Chapter 16 - The Siege of the Northern Ridge
Nathaniel and Clara sprinted up the steep, wooded trail leading to the old Northern Observation Tower—a dilapidated stone structure built by House Wycliffe in the late 19th century.
As they approached the clearing, four heavily armed mercenaries in black tactical gear stepped out from the trees, raising automatic rifles.
"Stop right there, Wycliffe!" the lead mercenary commanded.
Before the mercenary could pull the trigger, Clara stepped around Nathaniel, raised her rifle, and fired three precise shots. The high-impact rubber rounds struck the lead guard and two others directly in their chest plates, knocking them off their feet into the brush.
Nathaniel closed the distance on the fourth guard, grabbing the barrel of his rifle, twisting it out of his hands, and sweeping the man's legs out with a heavy kick.
They kicked open the heavy iron door at the base of the tower and charged up the spiral stone staircase.
At the top of the tower, Dr. Vanessa Sterling and Julian Voss stood over the humming titanium briefcase. A parabolic dish attached to the window was aimed directly down at Dragon Court, pulsing with a nauseating, high-pitched hum that made Nathaniel’s teeth ache the moment he stepped into the room.
"Shut it down!" Nathaniel demanded, stepping into the doorway.
Julian turned, pulling a sleek chrome pistol from his coat pocket and pointing it at Nathaniel’s chest. "You're too late, pot-washer! In five minutes, the dragon's brain tissue will rupture! He will go completely wild, burn the city, and the military will use thermobaric warheads to turn your precious beast into ash!"
"You're insane, Julian," Clara said, her rifle aimed straight at his forehead. "You're destroying an ancient, living creature just for corporate spite!"
"I'm destroying a threat to the free market!" Julian screamed, his finger tightening on the trigger. "House Wycliffe belongs to men of intellect, not stable-boys and fire-lizards!"
Before Julian could fire, a sudden, violent impact shook the entire tower.
The stone wall behind Julian exploded inward in a shower of granite boulders and dust. A massive, bronze-scaled claw reached through the hole, grabbing Julian Voss around the waist and lifting him off his feet.
Julian shrieked in terror as he was yanked through the wall into the open air.
Outside, Aurelius hung in the sky, his golden eyes partially restored, holding Julian suspended three hundred feet above the rocky valley floor.
May you like
Dr. Sterling panicked, reaching down to smash the overload button on the acoustic device to destroy the dragon's mind once and for all.
"Don't touch it!" Clara yelled, firing a single round that shattered the control panel of the device. Sparks erupted from the titanium case, and the high-pitched hum died instantly.
