. : D R A G O N B O R N : . (a MCSM fanfic)

Chapter 12: Anarchy

"Jesse, I don't like this," Olivia murmured, staring out into the darkened streets of Beacontown.  "Something's wrong-- I can just feel it.  It's in the very air..."

"I don't like it either," Jesse murmured, biting her lip.  "They're afraid-- and fear makes people unstable..." She exhaled.  "I sure hope Axel gets back soon..."

Even as the words left her mouth, the door slammed open and Axel burst in.  "Jesse, this isn't good-- they're rallying!"

"Rallying?"  Jesse shook her head.  "Did you find Soren?"

"No-- I don't think he's here in town, or we would have seen him by now!  But I think... I think we need to leave..."

Jesse blinked.  "What?  Why?"

"Because the rest of the town is meeting at the beacon right now-- and it sounds like they're ready to head out there and hunt down that dragon themselves..."

"What?  No-- they can't!  We can't just rush into this blindly-- we need to figure out what's really going on!"

"Tell that to them,"Olivia muttered, pointing to the crowd that was headed up the street toward the hall.

Jesse looked increasingly worried.  "You two wait in here-- I'll go talk to them."  She stepped outside, moving to confront the mob.  It halted in front of her, and one of the townsfolk stepped forward to face her.

"Am I correct in understanding that there is a dragon on the loose, yet you have done nothing to about it?" he demanded.

Jesse let out her breath.  "No," she told him plainly.  "It's true-- a dragon was sighted in the woods earlier today, but we're certainly not doing nothing.  But we have to go about this carefully.  We can't just rush in.  We've got to prepare--"

"And what happens when it strikes again?" someone shouted.  "Will you still be preparing then?  We don't have time for this!  We need to find the dragon and destroy it-- before it comes back!  There's nothing else to prepare for!"

"Have any of you ever fought a dragon before?" Jesse challenged, "What happens if you do find it?  Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"

"Then we'll take it down by any means necessary," the ringleader informed her, and was met by cheers of approval from the crowd.

"Please-- just think this through!" she insisted, "If you go out there unprepared, people could die!  This is a very serious matter-- we need to know what we're doing!"

"And what about you, Jesse?" he retorted, "Do you know what you're doing?"

She hesitated.  "No," she admitted after a moment, "But that's what we're trying to find out..."

He turned back to the crowd.  "You see?  The Order is no better off than us!  And while they stand idly by, that dragon is still out there!  It could strike at any time, yet the Order does nothing!"

"I told you, we aren't doing nothing!" Jesse interjected.  "But we need to plan-- we need to prepare!"

Her words were quickly drowned in the crowd's rising clamor-- it was painfully clear that the citizens were too riled up to listen.

"Please-- return to your homes!" she called desperately, raising her voice.  "Let the Order handle this!"

She was met only with shouts and chanting-- Slay the dragon!  Slay the dragon!  No more idling, slay the dragon!  Torches were thrust high into the air as the atmosphere grew more and more unstable.

"Jesse, I don't think this is working!" Axel called from the doorway, "They're too worked up!  They're not going to listen!"

Jesse eyed the surging crowd, heart in her throat.  She couldn't let them pursue the dragon alone!  But was she even able to stop them?  They were clearly bent on setting out-- there would be no reasoning with them!

"Jesse, Axel, come quickly!" Olivia shouted from deeper inside.  "Come on-- hurry!"

With a last glance at the crowd, Jesse turned and slipped inside.  Axel quickly closed and barred the door, and together they hurried to find Olivia.  Outside, the crowd turned away and began making their way through the streets to the gate.

"Olivia, what is it?" Jesse asked, brow furrowed with worry.

"Lukas's horse just showed up!" Olivia told them, gesturing to the yard, "Saddled and everything!  But Lukas isn't here!"

Jesse bit her lip.  "I remember Lukas talking about teaching her to find her way home on her own... if he was out there earlier..."

"Something must have happened," Axel murmured, shaking his head.  "This is not good..."

"Not at all..."  Jesse eyed the horse thoughtfully.  "If Lukas is out there, we need to find him.  He might be in trouble..."

"Not to mention the fact that Petra's been gone since this morning," Olivia pointed out.

"Somehow I've got the feeling that if we find one, we find them both," Jesse replied thoughtfully.  "Lukas is hardly one to run from a fight, and that giant would have been next to impossible to miss.  He must have thought Petra could be in trouble and have gone looking for her..."

"Then we need to find them-- and fast," Olivia murmured.

Jesse eyed the horse thoughtfully.  "You know... I just might have a plan..."