Ambryn & the Cheaters of Death Read online

  "Did I hear she's in pain?" Ambryn—now awake—asked them with sleep in his voice from across the aisle.

  "The overprotective uncle rears his groggy head," Tesser said. "At least the snoring has stopped. She's fine, brother. Matty is scolding me for not flying on the Tapper plane and bringing Spoon with us. She thinks this is a silly risk, and we're entitled to the comfort of a private plane. I think this," Tesser gestured to the thrumming quiet of the first class cabin, "is more than enough luxury and safety for us."

  Ambryn nodded, his dark eyes bobbing up and down in agreement. "You're wrong. Matty's right. We should've taken the private plane. It would've been faster and safer."

  Tesser looked at his brother incredulously. "You're taking her side?"

  "This doesn't really have sides Tesser. She is the woman. She is the mother. She is right. End of discussion."

  Tesser stared at his brother with wide, incredulous eyes as he leaned back in his seat again, crossing his feet, and closing his eyes. Hands on his chest, fingers interlaced, he was swept away by slumber immediately. Tesser looked back at the love of his life, and all she had for him was an ear to ear grin that couldn't be challenged.

  Women. Can't beat them. Can't make a dragon without them. Tesser slunk down defeated in his chair and put his head on Matty's shoulder. It was the most comfortable place in the world, ever. It made being defeated easy.

  *****

  The pilot stuck the landing perfectly. The plane seemed to glide down through the clouds as if they were made of delicious, comfy marshmallows, and when the wheels hit the tarmac it was no more jarring to the passengers than a sip of a hot cocoa that came with the fluffy white treat in the sky. After getting their overhead luggage down, Matty led the way with Astrid in her arms, the two dragons in human form trailing with the bags. As they made their way to the plane's exit, the flight crew stood at the door, clearly at attention. Obviously the crew waited to say something to them.

  "Excuse me, I'm Captain Danvers. Are you all who we think you are?" the Captain asked Tesser. He looked military and professional in ironed black slacks and a starched white shirt. His shoulder insignia made him and his copilot look very official. He seemed nervous to address the mother and two men.

  Tesser answered him. "If you think I am Tesser, then yes, we are who you think we are. Danvers, eh? Isn't that a city near Boston?"

  The whole flight crew plus the stewards and stewardesses started to shuffle their feet in excitement. To have two dragons on board! Father and daughter! It must've been a thrill for the ages. Something they'd tell their grandchildren about.

  "Yeah, actually it is. More of what you'd call a large town I guess. I visited there once when I had a layover in Beantown. Just to say I'd been there. I have a picture of me standing next to the sign at the town line. You guys live near there right? Where it all started?"

  Perspective my friend. Re-started. "Yeah. I like the city. Call me old-fashioned. Excellent landing Captain. I couldn't have done better myself. Thank you to you and your crew for an enjoyable flight."

  The Captain blushed and became an embarrassed schoolboy in the span of a blinked eye. "Aww, shucks Sir. You've been flying a lot longer than I have. I'm just an amateur compared against you."

  "Ah yes, but I don't know how to fly a plane, Captain Danvers. I have a strong hunch had I attempted to put this bird on the ground a minute ago like you did, the only people walking away from the crash would've been me, my daughter, and my brother." Tesser looked at Matty and had a sad thought. She's so fragile compared to us. Mortal. That scares the shit out of me.

  Their fellow passengers backing up behind them in the aisle were starting to get frustrated with the delay in exiting the plane. Tesser could hear the angry whispers in a dozen languages before anyone else could, except for maybe Ambryn, who stood there dutifully carrying luggage. One of the stewardesses made the universal symbol for 'flapping dragon wings' and pointed at Tesser. After a few seconds of wide eyes and trying to point at him politely, the crowd turned from frustrated to excited. They now realized they were in the presence of fame, and more so— power.

  One of the stewardess' put two and two together, and stared with shock at Ambryn. He winked at her. "Are you? Are you a dragon too?"

  He bowed, smacking a suitcase into a wall. "Ambryn, the dragon of death, decay, and babysitting, at your service."

  Three of the crew took a step back from the black dragon. The stories had already made their rounds on the media that Ambryn had been the one to kill Kaula in the subbasement from Hell below Fitzgerald Industries. Everyone knew now that he was the only thing on Earth that could kill a dragon. The ultimate trump card. To say he was feared by the world over was an understatement.

  Tesser diffused the abrupt awkwardness. "He's harmless, I assure you. Feed him some crickets and a mouse from time to time, and he'll let you scratch his tummy."

  Everyone laughed but Ambryn. He gave his brother a dirty look as he shook his head. After a few seconds, the black dragon laughed too. There you go brother. They'll love you when you're vulnerable.

  "You're just as funny in person as you are in your television interviews," the copilot said.

  "Well, I grew up recently watching Jay and Silent Bob, and it's scarred me in a good way. I'm glad I didn't disappoint. We have a car to catch, it's been a pleasure. Thank you."

  Matty, still clutching baby Astrid to her chest thanked them as well, and the trio departed the plane after some excited handshakes. As they headed up the ramp to the gate, Ambryn asked his brother a serious question.

  "Are you going to make fun of me every time we're in public? Because eventually it'll get old, you know. You'll bore of it, then turn to making silly creatures like marsupials again."

  Matty and Tesser both laughed at him. "Ambryn," Tesser said, "I will never tire of heckling you. We have an awful lot of history between us, and I plan on making you pay dearly for it. It is, after all, what it appears brothers do to one another nowadays." Tesser looked at the brother he'd been at odds with for so long and clapped him on the back. It feels good to be this way with him. Not an adversary, but a partner. I hope this feeling lasts.

  Unless Tesser was mistaken, Ambryn looked loved, and all was well with the world. They headed to the baggage claim area, and the throngs of people who likely awaited them with cameras and microphones. Norway had gone to great lengths to advertise the great reunion of The Dragon of Life and the troll nation, and Tesser expected another media frenzy.

  *****

  Having made their way past the crowd of human flashbulbs, and all the posters of Tesser that a hundred teens and adults alike wanted him to sign (which he did, each and every one, each and every time) they were whisked into a large black limousine being driven by a European Tapper agent. Tesser and Matty sat in the forward facing rear couch, and Ambryn sat opposite them, facing backwards.

  Oh my baby. Tesser held his daughter on his chest, giving Matty a break. She is a machine. Lactating, carrying this bundle of poop everywhere we go. I offer to carry Astrid but nooooo…. Mommy has it. Not like I'll drop her and she'll— the limo stopped suddenly, and Tesser nearly lost the baby to the floor. When he had her gathered back in his arms, Matty simply extended her own arms, hands opening and closing impatiently in request, and Tesser gave his daughter back to her mother, a sheepish look on his face. The daddy-holding-the-baby experiment had ended again.

  In a stroke of what felt like divine luck to him, his Tapper issued mobile phone rang in his jacket pocket, alleviating his shame. Tesser only wore the jacket because he liked the way it looked. He wasn't cold. Style appealed to him. He pulled the phone out and looked at the screen. Ah, my friend Spoon. Trouble already? Tesser answered the call.

  "Agent Spooner. What's shaking?"

  "Tesser, buddy," Spoon said. "Sorry to interrupt your trip. So we got like a… potentially big problem happening back here in the States. Any chance you can get back on that plane and lend us a hand?"

  Tesser l
aughed. "Spoon, I've been gone less than twelve hours and you're telling me something is already so fucked up that you need me to leave my wife on an international trip, a diplomatic trip, a family trip? Unless the Statue of Liberty is being torn down by dinosaurs with lasers for eyes, you're gonna have to bark up a different tree. Speaking of trees, just have Ellen deal with it. She's slow, but resourceful."

  Spoon was humorless. "So there have been some buses that have gone missing in the southwest. Over a hundred people are missing, sort of."

  Tesser put the phone on speaker and dropped it in his lap. "You're on speaker. Missing buses in the southwest, continue."

  "Who's there? Who can hear this?" Spoon asked.

  "Hey Spoon, it's Matty. Astrid says hello," Matty said. Astrid burped quietly as her form of oblivious greeting.

  "Hello Agent Spooner, Ambryn."

  "Ooh. I just had an idea. Okay anyway. Buses. One at first in August. FBI and ATF got involved, but nothing. An entire bus filled with senior citizens on their way back from losing their monthly checks just up and went buh-bye in the middle of the night. Few days ago."

  "Continue," Tesser said, looking out the window as the limo sped out of the airport's perimeter. It was midmorning. Snow covered the Norwegian landscape. They had taken the red-eye, and the nation had roused, and began the drive to work.

  "So another bus went missing in the middle of September. A high school football team plus cheerleaders, coaches, and a few teachers."

  I remember seeing that on the news. "Didn't they find the bus crashed a few weeks ago though? Far off the beaten path, crashed in a washed out ravine like they were heading to a bonfire or something?" Tesser asked.

  Tesser could practically hear Spoon gulping down coffee through the connection. "Yeah. A week ago. But get this: toxicology reports and autopsies are done, and the Feds reached out to Tapper. In fact, they tossed the whole case to us. There are some fucked up anomalies."

  Ambryn leaned forward, suddenly far more interested. Strange deaths were his bread and butter. He looked territorial. "Such as what?"

  "First off, not one of the dead bodies in that bus lined up with any of the missing folks. Not one student in there, or teacher, or coach. No dental records lined up. But wait, there's more. A few of the records did jive with a bunch of missing people reports from Vegas and all over. People who have been missing for months guys. And all of a sudden a few dozen dead bodies that all had a reason to be in Las Vegas turn up, but inside a bus that’s been set on fire. That smell fishy to you?"

  Sure as shit does. "Yeah. Anything else?"

  "The hits keep coming here brother. As best as they can tell, all of the bodies were exsanguinated," Spoon said, almost daring them to believe him.

  "What does that mean?" Tesser asked Matty. He hadn't heard the word before.

  "Drained of blood, babe," Matty said soft enough for the speaker phone to not hear.

  Tesser looked from her to Ambryn. Ambryn's recent face of serene duty and patience had twisted ever so slightly. He had a calmness to him still, but his lip twitched with a frustration Tesser hadn’t seen in millennia. That can't be good. "Something you want to say?" he asked his brother.

  "Any bite marks, Spoon?" Ambryn asked the phone as his eyes darted around, searching for an answer, or something to blame for whatever was running around in his head.

  Spoon could be heart shuffling papers. "Couldn't find any. The bodies were burnt up real bad. You know what this looks like to the uneducated right?"

  Ambryn answered him. "Vampires."

  "I imagine it would have to be plural, yes. Too many bodies for a lone bloodsucker right?"

  Ambryn sighed angrily. "It would really depend on the age of the vampire. The older ones are… shall we say absurdly thirsty, and rather crafty. Though I thought the eldest were all gone. It is possible my hunts have been insufficient."

  "You seem to know shit about vampires, Ambryn. Can you advise us on this? Come back? Lend us a hand? Hundred people might be dead. Oh, and shit. I forgot to mention. Another bus went missing last night. Get this: Marines out of Twenty Nine Palms on leave. Thirty jarheads just gone like a fart in the wind. As you can imagine, the Department of Defense has shown a sudden interest in us getting on this."

  Ambryn looked at Tesser with conflicted eyes. Tesser knew why Ambryn was invested in the blood drinkers. He wants to go. "Leave," Tesser encouraged him. "Get on the next plane out."

  Ambryn's eyes went to the baby in Matty's arms. "I don't want to leave you. I can't afford to leave the baby unprotected. The trolls might be playing a clever ruse to get at Astrid or Matty. I should stay."

  Tesser dismissed the notion. "Nonsense. Times have changed. The trolls have changed too. They are now kin with our kind. Have some faith. I'm more than enough to protect Astrid, and we have Tapper agents, and there will be trolls that are distant family soon enough. Let's not even talk about anything being able to get past Matty and her parents."

  I can feel her scowling at me.

  "Are you sure?" Ambryn asked, seeking release from the self-imposed duty he'd assumed. His guilt for killing Kaula.

  "Go," Tesser said, tilting his head to the window.

  "So you're coming?" Spoon asked from the phone. I had forgotten about him.

  "Yes. I'll head back now. To Boston?"

  "Sure, that works; just let me know what flight you're on. I'm in New Hampshire right now at the main facility. I can get down to Logan and meet you there, and we can fly to Vegas together. I'll get some calls made. Mr. Doyle is already headed out that way to manage the ground operations, and I'm working on getting a critical response team sent too. Having you there will be a huge asset. I can't thank you enough," the ex-paratrooper said. "Do you have a Tapper phone?"

  Ambryn patted his jeans pockets until he confirmed the little lump was the electronic device spoken of. "Yes. I do."

  "Make sure it's charged. Talk to you soon." He hung up.

  Ambryn rapped on the window between their cabin and the driver. The window rolled down with a powered hum. "Yes?" the driver asked as he navigated the traffic. He had a French accent.

  "Pull the limo over," Ambryn said politely.

  The driver was confused. "But the traffic—" he started.

  Ambryn pointed to the car's occupants. "I'm a dragon. He's a dragon. Even the little one is a dragon. Pull over, please."

  "Yes sir," the driver said, and immediately obliged him. Once stopped, Ambryn stepped out of the limo into the cold, carrying only his own small suitcase.

  Tesser stepped out to see him off. "Do you think it's an old one?" Tesser asked.

  Ambryn shrugged helplessly. "Hard to say. Could be a small nest of them, or maybe an older one. I thought the eldest had died out after Kaula disappeared. I haven't had to hunt one down in a couple of years. Uppity dhampyrs, sure. But no full bloods."

  "Those are the half breeds, right? They have a name?" Tesser asked.

  Ambryn nodded as the traffic whipped by them on the cold Norwegian December day. A spray of mist hit them both. "There was a real infestation in eastern Europe for a century or so. They sort of got out of control; things were handled eventually, but at great cost to your humans. They picked up the name there. Thank Kaula for silver and the sun."

  This is what happens when you meddle in creating things brother. Tesser didn't say that though. It wouldn't achieve anything positive. Kaula and Ambryn did the best they could to manage life in his absence, and he felt his own guilt flare. "Go, tie up your loose end. The humans will appreciate the effort, as will I."

  "Take care of your daughter," Ambryn said fearfully.

  He is petrified harm will come to her. So charming. "She is my daughter, the purple dragon of all things magic, and my greatest accomplishment. I will protect her like nothing else."

  Ambryn shook his brother's hand and started running down the breakdown lane against traffic, suitcase in hand, heading back towards the airport. Once clear of the trunk of the limo, he shifted into
dragon form. His clothes ripped away, revealing a massive black-scaled reptilian body, winged and fearsome, with a wickedly barbed tail, and full of a predator's grace. The rags fell to the wet pavement like dandelion fluff. His wings flapped in the newly falling northern Atlantic mist, and as the cars speeding below him slammed on their brakes to take in the spectacle of a dragon taking flight, he elevated higher and higher, disappearing like a serpent slipping below water into the heavy clouds forming above. He still held his tiny suitcase in a massive clawed hand.

  May your scales turn away your children's fangs yet again my brother.

  Tesser got back in the limo and snuggled up against his two loves, and they entered traffic shortly after.

  Chapter Two

  The Story of Something Gone Awry

  During Tesser's lengthy forced absence from the world, the six conscious dragons needed to come up with a way to control the rampant explosion of his most successful creation: humanity. The balance had to be maintained no matter what. Without the gifts he had, they did the best they could.

  Managing and creating life had always been the golden dragon's responsibility. Since creation had been forged, it was his duty to make life, to sculpt it and transform it as the needs and state of the world transformed over time. If Garamos built a range of mountains where the Sahara desert now is, then Tesser would alter the life around it in anticipation of the needs for survival there. The great balance was thus maintained.

  Of course, when humanity as a species skyrocketed to a global dominance, the initial kneejerk reaction by several of the six other dragons was to annihilate them. They nearly succeeded, and they don't like to talk about that, especially to the humans who they have hid that past from, and also to Tesser who felt the move idiotic. The dragons still argue about it to this day.

  Humanity rebounded, as Tesser would've expected. He made them that way after all.

  Chief amongst all the dragons in the charge of managing Tesser's creations was Ambryn. As Tesser was meant to create and evolve life, Ambryn existed to trim the fat from the world. He removed the unhealthy, unwanted, or the presence of the detrimental to the greater good of the planet. His initial attempts at creating plague and sickness to cull their herd were very successful for centuries, though a few of the illnesses he spat upon human society nearly repeated the pogrom from millennia before. In truth, the entire time of Tesser's absence Ambryn hated humanity and all that it represented. Their rampant tool use seemed like cheating in his eyes.