Scarface stopped. He watched as blood dripped down Yun's face from the open wounds. A memory surfaced. In his mind, gunshots fired. His family was dead. He saw himself leaping against one of the humans and marking him. His family...
An outburst of rage overcame Scarface. He moved swiftly in an all out offensive. Yun retreated, dodging and blocking the savage claws and teeth. However, the outrage of Scarface proved to be his downfall.
Blinded by his fury, the raptor could not think or calculate. Seconds later, Yun struck one of the raptor's pressure points with full force of a wooden blade. Scarface fell to the floor, breathing heavily and slowly rolled to his side. The rage slowly left and was replaced by pain.
Yun wiped his face, turning his hand dark red with blood. He looked at the fallen raptor and scowled. "Replace his restraints and return him to his dwelling. The bonds are never again to be removed while he is here."
Students and guards complied, removing Scarface from the presence of their head instructor. Trevor approached and offered a cloth to Yun, who accepted it and wiped his face.
"It would appear the raptor has past experiences which we were unaware," Yun said. "I always saw he despised working with humans, but not until now did I have indication of why."
"I noticed that as well," Trevor said. "I always assumed it was because he was in unfamiliar territory."
"Regardless, what he did reminded him of someone that did a great wrong. I fear whenever he looks at me now he will see that man. I have humiliated him many times so he already hated me. But these marks will ensure a new level of hatred."
Trevor watched as Scarface was taken through a doorway, the panels closing loudly behind. "So what of his training, then? How much longer will it be?"
"The raptor has only one more course, and that is defense against those wielding weapons. Blades and staffs, but also firearms. His aggravated condition is sure to assist in the training."
Yun looked in the direction of Scarface's room. He had always been the greatest in the Black Dragon but now that Scarface had cut his flesh, he would lose prestige from not only his students but his master as well. He could cut Scarface down as many times as he wanted, but it was now clear that the raptor could now surpass him.
****
Scarface paced his room, agitated by his confinement. He had spent so much time among the humans he had nearly forgotten why he hated them. They killed his family and wounded his body. His mind was scarred, but the wound has now reopened.
He lost the battle with Yun, but the human's flesh was torn by his hand. Scarface would train against the weapons he saw, and all others they would throw at him. His passion had been renewed, and now the blood in his veins burned like fire.
No longer would he go easy on the humans. He was not in the company of fellow students. They were his enemies. They were his tools. The humans did not own Scarface. They were at his disposal. Now they would know his full strength.
Chapter 13
Despite his restraints, Scarface moved swiftly against his opponent. Even though the human wielded a long training sword, unsharpened for the purposes of training, any strike still had the potential to break bone. But Scarface avoided it still.
The days were all the same to the raptor. Eat, sleep, and fight. That was his whole purpose. Every time he saw Yun Chow and the recent marks on the master's face he was reminded of the day his parents were killed before him. He was reminded of the whole reason behind trusting a human to take him here, and of his reason for existence.
The human swung hard and fast, but Scarface could easily read the body language and dodged with little effort. An opening presented itself, to which Scarface lashed out and made contact with the student's ribs. He did not strike at full strength, but even then could feel the cracking of bone.
The student backed out and surrendered, much to the displeasure of Scarface. The raptor began pacing back and forth anxiously, waiting for the next challenger. His impatience was evident among the human students who, despite training to overcome fear, dreaded going against their saurian counterpart. At last, a student stepped forward.
The two combatants entered a ready stance and held it for a long time. The first strike in any match was critical and usually would be countered by the opposing member. Scarface's impatience got the better of him and so he lashed out with his fore limbs. The student dodged and came in with a counterattack, but Scarface had anticipated the move. He ducked down and avoided the kick, then lunged forward and struck the student in the back with his snout.
The student staggered but quickly recovered. He ran full speed against the raptor and, using every combination of strikes he knew, attempting to land but a single blow to his opponent. Every strike hit only air as Scarface dodged and the student soon became reckless.
Quickly becoming bored with his opponent, Scarface went on the offensive and lashed out with his hand claws in a sweeping motion. As expected, the student dodged by leaning back. However, the claw swipe was intended only to be a distraction. Continuing the momentum, the student saw too late the raptor's tail swinging around. Scarface's tail made contact with the reverse side of the student's knee, causing him to buckle and fall onto his back. Even before the student landed, Scarface was upon him putting pressure against the student's chest with a clawed foot. The student gasped loudly as he landed, the wind nearly pushed from his lungs. Pressure from the raptor’s foot threatened to push farther down and, despite his training, the student allowed fear to show in his eyes.
His victory ensured, Scarface snorted in the student's face and released him. More agitated now, Scarface began pacing vigorously. He wanted a strong opponent, but even the most advanced of students were now wary of the raptor. While rivalries and contentions had long been allowed among the students in order to further themselves, Scarface was the only thing they still feared.
"Why do none challenge him?" Yun said as he walked into the room. Immediately the students snapped to attention and faced their master. All except Scarface, who slowly turned to face Yun. "Are you afraid of being defeated by a mere animal? Even in defeat, here in this training hall, you gain experience. Experience is the key here. Not victory or failure. For it is only in giving up have you truly failed."
A few students began to sweat as Yun Chow walked among them.
"Disappointments, all of you! You are meant to be the example for the others!"
Scarface watched as Yun paced before the students before finally turning to the raptor. The fire in their eyes met as the two remembered their previous encounters and battles together. Yun traced the scars on his face with his finger and narrowed his eyes.
"Scarface! The choice is yours. Whom do you challenge?"
Scarface stepped forward in a threatening posture and issued a challenge toward Yun himself. The master stepped forward and folded arms.
"So the student is ready to challenge the master? Then so be it."
Yun attacked first, fist and foot striking like lightning. Even bound with the weights, Scarface was able to dodge most of the attacks. Those he failed to dodge completely only managed to graze his feathery hide. In the counterattacks, Yun managed to dodge the majority with only a few managing to glance across his body. The battle continued between the two contestants, appearing to be an even match for one another.
"You have learned much. But you are still little more than a beast."
Yun grabbed a practice sword from against the wall and came swinging at Scarface. The raptor dodged and was able to put forth a few strikes himself. Appearing to be trying hard, Scarface made it look like Yun was gaining the upper hand. A few strikes were allowed to land, giving Yun a sense of false confidence. Scarface had indeed learned many things, but among the most critical was that of deception.
Twisting his arm for a parry, Yun lashed out and as expected Scarface dodged. Yun smiled inwardly. This technique had always landed a critical blow again
st the raptor. Without altering his grip, the master swung sideways only to see the raptor dodge once again and come in fast with a counterstrike. The blow landed solidly against Yun, causing him to stagger. The students gasped as their master recomposed himself and entered a ready stance. What he saw next was unprecedented.
With three quick movements, Scarface lashed against the leather binding on his restraints. The weights and coverings for his claws fell to the ground and all went silent within the room. Scarface crouched low and roared, causing the air to vibrate. Yun's gaze narrowed.
"So this was your plan," Yun growled. "You become weary of regular combat so you shed your restraints. Very well, but death is the only outcome now!" Throwing the practice blade aside, Yun removed his top clothing and with it, his own weighted shackles. The Dragon tattoo appeared to come alive over the rippling muscles of the master, flexing and twisting as if it were itself a sentient being.
At a shouted command, a hooded guard unsheathed his blade and tossed it to Yun. The master made a fanciful display of technique before cutting through a wooden pillar. The pillar stood motionless for a moment before sliding against a perfect cut.
Scarface roared and charged, met by a battle cry from Yun. The two executed an exchange of movements that would be a blur to the naked eye, yet with their heightened senses they could see, predict, and dodge every technique.
While Yun was limited mostly due to his use of the sword, every part of Scarface's body was a weapon. The free claws on hand and foot, his jaws, tail, snout, and even his chest were all used offensively. Unable to block attacks as the humans could, Scarface had long since tuned his body to dodge and use the momentum to counter the opponent's strike.
Yun, despite his speed and experience, was unable to land a single solid blow on the attacking raptor. Minor cuts were all he could manage, bits of red and green plumage from the raptor falling to the ground with the occasional drop of blood. Nevertheless, Yun, too, suffered the same way.
Scarface jumped and spun, lashing out whenever an opening presented itself. His animal reflexes were already advanced beyond that of normal humans, but three years of constant training had advanced them to a degree never before seen. Humans tired quickly, even while surging with adrenaline. However, being a born hunter, Scarface could last longer.
A falter in Yun's step and Scarface made his advance. Dodging a strike, he continued forward and knocked Yun off his feet. Before the human landed, Scarface was already making motions for his next strike. A quick motion with his elongated killing claw was all he needed. After hitting his mark, the raptor retreated and slowed his breathing.
"Fool," Yun said from the ground. "If your intent was to kill me then you should have finished the job!"
Yun stood, but immediately collapsed upon putting pressure on his right foot. He had felt a strong pain behind his ankle but his long training had made him block it out. Upon examining the wound, he felt a cold sweat forming. His Achilles tendon had been severed by the raptor’s claw. Narrowing his eyes, the master swore an ancient Chinese curse. Scarface had not intended to kill him yet. He first wanted to make the master suffer.
Rising once again, Yun did his best to charge. However, with only one functioning foot, his technique was off and he quickly found his sword-wielding arm in the jaws of the raptor. A quick twist broke the bone and forced the forearm to bend unnaturally. Before the human could recover, Scarface pushed Yun to the ground and dug his elongated claw into the man's shoulder. He twisted slowly and despite decades of experience and training, Yun cried out in pain.
The student's could only watch their fallen master, either from sense of honor or fear they did not come to his aid. Scarface was standing over the master now, placing his jaws around the man's head. Slowly, he began to twist. Unable to resist, Yun Chow could only scream at the pain and sounds of his own neck breaking.
A final breath and then an involuntary muscle spasm from the human, and Scarface dropped the lifeless body of his nemesis. A sense of power flowed through him. He eyed the students and guards, and then roared. The sound shook windows as it reverberated through the halls. A guard screamed, followed by another as they unsheathed their blades, and charged. Looking at the oncoming threats, Scarface could have smiled.
****
Trevor entered the training area to the sounds of screams and battle. He had intended on checking the progress of his raptor pet, but what he saw before him appeared to be out of a horror movie. Guards and students alike were thrown all over, many torn apart and unrecognizable. A few were trying to remove themselves from the scene while holding gaping wounds. In the midst of it all was Scarface.
The bounty hunter's eyes widened at the sight of his creature. Covered in blood and lashing out without mercy, he attacked not only those of the Black Dragon who attacked him but also those trying to flee. A berserker rage had overcome the raptor, causing him to attack anything and everything that moved.
Trevor could only watch as the organization he had heard so much about fell before the raptor's fury. Frozen by the spectacle, his muscles refused to obey. Scarface's gaze suddenly fell upon him and he fell backward as the killer ran full speed, shrieking in primal bloodlust.
"Scarface, wait!" Trevor screamed.
Scarface suddenly slowed and stopped before the fallen man. Clarity returned to his brain as he recognized the man who had taken him in from his home on Dinoworld. Realization set in that this was the only one who could return him home and allow vengeance to be brought upon those who had wronged him.
The room was silent now, all survivors having fled the scene. Blood stained the floor and covered the majority of the raptor's body. Knowing they could not stay, Trevor motioned for Scarface to follow.
"We're going to be wanted by the Black Dragon," said Trevor, uncertain if his saurian companion was capable of understanding. "We have to lay low for a while. But I think you have had enough training. You will be by my side from now on. I still have some things to show you, but now you're ready to test the practical application of what you have learned."
Chapter 14
"We need to lay low for a while," Trevor said as he led Scarface by a leash through the spaceport terminal. The raptor was stressed being in restraints once again, but did his best not to let it show. "I know you hate this thing but we have to be inconspicuous."
Trevor felt odd saying it, as leading a six-foot dinosaur by the leash was anything but subtle. However, this particular spaceport was commonplace for those of unique professions. Bounty hunters, smugglers and black market suppliers all chose this one in particular. It was more costly, but fewer questions were asked. If any ship was caught on the scanners landing outside specified zones or without authorization, a heavy fine ensued along with the common confiscation of everything on board.
A few odd glances made Trevor uncomfortable but none dared approach someone who had a raptor by their side. Once the clearance papers were signed, the duo made their way into a docking bay. There sat Trevor's spacecraft. Modified from a pre-war military cruiser it was box shaped with a narrow cockpit. The rear had four holding cells, a lavatory, and a cooking station. A variety of weapons was hidden in panels all along the interior and a special seating area had just been added for the benefit of Scarface.
Approaching the craft, Scarface was nervous about entering it. It had been nearly four years since he had set foot in such a contraption, and even then, he was on the verge of death so did not remember much.
"Everything is in order, sir," a man said as he checked a series of boxes on a digital handheld monitor. "You may depart when ready."
Trevor nodded. He was about to enter his craft when a man shouting in Mandarin ran into the bay. He pointed at Trevor, reached to his side, and grabbed a pistol. Trevor was quicker on the draw and managed to fire twice, both bullets hitting the man in the chest.
"Get inside!" Trevor shouted. Scarface complied, though the fres
h violence pulled the primal instinct within him to find more victims. The raptor stood inside as the side door closed and air hissed as the seal connected.
Jumping into the flight chair, Trevor hurriedly pressed a sequence of buttons. The engines began to scream while in the doorway outside, five more Chinese men entered and immediately opened fire upon the craft. Reinforced bulletproofing ensured the safety of the occupants, but the psychological fear remained.
The craft lifted a few inches from the ground and Trevor pressed a red button. A cannon emerged from the right side of the craft and fired a single rocket. The explosion destroyed the wall next to the men, killing them with the shock wave.
"Guess this means we aren't welcome on Khepri anymore," said Trevor. Purging the boosters, the bounty hunter clipped the exit portal with his craft, causing Scarface to stagger in the back. The raptor hissed as he regained his footing. "Sorry."
"Attention departing spacecraft," a voice over the radio said. "You are in direct violation of-” Trevor flipped a switch that ended the transmission. He pressed a couple other buttons and flew upward. Moments later, the sky went from blue to a star-filled blackness.
"You might want to brace yourself," Trevor said, knowing the raptor had no idea what was coming. Nearly a dozen spacecraft with blinking red and blue lights on top approached quickly. An alarm sounded, letting Trevor know that the police craft were targeting him. "I always hate this part."