New Life in a New World Ch. 02

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johneb87
johneb87
833 Followers

John lowered his rifle and relaxed his arms but still kept a watchful eye for any trouble. "So where exactly are we going?" asked John.

"We are going to meet someone," Lydia replied, "We only know her as the Lady of the Mountain but she will be able to tell you why you're here." Lydia then pointed toward a snowcapped mountain very close to them, "She lives up there somewhere, but we're not sure exactly where."

"So are we just supposed wander around the mountain until we find her?" John asked sarcastically.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "When we get close enough, she'll find us."

Radulf was not kidding when he told John that he would discover his purpose here soon. At first John felt a sense of relief knowing that he would be getting answers, but then he had only more questions. Once again he wondered how much Radulf really knew, certainly a hell of a lot more than what he told John. Why didn't Radulf just tell him the truth? How much did Lydia know? John shook his head, Lydia and Radulf were at odds the previous day as to whether he should have been kept alive so she couldn't have known anything. However, it was clear that Lydia was hiding something else. As he pondered about it, another thought crossed his mind.

"I wonder if she will know how I can get back to my world?" John thought out loud.

"Possibly, I'm more than certain that she will point you in the right direction." Lydia frowned slightly and for a slight moment, squeezed her eyes shut at the notion of John leaving. John did not notice her change in expression as she was facing away from him. Deep down, the idea of him leaving was gut wrenching but she knew she could not put her own future at risk. But what if her destiny was to be with him? No, the sooner he could leave the better.

The two of them exited the forest and once again entered a large, open valley. The valley floor was all short grass surrounded by the tree line starting near the base of the hills. John's eyes followed up the valley walls, the hills lining it turning into tall mountains. Were they getting close?

In the meantime, John reflected on the possibility of going home. He imagined that he would be heading back to Afghanistan. His team would be certainly glad to see him alive, it would be one hell of a debrief when he had to explain why he was MIA. Could he even explain it and would anyone believe him? He wondered if he could make up a more believable story as to why he was missing for over two days. John's close friend, Terry would probably want to know he was alright. But other than that, John really had no other family who would miss him. He would probably just return to the war and stay in the fight until he took his one way trip home on that C-17, his body in a metal box wrapped in an American flag.

He looked back to the half-lycan beauty leading the way. His heartbeat always seemed to quicken a bit every time he looked upon her. He smiled at the strength and confidence she displayed as she walked. The fresh bruises on his body proved that Lydia could handle herself in any situation. He had met very few women that could even come close to her, she was his equal. Perhaps she was his opportunity at a second chance? Lydia could sense John studying her, hoping she could hold her composure until they parted ways.

"If she finds a way back to my world, what do you think that will mean for us?" John said tenderly. "I don't know if I want to go back to my world. I think I would rather stay here with you."

Lydia froze immediately, John stopping next to her. Dammit, why did he have to make this more difficult for her? John put a hand softly on her shoulder, but she instantly jerked away. He stood there in shock and confusion. Gods, she did not want to have to do this. She wanted them to separate on their own, without confrontation. She knew exactly what she needed to tell him, but it would hurt her so much to say it. She swallowed nervously as she prepared to possibly break his heart.

"You can't stay," she replied in a shaky tone, not even making eye contact with him.

"What are you talking about?" John asked with a puzzled look.

Lydia bit her lip, struggling to get the next few words out. "You do not belong in this world, you do not belong with my people, and you don't belong with me."

John simply stood in disbelief, "So...what was last night?"

The events of the previous night flashed through Lydia's mind like a collage of images. Her hand rubbed the crook of her neck where he had kissed her, making her body so sensitive. She imagined his strong arms wrapped around her, making her feel safe and loved. Her legs rubbed together as she recalled how good he felt inside her, the two of them becoming one. Lydia had to shake those thoughts from her mind. She looked back at John with an almost unremorseful look, but deep down she wanted to cry badly.

"Last night was just sex, nothing more," she replied coldly.

"That's it? Just sex?" John said with a hint of anger.

"John, I didn't mean it like that," Lydia sighed, "Last night was wonderful and I am glad that you were my first. But I have a future plans...and they don't involve you."

John felt like he had his heart ripped out from his chest. He was extremely frustrated but not at Lydia, but at himself. He had many flings in the past, but never allowed himself to get emotionally attached. On many occasions he had given women that he had slept with the same speech that Lydia was giving to him now. John now realized what it felt like to be on the receiving end. But he always felt that it was for their protection, he had seen too many grieving wives of fallen soldiers to want to put anyone through that emotional torment when his time came. But why was Lydia so different? He had never believed in love at first sight, but he actually wanted to be with her. Christ, what was happening to him out here?

Lydia's voice broke through his thoughts, "I'm sorry if misled you to think otherwise."

John cracked a half-smile, burying down his real emotions. "I understand," he said callously, "Whatever works for you I guess."

Lydia opened her mouth to reply back when she suddenly froze. Her ears twitched as she heard something that alerted her. John didn't hear anything the first time, but then he heard a faint roar in the distance. The sound was so faint that it could easily be mistaken for the hollow sound of the wind coming off the nearby mountains. John then heard the faint roar again, only this time he heard something animalistic mixed in with it. Both he and Lydia turned toward the source of the sound which was coming from the direction they were heading. Lydia pulled the bow off her shoulder, she reached back and removed an arrow from her quiver.

"Please no," Lydia whispered in fear as her shaking hands attempted to ready her bow.

John saw a large, black bird emerge from the other side of the mountain and fly in their direction. No, it was much too large to be a bird. John tightened his grip on his rifle as it flew closer, his thumb reached up and switched off the safety. As it flew closer, John got a better idea of just how massive this creature was. It's wingspan had to be nearly a hundred feet wide, it's length from it's nose to the end of it's long tail was just as long. There were no feathers on this creature, John could make out what looked like dark thick plated scales. A pair of long horns sprouted from the back of it's head and spikes ran down it's back. It glided closer to them with deadly grace, like a hawk approaching it's prey. John mentally flipped through images of various fantasy creatures he used to read about, his blood ran cold when one particular image came to mind.

John looked over at Lydia, "Is that a....?"

"Yup," Lydia replied, knowing exactly what John was going to ask.

"What's the plan?"

"RUN!" Lydia screamed.

The both of them turned and ran full speed toward the direction that they came. The dragon let out a loud an mighty roar as it dove toward the fleeing pair. The ground turned dark as the dragon's shadow engulfed them. They heard another loud roar behind them, only this sounded like the furnace from hell. John glanced back to see the dragon spewing fire at the ground, setting it aflame and coming straight for them. As the dragon fire came toward them, they could see that it was moving faster than they could run. Unable to outrun the flames, John and Lydia dove to either side and hit the ground as the flames passed between them. John got up to see the dragon pass dangerously low above them, the two warriors now separated by a wall of fire. John raised his rifle and fired several shots at the passing dragon, seemly having no effect.

"That won't do anything, you're only pissing it off," Lydia shouted from across the fire.

"The fucking thing's already pissed off!" John yelled back.

The dragon glided higher in the air before banking left, making it's turn back toward them for a second pass.

"Run for the tree line," Lydia yelled, "Try to lose him in the forest and find a good hiding spot." Lydia looked over, still seeing John with his rifle aimed at the approaching dragon still intent on fighting it. "What are you waiting for? GO!"

John looked back toward Lydia who had already started running. The tree line where they had entered the valley was too far away, plus he would be heading straight toward the dragon. He looked to his left, the tree line at the base of the hill was much closer. John quickly turned and sprinted as fast as his legs could take him toward the tree line. John was running so hard, he felt like he could challenge an Olympic sprinter.

As John and Lydia ran in opposite directions, the dragon knew exactly who to go after. The dragon dived toward the ground after John. Nearing the tree line, John could hear the sudden whoosh as the dragon opened it's wings and skimmed along the ground towards him. He did not dare look back, he only focused on pushing himself to run faster. John then heard the horrific roar of flames behind him, feeling the heat against his back as the dragon's fire breath came closer. As soon as John made it into the woods, he darted to the right hoping the dragon would not see his change in course. He looked back to see the ground where he stood a moment before in flames. The dragon flew just above the canopy as John hit the ground. He did not move a muscle as the dragon circled overhead before flying off.

John waited for a moment before he got up and started moving. He moved up the hill and deeper into the forest. Still keeping a watchful eye toward the sky, he hoped that he would be harder to spot in the dense forest of pine trees. As he carefully navigated between the trees and through the forest, John managed to find a break between the trees that allowed him to look out across the valley. John could see the wall of fire running down the center of the valley that the dragon had left behind on it's first pass. Looking beyond that, John tried to see if he could find any sign of Lydia. He found none, but she was probably staying deep within the forest as he was. Now that John had his bearings, he would try to make his way through the forest and back to where he and Lydia entered the valley. He could only assume that she would do the same.

For several more minutes, John listened for any sign of the dragon. He did not hear any roars, no movement in the sky, only the sounds of birds chirping and the soft sound of the wind brushing through the pines. The steep grade of the hill finally leveled out. John felt a sense of relief now that the dragon seemed to be gone. Suddenly, there was a loud roar of fire as the trees behind John burst into flames and a dark shadow passed over him. John started to run but was stopped short as the massive dragon crashed through the canopy. The sound of cracking wood filled the air as several large pine trees were snapped in half like toothpicks, the large falling branches just missing John by inches. There was a loud boom as the dragon hit the ground hard enough that John could feel the impact under his feet. John was trapped between the burning trees behind him and the dragon in front of him with nowhere to run.

The black scaled monster that stood in front of John lowered itself menacingly, resting on the mid-span joints of it's folded wings. The beast looked like it was ready to pounce. The dragon stared down John with it's cold, black eyes. A small, sinister grin emerged from the dragon's large jaw as it seemed to savor the upcoming kill. In all of his time in the military, John had never directly faced anything so terrifying. He clinched his jaw and dug deep for a renewed sense of courage. Gripping his rifle tightly, John aimed it at the dragon's head and unloaded. Shots rang out through the forest as John fired his weapon. John could see the bullets impact the dragon's hard scales, but it seemed like only minimal damage was being done. If anything, the dragon seemed more annoyed than hurt. John suddenly felt helpless, like he was facing a tank with nothing more than a pea shooter. The dragon's pitch black eyes narrowed on John as it's head reared back. John's eyes widened as he realized what the dragon was about to do. A boulder to his left caught his eye, just large enough to provide full cover to a crouched person. He ran for the boulder and dove behind it as the dragon shot it's flames at him. The boulder provided protection from the firestorm as John curled up behind it. He could still feel the immense heat from the flames. The fire that did make it's way around singed his hairs. The dragon did not let up it's attack, it kept spewing fire and soon the rock was beginning to glow as it heated up. John could feel the rock heat up against his back, but he had nowhere to go.

A shadow passed over him and John looked up to see the terrifying silhouette of a second dragon swooping in. John took a deep breath as he readied himself for the end. But to his surprise, the second dragon landed behind him and the onslaught of fire had stopped. John could hear the mixed sounds of two distinct roars, snapping trees and massive bodies slamming against the ground. John peeked around the boulder to get a better look at the commotion.

The second dragon had white scales and did not look as thick plated as the other dragon's. It had landed on top the first dragon and was wrestling it to the ground, it's blue colored talons on it's lower legs piercing the onyx armor on the dragon's back and it's lower neck. The black dragon craned it's neck around and bit into the other dragon's leg. The white dragon howled in pain, but then immediately sank it's own teeth into the back of the other dragon's neck right behind it's head. The dark scaled dragon struggled before the white dragon slammed it's head into the ground, trying to put it into submission. Suddenly the black scaled dragon rolled over, throwing the white scaled dragon off of it. The second dragon slammed into the surrounding pine trees, knocking them over with a loud crash. The dark dragon quickly got up and lunged for the other dragon. However, the lighter scaled dragon was ready. As the dragon lunged, the white dragon kicked it's legs with talons fully extended. John could see them cut deeply into the dark, thick scales of the other dragon. The darker dragon reeled back in pain as the lighter colored dragon got back to it's feet and roared defiantly with it's massive wings spread. The black dragon growled menacingly before flying away.

John was now trying to formulate a plan. The trees behind him were still on fire, cutting off that route of escape. He remained perfectly still in hopes that the second dragon had not seen him. As far as he was concerned, the two dragons were merely fighting over their next meal. The dragon turned toward John and spotted him. The enormous creature rose on it's hind legs and spread it's huge blue colored wings. The dragon tilted it's snout down, looking directly at John. His eyes were drawn to the pair of twisted, blue horns coming from the back of it's head. Overall, the dragon had an exotic look unlike the previous dragon. However, the damn thing was still enormous and still looked frightening. The dragon then fiercely flapped it's wings, creating a strong, sustained wind that knocked John on his back. He scrambled backwards in terror until he instinctively raised his rifle at the creature.

"Don't attack!" said a heavenly female voice, "I'm not going to hurt you."

John froze instantly, still keeping a firm grip on his rifle and his finger on the trigger. He glanced around to find the source of the voice until he realized it was coming from the dragon itself. Since when the hell could dragons talk? Dumb question, since when the hell were there werewolves, imps and dragons?

"I did not mean to frighten you, John," said the dragon, barely moving her mouth. "It's the dry season right now and I wanted to prevent the entire forest from catching on fire."

John glanced back and saw the charred remains of the trees that were on fire a moment earlier. His eyes suddenly widened when he realized that she said his name.

"H...How the hell do you know my name?" John managed asked as he started to slowly get back on his feet, still keeping the sights of his rifle trained on the dragon in front of him.

"I've been expecting you," the dragon replied with a smile. "My name is Sasha Arananth. But I'm also known as the Lady of the Mountain."

"Holy shit!" was the only thought going through John's head. He started to lower his rifle as he stood in astonishment. He wondered if Radulf even knew that the Lady of the Mountain was a dragon. A smile emerged across her face once John had completely lowered his gun, no longer considering her a threat. Even though she was friendly, his heart was still beating anxiously as she towered over him.

"Well...uh...thanks for saving me back there," John managed to say with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

Sasha lowered herself, her head now eye level with John. Her beautiful blue eyes looked into his, studying him. "Has anyone told you that you're cute when nervous?" she said. John didn't get a chance to reply, even if he could. Sasha quickly looked up into the sky as her tone became more serious, "We should not stay here long, Drahak will probably return."

"Drahak?" John inquired, "You mean the other dragon?"

Sasha nodded, "I'll fly you to my home in the mountains, we'll be safe there." She then studied John's current attire, his short sleeved shirt would not provide him any protection from the harsh cold. "I hope you have something warmer to wear," she said, "Trust me, you'll need it."

John pulled the rifle sling off of him and unbuckled his vest. Opening up the backpack, he pulled out his dark grey fleece jacket and slipped it on and zipped up the neck. On one shoulder of the fleece was a reversed American flag patch. The other shoulder had a normal American flag patch and patch identifying his blood type, O Positive. He zipped up his backpack and put on his tactical vest over his fleece. He slung his rifle and started to walk towards Sasha. John suddenly realized he forgot something, or more specifically, someone.

"Wait!" John said, freezing up as the realization came to him, "My companion is still out there, we need to find her first."

Sasha shook her head, "There's no time, we need to be leaving now."

"I'm not leaving her behind," John said defiantly, refusing to budge.

"John, don't argue!" she replied frustratingly, now raising her tone. "If you're with Radulf's daughter, she'll be fine. She's a survivor and I promise we'll look for her first thing in the morning. Besides, Drahak was only sent here to kill you."

"Wait..wha..?" John replied, completely shocked at the revelation that there was someone else after him. "Why was he trying to kill me and who sent him?"

johneb87
johneb87
833 Followers