It's been three years since Hestia and I bonded. Three years and eight months since I had seen my friends. I know that she is the reason I'm still alive, she gave me a reason to live. Without Hestia, I would have succumbed to this world a long time ago. Now I would give my life for her. We have basically been exploring the limits of our power, alone and together testing our limits and then pushing pass them. We have also practiced flying and fighting together. I have even been making plans for a saddle, but have not actually gathered the materials, just made some sketches. Hestia has worked on her speed and strength. She is now a hundred feet high and sixty feet long, only fitting her head in the door frame of the shack. It seemed only yesterday when she was an egg guarded by her mother.
Today we're attempting long distance communication. So far we can communicate when within eyesight of eachother. Hopefully we can expand this overtime. Right now our training has yielded a five mile radius before falling out.
{_Let's try again. Tell me when I start to fade._} Hestia says.
"Alright I'm ready when you are." I said.
She nods before walking backwards into the forest. Every minute she checks in, eventually fading out of my head. When that happens I have to reach out with my sense of hearing and pick up on her heartbeat. Once I have found it I must picture her image in my head and imagine that I am reaching out with my hand. If I feel a spark, then I can try to speak. If the spark stays, that means it worked. If it leaves, then I have to start over.
As I listen for Hestia's heartbeat, I have a feeling of dread lingering in my mind. No matter how hard I try to ignore it, I feel like something is wrong. Like an enemy is closing in on us. The very thought sends a chill down my spine and my own heartbeat hastens greatly. That's when I hear the rhythm of another heart, but its fast and uneven. It's Hestia's and she is scared.
My eyes open and I sprint in her direction. My heart pounds against my ribcage with fear for my dragon. What's wrong? Did she get hurt? No, she would have roared for help. Then why is her heartbeat erratic? I reach out with my hearing, hoping to find the reason for Hestia's fear. As I close in on her location, all I can sense is her heartbeat.
Then I hear it. A sound I thought I wouldn't hear again. It's the humming of multiple engines. I break through the tree line and see Hess crouched behind fallen debris.
{_Hestia!_} I say through our link. Usually I speak to her normally while she talks in my head, but this is serious.
She whips her around, and breaths a sigh of relief. I can even hear her heart start to even out again. As I come up beside her, I can hear the convoy of vehicles passing through. Taking a look, I see military trucks behind bulldozers. They seem to be clearing the roadway of abandoned vehicles and debris. Some soldiers are even scraping the cars for parts and loading them up. Others are guarding the road with weapons to keep monsters at bay. They have RPGs launchers and tanks ready to fire. Clearly more deadly than a pack of hellhounds or horde of Aswang. Even a bronze bull couldn't survive this amount of gun power.
{_We have to get back home_} Hestia whimpers. She's more frightened than I thought.
{_They might allow me to approach. I just have to announce myself._} I say.
{_Are you CRAZY! They would KILL you. Please, let's go back._} She whines.
{_It will be okay, you just have to stay hidden. I won't let them hurt you._} I try to assure her, but she is adamant we go back.
I just can't help but want to try. This could be my only chance to be with other humans. No, I wouldn't leave Hestia for them, but I could try to get them to accept her. Maybe I could find others like me and we could prove ourselves to other people. I'm tired of being in a shack. I'm done not having more people around. I only persevere for Hestia's sake, but I want her to know more than me. My greatest hope is to find my friends and have her meet them. She could see what the world was like before, instead of having me tell her stories. I could have the help to protect her. She could meet other people and learn about them. We could encounter other dragon riders and not feel alone in this. Maybe, just maybe this could be our chance to really survive.
I look at the convoy again. So close to humans. I take one last minute to decide. One shot, just one really long shot to be back with people. I breathe in, then breathe out, and signal to Hestia.
{_Let's go back home._} I sigh, knowing it would be a long time before I got another chance like this.
{_It's for the best Anna. I promise you that._} She claims. Her body relaxing.
We turn around and head back, trying to be careful where we step. After all it isn't a good idea to spy on people, then leave like it never happened. Yet it seems our luck had run out. Which sucked.
CRUNCH
{_OH NO!_} Hestia exclaimed. She had just stepped on a fallen tree trunk.
"Oh Shit." I muttered.
"What was that?" A soldier called out.
"Who's there!" Another shouted
"To your left!"
"There! Dragon!"
"Open fire NOW!"
{_On my back NOW_} Hestia shouted.
I literally jumped ten feet off the ground and onto her back before she took off like a bullet. With tank shells and RPGs going off, it was lucky we didn't get hit before we got into the air. Hestia had taken all but ten seconds to be airborne and flying like a fighter jet back to the shack. As we escaped the barrage of explosive weapons, I couldn't help but feel guilty. That could have been our end if I decided to reveal myself to the soldiers earlier. They might have spared us, but this encounter says that's just wistful thinking on my part.
{_DAMN RIGHT!_} Hestia yelled, {_Please, I know you want to see your friends again, but no more reckless thoughts. We could've been dead if you had gone through with your idea._}
I hang my head in shame. I wasn't lying when I said Hestia is my world. Well my world nearly died because I let my own delusions make the wrong call. Never again. Other than that, I now know that something is clearly happening, and we need to be ready for it.
{_We will be._} Hestia assures me.
"I sorry, I should have just listened to you in the beginning. I promise I won't let them hurt you." I said.
{_It's okay, we will protect eachother._} She coes.
The sun is setting when we get home. I decide to cook some meat for dinner. Hestia eats leftover bull from lunch. She now hunts by herself. And is damn good at it too. As the rabbit meat cooks, I decide to scavenge for parts tomorrow. It about time to make a saddle. Hess is already onboard, so we make a plan to head out. Opposite of were we saw the soldiers. We didn't need another run in with them. Although, I have a feeling this won't be the last we see of them. Clearly the military has a plan of their own, and I won't let Hestia be a casualty of it.
With that thought in mind, I finish dinner and head straight to bed. Getting comfortable on my cot with Hess laying down, encircling the shack, I close my eyes.