Wings of Honor: Saving Grace

Chapter 9: Shadowing

I gave Peril space, but I kept her within sight. Partly camouflaged, but present.
As much as it hurt to fly after being pelted with shrapnel, I stayed close enough to her. Peril looked to also be suffering from soreness. But she gritted her teeth, determined to ignore it until it went away, and so did I.
We spent the rest of the morning flying out into the desert, chasing down a desert fox, whom she let escape. Her reasoning was that it was kind of too cute to eat anyway. She then caught a large white bird midair and ate that instead, while I opted to snack on a K ration. No more birds for me. She also set alight to a tall-ish cactus because it was aparently "giving her a superior look and she felt like it." I made sure to keep a little extra yards between us after that. At least there was one advantage of a desert: we didn't have to worry about wildfires or injuring others. I mean, she made glass claw prints whenever she touched down, but at least she didn't have to touch this damn sand. Oh, yeah, and not burning a city down. Yeah, that.
But again, Peril's mind stirred around to Scarlet.
THE queen. I do still think of her that way. Qibli's words kept going around in her head, which was VERY annoying to her and made the next cactus over look like tempting kindling as well.
"Isn't Ruby your queen now?" Well ... yes, technically, but how could you swear loyalty to a queen who didn't even want you in her kingdom? How could anyone feel loyal to a queen who clearly just wanted you...
dead?

I shook Goldman out from my mind. Peril managed to swerve to fly back toward Possibility. I followed after her, spotting a heard of camels about a 'hundred yards off, to the south. Maybe a quick snack would make her feel better.
But even from here, I saw that this wasn't just a heard of wild camels.
It's a caravan.
The camels were all lasoed and tied to a palm tree. They were surrounded by humans, travelers — around a squad's worth. They looked to be setting up pup tents and gathering water from the small oasis pond adjacent to them
But as Peril approached they all froze like living statues as she shot overhead. Peril studied their upturned faces, which looked like they were mostly eyes.
I shivered as all their emotions ran through me. Terrified eyes.
I'd never seen such dopey prey; what are they doing out in the open desert, where it would be so easy to catch and eat them?
While Peril thought about how she never eaten a scavenger before. I swooped down to get a better look at their camp, fully camouflaged. I made out one more person, sitting apart from the others, a little ways up on the next dune. This one didn't even register Peril.
I can't take this anymore.
Her shoulders were slumped, she buried her head in her sandy brown robe.
I want to go home. Home is so far away. There are so many dragons. I'm scared.
My heart lurched.
I waited until Peril turned away, before I swooped down. Suddenly materializing in midair, I flared up a dust storm, touching down to a sea of panicked thoughts.
That dragon came out of nowhere!
A Night Dragon! In the dessert!
"Run!"
"No! Wait!" I screamed at them, using my sergeant's voice. I folded up my wings, taking a few steps forward. "I'm not going to hurt you!"
Even still, a panicked few were taking off into the sand. The rest stood absolutely still, shocked at my presence.
Is this dragon talking?
What the hell is going on?
Maybe if I stand completely still, it won't see me.
Oh God, don't let me die today.
I just about facepalmed. "I'm not going to hurt you. My name is Gracebringer. I'm with the 101st Airborne," for heaven's sake! "and I'm here to help you guys."
Now a few of the panicked tradesmen had begun to regroup, a few still overlooked from a couple dunes, but they still kept their distance.
"Do..." I sensed a few weapons being trained on me. I gulped. "Do you guys need water?"
The oldest one, a tall bearded man, turned back towards the oasis, then back at me. "This isn't a mirage." He said to the woman next to him.
"I don't think so." She responded.
It was then that I noticed that the water cisterns that they were refilling were still at the oasis. I took a deep breath.
Please don't attack me.
Walking slow, keeping my wings in, staying low to the ground, I carefully skirted around the camp. The camels spit agitated grunts and groans in my direction. The men eyed me the entire time, only now they all had gained the courage to produce spears, swords, and crossbows.
"Please don't attack me." I said again. Although if they do, they likely wouldn't get past my scales. Hopefully. And if necessary, I can just camouflage and get away. It's way too hot for me to use my ice breath now.
I leaned down to gently pinch one of the pottery.
"You guys use this to hold your water, right?"
The old man looked at the others, grasping a long spear now.
"Y-yes. And what would you need with it, DRAGON?" He startled me with a sudden and sharp tone.
"I... I thought I could help you with that." I looked down. "With your permission." I looked back toward him.
What is it talking about? A dragon, helping us? They've kidded hundreds, thousands! And those weren't even these dreadful black ones! What danger is this one? Is its help a trap?
"I swear, this is no trick." I interrupted his thoughts, tears beginning to form, nearly beginning to plead. "I just want to make sure you guys are safe. It's really dangerous here, and there's no more water for the next 50 miles, and it's guarded by dragons." I looked the old man dead in the eye. "You risk hyperthermia if you don't take my help."
The man looked over his men, themselves tired, weary, scared.
"Sir. I know how it feels to lead a group of men, and be worried that they won't be able to get home. So please, let me help you."
I man hung his head, taking a deep breath. "Okay." He raised his head, walking up to me. "What would you have us do?"
I looked back to the water cisterns.
I enchant those water cisterns to always be filled with water, and be as light as they would be empty.
I saw the water level in them rise, watching them begin to shift in the sand a little from the wind. I reached back into my duffle.
Duplicate my enchanted rations, and keep their enchantments.
I felt out the trio of boxes, carefully sliding them out onto my hand. I did my best not to dent them. I held them out for the man.
He gingerly aproached, stepping up between my claws to grab the three small boxes of food.
"Wha-what are these?" He looked up to me in wonder.
"They're food." I said, pulling back and sitting to to meet him. "They'll last you forever. Whenever you take out the small box from the cover, after six hours, another box will appear in the cover. DO NOT LOSE THE COVER, the outer box. Inside each brown box, there's food and some other supplies to help you guys." I looked back at the water cisterns. "Your water jugs will never run out of water now. You can go anywhere, and never have to worry about water or food. They're lighter too, so they won't burden you more then they have to."
The old man slid out one of the cardboard inserts of the green supper ration. Immediately, another cardboard inset appeared in its place, surprising the old man and the woman next to him.
"Woah." The old man held up the ration box, inspecting it.
"Oops. The supper ration, the green one, will instantly refil. I'm sorry."
As the older man stood in awe, the woman began to open the cardboard insert. She opened the contents out into the sand. "What?
"There's plenty of supplies in each of the various ones. Cigarettes: you can use those for trading. Gum: for chewing and making sure you mouth doesnt get dry, make sure not to swallow it though. And in that one, there's this little bullion packet, that one," I pointed at it, "that you can put in boiling water to make a little soup. There's also matches there, so you can start a fire. Oh, but be careful of the little chocolate bar. If you eat it too fast, it will cause some problems."
The man looked towards the water cisterns. A few of the men realizing they could hold them up with one hand. Another dumping it, even flipping it almost all the way over, but water kept flowing. A cheer was rapidly growing in the camp; everyone's spirits, including the loner from before, was dramatically lifted. The old man looked back at me, tears in his eyes.
He dropped to his knees, bowing to me. I recoiled, suprised.
"Oh great Night Dragon! I most humbly thank you for gifts and favor! Allow me to offer my finest camels as sacrifice to your charity!"
I almost leaned all the way over. Almost everyone else was bowing to me. Those who weren't were angerly and hastily coaxed by teh others.
"No-no-no-no." I stood up, stepping back. "I have the same stuff you guys have! I'm not hungry. I don't need anything you guys have."
"Then..." The old man stood up, confused. "What could we ever pay you in return, our lord Gracebringer."
I turned away, knowing that a few of the scales on my face were turning a little pink. "Please don't call me 'Lord.' I'm just helping you guys. You don't need to give anything back to me." I looked over back towards the sun, where Possibility stood just over the horizon. "There." I pointed. "Is a city of dragons. You would do well to steer clear of them." But then I hesitated. "Unless you need help. Then there is someone there. Someone by the name of Marvin. Captain Marvin. If you can find him, tell him that Grace sent you. He will do whatever he can to help you." I looked back again at the sky, realizing Peril had a head start on me. "I have to go." I started turning around. "I wish you all the best of luck."
The old man nearly lunged after me. "And the best of luck to you too Gracebringer!"
"God's speed and God's bless!" I shouted back, before I spread my wings and shot into the sky. Banking round to see all the hands waving at me. I banked around one more time, wiggling my wings. And with that, I turned round, following Peril's last known path. I shifted to camouflage, listening to surprised minds in awe.
I may have accidentally started a religion out of that.