The Nature of Change

Together We Ride (Andy 11)

He looks up at me. So pitiful now, so pitiful then, begging to be spared.

"They took them," he gasps out.

I try to process what he means, and then...

My jaw drops

They took his family.

They did this to them.

<Are they here?> I ask.

Immediately, I berate myself for trying to use the clearly dragonet-only system to communicate with him... but then his eyes go wide.

"Was that you?"

I stare at him, dumbfounded.

I nod.

He glances away, staring down at the floor as if into an infinite abyss.

He seems to shut off the part of his brain that registers impossibility of the situation, and I can understand - there's a small dragon standing in front of him, asking him if his family is alright, just after ordering other small dragons to tie him up, and when said small dragons shouldn't be able to speak. After the person that the small dragon used to be almost shot him with a laser, then allowed himself to be kidnapped.

And he answers me.

"I think so."

<What's your name?> I ask.

"Bennett Smith," he answers.

<Good to know,> I say. I clamber up onto his back to get a better speaking post, then- <HEY! Is anyone here related to a Bennett Smith?> I bellow out, startling the others - and immediately realize the pointlessness of the endeavor. They'll hear me anyway, mindlink and all...

Two dragonets perk up their heads.

I point at Bennett.

<Daddy!> one of them exclaims, astounded. The other gasps. The first one, a soft green, bounds around to Bennett's field of view.

<Let him free,> I order the dragonets holding him down. They glance at me, then at Bennett, then at the two dragonets now moving towards Bennett, and they leap off him, removing the restraints they took from his belt. Bennett pushes himself to his knees as the gold and the green sit on their haunches before him.

Bennett stares at them, dumbfounded.

The green, enthusiastic one is the first to move. She bounces up, splaying her limbs for a moment in the air, then lands on him, scrambling for purchase. She grabs a pocket of his armor, and uses it as leverage to wrap her wings around him, heedless of the utilitarian roughness of his garb.

The gold sits there in silence.

She wipes a tear from her eye.

Bennett's face tells all, apology radiating from it like light from the sun.

He looks down at what must be his daughter.

He lifts his arms, uncertain.

He pulls them around the fragile form gripping him.

They embrace.

The gold one stops crying.

"I'm sorry," he sobs.

<I forgive you,> the gold one mindlinks.

Bennett nods solemnly.

Suddenly, there's the sound of distant footsteps, closing in on us at a hard run. One of my ears flicks up instinctively.

<Defensive positions! Reunion's over.> I shout.

Bennett takes a deep breath.

"I need my gun back," he says.

One of the other dragonets looks at the comrade beside her. He nods, and they heave the assault rifle towards Bennett. They dart back towards cover, Bennett's daughter releases him, and Bennett hops around, crouching on one knee and pointing his gun down the hallway.

"This is Corporal Bennett Smith! Cease approach, repeat, cease approach!" he says.

I turn my gaze backwards momentarily, and spot a radio in his hand. Returning my focus to the fork in the hallway ahead of us, I raise my laser - damn, this is weird - and steel my gaze.

A voice comes from both in front and behind me at the same time. "Negatory, Bennett. We have orders from the client to engage and destroy, and you seem under duress. I have to take the men in."

"I am your commanding officer, damnit!" Bennet orders into the mic.

Well that's a side I've never seen before.

"And you are compromised."

"Can any of you hear me!" Bennett yells, and I hear the vague hint of his voice echoed from ahead.

The steel door fills my vision, my muscles tensing, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I inch backwards to be able to better hear Bennett's radio chatter with his team.

There are sounds of a scuffle, then... "Yes, Corporal." Somebody exclaims "Give that back!", but it's muffled by a combination of the door and the distance to the radio. "What are your orders?" the deeper first voice intones.

"Fall back from the door, and help me get these people out of here."

"Wait... isn't that strictly against client's orders?"

"Damn right it is. But I have a conscience today, so GET MOVING!"

Holy shit. This guy is tough. Why has he been so easy to break before?

"But..."

"SOLDIER! I TOLD YOU TO GET MY MEN AWAY FROM THE DOOR, AND HELP THE PEOPLE IN HERE OUT OF THE GODDAMN FACILITY!"

"What people?" another voice asks. "And since when are you strong-willed?"

"Since I found my fucking FAMILY IN HERE!" Bennett rages.

Silence.

That figures.

"Say again, sir?"

"You know what they're doing."

"Oh fuck..." The radio changes hands, and the first voice speaks. "If we fuck this up, this is on you," the first voice says. The radio clicks off at the other end, and one of the soldiers starts snapping orders off on the other end. Bennett looks up in astonishment.

"That worked," he mouths.

The radio clicks on again. "Come out with your weapons to either side. Our weapons are on the ground. No one will shoot."

"Wilco. Coming out now," Bennett says, a cold professionalism subsuming his tone. He raises from his crouch, beckoning with one hand. He slowly plants his rifle on the ground, cautiously stepping into the fork in the hallway. Three equipment-encrusted mercenaries step into view, and I realize I've subconsciously gotten closer to the fork.

Bennett scoops his daughter up in his arms as she darts down around his feet.

I'm just a few steps from the fork now.

I pause at the threshold...

And my foot crosses the line of fate.