Aiming down the sights
Four months after Lacyus had left
*******
"Hurry up and lock those down!" Gailus barked.
Sunset picked up a huge pile of wood with ease. The Phins were moving on to the next beach and the four dragons were helping them with moving and packing. Rykuu was acting as a mechanic, fixing the caravans. Nephilla and Mira were playing with the children, leading them in a song at the moment. Sunset heaved the wood onto the caravan and went back for more. On the way, she passed Feydra. The two had become very good friends, hanging out on the beach together regularly.
"You know, you don't have to do this." She offered. "We'll take care of ourselves."
"It's the least we can do for taking care of my mate while we were having that fight." Sunset chirped, picking up another pile of wood.
Feydra smiled. "He's a really nice guy. You are the luckiest girl in the multiverse to have him as a mate. I envy you."
Rykuu rolled out from under a caravan. "And to think you called him a darkling?"
Sunset lowered her head. "Yeah... I regret that. He already said he'll never forgive me for that."
"He'll come back right?" Rykuu said sadly. "I hate to say it, but even I'm starting to miss him. And I'm beginning to have doubts..."
***
Lacyus leaned against the cabin wall in his section of the train carriage. Lately, he had become more and more depressed without Sunset. She was his life, the one that he could absolutely look forward to seeing no matter what. However, more pressing matter clouded his mind.
"If I am your lord then you must obey my commands right?" He growled.
The female panther from the Metrotown incident sat across from him. Her name was Ennica. She was free spirited and unwavering in her loyalty to Lacyus, he supposed Lord of Shadows. And what's more, she was a hybrid. Half panther, half monkey. She used a staff when fighting, and could fight formidably with her feet only.
"Yessir."
"Then leave me alone."
"Nosir."
"FFFAAAUUGGGHHH!" He roared. "Why the hell won't you leave me then?!?!?!"
"Because."
"Because why!?!?"
"Because."
Lacyus was ready to rip her windpipe out. "ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"
"Your life is more important than mine."
"Progress...." Lacyus muttered under his breath. He raised his voice to normal speaking volume. "Why is my life so important."
"You shall lead the Order of the Realms Shadow Division in a war."
Lacyus' mind spun. "Whatever..." He reached into his bag and pulled out a large fleece blanket Sunset has sent him. He laid down on his side of the cabin. "I'm going to sleep." He closed his eyes.
Ennica laid down, taking her blanket out. "If it's any comfort, my lord, I hate having to guard a perfectly capable Helldragon from a nonexistent danger."
Lacyus simply closed his eyes and hoped to dream of Sunset. His conscious thought disappeared when he fell asleep.
***
Sunset swallowed another mouthful of her gyro pita wrap. Unfortunately, it did nothing for the pit in her mind that was longing to see Lacyus. It was like they were separated again for those miserable four years. Nothing would please Sunset more than to see Lacyus. Even a photo of how he was doing now. Everyone knew in her little group of friends, but she coped with it well. She ripped off another mouthful, savoring the sweet taste of the sauce in her mouth.
"Mmmmm.... Delicious. What's in it?"
Mira walked beside her. The two had just finished scouting out the cute male hotspots. Just because Lacyus was her mate and she promised him her life didn't mean he allow her to 'experiment' with other males from time to time. However, her one-night stand males seemed to have disappeared or have lost interest in her. Mira carried her own gyro.
"Let's see.... Red onion, green and red peppers, shrimp in yours, beef in mine, tzaziki sauce and a pita wrap. I think I got an idea on how to make these."
"Hmmmm.... Let's hope it doesn't turn into another one of our little baking soda-vinegar experiments!" Sunset said laughing.
Mira laughed as well. Sunset had introduced the concept of the baking soda-vinegar bomb. Several prototypes later, they had a bomb so powerful, it coated the walls in the great room with an even coat of foam.
They got to the door of their house. Opening it, they saw Nephilla rush out from the kitchen, squealing in delight. She shoved a letter into Sunset's hands.
"Open it! Open it!"
Sunset frowned. "I don't know why-" She noticed the return address.
Lacyus Akival
Temple of the Forgotten
C/O Bremen Post Office
Sunset's heart soared. She extended a claw and eagerly tore into it. She took out the letter. It had only one barely legible sentence on it. Both Mira and Nephilla crowded in to see it.
'I'm coming home in the next 3 days.'
Sunset felt lightheaded. "HE'S COMING BACK!!!!!! WOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!"
The three hugged each other, screaming and squealing and even crying in excitement.
Rykuu walked in the front door and frowned. "Are you all on a sugar high again?"
Sunset shoved the letter in his face. He quickly joined the group hug.
***
6:00 am the next day
***
"Shhhh!" Lacyus silenced Enrica. "The noise curfew's in effect!"
The two crept through the Cobalus streets. The noise curfew was a simple rule that included a small fine if broken. But Lacyus wanted more than anything to wake Sunset with breakfast in bed.
"Fine with me, but your spine wings (essentially wings with just the bones, no membrane) make this annoying clicking noise."
The two arrived at Mira's house door. Lacyus picked the lock kinetically. They crept into the kitchen and unpacked the groceries they had brought for breakfast.
"Okay." Lacyus said. "Let's get started!"
***
Sunset awoke to the pleasant, mouthwatering smell of bacon frying on a skillet. She licked her lips.
'Been a while since I had something half decent to eat for breakfast...'
It was probably Mira getting up early for a morning shift of secretarial duties at the Bounty Hunter's Guild HQ. Then she realized.
'It's Sunday. The BHG is closed today. Mira would sleep in. Till about noon or so.'
She silently slid out of her room. On a table outside of Mira's room laid her rifle and ammo pouch belt. Sunset grabbed and loaded it. Downstairs there were voices.
"Hand me those eggs."
"Here."
A male and female voice. Two. They were probably homeless Xenos looking for a hot meal or, more likely, drug money. Even in Cobalus, homelessness was never far to be found. And druggies were notorious for breaking in just for a couple of dollars to score their next hit.
"Keep your hands off of that!"
The female sounded angry. It wasn't uncommon for associates to get mad at each other and end up murdering the other for more money. Sunset crept down and leveled the rifle at the door to the kitched and flicked the safety off.
"You got this under control?"
"Yep."
"Good. I'll make sure no one's up."
No doubt he meant to kill everyone. This would ensure no witnesses whatsoever. Sunset was already running through her plan in her mind.
'Kill the one that's coming out. Then kill the one in the kitchen. Easy enough. A clean hit to the head should do.'
A burgundy and black dragon with two jagged horns on his head walked out. She pulled the trigger.
***
Ennica was already frying the bacon. Lacyus decided he should at least be useful.
"Hand me those eggs."
Ennica picked up the carton and tossed it to him. "Here."
Lacyus caught them cleanly and opened it up. He cracked several onto the pan. They hissed as cooked. The smell stirred Lacyus' appetite and his stomach growled. 'That's right. I haven't even had breakfast yet....'
His hand crept towards the pan of cooked bacon that Ennica had taken off the skillet. He grasped a strip when Ennica slapped his hand, giving him a sour look.
"Get your hands off of that!"
He withdrew his hand meekly and suffered with the growing hunger in his belly. He cracked another couple of eggs into the pan.
Lacyus sighed. "You got this under control?"
"Yep." Ennica chirped.
"Good. I'll make sure no one's up."
Lacyus walked out of the kitchen to see, to his horror, Sunset aiming Mira's rifle at him. There was a click as the trigger was pulled.
There was no other thing to do, no time left to take, but to scream telepathically.
*SUNSET!!!!!*