Uno

Important Note to Reader: This story, although fictitious, lends from past experiences, and some parts are obviously, made up and/or exaggerated. Characters do not refer to any particular individual, dead or alive. If it does, and you do feel a pinch... well, do something about it.

* * *

The shiny rainbow dragon (SRD) was at it again.

No kidding...anything within his vicinity that wasn't bolted down, ricocheted around his glamorously decorated cave, powered by his not-so-pent-up fury.
Furious (and rather silly) words tossed around like salad and vinaigrette-mustard sauce in a wooden bowl.. not caring that they cause injury to others.

So long as he feels that release.

Ahh....

Much better.


Now where did those @$#&!@# *&*%*! @#$&*$ hirelings of his disappear to?

* * *

Close by, the warriors held fast their ground.

"Whew...that was close!" exclaimed B1.

"Alaa.... biasalah" chimed B2. "You know the drill."

"I wonder if the SRD gets any kickbacks or payoffs from throwing his demonic tantrum about?" B3 quipped.

"Yah.... that's gotta be it, he has nothing else going for him anyway... he such a brainless louse!" B4 griped.

"Let's all just boycott the fella... that will teach him a lesson!" B2 countered.

"YEAH! Let's do it.. leave for another kingdom!" cheered B1

"But..." squeaked Mai-Noot, "You gotta admit that the P.U.s (Power Ups) he gives us is well worth taking all this s!@* for...plus the Kingdom is pretty well-established compared to other kingdoms... so I've heard."

"You're a wuss, Mai-Noot" barked B3. "But you are right again, in a twisted kind of way."

"Ah.. let's just surrender it to Fate." sighed B2 resignedly.

"Hey... is Fate a guy or a girl?" queried Mai-Noot.

"I dunno... does it matter?" B1 asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow at Mai-Noot.

"Well, if Fate is a chick, I wanna date her first!"

"....Uh..." B4 faltered.

"Whatever, dude." B2 rolled his eyes. The rest of the troop chuckled sarcastically.

B5 remained silent as the entire team carefully removed their emergency Kevlars before heading reluctantly back to their forts.

Nope, he is not and will not become like them...they have given up their hopes and dreams, and resigned themselves to the "fact" that they are useless-good-for-nothings who only deserve the SRD's hourly rantings. They have changed from themselves into bitter, depressed, hardened, ill-tempered and well, gossipy men. Only PUs matter now. No longer in top form, their grey matter (if one could view them) have over the years turned into something akin to over-boiled tapioca pudding.

Yuck.

He is going to move up, forward... anywhere but backward or downward.

Nothing that the SRD says - of him, his loved ones, his intellect, his beliefs, his creed.. nothing the SRD says is going to stop him from shining as his best.

He is going to create his own destiny.

Through God's will and God's grace, he definitely will.