Sam heaved the mass of crystal into its temporary resting place in their borrowed transportation and hastily seat-belted and tied the precious stone in. Shaking it momentarily to check the effectiveness of the harness, Sam nodded with small satisfaction and quickly hopped into his own seat and belted in. “Whenever you’re ready, let’s go Adam, we need to get out of here as soon as possible.” he said with as much urgency as his distraction could muster.
As they lifted off, he made sure that the comm link between the modular transports was turned on. He gazed momentarily out of the window to the Welsh skyline; then dropped his head into his palms. Where to start? What a day.
While no doubt Adam already knew everything they knew about Akira’s FFfrd Dylluan, he would have to be briefed about the caves (and the factory?) He’s bound to have questions; it would be cruel to stay silent. Problem being, Sam wasn’t entirely sure what or how to describe what he’d just seen. Nothing was as he’d remembered it and everything had happened so fast. He’d hoped that his fast-talking friend and colleague Akira would be able to be able to fill Adam in with the details as Sam tried to put together the pieces. It was all so dark, disturbing, foreign and occult. He’d dabbled in some dark folklore reading in the past, but it was nothing in comparison to this.
The words echoed in Sam’s mind, an eternal imprint mixed uncomfortably with those previous messages he ‘remembered’ pushing him towards avarice and loyalty. This is modern day, what is this, a quest? Was he its destiny?
He immediately thought about the Carpathian burnt one. Shared history aside, he thought about this amulet. He was reminded of the clean-up and investigation scene at the museum and the broken statue where something was taken. He feared that much of what Tiamente had mentioned was already ongoing and it was a matter of time before it reached its unknown fruition.
That particular amulet had ties to an African spider God so perhaps the Black Dragonkin was collecting mystical amulets for some reason? It was unlikely that an amulet dedicated to Anansi would be the amulet Tiamente meant but could the other Dragonkin also know about Tiamente hiding part of its essence in an amulet and is also searching for it? Or was that part of something else that was still to unfold?
Where did he need to look for it and how would he recognise it?
The voice described Sam as a conduit for the amulet in some way. Had Sam already handled the artefact and hadn’t realised it? He fogged; he was pretty sure he hadn’t but how much could he rely on his memories after today’s revelations? Why would an ancient dragon care for kindness and honour in any case, why would they care? The mythology didn’t exactly paint the species as friends to humanity nor did his own memories though how much was going to prove to be programming and how much really been Tiamente?
What about the poor sacrificed girl with the rune markings? Not one person in that building had cared for her, cared for her body, or cared for the peaceful passing of her soul. He should have gotten her out, just like the others, but Sam was dumbfounded, and the opportunity has passed…
He should have done more to get the body out, but he had been distressed and who knows what he would have done with her body afterwards, besides, looking back it would have been a bit incriminating!
Sam had actually wanted to speak to Adam before approaching the caves. Sam didn’t know what he would find or how it would shape his perceived history or how it would affect his memory. Upon seeing Tiamente and the other dragonkin, he was momentarily distracted by sad thoughts of his own family and his own mortality. He had a small, building guilt that he was deceiving Adam, or protecting himself in some way by his silence and professionalism. Sam held a great deal of admiration for the person who Adam had become and he’s become indispensable to the team. How do you even approach the topic? He’d thought it before and he’d thought it now – maybe Adam already knew? Between the accent and then name, surely someone as bright as he was would have at-least had the thought.
He leaned back in his seat and slouched. He peered to his side. He didn’t know what Akira saw in this hunk of rock, in honesty, it gave Sam the creeps; there was something just not quite right about it at all. No matter, it captured Akira’s imagination and he said that it would be helpful. You may disagree with your team, but you must endeavour to trust them.
He looked back to the skyline and listened carefully to the chatter between Adam and Akira. Akira was sticking to the basic facts. He chimed in occasionally if and when he had anything to add which wasn’t that often. If it looked like they were progressing quickly to the BASEment and all was safe, so recommended they reduce to cruising speed.
Sam could either opt to speak to Adam, or bail out and fly next to the vehicle. He’d need the air. He checked the hatch release. Nope, this craft didn’t allow for in-flight departure… Damn!
He drummed it up in his head between the chatter and the between-vehicle radio. In any case, he was glad that they were in separate vehicles. He found it difficult to look directly at Adam and into his eyes at the best of times these days. He waited for his moment. Fearless blood of the dragon, what a joke.
“Adam, thanks for your help today, we do really appreciate it.” He gulped. “Now that you’re looking like you’re spending more time with us and really settling in, you deserve to know the truth. Adam, you may not believe me, but it’s me. It’s Sam. Sam Meyers.” and with that utterance, it seemed like a great weight had been lifted. Maintaining a “secret” identity can be exhausting sometimes.
The silence was deafening. He could swear he could hear Adam’s heart beating through the comms.
“I’m your brother, you know? From home? Honestly, it’s me. I’m a meta now, just like you. That cave we visited, it all happened there. Listen to my voice, you hear it right? I’d say look in my eyes, but you’re driving and my eyes have changed anyway.” He was fumbling. “Oh, please believe me Adam. I am not misleading you. Ask me something only I would know.” He tried and failed not to sound desperate and pleading.
Then a sudden outburst of breath, and a sudden and emotional voice came over the comms; “Sam? Damn man why didn’t you tell me before? I’d wondered sure but never really believed. WE THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD, man!!! Why didn’t you contact us? Ok dad would have had issues but not mum or I. Ok, maybe a bit, it’s a lot to come to terms with but that was damn cruel man.”
No weeping, no crying, that was better than he’d expected. Sam simply relaxed and smiled. His identity, family and history had been causing him some anxiety for a while now and this revelation was certainly a step in the right direction. He’d shuffled around in his seat when Adam momentarily lost control of the vehicle, complimented by Akira’s soft chuckling in the background. Perhaps he just wanted to shake Sam around a bit like a bean in a can but he’d never be able tell for certain.
Ah, possibly choosing while they were in flight might not have been the best choice for this conversation after all. Adam quickly levelled it out. “I posted notices on lampposts all over asking for any information… I, I don’t know whether to hug you or strangle you. We thought you’d died! Why didn’t you even send us an email or a text just saying you were safe and alive? …” Silence reigned for several minutes then “Love you brov’. I’m glad you’re ok. And for the record? Being a hero suits you. I, I forgive you. Hell, it’s not easy coming out; I know that better than most.”
He was very glad for Adam’s reaction, he’d never changed. “I’m sorry Adam, there were lots of reasons I didn’t get in touch. A lot of which I know you appreciate. In my defence, I didn’t know that I was safe or how long I would be alive for? It’s not like someone like me has been out in public before. Well, there was that and my memory was, or has been affected. I never forgot you or the family, but I could never be truly certain. Well in any case, we can take down those flyers now.”
He paused.
“Much love, Adam. If it’s any consolation, I’m really glad to be hanging out with you again after all this time and after everything that’s happened. Thanks for the compliment, but I’m not sure I count as a hero just yet. Try-hard do-gooder perhaps, but I doubt I’ve done anything truly mythic or heroic.”
He heard Adam mutter “Don’t worry; you’ll soon grow into it.”
Absolution.
“Thank you for your patience and kindness. You mentioned the folks, well, Mum more specifically… You’re not going to tell them are you? I’m not sure I’m ready for that fall-out just yet. There was a lot of risk just telling you.
Adam’s voice was sharp and cutting. “Damn right I am and nothing you can say is going to stop me. Mum needs to know. She been grieving for you, you know? Don’t worry, I intend just saying that I know that you’re alive and well and when you’re ready you’ll be in touch. I do know how to play it. I’ve had a lot of practice.”
He paused, “I’ll keep it simple. No details, just that you’re alive and well. That’s it. Now buckle up, time for mid-flight separation and landing and I need to concentrate.”
There was a whooshing sound and a sharp deceleration as the two transports separated in mid-air and the concealed junkyard hangar doors swung open. Sam’s craft hung in the air whilst Adam landed then Sam felt his craft start to accelerate towards the hangar.
A few minutes later, Adam stepped over and waited while Sam stepped out. He then hugged him. Hard. Followed a second later by a soft slap to the side of his head. Adam had to jump up high to achieve that. It had been something Adam had done when they were growing up. A stupid macho sign of affection between a big brother and his nerdy little brother.
“Now that we’re caring and sharing, I know you spoke briefly about joining us before, but it sounded like coming out was rough for you (both and as meta and as a gay man). Want to talk about it, or should we save that for another time?”
And with that being said, Adam looked his smiling brother eye-to-eye again and gave him a brotherly hug. Sam was eager to hit the BASEment once again and spend some quality time catch up. For once, Sam was keener to face the trials and tribulations of the future together with the team and his new family.
Midnight. A contented Sam went to bed and dreamed. This time the dreams were relaxing as though something had been corrected inside him. He dreamt of Tiamente and shared memories of an ancient race of dragons. Eternal yet formed by a more ancient and ruthless race than man, they became the unexpected guardians of a newly emerging mankind. That was the legacy that his kidnappers had tried to conceal from him by the artificial programming the Setekh scientists had inflicted. Now thanks to the direct contact formed with the ‘real thing’ he knew which was which.
He was the chosen heir, Tiamente’s champion and somehow a descendant of that ancient bloodline. The latter he couldn’t prove or explain but deep in his soul he knew it was true. How a dragon and human could..? Never mind prove to be inter-fertile was beyond him but that was the heritage that didn’t change what he knew to be fact.
The confirmation was a balm to his soul and he slept peacefully for the first time in weeks.
He woke aware that the Black Dragonkin – Tiabult that was the name (or title?) that the Dragonkin was referred to whilst he oversaw Sam’s programming – had tortured him but it no longer troubled him. His previous mental confusion was confirmed memory now and part of him. His memories, his real memories returned. He realised that the programmed avarice was a way to control him so he would steal mystical artefacts for them. It hadn’t taken because he’d escaped before the programming had been completed. He’d followed a guard through the portal back to the cave. They’d captured him again but their attack triggered a further meta-transformation into full dragonkin mode and he’d escaped before they could transfer him back to the factory. Amnesiac and injured he’d wandered until his mind had found a balance between what had happened to him and the false memories that had been implanted.
He sat up and smiled. He walked to the mirror and looking at his reflection he spoke out loud. “Hi, I’m Sam Meyers. It’s nice to meet you…”
Superhero Adventures, UK Style 