Chapter 29: In Search of Equipment
The group was elated, but Kowalsk drew attention to an important detail.
"Unless we all leave this place within 24 hours, no one will be able to bear the smell of those dead beasts. Not to mention the swarm of flies that will be not only on the carcasses but bothering all of us without exception."
Thillaila was the first to speak, immediately agreeing with Kowalsk:
"Mr. Kowalsk is absolutely right. Soon this place will stink so much that no one will tolerate the odor."
"But how are we going to remove all these carcasses from here? We'd need a crane or a tractor to get them out," observed Mr. Kaminski.
"What do you think about exploring this place even further? Maybe we'll find something that can help us," suggested Gareno.
"Do you know something we don't?" Kowalsk asked suspiciously.
"I'm not sure, old soldier, because more than a guinea pig of this place, I was a prisoner. But I have a strong suspicion that there's a lot around here that could help us."
"Then let's go, Gareno. The faster we find something that helps us, the sooner we'll get rid of this future carrion," everyone followed immediately, even Troy the dragon seemed excited about the exploration.
They walked for about three hundred meters ahead in the extensive corridor, keeping their dim lights almost off but still bright enough for everyone to feel safe.
"What made you suddenly change your mind and not want to leave anymore, Mr. Kowalsk? I know my crying and the opinions of the others wouldn't convince you otherwise if you were truly determined to leave," Thillaila asked, always by the old soldier's side.
"When I was alone and on the run, after everything that brought me here, this place seemed like a good refuge for me for a brief period until things calmed down a bit for me. Certainly, I would have continued on my own path afterward," Kowalsk replied.
"What exactly was your destination, Soldier Kowalsk?" Gareno asked, quickening his pace to keep up.
"To be honest, Gareno, I don't have a specific destination. Or at least I didn't have one in mind. I ended up here by chance or bad luck," Kowalsk explained.
"Would you mind telling us about this twist of fate, Mr. Kowalsk?" Mr. Kaminski asked, extremely curious like everyone else.
"Not at all. I was nearby, observing the dragon's behavior because I knew that to defeat them someday, I would have to know everything about them. But what I didn't know was that I was being observed too."
"And who was observing you, Mr. Kowalsk?"
"Just look at the last one in line, and you'll know," Kowalsk said, prompting everyone to look back. Even Troy, noticing they were looking back, couldn't resist and looked around, possibly searching for a potential threat that could be a few meters away from his fierce attack.
"What are you looking for, Troy? Mr. Kowalski is talking about you," Thillaila said, approaching the dragon to stroke him.
"Now, let's all be quiet as we've reached airlock number one. Gareno, find the backup generator for this sector, and when you find it, turn it on. Thillaila, please find the control panel that gives us access to this airlock, and Mr. Kaminski, look for anything that might resemble a defense device. Steel pipes embedded in the wall or equally suspicious holes. And Troy, stay alert for any dragon attack that may occur."
At that moment, everyone thought Kowalsk was delirious to give those orders to the dragon.
But to everyone's surprise, Troy was doing exactly as Kowalsk had ordered. Not even two minutes had passed when a small flapping of wings surprised everyone. Two small dragons, about the size of wolves, entered through the opening forged by Troy's earlier weight.
"Don't lose focus, everyone. That's why I positioned Troy in defense mode. This way, he can handle it and stop the attack of these little dragon offspring."
And it seemed to work. With a quick snap, Troy prevented one of the small dragons from making any attack. The loudest sound that could be heard was the crunching of bones in Troy's mouth as he immobilized his first prey.
In less than two minutes, he had defeated two hungry little beasts who, still alive, looked surprised at him, knowing that the second attack from their pack would be more brutal and they certainly wouldn't survive.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone