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It was the dragon from the circus. I had no idea she could speak,and in English for that matter. Hudson raised his FAL,but I stopped him.

"I'm sorry about your friend",the dragon said,"I recently lost someone close to me as well."

I just looked at her.

"Your name is John",the dragon said,"and you are in charge of the other four,am I correct?"

"I am",I replied,"who are you stranger?"

"Emeila",the dragon said.

I didn't answer,I was still trying to process Jack's death,and now there was this. Emeila looked right into my eyes.

"I know how you feel John"she said,"I've been down this path,more times than I care to mention,losing someone close to you is never an easy thing to deal with."

With a sigh,I felt my leader instinct click back on.

"Gather up weapons and supplies",I said turning to my team,"Hudson you come with Emeila and I to give Jack a proper send off,Issac,see if you can find a radio and a map and Frank you handle the scavenging."

My friend's nodded their replies and set to work as I gently lifted Jack's body and rested it on Emelia's shoulders. We then walked from the cave with Hudson and I on point to protect our new friend. Once we got to the ledge,I boosted Hudson up before grabbing is hand and pulling myself up. Together,we managed to break down the door.

Once we got outside,we met a dense,tall Jungle. I couldn't see through the canopy,which was already one strike against us. If we heard a helicopter,we would be unable to signal for rescue. Not only that,but VC could be lurking anywhere in the Jungle.

The Vietnam war had ended when I was three or four,but there was still a civil war going on within the country,and now we were in the middle of it with nothing but each other.

"Is it safe?",Emeila asked from the cave.

"Yeah it's safe",Hudson said,"come on out."

She had no trouble hauling her long,snake like body up and out of the cave. Once she was out,we walked for a while until we found a small clearing. With Emelia's help,Hudson and I dug a five foot hole. Hudson and I then took the time to cut down several bamboo trees and line the bottom of the whole with it to make Jackson somewhat of a casket. We placed his body in the hole and placed a bamboo cover over him before filling in the whole. Emelia left for a little bit before coming back with a large,smooth brown stone. She placed it at the head of the grave before placing her paw on it,saying something quietly to herself and backing away. I reached into my shirt's sleeve pocket and pulled out a sliver cross necklace.

I had taken it off before we'd gone into the circus. My Dad had given to me when I left for the military and I was afraid I might lose it,thankfully,I hadn't. I looked it over and clasped it tightly and placed it n the stone.

"Rest in peace brother",I said,"none of us will ever forget you,see you on the other side."

I felt the tears start streaming down my cheeks as I turned to Emelia and Hudson,they were crying too.

"Let's go",I said through the tears,"we have a job to do."

We walked in silence back to the cave and entered,walking back to the room where Jackson had died to find a pile of weapons and ammo on the table.

"I couldn't find a radio",Issac said,"but as far as supplies go we hit the mother load."

"And a map?",I asked,pretty much holding my breath for his answer.

"I found one",Issac said.

I breathed a relived sigh.

"From 1961",Issac said.

Damn,he had to be kidding.

"Your kidding right?",I asked.

"I wish",Issac replied,"but it was all I could find.

" Issac took a RPK that was leaning against the table and handed it to me.

"RPK-44",he said,"right up your alley little bro."

Issac himself had an AK-47 slung over his shoulder,while Frank had a silenced Uzi and Hudson got the older version of the FNH FAL,each of us also got a CZ-75 handgun and a few Russian made MK-30 hand grenades. I placed the grenades in my grenade pouches before grabbing six of the forty round RPK magazines and placing them in my backpack. I also placed the holster for the CZ-75 on my vest and two old US army ammo pouches for the magazines. Once everything was said and done and everything was loaded down,there was still a pack,a few cans off food and bottles of water on the table.

I turned to Emelia,"think you can carry some of this?"

"Sure",she replied.

I filled the pack with the food and water as well as stuffing an AKS-74 U and five mags in with it before I undid all the straps. I set the pack on Emelia's back before retightening the straps around her legs and fastening the chest strap before tying up the hip belt. The pack looked to be a good fit for her.

"Fit okay?" asked tighten the waist belt and the shoulder and chest straps.

"Yes",she replied"fits perfectly".

"Good then",I replied standing up,"Issac,lemme see that fossil of a map."

Issac spread the map on the table and I began to look it over. From what I could gather,we were in the middle of the Macon Jungle,with the nearest village being what I guessed was ten to twelve miles away. I didn't know how many VC were in the area,if our food and water would last for the trip,nor did I know if there were anymore Russian Special Forces in the area. The map was from 1961,so I had no idea if any villages were closer in a different direction. There was so much I didn't know,and that scared me.

"I wish we had a more accurate map",I said looking it over,"but it is what it is,looks like the nearest village is twelve miles away,which means we have some walking to do."

"We should get going then",Frank said.

I folded up the map and placed it in a waterproof pouch on my vest before grabbing the RPK and my MK-48. I slung the RPK barrel up over my shoulder and took my 48 in my hand before we all exited the cave and headed of into the jungle.