Fear of Mystics (Saga of Mystics Book 2) (21 page)

EPILOGUE

              He sniffed around. There were plants, but not much else. Letting his senses intensify, he waited to hear any sound, smell any scent. But there was only the sound of the wind; only the scent of old death. Originally he had flown down to the old resort, forgetting it had once been Eric Fine’s compound. Even after all of this time, it was a burned out husk of a resort with all of the buildings nearby completely destroyed. It wasn’t a bad choice, because there were no people. But it was flat and boring and there was no place to make a lair.

              People feared him now. He was huge, with a massive wingspan. He had to admit he loved it. Though he had at first been afraid of how others perceived him, he could think of nothing better than the fact that he had become a dragon. His brother trying to spear him to death when he landed at the Bluffs was not awesome, but perhaps he could find a way to communicate, to let others know who he was.

              After the resort, he had another thought and had ended up here at the installation formerly known as NORAD. Nothing had been open for him to go inside, but high above the big doors, he had found a small outdoor garden. He smelled the dead air coming from an opening inside. It meant that there was a door open inside this enclosure. The plants had escaped the enclosure through a makeshift entry. It looked like nature itself had helped him out, but he wanted to make sure no one was inside.

              Without a sound coming, he knew he was okay to proceed. He began to tear into the little enclosure with teeth and claws, eventually opening it to nest size. He giggled to himself on the inside. He couldn’t produce eggs because he was male, but a nest would have been so cool!

              Seeing the open door, he sniffed at it. The air coming out was dark and wet. If he had to guess, when the rain fell it had flooded. There were animals inside, small animals, he could hear their chittering. He lit into the doorway and in another two hours or so, he had torn a hole big enough to get himself inside. It was still pretty cramped for a being of his size, but it would do for now. He would take the time to open his new lair up. Perhaps he would even open another door. If he could get the main door open, that was even bigger than him. For now, he had a place to rest. He had a place to sleep. He had a place to bring his prey, to feast on it. He felt bad that he had to steal cows from farmers to have enough to eat. But he needed sustenance, and the cows were the best he could find. He loved being a dragon. If he could figure out a way to breathe fire, he thought he might be the most joyful dragon of which he had ever heard.

Glossary of Names

Books in which the character appears are listed in parentheses as (b1) or (b2) or (b1, b2)

Adam Cross
– 35, former US Army Medic, former restaurant manager at Pep’s, Healer; head of Hillside Healing College (b1, b2)

Alan Stone
– 64, commanding officer at Fort Carson; Lieutenant General;
deceased
(b1)

Alex
– Warrior; Council Bluffs (b2)

Alton Tooney
– 57, registered sex offender and neighborhood handyman, Black Forest;
deceased
(b1)

Amy Paolo
– 26, wife of Mike; Aquakinetic;
deceased
(b1)

Andy Summers
– 30, clerk at Fort Carson, Private First Class; General Andy Summers, second in command to Eric Fine; Manitou Camp; Warrior (b1, b2)

Annie Grace
– undetermined age, leader of Annie’s Camp; powerful Empath (b2)

Anthony Johnson
– 29, scrounge, heavy weapons, Corporal; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Antwon Shabazz
– 21, Healer; Council Bluffs (b2)

Ben Smith
– Empath; Council Bluffs (b2)

Beth Merritt
– 70, mother of Kayla Craven and Kate Ward; Council Bluffs; Void Mystic (b1, b2)’

Bill Richards
– 55, farmer, Chapel Grounds (b2)

Brick Martin
– 52, pastor of the Spring Life Church, megachurch pastor, televangelist;
deceased
(b1)

Britton Casco
– 24, Cadet Commander at Air Force Academy; leader of warrior group at Council Bluffs; in relationship with Kyle Ward; Council Bluffs Member of the Council; Warrior (b1, b2)

Calvin Ward
– 48, Dojo owner, former soldier;
deceased
(b1, b2)

Carruthers boys
–
deceased
(b2)

Chester –
infant, foal of Phineas and Mary; Annie’s Camp (b2)

Cliff Ko
– 14, role-playing gamer; Council Bluffs; Item Empath (b1, b2)

Clinton More
– 67, Commandant at Air Force Academy; Major General;
deceased
(b1)

Corporal Danvers
– 36, Black Forest Police Department;
deceased
(b1)

Cory
– 22; Lord’s Hammer Leader; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Cooper Paolo
– 2; Council Bluffs; Cryokinetic (b1, b2)

Donna Harris
– 24, Private First Class, stationed at NORAD;
deceased
(b1)

Ellen Harris
– 28, server at Pep’s;
deceased
(b1)

Emma Pare
– 44, botanist; formerly stationed at NORAD; Council Member at Council Bluffs; in relationship with Jordan Kane; Plant Empath (b1, b2)

Eric Fine
– 56, infantry officer, dojo owner; Major; AKA Sensei, Shogun, Lord Marshall; Leader of the Manitou encampment; Warrior (b1, b2)

Erica Cross (Butterfield)
– 28, former server at Pep’s; married to Adam Cross; Hillside Healing College; Council Member at Council Bluffs; Power empath/power healer (b1, b2)

Fisher
– Healer; Council Bluffs (b2)

Frank Keller
–
deceased
(b2)

Garrity
– Healer; Council Bluffs (b2)

Grand Master Pike
– 74, leader of the Woodland Park Survivors, Childhood Instructor of Ted Craven and Calvin Ward (b2)

Hermit
– middle aged, unknown origin and identity, powerful mystic, considered an urban legend; an arch-mystic [unknown limits to powers] (b1, b2)

Jack Collins
– 19, Healer, Hillside and Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Jasmine –
Healer; Council Bluffs (b2)

Jeff Prince
-  37, store manager at the sporting goods store (b1)

Jenny Martinez
– 29, yoga instructor, businesswoman, local celebrity; Council Member at Council Bluffs; researcher into the powers and abilities of survivors; Item Empath (b1, b2)

Jessica Peters
– 21, student, retail employee at sporting goods store; Council Bluffs; Telekinetic (b1, b2)

Jim Coulson
– 51, government worker for city government; was leader in Eric Fine’s compound; whereabouts unknown (b1, b2)

Jim
– 22, Lord’s Hammer; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Jonah
– Aquakinetic; Council Bluffs (b2)

Jordan Kane
– 24, technical support at NORAD; specialist; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Jose Rio
– 21, infantry soldier, stationed at NORAD; Private; assumed dead (b1)

Kim Pile
– 49, Realtor, Black Forest resident, overtly religious; Pyrokinetic; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Kate Ward
– 45, Cal’s wife; Illusion Empath; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Kayla Craven
– 47, Ted’s wife; Terrakinetic; Council Member at Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Kelly –
Healer; Council Bluffs (b2)

Kin Ko
– 23, former student at Denver University; Cliff’s brother; in relationship with Natalee Ward; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Kyle Ward
– 22, former student at Pikes peak Community College and employee at Sporting goods store; Light Empath; Council Member at Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Mary
– 25, Centaur, Mate of Phineas (b2)

Maxine Craven
– 12, Ted and Kayla’s daughter; powerful Canine Empath; Council Bluffs (b1, b2)

Mike Paolo
– 28, Amy’s husband; Hillside;
deceased
(b1)

Miles Damiano
– 33, former army scrounge; part time dojo manager at FMAA; Eric Fine’s right hand man;
deceased
(b1)

Monty German –
29, Warrior; Council Bluffs (b2)

Natalee Ward
– 19, prom queen; powerful Warrior; in relationship with Kin Ko; (b1, b2)

Nate
– 22, Lord’s Hammer; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Paul –
Manitou bandit (b2)

Peri
– 23, Jenny’s assistant; Annie’s camp (b1, b2)

Phineas
– 35, Centaur; mate of Mary; Annie’s Camp; Warrior (b2)

Rich Carson
– 61, former pastor of small church in Black Forest; neighbor of Ted and Kayla; Music Empath; Council Member at Council Bluffs; (b1, b2)

Ronnie Jones
– 25, drug dealer;
deceased
(b1)

Rose Cross
– infant; child of Adam and Erica (b2)

Silvio “Sal” Martino
– 61, Leader of The Faith, Anti-Mystic; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Slim
– Terrakinetic; Council Bluffs (b2)

Steph Richards
– 51, farmer; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Steve
– Manitou Bandit (b2)

Ted Craven
– 50, infantry NCO; stationed at Fort Carson; Sergeant First Class; Council Leader at Council Bluffs; Powerful Warrior (b1, b2)

Tyler
– 22, Lord’s Hammer; Chapel Grounds (b2)

Zane Meyer
– 50, infantry NCO; stationed at Ft. Carson; Staff Sergeant;
deceased
(b1)