A Dragon's Tale-Genesys

Midnight

I was stirred later that night by Emelia tossing herslef around. I looked at my wacth wich was clasped around the hammoks rope,midnight. I quickly pulled myself out of the hammock and went over to her. Her face was twisted in a look of fear,she was definitely having a bad nightmare. I was reaching down to shake her awake when her eyes jumped open and she let off a horrified yelp.

"Hey?",I asked stroking her neck trying to calm her down,"what's wrong?"

"Nightmare",Emelia said panting.

"Do you want to talk about it?",I asked.

Emelia just nodded.

"Lemme get dressed",I said,"we can go outside."

I walked over to the pile of my gear and grabbed my combat shirt from it,slipping it over my bare chest and pulling on my boots before lifting Hudson's older FAL from his pile.

"Do you really need a gun?",Emelia asked.

"Middle of Veitnam",I said,"can never be to safe,but let's hope we don't."

She just sighed. I could tell something was eating at her,but I wasn't sure what. We walked out of the small hut and into the clearing. The sky was pitch dark and I could hardly see anything. What little light there was reflected off Emelia's scales,making her glow slightly in the starless night. Her bright blue eyes were glowing like a chem light and I swear they were acting like a flash light. The sounds of the nocturnal jungle were all around us. The frogs chirped to each other,Monkeys called in the distance and I occasionally heard the snorting of a wild hog. Thunder rolled in the distance like a Barrett sniper rifle,telling me that rain was on the approach. Emelia and I walked of a few more yards before coming to the river. We both sat on the river banks and listened to the river rushing along before I spoke up.

"So what's on your mind?"

"I...I...",Emelia stuttered,"I had a horrible nightmare. In front of me,there was a wall of infinity hot fire. on the other side...nothingness,just black shadowy nothing. On the other side,were voices. They were begging for me to come save them,so I went into the fire. It burned the flesh and scales off my bones,but for some reason I didn't care. I asked them where they were...and they said in an eerie echo."

"Were already gone,tainted by the death you could not save us from." Emelia started to cry and I pulled her close to me and bgan stroking her neck.

"That's not what's bothering you is it?",I asked.

"No",she replied sniffling,"it isn't."

"Then tell me",I said softly.

"He killed my little sister",Emelia said.

"Who did?",I asked.

"Antony",Emelia said,"...and I killed him...I diserve the same fate as the Russian."

"No you dont",I replied stroking the bck of her neck and hugging her tightly,"For killing a man that robbed you of a family member,you don't deserve to die."

"Yes I do!",Emelia cried,"it makes me no better than him!"

I sighed,I could tell from Emelia's voice that she truly thought she deserved to die for killing the man who took her little sister from her. I wasn't sure what I could say to her.

"Let me tell you something Emelia",I said,"my father told me this long ago...and it's only know I realize what he meant. He used to say to me that killing is something that you can't take lightly. He would tell me the story of the first time he'd killed someone. He was in Vietnam. He and his team were ambushed and all but him and his buddy were killed outright. My Dad and his friend fought for hours before they were eventually captured."

"He told me a VC Bookie tourted and killed his friend right in front of him. My Dad broke,he managed to get free and kill two of the three men,but missed the one who killed his friend. My Dad tracked that man through the jungle for a week without sleeping till he found him hiding in an old hut. My Dad got into a knife fight with the man and killed him. He then told me hat he regretted it so badly he considered suicide. Then his CO told him."

"If you had let him go you would have regretted it for the rest of your life."

"What are you trying to tell me John?",Emelia sniffled.

"If you had let that man live",I said stroking her scaled neck,"you would regret it for the rest of your life,with a regret even worse than what your feeling now. You have a kind,soft heart,the world needs many more people like you,but even for people like you,the time will come when you'll have to make a choice you'd rather not."

Emelia sniffled.

"Listen to me Emelia",I said looking into her eyes,"I would happiliy die to protect you,just like I would Hudson,Issac and Frank. I didn't get the chance to do it for Jack,and I regret it with a regret stronger than any I've ever felt. It would only be worse if I'd let that man in the bunker get away with Jack's murder. The time will come when you'll realize the meaning of what I'm telling you."

Emelia sniffled and I kissed her on the forehead.

"Your gonna be okay",I said,"I will protect you."

She sniffled,"thank you John."

I smiled,"that's what friends are for sister,your a part of our family now."

She smiled again and licked my cheek.

"Oh what are you now a dog?"

She laughed and barked at me.

I smiled as I stood up,"let's get back to the hut,fucking mosquito's are eating me alive."

Emelia and I stood and walked back to the hut. We entred quietly and I placed Hudson's gun back where I found it before tossing off my combat shirt and crawling back into the hammock. Emelia managed to find sleep faster than I did,but it soon found me too.