#32: There be dragons!

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The magnificent creature slowly approached . It was flapping it’s wings slowly. It’s wingspan was greater than that of the combined wingspan of four Griffins.. It was carrying a very large and stoutly built basket in it’s front paws. First Sgt. Halsey turned and shouted back to the camp.

"HOLD YOUR FIRE BOYS...HE'S ONE OF OURS. IF ANYONE SO MUCH AS RAISES A GUN I'LL TOSS HIM OFF THE ESCARPMENT MYSELF."

The First Sergeant turned back to his companions and noticed that they were wincing from his shout. He HAD a loud voice when he wanted it to be. Much, much giving of commands on a battlefield will do that... for the survivors. He grinned and said.

"Sorry, I just wanted to prevent any misunderstanding."

"Quite right Sargent" said the Texan and they turned to watch the incoming dragon.

The approaching avian creature came to a halt near enough. It hovered while responding to Kraki. Even though it spoke in a peculiar hissing gravelly speech to the little man it gazed skyward while doing so. Barely seen flashes of light accompanied the sound of it’s voice. The Texan looked at the hovering avian closer and noticed that in it’s forehead, centered above it’s eyes, there appeared to be a jewel. Flashes of light came from that jewel as the Dragon was speaking. The Texas looked skyward along the Dragon’s line of sight and thought he saw other, return flashes of light high in the air. Did the dragons have a natural heliograph? Perhaps there was more than one conversation going on at once?

Kraki spoke, it sounded a lot like "He says 'how about breakfast” and he said “ I've brought the eggs...do you land lubbers have the bacon?'"

The big Texan and all the humans laughed. It was a bit of a nervous laugh but it was a laugh. It was getting much easier to understand Kraki...and the others.

"We have several wagon loads of fresh game." said Hobbs.. "I'm sure we can find something resembling bacon in there somewhere.".

Kraki said something and offered his coffee cup to the Texan..... Sgt. Hobbs, a little incredulous, asked the Texan. "Did he say what I think he said? Did he say 'here, hold my coffee' and watch this?"

"Nope " said the big man nodding toward the proffered cup. "He didn't say that. That would be silly. He didn’t say that he wanted me to HOLD his coffee, he said he wanted a refill.....then he said to 'watch this'...I think. Maybe he did said something else."

"I got a camp full of nervous riflemen. Hang on a second before you do anything Kraki" and the First Sergeant turned to the camp. He pretended not to see both the Texan and the others put their hands over their ears, and shouted with all the volume of the leather lunged campaigner that he was.

"HEADS UP! OUR FRIENDS ARE GOING TO SHOW US SOMETHING. INCOMING DRAGON!!! KEEP YOUR DAMN BOOGGER PICKERS OFF YOUR BANG SWITCHES. I REPEAT. DON"T TOUCH A GUN!!!"

He turned back to the unlikely group, some of whom had just lowered their hands from their ears. Even the dragon looked a bit startled. Kraki grinned and said.

"OK . Go for it."

The dragon swooped over the camp toward the cook wagon. It was easy to see the basket now. The dragon hovered at the cook wagon and offered the basket of eggs to the incredulous cooks. They took it but it took four of them to handle it. The Dragon then moved to one side and hovered in place.

"That was certainly anti-climactic, from the buildup I was expecting something more dramatic. I think you did that for a reason huh Kraki?" Lamar looked at the little man.

Kraki grinned and nodded. Kara, the little girl that had swapped blood with the Sgt. Hobbs nodded also. Kara was keeping a close eye on the Sargent. Kara hadn’t filled out as much as the girl on Sgt. Halsey’s shoulder but she was very much female. It was going to be funny when Sgt. Hobbs noticed. Sgt. Hobbs was SUCH a prude.

Next Episode
#33: Egg Delivery…
Previous Episode
#31: New Friends Are Made
First Episode
# 1 : In the beginning…

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