The Chronicles of Draylon (18 page)

Adriana ran out of the bar crying, wondering how such a perfect evening could turn out to be such a hurtful one. Ronaldo ran out after her. When he eventually caught her up, they argued and argued. Ronaldo started to become nasty; he said “Did you really expect me to keep waiting for you to open up?” Adriana found it hard to speak amongst her tears, “Yes, I thought you cared about me.” Ronaldo forced himself on Adriana suddenly, kissing her roughly and holding her so tight that she could barely breathe. Adriana struggled free and slapped him in the face with all of the energy that she could summon. Ronaldo reacted instantly, punching her in the eye and knocking her to the ground. He then walked off and left her there in pain crying on the ground.

Adriana struggled off home, she was devastated and hurt, and her eye was starting to swell. She arrived at her home late. Everyone was in bed, so she sneaked into her room and sobbed into the night wishing Draylon was there to comfort her.

The cougar slashed its claws savagely at Draylon, tearing his shirt to shreds. Draylon's skin was like steel since the powers of the amulet were bestowed upon him, and he was unscathed. He acted quickly and got a good grip on the wild cat and slammed it to the ground. Draylon noticed a broken arrowhead in the cat's rear leg and decided to help the now defenceless beast. He used his telepathic ability to calm the cat, and then fast as light pulled the arrowhead from the cougar's rear leg. He then held his right hand over the wound, closed his eyes and focused. In seconds the wound healed. Draylon used his telepathy once again to cool the cat, and then gently eased his hold giving the beast a gentle push away. The cougar walked calmly away, it then stopped to take one last look at Draylon and Paul, and then walked off disappearing into the jungle.

“That scared the life out of me. Are you OK? Did he hurt you?” Paul was genuinely concerned for his friend.

Draylon smiled, “I'm absolutely fine, virtually invulnerable to tell the truth, but my shirt cannot tell the same tale.”

“My heart is still racing. Do you think he'll come back?”

“I hope not, after all, he's in better condition now than when he first introduced himself.”

“I hope you're right.” said Paul, still a little unsettled.

They carried on their journey deeper into the forest. Paul was becoming exhausted and asked if they could make camp for the night. Draylon agreed, it had been a tough day for Paul. The time was approaching nine p.m. they put up their hammocks and got comfy. Draylon asked what Paul would like for his supper. He said that he could ask for anything he wanted after the ordeal with the ayahuasca. Paul asked for a large portion of fish and chips, “As you wish,” replied Draylon. Draylon bent his knees and leapt, shooting into the sky like a rocket. Paul quickly climbed a tree and kept look out, fearing any more intruders. In minutes Draylon was back, amused at his friend motionless in a tree. Paul climbed down quickly and tucked into his fish and chips, Draylon smiled as Paul ate like a man possessed. Paul looked over and smiled at Draylon, noticing that he had found time to buy a couple of Monster Rippers from the shop also.

“This is kind of surreal eating fish and chips in the Amazon jungle,” said Paul.

“Everything about our adventures is kind of surreal, don't you think?” said Draylon grinning.

“Quite,” said Paul.

“We should be at the site of the fallen craft by midday tomorrow.”

“I wonder what we'll find.”

“I have no idea, but for Grindor to send us all this way, it must be important.”

“I hope so, or I'm calling the Ghostbusters,” said Paul laughing.

“Very funny! Come on, time to get to sleep. Don't let the bed bugs bite.” Draylon laughed.

“Knowing my luck they probably will,” said Paul laughing also.

It was Saturday the 2nd of July at nine a.m. Draylon had been awake a while and was looking over at Paul laughing quietly to himself. Paul gradually started to stir, as he opened his eyes he let out an almighty scream. He jumped out of his hammock and ran over towards Draylon. Draylon was in hysterics of laughter, and Paul was white as a ghost. A two-toed sloth had slowly made his way down the tree in which Paul's hammock was tied. When Paul awoke, it was hanging upside down just inches from his face just staring at him. The sloth was heavily built, with shaggy fur. Its front feet had only two toes, and it had large curved claws. On the hind feet there were three clawed toes, and it had a round innocent looking face, two googly eyes and a large wet nose. Paul eventually saw the funny side as his heartbeat started to slow, and they both laughed as the gentle beast slowly started to make his way back up the tree, slowly, very slowly.

“That's enough excitement for one day I think,” said Paul.

“I'm having a great time, you amuse me no end my friend.”

“Glad to be of service.”

They packed up their things and started their journey again into the jungle. The day was exceptionally warm with lots of mosquitos about. Paul sprayed his insect repellent all over himself, and wasted no time popping his anti-malaria tablets.

It was early afternoon and Draylon put on his ring, they were getting close. The ground was becoming slightly boggy and they could hear water in the distance. They trudged on through, their feet sticking in the mud from time to time. Draylon stopped.

“We are here,” said Draylon.

“Where is it?” enquired Paul.

Draylon pointed up in the trees to where branches had been broken in the forest. He explained that the craft had come crashing down at such speed that the craft was many feet below them now. He asked Paul to stand back. Draylon spun at extraordinary speed, and like a drill boring a hole he went down into the earth. As he had spun, the wet mud from the forest floor had covered Paul from head to toe, splat after splat. Paul wasn't amused. A minute later the ground started to move, Paul quickly backed off further. Paul was in awe as Draylon emerged with an almighty craft, and placed it with ease on the level ground. Paul felt a little better when he notice that Draylon also was saturated with mud.

The craft was enormous, and damaged massively on one side, but the structure didn't appear to be pierced. It was of a classic saucer shape. The door was still intact, and Draylon wasted no time opening it up. They walked in, Draylon tried to activate the power source, but nothing happened. There were two skeletons on the ground, and Draylon confirmed them to be that of his kind, the greys. Paul was surprised at how bare the saucers interior seemed, there were a few scattered items and that was it. Draylon picked up a black piece of material.

“What is that?” asked Paul, “It looks like spandex.”

“This is no spandex, this is scientific genius, and I now know why we are here.”

“The suspense is killing me,” said Paul.

“This here is my new identity,” said Draylon holding up the curious piece of material.

“How?” asked Paul, a little baffled and slightly amused.

“This is a highly sophisticated material. This material can be programmed to take any shape or form. Watch this.”

Draylon placed the material on his left wrist and held his right hand over it. Using his technopathic ability he programmed the material to take the form of a wristband.

“What do you think?” asked Draylon a little excitably.

“It is impressive, and looks very nice, but it's a long way to come for a wristband I think.” said Paul curiously.

“Very funny!” said Draylon, “The wristband is how I can wear it during the day, but watch this.”

Draylon put his right hand over the wristband, and then he focused his technopathic ability. All of a sudden the material started to expand, it started to envelop Draylon. It covered his whole body, and then sucked tight, clinging to all of his muscles.

“Wow! That is impressive.” said Paul.

Draylon looked a little like a black Spiderman. The spandex like material covered him from head to toe. Paul suggested having his mouth and cheeks showing, a little like Batman. Draylon reprogrammed the material as Paul suggested.

“That looks great! You're still missing something though.” Paul rubbed his chin in thought.

“I've got it!” said Draylon. “Remember the amulet that I explained to you?”

“Yes, kind of.”

“Watch this!”

Draylon reprogrammed the material again, and then looked up and smiled. A symbol started to appear on his chest, it was scoring the costume like a scar, and then it was done.

“Perfect! It looks perfect!” said Paul smiling.

The costume was jet black, the material like a spandex. It clung to all of Draylon's muscles and he looked like a black anatomy chart. His jaw line was chiselled, his eyes piercing blue, and the amulet symbol like a scar on his chest, a symbol of hope. Draylon placed his hand on his left wrist, and the material started to retract quickly. In seconds it was a wristband again.

“So what do you really think?” asked Draylon hoping that his friend liked it.

“I think it looks great! I really do. I'm very impressed with that material. That was amazing.”

“Thank you! I'm really happy with it. Now I can help people without risking my identity.”

“So what's our plan now?”

“Firstly, I want to give these guys a proper burial, and then I want to put this craft back in the earth. Then maybe we could relax for the rest of the day, and then head back tomorrow. What do you think?”

“Sounds like a plan!”

It was early evening and Adriana was enjoying some quiet time by the shore. She was sat on a large rock enjoying the sound of the ocean and the fresh air. She was wearing a short red dress, and her long brown hair was being blown gently by the wind. She thought of Draylon, and wondered where he was now, and what was he doing, and did he think of her also.

Adriana loved Easter Island, and loved her family very much. She could not imagine herself being anywhere else. It was nice and quiet, and there was never too much drama, or at least not until lately. She felt sad that her relationship with Draylon had to end, but thankful for having him as a friend, even though she doesn't see him very much. She gently fondled the silver ring that Draylon gave her, and she smiled.

Time went by, and Adriana decided to walk through town and back home. As she neared her home Ronaldo stepped out from a nearby building and started to approach her.

“Adriana, we need to talk.”

Adriana felt nervous, “I have nothing to say to you Ronaldo. You are very lucky I never called the authorities and had you arrested for assault.”

Adriana could smell booze on Ronaldo as he came closer, and she started to worry that he would strike her again.

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you. I had been drinking and I wasn't thinking straight.”

“Apology not accepted, please leave me alone, I want to go home.”

Adriana started to walk past Ronaldo and he grabbed her arm.

“I love you Adriana, please, come home with me, we'll talk.”

“I'm not going anywhere with you, leave me alone!”

Ronaldo grabbed Adriana forcefully, “It's not a question, we are going to mine to talk,” Ronaldo's temperature was rising.

Adriana started to cry and tried pulling away.

Draylon closed the door to the craft. He then picked up the giant thing with ease, and then with all of his might, he plunged the saucer back deep into the earth. Using his ability to manipulate matter he then covered the whole area again with earth, so that no other would ever find the site.

Paul and Draylon set up their hammocks and spent the rest of their day talking and relaxing, and admiring the wildlife in the Amazon jungle.

It was twilight, and Paul was daydreaming in his hammock, when all of a sudden, thump. His head started to pound, he became disorientated, and then fell from his hammock onto the soft ground holding his hands to his temples. Draylon ran to his aid. Seconds later the pain subsided, sweat dripped from Paul. He looked up to Draylon and said, “Adriana! Go now, she needs you!” Draylon put his right hand over the wristband and activated his disguise. He bent his knees and leapt so hard the ground trembled beneath his feet, he shot into the sky like a tornado.

Paul was worried sick for Adriana. In his vision he saw a man grabbing her violently, and he was certain that it was happening real time. He prayed that Draylon would get there in time.

All of a sudden Paul heard a footstep in the distance, he looked around frantically. And then he saw him. A tribesman in the distance, he was bare-chested, dark skinned, and had war paint on his face and body. Paul become very frightened when he noticed a large bow with an arrow attached. Time seemed to stand still as Paul watched him pull back on the string. Paul froze, scared for his life. The arrow loosed, coming straight at Paul.

Thud! As if from nowhere, a giant of a man appeared right in front of Paul facing him, “Hello” said the man with a smile, whilst at the same time catching the arrow between his fingers. He then turned to face the tribesman, and threw the arrow with amazing speed, and it hit a tree trunk millimetres from the tribesman's face. The painted warrior panicked and ran off into the distance as fast as his legs would take him, shouting “Pelacaras!” meaning evil spirits.

The visitor was a tall muscular man, and he had long black wavy hair, and the most intense blue eyes. He wore a black outfit, like that of Draylon's new disguise, without the head mask, and it clung to all of his muscles making him look like an awesome powerhouse.

“Don't be frightened!” said the man in a calm soothing voice.

“Who are you?” said Paul stumbling on his words a little.

“I'm a friend, a guardian.” The stranger smiled at Paul.

“A guardian of who?” said Paul, wondering when he was going to wake up.