Save State Hero 3 -ch 13-

Chapter 13

There was a rushing ripping noise and then Edmund was dressed in full Legionnaire armor, minus the helmet. He even had the overpowered ballistic rifle that he normally carried.

Snapping it up to his shoulder, Edmund was holding onto Iren with just his thighs and legs. No sooner than the rifle was snuggly secured against his shoulder, Edmund immediately sighted it in on the other Dragon, a strange brightly silver looking color, and squeezed off several bursts.

His finger pressing down to the trigger repeatedly and letting rounds fly quickly as the other Dragon turned to try and get a sightline on Iren even as she flew on.

Multiple rounds pounded into the Dragon’s head and neck, though a greater number whiffed entirely.

Firing on a moving target while on a moving target was certainly not a skill Edmund had.

As if suddenly realizing that the people they were attacking weren’t helpless, the enemy Dragon tucked their wings and dove away from Edmund and Iren.

No sooner then the enemy had tucked and fell, then Iren did the same. Chasing after them and putting on speed as she did so.

Sooner than Edmund expected, the other dragon leveled out.

Apparently Iren had no such expectation and had dove toward where the other Dragon came out of their own dive. Only to slam right into the back of the Dragon with enough force that Edmund was flung right off Iren.

And somehow ended up smack dab between the shoulder blades of the metallic Dragon as it struggled to gain altitude and get away from Iren. Who even now was staring at Edmund with a strange expression as she went to catch up to him and the other Dragon.

Okay then.

That’s rather different.

Not wasting time, since the Dragon was upright and moving upward, Edmund was mostly sheltered against the ripping wind. The gravity was working with him to a degree as well and he was mostly pressed to the other Dragon’s back.

Edmund grasped at the Save-state he’d already been robbing for gear and cast about in it for anything that might help him out in this moment. The only thing that jumped out to him as he ran backward through the Save-state for objects and items, was a heavy sturdy chain that’d been used to hold some heavy steel doors shut.

Ripping it right out of the Save-state, Edmund sat down on the Dragon’s neck, just behind their head, at the same time the heavy-chain simply appeared.

No sooner than he felt his ass hit the scales then Edmund flicked the chain around the Dragon’s throat, caught it on the other side, and locked it into the locking mechanisms that were part of Legionnaire armor. They were typically used for climbing or hauling gear, but the heavy carabiner’s would probably work out well enough for Dragon riding.

“Alright you fuck-stick!” Edmund said, and slammed a fist into the back of the Dragon’s skull. “I’m your god damned rider now and if you don’t want to find out what it’s like to be into erotic asphyxiation, you’re gonna do what I want!”

Edmund pulled on the heavy chain to demonstrate the point, and locked it several links tighter on his armor as well.

“You got it? Or do we need to call this a done deal and we see who survives a fall to the fucking ground,” Edmund continued. “I bet I survive by the way. This armor is amazing. I’ve been blown up in it bfeore. Think you’d survive blacking out, crashing to the earth, and my partner Dragon coming over to eat your guts?”

Not responding, the Dragon turned it’s head partially and looked to Edmund. It didn’t say anything even as it watched him, but slowly turned it’s head forward again instead.

“Great, now, the fuck are you doing out here? Did Skipper send you?” Edmund demanded, then began trying to force the Dragon around to go where he wanted it to go. If he was going to ride it, he’d made sure he used it appropriately.

Unfortunately, the Dragon said something in a language Edmund didn’t understand. They had a lighter voice, it sounded feminine, but Edmund had no way of knowing.

“Hey Log, the hell did they just say?” Edmund asked. The Log was still tied to his helmet after all so he could use it in this way he figured.

Hopefully.

There was no response from the helmet.

It didn’t seem to have the capability to provide him with text, or couldn’t send a translation to the helmet. Which was unfortunate.

“Oz?” Edmuned tried instead. “Any help there big guy? Srit? You in the bullpen for me here?”

“They were sent by Skipper. The language they’re speaking is… a very long dead version of their own tongue. I don’t know where Skipper got them, but they are quite old, or freshly resurrected.”

“Great, thanks Oz! The hell did they say to me though!?” Edmund replied, holding onto the chain with one gauntleted fist, the other holding his weapon.

“She said she will go where you direct her, and to please not kill her,” Oz finished. “The helmet is translating for you to her language, but it cannot translate her langauge for you.”

“Why the hell not?” demanded Edmund, feeling like he was being cheated.

“Because I had no part in it’s construction. Nor did Srit. You will need to work with Ryker to get that type of usability,” Oz offered even as Edmund struggled to turn the Dragon in the direction he wanted her to go.

“Fucking hell, fuck me,” growled Edmund.

The Dragon he was riding said something and glanced back at him.

“She wants to know if you’re propositioning her,” Oz helpfully offered.

“Oh my shit no I’m not trying to fuck you,” Edmund just about shouted and looked around. Trying to spot Iren. He found her quickly enough as she was just about on top of him. “Ah, there you are. Skipper sent her. She’s now my mount.”

Iren looked at him strangely and then said something to the other dragon.

To which they replied with several sentences that ended in what sounded like a question.

“There’s more dragons coming,” Iren reported. “She was just eager to get here first and kill you. A lot of Dragons. She said something close to six or seven.”

“Well shit fuck balls,” Edmund hissed under his breath. He undid the chain links around the Dragon’s throat to give her a bit more slack and then got comfortable. “Alright pretty metal Dragon. You’re my mount. My life is yours. Your life is mine. You and me? We’re gonna fight as one. Iren? You’re going to operate as a flanker. Come in when you can and do what you can.”

The Dragon he was riding said something, followed by an odd chuckle.

“She said fine but she won’t fuck your balls,” Iren said with a laugh as well. “She’s funny. She also said thank you for the compliment. Her name’s Cashatok, and yes, it’s a weird name but… my original name was weirder. And I thought I was your mount? You mount me often.”

“Cashatok, we’re flying along through waypoints to get me out of here. It’s really that simple. Skipper is an enemy and we’re trying to survive her attack,” Edmund explained as he rode the Dragon, who surprisingly, responded faster and more accurately than even Iren did.

Cashatok immediately responded and her head moved up and down as if she were agreeing.

“She wants to know if you’re going to the portal she came through,” Iren translated.

Portal?

Portal!

Time is reset one-to-one for an open portal. The Dragons didn’t come last time because Skipper hadn’t actually been able to prepare for me escaping the storm.

But when I reset the Save-state she was able to prepare.

This is my chance to get through the portal she has open. Because she wouldn’t know I’m coming for it.

Especially… if I have no desire to harm her, fight her, or attack her.

I just… I just want to escape. I want to escape and… and get out of here.

I won’t even wave at her. I’ll just shoot right past her!

“Cashatok, take me back to the portal! As fast as you can! Don’t even look to me for direction just go! Iren, stay on me and be ready for this!” Edmund called.

Taking his command to heart Cashatok banked so hard that if Edmund hadn’t been chained into place with the collar around her, he would’ve been thrown clear of her back. The force of the turn was that strong.

“Holy shit woman,” groaned Edmund as he did his best to hang onto her with his thighs and calves.

“I want a saddle,” Iren said as she caught up to Cashatok easily. “I could take turns like that if I had a saddle. I’m envious now.”

Cashatok replied and made an oddly rude like noise.

“She doesn’t understand what I said, but she thinks I sound immature,” Iren said with a laugh. “I think she’s from a period in time where being a Dragon was a lot harder. Because I’m pretty sure she’s younger than me! Hahaha.”

Edmund only rolled his eyes and clung on to Cashatok’s back. He wasn’t surprised that Iren gave off a carefree atitude to even those of her kind. It pretty much fit in with what his expectations for her were.

It was also why Edmund had a fondness for her.

Cashatok shouted something that needed no translation.

Edmund saw the Dragons heading toward them at a high speed.

A Red, a Gold, and two Blues.

Learning from his previous attempt to shoot Cashatok, Edmund didn’t aim for their body or head. This time, he aimed for the leathery wings. Because if he could weaken them, to spread out his shots and cause a great deal of instability, they would likely rip and tear all on their own.

The red Dragon caught the full magazine in the left wing.

Almost immediately the wing tore outright and blew outward under the force of the lift being created. Sending the red Dragon screaming down toward the earth.

Flicking the magazine release Edmund slapped a new one in from the vest all Legion armor came with and racked the bolt. No sooner than the weapon was charged then he lifted it back up and looked to the dragons.

They had gone right past him by now and he was looking backward.

Iren was in the middle of literally flinging one of the Blue Dragon’s down to the earth below after tearing it’s throat out. The bloodied Green Dragon that was Iren flipped over and began beating her wings to catch back up to Edmund.

The Gold Dragon and a single Blue were all that remained of the attack force sent against him.

“Drop down a bit Atok!” Edmund said, shortening the Dragon’s name considerably.

Her response was immediate and she dropped a hundred feet in nearly an instant.

Which was exaclty what Edmund needed.

Because he now knew the exact trajectory that the pursuing Dragon’s had to take to get on them.

Lining up the rifle on the Blue Dragon as it was in the lead, Edmund fired off half the magazine in a single pull. Holding the weapon close to his shoulder and keeping the recoil under control.

Most the rounds struck true and the Blue immediately stopped their descent. Even going so far as to retract the wing that Edmund had just shot the hell out of.

It spun away and began to glide away at a slow and steady speed. Clearly trying not to put too much lift force into the damaged wing as it fled the field.

Lining up on the Gold Dragon Edmund lifted up the sight and brought it in on it.

Only to find it was gone. It’d dropped down below his eyeline and was partially below Cashatok. In a position that he couldn’t fire on.

Iren came diving down at it from above. Her tail and clawed talons slasahing out at the Gold Dragon even as it tried to push ahead and come up at Cashatok from below.

The Gold had apparently seen it coming though and was already in mid roll away. Leaving Iren to flail at the air and coming up empty.

Not chasing after the Gold Dragon again, Iren flew along in the position that the Gold had occupied only a moment ago. Edmund noted it looked a lot like Iren was shouting at the Gold, likely in the same language Cashatok had spoken in.

Looking ahead Edmund spotted what looked a lot like a faintly glowing blue dot.

“Is that the portal?” he asked, patting Cashatok on the neck firmly.

She responded in her own language but bobbed her head along with the words. Which meant it was most likely the very portal they needed to get out of here.

“Cashatok, you get me through there, and I’ll do whatever the fuck you need me to to make you happy, alright?” Edmund growled and then looked down and to the side.

Iren and the Gold were closer now, though they were most certainly having some type of shouting match. Edmund couldn’t hear a damn word of it nor would he have understood it even if he had. He imagined it was in their own spoken language.

Cashatok of course said something, then laughed loudly, and sped up. Her wings flapping hard and fast toward the glowing circle in the sky.

Racing through the sky, Edmund to release his hold on his rifle and grasp on to the horns on Cashatok’s head. Gripping them firmly and leaning forward to keep himself out of the press of the air as she tore through it.

Edmund did his best to keep his mind clear of evil thoughts. Of anything that had to do with Skipper, other than the fact that he only wanted to fly past her. To not even look her. He wouldn’t even give her a nasty look, let alone spare her a glance.

He was going to act as if she weren’t there at all. He wouldn’t interact with her for any reason.

As if he were nothing more than a strange mole growing out of Cashatok’s back.

A human shaped mole and nothing more.

Then Cashatok shot through the portal in a flash of blue and violent purple. The whole of the world shifting horrificially and shivering sideways.

It made Edmund want to throw up.

Despite all the portal movements he’d gone through, he had never gone through one that felt so horrible to him. This was the single worst experience he’d ever had the misfortune of living through.

“What the fuck?!” shouted a feminine voice. A shocked tone shading every word spoken.

Edmund most certainly didn’t look to the speaker. Didn’t address them. Didn’t even react as if he’d heard them.

He was acting as if he didn’t exist and that whoever it was had no reason to fear him or to interact with him. There would be nothing for them to react to.

Cashatok flew onward, fast. In a direction that Edmund didn’t know.

After what was somehting close to ten minutes he finally lifted his head and looked around.

They were on a modern world as far as he could tell. There were a number of buildings below him and cars driving here and there.

“Oh shit,” he muttered as he realized they were in broad daylight and flying over a city.

With a glance backward, he saw that the Gold Dragon and Iren were both now behind him. They were still clearly talking to one another but no longer shouting.

Edmund had no damn idea about any of this anymore. Or even where they were.

“Atok, put us down somewhere I can figure out what the hell is going on,” Edmund commanded. “Keep yourself away from that Gold as well. I’m not sure if they’re a friend or a foe. Or you, for that matter. Don’t forget that I can strangle you out with ease, you giant mirror. You’re like a polished silver coin, damnit.”

Cashatok laughed at that, banked hard, so hard that Edmund felt his hips grinding into her neck, and began speeding away again. Shooting straight out toward what Edmund assumed was the east given the position of the sun and that it felt like afternoon rather than morning.

Yet again she said something, chuckled, and her wings beat furiously at the air. As if she wanted to leave Iren and the Gold Dragon behind entirely.

Looking back, Edmund watched as the two Dragons turned to look ahead in unision, then struggle to catch up even as Ashatok flew onward.

Obviously doing her best to outdistance them.

“Ha, and you said Iren was acting like a young dragon. Did you just tell them ‘last one to someplace is a rotten egg’ or something?” Edmund asked.

Laughing loudly, Cashatok said something, but only flew faster.

Am… I being kidnapped?

Ah shit.

I think I need an adult.

Looking back over his shoulder, Edmund watches as the Gold Dragon and Iren fell further and further behind with every flap of Cashatok’s wings.