Draka

Drunk on the carnage I had unleashed, on the fear in the humans’ eyes and on my own power, I left the harbour flying fast and low. I crossed the breakwater and turned north, dropping the dead man I carried to be swallowed by the waves as soon as I was out of sight of the lighthouse. I’d only grabbed the body to give the boys some plausible deniability, and it was reminding me uncomfortably of the fact that I was hungry. In less than a minute I reached the cave where the sewers discharged into the sea and there, proud creature that I was, I shifted and entered the least glamorous part of the city.

I didn’t care. Nothing could assail my mood that night. A chain on my soul had been struck, and I was free. Too many people had seen me for their stories to be dismissed, and soon anyone who mattered would know. There would be no stories about wyverns, and anyone who’d seen a shadow move in the corner of their eye would wonder. They would know, and they would fear, and I revelled in it.

It was better this way. How can you fear what you do not know?

At that specific moment, however, what mattered was not what anyone might know or think of me. It was to rejoin my humans, and to make sure that they were safe. As unburdened as I felt, I still wished to keep my association with them secret as long as I could. Mak had told me all about her fears, what might happen if we were connected beyond doubt, and I agreed. I could only hope that tonight was not enough for that to happen, and that there was not an ambush planned if the harbour pirates failed, but all the hope in Mallin and a Peacock was worth a Peacock. Thus I needed to get out of the sewers and find them, wherever they may be, and make sure that they were safe.

I could sense Mak, and I followed that sensation the best I could. Wherever two sewer tunnels joined they grew wide enough for me to shift back and recover, which was… unpleasant. The air was barely breathable at best but that was the least horrible part of it, and I considered myself truly blessed that anything that was not part of me fell right off when I shifted.

It took a few false turns and far longer than I might have liked, but I finally found a place where a high lip separated the sewer from the drains. Once I was over I felt more comfortable, back on familiar ground, as it were, and I started really following Mak. From what I could tell she had left the docks, but she had not returned to the inn, which they should have had plenty of time to do. Instead they were heading north-east, and I had no idea what their destination might be. But they were moving at a steady walking pace, not running. That was a good sign.

Doing my best to take whichever tunnel would get me closer I followed, keeping my eyes open for a break in the wall, but finally I got fed up and started testing drains, emerging into the street through the first opening that could accommodate me.

No alarm bells rang in the city. There was no panic, no crowds whispering fearfully in the street. Instead a normal night was setting in. The streets had cleared as they always would, and slinking along on roofs and in the shadows was easy. That was good, of course. Convenient. Yet I couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed. The memory of screams behind me as I threw myself out across the harbour was still fresh, and the pleasure that it gave me was almost more than I could handle. I felt fulfilled in a way that I couldn’t have predicted, as though I had achieved a goal that I’d never known I had. As I moved along, getting ever closer to my target, I thought back on all the times I’d driven fear into the heart of some human, and I realised that, yes, it had filled me with a base joy.

I remembered the way that Mak’s spirit had broken under the weight of that fear, and a stab of shame snapped me out of my self-indulgent musing. Taking pleasure in the fear of others? Even those who had done nothing to me? What was I? That was a very draconic thing, I knew that deep down. And it was a part of me. But it wasn’t all of me, and it was something I would have to keep a close watch on. I’d let myself operate entirely on instinct ever since I left that roof overlooking the harbour, and it was far too easy, too comfortable, to just keep doing that. To relax, not worry, just take everything as it came and either destroy or dominate anyone in my way.

It was frightening just how fun I could see it being to be a monster, and I couldn’t let that happen.

I crossed a final block of roofs, and I found them. What I saw made me… displeased. My humans, or four of them at least, were being marched along inside a square of city guards, with Ardek, Rib, and Pot and the others that I didn’t know but thought were probably Wolves following along behind. Pot was carrying a familiar box of red lacquered wood in his hands. I felt oddly pleased that Tam and Val hadn’t sold it, even though it was no doubt very valuable. The rest of what I assumed was the boys’ luggage was distributed among the group, along with all of my humans’ weapons.

I had thought that I’d shed enough blood for one evening. Clearly I’d been mistaken. A furious anger rose inside me and I prepared to leap into their midst to show, again, just what happened to those who’d steal from me, but as I did Mak began to scan the shadows and rooftops, and I delayed, simply following along long enough for her to find me. When she did we locked eyes, and she shook her head, the motion small but her expression pleading.

I scowled, but nodded once. Fine. I’d trust her, and I’d give them a chance to talk their way out. Pot had what was presumably the treasure, so that was safe, at least. But my Herald, my Mak, and the boys were being taken somewhere, and I didn’t like it one bit.

The place they were being taken to was a building made of solid sandstone, thick and sturdy, with a banner above the door bearing the city’s emblem of a mountain rising out of the sea. The little family was brought inside. The Wolves, however, were denied entry, but Rib was not having it. She drew herself up in a way that I’d never seen before and, while I couldn’t hear her exact words, she spoke in a clipped, confident way that made it entirely clear that she was used to being listened to and obeyed. They let her in. Her Young Ladyship Terriallon Rebatia of Tavvanar was clearly not quite as easy to say ‘no’ to as Rib the mercenary. She returned outside after a few minutes, looking no more satisfied than she had when she entered.

That made me even more displeased. But I’d give my people a chance to talk their way out. I understood. They wanted to hide their connection to me – and perhaps give the guards a chance – and I agreed. It was safer that way. But if I was not satisfied with their results I would take charge, and I would do it my way. For the sake of the guards, I hoped that they’d listen.

I spent most of my wait watching the Wolves and the lacquered lockbox in their charge. While I trusted the cousins well enough, I knew nothing about the others, or any of the few passers-by. And the amount of gold and silver that we could assume was in that box… money can change people. I caught even Rib and Pot, certified aristocrats, throwing the odd, lingering look, and I kept my eyes on them until they came to their senses.

Mak only ever moved a little bit. I could imagine her pacing a cell or something like that, worried that I might smash my way in to free them at any moment. And she was right to worry. We were close enough that she should be able to sense that I waited, still as a statue but with little patience, my blood up and the desire to just pop off boiling inside me.

The idea of her fearing a rescue amused me for a while, but mostly I was relieved that I could still sense her. The idea that someone might try to quietly get rid of them was at the top of my list of reasons to simply go get them, but I held myself back. I had promised myself that I would trust Herald’s and Mak’s judgement, and if not then, well, when? I knew next to nothing about the law or keeping the peace in the city, and Mak had practically begged me not to get involved. And so, on edge and very frustrated, I waited.

About an hour after Herald and the others had been brought inside the guardhouse, or courthouse, or jail or whatever it was, a younger man exited and ran off towards the high city. Two hours after that the same man, accompanied by a large, elderly, and very unhappy woman wearing an extremely expensive-looking robe, as well as a number of burly men who had the look of personal guards. The men at the door scrambled to let her in, and she spent less than five minutes inside before leaving again, looking no happier but with a considerably faster gait than she’d come. Two minutes after her I saw Herald step through the door, followed by the others. As soon as Mak came outside her eyes found me, and she quickly touched her chest and bowed her head in thanks, drawing a few looks. She ignored them.

The group of Wolves was no smaller than it had been, and there were cheerful, if sleepy, greetings and congratulations all around before they all began moving in the general direction of the inn. I followed them closely on the rooftops, keeping low but unconcerned about being spotted as roosting birds fled before me. Tam urged the Wolves not staying at Her Grace’s Favour to head back to their own beds, with his thanks, but not one of them did. Tam and Val, it seemed, had plenty of friends among the mercenaries, and they were determined to see the travellers safely delivered.

“I wasn’t expecting to go back to jail quite so soon,” Tam said to Rib when the conversation lulled.

“Yeah, most people don’t,” Rib said cheerfully. “Glad it wasn’t longer, though. We were getting worried out here.”

“Well, I heard that Her Young Ladyship threatened to involve her cousin,” he said as they moved along.

“I may have lost my patience just a little,” she admitted.

“The Lady Justice Sampralia was not happy about being brought out so late,” Tam continued. “Luckily for us, she was even less happy that it was because Mak here had been taken into custody. Apparently she remembers my sisters vaguely, but in quite a good light. And she was one of the Councillors to vote in favour of granting our family citizenship, years back, so seeing all three of the city’s Tekereteki citizens in custody… not happy.”

“So…?”

Tam grinned. “So she threatened to send the night Commander to serve the rest of his career as a guard captain at a salt mine somewhere if he didn’t either give a good reason, or release us immediately. Say what you want about privilege and corruption, but damn, it’s nice when it works in your own favour!”

Rib sighed. “I do miss being able to just order people around, sometimes. Cousin Mordo’s gonna be pissed that I hauled my rank out just to piss on some poor guard’s boots, but beloved Mercies, it felt good!”

“They ever say what they were hauling you in for?” Pot asked. “Officially, I mean?”

“‘Disturbing the peace,’ they said. As though we had anything to do with anything. Even then they had no standing to bring in my sisters.”

“Well, Herald…” Rib said. “Anyway, not your fault those pirates pissed of Dra…” Rib barely caught herself. She threw a quick glance at the other Wolves, but no one seemed to have noticed. “That creature. Sorry. Hiccups. Too much stimulant.”

“Don’t worry, your Ladyship,” one of the Wolves said, dropping his voice. “It’s the worst kept secret in the Company. We know, right? Hell, the raid on those forest bandits in the north, half of us here were there! We’ve seen it.”

“Uh, right,” Rib said. It was hard to tell from where I was, but I thought she looked a little embarrassed.

“And the secret meetings the Commander’s been on? Garal clearing the hall for five minutes at a time? It’s been pretty obvious that something’s been going on. Maybe not this, but…”

One if the women weighed in. “I was at both the lake, after the nasty business with the camp there, and at the raid. You see a… what we saw once, you’re not sure what you saw. Twice, you start to wonder, you know? Three times…”

“And always around you all,” the first guy said, looking at Herald and Mak. “Or Garal and Lalia. We’re not stupid,” he laughed. “Just figured the less we said about it the better.”

I wasn't all that surprised, really. I knew that plenty of the Wolves had seen me at least once. Rallon had ordered them to keep it secret, but it wasn’t like that was ever going to stop a bunch of mercs from talking among themselves. For a moment I considered just jumping down there with them, to see what they’d do, but… nah. That would make it too obvious. I should probably talk to Rallon about a formal introduction to the company, though.

The group walked in silence for a block. We had probably all thought that the secret was better kept, but it didn’t matter any more.

“So,” Tam said, breaking the silence, “you didn’t miraculously give up your little vials while we were away, then?”

Rib laughed. “Hah! Not on your life. I’d offer you some, the way you two look, but we’re halfway to bed already.”

“Sleep will be difficult already,” Val said, but I wasn’t so sure. The man looked asleep on his feet already. “I fear the morning will be lost.”

“And what do we need the morning for, love?” Tam said. “Let’s sleep in! Live a little!”

“My forms–”

“Can wait, or you can miss one morning in a thousand. We’re home! Besides, look at my sisters! We’ll sleep until they get up, and then we’ll have the most opulent breakfast imaginable to celebrate! What do you say, boys and girls?” He turned, taking in the whole party. “Spiced teas and fruit bread and honeyed fishes and anything else you could desire, paid for by your humble servant!”

“We’re all on duty or patrol tomorrow,” a Wolf answered cheerfully, “but if you can extend the celebration to the evening, we’ll be there!”

“That's settled then! A fine breakfast around noon, and a fine dinner and drink in the evening!”

Val, off balance at the quick back and forth, just nodded, while the sisters behind them grinned.

Herald and Mak looked so happy to see the boys, back and free, that I almost didn’t want to get involved. But unfortunately there were things that we all needed to learn from each other, so half an hour later I was waiting on the roof of the Favour for everyone to get inside. I didn’t need to wait long. The Wolves, other than Rib and Pot, said their goodbyes. There were renewed promises to meet up the next night without a location ever being mentioned, there were handshakes and hugs, and then my half of the group headed inside. I didn’t wait, but simply shifted and drifted in through the same window I’d left open that morning.

I settled on the floor. Soon I heard cheerful, if muted, voices in the hallway outside, which ended with a, “Come in for a moment! Let’s talk!” from Mak. Then the lock rattled, and Mak opened the door, greeting me silently with a rare look of mischief on her face. I grinned at her.

Tam jumped when he walked through the door and saw me. Val, who came in behind him carrying the lockbox and bringing the mixed scents of gold and silver with him, merely startled. That was a fairly strong reaction for him, though. “Draka, good to see you again,” he said and gave me a simple nod.

Tam was less restrained. “Draka!” he said with a smile, his voice choked as he held himself back. “Traveller take me, but you scared me! You’re here! In the city! And you were terrifying! Are you out now? No more hiding?”

Out. That was certainly one way of describing it.

“I suppose that I am,” I said. “I will not be walking the streets openly or flying across the city during the day, but enough people must have seen me in the harbour that my existence won’t be secret anymore.”

Tam’s smile softened to something fonder. “In the harbour? So that was… you were still hiding until just now? You threw that away for us?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said. “For the treasure, of course.”

“Clearly,” Val said somberly. “Much effort and risk was spared, your way, instead of waiting for the pirates to take the treasure somewhere secret. A great inconvenience, avoided.”

“Can we talk now?” Tam asked. “Why were there pirates in the harbour, and why did it seem like you all expected something to happen? I tried to get some answers out of these two,” he indicated Herald and Mak, who’d come in behind him, “but they kept telling us to be patient. Also,” he turned directly to Ardek, who stood with the sisters, “I feel like I recognise you, but can I finally get some answers about who you are and what you’re doing here, with us? No offence, but you look a little younger than Mak usually likes ‘em, and Herald was spoken for last I asked.”

Rib and Pot came in, closing the door behind them, and with everyone crowded into the small room, Mak sighed. “Tam, Val, you two should sit down.”

“Why?” Tam looked around, his smile turning slightly nervous. “Why do I feel like I’m not going to like this?”

“Here,” Val said, putting his hands on Tam’s shoulders and gently pulling him down to sit on one of the beds. “Listening to Mak would be best, I think.”

Mak didn’t ease them in. “A week after you left for Tavvanar, the slavers grabbed me off the street as I was stumbling home, blind drunk,” she began, and Tam’s face fell. “The next day they took Herald.”

When we filled them in further there was anger, and there were tears. Herald and Mak spared Tam and Val the details of what had been done to them, but Tam wouldn’t let his sisters go for several minutes once he got his arms around them, cursing the slavers for what they’d done, the gods for allowing it, and himself for having left. Ardek had wisely chosen to position himself as far away as he could from Tam before Mak got to the part where he was one of the Blossom’s guards, and Tam lunged for him. With two people holding him and another two and one dragon between him and Ardek nothing came of it, and we managed to calm him down by telling him how helpful and contrite Ardek had been since then.

We told them almost everything. We told them about breaking out, though not how I got loose. About staying with the Wolves and leaving Karakan. We told them about the gate and my mountain, about Barro – who Val did indeed remember fondly – and about the raiders in the south and the fire. We told them about the bear, and about flying, which got some laughs and some appropriately impressed noises. We told them about the refugee camp, soon to be a village, and they both approved wholeheartedly of my decision to let the northerners stay. They were very disappointed with the innkeeper, but understood that there was little he could have done to resist.

Mak even told them about her new advancement. All that we left out, really, was just how bad it had been between Mak and myself, and the details of my relationships with Herald, Mak, and Ardek. They would need to know some day, but it was too soon.

They were a little uncertain about Kira.

“So this mercenary. She’s, what? Your pet?” Tam asked me cautiously.

“Prisoner,” I corrected. “And only until I hand her over. Or that was the plan, at least. Now I’m not so sure.”

“So you’re keeping her?”

“She’s staying.”

“But you’re keeping her there, at the mountain. Your home. Because you want to, not because she asked to be there. But she’s not under guard or anything. So…”

“She’s not a pet!”

“But she is a young-ish woman that you abducted–”

“Captured! She’s a mercenary!”

“Fine, yes, that you captured, and now you’re keeping her at your mountain. But she’s not a prisoner?”

“She’s free to move around as she wants. She just… can’t really leave. There’s forest all around and she doesn’t speak Karakani.”

“So you’d let her leave if she wanted to?”

“She is mine!” I snapped. “She has nowhere to go, and your city will make her a slave, at best, if I turn her over. So, fine. Yes! I am keeping her, and that is that.”

“Alright, alright,” Tam said, his palms up. “I just wanted everything to be clear. And Ardek…?”

“I work for her, I just can’t quit,” he volunteered cheerily. “Paid me a Dragon up front, though! Better boss than the Blossom, so far.”

Tam was looking pretty haggard at that point, though he had Mak on one side, Val on the other, and Herald holding him from behind. “Right. Alright. Mercies, I need to sleep on all of this. Can we put off our story until tomorrow? It’s nowhere near as dramatic as all this, but…”

“The story, yes,” I said. “But there’s one thing that can’t wait. I’ve waited for too many weeks. Tell me. I have to know. How much did you get?”

“Enough?” Tam said. “Can we leave it at that? Enough that we should leave it in the room that has a dragon guarding it, just to be sure?”

I felt the irritation rising, and Mak must have too, because she stepped in. “Go on, Tam. Just tell us! What’s the problem?”

“I just…” he began, but trailed off.

Val scrutinised his lover for a few seconds, then said, “There is a great deal of coin. I trust everyone in this room, except, and I ask your forgiveness, Ardek.”

Ardek gave a ‘fair enough’ kind of shrug.

“But you all have taken him into your confidence, and so shall I. Tam, is this because of what we talked about, on the ship?”

Tam looked back at Val, then sighed. “Yes.”

“Then there is a solution. Draka. Will you promise to remain with us, or near us, until we can secure the treasure?”

“Yes?” I said, confused why they would even ask. “Of course I will.”

“There will be no immediate departure, to take your share back to your hoard?”

Oh. That… was actually a reasonable concern. Knowing myself I might have done just that. “I…” I said, and hesitated. Could I promise that? My share would not feel as though it was truly mine until I’d brought it home, but surely I wasn’t that weak? Besides, my humans were still in danger, and I had to keep them safe.

“Yes,” I said, confidently. “I can promise that.”

“Very well,” Val said. “Tam, do you wish to…?”

Tam raised his head, and he was grinning. “You do it, love. Tell them.”

“Five pounds,” Val said, and began to grin, himself. “Five pounds of gold was paid, or rather, its equivalent in gold, silver, and gemstones. Four hundred Dragons, in various recognised coinages. Less our expenses for the journey, and a full sixth share set aside for the Three, sixty-six Dragons each, and some Eagles and Peacocks.”

Herald’s eyes lit up. Her face split in a grin only matched by the one she’d worn after the first time we flew together. Then she fell back against the wall, her feet kicking wildly to either side of Tam as she clamped both hands over her mouth and squealed with pure, avaricious joy.