Boys Become Men: Book Two ~ The Rage Of Dragons

The Night Dragons and Junior Dragons set up their camp in a small grove of trees that provided some protection against the ever blowing wind and flying desert grit. After they had made camp and gotten settled, a delegation of men from the village came to talk with Wil and Al. They told a hair raising tale of night creatures that were preying on them. Their cattle were being carried off and two small children had disappeared the night before. When asked who or what was doing this, all the villagers could tell them was they smelled like rotted meat and that they made strange howling sounds in the night.

That the villagers were frightened was readily seen, but they had trouble believing the stories about the night creatures until Robert and Ed Carlisle told them of the stories they had been told as children.

They told them of night creatures that ate people and stood upright like men, but were wolves and giant cats! They thought the creatures had once been men and the radiation of the bombs changed them so that they mated with animals. It was enough to send chills down their spines!

They posted armed guards for the night. Their entire camp rested uneasy all through the night, there were strange sounds, eerie wails and awful animal calls all through the night. They feared what they would see as it began to get light.

Towards daylight, a group of the creatures tried to charge the camp. The Night Dragons and Junior Dragons were waiting for them and, in the gloom, they saw several creatures fall to the ground as they all let loose with their rifles.

Wil and Al prevented the Night Dragons from running out to make sure they had killed the creatures. He said, "Wait 'til daylight, they ain't goin' nowheres if theys be dead. I'fin theys still alive, they might try to kill ya.

The next morning, everyone went out to where the night creatures had been shot. They found half eaten bodies of men covered in a heavy, dense fur. They were definitely human, but their features had been distorted by crude surgery into grotesque mimicry of animals.

The bodies smelled of decayed food and unwashed bodies and their fur was matted with food and blood. It was not their own blood, it was apparent that the creatures consumed their victims while they were still alive! They were cannibals!

The Night Dragons were horrified at what they had discovered and they knew that they were going to have to backtrack the path of the creatures and attempt to wipe them out. Otherwise, the local people were going to eventually lose the battle against those who considered them to be food.

There was nothing to be done other than to remain in the area and hunt down these night creatures. A very few of the local men were willing to assist in tracking them down, most seemed to have a superstitious dread of them. A few even were making the sign of the "Evil Eye" when they viewed the dead bodies.

Wil and Al made the decision to remain in the area and to destroy the demented creatures before resuming their trek homewards. They set up their camp and fortified it with thorn bushes.

They tried to sleep during the day as the beasts seemed to be nocturnal. They ate a meal in the late afternoon before seeing to their rifles and ammunition supplies. Each man carried a rifle and a large hunting knife. A few also had bows and arrows in addition to their rifles. Both Wil and Al also carried a huge hunting knife that had been made to their own specifications. It was almost a sword in length and was sharp enough to shave with.

As the shadows began to lengthen towards dark, they set out along the trail the attackers had traveled the evening before. The creatures had left an easy to follow trail, they apparently knew little about woodcraft. The trail of broken branches and scuffed dirt was easy to follow. Even the stink of their diseased bodies seemed to linger in the air.

As dark fell completely, they found the encampment of the creatures. They did not seem to gather in family groups, but rather, in clumps and clots of like creatures. There were some beasts covered in dense fur, while others were obscenely naked. Others were short and squat and had pig-like features and some had long faces like dogs.

The creatures were milling around, apparently getting ready to go on the hunt for food. While they were all clumped together, the Night Dragons struck. In less than ten minutes of furious shooting, there were 30 of the creatures on the ground, either dead or in the throes of dying.

As the Night Dragons walked among the creatures, they saw some so deformed that there was no sign of humanity left in their features, they were pure animal. What amazed them was that there were young beings among them, also beasts like their elders. Their concern for the young of any specie was nearly their undoing.

As they walked by a small group of the creatures' offspring, several juvenile creatures leapt up and began clawing at the Dragons' faces and eyes. They only way they could save themselves was to chop the creatures' heads off with their hunting knives!

They waited until daylight to bury the creatures. They dug a deep hole and poled the bodies into it, they covered the bodies with dirt and laid a layer of heavy stones on top of the burial site in hope that wild creatures would not dig the bodies up and eat them. They hoped in that way that the tortured souls of the beast men would finally have some rest.

Two days later, they resumed their march homewards. They had "collected" four teen boys who insisted they be allowed to accompany the Night Dragons. Each boy had his own rifle and a skinning knife that was honed so sharp an adult man could shave with them.

Each new boy had a pony and saddle and a small backpack of clothing and treasured items that all boys, everywhere, seem to collect. Their fathers stood proud as they watched their sons go off with the Night Dragons and their mothers cried softly, knowing they would likely never see their sons again.

As they struggled higher into the mountains, it had become obvious that the winter snows were going to catch them, so they began looking for a safe place to spend the winter. They came upon a large cabin that backed into a large, dry cavern. The cavern had some aspects of a mine, but, whatever it was, it was very old and had not been lived in since before that time of the terrible bombs.

They made their winter home in the cabin and the huge dry cave. At the back of the cave, a small fresh water spring gurgled up through the rocks, before it disappeared in the sandy floor of the cave. They hurried to lay in a supply of firewood and they killed several deer and preserved the meat in the smoke from the fire.

The cabin was weather tight and the cave itself was slightly warm, probably from some ancient volcanic source. The fierce mountain winds piled the snow up against the cabin, but the air seemed to be always fresh in the cavern.

They had sufficient supplies that, with the addition of the venison, they would not starve during the long winter. They found that there would be breaks in the weather when they could hunt and bring home fresh game.

It was during this time that the young boys discovered they could "hear" the thoughts of their companions. It was a startling discovery and was accompanied by more than a few very red faces. As the winter progressed, the young men practiced this new skill and their range and power greatly increased.

They also found that they could influence animals, they could make a snow rabbit stop and they found that the "night howlers" that others called Coyotes, avoided their camp completely. It would not be until the following spring that they would learn that bears, hungry and fresh out of hibernation, would run in fear from them.

The men in the group knew that something of this sort was just being discovered when they had departed from Camp Robinson. Wil decided to perform an experiment. He gathered all the young men together and picked six men, whose mind talk seemed to be the strongest. He joined them as they attempted to reach Andy Robinson,

It seemed several times that they "almost" made contact. They decided to wait until after dark, perhaps the effect would be stronger after the sun went down.

They made contact with Andy that very night and they learned that others of their kind had also been able to make contact, but their group was the furthest away group that had so far been successful.

They continued to practice their distance mind speaking as well as short range talk among themselves. By the end of winter, they were all conversing mentally on a regular basis and they discovered that they had the limited ability to control the animals around them. The horses were particularly easy to establish contact with and they had only slightly less success with wild animals.

As the weather began to moderate, they began thinking of home and their friends. By April, the snow had mostly all melted and they resumed their trek homewards.

It was a long and difficult trip over the mountains, they encountered few other people and it was not until early August that they began to recognize certain landmarks.

They picked up their pace and, soon, they began hearing children at play in their minds and shortly thereafter, they could pick up the mind signatures of certain friends they were especially close to.

It was, then, no surprise to the folk at Camp Robinson when they topped the last hill and headed into the camp that was their home. They had been gone three years, but, with mind speak, none were strangers.

The word, "HOME" had almost a magical quality. Loved ones came running, brothers and sisters were three years older now and there were new young men among them who needed introducing. That some of them were already "taken" meant only the degree of friendship

They all hustled off for their first hot shower in three years and the luxury of clean clothes that had not been washed in cold water. For some, a soft bed and clean blankets was just one step this side of heaven. For the boys who had been collected along the way, soft beds and clean blankets were something they had only dreamed about and they had no real experience with such things.

Their welcome home supper overwhelmed the newest young men and boys. Things like mashed potatoes and tomatoes were unknown to them. When they had been served a sweet flan with whipped cream on the top, they thought they had gone to the heaven that the preacher man had told them of.

They had been told that they could eat as much as they wished to, the newcomers among them sat and cried. They had lived on short rations all their lives and being told they could eat all they wanted was more than they could withstand.

There were loud noises of groaning all through the night in the bunk room and boys and young men groaned off an evening of over eating! Their stomachs were in rebellion, but their minds were at ease for the first time they could ever remember!

They spent the next few days telling their leaders of the disgusting mutants they had encountered and all their adventures out on the desert, battling with the "elders".

That they had dealt such a decisive blow against the elders was welcome news and plans to include the small settlements along the eastern slope of the mountains in their civilization were rapidly approved.

The Night Dragons and the Junior Dragons were established firmly in their society now and new leaders and patrol leaders were appointed. The boys from the eastern slopes asked to be left together as they wished to be called the White Dragons. It was their aim to get trained and to return to their folk and to save them from both the hated elders and also the strange mutants that lived in the area.

Their idea was readily approved and several local boys asked to join with them. Soon, the White Dragon Patrol was comprised of two leaders and twenty Dragons. Robert and Ed Carlisle were elected leaders of the White Dragons.

The two young men spent every waking moment training to be the best Dragon Leaders there ever were. They were determined that they were going to return to their families and save them from the beasts that were terrorizing them. They hoped they would be able to convince their families to come back to Robinson Ranch and take up land nearby.

As the two men trained, so also did their White Dragons. All the young men filled out and became powerful young men in both body and mind. Schooling was not ignored, all the boys learned to read and write and to do numbers. Two of their number elected to become care givers for the group and all of them honed their sharp-shooting skills to level they had never thought possible.

All of them practiced daily on their mind speak abilities and two of them, Giles Warden and Hector Wheat Farmer were so powerful, they could reach out hundreds of miles and establish contact with another mind speaker. As time progressed , that ability was gained in distance until, there seemed no limitation on how far they could project their thoughts.

As the next spring began to show itself, and the Carlisle Brothers, Robby and Ed, began to dream of their families they had left behind. They tried to contact their families, but, they had not the power yet to project that distance. Giles and Hector joined then and, suddenly, they were speaking to their fathers and families.

The news was not good, the mutant beasts were growing in numbers and several children had been carried off and eaten! When the White Dragons learned of this, they redoubled their efforts to learn all they could. They did not realize that both Wil and Al were privy to their efforts. The two went before the Robinson Council and pled the boys' case before the leaders of Robinson Ranch.

There was no question that their cause would be approved and the Carlisle Brothers were called before the Council and told that their efforts would be supported.

This started a flurry of activity. It was already January and the Brothers wanted to begin their return journey the first part of April, just as soon as the winter snows began to clear.

Equipment was made available as was ammunition, guns and supplies. Those in training for special skills drove their instructors in a frenzy of questions and demands for information. Instructors had nightmares about the words, "HOW" and "WHY"! Even the simple words, "SHOW ME" gave them the shivers!

Despite their worries, the Brothers Carlisle saw goods and equipment begin to pile up in their bunkhouse. Stacks of rifles, boxes of ammunition, leathers and tack for horses and mules filled an adjacent store room. They had no idea just how much the Robinsons were going to contribute to rescue their Families!

Two platoons of Night Dragons also volunteered to go along! Mules, supply wagons, a mobile hospital and stacks of clothing were accumulating. It was going to be an all-out event. Robby and Ed Carlisle were getting scared, they were to command all this and they felt they were not qualified. The harder they worked to learn, the more frenzied they became.

Finally Ed and Wil sat them down and spoke the entire night with them. None would ever know what was said that night, but the two brothers settled down and dug in. By the time the departure date arrived, they were calm and deliberate leaders of professional warriors. They were ALL DRAGONS both Night and White!

They departed eastward on the first day of April, despite some traditions that it was a fool's day. The weather had cooperated and the trail was clear. Everyone was in high spirits, The White Dragons were eager to find their families. The two Platoons of Night Dragons had a score to settle with beings that ate children for supper. That news had nearly caused a riot sometime earlier and the Night Dragons were still angry!

While the trail was good and clear, they made good time. They knew that the eastern slopes would be treacherous and difficult, so they were making up time ahead of time!

There were a few stops along the way, it was tradition that the Night Dragons provided help and medical assistance to anyone in need. The White Dragon Medics worked alongside the Night Dragon Medics delivering babies, setting broken legs and mending cuts and hurts. Grateful settlers loaded the Dragons up with smoked hams, preserved foods and tanks of fresh soups and stews.

Still, they were making good time and the brothers were in contact with their Father. The night came when the distant settlement was attacked in great force. The mutants seemed to somehow recognize that help was on the way to the settlers.

The Brothers' Father did not have the power to reach them, but the next contact the brothers made with their Dad, resulted in an increase in the speed they were making. Towards the end of their journey, they would be at a near run!

As the days grew longer and the weather grew warmer, they drove the caravan from first light until the gloom of night made it dangerous to continue. They were headed down the eastern slope that led to their home valley when a shriek of fear struck their minds like a hammer. The mutants were attacking in great force and frenzy.

Even the horses and mules sensed that "something" was wrong and they began to gallop down the trail on their own volition! By the time they reached the farming settlement, the horses and mules were all lathered up and their lungs were heaving.

The Dragons, as a group, flew from their saddles and wagon benches, jacking bullets into their rifles. They were all crack shots and the ground began oozing with the blood of the mutants. It seemed like there were hundreds of the creatures and bodies piled up in front of the Dragon Warriors.

Sadly, there were settler bodies as well, including Gus Carlisle, the brothers' father. When it was all over, the White Dragons held both Robby and Ed while they cried out their loss. Suddenly, they remembered their younger brother Jimmy and baby sister Leslie. They jumped up, tears still trailing down their faces and went in search of their brother and sister.

The two youngsters were found hidden under a trap door in the hay barn. It was a sad and also a happy reunion. The mutants had gathered all their kin in a last attempt to conquer the human food. Every mutant in the area had been called and they failed. No mutant survived, even their younglings were in on the last ditch battle.

The Dragon medics worked feverishly to save the wounded settlers, they did lose a couple of older men, but the Medics felt it was their hearts, not their wounds that had finished them off.

They converted a barn into a hospital and, after the first few deaths, all the wounded were mending. The settlers felt that Robby and Ed Carlisle were heroes and they were willing to follow the two brothers wherever they decided to go. When the brothers announced that they intended to return to Robinson Ranch with their younger brother and little sister, the entire settlement began packing! They had no hesitation in making the long trip up the mountains. They were through with this place of horror and death.

It required several weeks to harvest all that remained of their crops and load the wagons. Some of the wagons had to be rebuilt as they had not been used since the settlers had arrived there.

When all was ready, The White Dragons were in the lead and both Robby and Ed stood in their wagon and shouted the now famous Dragon Call to get underway, "WAGONSSSS HOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Thus began the long trek back towards Robinson Ranch. The wagons were heavily loaded and had to be treated gently over the boulders and the many creeks as they made their way up the mountains. They did not lack for food or forage for the mules and horses and they had no fear that any mutants were following them. They had left the dead mutants for the varmints and bugs to feast upon. Hunting animals would not go near them or the area ever again!

As they reached the high country, their progress became slower. They were met with settlers who needed assistance and THAT was what the Dragons did, both the White Dragons and the Night Dragons.

The White Dragon Medics were helping a young mother give birth to twins. When they looked up, they saw two boys, whom they had recently rescued, looking on with envy drooling from their mouths. The White Dragons soon had two apprentice medics to train!

As the first snows of winter began swirling in the air, the wagon train entered the cleared land of Robinson Ranch. The last ten miles, they had been escorted by six Platoons of Night Dragon Warriors and all the young boys who had been rescued were wearing a carved Black Dragon or a White Dragon around their neck.

There was no complaint from their Mothers or Fathers. The settlers from the eastern slopes knew the value of the Dragons and supported them 100%, even to donating their own sons to them.

The refugees were amazed, there were living places already set up for them. Their new homes had piped water, flush toilets and large wood stoves for heat and cooking. There was a water heater bolted to the rear of each stove and, with a little care, every family member could have a hot water bath or shower!

The Mothers thought they had died and gone to heaven, the kitchens even had cold boxes to keep food and vegetables fresh for periods of time! When they spotted the rocker boxes for washing clothes, they knew they were in some magical land! More than a few men were walking VERY softly around their wives for not knowing about this place sooner!

It was not all sweetness and light, the younger children discovered that school was starting in two days. There were sounds of groans and tears from the children. That is, until they returned home from the first day of classes. Mothers and fathers spent their evenings helping their children with homework! The children had heard about the library and they wanted to learn to read NOW, RIGHT NOW!

The hard times were not completely over and civilization would never rise again to the dizzy heights it once had, but times WOULD get better and more settled. They never heard anything further from the Hated Elders and only a few mutants roamed the ruined lands to the east. They had learned to leave the humans who lived in the western mountains strictly alone.

Electricity came back to the larger communities, and medical services became universal and at no charge to the recipient. Everyone contributed something towards medical and dental services and also for law enforcement, teachers and other services needed by the people. As likely as not, that contribution was in the form of food, clothing or, perhaps, a new roof on the clinic or participation in a sewing bee that made baby clothes or trousers for a farmer harvesting hay or corn.

The population would remain more or less stable with no rapid increase of people that could not be fed. The schools were the responsibility of all the people and, while they did have trained teachers, there were also many volunteers working in the schools helping the teachers or providing services to the students who were attending the school.

There were, of course some who did not wish to pull their own weight and do their share of the support and, while they were not forced into serving, generally they did find something they could contribute eventually. In any case, their children were not penalized for the failure of their parents and, in many cases, it was the children who got their parents to contribute.

This ends our story, but those who inhabit the preceding pages will live on in happy and productive lives, ensuring the continuation of the human race.

Like their ancestors who had originally settled in North America, these new settlers were determined to carve out a new way of life. Their parents' cycle was complete and now it was their turn to create a new society. They were determined it would be a more gentle, caring society, where every child could follow his or her dream. In the most part, they would be successful and they all would prosper until it was time for a new folk to rise and take their place.