Jessica gripped the staff tightly. The sound of rapid gunfire filled the air above them, as the growing darkness was lit by bright plumes of red-hot fire. “You okay Lieutenant?” Lieutenant Caldwell asked. He was the platoon commander Jessica was attached to for the night. They were positioned right at the heart of the defensive line for this segment of wall.

“I’m fine. Just, never been in combat before.” Caldwell smirked.

“Yes, you have. You stopped those artillery shells dead in their tracks. You include your time in the Magic Corp subduing threats? And you’re one of the most experienced combat magic users we have.”

“Does that count?”

Max barked a harsh laugh. In the confines of the bunker, it sounded harsher than Jessica knew he intended. “Yes Jessica, it counts.” Caldwell nodded his agreement.

“You might not have gotten stuck in like the rest of us on the ground, but you played your part. You’ll do it again.” The sky overhead exploded in fire.

“Dragon!” someone shouted, and rifles opened fire. Jessica raised the staff and activated the stored spell inside. The shield exploded to life and absorbed the attack. The shield faltered and shattered a few seconds later, but thankfully, the dragon’s fire petered out. The beast hovered directly above their bunker and roared in rage at being denied the kill.

Peep replied with his own, much smaller, equally indignant roar. You will not hurt my mommy! The parrot dragon let loose a small plume of multi-colored fire at the opening they looked through, and Jessica could almost sense the much larger, much more powerful dragon’s confusion. The creature mentally connected with her through Peep for a moment and she got a glimpse of its mind.

This red bull dragon was young, maybe a year old at most, and came from a breed of true dragons. It wasn’t considered sentient yet, but it knew fear, and it knew not to attack the other dragons it flew with. Peeps presence and mental demand had confused it, and the great beast flapped its powerful wings, sending it soaring higher into the sky, up and away from the confusing, enraged tiny dragon. Its riders and handlers desperately tried to redirect it towards another target, but the bull had enough. Confused, it turned its neck around and bathed the four handlers in the basket along its back in red-hot flame before taking off into the sky and disappearing.

The 50. Cal machine guns redirected their fire at the last, and much larger beast that still menaced the base. From her vantage at the murder holes at the front of the bunker, Jessica saw It breathed fire on a bunker The defenses quickly folded, the pathetic tech plasma shield that the bunkers each sported gave way under the onslaught. The sticky napalm like liquid death turned the concrete defensive structure into slag.

“Did that little guy just scare that one off?” Max asked, smiling despite the destruction in the distance. An RPG ripped through the night and struck the creature, but it brushed it off and spread the fire up the concrete wall. The steel plating turned red hot but didn’t melt as the fire attack petered out. The massive creature beat its powerful wings, ignoring the impact from the RPG on its lower leg, and took back off into the sky.

“Kinda, yeah. He confused it and it took off. Apparently its handlers didn’t treat it right.”

Big cousin was mad, sent him away. No hurt mommy or friends! Peep sent the mental communication to everyone in the room, and they all responded with either awe, confusion, or uncomfortable looks at the tiny parrot dragon.

“Alright little dude, good job! Hey sarge, can we get a pet dragon?”

“Stow it, Menendez!” Came the gruff voice of the non-commissioned officer in charge of the squad stationed in their section of the bunker complex.

“Peep’s one of a kind I’m afraid.” Jessica smiled at the soldier who had asked for one of his own. He smirked and gave her and Peep a big thumbs up. Peep returned the thumbs up with a happy trumpet that seemed to bring a smile to the soldiers in the complex. Lieutenant Caldwell’s radio squawked, and he listened carefully into his headset.

“We got incoming. Ground forces advancing. Looks like they’re old school sword and shield formations, but keep an eye out. You never know what the hell the System is going to throw at us next. Fucking dragons.” Caldwell glanced at Peep, and in a lower voice meant only for Jessica and the tiny dragon, he said, “no offense, big guy. You’re alright.”

Peep gave out another happy trumpet followed by a small spurt of multi-colored mana infused flame that matched his plumage. Then snuggled down into Jessica’s shoulders, draping himself protectively over her. Peep had grown. Instead of the size of a small cat, he was roughly the size of a medium-sized dog. But he was lighter, and heartier if she was any judge. She petted the dragon’s head affectionately as she waited for the next horror of the night to begin.