Venturing: Three Bleeds

Dragons from all around
us were staring about. Whispers and nods were the responses. I could not hear
them at all but only look at their expressions and body language as I try hard
not to stare at them. It was hard. The majority of the dragons looked pleased
and relieved. Knowing that the police were here to protect them from any sort
of evil. And that includes the foxes from the Chaos realm also. Those few
looked on with disgust in their eyes. Narrowing their eyes almost squinting at
us as if they were judging us. Luckily, they kept their tongue. I would have
tried to arrest them for discrimination or insulting the police. I was walking
down the sidewalk, passing by the citizens and buildings that were all around
me. The silence was held above my prideful head as I frowned, my wings held
behind me and my tail swished about.

My thoughts were to the
outside of our realms. The Chaos realm that we had to constantly fight against.
Neither realm hosted the black dragon and its minions. We do not know any
information about them. We were in the dark for them. Alas, they never knew
about us up until now. And things had been crazier than they were before we met
with outside forces. My head was pounding as I thought of these things. I had
not realized, I stood still and stood adjacent to a ring store. With faint
footsteps and conversations about, I rose my head from the ground and glanced
left towards the store I stopped upon. White blocks stacked on top of one
another, making up a huge wall that could overtower me. At the top was a white
sign and big bold letters that lit up upon the evening of Vaster city.

I stand in silence. My
eyes to the windows of the store and tracked the customers there. But I was
surprised to see Ling purchasing something inside that a breath had caught upon
my neck. My eyes widened, yet no surprise shock came as I watch him nod at
someone before heading to the door. And just as he exposed himself to the
outside world, he turned around and faced me. He never said anything. But our
eyes met. We stared in silence. Heat eradicate from the back of our necks as
our wings folded and spread behind us. He opened his mouth, found his voice,
and stared our conversation off.

“Some battle that was
huh?” He replied, I remained silent for a few seconds. My straight face turned
into a smile, chuckling softly while my claw unknowingly rose to my mouth. I
responded to him jokingly, “Is that your way of starting the conversation off,
Ling? That previous battle we had done?” “What?” He remarked, a faint pink brush
formed on his cheeks as he looked away, “I thought it was a perfect start.”
“You are silly.” “Am not,” Ling argued, a smile formed from his face. I
mirrored him and another chuckle escaped from me. As silence fell a second
after I making a noise, Yang motioned me and turned around. He faced the
horizon, I followed him and glanced to the skies. With a breath, I exhaled as
we walked together down the sidewalk.

“Indeed was some battle.”
I started answering his question as he looked at me. Blinked a couple of times
and threw his head laughing.

“I thought we are not
having this conversation?” He questioned, I shook my head smirking at him and
he laughed.

“Regardless…” I trailed
and darted my eyes down to his waist as I added, “What was inside the bag?
Something you bought from the ring store? What is it?” “A surprise.” He denied,
winking at me as I rolled my eyes. “A surprise? Really?” I shot back, he
shrugged and became silent as we walked the rest of the way back towards the
station.

Crickets chirping in the
background as we entered back onto the station. We were met with the other
officers there. Zander was with Kyro and Natty, silence fell between the three
of them as they sat about. Their eyes glued to the television we had installed
beforehand. As the voice from the television echoed and filled the room, we
walked towards them and stopped. Their eyes turned when we had arrived, but it
was a mixed reaction from them. Zander continued rolling his eyes, muttering
something underneath his breath as he darted back to the television. Kyro and
Natty stood up from their seats, smiles were upon their faces as they walked to
us. But only I hugged them. For some strange reason, Ling never wanted to make
contact with them. Which was weird but I never complained about it. As our
introductions and greetings had settled, both me and Ling took our spots in our
chairs. Scooting them away from their desks and slide them across towards the
others as Natty and Kyro took notice.

So, as you can see, it
was pretty boring around the town since the last battle we had with Chaos.

However, something came
up. Our eyes turned to the television. Uninterested in what was going on. They
were showing an empty unknown street that neither of us had any knowledge upon
as my ears picked up upon Ling asking the others, there were answered grunts
and shrugs. Then the camera turned right showcasing a palm tree with dried
blood painting upon its leaves. It was planted in between two large buildings
with no spaces in between. Almost looking as if the buildings were murdering
the palm tree. I shouted to Zander who was startled by my voice, “Pause!
Pause!” He did so and fixed his eyes to me, looking angry but I ignored him and
kept my eyes upon the palm trees before giving out a question. “Why is there a
palm tree between the buildings?” “Cause that was where they planted it genus.”
Complained Zander immediately after I spoke. I glanced at him, he avoided my
look and kept his eyes lingering onto the screen as Kyro piped up, “Maybe that
was where they wanted it?” “Why is a palm tree so important, Yang?” Natty
asked, giving me a curious look.

I frowned a second in
response but kept it hidden inside my mind as I spoke to her. “There is dry
blood upon the tree.” “They must have painted it red.” Kyro commented, “What?”
Zander grumbled, turning to Kyro as he added “So you think they gone to some
store and bought some red paint just to prank the citizens and the police?”
“Perhaps.” Kyro finished, “I do not think that is it.” I started as all eyes
turned to me and Zander snorted, nearly laughing but it was held down. “You do
not possibly think that it was a murder, do you, Yang?” “I think so.” “But that
is way too early!” Ling complained, his wings spread outward as his face
hardened. “What do you mean?” I asked, but his mouth was shut.

In the silence that
followed, I kept my eyes on the television. My thoughts once again popped into
my brain as I tried to piece together the information given to us. However, as
I realized, we were only given what the camera showed to us which was little
information. And realizing this, I frowned and exhaled, shaking my head to rid
the thoughts in my mind before I diverged from the main topic presented here.
Thus, I turned around and motioned the others to follow. They looked upon one
another before getting up onto their feet and followed me out the door. With
the evening stares presented above us as a cold chilly air washed over our
scales, I opened the door and shivered as I turned around. The others coming
out following behind me. They all looked confused or worried as their
expressions were fixed upon me. But I gave them an assuring smile before
spreading my wings, the others have done the same. Jumping from the grounds
below, we flew into the night skies. But we do not know where we were going.

“Told you to bring a
map,” Zander complained, crossing his arms as he looked away. But none of us
answered him back, for we were preoccupied with the thoughts and what we had
seen from the television the hour before. As the winds blew underneath and my
thoughts circulating my brain, I thought back towards the unknown street and
the murder behind it. Buildings were surrounding that street. Streetiles that I
never knew existed. Lamps as tall as the buildings were there also. But were
shoved to the side and ignored, remembered as props. The buildings themselves
were tall as well. Perhaps reaching the skyscrapers above? I would never know.
Many colors from each of the buildings clashed against one another, creating a
beautiful and popout picture that many of its viewers would mesmerize by it and
would urge themselves to enter if they would find it that is.

As the thoughts enter and
exit my mind, I shook my head and reentered into the reality surrounding me.
However, my eyes widened in surprise. Realizing that we were only hovering at
an unknown location within Vaster town, my cheeks went warm and pink.
Embarrassed by what had befallen upon us as I turned to the others. Ling,
Zander, Kyro, and Natty had their eyes on me. Silence lingered from their
mouths as I kick off the conversation, “Anyone knows where that street is, by
any chance?” “Like I said, ‘buy a map’” Zander urged with anger seeping from
his tongue, I ignored him and glanced at Kyro and Natty who shrugged. “Yang.”
Ling started pulling my eyes to him as he continued, “We have so many
unanswered questions and little answers. Going around town headless is not
going to cut it out. We had been at a fixed location, every time there was a
crime.” His mouth made a brief smile, 
warming my body up as I see him like this, “Now… let’s do what Zander
proposed and find it on the map.” “Where would we even find one? All the stores
are closed at this hour!” Kyro panicked and I nodded, acknowledging it. “He is
right,” I answered, taking his side. The others except Zander frowned, but the
shuffling and crinkling tore our conversation apart as we turned towards Zander
who was looking at his pockets then wings.

“What are you looking
for?” Spoke Ling, but he was answered with nothing. As the rest of us fell
silent to him, we waited a few seconds until he pulled something out from his
wing. I flapped closer to him, peering my eyes upon his claws as he looked at
me but stayed silent nonetheless. It was a crumpled piece of paper. Dart such
as dirty scales and dirt from the ground accumulate upon it. Disgusted, I
pulled back and remained on Ling’s side as we watched him unfolded the paper.
Revealing a map of Vaster town. Zander explained to the rest of us, “During
Ling’s assault invasion against the building that bordered between us and them,
I swipe this off the basement ground when we were tailing that dragon lurking
in the shadows.” “Oh yeah, that one.” Kyro nodded, trailing as he awed. I
forced a chuckle before remaining silent watching Zander.

“Thus, unfolding the
paper had given me this. A map of Vaster town. But this map was edited.” Zander
explained and his eyes pointed to the map as his claw stabbed the paper while
he added with pride behind his talk, “There is our target. The unknown road leading
to the forest. I am sure that Yang already noticed that green stuff in the
background….” He muttered coughing to himself, “Than the rest of you
narrowed-minded beasts.” “What was that?” Natty asked, catching onto Zander who
shrugged passing it off as he went back to the map. “So where is that street
then?” Ling asked, his eyes narrowed unpleased by Zander’s side comment as he
rolled his eyes answering the blue dragon, “Southwest.” “Let’s head there
then,” Kyro remarked, everyone nodded except Ling who broke away from our
group; heading in the opposite direction. As I watch him go, I said nothing and
followed everyone else.

Finally reaching our
destination, we landed upon solid ground. We rose to our feet as our wings
folded behind us. Glancing around onto our surroundings, the first thing we
noticed was the silence. The streets were empty. Nothing except us, the
buildings, the lamps, and the forest were there. Making a face, I motioned
towards the others as they turned to me. “Locate that palm tree,” I ordered
them, but neither of them nodded as Zander pointed over his shoulder. I raised
my eyes and followed his pointer, glancing behind him spotting the tree we saw
upon the television. I smiled only faintly before walking towards it. The tree
was bigger than it was upon the television. It was also tainted deep dried red.
I frowned, doubting myself in ponderance if it was painted. But unknowingly, I
grabbed onto one of the leaves of the tree and pulled back. The leaf ripped
from the branch and onto my claw. I drew it forth closer to my face and sniffed
it. I heard disgust and groaned voices behind me as my nose recognized it as an
artery. Or oxygenated. The smell of blood was the taste of metal. Strong and
disgusting that I nearly pulled my face back upon smelling it. After sampling
the blood’s smell, I turned around to the others who were silent and judging
me.

“What did you find?” Kyro
asked,

“This is regular dragon
blood,” I concluded as Zander nodded silently and slow. I was not sure whether
or not he was acknowledging it or disgusted by how I was smelling the blood. I
mean, do all dragons of the medieval ages or earlier do this? It should come
naturally for us, right? Pushing aside that question, I adverted my eyes and
turned towards a new problem at hand. “Where do you think that our culprit shot
the palm tree at?” It was an odd one at best as I knew full well that pistols
do not shoot that far. Perhaps it was closer? Maybe far? Who knows. It was an
endless possibility of positions. One that would take almost all two days to
figure out maybe more. As my mind delved deep into the scenario at hand, I
never took notice that Kyro and Natty were forming their way of thinking.
Straight out of the gate, the pair of dragons repositioned themselves upon the
grounds. And rose their pistols aiming straight onto the palm tree before
squeezing the trigger. A bullet zoomed by the tree. Leaves fall onto the ground
making more upon the rising pile underneath the tree. I pause as another strike
hit the tree and a few more entered the pile. “Kyro Natty stop for a moment,
please,” I ordered calmly, the two stopped and looked onto me with confusion as
I stepped closer to the leaf pile and crouched.

“What did you find?”
Zander’s voice came to my ears, footsteps walking over me as I stared onto the
pile. “A rising pile of leaves. It was shallow earlier, showing some ground
before Kyro and Natty went and shot the palm tree after. I answered Zander who
nodded calmly and crouched also, his eyes to the pile. But a gasp escaped suddenly
from his mouth as his wings hit my backside snapping me out of my trance of
thoughts. As I look at him in confusion, he pointed upon something at the pile
and spoke towards me “Yang look.” I looked at where he was pointing and spotted
something there. Blinking in surprise, I reached out and grabbed whatever was
inside the pile and pulled it out. A spy badge. White background and blue words
were imprinted upon it. It felt solid and hard. Even metal when I knocked it
against the ground. Another thought formed in my head as I got up onto my feet,
but I pushed it aside and listened to the conversation.

“A spy badge? Who does it
belong to?” Kyro asked looking a bit interested as his body shivered in
excitement which Natty took notice of and hit his back, snapping his fantasy
thoughts as he reeled back onto reality. He growled at her, but she smirked in
response as Zander answered his question, “We do not know. I take it came from
a different department branch than us.” “Perhaps it came from Ling’s unit.” Natty
suggested which I shook my head, “Cannot be. None of his officers are capable
of spying.” But all stared onto me, my eyes narrowed at them and I growled.
They said nothing afterward but kept the conversation going.

“If what Yang said is
true, then it must be a different unit than Ling’s. Do you think there are
other officers besides us and Ling’s?” “I doubt it.” Spoke Kyro shaking his
head as Zander’s wings folded and he was recovering from a shock. “The
department dragon of police had only registered two units. Us and Ling’s. If
there was another one, they would have said something.” And so the conversation
ended there with silence taking over as I piped up, diverting the conversation
onto another. “Where do you guys think the culprit is positioned?” “Perhaps at
the center,” Suggested Kyro, “Center-left.” Natty replied, “Center.” Zander
said before glaring at Natty arguing, “Why center-left? There is no way that
the shot came from that angle!” The two argued, their voices rising over one
another as my eyes were to Kyro. He frowned but turned his head over to the
forest behind him. He motioned me and branched off from the pair of an old
couple as I followed him, closing in onto the forest.

Darkness reemerged upon
our eyesight as we stared onto the entrance of the forest. The woods were dense
and pitch dark. The grounds looked saturated that we had noticed dried
footsteps upon them. And judging their small size, we guessed that canines had
come upon this area. There were three different footprints, but only two of the
three were identical. Those that were identical we can identify as foxes
because we had fought them before during 
Ling’s invasion of the apartment building. But the third one was a
mystery. Its footprint was slightly larger than the foxes’. Kyro and I looked
at one another with a frown, wondering what that footprint was.