Wings of Honor: Meeting The Enemy

Chapter 19: Tailing Turtle

They came once the sun finally set over the treetops, when the moon hadn't risen yet. That one darkest hour.
"Wolves!" A cry from Anthony!
"Shoot 'em!"
I heaved hard into the sled rope, pulling as fast as I could. I looked over my shoulder.
Anthony swayed my rifle like he was dancing with it at a ball. Suddenly, a shot rang out. The forest was illuminated for just half a moment. A moment long enough to spot two bogies trying to cut us off. Hissing in pain as I transitioned my weight. I took aim at their shadowy figures, running quickly to overtake their prey.
Well, this prey could fight.
I took a shot at one. I heard a yelp, and its figure doubled over into the snow, out of sight.
I could see the next one, coming in quick to try and zoom me. I answered with two, instinctively aimed shots. My instincts weren't the best, but they served me. At least one connected, and sent him limping and whimpering away.
General Anthony had been lighting up my field with fire intermittently, until a shot followed by a distinctive PING in the night.
"Shit!"
I looked over my shoulder again and saw him fumbling with the rifle, wolves in clear view and only yards away from us. I swung around with my pistol, firing over Anthony's head. He ducked away and kept digging around with the bandolier. I fired until my slide locked back, but I kept running. Hitting the release and holstering my pistol, I had to hope and pray Anthony would figure it out.
"Hurry uuup!" I yelled in my sergeant's voice.
"Got it!"
He fired rapidly, and I heard whimpering in between his shots. Another PING. He wasted no time this time, reloading and getting more rounds down range.
I concentrated my force on moving as fast as I could, as hard as I could. If I was to be a mule, I would be a damn good one! I was going to save the general, I was going to get home. I poured my heart and soul into the sled, powering it through the trees.
"Got em! They're retreating!"
I didn't get a second to look back when the sled scooped.
White came up to meet me.
Then dark.

We flew for a day and a night. All of us going without food and water.
Grace's wings began to quaver more than usual, which was never a good sign.
Starving?
She gave no response.
I opened up my last emergency ration. One of those damned breakfast ham ones. I offered the fruit bar.
No. You eat it. You'll need your strength.
"What?" I asked, surprised. Though, I also knew she communicated telepathically just to prevent me from shoving the bar into her mouth.
Just... trust me.
"Okay." I sat back, looking at the food in my hand. "I do."

I made what meal of it I could. Grace caught a wayward seagull, pelting me with feathers.
"Phlegh!" She spat. "Tastes like fucking... rotten sushi."
"And now you know why I never eat birds other than chicken."
Grace rolled her eyes.
"Down there!"
I saw Turtle on the beach. He slid hastily into the water.
Grace landed where he was just a moment ago.
"Crap. Now what do we do?" I cursed, sliding down.
Grace looked around.
"What?" I asked.
She pounced on a small but thick piece of driftwood. "I've been thinking of something that might be able to help."
"What is it?"
"Shh. Let me concentrate."
"Okay," I whispered, backing away.
My great dragon, sitting up, eyes closed, holding a rock close to her chest. She was enchanting it; with what, I do not know.
She opened her eyes. "Here." She tossed the golden object to me.
I caught it.
This wasn't wood anymore. It looked like a tally counter device, only it wasn't numbers on the face anymore. A picture of a NightWing presented itself to me.
"Try turning the knob."
I obliged, running through photos of all different races of dragons, some I didn't even know, a few including humans.
"Wha-what is this?"
"It's a transformation device." Grace walked up, showing me. "It'll transform whoever presses the knob into the form you select. I made it in case you needed a dragon, but there wasn't anybody else around."
"A device that can turn people into dragons. There you go." Forgoing my usual analysis of such a device, I immediately shifted it to the picture of a SeaWing. "And just push the button, right?"
"Mmm hmm." Grace nodded.
I canted my head. Here goes nothing.
"Wait!" I turned back to Grace. "I don't have to worry about my clothes, right?"
Grace just looked me over, wide-eyed, and shrugged.
"I'll get you new ones."
I rolled my eyes.
"Okay."
I depressed the button.