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Description

    Axl abruptly awakened from his sleep in bed. He could hear loud voices speaking outdoors accompanied by the clinking of metal. His eyes shot wide open in recognition of the voices. “What, the. . .” he mumbles only for his wife to lay her arm back around his belly.
            “Stay in bed, hon,” she said with a yawn as she rested her head against his upper bare chest.

      Axl grimaces as the sores from yesterday throb in pain as he forces himself out of bed, gently allowing the head of Selena to slide off him.

    “Axlll!” Selena growled irritably as she sat up in bed.

    Axl walked over to his bedroom window blinds pulling them apart to peak through them. His jaw dropped in shock as his view confirmed his suspicions. On their lawn he saw his son standing with a red lanky raptor and a scarred gray crocodile. “What the heck is Red and Scar Scales doing here?!” snapped Axl.

    Selena shrugged. “I dunno. I guess word already got out about our crazy predicament.”

    Axl turned his head back to the window, with the edge of his snout touching the glass. He growled, whipping his tail back and forth.

    It had been quite a while since he had seen or heard from any of the Crossbones. The last time he had visited with them was a couple of years ago. At the time it was Selena’s idea that it would make for a great memory to throw a reunion party in the neighborhood, inviting old friends and acquaintances from the early years of the band. His son was defiant on wanting to meet the “heroic Crossbone pirates” he had heard so much of during his bed time stories. To the protest of Axl. He could not blame him to a degree. After all, he had been a boy once and went through the same phase of wanting to grow up to be a pirate himself someday. It was not the stories or dreams he protested so much as the prospect of his impressionable son meeting “savage buccaneers” in person. What if the encounter forever altered the path of his son’s life for the worst? In the end, he reluctantly conceded due to his wife reminding him that “if it weren’t for the Crossbones, he may have never seen or heard from her again. He knew inside it would not be right to not acknowledge the noble role of the pirates in saving the world from the certain clutches of an evil rat. Right as it may be, it still not change his understanding of pirates being the worst houseguests one could ever bring into their home.
            As he predicted, It was a rowdy night in the trailer park as sea salted scaled buccaneers drank and partied the night away, drunkenly singing off key chantey’s, and dancing until the inevitable brawl broke out. He learned early in his career that heavy metal rockers and motorcycle gangs ‘had nothing on the rowdiness of pirates.’ Even burly spikes and leather lizards like himself, knew to keep them at a distance. The deal breaker for him was when he noticed his son dancing with three crocodilians holding a mug of rum.

    It was weeks before the trailer park and inhabitants managed to clean up and recover from the disaster of a mess the pirates had left behind and even longer to get his son to stop mimicking their “idiotic dialect” and chanteys. The only consolation he was able to muster was through telling himself that it would remain a once in a lifetime experience. Nevertheless, his hopes of this had been shot down all at the sight of the two scaled buccaneers standing in the front lawn with his son.

    “No, no, NO!” grumbled Axl charging out of his bedroom.

     He heard his wife scolding him from behind, telling him to return. “You’re overreacting, Axl!”

    Axl swung the door open, causing it to whack the siding, startling the reptiles outside.

    “Oh!” exclaimed Red, flinching in surprise. He was bending over on one knee holding a large flat round object. To his side was Scar Scales holding a shovel.

    “Dad!” excitingly exclaimed Junior, snatching his hand. Axl turned his head, scanning his yard to notice small areas had been dug up and re filled.

    “What the heck are you doing to my lawn!” growled Axl furiously.

    “We’re placing landmines for the bad guys!” answered Junior.

    “What!?” cried Axl gritting his teeth and turning his attention to Red and Scar Scales. His tail angrily whipped back and forth.

    “What the kid said,” nervously chuckled Red laying down his wrench and clapping his gloves together. “We’re just layin’ some defenses for your home.”

    “Them rats won’t know what hit em,’ me matey!” cheerfully declared Scar Scales nodding his head as he leaned his elbow against the shovel. “Literally!”

       Axl felt his green head turn red with rage as he struggled to accept what he was hearing. “You came to my home without asking and began lying explosives all over my lawn around children!?”

    “It’s not what you think,” answered Red. These aren’t the old touchy mines they used in the wars of old. These are safe.”

            “If it has the capability of exploding, it is NOT safe!” argued Axl.

            “For cryin’ out loud, Axl!” retorted Red. They have safeties!”

            Before Axl could respond, an explosion thundered, shaking the ground while sending smoke and dirt their way. The reptiles coughed as they waved back the smoke. Once his vision had cleared, Axl noticed a large crater in the middle of his yard.

            “Way, cool!” cheered Junior bouncing up and down.

    Axl slowly turned his head, glaring at Red with protective fatherly anger.

    Red nervously chuckled. “Well, every now and then you’re gonna come across a dud.

            Scar Scales nodded from the side. “Aye, a dud.” Axl snorted, while grabbing Junior by the arm.

            “Hey, I wanna watch!” protested Junior in disappointment.

            “Too bad!” boomed Axl, dragging him toward the front of the trailer. Once they were out of view, Axl got down on one knee, glaring intently into his son’s eyes, flicking his tongue.

            “How do they know about the rats?”

            Junior pulled a rough metallic radio out of his pocket with a lizard skull and crossbones engraved on the front. “Red gave this to me during their last visit. He told me to call them if we ever needed their help.” Junior looked in both directions before cuffing the end of his snout as he whispered in a low voice. “It communicates on one of the Crossbone’s secret frequencies.”

            Axl raised his finger as he continued to lecture his son. “Son, next time a Crossbone pirate offers you a gift, you are not to accept it.”

            Junior rolled his eyes and snorted. “Pffft! Figures. They are the ones with all the cool stuff.”

            “I’ll get you a couple of walkie talkies next Christmas,” consoled Axl. Now let’s go get your mother and split this town.”

            Junior gave Axl a perplexed glance, tilting his head. “We’re leaving?”

            Axl nodded. “You better believe it. And until all the maniacs have moved on, we’re not coming back.”



Illustration by Randomthewolfskie

Thanks for reading!

Nightriders: Revenge of the Sewer Rats Part 6

Nightriders: Revenge of the Sewer Rats Part 1

Description

    Axl abruptly awakened from his sleep in bed. He could hear loud voices speaking outdoors accompanied by the clinking of metal. His eyes shot wide open in recognition of the voices. “What, the. . .” he mumbles only for his wife to lay her arm back around his belly.
            “Stay in bed, hon,” she said with a yawn as she rested her head against his upper bare chest.

      Axl grimaces as the sores from yesterday throb in pain as he forces himself out of bed, gently allowing the head of Selena to slide off him.

    “Axlll!” Selena growled irritably as she sat up in bed.

    Axl walked over to his bedroom window blinds pulling them apart to peak through them. His jaw dropped in shock as his view confirmed his suspicions. On their lawn he saw his son standing with a red lanky raptor and a scarred gray crocodile. “What the heck is Red and Scar Scales doing here?!” snapped Axl.

    Selena shrugged. “I dunno. I guess word already got out about our crazy predicament.”

    Axl turned his head back to the window, with the edge of his snout touching the glass. He growled, whipping his tail back and forth.

    It had been quite a while since he had seen or heard from any of the Crossbones. The last time he had visited with them was a couple of years ago. At the time it was Selena’s idea that it would make for a great memory to throw a reunion party in the neighborhood, inviting old friends and acquaintances from the early years of the band. His son was defiant on wanting to meet the “heroic Crossbone pirates” he had heard so much of during his bed time stories. To the protest of Axl. He could not blame him to a degree. After all, he had been a boy once and went through the same phase of wanting to grow up to be a pirate himself someday. It was not the stories or dreams he protested so much as the prospect of his impressionable son meeting “savage buccaneers” in person. What if the encounter forever altered the path of his son’s life for the worst? In the end, he reluctantly conceded due to his wife reminding him that “if it weren’t for the Crossbones, he may have never seen or heard from her again. He knew inside it would not be right to not acknowledge the noble role of the pirates in saving the world from the certain clutches of an evil rat. Right as it may be, it still not change his understanding of pirates being the worst houseguests one could ever bring into their home.
            As he predicted, It was a rowdy night in the trailer park as sea salted scaled buccaneers drank and partied the night away, drunkenly singing off key chantey’s, and dancing until the inevitable brawl broke out. He learned early in his career that heavy metal rockers and motorcycle gangs ‘had nothing on the rowdiness of pirates.’ Even burly spikes and leather lizards like himself, knew to keep them at a distance. The deal breaker for him was when he noticed his son dancing with three crocodilians holding a mug of rum.

    It was weeks before the trailer park and inhabitants managed to clean up and recover from the disaster of a mess the pirates had left behind and even longer to get his son to stop mimicking their “idiotic dialect” and chanteys. The only consolation he was able to muster was through telling himself that it would remain a once in a lifetime experience. Nevertheless, his hopes of this had been shot down all at the sight of the two scaled buccaneers standing in the front lawn with his son.

    “No, no, NO!” grumbled Axl charging out of his bedroom.

     He heard his wife scolding him from behind, telling him to return. “You’re overreacting, Axl!”

    Axl swung the door open, causing it to whack the siding, startling the reptiles outside.

    “Oh!” exclaimed Red, flinching in surprise. He was bending over on one knee holding a large flat round object. To his side was Scar Scales holding a shovel.

    “Dad!” excitingly exclaimed Junior, snatching his hand. Axl turned his head, scanning his yard to notice small areas had been dug up and re filled.

    “What the heck are you doing to my lawn!” growled Axl furiously.

    “We’re placing landmines for the bad guys!” answered Junior.

    “What!?” cried Axl gritting his teeth and turning his attention to Red and Scar Scales. His tail angrily whipped back and forth.

    “What the kid said,” nervously chuckled Red laying down his wrench and clapping his gloves together. “We’re just layin’ some defenses for your home.”

    “Them rats won’t know what hit em,’ me matey!” cheerfully declared Scar Scales nodding his head as he leaned his elbow against the shovel. “Literally!”

       Axl felt his green head turn red with rage as he struggled to accept what he was hearing. “You came to my home without asking and began lying explosives all over my lawn around children!?”

    “It’s not what you think,” answered Red. These aren’t the old touchy mines they used in the wars of old. These are safe.”

            “If it has the capability of exploding, it is NOT safe!” argued Axl.

            “For cryin’ out loud, Axl!” retorted Red. They have safeties!”

            Before Axl could respond, an explosion thundered, shaking the ground while sending smoke and dirt their way. The reptiles coughed as they waved back the smoke. Once his vision had cleared, Axl noticed a large crater in the middle of his yard.

            “Way, cool!” cheered Junior bouncing up and down.

    Axl slowly turned his head, glaring at Red with protective fatherly anger.

    Red nervously chuckled. “Well, every now and then you’re gonna come across a dud.

            Scar Scales nodded from the side. “Aye, a dud.” Axl snorted, while grabbing Junior by the arm.

            “Hey, I wanna watch!” protested Junior in disappointment.

            “Too bad!” boomed Axl, dragging him toward the front of the trailer. Once they were out of view, Axl got down on one knee, glaring intently into his son’s eyes, flicking his tongue.

            “How do they know about the rats?”

            Junior pulled a rough metallic radio out of his pocket with a lizard skull and crossbones engraved on the front. “Red gave this to me during their last visit. He told me to call them if we ever needed their help.” Junior looked in both directions before cuffing the end of his snout as he whispered in a low voice. “It communicates on one of the Crossbone’s secret frequencies.”

            Axl raised his finger as he continued to lecture his son. “Son, next time a Crossbone pirate offers you a gift, you are not to accept it.”

            Junior rolled his eyes and snorted. “Pffft! Figures. They are the ones with all the cool stuff.”

            “I’ll get you a couple of walkie talkies next Christmas,” consoled Axl. Now let’s go get your mother and split this town.”

            Junior gave Axl a perplexed glance, tilting his head. “We’re leaving?”

            Axl nodded. “You better believe it. And until all the maniacs have moved on, we’re not coming back.”



Illustration by Randomthewolfskie

Thanks for reading!

Nightriders: Revenge of the Sewer Rats Part 6

Nightriders: Revenge of the Sewer Rats Part 1