Dragon Conjurer 3, page 9
“Does this have to do with what I did, sir?” Steffi asked as she leaned forward in her chair. “Is this the activity the pixies told me about?”
“You can talk to pixies?” Elisabeth gasped as she turned around to look at the cotton candy-haired beauty next to me. “That’s an amazing power!”
“Sorry, Headmaster,” I apologized, but only because I didn’t want the mission brief to get derailed. “We haven’t fully discussed our powers yet, but we will soon. Please continue.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cooper,” Burkhard said with a nod. “Yes, Ms. Foster, this increase in activity is the same as what your little pixie friends told you about this week.”
“So, this has to do with a Wendigo?” Nala questioned and tilted her head to one side. “I’m not sure I like where this is going.”
“I know it’s scary, Ms. Jefferson.” The headmaster pressed his folded hands to his lips and closed his eyes for a moment. “Dealing with ancient magic from Indigenous tribes is never an easy feat. Dealing with this particular monster is a high-risk assignment. To my knowledge, there has never been a Wendigo captured in AIMM’s history.”
“Would it be possible for another Academy to have one?” Nick asked and crossed his arms over his chest.
“I’m afraid not, Mr. Walters.” Burkhard shook his head. “See, while many cultures have legends which cross over, like dragons or goblins, or even fairies, the Wendigo is a creature unique to Algonquin folklore. No other culture has a monster quite like it, so we know it’s a monster isolated to the northern regions of our continent.”
“Do you think the Wendigo could be so isolated on account of a curse?” I questioned and furrowed my brow until my eyes were squinted. “I know the monsters are supposedly created when a man becomes too gluttonous and resorts to cannibalism as a method of feeding himself, but it could be possible this is another cursed human scenario, like with the tlahuelpuchi. That could explain the limited presence across other cultures.”
“I don’t see why not,” Elisabeth mused with a dainty shrug. “I don’t mean to answer for you, Headmaster Burkhard, but it seems to be a plausible answer, no?”
“Indeed, it does,” the Kingpin look-alike concurred with a nod toward the foxy French beauty. “Like many monsters, we don’t have the answers we wish we had when it comes to the existence of the Wendigo. What we do know is they’re a threat to humanity.”
“What’s our next move, then?” I fixed the professor with a steady look. “You know we’re more than ready to get on this.”
“Yeah, we’re monster hunting junkies these days,” Nick added with a fevered nod of his head. “You gave us that first hit in Mexico, and now we’re gonna spend the rest of our lives chasing the next high.”
“Thanks for making us sound like crack addicts, Nick,” Steffi giggled and poked him in the side. “Don’t take that the wrong way, Headmaster. We just love what we do.”
“I’m glad to have such dedicated students working for me,” the headmaster replied with a small smile, but then his expression grew serious again. “We believe the best option is to dispatch you to the Canadian Rockies tomorrow morning. There won’t be a time change, but it will give us time to reassign the AMIE students to a new team--”
“What do you mean, ‘reassign?’” Michel interrupted and squared his shoulders. “We thought you called us in here because you wanted us to aid Cooper and his team in this mission.”
“I want to be with the Dragon Conjurer,” Elisabeth said, and she shook her head so the loose strands of her fine hair swished around her face like silk. “I know being here is more important than sticking with one team, but Mr. Headmaster, I don’t want to be reassigned to any other team while we’re here.”
“I agree with my teammates,” Leon growled, although I didn’t think it was supposed to be threatening. The guy just couldn’t help that his voice was so deep and gruff. “I do not want to be put on a different team while the Dragon Conjurer and his crew are fighting a Wendigo in the Canadian Rockies.”
“We can help.” The redheaded dude leaned forward in his chair just a little. “We can speak French, so we could be translators in case we crossed paths with any isolated French-speaking locals in the area.”
“Very good point,” Burkhard admitted with a slow nod, like he was a bobblehead on his last little bit of momentum. “If you want to stay on their team, then I have no problem allowing you to shadow Mr. Cooper out in the field. I feel I should warn you, this mission isn’t a simple hour or so excursion.”
“It’s not?” I asked and cocked my head. I’d gotten so used to one-and-done missions, I hadn’t really thought about the possibility of hunting a monster through the wilderness over the course of several days.
“No, it’s not.” Burkhard got to his feet, placed his hands behind his back, and started to pace behind his desk. “We know the monster will emerge in the Canadian Rockies somewhere, as the activity we’ve spotted has increased across the less settled regions of Alberta. We don’t, however, know just where the monster might be, and we cannot afford to wait around until it appears to send a team in and stop it.”
“So, we’re going hunting,” Nick giggled with sick glee. “Okay, I know I sound like a maniacal hunter when I say things like that, but I’m just glad we get to go out and hunt for real. I’ve missed roughing it.”
“Your team will be provided with all the supplies you’ll need for the trip,” the Kingpin look-alike continued without acknowledging the blond nymph’s excitement. “We will have tents, food, water, and hunting tools should the need to defend yourselves arise.”
“Guns?” Nala questioned and patted her hand to her hip like she was checking for her Glock.
“Of course.” The big bald man thinned his lips into a smile and nodded his head. “We will provide each of you with your weapon of choice, as well as enough ammunition to last several days.”
“We’ll conserve it,” Steffi assured the headmaster. “What about you, AMIE cadets? Have you ever used guns in combat before?”
“Not really,” Michel admitted with a shrug. “We’ve always relied on our powers, and if someone sees us, then AMIE sends people in with bribes to keep them quiet. Works out pretty well, should the locals get restless.”
“Don’t worry,” the nymph whispered as he rubbed his hands together like a villain scheming up some ridiculous plan. “We’ll take you down to the shooting range and help you pick out your weapons.”
“Are we exempt from classes?” I asked Burkhard as I turned to look back at the headmaster. “We’ll have time if we aren’t, but I just wanted to know.”
“Yes, you’ll be exempt from all classroom responsibilities as you prepare to go on this mission.” The headmaster wrapped his chubby fingers around the back of his office chair and turned to face all of us once more. “This is a really serious mission, and I need all of you to be aware of the present dangers in the woods.”
“Like other monsters?” the fairy-girl questioned. “Maybe some smaller goblins or imps?”
“Monsters, and local fauna.” Burkhard slid back into his chair and scooted closer to his desk so he could talk to us directly. “I know all of you are capable of defending yourselves against goblins, sprites, imps, and everything in between. AIMM cadets, I’ve seen the four of you take on creatures like Pegasi, the thunderbird, and even a Magumau Ingu and emerging without a scratch. AMIE cadets, while I haven’t seen you perform in battle before, I have it on good authority you are the best your Academy has to offer.”
“We are, sir,” Leon said as he squared his shoulders to flex them.
“However,” the headmaster continued, “that doesn’t mean you can relax on this trip. You have to guard yourselves from the smaller monsters who will undoubtedly attack you on your hunt, as well as animals you cannot reason with. I would highly suggest figuring out a guard schedule, make sure you practice good survivalist sense, and trust your instincts.”
“Don’t worry, Headmaster,” Nick piped up as he leaned back and crossed one leg over the other. “I used to go on camping trips with my family all the time. We’re more than capable of handling this.”
“I can make earth walls around camp at night to protect us from ground threats, too,” Nala offered as she pumped her fist into her hand. “Hey, maybe I can even make dirt huts around our tents at night!”
“There’s no telling what we’ll learn out there,” Steffi breathed as she shivered, hopefully from excitement. “Having a place to get away from the urban sprawl we’re used to and test the limits of our powers out in the real world is going to be an amazing opportunity.”
“I can actually let my dragons roam free,” I whispered and looked down at the different markings on my body. “They won’t have to be cooped up under my skin for most of the time anymore.”
“Now, if everything’s been sorted,” Burkhard said and got to his feet, “I don’t have anything else to add, and seeing as we don’t need to find another team for our AMIE guests to shadow, we can dispatch you this afternoon. Would this be preferable?”
“If it’s okay with the French,” I said and looked to the transfers. “You three got off a plane not too long ago, so if you don’t want to leave yet, we’re fine with it.”
“This is your Academy,” Michel said as he flipped around to look right at me. “We have come from France to learn from you, and so we will defer to your leadership.”
“Well said, Michel,” Elisabeth added with a gentle smile. “We’ll follow your lead on this one, Dragon Conjurer.”
“You can just call me Dylan.” I ducked my head and rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to hide the blush creeping up to my face. “I guess that settles it, Headmaster. We’re leaving this afternoon.”
“I’ll inform Silva of the advanced timetable,” Burkhard assured me. “You’re dismissed. Best of luck to you.”
Our posse headed out of the office and straight down the hall so we could get to the shooting range. Even though Nick was our resident firearms enthusiast and expert, I was probably just as excited as him about the trip down to the range. It had been over a week since I got a chance to use a firearm, and I wanted to get a little more practice in before we headed out into the wilds of the Canadian Rockies.
“I’m so excited to show you gun noobs what’s up!” Nick practically squealed as the elevator descended toward the basement. “Not that you guys don’t know what you’re doing. There’s just so many guns out there to choose from, and there’s so much you have to learn!”
“Nick will be a good teacher,” Steffi assured the French kids. “He knows everything there is to know about firearms and whatnot. I couldn’t imagine a better instructor.”
“Yeah, I’m convinced he would’ve been an NRA-certified firearms instructor for his state,” Nala added with a nod. “He would’ve been a better teacher than some of the other instructors there.”
“Aww, thanks, guys!” The blond dude smiled back at us as the elevator opened up and let us off at the training floor. “We’re going to have a blast, no pun intended.”
“No, pun intended,” I joked as he led the way down the hall toward the firing range. “Always intend the pun, Nick.”
“Okay, I’ve got permission now.” The nymph pumped his fist into the air. “It’s all over, guys. The team leader told me I have permission to make puns all the time, so dad jokes are inbound shortly after.”
“What have you done, Dylan?” the caramel-skinned beauty giggled as she punched the back of my arm.
“I’ve made our residential jokester very happy,” I whispered back to her. “Just roll with it.”
The seven of us arrived in the target range, and Nick scanned us all in. We stepped through the door one at a time, and then we lined up by the wall of firearms until our teacher gave us permission to pick up a gun.
“For starters, what kind of gun do you want to use?” Nick asked as he walked up and down our line like some sort of drill sergeant. “I know Steffi and Nala prefer their Glock 43 X’s, and Dylan has his Walther PPQ. Both very fine choices, by the way.”
“Thanks, man,” I said to him and gave him a thumbs up. “What’s your weapon of choice normally?”
“Modified H&K MP5.” The nymph crossed his arms over his chest. “But when we took down the thunderbird, I was using a Pneu-Dart Model 389, which is strictly a tranq rifle. Nice in a pinch, but I prefer my MP5.”
“Yeah, but do you want to carry both with us to the wilderness?” Steffi questioned. “It would be nice to have a backup in case something went wrong.”
“Don’t worry, I fully intend to bring both with us.” Nick put his hands on his hips and turned toward the wall of firearms. Then he swung his arms wide and leaned back slightly like the evil genius he was. “Now, the question is, what tickles your fancy, my French visitors?”
“I think I want a shotgun,” Leon rumbled as he moved away from his place in line and walked down the wall toward the shotguns. “I have never used one before, but I want to have something big and loud for the trip.”
“You’ve got good taste, my friend.” Nick walked with the mountain man as he surveyed the different kinds of shotguns. “I would suggest something with a pistol grip. You’re big enough to handle it.”
Leon pulled a blacked-out firearm with a pistol grip off the wall and showed it to Nick. “What is this one?”
“A Mossberg 500.” The nymph whistled and nodded. “Very nice. Standard twelve-gauge, pump-action shotgun. The good news, you can always find twelve-gauge ammo, so we have plenty of it.”
“Oh, my turn!” Elisabeth said as she grabbed my arm and hauled me toward the long-barreled rifles. “Dylan, what should I pick?”
“I’m not great on guns, but I know my grandfather used an old Remington as his hunting rifle--”
“Which one is a Remington?” the foxy redhead interrupted as she stopped in front of the wall and bounced on her toes like a kid on Christmas morning. “Do you think you could tell me?”
“Uhhhh, yeah.” I walked up to the wall, glanced over the various bolt-action rifles, and looked for the one my grandfather used in addition to his twenty-two revolver.
Finally, I spotted a familiar dark wood grain, and I got onto the stepladder to take it off the wall for Elisabeth. I pointed the barrel at the ground and peered through the scope to see if it needed some sighting, and I noticed the image through the scope was fuzzy.
“I’ll help you sight it,” I told the redhead as I handed her the empty gun. “Here’s your Remington. Don’t think you have to be limited to one gun, though. You can try several different ones if you want.”
“If you think this is a good gun, then I trust your judgement, Dragon Conjurer.” Elisabeth batted her eyelashes at me before she wandered back to the ammunition counter to get the proper rounds.
“You know, Elisabeth,” Nick butted in after getting Leon set up with his ammo, “the trouble with a bolt-action rifle is the slow reload. If that doesn’t bother you, then go for it.”
“I want to try this one,” the shapeshifting redhead insisted as she pulled the woven strap over her shoulder. “If I don’t like it, then I will ask for another suggestion.”
“I think I want a rifle, too,” Michel mused as he walked back to the section Elisabeth and I were just standing. “Not like the one Elisabeth has. I want something different.”
“What about a lever-action rifle?” the nymph suggested as he followed behind the redheaded French dude. “I have just the one for you. Since we’re planning on roughing it, might I suggest something a little more rugged?”
“What’s on your mind?” Nala asked as she loaded her magazine with nine-mil bullets. She did so with practiced ease, and for a moment, I got distracted with the movements of her small hands.
“I was thinking this,” Nick finished as he pulled a blacked-out rifle off the lowest rack of firearms. “This here is the Marlin 1895, a forty-five cal, so it’s going to have a good bit of kick. Don’t worry, I’ll walk all of you through proper footwork and gun safety before we shoot.”
Since the French kids were situated, I walked over to the pistol wall and took down the Walther I loved so much. Then I walked over to the ammo counter and went looking for the nine-millimeter ammunition to load into the magazine before we got started.
“Here,” Steffi offered as she slid a box of nine-mil hollow points to me. “Nala and I are all set, and I’m sure Nick already has his gun loaded.”
“I never saw him load it.” I slid bullet after bullet into the magazine, and even though I was caught up in conversation with my pixie dream girl, I made sure to keep count so I didn’t try to jam one too many rounds into the magazine.
“Well, maybe he hasn’t yet, but I know he’ll be quick.” The fairy-girl shrugged and looked over to Elisabeth as Nick helped her find the best way to hold the Remington. “It’s soooo obvious she likes you. She needs a napkin for all that drool.”
“Yeah,” I chuckled after finishing loading the magazine, and then I shoved it into my gun. “I picked up on a similar vibe. She’s cute, and she’s into me, so I guess it’s not such a bad thing.”
“No, it’s not,” Nala added as she leaned into our conversation. “She’s not an airhead, even though she’s a little ditzy.”
“She’s playful,” I corrected and watched as the foxy redhead gave Nick a nod and walked over to the firing range. “I like my women to be playful.”
“More playful than me?” Steffi giggled as she rubbed my arm. “I’m just teasing you, Dylan. Come on, let’s go shoot.”
“We’re ready for you guys!” Nick called as he waved us over to the firing range. “I’ll ring the buzzer when it’s time to stop, so everyone, put your gear on and get ready to start shooting.”
I walked to the booth between Nala and Steffi, took the safety gear off the hook by my head, and suited up, so to speak. After I got my goggles and headphones on, I leaned backwards and flashed Nick a thumbs up so he knew I was ready, and when he gave me a thumbs up back, I went back to my line.
