Dave Scargill is working on the London Underground in 1973, However something is not right and he calls for the assistance of a dragon named Kaos.

With thanks to  Paper-Dragon and  Evangeline for motiviating me to complete this short story.

A Call From Below


London, Dorchester Street Underground Station 1973:

Dave Scargill whistled to himself as he walked down a set of platforms, he often worked closing shifts and it helped to pass the time and monotony of working in such a dank place. It had been half an hour since the last train of the night and he was busy closing down the station for the night, he checked to make sure no rubbish was left strewn on the floor. Looking down the station he saw something in the shadows,a woman seemed to be standing at the base of the stairwell that went above ground, Starting to feel cold he thought they must have turned the heating off in this section as he saw his own breath in front of him, Dave pulled out a box of matches matches and lit his cigarette before he rubbed his hands to warm himself up and walked over.

“Oi, you know there's no more trains due tonight, you'll have to go and take the bus..I need you to clear this statio..”

He didn;t get to finish this sentence as the lady turned towards him, where there would normally be a face was instead nothing, just something that looked bare flesh with condensation dripping to it, before he could even finish his sentence he was assaulted with the sounds of sirens and the voices of children crying, stepping back he was blown off his feet by a gust of wind and something that sounded like an explosion as the figure walked towards him. Terrified he scrambled on his hands and feet away from the stairwell before locking himself in his office, Dave reached into his locker and opeend up a black box, pulling out a talisman with a draconic skull necklace”

“Praise Kaos.. Praise Kaos.. Oh Kaos please come and save my soul..”

He sat against the door as he heard the sound of high heels walking down the platform, the handle of the door shook before he heard footsteps slowly turn and go down the platform with some door slamming in the distance a short while later. He closed his eyes rocking back and forth in an almost fetal position as the lights in the office flickered, In fear of his life he stayed put in a paralysed sort of state in the small room as he heard a unearthly scream echo down the tunnel..

“Please Kaos just come, I'll do anything..”

He suddenly started feeling warmer and as he slowly opened his eyes the lights seemed to have gone to normal, he stood up and he could see the lights in the tunnel were still acting up, reaching for the door handle he heard a booming voice behind him.

“You have summoned me mortal, It would not be wise to get yourself killed before our business is finished”

Looking behind him his jaw dropped, in the room almost filling every square inch was a grand four legged dragon. Kaos's snout lowered to his level before breathing a big huff of breath in his face that almost blew his cap off, looking behind him he stammered as he tried to compose himself before speaking to the dragon.

“Look erm.. There's something going on out there.. The boys always joked about there being ghosts down ere' and I never believed them.. They reckoned there was something down in the shadows trying to get them..I've just met this woman now.. I guess they were right.. can you do anything about her?”

The Dragon looked down at the figure, his tale amused him and though the human probably couldn't tell Kaos could sense that there had indeed been something trying to take away his energies very recently.. he was like a glass of water something had been drinking from.

“Very well, I suspect you've been the target of a Revenant.. Your symbols of mine you placed on the door served to protect you in here.. while I'm pleased you have my symbol up I am disappointed you are not wearing one on your person.”

Kaos loomed over the human as he said that and terrified the guard a bit, who was thinking that his dragon deity might leave him for not being loyal enough. But before either of them could say anything once again another unearthly scream echoed down the platform, the dragon held his mouth shut before the guard could say anything and gave him an order.

“You are to stay here, wear my icons and read aloud from my tomes, Do not leave this room or your very soul may be forfeit.. I will be back..”

Hastily the guard grabbed his pocket Kaos book and started comforting himself with some old lore..Looking he watched as Kaos's eyes glowed and the doorway seemed to warp allowing his large form to pass through. The large dragon shut the door behind him venturing out to the platform alone, in a field around him the lights of the station began working while others in the distance struggled. Summoning some glyphs the dragon began a scan of the area tracking a huge spiritual presence that seemed to be coming from nearby.. Looking to the end of the platform he saw a large door that was swinging in the breeze leading towards a maintenance area, he was briefly focused on that area as he sensed some great powerful dark entity nearby.. but behind him he heard the sounds of high heel pumps on concrete tile. Turning around he saw.. more than mortal eyes he could see this spirit for what they were, a feminine form with a jacket hastily wrapped around her nightie.. and a her face completely blank as if all trace of who she was had been scrubbed from her.. Kaos stared at the spirit with a sense of respect before beckoning them closer, saying nothing the spirit just seemed to silent embrace the dragon, they had no eyes for tears to roll from nor a mouth to make sound with but he could tell that she would pose no threat to him. He held up one of his mighty hands, speaking words no human ears would understand could say he gently placed his paw onto the blank visage, slowing manipulating his digits.. like an artist he coaxed out the vague suggestion of her old face as if her flesh were ink and paint.

“Yes I recall you, I recall all of you from that war.. your screams were hard to ignore but you like so many other got away from me because there were just so many of you, I can't restore you fully to who you were.. no magic could.. but you will move on and be able to re-incarnate as one of my followers instead of rotting down here for eternity..”

Dave heard footsteps coming down the platform, stopping his chanting to look out the window he saw the dragon slowly walking up the platform by himself, he pinched himself as the dragon almost looked cold and clinical.. or perhaps even mourning he couldn't quite tell, Kaos stopped in front of the man and addressed him as the guard stepped out to greet him.

“I am done with your request now, you'll have no further issue with the lady you described. Now I must depart, I have done exactly what you asked of.. farewell.. I will check to make sure your voice shows it's devotion to me in the future.. ”

The station guard was confused by his statement but thankful that he seemed to not have to give anything in return to the spooky dragon, He watched Kaos go up the platform stairs but squinting for a second he was sure he could make out a lady in a red coat leaning on Kaos's scaled body, she looked back at him briefly and he gasped as he saw a pair of beautiful blue eyes and a normal human face before the glow of the street lit street above enveloped the figures. Muttering to himself he pulled out his pocket watch and smirked before taking off the Kaos pendant, Now the ghost was gone surely he wouldn't need to be protected so he shoved it back in his locker.. Now it was time to go and drink in the pub and forget all about this nonsense! Putting away the other kaos items in his locker Dave grinned to himself as he grabbed his wallet and grabbed his weekly wages, As the key to his locker turned the key snapped locking everything inside.. At that moment he felt a chill in the air and somewhere on the platform off in the darkness he heard a door slam...


Written by GrockleKaug ( docodile)