The group went to a tent right in the middle of the clearing. A green haired woman saw them entering and disappeared to the back of the tent. Bill heard some clattering and then she came back carrying a tablet with coffee mugs and a very very good smelling huge pot of coffee. Bill immediately felt a bit salivating. He loved coffee, it was one of his traits. His staff always laughed when he was grumpy because he hadn't his coffee.

A mug full with the liquid from heaven was passed to him and everybody sat down. Bill looked around, shrugged with his shoulders and sat down at the floor like the others. He wasn't picky with his places to sit.

Rebecca looked at him intently. He felt like he was weighed and may pass - or not. Finally she smiled. "Welcome to the team, General Bill Chaplain." she said and it felt like an official welcome.

Bill cocked an eyebrow. "We'll see. All I know about you is what our secret service told us. Which wasn't too much. Your lines are pretty tight." He heard a light chuckling from the dragon behind him and smiled himself. It was almost funny how the almighty services pissed themselves because even they didn't see that coming. They had no clue that something like "supernaturals" even exist. Some heads already rolled, in one case literally. And more would roll, he was pretty sure of that.

Rebeccas smile broadened. "So, then ask and you shall get an answer." she stated. Bill sighed. "Where to start?" he thought a bit but decided to go with the most obvious one. "Okay, let's sort this. I got a little message at my doorstep that the human government was planning to rain nukes over the areas where they thought supernaturals were hiding. How come that you knew so much earlier than me? I am a high ranked General, I should've known this." Rebeccas smile was now a fine one. "And what would you have done, my dear General?"

Bill sighed. "Trying to talk them out of it, of course. No, not trying. Doing." Rebecca shook her head. "You really don't know it, do you?" she asked him. Bill cocked his head. "What?" The red haired woman nodded in Yanniks direction, who got up and fetched a thick file out of a box. He passed it to Bill who started to read. For a long time there was silence in the tent, while Bill skimmed through his personal Service file. He had no clue where they got it from, but he knew it was the real document. It summed his life up to every point. And he was shocked how detailed it was.

Rebecca cleared her throat. "The last two pages are the important ones." she decleared, indicating that she read the file thoroughly. He opened the pages and stiffened. In sober words there was his killing blow not only to his career but to his freedom also and maybe his life. The Service Informations clearly stated that he wouldn't carry the decision to nuke the homeland to get rid of the Supernaturals and that he would change sides as soon as he realized that he can't change this decision. He was declared a security risk and a potential traitor, illoyal to the government.

Which no longer served the people but itself.

Slowly he closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge between his eyes. He could felt a headache coming. He smiled tiredly at Rebecca who gave him the space he needed to process everything. "My family. What about them? They can take them as hostages." he said anxiously. Rebecca shook her head. "Already taken care of, your family is in one of our inner sanctuaries. No threat can reach them there. I promise this. Those places are our most protected places."

Bill knew he couldn't do much more than to trust the words of the woman in front of him. He stood up and went to the entrance of the tent, deep in thought. He thought of his men he tried to protect in all those wars. He thought of his family, who may or may not are staying in a safe haven. He thought of is friends, of his job, his staff members. And of his life long friend. The feeling of betrayal was that great he felt like suffocating. All the years, all the lives gone. For a man who was barely the caricature of the man he once was. Was he? At this point he started to doubt everything.

He realized that he fed a monster. With the lives of his men. He knew the feeling of being dirty wasn't something he could wash away. Ever. He gave himself a little time to mourn the years he had to consider as wasted to a dream only he was dreaming. 

He was never ashamed to shed tears if the occasion came up and this was one of them.

He straightened his shoulders and turned around, his eyes still wet. He was surprised when he saw Rebecca standing right behind him. "And now, my dear General, we need a plan to stop this insanity. We need to take the nukes out of the game. Forever. And we need you for something we can't do: Tactics. We are no soldiers and although we know a lot about fighting we don't know nothing about wars. And I think this is the way we are going: Right into war. We need your help."

Bill nodded. Maybe this was a way to pay back some of his huge loan to fate. He was always the one paying his bills.

He looked to the dragon and smiled sadly. "Now, I guess. It's about time" referring to his question earlier. The dragon nodded. He laid his fist at the right side of his chest, looking at him determined. "You can call me Illuminatus. I am the heir to my mother, the mighty Dragon Queen. And your protector as long as you need me." 

Illuminatus stood straight and proud, pledging his loyalty to the human. Vin took a sharp intake of breath. Bill didn't know yet how rare and how big of an honor this pledge was. Bill bowed his head a little and answered: "Loyalty is never a given. Loyalty is earned. The same way you'll protect me, I will protect you. This vow is not one sided." and after a second he added, grinning sheepishly: "Although I have no idea how a human could possibly protect you from something what's really threatening to a 55 ft big dragon." The tension broke with a light chuckle and Bill got serious again.

"Rebecca, I need my staff. At least those who are still loyal to me. And we need to build up the infrastructure. First of all we need communication. A hospital. A reliable chain of supplies, I don't want anyone to starve." a light chuckling interrupted him. "Yes, Yannik?" he asked formally. "Don't bother about the supplies. You've got some of the toughest shifter packs here, they will hunt any game down."

Bill stared at the man for a while until he felt a little uncomfortable and started squirming. Then he explained: "They can't hunt fresh water. And there might be times where the enemies are too close and we can't leave the camp. I don't want to rely on the bones then." he stated and turned his back to the group, gazing at the grey sky signing the dawning of the day.

The green haired women quipped up. "Maybe I know the right person for a good hospital." Rebecca turned around. "Fiona?" the woman looked determined. "A fire witch, a dryad and a cat shifter. And a human woman who is a nurse." Rebecca looked at Bill questioningly. He shrugged his shoulders. "If they know what to do if there is an injury, I'm fine with them." Fiona jumped up eagerly. "Okay, let's go." She looked at the dragon expectantly. "We need a ride." The dragon just laughed and got up. "Then come, green fairy. I'll give you the ride." Fiona stomped with her foot and ran out of the tent, yelling: "I'm a dryad. Not a fairy. We don't do the wingthing. What do you think what I need you for? My wings are just decoration!" With that dragon and dryad disappeared.

The others chuckled, but Bill had no sense for any fun right now. He was in Commandmode, how his staff would call it. Which he needed desperately by the way. He felt like working without limbs right now.

Rebecca passed him a sheet of paper and a pen. "Write a list. Everything else is our business." He hesitated a second. "Can you tell me why I even trust you?" Rebecca smiled at him warmly. "Because we kept our word."

#########

Abigail wandered around in her apartment. Her anxiety was already palpable in the room, when she paced back and forth. In forty minutes the taxi would arrive and taking her to the airport. She caught one of the last planes to Australia, the only country which hadn't closed his gates for US citizens already. Not that that would mean much, the refugee camps of Australia were legendary.

The young woman looked at her suitcases. She was only allowed to take two small ones with her. Her whole life, concentrated into two small suitcases. Abigail wasn't too sad about it. Her life was over and seeing that she could left her blasted accountance job was a blessing. It was the future which was dark. And she really didn't know what this future would hold for her. And for sure it would be way better than to face the certain death. She saw how this woman killed George. She knew what those "Supernaturals" were able to. And she feared them to the core of her bone.

Another ten minutes of pacing around. Thirty minutes. To distract herself she turned on the news and wished immediately she didn't do it. The anchorman just announced that Canberra decided to close all ports and airports. Incoming planes would land but all US citizens would sent back after a refuel. No exemptions.

Abigail still sat at her sofa, staring blankly at the tv set which just carried out her death sentence. Australia was her last resort. There was no place left. No place to hide. She didn't notice the slender figure which climbed through the open window. She didn't notice the slight smell of fresh flowers and sunlight. Not before it was too late and the dust the dryad blew over her let her fall asleep in an instant.

"Was this really necessary? Carrying dead weight is not really funny, she can't hold herself up." Fiona turned around. "Ooooh the wittle dragon is complaining about a heavy load?" she cooed and pinced his cheeks." Illuminatus swatted her hands away and scolded. "You better find something to strap her safely. If she woke up right on a dragons back in 1500 ft I am not the one to hold her down before she knocks herself down. And I tell you: If she's peeing on my back YOU are the one to scrub that away." Fiona grinned. "Deal. Come on, let us find something." After a thorough search through the tiny apartment they found some belts and ropes who would fit and allow them to strap her to one of Illuminatus back spikes. Illuminatus carried the sleeping woman to the roof of the house and changed into his dragon form. "Hurry up" he hissed in her mind. "This roof is made out of paper or something like that. I really have no desire to crack through it."

Fiona giggled. "Time for a diet, huh? How sound carrots and broccoli for the next weeks?" Illuminatus snorted. "First of all: Sammy will have my hide for stealing his broccoli. Secondly: I think I'll use your well for my next dump?" Fiona gasped. "You wouldn't dare." The dragon shifted carefully. "Try me." Fiona hurried to strap the woman into the ropes and then she patted his shoulder. "Lift off, Darling, we need to catch a witch." Slowly Illuminatus lifted off and then roared into the blue sky.