Venturing: Quality Deeds

The winds brushed against my scales as I walked along one of the sidewalks somewhere within the center of the town. Quietness had filled my ears and I started hearing soft ringing surrounding me. My eyes were kept front and to the horizon where the sun was sinking in the skies. Warm colors soon faded and mixed in with the bright orange color that replaced the blue skies. White twinkles of stars emerged; dotted across. And the moon was nowhere to be seen. On the grounds below, the buildings surrounding me had their bright lights leaking from the small rectangular windows. Indicating to me that dragon citizens were living in there. Those lights spread out across my eyes; casting away the darkness that inhabited those rooms.

A cold chill wind blew past me. Brushing my scales as my wings were spread and wrapped around me to keep myself warm. Few trees that scattered upon my visions had lost their leaves. The grounds beneath my feet bore no light. For the technician was off for the upcoming holidays. All I could do was shrug and moved on. Both my claws were in my pockets, forming fists to keep themselves warm for the chilly that we have. As I walked ahead, towards the end of the sidewalk I was on, I stopped and planted my feet onto the ground. Rose my head to the horizon and shifted my eyes on both ways; the streets were empty and clear. Businesses on the far sides from where I was standing were closed. Yet that did not bother anyone. Everyone’s minds were on the holidays that were coming up. Cheers, laughters and all-rounded excitement for presents were at the top of the list. As for me and my fellow teammates, we were to patrol around our assigned square. The citizens were lucky, they got an easier job than we do.

A small exhale sigh escaped from my mouth, my eyes closed while my head was hanged. Allowing my eyes to point to the grounds below me. Despite the arousing terror of the principal and the owner lingering on my mind, there was one other thing also. As you perhaps may have guessed, or have read the other story, me and Yang are currently in a relationship. And as a result, I wanted to give something to her. Something that will warm her heart and rid the negative thoughts of the terror we might face. Sadly, nothing came to mind and I had realized that after all. Still standing like a statue on a podium, my thoughts were kept to Yang and wondering what presents she would like. There was also the other problem too involving Zander, my other coworker, and a potential rival. Because I was not able to know if he too has a crush on my girl. I guess I will find out sooner or later.

Slowly raising my head, I looked both ways for a final time then cross the street towards another sidewalk on the other side of the road. And as I slammed my feet upon the grounds, I turned my head over to the right, staring upon my reflection in the black glass before me. I chuckled. Remembering that I had used to do facial expressions with the monks when I was a young hatchling. While a thought entered onto my brain, pondering where those monks used to be; my walkie started to crackle. I was startled at first and would flinch at sudden sounds that entered my ears. Lowering my head, I remove a claw from my pocket and grabbed hold of the walkie. I pressed the side button and talked. “Hello? Yang? Zander? Kyro or Natty?” I started, confirming the static crackle. Releasing the button, I waited for a few seconds before hearing a voice onto the walkie. It was high pitch; higher perhaps than a normal dragoness’ voice. My eyes closed and pulled my head away from the walkie upon hearing that voice. “Ling?” 

“It is me. What is up, Yang.” I questioned, wondering why she was calling in this hour. Quickly before the next static emerged from the walkie, I rose my head to the orange skies. Noticing that it was turning black afterward, I spoke “It is almost evening. Turning Nighttime, is there anywhere else you guys want me to go before heading back to the mansion?” I asked, remembering dinner. “No, Ling.” Answered Yang adding “Come back to the mansion. We must meet up very soon before nightfall.” “What is the emergency?” I quickly asked, but the walkie remained dead after. Making a face, I frown while thoughts run through my brain quickly which slowly gave me a headache. A sudden flap of my wings had snapped my thoughts back into reality and I said nothing in answer as I spread them. Flapped once to gain height above the grounds before flying southward towards the mansion again. The air above the buildings was warmer than the air at the grounds. I was not sure, however, how that works since I never taken any other class besides police training during my earlier time I had arrived in my home town. Besides the point, the skies were getting dark and I retrace my steps back towards the mansion on the southern side of the town.

And upon reaching the destination, I tuck in my wings against my warm body and dive bomb towards the grounds beneath me. Faster and rapid I had descended as I felt the rush of the winds howling in my ears. The blood boiling in my veins as I felt the thrill of death rapidly facing. But as I closed in onto the grounds, I threw my wings out and slowed my descendent. With the winds having a harder time wrapping around them and my body, I felt softer winds. My nose burned with the excitement I had as my feet landed upon the grounds and my wings folded behind me. Safe upon the grounds, at last, I rose my head towards the door in front of me and started walking up towards it. Where I reached for the knob, it started to rattle and the door opened automatically for me. In response, I blinked in surprise and stepped inside. The door opened wider for me to entered through. Then shut itself when I reappeared into the main room.

The place was a bit different than what I had remembered past. However. The pale walls were now a darker shade of blue. All the furniture was back, even the black television. All placed around the single large room before me as I slowly walked three steps ahead of myself and looked about. It felt I was in a whole new world or something. Like I had been transported towards some other fantasy world! But before I could go on and explore, a sound entered my ear and forced me to turn around facing it. A door was opened; Kyro, the red muscle dragon officer had stuck its head out, staring at me. I stared at him momentarily, my back straighten and chest out. As I gave him a serious scowling look, Kyro stretched his claw and motioned me. I followed his motioned, entering into the door after him. Finding myself in the darkness surrounding us.

My eyes retained their faded visions in the darkness as I lowered my head and glance to the steps my feet were touching. They were solid and wooden; pale coloring with drops of colorful red or orange paint upon them. Dried up after perhaps countless attempts to paint the steps. We descended the stairs and ended up upon ground zero or the basement. Dark, chilly, and empty were my initial thoughts upon arriving in the room. Nine pale poles sit in a square formation, supporting the rooftops of the basement floor which was the first floor where the main door was. Yang, Zander, and Natty were in the center of the room; but their eyes were pointing onto the center pole. Tilting my head to one side, I walked forward. Kyro followed behind me as we approached them. Upon hearing the louder footsteps was the only time one of the three had decided to lift their heads and glance to the source of the noise. From here, I retained my scowling face and threw both my claws towards the surface of the center pole snarling at them.

“What is the problem?” I asked, glaring at them. Yang kept her eyes on me then slowly lowered her eyes to the board present to them. I followed in silence and blinked when I noticed a chess board sitting in front of me. Eight golden pieces surrounded the board; a white small note was stitched onto the stone. I responded with silence and my eyes widened as I stared upon the board while Zander and Natty grabbed a piece and place it onto the board. Redoing everything from the time when I had arrived onto the scene. Seconds after they had pieced everything together, I questioned them “Why are we playing chess? This is not the time for that, you all know. We got bigger problems and the owner is on the loose you know.” I protested at them, raising my voice into their ears for them to hear. But neither responded to me as they kept their eyes to the board. “This is not chess, Ling.” I heard Kyro started as I turned around facing him. “What is it then? Why are they playing a game when we got culprits to find and-“

“It is because the owner has sent that board with nine pieces attached to it to us. We do not know why or how did the owner knew that.”

“So…” I trailed, answering Kyro as I heard another piece placed “It is another riddle?”

“More like a puzzle.” Kyro answered and gave an exhale of a sigh adding, “Why would the owner give us a puzzle for us to solve?”

“And more importantly,” I added, raising a claw pointing to the ceiling above us. “Why a puzzle and not a hint.”

“Did the owner ran out of time to make another crime?” Spoke Natty as she pitched in her thought to our conversation. Me and Kyro turned to face her as she asked another, “Or was he or she just fooling and toying with us now.” “Maybe it is because his time is almost up.” Suggested Yang as Kyro and Natty nodded their heads. I pondered and chewed onto that thought before asking her, “How would you know that, Yang?” She rose her head from the board; casting her eyes to me as she answered “Maybe the owner got bored with us.” “Or she is working with someone else.” Natty added but Kyro stepped to my line and shook his head, “I disagree. If the owner is indeed working with someone else. We would have known that now. Besides…” His words trailed off as I returned to my thoughts.

I began thinking about what Kyro was suggesting and pointing out upon. I do agree that he was right that ‘there was no one within the realm that the owner would have worked with.’ Her daughter had left him on his own. His company was ruined, burned to the grounds. There was indeed no one else he could cooperate with. It was just us and him. No one else. But then, I wondered about an alternative. What if there was someone? It could be the main reason why he was able to get funds to pay Sen and Lope to try to kill Natty for their conflicts in the past. And if so… What would that someone be? A corrupt officer? An employee who disliked us? Or maybe someone from outside our realm. Like to the other worlds out there beyond our own. There were indeed many possibilities behind this amongst other questions that lingered inside our minds.

As I chewed onto the thought, a voice yelled out amongst the quietness of the basement. Startling me and Kyro as we turned our attention towards Yang, Zander, and Natty. All three had their claws up above their heads. Looking pleased and smiling all between within themselves. It was like hatchlings excited about a finished puzzle We smiled and stepped to them in silence; watching as they celebrated their victory. But that victory dance was short-lived however when the basement had started to rumble. And below us were formed cracks, rapidly growing until we were surrounded. The ground gave way to an abyss below us as we descended, screaming and shrieking as our voices allowed it. We disappeared one by one into the welcoming brace of darkness until we were no more.

Surprisingly, we had survived the great fall. And had landed onto solid grounds below us. Safely. We all looked around ourselves. Spotting the hazy fog surrounding us. The nine pillars that supported the ceiling were gone. Disappeared as if magic. But yet despite that, the room we were in was dark and empty. A single door was presented to us on the far right side of the room. It was right in front of us. Yang walked to it; never minding the quiet protested we had on our minds. As she reached for the door, it opened for us. We were all surprised. But Yang was mostly due to her wings spread out as her head reeled back and glared at the opened door. Then turned her attention to us, raised a claw, and motioned. We walked following her. And we entered through the door together.

Another room. But no other doors lead anywhere outward. ‘I guess this must be the final room.’ I thought to myself as I dragged my eyes towards the center. And there, my eyes were widened. Quickly, I tapped the shoulders of the others as they pulled their eyes away from the scenery around them and to me whereas I threw my claw outward to my side; pointing straight towards the center. They reacted the same as I. At the center of the room was the owner. But he was with someone else also. A fox hybrid. Something that we have not seen before in this realm. Their voices were loud and clear that we could hear them from no matter the distance apart. I turned to them and found Yang smiling faintly before she discussed the plan with us. And we all nodded, approving the plan before we released our pistols from their prison hold and ran towards our related positions.

But something was nagging in my brain. Wanting to get out somehow. I tried my best to ignore it; suppressed my feelings until we have completed our assignments for a completed mission. Thus perhaps having a relaxing celebration and ending our plot with this menacing thorn in our scales. But I could not. It was wrong. Flawed. And perhaps overlooked. I knew I could not keep it down, no matter how much I tried. And in the mists of my mental struggling, I paused in my steps. My eyes pointed forth to the owner and that fox hybrid. A glow reflected upon their fur and I found myself staring onto whatever was adjacent to them. There I saw, a glowing black purplish orb increasing in size. When I saw it, I exclaimed mentally to myself. But around that time, the plan had already executed. ‘No time for a compromised.’ I thought to myself, keeping my eyes directly to the orb staring back onto me.

Yang and Natty tackled the owner and the fox hybrid to the ground. Pointing their pistols directly to the back of their heads. At the same time, Kyro had circled the room. Getting to the control panal and tried to shut the orb down by pulling onto the switch. Zander was with him also, helping. And that left me, sticking to the sidelines once again. Keeping an overwatch to the tension scenario we had dived right into without hesitation of a second. Chaotic was the best way to describe the unfolding before us. But both the owner and the hybrid faded. Disappearing out of our eyes as the dragonesses found themselves awed upon what they had discovered. A burst of wind howled into my ears and I snapped my neck upward, shouting as I pointed to whatever was above them. Yang and Natty threw themselves onto the ground in response as a huge brown bark came swinging. Missing them entirely. Then Kyro and Zander yelled and I snapped my head to them, noticing as they flew off from the panel and onto the wall. Groaning.

When the short show was over. I rushed over to Kyro and Zander. Extending my claws to them as they clapped it with their own, helping themselves up to their feet. Natty and Yang got up also as well while we hear a distant laughter and loud footsteps marching forth like soldiers ready for war. On the opposite side of the room from where I, Kyro, and Zander stand; were the real owner and the hybrid. Both looking proud and smirking amongst themselves. Yang was the first to shout at them.

“What are you doing?” Cried Yang as the owner replied to her question, “Converting this realm into the principal’s terms.” “The principal,” We all said at the same time in surprise and the owner nodded his head; his face hardened with his eyes narrowing at us with a smirk on his face, “Indeed. She alone had helped me with everything for our endgame plan. Blowing up the cooperation building. Building the disk to transport the smelly fishes into places that I had desire. And etc. But most importantly, it had helped drive away you officers away from snooping upon our real plan. And flow money into my systems. This way, we will be at the top of the new realm. Nothing you or anyone else outside this town can stop us.”

“But why would you want a conversion of this realm.” Natty asked as Yang added, “Yeah.” “Mainly it is because of the principal. She wanted to convert this realm into her image. Since the cancellation and discontinued of her story. “Which is what?” Kyro asked, “The spiritual realm!” The principal growled, having grown drained of all the questions handed to them. As her mouth opened and spoke the words faster than we could ask a question, she explained. “The reason my realm was destroyed is because of a silver dragoness idiot that came into mine and killed off my guardian. And because of that, I lost my son. The one that I had created years ago. Lost into this realm. Forgotten and perhaps killed off. I was going to convert this realm into the spiritual realm to find him. And to bring back the stories that were discontinued. After which, I will be popular again!”

She pressed a button. The room rapidly changed from blackness to red as an alarming loud deep sound entered our ears. We all turned to the orb between us as the principal continued again, “With this orb. It will engulf the realm inside out and explode. Converting this realm into my creation! Nothing will stop it from ever happening!” “She is right!” I screamed, grabbing onto the handle again pulling back “The lever is stuck!” And we all panicked. Fears and anxiety surfaced upon our faces as we fidgeted and vibrated our claws, but Yang screamed over us and the alarm and we turned our attention to her. “Nothing we can do here. Let get out of this place!” “Out of town?” I exclaimed answering her as she nodded. Yang and Natty ran towards the door. Followed by me, Kyro and Zander. As we race across the empty room, returning to the same spot where the huge hole was upon the ceiling above us, we spread our wings and flew upward. Through the cracks and back onto the basement. We ran up the stairs onto the first floor. Then through the second door out from the mansion. Sadly, it had already started. The buildings came rushing to us as if there were strings attached to them pulling them forward. We tried our best to dodge them. Some of them knocked us down to the ground. But in the end, we kept pushing forward. Running across the empty abandoned fields of our old town as the orb behind us grew larger.

Then, we heard a loud hissing and the orb exploded.