His Majesty's Dragons: The Battle of Britain

[Comrade Tortoise]

Waldwanderer cocked his head at the last comment and removed his blood covered face from inside the cow's body cavity where he mas munching on its liver

"Now, I have eaten Caribou, but is the taste really like person?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Not like, almost as good as," said Frostfell. "Carribeau are gamier and tougher, but have good flavor. Humans are more like really tasty pigs."

[LadyTevar]

"Are you a'sayin' you've et HUMANS?!" Jeb exclaimed in shock, partly because he had eaten more than his share of feral pigs and the thought was highly unsettling.

[Cynical Cat]

"When you bite a German in half country mouse," drawled Frostfell, "you have the option of spitting or swallowing. I swallow."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"Why waste the protein"

[Charon]

Judith gave Jeb a last look as he conversed with the much larger Wendigo, and then nodded to Jake. "Ah'd lik' tha...," she said, taking his arm and letting him lead her away. As they walked the BoneTail made his own kill, dragging it into the feeding ground. "Greedyguts, th' lot o' 'em. Yall'd thin' we n'er feed 'em."

Jake grinned as he walked, Kunja had picked up his kill and followed them a ways until they were clear of the other dragons, then turned around and went back. Jake meanwhile led Judith to where he saw the other captain's congregating some. "That's the truth for certain, you think that's bad, try to imagine the caterwauling when the cow supply was low back on the compound. You never heard so much complaining, and from dragons!"

"'Ello gents. My name's Jake Collington, 'twill be a pleasure flyin' wit' ya."

Kunja meanwhile stalked up to the other dragons as they ate.

Mainly the 'small' Victorian, who was still bigger than all present with the exception of the Wendigo, whose name was apparently Frostfell, simply enjoyed his meal as he listened to the idle chatter. "Never have really liked the taste of human... Then again I'm not too big a fan o' pork either, so there's that." The dragon took another large bite out of his meal, crushing bone and organ and muscle as he tore out the dead cows innards and swallowed them.

[Cynical Cat]

"To each their own," said Frostfell, having finished his meal. He extended his neck towards Kunja. "I, for one, quite like the taste of dragon, for example." He licked the side of the Australian dragon's neck.

[Charon]

The smaller Australian was having none of that and quickly snapped his jaws shut a few inches away from Frostfell's own neck. Then Kunja grinned at the supposedly terrifying creature before him, unimpressed.

"I suppose that would be why we don't hear much about Wendigos, they're too busy eating their own mothers to get involved in the affairs of others."

[Cynical Cat]

"Stuka tastes a lot like chicken," Frostfell joked as he moved his head from side to side. "And what you hear about Wendigos is what we are pleased to let you know about Wendigos."

[Charon]

Kunja continued to grin as he took grabbed what was left of his meal and tossed it into the air, grabbing it, he crushed it up some more and then swallowed.

The smaller gray Australian dragon looked at the larger pure white dragon. "That's not saying a lot, damn near everything tastes like chicken, though if you're saying that Stuka's are chickens I'll agree with you there."

The dragon stretched out his wings some, his long neck spinning some in relaxation. "Of course, because you Wendigos are just so sneaky. That's why 'pitiful humans' manage to steal so many wild Wendigo eggs right?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Stukas aren't cowards," said Frostfell. "Go in to battle thinking about that and you aren't long for the skies. They'll lead you into a pack or a heavy and that will be the end of you. And as for the humans, well if one can find a hidden ice cave and survive us and the polar bears and the cold then maybe he is clever enough to learn from."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"'Ello gents. My name's Jake Collington, 'twill be a pleasure flyin' wit' ya."

Richard braced for the reaction that his accent was sure to bring and responded in kind

"Indeed. It will be a pleasure. Richard Niehuis" he extended a hand

[Cynical Cat]

"Nathan Reynolds. The white bastard is with me."

[LadyTevar]

"Stukas aren't cowards," said Frostfell. "Go in to battle thinking about that and you aren't long for the skies. They'll lead you into a pack or a heavy and that will be the end of you. And as for the humans, well if one can find a hidden ice cave and survive us and the polar bears and the cold then maybe he is clever enough to learn from."

"Tha's a good way o' lookin' at it," Jeb drawled, more than a little glad it was Kunja who got licked and not him. "An' Ah kin see yer point 'bout eatin' or spittin'. Don thin' Ah'll be tryin' that trick an' time soon, m'self." He was nearly finished with his cow, and his sides were straining from the amount of meat he was packing in. Still... he wasn't going to be wanting pork anytime in the near future, until he could get the image out of his mind.

"Nathan Reynolds. The white bastard is with me."

Judith's eyebrow raised at the language, but she was not going to say anything about it. Some men just didn't care what they said in front of a lady ... and back home were plenty who'd not call her a lady. She did her best not to stare, but the mask did draw the eye. "You were in' th' Great War, then?" she asked, figuring up his age and wounds.

[Cynical Cat]

"Yeah. There are a lot of bad ways to go," said Reynolds. "I got a very personal encounter with one of the worst."

[LadyTevar]

"Yeah. There are a lot of bad ways to go," said Reynolds. "I got a very personal encounter with one of the worst."

She nodded, dropping her eyes. "M' paw knew a man tha' came back, had been hit wi' mustard gas. He dyed inna huntin' accident not lon' after."

[Cynical Cat]

"Mustard gas will end a dragon captain's career, even if he lives," said Reynolds. "Blistered lungs and thin air are a poor mix. I, on the other hand, maimed as I may be, am still useful. God I wish I had a cigarette."

[Charon]

"Stukas aren't cowards," said Frostfell. "Go in to battle thinking about that and you aren't long for the skies. They'll lead you into a pack or a heavy and that will be the end of you. And as for the humans, well if one can find a hidden ice cave and survive us and the polar bears and the cold then maybe he is clever enough to learn from."

Kunja only nodded. "I know some things about Stukas. Fought one once, a few months back. An experience I look forward to repeating some day." The young dragon grinned at the older, larger dragon. He knew the creature would berate him on his foolishness, but he just didn't understand the rush.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jake started laughing as Richard introduced himself, thinking it a very fine joke of a German accent.

It took about three seconds before he realized that it was real.

"... Oh. Well, I assume than that one of the Jerry's has turned traitor and joined our side?" He looked at the other captains that had been there before, then back at Richard. "Hope you brought a Bavarian with you." Jake reached out and shook the man's hand.

"Nathan Reynolds. The white bastard is with me."

Jake then nodded to Nathan. "The grey Victorian making friends back there." Jake pointed to the oddly small dragon just as Kunja began to juggle some of the uneaten bones. "Is mine."

[Cynical Cat]

"Nice to meet you," said Reynolds. "The white bastard can be tempermental, but he's all business in the air. He's a bit arrogant. Gets it from his captain."

[Comrade Tortoise]

"... Oh. Well, I assume than that one of the Jerry's has turned traitor and joined our side?" He looked at the other captains that had been there before, then back at Richard. "Hope you brought a Bavarian with you." Jake reached out and shook the man's hand.

"I am actually american born and raised, immigrant family, hence the accent and german fluency. Waldwanderer, the Bonetail over there with his head buried in that cow's innards is my... brother I suppose. I raised him from the time he was a hatchling"

[Cynical Cat]

"He doesn't need a brother," rasped Reynolds, "he needs a captain. Get your head in the game or people will bloody well pay the price."

[Agent Fisher]

Jack looked at Jake and Judith. "I'm Captain Jack Taggart. That spitfire over there," he said, gesturing towards Godfrey who was watching the feeding. "Is Godfrey, he's my dragon." He said, wondering if the others would pick up on his last name and his dragon.

[Charon]

Jake grinned at Nathan. "I'll be sure to let Jack know not to try to trade wit, lest he piss off the dragon that's liable to eat him. Good to know we'll have someone with more experience than me in the air though."

When Richard spoke again, Jake just got even more confused. "Another American?" Jake looked him over, very much not impressed. "Lovely, so besides Nathan here did the 'good old west' send us anyone with some idea of what they're doing?" Jake was beginning to like this less and less. Maybe he should have made nice with his previous commanders.

Jake then turned to the newcomer. "Ah, so you're the owner of the Spitfire." Jake looked him over some, he for one was oblivious of the name, being from half the world away he didn't hear too much about famous pilots from thirty years before. "Another military man?" Jake reached out his hand. "I'm Jake Collington, I ride the Victorian."

By now Jake had decided to take to go find some place to nap off his meal.

[Comrade Tortoise]

"He doesn't need a brother," rasped Reynolds, "he needs a captain. Get your head in the game or people will bloody well pay the price."

"Difference in terminology only. I have known him for 18 years. I raised him and he knows who is in charge, Captain is my position in the relationship"

Richard decided not to mention the philosophical dispute he had with the notion of being in charge of a being who was one's equal and regarding dragons as inferior.

[LadyTevar]

She was getting tired of the repetition of names, but it would take a while to get all of the names straight either way. "Judith McClung.. an' my Smoke Devil there is Jebediah."

Jebediah chose that moment to sit back on his haunches, bow his head, close his eyes, and fold those extra-long claws piously together. In a solemn voice that rumbled out from the field, he began to pray. The prayer wouldn't have been out of place in any back-woods Baptist church coming out of the mouth of a fire-n-brimstone pastor. In the middle of a bloodied feeding ground, from a small blue&white rippled dragon, it was just another of the weird things to happen today.
"Oh Lord... thank You for this Meal You have given us this day, an' thank You for the Hands that raised these Cattle and for the Generousity they have shown by gifting them unto us. Thank You for granting us Safe Passage to gather together here in This Time and This Place. Lead, Guide and Protect us as we go about the Tasks You have set before us. Please Lord watch over our Captains, over our Friends, and be our Sword and Shield as we fight to protect this place from the War that has been brought against it. In-Jesus-name-I-pray, Aww-men."

Judith spoke the Amen with Jeb, as the habit of 'every head bowed, every eye closed' overtook her as Jebediah said his prayer. When her head rose, she looked sheepishly from face to face, expecting to see the same shock that had been on the faces of the US DragonCorps that had taken her and Jeb in for the brief bootcamp. "... When he was in th' egg... he heerd my PawPaw sayin' grace like that every night," she explained, expecting these Captains to react the same way that the Americans had.