Chapter 48

SOARING REBELLION

East Los Angeles, California, United States

Gen and Emperor surged through the clear blue skies, navigating their way across the city. They both felt the urgency of their mission as it propelled them forward with a frantic force. The knowledge that the authorities could be mobilizing at any moment, ready to thwart their efforts, added an extra layer of tension to their already heightened state of alertness. Every glint of sunlight off a passing car, every distant thrumming of a helicopter’s blades, sent a jolt of adrenaline coursing through Gen’s veins, her senses honed to a razor’s edge.

Dragon and rider raced eastward, their eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the second transmitter. They were guided only by Alicia’s general instructions and their own determination. However, Gen was enlivened after seeing the first tower and knowing more accurately what they were looking for. It was relieving to know that the transmitters couldn’t hide from them. Nonetheless, they were also very present for others to see as Gen and Emperor made their attack on them.

The city below was a blur of motion and color, the winding streets and sprawling neighborhoods passed by in a dizzying medley of urban life. As they flew, the billboards that dotted the landscape loomed before them like the faces of overbearing tyrants, their messages changing. Gen was unsurprised to see them turning even more sinister and oppressive. It was as if the Commissioner knew he was under attack and had to pull out all the stops. If he didn’t know that Gen and her dragon were waging war on his illegal campaign then he would very, very soon.

Gen spied one of the closer billboards, narrowing her eyes at the words running across it. “Conformity is the key to happiness,” it proclaimed in stark, unyielding letters.

Gen shook her head. “That’s sick.”

“It’s control,” Emperor said aloud and in her head. “That’s what those who want power they don’t deserve do. They brainwash people into obedience.”

Another billboard in the distance came into view. Gen focused on it, trying to read the words from miles away. “Doubt is the enemy of progress,” it insisted, its words etched into the very fabric of the city’s psyche.

“Wow, that’s subtle, yet powerful,” Gen remarked, shaking her head at the strangeness that was her reality.

“Manipulation usually is,” Emperor replied. “A true tyrant needs the people to follow him blindly. Then they can get away with their crimes effortlessly.”

Gen’s heart clenched at the sight of these digital dictators, their influence seeping into the minds of the innocent and unsuspecting. She could almost feel the weight of their control and the way they chipped away at the very essence of individuality and free will. It felt like the worst type of manipulation because the unsuspecting citizens had no idea what was being done to them. To enslave people without their knowledge was sick.

Emperor sensed her unease, his own mind brushing against hers in a silent show of support. They were in this together, a united front against the forces that sought to strip the people of Los Angeles of their autonomy and their dreams. Still, Gen knew what they were facing was an overwhelming force. However, as surreal as it felt to be fighting something so technical with her medieval framework, she also knew that’s why she was called to this mission.

As they scanned the horizon, a glimmer of something bright and momentarily blinding caught Gen’s eye. She focused, making out a flash of metal amidst the urban sprawl. Leaning forward, her gaze sharpened, and there it was—the second transmitter. The structure towered over the area where it was stationed, rising from a barren patch of desert like a malevolent sentinel.

It was amazing to Gen how varied the landscape of Los Angeles was. She glanced over her shoulder to the green, rolling hills where she and Emperor had just fought the first tower. It was bizarre that only miles away, to the east, the scenery was stark and brown, a dry desert stretching before them. However, Gen was grateful that she didn’t have to worry about marring the land as they brought down the second transmitter.

The area was eerily quiet as Gen and Emperor soared closer to the gleaming structure in the distance. The bustle of the city faded away as they drew closer to their target. The air seemed to hum with an undercurrent of menace, like there was a palpable sense of danger that set Gen’s nerves on edge.

Dragon and rider approached cautiously, every muscle tensed and ready for action. The transmitter loomed before them, its metal frame glinting in the harsh desert sunlight. Gen wouldn’t feel remorse for destroying it since it was a monument to the Commissioner’s deception and cruelty.

But even as they prepared to strike, Gen couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss. The silence was too deep, the stillness too absolute. It was as if the very earth itself was holding its breath, waiting for the moment when everything would come crashing down around them.

Emperor’s eyes narrowed, his senses reaching out to probe the surrounding area for any hint of a threat. Gen’s hand tightened on his reins, her other hand reaching for the weapon at her side. Bellumferrum sat nestled in her pocket, ready to defend the dragonrider and her mission at a moment’s notice. However, since Gen didn’t know what danger lay before them, only sensing that something was lurking, she decided not to pull out the Weapon of War. She’d save it for when she knew more.

Gen and Emperor were racing against time. They both knew that every second they spent in this desolate place was a second that the Commissioner’s influence continued to spread unchecked. But they also knew that they could not afford to be reckless, to let their guard down for even a moment.

In this new world of shadows and deception, where the very thoughts of the people were under siege, the price of failure was a fate far worse than death. It was a fate of endless servitude, of minds and hearts shackled to the whims of a tyrant who knew no mercy and no bounds. And so, as Gen and Emperor hovered before the transmitter, their hearts pounding and their senses on high alert, they braced themselves for whatever lay ahead. They would not falter, would not succumb to the fear and the doubt that threatened to consume them.

Gen and Emperor were the last line of defense. Few even knew what was happening. Even fewer could do something about it. The only hope for a city on the brink of surrendering its very soul were ironically a foreign time traveler and a demon dragon. But they both loved the fight and would until their last breath to see that hope rekindled. For as new as Gen was to this world, she longed to see the people of Los Angeles rise up and reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

The battle was far from over, but with each transmitter they destroyed, they moved one step closer to victory, one step closer to a world where the truth could shine forth, unencumbered by the shadows of deceit and control.