669 - Anxiety Part 1/2

The Old World, UN FOB, Fort Anchorage

Saphia was pacing up and down the side of the runway where the three UN airships were parked. After every few steps, she would stop and look over at the work crew that was still moving stacks of crates and other things onboard the airships before she let out a sigh and resumed her pacing. The hard rock beneath her claws was slowly being worn out by her relentless pacing.

Finally, a small wagon came rolling over and a person whose height barely reached her shoulders yelled at her and shooed her off. Saphia bit her lips and made her way sadly off to one of the hangars where Rastraz was curled up asleep. She stared at the sleeping red dragon and sighed, unable to remain so calm and carefree when the thought of her home was being invaded.

There was a mighty flapping of wings and Saphia looked up to see Blue Thunder carrying his two dragonlings came to a hover and landed right before her. The huge dragon gave a grin as he lowered his back to allow the twins on his back to scamper off his back, "Hello! Looks like the loading of the airships is going on well!"

"Too slow!" Saphia complained as she picked up the twins who came running over to hug her. "We should have left yesterday!"

"Well, that doesn't seem like a good idea..." Blue Thunder frowned as he gestured a claw to the airships. "It's going to be a very long and dangerous flight... And we need supplies for the whole trip..."

"It will be hard to forage and hunt for food and in fact increase our travel time if we stop to do so!" Blue Thunder spoke with an air of a professional. He gestured once more to the airships and said, "So all those supplies are just for us! If without those supplies, we will take even a much longer time to reach your home!"

"I... know..." Saphia sighed once more as she hugged the giggling twins. "I just... want to do something! Just sitting around doing nothing is... making me anxious!"

"Don't worry!" Blue Thunder reached out with his wing and gave Saphia a pat on her head. "By tomorrow, the airships will be ready for departure!"

"Ahem!" Rastraz cracked an eye open and cleared her throat. "Kids! Come here!"

"Mommy!" The twins screeched happily and they scamper across the tarmac into the hangar where they threw themselves into the arms of Rastraz. "Mommy!"

Both the dragonlings had surprisingly grown up very fast in just a few days and even learnt a few words. The two dragonlings whose wings were still undeveloped was now almost the size of an adult Terran lion. Rastraz came out of the hangar with both dragonlings dangling off her sides as they tried to climb up her back using the spikes on her body. "Go help them load the airships if you think you are doing nothing!"

"But..." Saphia looked down at her claws before she gave a nod and she hurried off towards the runway where the airships were parked.

"Do you have to be so harsh on her?" Blue Thunder glanced at the back of the black dragon running enthusiastically to help the surprised ground crew with the loading of supplies. "She is still a child."

"Hmph!" Rastraz snorted as she sat next to Blue Thunder and watched Saphia get in the way of the horrified workers and grumbled. "You two are getting too close!"

"But we are good friends! Family!" Blue Thunder replied as he gave Rastraz a pat on her head too. "She's alone... Just like when I first met you..."

Rastraz shook her head and she turned away from Blue Thunder and waddled back into the hangar with the twins. "Call me when it's time to depart!"

Blue Thunder broke into a smile as he watch Rastraz disappear into the hangar before he turned around and lumbered over to the runway to help Saphia, much to the further annoyance of the ground crew.

-----

"Will the risks be too high if we choose this path?" Magister Thorn raised out his thoughts as the route of their journey was being discussed. "We will be crossing dangerously close to the border of the Protectorate."

"We can choose a longer route which will bypass the borders of the Protectorate," Trism replied as he highlighted another colored track on the map. "But this will add an additional one month to our journey."

"One month?" Professor Hamlot shook his head. "The Domain of the Dragon might have fallen by than..."

"Or they will continue to hold their own against the Protectorate as they did for centuries..." said Trism. "Either way, it's either take risks to reduce our travel time or play it safe and take a longer route."

"Do we know how the war is progressing?" Magister Thorn asked. "Is the Protectorate winning or?"

"At this moment, what we know is that there isn't much change to the front lines," Trism replied. "Our intel only comes from the mainland and is not exactly up to date. We do not have real time intelligence in the Old World... yet..."

"Hmm, so should we take the risk and attempt to cross the lands of the Cartel and Iron Kingdom that is embroiled in war or take a longer route?" Magister Thorn asked once more. "An additional one month of travel would really have a large effect on our mission."

"We can push through any blockades easily, as long as the numbers are not overwhelmingly against us," Trism replied. "The Old Ugly and the two Icarus airships have enough firepower to destroy ten, twenty times their numbers if their level of weapons is what we encountered before."

"The other problem we would face, is resupply..." Trism tapped on the map on the table. "The Old Ugly and even the Icaruses would require replenishment of fuel, fresh water and even food after a month of hard travel. They can only carry so much in their holds..."

"Can we resupply in the Iron Kingdom?" Magister Thorn gestured to the map. "We still have friendly relations with Prince Herod."

"Ah... That is if Prince Herod is still in power," Trism said. "We do not know the current political situation within the Iron Kingdom... So there could be a chance that he was disposed from his position. If that is the case, we might face some issues."