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Entering the mobile home Felix found Goldie and a few Andreas in the living room. They were watching the television in the corner.

To the side of it looked like a cheap laptop that was streaming to the tv directly.

Playing was a bunch of dark haired asian decent women dancing in a very similar way to how Andrea had been. With a lot of hip movements and posing.

“Felix! Welcome home!” exclaimed Andrea, bouncing out of the seat next to Goldie and rushing over to him. She wrapped him up in a hug and began dragging him over to the couch. “I got the internet set up. We’re stealing a signal from the leasing office.

“Goldie was helping me find a new dance to learn and— oh, hello. Who are you?”

“Uhm, I’m Edmund,” said the young man who came in after Felix. Faith was behind him and had been holding onto her billy-club in her pocket.

While she was willing to let this continue, she’d been very direct with the young man that she’d kill him faster than Felix could say to stop. To her, nothing was more important than his life.

“Edmund? Oh! You’re the one Felix was looking for,” Goldie said and then waved a hand at him. She turned to look at Felix with a smile and then froze.

Staring at him as if he’d sprouted a horn between his eyes Goldie seemed transfixed. It only took him a moment to realize why.

Yes. Your bridal gold is here and I modified it on the way over. I’ll give it to you later.

Privately.

Goldie began to immediately growl loudly. The low rumble filling the small space. The smile on her face was more akin to the opening of a hinge. It seemed like her head might tilt back and fall off just above her nose.

Her eyes had flashed to a brilliant golden color and there was a heavy presence that filled the mobile home.

“Now,” she demanded and stood up.

“Edmund, have a seat!” Andrea said brightly. “I’ll make pancakes! Pancakes makes everything better. Or… actually, would you prefer waffles or french toast?”

“Uhm… I like all those. Whichever is easier?” Edmund tried as an answer. He looked like he wanted to crawl into a corner and hide.

Not that Felix could blame him. Dragons were killing machines to most of any world they were on.

Goldie had taken him by the elbow and was guiding him to the bedroom.

“He’ll be right back,” Andrea said waving a hand at Edmund. Two Other’s popped out of her and started going into the kitchen while Andrea remained standing in front of him. “Now, can I get you a drink as well? We have some sodas, water, a couple—”

Andrea’s voice was cut off as Goldie shut the bedroom door behind them.

“String it!” Goldie demanded in a voice that sounded far more like what she sounded like in her Dragon form. Her horns had instantly sprouted up. “Put in my bridal gold! I’ve waited, I’ve been patient, I’ll wait no longer!”

Felix wanted to be annoyed, but he couldn’t.

As a Dragon, Goldie had been more patient than one could have ever expected from her. To the point that any other Dragon would have called her stupid or crazy.

Setting the bag that was in his hands down on the bed he began to pull everything out. Setting the boxes down in a small pile.

Not hesitating, he pulled out the golden chain that’d move through the lower part of the horns.

When he turned around he found Goldie inches from him.

Breathing hard, she was practically staring through him. To say her eyes were glowing was an understatement.

They were more like two suns blazing through him.

She was growling so loud that it made his whole body vibrate.

Felix didn’t get the chance to start putting the gold in her horns. Goldie had lost control and instead threw him into the bed.

***

An hour later and a shower, Felix felt like he could brave the world again.

Though he wasn’t sure he could live down the embarrassment.

Goldie had been so loud that he was certain their neighbors had heard her commanding dirty talk. His only saving grace was they’d all be demands on him to treat her dominantly.

Opening the bedroom door, and leaving the sleeping Dragon who now had gold through her horns behind, Felix rejoined the others. Who all looked to him as soon as he exited.

Giving them a smile, he closed the door behind himself and then came over. Edmund was eating what looked to be french toast. Though Felix had distinctly smelt pancakes and waffles as well at some point.

Leaning over the arm of the couch, Andrea put her hand up to her mouth.

Ah… no… please don’t An—

“Felix,” whispered Andrea loudly. “It sounded like you really hit the right spot for her. Good job!

“I look forward to our own coupling! I’m in heat too! So is Second, Third, Six, Seven, and Ten. We’ll need Faith to help out!”

Sighing, Felix let his eyes fall to the ground.

He stood there, wondering what to do for a few seconds.

Then realized the answer was the same as always when it came to Andrea.

Onward.

“Edmund, I’d like to hire you,” Felix said, looking to the young man and ignoring Andrea’s words. “I think I’m going to need someone to operate as a point of contact for me with important figures here in Alassippi.

“I’m not always available so I need someone who can stand in. Someone who knows what’s going on at a low level but is smart enough to operate in a higher social circle if needed.

“Given that you ran me down the way you did, I’m guessing you’re not as… simple… as others might believe you to be.”

Swallowing hard Edmund looked at Felix for a moment before shrugging his shoulders.

“I’m not twenty-one yet so I can’t move out. They could probably call the cops on me,” Edmund answered.

“I’m sure that’s not an issue. We’ll just hire someone to represent you and force the court’s hand,” Felix said dismissively. “I’ll put in an email to someone to see what they think of the situation.

“Any other concerns? Anything else that’d prevent you from moving forward with Legion?”

“Uhm… so I’d just be… a contact? That’s it?” Edmund asked.

“More than just that but that’s the obvious and early one. I’m sure more job duties would be added in time. Along with your pay,” advised Felix. “And before you ask, we’ll start you at fifty-thousand a year. No benefits at all, all cash, no taxes.

“We’re a bit of an underground organization at the moment though that’ll change with time.”

“I… err… yeah I guess that’d work. I’m just not really —”

A radio crackled to life from where it sat next to the police scanner. It caused Edmund to fall quiet.

“Shadow. Trap sprung. Engaging. Requesting Gold-coin and… more Pancakes,” Miu said over the line. She was still very unhappy with Andrea’s choice of code name.

“Time to go!” Andrea blurted out and shot to her feet. Several Others jumped out of her and started zipping around the room. Getting things in order and generally arming themselves.

Four had already pulled open a section of floor that’d been cut into a trap door. Then she dove through and vanished.

Third came over and knelt down over the trap door while Five was pulling things out of the closet that looked a lot like ballistic vests.

“I’ll stay with Edmund and Felix,” Andrea said cheerfully.

“I’m going. I need to be there. I need to get some answers out of the survivors. I’ll stay out of harms way and keep back,” Felix said and then moved back to the bedroom.

“No!” said all the Andrea’s at the same time.

“Yes, not arguing. Faith’ll come with me,” declared Felix and then opened the bedroom door.

The Dragon was still asleep, her bridal gold glittering as it hung between her horns. He hadn’t realized it at the time but he’d probably bought too much.

It looked like a very intricate spider-web of gold.

“Goldie. I need you,” commanded Felix in a flat tone. “I need my Golden One.”

Goldie’s eyes snapped open, her shimmering eyes fixing on him.

“Of course. Anything for you, Nest-mate,” mumbled Goldie, sitting up in the bed. “As much of me as you want.”

“Ah, no. They walked into our trap. I need my Dragon. I need her crush my enemies,” clarified Felix.

A blink or two after that and Goldie stood up. Her shoulders were squared and her spine ramrod straight.

She had the look of a very imperious and dangerous woman in that moment.

“I shall do so. A perfect opportunity to display my adorned horns,” Goldie declared and then marched out of the bedroom.

I mean… yeah, definitely great on both counts.

Following her, Felix got ready as well.

***

Riding on Goldie was always an adventure.

Tonight was no exception to that.

This time he was holding onto the golden chains that were strung between her horns more like reins, though. It was a different experience and he felt more secure for it.

Goldie had froze up as soon as he’d grabbed on but then relaxed. He got the impression she was quite happy with the situation.

Pressed in behind him was Third and all the Others. Behind her was Faith. Each clinging to the one in front of them.

“We’ll be there momentarily!” called Goldie as she flapped her wings. “I’ll drop you all off near the swamp then engage!”

Felix nodded his head and looked ahead. He could see what looked like flashes of light that could only be gunfire.

There was no sound that he could hear but he wasn’t sure if that was due to flying through the air or distance.

Moving into a dive Goldie tucked her wings backward and angled them. Felix had no idea how that all worked but he knew they were rapidly descending now.

When Goldie pulled up in a sudden stop near the Swamp Felix practically threw himself off her back. Taking Andrea with him, who ended up pulling Faith with her.

Goldie was clear of passengers before her feet had even touched the ground.

Flapping sharply she pulled back up into the sky and then went upwards, vanishing in the darkness.

Felix got down on the ground and laid himself out on his stomach.

“Faith, Third, stay with me,” Felix stated. “All Others proceed to assist Second and Miu. Wound where you can so we can question them before they die.

“Otherwise, they’re just meat. Legion first.”

“Legion First,” they all responded, several Other’s moving off at a run. In their hands were SMGs and they were outfitted for a firefight.

“Felix, why did you want me to stay?” demanded Third. “I… I should go help!”

“Because I need you here with me. You were a Death Other. Then a Myriad. Now Andrea. Is there anyone as fluent with weapons as you? I know you all share abilities, memories, and thoughts.

“But I’ve seen some are better than others. Can you claim any are better than you? Truly so?” demanded Felix.

“I… uhm… we’re not supposed to talk about that,” muttered the Andrea.

“I’m right though. Now… if you’re the best. Who’s the most qualified to keep me alive with Faith? You, right?” pushed Felix.

A silence began to grow before Andrea sighed loudly.

“Yes. Prime won’t be happy. We’re supposed to pretend we’re all the same. So you don’t take favorites,” she mumbled. “Especially now that you can identify us.”

“I love you all equally. I just know how to use skills better than you want to admit,” Felix replied. Then he leaned over and kissed Andrea’s cheek and put an arm around her. “Thanks, Third. I appreciate you.”

“Where’s my appreciation?” demanded Faith, laid out on the ground next to him.

“You ate it this morning,” deadpanned Andrea.

Felix tried to focus on what was ahead of them. He could hear gunfire now but it was oddly muffled. The only thing that made sense to him was they were using silencers.

They were still quite loud but just not as loud.

“Oh, I suppose I did. Hm,” Faith replied reflectively.

Rolling his eyes, Felix leaned over and kissed the corner of Faith’s mouth just to shut her up. Then put his attention ahead once again.

“Nn. This is bad. Real bad. It’s a lot of people,” Andrea said quietly. “Way more than we were expecting. I’m pretty sure most of myselves that were there already are dead.

“Maybe even those that just left. Too many people and we can’t split more than we are. We’re not used to being outnumbered.”

Frowning, Felix pulled his arm off Andrea and then patted her back.

He wanted to keep her here with himself, but he knew that wasn’t the right answer in the end. She’d been initially right.

She should have gone with the Others.

“Go. Get them back up. Absorb and redistribute,” Felix said. “Keep yourself safe though. If they’re all dead and it’s just Miu, and you go down, we’ll have to wait for Prime to get here.”

At that moment a brilliant golden flame jetted out from the dark sky. It splashed down over a wide swath of the fields. Washing down and over it and then kept going as Goldie made a long pass.

A great number of flashes of light and gunshots filled the air. Shooting at the Dragon as she cut her breath off and banked-hard, then began to gain altitude.

There was a great deal of shouting now as the attackers became panicked.

“Faith, go with her. I’ll just stay here,” commanded Felix. Reaching into the holster on his chest he pulled out his pistol and made sure it ready.

“Fat chance of that, Grove-husband,” demurred Faith. “I’d sooner share you with another grove than leave your side right now.”

Andrea was off at a run now. Sprinting into the mad gun-fight. Her head was down low and she was moving at an oblique angle compared to where the first Andrea’s had gone.

“There’s other groves?” Felix asked. He was curious about the Dryads of this world. He knew there were some which was rather interesting to him.

“No… no groves. Their trees don’t… survive. Not for long. From what I can tell, the Dryads of this world have to pick up and move every decade or so. They stay clear of humanity for the most part,” explained Faith. The sound of gunfire was ongoing. “Every few decades they’ll pick a man, breed up, have their daughters, then disconnect.

“Right now they’re an entire generation who haven’t been with a man. Their mothers were wiped out when a forestry company bulldozed their grove down. Didn’t even mean to do it, they were just clear-cutting.

“All the young ones had enough time to escape and start a new one. They’ve been trying to figure out what to do for a while now.”

Felix frowned and then looked to Faith.

He suddenly had a really bad feeling. One that he often got when he was dealing with the Dragons and Elves back on Legion. That they were setting him up for some type of plan and he couldn’t escape.

Not far off a loud burst of what sounded like rifle fire went off. It was only twenty or so feet away.

No one his group used rifles and no one would be coming this way either. They’d avoid this direction so as not to attract attention to him.

That left only enemies.

Without thinking, Felix pulled his pistol up, sighted it on the target, and pulled the trigger. He got off three rounds before the individual dropped.

There was several shouted curses and more people appeared.

Faith had pulled up her SMG by this point. Squeezing off a single burst she moved it to the left, pulled the trigger, then did it again, and again.

In the time it took for Felix to register the enemies she’d already dropped four of them. No other enemies appeared.

“There really is a lot of them. Damn,” muttered Faith.

Disengaging her magazine Faith flicked it onto the ground and put in a new one. Once it was settled in place she hesitantly picked up the old one and gave it a once over. After a pause she stuck it into a pocket.

Goldie came back again, appearing in the gloom as a glowing beacon of light. Her head came back and then went forward.

Golden flames started to flow over everything once again.

All the light made the gold in her horns glitter and shin quite brightly.

It was an amazing sight to behold.

Flapping her wings twice in rapid succession Goldie cut off her impression of a waterfall of flames and flew back upwards.

“We’ll stay here till we get the all clear,” grumbled Faith. “Not moving until then. Way too many enemies.”

Felix couldn’t argue that point.

The response from Stephen was out of proportion to what Felix had been expecting. Which meant whoever was giving Stephen information over-hyped Felix’s capabilities, or Stephen was incredibly high-strung.

In either case, it really was obvious now that there was a mole in David’s organization. A mole hunt would have to happen.

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