Chapter 32
When they reached the island, Colson and Marcus’s father were waiting for them. Colson said to Marcus, “I’ve given your tasks some thought, and I decided that there will be no more milk runs for you. You can be sure of that fact.”
Marcus said, “A task too difficult for me? You have certainly peaked my interests.”
“That’s the spirit! Unlike you, Mish and Dragoon have been working hard all day alongside our boys to erect a tower at the highest point of Angel Island. This leads to both good news and Bad news. The good news is that there are others still alive out there.”
“And you wish us to rescue them,” Liz said.
“Let me finish! Anyway, our engineers were able to track and pinpoint the closest signal, but it comes all the way from Japan.”
“Hence the bad news. Do you expect us to travel across the ocean to save people that may well be dead by the time we reach them?”
“No, not us. Just you, Marcus, with a human ambassador and Karen with another. Any questions?”
“Yes,” said Marcus, “How long has your sanity been in slow decline? I refuse this task as long as it remains unchanged. Who is the human I am to take with me?”
“I’ll be going with you, Marcus,” said his father.
“I appreciate the effort, but Elizabeth will be the only one to ride upon my back for a long period of time.”
“But I-”
“No. Liz will come with me, I will go alone, or I will not go at all. These are the options I present you with, General. Choose whichever one you think best.”
Colson accepted his proposal – as if he had a choice – and thought about what option would work best. He said, “Seeing as the undead invasion is over here, we have no use for you, so consider the option of you staying here void. I can’t let you go alone because I don’t trust you and I don’t trust the other nation’s trigger fingers. So Liz, I guess you’ll be leaving with Marcus. I want you both to be gone by noon tomorrow. That goes the same for Karen and Isaac. Both of you, go back to where you normally stay and get some rest, you’ll need it.”
“But General, this is where we normally stay.”
Colson wasted no time in turning around and walking back to his jeep. He left his father behind to say his goodbyes. As soon as his jeep was out of view, Marcus’s father’s expression changed from neutrality to anger. Whether it was over his son’s disobedience or his own weakness to stop it, Marcus had no idea.
His father walked over to him and Marcus said, “Father, do not aim your anger at me. Understand that everything I am doing or ever done as a dragon has been done to protect you. Do you not remember the happening of just a few days prior to now? Do you not remember how feeble you were when facing such a simple instrument as a bullet? Liz was wailing her pain for you for hours because of your wound. What would happen if we were to come against a stronger force with better weapons like rockets and artillery? How can I defend you then?”
His father remained speechless and his expression changed from anger to sorrow. He fell to the ground sobbing like a child. It was the same pain as when Marcus’s grandmother perished. It was the same, in a way. Marcus set himself down and he pulled his broken father closer to his side, where he wept for another half hour. He stood and said, “My heart broke when we were last separated.”
“Yes, that is true. But this time, you know that I am alive. Live with the hope of a life long enough for our meeting once more. With that in mind, leave me be and send my mother to me. I wish to speak with her one last time.”
His father bowed his head and walked away. Marcus looked at the darkening sky and saw Liz sitting at the highest point of Yerba Buena. She was leaning on Isaac and they were speaking to one another. Marcus wanted dearly to know what was being said, but he knew that such an intrusion would not be kindly greeted.
He placed his head on the ground and waited for his mother to approach. Two hours later, when she finally made it to his side, she yelled, “I know you’re awake! Stop bluffing.”
“Oh good,” Marcus joked, “Dinner has arrived.”
She looked somewhat concerned but said, “Liz already told me you don’t eat. So I have two questions for you: first, why was your father in such a bad mood and second, why did you call on me?”
“Something has happened. None of us are hurt, but we may be separated from you two for a long time.”
“Why? What, are you moving to Japan?”
Marcus said, “A task too difficult for me? You have certainly peaked my interests.”
“That’s the spirit! Unlike you, Mish and Dragoon have been working hard all day alongside our boys to erect a tower at the highest point of Angel Island. This leads to both good news and Bad news. The good news is that there are others still alive out there.”
“And you wish us to rescue them,” Liz said.
“Let me finish! Anyway, our engineers were able to track and pinpoint the closest signal, but it comes all the way from Japan.”
“Hence the bad news. Do you expect us to travel across the ocean to save people that may well be dead by the time we reach them?”
“No, not us. Just you, Marcus, with a human ambassador and Karen with another. Any questions?”
“Yes,” said Marcus, “How long has your sanity been in slow decline? I refuse this task as long as it remains unchanged. Who is the human I am to take with me?”
“I’ll be going with you, Marcus,” said his father.
“I appreciate the effort, but Elizabeth will be the only one to ride upon my back for a long period of time.”
“But I-”
“No. Liz will come with me, I will go alone, or I will not go at all. These are the options I present you with, General. Choose whichever one you think best.”
Colson accepted his proposal – as if he had a choice – and thought about what option would work best. He said, “Seeing as the undead invasion is over here, we have no use for you, so consider the option of you staying here void. I can’t let you go alone because I don’t trust you and I don’t trust the other nation’s trigger fingers. So Liz, I guess you’ll be leaving with Marcus. I want you both to be gone by noon tomorrow. That goes the same for Karen and Isaac. Both of you, go back to where you normally stay and get some rest, you’ll need it.”
“But General, this is where we normally stay.”
Colson wasted no time in turning around and walking back to his jeep. He left his father behind to say his goodbyes. As soon as his jeep was out of view, Marcus’s father’s expression changed from neutrality to anger. Whether it was over his son’s disobedience or his own weakness to stop it, Marcus had no idea.
His father walked over to him and Marcus said, “Father, do not aim your anger at me. Understand that everything I am doing or ever done as a dragon has been done to protect you. Do you not remember the happening of just a few days prior to now? Do you not remember how feeble you were when facing such a simple instrument as a bullet? Liz was wailing her pain for you for hours because of your wound. What would happen if we were to come against a stronger force with better weapons like rockets and artillery? How can I defend you then?”
His father remained speechless and his expression changed from anger to sorrow. He fell to the ground sobbing like a child. It was the same pain as when Marcus’s grandmother perished. It was the same, in a way. Marcus set himself down and he pulled his broken father closer to his side, where he wept for another half hour. He stood and said, “My heart broke when we were last separated.”
“Yes, that is true. But this time, you know that I am alive. Live with the hope of a life long enough for our meeting once more. With that in mind, leave me be and send my mother to me. I wish to speak with her one last time.”
His father bowed his head and walked away. Marcus looked at the darkening sky and saw Liz sitting at the highest point of Yerba Buena. She was leaning on Isaac and they were speaking to one another. Marcus wanted dearly to know what was being said, but he knew that such an intrusion would not be kindly greeted.
He placed his head on the ground and waited for his mother to approach. Two hours later, when she finally made it to his side, she yelled, “I know you’re awake! Stop bluffing.”
“Oh good,” Marcus joked, “Dinner has arrived.”
She looked somewhat concerned but said, “Liz already told me you don’t eat. So I have two questions for you: first, why was your father in such a bad mood and second, why did you call on me?”
“Something has happened. None of us are hurt, but we may be separated from you two for a long time.”
“Why? What, are you moving to Japan?”
Chapter 33: Child of a God
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