Firedrake - Volume Three Read online

  Firedrake

  Volume Three

  by

  T. Mike McCurley

  Firedrake and all associated Characters, and all material in this book © 2008-2013 by T. Mike McCurley.

  Kindle Version © 2013 by T. Mike McCurley

  Cover Photo by arani_creative

  This is a work of fiction. Any similarities between characters in this book and persons / establishments / beings of any sort, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved under international law. No material in this book may be reproduced by any means, electronic or otherwise, without the expressed written permission of the author, except for brief quotes for use in reviews.

  Dedication

  Kae, this one is for you. Thanks for making me see again.

  As always: Frank, Hg, Matt…you guys rock.

  The road is sometimes hard to navigate, and just when you think you have it figured out, there’s a big curve ahead. It’s been those close to me that helped me find my way. I love you all.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  About the Author

  Also available from T. Mike McCurley

  Bonus Chapter - preview of Firedrake: Inquisition

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  “There it is,” called Angelo, gesturing with an outstretched finger at the blocky grey shape on the horizon. It was a tiny thing in relation to the enormous forested area that surrounded it, but the way it looked from the air let Drake know that the school was large indeed. As they closed on it, the scope of its size became undeniable.

  The campus was in a vast clearing, with two separate roads that led to and from its setting. A central building, long and wide, rose five stories into the air. It was made of mottled grey stone that could be seen, even at a distance, to be crenellated and decorated with more than a few gargoyles of matching stone. Surrounding that building were several smaller ones. Some had paved stretches that joined up with the pair of roads, while others did not. Sidewalks linked buildings together like veins of rock, and even grassy areas showed evidence of frequent traffic. An oval running track was visible behind the main building, and a simple square of plowed land easily an acre in size occupied space beside it. Gardens of not only flowers but also vegetables could be seen, and fruit trees dotted the campus seemingly at random.

  “Impressive,” Drake admitted. Angelo nodded.

  “Gets better,” he promised. The pair began a slow descent toward the campus.

  Drake pulled his wings in slightly, altering his angle and relieving some of the strain of what had turned out to be a longer flight than he had anticipated. Alongside the man he still thought of as ‘Patriot’, he had flown to the remote backwoods of the Appalachian mountains to investigate the school that Angelo had discussed with him. He had withheld any response to the legendary booster’s statement that he needed someone to teach the children there what it meant to be human until such time as he could see for himself what went on at the facility.

  “I’ve seen more than a few of these schools,” Drake had said, folding his arms and looking down to where Angelo squatted on the grass. “Usually they’re just there to indoctrinate the kids. Some kids need that, some don’t. Most of the time, they’re just getting stuff hammered into their heads that they don’t want.”

  “This one’s different,” Angelo had replied. His eyes never left those of his reptilian companion, and they never flickered or changed their intense focus as he spoke. "Hurst doesn’t care about who wants to be somebody’s municipal guardian, or who wants to be a firefighter, or who wants to go berserk and eat China. He wants to educate these kids. Period. He’s an old-school teacher, if you’ll pardon the pun. He’s never cared who you are or even what you are, so long as you’re willing to learn."

  “And now he teaches boosters?”

  “Started back in the late seventies,” Angelo had said, nodding slowly. “There‘s a whole bunch of history that goes with the place. I won‘t bore you with it. Hurst can tell you himself.”

  “I’ll take a look,” Drake told him, arms still folded across his powerful chest. “If I like what I see, maybe I’ll help. I ain’t making no promises.”

  “That’s all I ask,” Angelo had replied.

  The first road Drake saw came in to the school from the west. It was that road that the pair flew toward, Drake content to let Angelo lead the way. He could see the other, winding out from the south side of the campus and then angling gently toward the east.

  Together, they touched down on the pavement of the road. Drake’s claws clicked repeatedly on the asphalt as they walked forward. The gateway ahead of them was made of massive pillars hewn from the same grey stone as the main building, joined at a height of twelve feet by a curving arch. Engraved into the arch, the scrolling Old English-style lettering more than a foot high, were the words "Hurst Academy".

  “So how does this work, anyway?” Drake asked, coming to a stop.

  “How does what work?”

  “I mean, do I go talk to the boss, or do we stroll around looking for shit, or what? This is all kinda new to me, you know?”

  Angelo grinned. “We’ll talk to Hurst, then we’ll go looking around if you want to stay. I’ll show you what’s where.”

  “Sweet,” Drake said. His eyes flashed as he looked down toward the older booster. “So I have an escort.”

  “Guide,” Angelo corrected. “You don’t need an escort.”

  “There some kinda map to this place?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Then I don’t need a guide, either. I ain’t trying to be a hard-ass here, slick, but you want me to know who these people are and what they need, then I don’t need anybody looking over my shoulder and telling me what I’m doing wrong.”

  “Oh, yeah? You planning on doing something wrong, then?” Angelo asked. The grin was still present.

  “Naw. Seems to happen a lot, but I don’t plan on it.”

  “I get your point, Drake, I really do. The campus is yours. Just let me take you to Hurst first.”

  “Great.”

  Angelo led Drake through the archway. The reptilian booster looked around himself, appraising the area with a practiced gaze even as he kept pace with Angelo. He saw flickers of motion behind windows, recognizing the hesitant movements as those of someone peeking out and then pulling their head back when Drake settled his gaze on them.

  “These kids scare easy?” he asked.

  “Some of ‘em,” Angelo said with a brisk nod. “Others wouldn’t blink if you shot them in the face. So don’t go getting all, Ooh-I’m-so-scary or some such. You may have frightened a few people in your time, but there’s folks here that are way past looks.”

  “There are those here who cannot see you at all,” declared a throaty voice. Drake whirled to see a woman looking at the two of them. She wore a flowing dress of dark purple, accented with a black leather belt. Light flashed off the silver conchos that decorated the belt’s length. It was the woman, however, who garnered the longest look. Her skin was a brilliant polished silver in hue, sparkling with more reflection than the conchos.

  “Ahh. Miss Wilshire,” Angelo said, sketching a bow. “Allow me to present Agent—”

  “Francis Drake of the Department of Metahuman Affairs,” the woman finished, her tone reproachful. “I am f
amiliar with Mister Drake. I do have a grasp of current affairs in the genebooster community.”

  “With your schedule, I didn’t know you had the time to watch television," Angelo replied. “Drake, this is Lucy Wilshire, one of the chief instructors here.”

  “Like your belt,” Drake said, with a cheery smile.

  “Hate your guns,” Wilshire said, without one.

  “Part of the job.”

  “This is a school, mister Drake, not a prison.”

  “Good thing. You don’t carry sidearms into a prison. Besides, the holsters hold up my pants.”

  “Perhaps you should invest in a belt.”

  “Got one. It’s connected to the holsters. That’s where I keep all my evil bullets.”

  “Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop,” Angelo began to chant, softly at first but gaining in volume until he had the attention of the pair. When they had ceased speaking and turned to look at him, he continued.

  “Look, let’s just cut all that right now. Lucy, stop harping on the pistols. Drake, stop baiting her.”

  Drake sucked at a tooth for a second, then nodded. He stuck out a scaled green hand. “Sorry about that, ma’am,” he said. “I’m naturally surly.”

  Sighing, the woman shook his hand. Cool, smooth metal met gently with the rough scales as they shook.

  “Apology accepted,” she said. “As for myself, I can be a bit over-protective at times.”

  “Lucy has been here for quite some time,” Angelo said. “She was the first booster student.”

  “So you’ve been here for about forty years, then,” Drake calculated.

  “With some absences to continue my education in other areas, yes.”

  The group of three boosters began to continue the original walk toward the main building, though their pace was a bit more leisurely. Drake let his curiosity lead him as he continued asking questions.

  “So what do you teach?”

  “English, Latin, French, some earth sciences, basic mathematics, astronomy, agronomy…among others. Our teaching staff is renowned for its knowledge of more than just single subjects. We try to provide our students with a well-rounded education while at the same time remaining grounded in the basics.”

  “Who teaches basic booster law?”

  “We have several teachers who conduct classes in civics and government.”

  “Yeah. But who teaches them about the laws that specifically apply to the Emerged? Like how their powers can be held against them should they be used offensively, or that, I don’t know, something like the Emperor’s Defense?”

  “Which is?” Wilshire asked. Silver seemed to flow for a second as an eyebrow arched.

  “Established back in the early eighties. Supreme Court ruled that just ‘cause someone is or can be invisible, it doesn’t mean they can go around without clothes on. Public Decency thing. Gets your name registered as a sexual offender. Stupid shi…, um stuff like that, that , you know, only applies to boosters. You got anybody telling them about that, or you just gonna let them find out the hard way?”

  “Our students are, more likely than not, never going to face troubles like that, mister Drake. The vast majority of them will not even leave the campus, and certainly not any time soon.”

  “Why not? You keeping them here?”

  “No, mister Drake, we most assuredly are not. Quite simply stated, most of our students are not in a position to interact with the outside world due to the prejudices they might encounter as a result of their appearance. That is, I would surmise, a form of prejudice with which both you and I are intimately familiar."

  “Yeah," Drake said, pointing with a talon toward Angelo. "Patriot said you guys had quite the 'Addams Family' thing going on up in here.”

  Wilshire’s tone turned frosty again. "Mister Drake, we do not, under any circumstances, refer to our students in such a derogatory manner. These children have been through quite enough as it is.”

  “Hey, Patriot? I’ll take the job," Drake said, never letting his eyes waver from staring at the woman. "Looks like someone might need to teach the freaks what being a freak is all about.”

  “Drake, stop it," Angelo ordered, laying a hand on his shoulder. For a second, the old Patriot was back, standing tall and godlike in comparison to their forms, and they both fell silent. "I am tired of playing the peacemaker here! I swear, between the two of you this is going to be the toughest day….”

  The remainder of the trip inside was spent in an uncomfortable silence, and Wilshire detached herself from the pair once they had entered the building, muttering about something more pressing to which she must attend. Drake looked around himself, admiring the interior of the building. Though designed primarily for function, the walls had been overlaid with a mix of oak and maple, and the floor on which they walked was made up of polished oak planks. Drake regretted the marks his claws were leaving on the heavily waxed floor, but there was nothing he could do to stop the effect. Paintings hung on the walls, and occasional square pillars rose up to support the floors above. Each was more than a foot in thickness, and comprised of solid stone. Banners hung on many of them, and those that had no banners were home to framed awards and certificates. Most extolled the virtues of one graduate or another. The temperature inside was seasonably warm, and gentle breezes wafted from ceiling fans that were suspended overhead. Their blades twirled almost lazily.

  There was a muted hum of sounds audible in the halls, and Drake concentrated on filtering the noises until it became clear that he was hearing dozens of quiet voices speaking all at once. The doors they were passing had no windows, but he was fairly certain that if they had, he would have been able to see into several classrooms.

  A bell chimed once, a sharp sound that was accompanied by the flashing of the surrounding lights. Within seconds, the noise level increased dramatically and several of the doors they had passed flew open. Students began to flow out into the halls, and many of them called out to Angelo. Eyes at once suspicious and curious regarded Drake. He tried to smile without exposing his teeth. Despite Angelo’s statement to the contrary, Drake saw no one here that he was convinced would not panic at the sight.

  A girl with two sets of eyes waved at them as she passed, followed by a boy wearing a t-shirt with a silk-screened image of two boosters shooting bright beams of energy at one another. The boy had thin, rubbery tentacles dangling from above his mouth, and they writhed constantly as he moved. Sliding his eyes along the crowd of students, Drake noticed abnormalities present in the majority of them. Here an extra limb, there one missing. Skin like melted wax on one student and moving, prehensile hair on another. Tails, wings and horns were present in quantity, though not on the same student. Scaled skin and chitinous plating could be seen. One child appeared to be made entirely of flowing liquid, and walked slowly, encased in a suit of blue rubber. Features that could be called a face looked out on the world from behind a Lexan faceplate.

  No one seemed to be too stunned by the presence of the enormous reptilian booster in their midst, though his presence was treated with respect. They gave him a wide berth, and Drake figured it was probably due to their lack of familiarity with him, as no such efforts were made to avoid Angelo. The students smiled and waved at him happily, some pausing to exchange a word or two with the legend.

  “See what we’re dealing with?" Angelo asked him as the sea of students began to enter other rooms and the pair of them was left more or less alone once more.

  “Yeah. You get the ones no one else wants, right?”

  “Pretty much. The average school is ill-prepared to deal with anyone Emerged, and those that Emerge, well, differently, are often treated with disdain or worse. So they come here.”

  “The ones who can afford it, at least.”

  “Drop the cynicism for a minute, Drake. Hurst makes sure that no one who needs to be here gets turned away, even if they live here for free. If their families can afford it, then yeah, they pay. If not, well, Hurst has a little put away for those kids
, too.”

  Drake shook his head for a moment. "Sounds too good to be true, slick, and you know what they say about those situations.”

  “Meet with Hurst," Angelo urged. "Just talk to him and see what you think. You don’t like it, then fine, we’ll leave. No problems, no pressure, no questions. I think, though, that you could be an asset here.”

  “I’m on vacation. I’m still a cop, not a teacher.”

  “Great. So teach them about being a cop. Like I told you, I need someone here who can teach them about being human. You live every day in that world, and you see reality. These kids, much as I love the deal they’ve got going here, don’t do either.”

  “So you want me to what? Remind them how bad it can be? Scare the shit out of them? Tell them how they’ll be looked at every day?”

  “I want you to make sure they realize just how real life is. Yeah, you should tell them how bad it is, but you should also remind them that even though they’re different, there are people out there who will respect them, who will see them as something more than a monster. I chose you, Drake, because I see your humanity. I’ve seen it in action and I’ve read your reports. Like I told you before, you take what’s coming and you keep going on. You never give up and you never give in. You could just as easily have stayed in the woods all those years ago, but you didn’t. Why not?”

  “Somebody needed to look after Monster," he replied automatically.

  “That was before the incident with your parents." A powerful hand poked a stiffened finger against Drake’s chest with a thump. "Your mother was still taking care of him. You came back for other reasons. Tell me why," the booster challenged, standing with his legs apart and his arms akimbo.

  Drake thought back, his eyes drifting as the memories rushed back to him. “I didn’t want to be out there like that," he admitted after a minute. "No point being alive if you’re just gonna hide from the world. I figured I had as much right to a life as anyone else.”

  “And these kids? Do they have that right, too?”