"I should not have questioned you. It was wrong to challenge your choice. I hope that someday I will have the courage and honor it takes to do as you are. You will be missed, but I do understand. Forgive me for speaking without thinking first," Tae begged.
"My friend, you have nothing to forgive. It was a natural assumption that the weapon's builder would be among those fighting on Savra. Michelle, get a glass, and this last drink will be a toast to Tae's safety as well as victory for Talonia."
Two days later, concealed by the darkness of the night sky, the Talonian spaceships left the planet. They followed the trajectory of the Savra vessels, which they had stealthily tracked.
Tae stood at a small window in his ship and watched as Talonia grew smaller. He was deathly pale and sick to his stomach, imagining it to be his final glimpse of home. He had tearfully said farewell to his family and given them all his hard-earned wages. If he died in this war, his younger siblings would have to leave school and go to work or become soldiers. A part of him believed Kelan and Michelle would help them.
The Savra did not foresee the war coming to them. They had not set up extra protection for their planet. Only the main cities had guards. The Talonians landed in the outer regions, surrounding the capital. Their ships were silent and stealthy. They blended into the terrain. Hand signals were used to give orders. Through the darkness, the soldiers snuck closer. Tae's group was sent toward the main gate. Sand blew in their faces, blinding them several times. The Savra lived on a dry, arid world, fitting for lizards. It was completely the opposite of Talonia. Tae hated it on sight.
Tae's leader held up a hand to halt his battalion. The city was contained inside a wall. No wonder they had not set up extra protection. There were guards walking along the tops of the walls and in front of the entrance. Until they gained entry, the new lasers would not be used. The light they emitted would give the Savra a target. Dragon fire would do the same. The leader chose Tae and two other soldiers to go with him. They were to sneak up on the entrance guards and slit their throats.
Tae was a strong soldier, though he hated war. He would kill with the laser without a qualm. However, killing a man up close and feeling his life run out in his hands was a different matter. He would obey orders, but he would suffer for it. Tears sprang to his eyes as he snuck up on his enemy. Shaking uncontrollably, he grabbed the lizard/man around the neck and slit his throat. With blood pouring over his hands, he laid the body gently and silently on the ground. Then, he turned and threw up. Between the sorrow and the stench, he could not help himself.
Done with his task, he met the other three to pry open the gate. As the guards on the wall moved toward the back of the structure, they worked to make an opening large enough to slide through. They paused as the guards made it to the front once more. It was difficult to breathe knowing the Savra had only to look straight down and they would be revealed. Yet, it did not happen. The Savra were too complacent and confident that no one would dare challenge them on their own world. The guards were careless and inattentive. They busied themselves with banter and even eating when they should have been keeping better watch.
Gone again, to circle their city, the Savra left the gate unguarded. They believed their compatriots were still below. Instead, Tae and his team completed their task. One by one, the Talonian army entered the city. They paused each time the guards returned. It took hours for them all to enter. By the time they finished, the sky was growing light.
The Savra came stumbling out of their buildings. Some were half asleep, while others were reeling from a night of revelry. The guards would be changing shifts, and their dead would be noticed. It was time to do battle. The Talonian war cry went up, surprising the Savra soldiers.
The enemy raised their weapons, which resembled Earth's guns. They shot at the Talonians as they sent their women and children into hiding. The Talonians allowed the innocent to escape. They would show mercy to the women and children. As the first blood was drawn from them, the Talonians began to use their lasers. The weapons were effective. Half the Talonians transformed, and weredragons took to the sky. The battleground became chaotic as those left in the form of man fought the transformation. The adrenaline of anger and fear caused their bodies to want to change. Some grew scales, and others breathed fire as they were stuck in mid-transformation.
Tae had the strength to remain fully as a man. He found cover behind a pillar and took out any Savra that were within his range. The Savra purposely stirred up the ground, sending a sandstorm into the air. It blinded the Talonians, including those in dragon form. They could hear the Savra laughing, believing they had won.
Tripping over prone bodies, Tae and his cohorts backed toward the buildings where the sand did not reach. Here the ground was covered with rocks. The Savra could not use the sand against them.
Eveline
Something was wrong. Eveline could hear terrible sounds coming from the surface. There were shouting and cries of pain. Suddenly, her prison was filled with the Savra women and children. There was fear in their eyes. A young woman fells against her cell and Eveline dared to speak. "What is happening? Why are you afraid?"
The woman jumped, uncertain that the words had come from the human. She snarled, "You dare speak to me, slave?"
"You have come to my prison. I deserve to know why you take shelter here," Eveline replied.
An old woman spoke up, "It does not matter if we tell her. She will die with the rest of us if the creatures get inside." She turned to Eveline and said, "We are under attack. Creatures from another world have come here. They are evil and strange. They can change shape, fly in the sky, and breathe flames. They are called dragons. How they got into the city, I do not know. They did not use flight, or the guards would have destroyed them."
"You have revealed too much, old woman. Mind your tongue," a large Savra soldier had come unnoticed to the prison. He knocked the old woman aside and yanked open Eveline's cell. "You are to come with me. We will see what occurs when these creatures catch sight of you. You resemble their females. In the midst of battle, they will not know the difference. Saving you will be a priority, and we will get the upper hand. You will most likely die during the battle, but it does not matter. A slave is easily replaced. You have been sustained by us too long. Your food is better given to our pets. At least they fight along with us. You are a waste of sustenance."
He dragged Eveline across the floor. She fought him, but the women kicked at her, causing severe pain. When they reached the surface, she was bleeding, and her leg was broken from the women's vicious kicks. The pain left her nauseous. Adding to it, the scent of death was all around. The soldier chained her to a post in the center of the chaos. Through the swirling sand, she saw huge creatures of every color flying in the sky. She was shocked at the sight and in too much pain to overcome it. She lost consciousness.
