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Half-Dragon Solis, Chapter 36

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Chapter Thirty-Six - Jason's Story





"Right, so--I was with the Revivers for awhile, before Yrathain took control. Things are different there, compared to here. They've got everyone set at a certain hierarchy. Plus, the half-dragons there aren't always, you know, whole. They use adults, usually, so sometimes they get all simple in the head, or else really aggressive, and sometimes the way they transform isn't quite right."

He shrugged. "Whatever, though, it doesn't matter. They never really got me to do anything important; maybe they didn't trust me all that much. I was just kind of a grunt. A few months ago, though… I think it was near the beginning of February… Us people on the lower rungs started to catch wind of something big."

Jason leaned back and surveyed us, as if evaluating once more if he really wanted to talk. Charman leaned forward, but, to my surprise, the expression on his face was one of concern rather than expectancy. "That was… well, they'd found something. They were planning some kind of huge experiment. All of our schedules got switched around so we'd be there to guard the building when they did it. Me and some other guys were in front of the lab itself. While we were standing there, they brought in one of the dragon statues they use to make half-dragons.

"It wasn't… I mean, the Revivers use what they can get; Frans Silas was never discriminatory. But this one was in even worse shape than usual. It was cracked down one side, and they were carrying in the rest of it in bags. That statue, though… I've never seen a petrified dragon look so monstrous. Sometimes they look angry, or scared, or are standing normally as if they never even realized what was happening, but this one… I'm sure he knew what was happening to him before he was frozen. I've never seen an expression so hateful. I could feel it, right through the stone."

The Black Dragon, Teyaan said quietly.

"I didn't know who it was then, even Irreth wasn't sure, though he suspected." Jason crossed his arms. "Anyway, they brought him in. Next they wheeled in some kid on a stretcher. I guess he was the other half of Yrathain, poor bugger. Thin as a skeleton and attached to a bunch of tubes, so I guess they didn't need someone in good shape."

Charman held up a hand. "Can you tell me anything else about this person? Age, appearance, clothing?"

"I already said he looked like the living dead. I guess I'd put his age around eighteen to twenty. Hard to tell with the whole coma thing going on." Jason paused. "He was wearing a hospital gown, I remember that."

"Did you see a label anywhere on them?"

"No," Jason replied with a shrug. "I guess they could have nabbed him out of a random hospital, if they needed to. I wasn't exactly kept in the loop about that kind of thing. This kid the important bit? That why Yrathain was trying to kill me?"

"That remains to be seen," Charman replied slowly. "I'm sorry to interrupt. Please continue."

Jason snorted. "If you say so. Right, so they bring in the kid, and then Silas himself walks by, going in to see the experiment. He gives us guards the stinkeye as he goes, but it's not like he knows any of us by name, being the chairman and all, so we just stand there and try not to look suspicious.

"Anyway. He goes in, and we stand around for another hour while it's quiet. There's a steady stream of researchers going in and out until the last twenty minutes, and then it all goes quiet.

"We hear it when something goes wrong. There's this huge noise, like an explosion, and a dragon roars. Really loudly, and really angrily. The researchers start to shout too, and we can hear equipment being torn apart.

"The guard next to me tells me to stay put, while he and the others run inside to see if everything's okay. I do that, but the sounds coming out of the room don't get any better, and screams start cutting off suddenly, which is somehow worse. Few minutes later it's mostly quiet, and I'm just crouching there against the wall, waiting to see what's going to happen. Eventually I decide I've got to go in to see.

"So I crept inside, very quietly. The lab is an absolute mess. All the equipment is scattered around everywhere, broken to pieces. There are… bodies, I guess. He killed loads of the scientists and the guards. There's only one guy left standing, and it's Silas, facing down this enormous… thing."

"We've seen him," I said. Jason glared at me.

"Did you see him hunched over in that room, claws all bloody, with his wings all curled and bunched behind him like some kind of godawful coat? Jesus, the expression on his face. I can still see it clear as day. You don't forget something like that."

"Jason," Charman said, surprisingly gently. "I want you to answer this truthfully for me. Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, why don't you freaking ask me that now, Mr. Charman." Jason rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. Anyway, he looked real ugly, but he was listening to whatever Silas was saying. After awhile I realized they were negotiating.

"It seems like Silas had a contingency plan, just in case Yrathain turned out to be too much for him to handle. On a table, not far off, there were a bunch of rock shards laid out. Pieces of Yrathain that hadn't made it. The way Silas told it, Yrathain somehow needed the shards, but Silas wasn't about to give them to him unless they agreed to some kind of truce."

"And… did they?" Felix asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Jason shook his head. "Nope. Yrathain laughed in his face, then killed him. Had some fun tearing up the rest of the room. I realized that sitting there wasn't a great idea and started to leave, but he heard me. Turned and stared right at me. Said, 'And what have we got here? What has this little dragon man heard?' So I booked it. End of story."

We sat in a kind of stunned silence for a bit, until Charman spoke. "And you… escaped Yrathain?"

"Yes. I did," Jason snapped. "And that's where story time ends." A haunted cast had come into his expression. I got the feeling that, however he'd managed to escape Yrathain, it was not something he wanted to recount.

"I apologize. I need to ask a few more questions."

"Of course you do," Jason said.

"The conversation between Yrathain and Mr. Silas. Do you remember why Silas thought the shards were so important?"

Jason screwed up his face. "Well… Irreth remembers some of it. Something about… there was an important part of him inside the shards, something he would need if he were to return to normal. They didn't look like anything special to me, just chunks of rock. I guess I only caught a glimpse."

Charman nodded, thinking fiercely. "Missing shards, from a petrified dragon… that can cause all sorts of problems. Evidently it wasn't enough to kill him, but… Silas seemed to think that Yrathain would need his help to use them… I'll have to think about this."

"Glad to be of help," Jason said flatly. "Charman. I want you to know that you can't keep me against my will. I can leave anytime I want."

Charman's eyebrows rose. "Is that so, Jason? I don't recall giving you permission."

Jason was on his feet in a flash. "Permission? Permission? Are you failing to remember the whole reason I left this stupid organization? Because you tried to relegate everything, everything had to have your permission to work? If I want to leave, I'm going to leave."

Charman shrugged. "You can try. I highly doubt that you'll succeed. If you leave and word goes around that you're living in Lambton, Yrathain will send his people here. I can't risk having my base discovered. You'll have to stay here for the time being."

"Oh. And you trust me here, under your roof, do you? You've no idea what I'm capable of. You think the Revivers care if you're just a kid? They don't. U-unlike you, they were willing to treat me like an adult." He paused, as if his own stammer had caught him off guard. "Anyway. You don't want me here."

"I don't believe you'll be any trouble," Charman said. "I want you to find Patricia, Jason. She's wanted to talk to you for a long time. She never agreed with my decision to leave you with the Revivers; you were probably the worst argument we ever had."

"She still didn't come for me," Jason growled, then shook his head. "Son of a bitch, I don't know what I'm saying anymore. Just show me where you're going to freaking lock me up."

"…Felix. Perhaps you can show Jason to a place where he can sleep."

Felix nodded, looking petrified, and motioned for Jason to follow him. Locras heaved a sigh but did as was bidden, which surprised me for a moment. Then again, despite all his struggling, resisting, and arguing, he'd actually been fairly docile. He hadn't objected very strongly when Elise had taken his weapon, and if he'd really tried to run after we'd approached the house, he probably could have gotten further.

"…It's hard to tell, but I think he actually wants to be back here," I ventured, looking to Charman.

He massaged his temples. "I don't imagine he's had any basic comforts for a long time. A bed, a warm shower. Such things I wanted to give him, and not send him into combat. He just wanted to be grown up in my eyes. I wonder if it's worth it, now that he is."

"Yeah, well. Do you trust him? He did bring up a bit of a valid point."

"Felix will keep an eye on him," Charman said tiredly. "He wouldn't attack anyone, not even if he wanted to, surrounded by what he might view as enemies. I don't believe it's in him to do so anyway."

"Well. He was willing enough to shoot at us the last two times we met."

"Yet none of us were actually shot, if memory serves." Charman moved as if to get up, then paused. "Matthew. This last week has been so chaotic, I haven't even been thinking about you. Your training was never finished, was it?"

I shrugged. "I'm getting on all right, when Teyaan isn't being an ass."

"Still. It's important that you resume. I didn't think that sending you to get Jason would be dangerous, but seeing as Elise came back with a bullet wound, I was obviously mistaken." he paused. "I'm afraid I sent James out East to recover after his last mission, so you're without a mentor for the time being. Perhaps Elise would be willing to show you some things once she feels up to it."

I gulped. "Uh, yes. Maybe." And I thought James' boot camp had been bad.

Charman stood and opened the door for me. "Keep an eye on Jason for me, Solis. Maybe you can become friends."

I had to chuckle as I left. Judging by the looks Jason had been giving me, I had a feeling friendship was not high on his list of priorities.
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In which Jason has been through a lot.
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Azarius-Flashfang's avatar
Oof, seems like Chairman Silas should have more pieces broken off of Yrathain before initiating the infusion.^^; Jason is rather interesting, he seems like a dark reflection of Solis in a way in wanting to prove himself.