airman” She said and turned around.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am”

They walked through the winding corridors trough the mains stairways up to the officer’s room. The opened one of the few oak doors into an office that was furnished with wood. Captain Cromwell was sitting behind her desk. He looked at the two who entered her office and gave a small smile. “Ah, Admiral Evans, it’s a pleasure as all ways.”

Evans gave a small nod before closing the door. “Alright Captain, Walker. This doesn’t leave this room.” She started and placed an folder on the table. “I gotten this order from the corps Admiralty. And let it be said that it’s against my advice but those in command want something else”

“Alright Evans, but why is the airman here?” Cromwell pointed at Allen.

“I am getting to that.” She turned around. “ alright Walker, field promotion, from this moment onwards you are granted the rank of captain. Before you ask why walker, It’s because I need someone who can damned well trust his dragon and who’s dragon trusts him. This promotion will properly be tossed out the window in a week or two, and I get some minor hell for it. But at least with an ace on your name you get to be senior airman.”

Allen just glared at Evans before him. Evans gave a small cough. “Captain Walker, something you like to say?”

Allen took another moment before he saluted to Admiral Evans. “Ma’am Thank you ma’am, I will not disappoint”

“Alright Walker, enough boot licking for now” she turned back to the folder and opened it to view the mission assignment. “This mission is classified as most secrete. Same as our last mission and it requires the whole of the Hercules to be placed near the front. And be loaded with a new weapon, all senior airman have been ordered to drop the weapon on the enemy.”

 She paused and handed both Allen and Cromwell a map of the front. Allen could see line after line running along the enemy trenches. Each line had a time starting from ten o clock in the evening and incrementing per quarter of a hour.

“This is our bombing maps”

Cromwell stood up in her chair and gasped. “What kind of weapon are they deploying?”

“they call it L.O.S.T, I don’t quite know what it is but dragons are required to spray it over the enemy lines.”

Cromwell looked up at admiral Evans. “I don’t like this one bit. I know the last experimental weapon that a dragon was supposed to drop. That dragon burned alive and any dragon in the hall didn’t fly for a week. If I read your order correctly, our pilots and dragons are required to wear some kind of a gasmask or risk death. What the hell?”

Allen took a step forwards and looked at the document himself.

Tanith will not like this one bit.

“Like what?” She pried “You feel distressed”

“I am distressed but can’t talk about it. The admiral’s orders.”  Allen tried to answer honestly and keep his promise at the same time.

“Come on Allen we hear each other, I deserve to know?” Tanith sounded rather insulted trough.

“Tanith, can we not do this now. All I can tell you is that I am captain now. I need to pay attention to this Tanith, I can’t do that if you talk to me. I will tell you everything I can, if I can.”

“alright Allen” She broke contact just in the right time for Allen to listen to a question that was asked him.

“How would you think the dragons will feel about this?” Admiral Evans asked Allen. She gotten an odd look from Cromwell who just stared at the admiral.

“Admiral, with all respect buy why do you need to know how the dragons will feel about this. And why you ask captain Walker.”

“Because captain Cromwell, if these masks get the dragons spooked we might have a problem. Why Walker, because he has a way with the beasts. Why you think I would ever thing about promoting someone so green high?” Admiral Evans turned to Allen again. “Can you figure out?”

Allen scratched his head to when looking on the papers. “Not without sharing something of this to my asset”

‘Was afraid you would say that” she gazed at the papers in front of her. “Alright, your judgement what you will share Walker but be sure that your asset will not spill the beans.”

“Alright Tanith. Could you do something for me? Could you figure subtilty figure out how the other dragons would deal with a bombing run?”

“Allen. Be straight with me, what the hell is the bombing run”

Allen took a deep breath before answering Tanith, hoping that she would feel the same urgency to keep the details secrete.

“Keep this between us Tanith, but the mission is to rain something toxic over the front lines. We need to wear gas masks”

Tanith’s response was delayed, she felt displeased brothering on fear. “Allen, what the hell we dragged us into?”

“War.” Allen response came surly.  “And I am afraid we little choice in any of the matter.”

“We could just fly away” Tanith pounded, her voice sour. “Yes it’s treason, I know. But I just feel stuck.”

“Tanith, dear, it’s not just because it’s treason but where should we go to? Almost everyone is currently fighting someone. If we escape here, we are dragged into another war. We can only hope that we survive long enough.”

Allen could feel his own mood sour, providing a feedback loop for their emotions that just combined into an all-around sour tone between them. Allen just couldn’t help but feel bad for dragging Tanith into this, even though he would not have a choice.

“I will try and see what I can do for you Allen, but I don’t think many dragons will be happy. I am not happy”

Allen just gazed at the carts and plans before finally looking up. “We have to prepare ourselves that some dragons will be displeased about this all. Tanith for sure will not like this idea one bit.”

Captain Cromwell looked at Allen with an eye ridge raised, she had studied his behaviour over the course of the unheard conversation with Tanith. She could see his emotions change like magic.

“What just happened?” She asked stern at Evans. “Assets, dragons?” but Admiral Evans waved her hand

“Need to know captain, I wish it was any different but we are currently in an environment that is like a spider web. So allow me to keep some things need to know”

The captain raised her eye ridge at Evan’s remark. “Alright” her words where simple trough Allen suspected they would hear more of her on a later day. With Evans he went over the mission, while he and Evans where not choice to carry the toxins and drop them. The formation was choice he, Evans and a group of less experienced pilots defended the main group. The code for the group would be the ‘black wings’ as it requires to pain the scales of all dragons black.

Allen stopped Admiral Evans outside of the office, an idea had snuck in his head and it just didn’t feel right. “Admiral” he started “Permission to ask a question freely ma’am?”

“Granted, I was expecting one Walker.”

“What is the true reason I am promoted ma’am?”

Evans looked around, making sure no one could hear them. She dragged him away to a small side corridor to be sure to remain hidden.

“Every argument I said to you is true Walker” she started, but then she placed an hand with weight on his shoulder. “But, Walker I need you. Freya needs you, I can’t risk you die because some experimental toxin. I and Freya have spoken many nights about how to free dragons. And yet you have what me and Freya can’t, I feel that you have the edge to start change the opinion of the populous about dragons. Now, don’t think it means I am soft on you Walker, I will sure as hell give you hell if you abuse this right. And I still will punish Tanith for her…” she paused before looking at Allen and she gave a sign. “Walker, You will devise a way to punish Tanith for her action at the Camari. You must be able to set an example, Tanith must accept that you hold an reputation both as Ace and as Captain.”

Allen took a moment to let it sink in. Her continuously threat that she was not getting soft on him and that he was rushed trough the ranks based up on his relation to Tanith. “It’s not about me, is it?”

Evans just gazed in his eyes before stating slowly “If you had ben listening, no it’s not about you. Its about you being the right person in the right place in the right time. Trough enough about this Allen. Go visit Tanith, spend some time with her, you have enough excuses to walk around on the dragon deck. Oh and don’t forget these”

She handed him two pins that signalled his new rank as captain. He carefully took the brass coloured wings. He placed them on his shoulders and looked at Captain Evans again. “Allen?” he softly asked, wondering if she slipped up.

“Walker, haven’t you heard captain? Dismissed”

Allen was caught off-guard by the sudden and stark difference, when he heard voices down the hallway he realised the reason.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am” he saluted and walked away, moving down the hallway towards the dragon deck. When he passed the two sailor they saluted. Allen walked by with an uncomfortable feeling. The feeling that he was just an imposter that he had from the breakfast. Making his way trough the halls and receiving more salutes. By the way he was at the dragon deck he felt uncomfortable enough to partially hide in shame with his new role. He slowly walked to Tanith to only see John standing near Caeruleum.

Allen sneaked closer to hear John speak to his dragon. He was obviously uncomfortable by his intonation and the pauses between the words. “How are you today Caeruleum?” is voice saw soft but from Allen’s partial hiding spot he could hear most of John’s words.

Silence fell between the two. Couldn’t hear the dragon talking back, in the silence they shared he could hear the connection break. A hope that they could become closer just faded for as long as Caeruleum didn’t speak.

“My neck hurts as usual. Trough I am fed well this morning, So I should not complain” The dragon spoke, he himself was talking rather uncomfortable.

John rubbed his own patch of damaged skin and smilled a pained smile. “I understand that pain. Each morning I still feel the skin tighten.” He paused and turned around “I have something that helps…Do you wish to try it maybe it eases your discomfort?”

The dragon lowered his neck to him “Why?” the dragon suddenly asked “Why would you care?”

John looked down at his hands. “Wouldn’t you just like to have some comfort”

“No John. Why do you care, why do you suddenly ask me for your day. Do you have pity? Do you feel like you will get us both killed soon?” The dragon softly growled.

“Dammit dragon, why does this have to be some kind of hidden agenda to you! I just thought I ask you a question after it’s suggested too me!”

“You ask me why? Because I have known nothing but pain from pilots. You never cared for me before so why now? Every single one of you I know in the past only used this to hurt dragons and entrap them”

Allen slowly stepped forwards and waited for his time. John looked at his dragon, rather distressed at the words.

“But I cared about you…I kept you fed…I…”

“you cared about me like I was a horse John, you did not care about me like I was an thinking person.”

“Gentleman” Allen spoken, trying to stop the problem before a fight arisen. “Caeruleum, I told John to ask you, in trying to let him see that dragons are not beasts”

John turned around and gasped when he saw Allen, and suddenly tensed up when he saw the pilots wing’s on Allen’s shoulder.

“Sir” he saluted to him, even trough he could see the confusion in his face when looking at his new status.

“At ease” he gave a small smile at him

“You? Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because, I do not wish to feel dragons hurt because of an bloody miss understanding. Now you two talk a bit. Understand each other okay?”

Without trying to wait for them to acknowledge his wishes, he walked to Tanith and showed them what a good relation would be. He slowly rubbed her snout and wished her a good day. She pushed against the rubs

“Hello Allen, With what I owe you this pleasure” She teased him “Mister captain.”

Allen gave a short laugh at her reaction to his role. “Captain Walker it is…but you just can call me Allen”

“Good else I would turn you upside down until you do.” Tanith teased but Allen gazed at her.

Allen gave her a rough rub across her snout. “I don’t know what is worse Tanith, That you suggest it, or that I know that you would not hesitate to do so.” He traced a hand down her neck and smiled before nudging at her wing arm. “Now move, I want to inspect your wounds”

Tanith gambled when she moved to her side. Allen looked under the bandages of each individual wound. One of the last wounds on her rear leg was awful and gangrenous. The scent was horrific and it made Allen vomited on the spot.

Tanith became distressed at the feelings that Allen shown, while she did not feel the pain with her nerves numbed. She could smell the scent of necrosis. Allen collected himself and took a step back.

“I am getting the doctors” He rushed down the hallways to find the veterinarian. He found two vets who where packing a back of supplies that moment in preparation for a new wave of dragons coming back.

“sirs” Allen started “I need your attention, My dragons’ wounds have worsened”

One of the veterinarian looked at him with a long sign, a sign of having heard this before many times. “Okay what is happening?”

Hurried his explanation trough, talking about the blackening flesh and the scales coming close from the skin. The two doctors looked at each other before quickly finishing to pack up. Getting all kind of new tools. Most tools looked more like torture tools then medical tools. Large callops and strange kind of pliers.

They done packing in ten minutes and rushed forwards to the dragon deck. Allen rushed behind them and his nerves did not clam down. The way the vets ran made him worried about Tanith’s live. A tear rolled down his cheek when he ran down the corridor to the dragon deck. He arrived just behind the doctors who already unpacked next to Tanith who was starting to become more and more distressed.

One of the doctors looked at Allen. “Captain, we need to operate. Now.” He handed Allen a cloth and bottle of chloroform, a crude anastatic but it was better then something. “Drench and hold till the dragon falls asleep. That can take some minutes”

Allen looked at Tanith with an odd feeling before uncapping the bottle and drenching the cloth. He felt strange it with all, he did not know if it was the fumes from the cloth or the thought about putting Tanith to sleep.

“Will it hurt?” She asked meekly, lowering her head and laying on her side. Allen slowly placed a hand behind her horn and scratched it. Preparing the cloth in his other hand.

“No, just try to breath normally” He said while putting the cloth to cover her nose and mouth. She inhaled deeply and at first became distressed by Allen soothed her with rubbing her head and being with her. Tanith slowly drifting to sleep and her thoughts evaporating the closer she was to sleep distressed Allen. Slowly he could feel her slipping away.  Her eyes closing and her breath slowing, he almost felt like he was responsible for Tanith’s death. A tear formed in his cheek. Keeping with Tanith until her tongue lolled from the mouth and she was unconscious.

Allen removed the cloth from her mouth and sat down next to her head. Stroking her and making sure she kept breathing.

“She is out” he said to the surgeons who quickly went to work. He did not know what they wanted to do nor he cared. He just wanted her to be better. He hoped that they did not have to amputate her rear leg. He did not want to think about what the corps might ask of him to do with Tanith if that was the case. He just drowned himself in being close to Tanith and stroking her head.

John looking at Allen’s reactions walked to him and spoke softly. “Permission to sit next to you sir.”

Allen looked up with tears in his eyes and that was all John needed. He placed himself down next to Allen’s side and took a deep breath. He offered Allen a flask of whiskey. Which he took and he sipped deeply from before tanking John and handing it back.

“You care for her?”

Allen nodded “More then I ever care to admit?”

“How long have you been able to talk to such an extent with her?” John continued to ask, whipping his flask and taking a sip himself.

“Ever since I met her. She is like the only family I still have”

John looked at his flask and pulled a photo from the leather cover about his family. He had placed a red dot on each member deceased in the war effort. The three dots, a mark of pain. John gazed at it for a long time.

“You know Captain. A lot in the army thing heroic about suffering but cry when they are alone.” He started “Most will not thing about dragons like you did. But I am glad to have met you and in extension Tanith. You have shown me a wrong I never expected to see.” John looked at Allen and how he had eyes for Tanith and smiled “She will be alright.” He reassured Allen before standing up again. Rather uncomfortable about trying to show compassion.

“This can take some time, I will get you some water.”

John walked away leaving the surgeons and Allen alone with Tanith. He lost track of time, he only realised that he was just staring at Tanith when he heart Admiral Evans coming close and saying just a simple few words.

“Oh, dear god.” She just looked at Tanith on her side and walked around to inspect the surgeons words. She did not spoke until she was back and dragged Allen with her, away from Tanith before saying “Allen, Tanith might never be able to use her rear leg.”