Venturing: Losters

We landed upon the grounds of what was used to be known as Vaster town. My wings were folded behind me while my eyes were raised, glancing out towards the horizon then to somewhere else. The place was quiet but a disaster. Buildings were crumbled; half of them were slashed and fell off to its sides blocking the impending roads from both sides. The cars and other vehicles were out of used. They could never start at all. The roads below our feet were rocky and filled with thousands of pebbles and shards of glasses upon the surface. “This place looks like a disaster." I heard Natty responded, shifting her eyes around the place before settling herself towards me. I nodded after her as if agreeing with her before gazing away.

All five officers upon my unit were split into a pair. I was together with Natty. Kyro was with Zander. Meanwhile, Yang was outside the boundary of Vaster Town. We fell silent. Unsure of how to proceed with our investigation as our objective was to find and seal evidence that the earthquake was not 'Nature made'. My mind reminded me of the cracks that had form when our town was first attacked. I figured I might as well start there. Lowering my eyes and raising my claw, I motioned for Natty whom turned her attention to me. I glance upon the roads below and walked in the directions of where those cracks were. Thousands of them were, all scattered in every direction that it seems random picked of where their sources were. That would be my first glance however. But looking to the grounds again, I had realized that the cracks were formed in lines and not in random directions at all. They all pointed to one particular spot. Where that be, I was not sure at all. But I watched and followed the crack directions with hope that they would lead me to their sources.

In the end, I ended up upon the deep end of my corner of Vaster town where the buildings were ruined. Vines shot from the grounds, wrapping against the surface of them. Cracks were numerous here than where we had landed however as I realized. Natty's eyes were widen and surprise. But she remained quiet while she move closer to where I was. As I heard her footsteps behind me, I turned around and gaze at her. She said nothing but met my eyes before she frowned and spoke; finally breaking the silence between us. “Why were there vines wrapping around this part of the town? Were they not any at the shores?" “That was what I wanted to know." I remarked, darkening my face before looking away from her and to the buildings behind me. What Natty said was right. 'Why?' I wondered while gazing at the vines in silence. Somehow not hearing Natty walking to the right of me. I continued staring at the vines wrapped building in the following silence before shifting my attention towards the pink dragoness whom somehow had gotten a good distance between ourselves. For that came as a surprise towards me and quickly move forth towards her before finally catching up to her. As we walked side by side, Natty decided to change topic and speak about my relationship with Yang.

On that note, I blushed and looked away. Often times countering her with sentences of my own in an attempt to distract her. At the topic of Yang, I realized my heart was pounding in my chest. My wings fluttered anxiously as my own body heated up upon her name that sweat had submerged upon my scales. Natty laughed teasing me with a smile upon her face. I grinned anxiously at her before looking away from her. We were upon the streets heading West towards Zander and Kyro who were somehow finishing up with their own investigation. The buildings were crowded that it was nearly impossible to see any more road or streets. The sidewalks were gone. If some were left, they were perhaps busted somehow with no question as to how. As we walked waving through the buildings, our ears perked up upon the heated loud investigation and we turned our attention leftward towards the pair whom were arguing with one another. What topic, I was not sure. But it was rather amusing to watch and Natty decided to ruin it all by shouting at the two, gaining their attention in the end. The two dragons turned their heads over to us.

Their smiles were forced. But it seems their eyes were directly towards the dragoness adjacent to me. As all four of us gathered up, Zander crossed his arms and growled at us “Do not tell me that you two went strolling. We are told to investigation and report our findings to your girlfriend, Ling." “We have not found anything at all." I responded to him, looking directly at him. “All we got were vine wrapped buildings, the sidewalks disappeared and the roads remained fewer than normal." “Do you think that the Orderquake had done that? Cracked the roads so pieces of it falls into the abyss?" Kyro followed up my report and I nodded unsure of myself as I defensed my answer, “Perhaps. But what was weird was the vines wrapping the buildings. Were there any vines underground?" I questioned, tilting my head to one side as silence fell over us. “I do not think so." Natty responded finally after a long pause before huffing and exhaled, “Other than that, we should ask Neither if they had vines. They are after all underneath all of us." “Yeah, Chaos and Order to be exact." “Not sure us, Ling." Natty remarked with a small smile as her face lit up like the lamp forcing me and Kyro to be confused while Zander tilted his head to one side.

“Regardless…" Kyro hesitated, turning away from Natty. “We should report this to Yang now." “Right. You guys do it. We will investigate further." I remarked, turning my backs towards them before grabbing Natty by the arm. I forced her to follow me away from Kyro and Zander and back towards the cluster of building that were before us. The red dragon called out to us. But his voice was not recognized or heard at all and was forced to exhale before pressing the button of his walkie. As we went through the piles of buildings, Natty threw my arm down. Her face hardened as her eyes narrowed to me. I said nothing to her while she growled speaking, “What is with you all of the sudden? Why are you not the one responding to Yang. Why did you for-" “Enough Natty." I said calmly to her as she looked at me with her widened eyes before all expression faded against her neutral face. She remained calm, but her eyes shot daggers as she stormed passed me, brushing against my scale and hitting my wingtip with her own before departing. I threw my claws towards the side of my scales, frustrated while following her.

Since we had investigated the cluster of buildings of one part of our assigned space. We headed eastward towards the other part of Vaster where no buildings were found about. For instead, we found ourselves upon the plains and leveled ground. Here, the sands replaced the roads and sidewalks. The buildings were gone replaced by cactus and others stuff that you would find in a desert however. With the sands turning lighter pale due to the sun beaming its light down towards them, I walked passed Natty and moved further. Natty blinked in surprise before jobbing up towards my side, she was silent the whole way through which prove to be a plus for me since I needed time to think however. On the other claw, it was pain since silence was my only companion and I had nearly forgotten that Natty was adjacent to me at the time. We moved along the sands, advancing towards the horizon beyond us. We did not get far however before we heard something above us that had forced us to stop. I rose my eyes towards the blue skies above, noticing the white clouds hovering alongside a dragon that had dive bomb us. We stepped to the side and allowed the dragon some space for we both knew who it was. For as the dragon had landed, my ears flickered upon hearing rapid footsteps and I turned around spotting Zander and Kyro already emerging from the horizon. But Yang's voice was the one catching my attention.

“Where are you two going?" Yang questioned us with an narrowed eyes directly towards me. I stepped to her and spoke calmly, “We are heading down the desert to find more evidence." “But you do not know what is out there." “Why?" I questioned, growling calmly at her “What is out there? What is beyond the sands of Vaster?" “That one house. The shed is beyond here." She started and lowered her eyes saying nothing more as Zander and Kyro catch up with us. “Ling. There is a jackhammer a little further from where we are." “Are there many?" I questioned him, “No just a few." Kyro started, “How are there only a few that caused destructive damage towards our town?" Natty asked a bit concerned as her eyes shifted to me then Kyro afterwards, Kyro shook his head and replied to her “I am not sure." “Unless of course. These jackhammers were hidden along the basements or ground floors of the buildings." I suggested glancing back to Kyro and Yang who said nothing but their wings were spread suddenly. They flew off without hesitation as the winds blew harshly against me and Natty. We shielded ourselves, but our eyes remained opened as we were surprise by the moves of the red and silver dragons. Quickly raising to the skies, I spotted both dragons already heading back to the town which left me and Natty alone while we looked at one another. Nodded quietly before retreating to the town at hand.

Randomly, all five of us chose our buildings and headed to the front entrance. I had chosen the medium size building with its windows all shattered and broken that shards had perhaps entered or exit out from the thousands of holes. Zander chose the other building opposite of where I was. Few of his windows were intact. But the rest was destroyed by vines somehow. Natty chose a building that was three blocks down from where I was. Although I could not see what features or damage that the building had endured. Yang and Kyro, both chose their buildings. They were twice the size of all of us combined. Their windows were shattered, similar to mine. But the buildings itself was reduced by height somehow as both dragons can clearly see the cracks and brokenness from the surface of the buildings. “Lets head in then." I muttered to myself while the walkie ring out onto my ears, signaling our advances through the buildings. All of us entered in without hesitation and plunged us into the pitch darkness that had awaits for us.

The room of the building was bigger than I had suspected. Four doors were drifted to the side. But they were not of equal distance of one another. One or two of the four doors were to the sides of the building. The other two were adjacent to the stairs that was in front of me. That stairs leads up to the second floor. But I never wanted to go up there yet. As I glanced around the pitch dark room, I walked forward while shoving my claw into my pockets fishing for a pocket flashlight that I had received for my birthday earlier on. Once I had acquired it, I pressed the silver small button and light came out from its end. I smiled faintly towards myself while I glance around the area again. With the flashlight, I was able to see the more detailed parts of the room itself. The pile of garbage on one side. The pile of wooden planks adjacent to it. And another jackhammer at the center; in front of the stairs. My eyes widened and I smile. I ran up towards the jackhammer and grabbed onto its sides, feeling the cold transferred itself from the metal small poles towards my claws. I had realized thus that the machine was not used for two weeks it seems which came as a surprise since the orderquake had happened yesterday. Although it did prove the fact that the jackhammer had a contribution to the disaster we had yesterday, there was something else that I was unsure of. 'Like what else contributed? The jackhammer alone could not inflict the damage we received.' I thought to myself, pondering deep that I had not realized I had a headache.

Determined to see this through, I quickly tried to find a door that was adjacent to the stairs and the jackhammer. I found one eventually; but it was not where I thought it might be. Located upon the side wall of the room itself was where the door was, I was surprise that it was placed there. Yet a question arises from my brain as I headed over to that door. Grabbing its knob and twisted it which opened the door, I pressed the button to my walkie. Announcing that I was heading towards the depths below the surface of the realm, I heard comments and remarks from my walkie after a few seconds. But most importantly, Yang when she spoke quietly to me. I smiled without hesitation, the warmth in my body grew towards my arms and legs, even my wings surprisingly. But shaking my head, I sent my eyes below and gaze at the depths below while my wings were spread. No staircase was found because of the quake that had happened. So all I was left with was the depths of darkness which was alright for me. I hopped, flapped my wings and slowly descended whereas my pupils grew large as the light above me fades in darkness.

I landed after an minute of hovering. Water splashed surrounding, damping my legs and tail while my wings folded behind me. I looked around the place and stare for a second before shaking my head. As thoughts circulated my mind pondering as to where I was, I wadded myself through the waters and moved slow. Although I was advancing. I found myself at the waters whose level were onto my legs and the tip of my tail. All the quiet within the atmosphere of my surroundings that I was certain that something or someone was coming forth against me. I was cautious and afraid; shivering with anxiety while my breaths escaped my mouth. My wings were spread yet folded behind me. I shifted my eyes around the atmosphere; steadily staring at the darkness that was staring back upon me. I continued moving through the waters and away from the initial spot behind me. I pressed the button on my walkie and my voice was called out through the speaker. But all I got was static. Nothing else. I was a bit worried I might not get out. Regardless, I moved on. Spotting something in the distance ahead of me. My eyes squinted, I stared at it before returning my eyesight to normal. I smiled although faintly before sprinting off into a full scale run.

In the distance, I saw a light. It was shimming and only one. But surrounding it were silver or gray pipes that extended outward from the light. Towards the darkness these pies goes until they disappeared; where they would go is their problem only as I race towards the light eventually reaching it in the following process. Thus, I slowed to a stop. My breathing quickened as my mind was filled with questions. I was exhausted and by that I was a bit surprise. But ignoring it momentarily, I gaze to the light. Noticing it was leaning against the wall in front of me, I snatched it off and hoisted it into the air before looking around upon my surroundings and by this, I was surprise to see more pipes extending outward.

The pipes were also broken or cracked as water leaked out from them which pooled the water level below my feet. My mind clicked and I was surprise how the jackhammer and the pipes worked together. Yet somehow it does make sense. Quickly, I fled from the pipes and backtracked to the very spot where I had landed upon and rose my head up while spreading my wings ago. I crouch and bent my knees before hoping up whereas the waters splashed around me as my wings took over and carried me upward through the horizontal dark skies. It was exciting to have all the pieces of the puzzle work altogether now and fit to make the picture clear. All that matter for me was to report this finding towards the rest of my teammates and just as I reached for the door. It opened for me somehow allowing me out. Onto the other side of the door I was surprise to see Yang there awaiting for me. She was smiling; but looked concerned as her face was riddle with raised eyes and other expressions. I shoved myself onto her arms, we rolled off a few inches away from the door just when it had closed on its own. For by the time we split apart, we gaze onto one another before realizing that I was on top of her.

I stood up rather quickly, a deep red blue run across between my nose and mouth as my eyes stare upon the dragoness below me. My wings were spread and tail was flickered to one side before lowered to between my legs. I was rather embarrassed by my actions alone as Yang got up onto her feet, giggled before leaning in for a kiss right onto my cheek. I had wanted to kiss her back; but found myself unable to when I realized again that there were others giggling besides us. Zander, Kyro and Natty were gathered. All smiling; yet Zander's was fainter than the others. As my wings folded behind me and my calmness returned, I breathed a exhaled sigh before explaining to them what I saw and the connection between the jackhammer and the pipes. They listened rather carefully; yet I saw their expressions clear as day. It was not hard to miss however. For by the time, my mouth sealed shut. Zander crossed his arms and smirked confidently “Guess that does answer it however. And given Yang's theory, it does stand with the evidence given." “Wait what does that mean however?" I questioned them, before looking to Yang who said nothing but a smile across her face. “So now the question still stands." Kyro growled, narrowing his eyes as he gaze at us.

“Who could had done this? We had so many enemies as police officers that it could be any one them." “Or all of them altogether, Kyro." Zander suggested with Kyro's claw shoved onto his face and pushed away. “Shut up." “Regardless, Kyro is right." Yang responded with serious tone in her voice as her eyes looked to us again as she resumed, “But we should worry that another time. We need to be heading back to the temporarily headquarters at the forest grounds. I wonder if that green dragon would be useful in future investigations towards that corruptive kingdom that he kept complaining about." “Not to mention the things they did to that poor snake." Natty added with some nods emerging from Zander and Kyro, “Welp then…" I trailed off, exhaling before nodding with the population. “Lets go find him."