The Dragon Eaters

by Duke Kittle

  Chapter 9

  While Tina closed the holes which Kravek had left in the door of the Stumble Drum, she couldn't help but let her thoughts drift to the Akoan. He seemed like a kind enough man, but with his strength and size, he could be a real danger if he wished to be. Her thoughts turned to how easily Kravek had put a dent into a metal breastplate with his bare hands and the help of a knee.

  “He's a good man.” A low, feminine voice came from the end of the porch in front of the Stumble Drum.

  Tina lowered her hands and looked for the source of the voice. Standing at the end of the porch was the badger woman who had been cleaning the floor and had just thrown out her mop water. Tina turned her attention back to the door. “He's a good man. There have been a lot of broken hearts preceded by that phrase.”

  “I'd bet I've seen more of those than you have,” the badger woman replied. She walked around the porch to the steps with a burning lantern in hand and seated herself. Producing a short, cob pipe from her apron, the badger stuffed it and then removed the cover from the lantern.

  After lighting a small stick with the lantern flame, she lit her pipe. “But he really is. He's just fallen on hard times. Any of the Akoans who are left would be just as wounded, don't you think?”

  Tina's ears stood up. She lowered her hands and turned her head to look at the badger. “...left?”

  The badger woman pulled the pipe from her lip and narrowed her eyes at Tina. “So you don't know. I would have thought a wizard of all people would be aware.” The badger slapped her knee. “Here Ol' Willa Hodgis knows something a wizard doesn't.” Willa grinned, putting the end of her pipe between her teeth.

  Tina rolled her eyes. She walked to the edge of the porch and seated herself with her arms folded across her middle. The smell of tobacco from the woman's pipe urged Tina to stay on the far end of the steps. “What do you mean 'left'?”

  Willa's smug expression turned serious, and she shifted her pipe to the corner of her mouth. “Idassia attacked the Akoan hill country a year ago. The Braka turned on the Akoans.” Willa pulled her pipe from her mouth and blew the smoke into the air away from Tina. “And he's all I’ve seen left of his people. The news of it spread as far as Levansia. I'm a little surprised you didn't hear about it.”

  Tina felt the warmth drain from her body. She had known Akoans over the course of her life. The thought that all of them were suddenly gone was something hard to believe. “That can't be. The Akoans were a race of warriors. Even Idassia could not overcome the Akoans on their own.”

  Willa put her pipe back into her mouth. “A proud race of warriors, Wizard. They would have fought to the last.” She pulled the pipe from her mouth again, using it to gesture back toward the Stumble Drum. “Almost, it seems.”

  “How can you be so certain of this?”

  “You've seen that Kravek drinks. One night, when he was drinking very hard, he spoke of his troubles to me.” She folded her arms across her stomach. “Can you imagine what it would be like to lose everyone you ever knew? And not just to lose them for awhile. To lose them forever.”

  Tina looked away from Willa. The wizard rubbed her arms as she felt a familiar pain rising in her chest. Tina was silent for long moments before she spoke again. “I see. But to think of the things Kravek could do if he ever became angry does frighten me a little. For all my gifts as a wizard, I am more fragile than most people in this world for obvious reasons.”

  “And as much of a brute as Kravek appears, he is more fragile than he might look.” Willa pulled her pipe from her mouth to blow another plume of smoke into the air. “And with good reason.”

  Tina knew that Willa was right about Kravek. Even though he looked like a brute, he hadn't shown any aggression toward her at all, and the loss of one's... everything could leave anyone with wounds easily reopened. Tina rose from her seat. “Thank you, Willa. I think I'm going to go back to my room now.”

  Willa nodded her head and tapped out her pipe. “Take care of yourself, Wizard.”

  As Tina entered, she had expected to find the tavern area empty, but she saw Kravek standing at the foot of the stairs with his back to the door. His hand rested on the column next to the stairway, and his head was turned down with his eyes fixed on the base of the stairs.

  Before Tina could approach him, she heard him speak. “Tina. I'm sorry.”

  Tina stopped. She took a moment to consider before speaking again. “Kravek, Willa told me about your people.”

  Kravek snorted, but he didn't seem upset at the news. “Willa means well. But don't pity me, Wizard. Pity my people. I have pitied myself enough.”

  Tina felt a wave of empathy for the Akoan. She wanted to offer words of comfort, but she knew they would not help. “Kravek, I know what you must be feeling right now. I--”

  “No, Wizard. If you did, you would let this go.”

  Tina paused at Kravek's words. Knowing he was still inebriated, Tina thought he was probably right. “You're right. I'm sorry I brought it up.”

  Kravek sighed and started up the stairs. “I'll be ready in the morning.”

  Tina watched Kravek until he disappeared at the top of the stairs, and she closed her eyes with a sigh. She walked to the corner of the counter and, using her short, sharp claws, climbed up so she could head for her door under the stairs.

  Before she reached it, a familiar voice came from the far end of the bar. “Oh, Wizard!”

  Tina turned around. She saw the waitress who had been there when she first came into the Stumble Drum. Tina hadn’t even noticed the rabbit woman while she had been talking to Kravek. “Yes, uh…?” Tina hesitated. “I’m sorry. I never got your name.”

  The rabbit stopped next to Tina and seated herself on a stool with her hands in her lap. “It’s Beth, ma'am.”

  “Nice to meet you, Beth. Please, call me Tina.” She walked to the edge of the counter. “Did you need something?”

  “Well, two things, Miss Tina. Lazur wanted me to tell you he needs to talk to you when you get a chance.” Beth’s long ears swiveled forward.

  Tina wrinkled her muzzle. She wasn’t entirely certain she wanted to talk to Lazur, but if he had any helpful information, she couldn’t afford to ignore him. “I’ll make a note of it. And the other thing?”

  Beth looked both hesitant and a little anxious. “If it’s not too personal, how did you become a wizard, ma’am?”

  The question made Tina curious. “It’s not too personal, but what makes you want to know?”

  Beth squeezed her hands together in her lap. “I was just wondering how a person becomes a wizard.”

  Tina slid her glasses off the bridge of her muzzle and used the edge of her robe to clean them. “Are you wondering if you could be a wizard, Beth?”

  “Oh! Oh no, ma’am.”

  “Then why do you ask?” Tina put her glasses back on.

  “Well…” Beth wiggled her toes, and then curled them. “I was just wondering if someone I know could become a wizard.”

  Tina smiled in a friendly manner. “Truth be told, Beth, becoming a wizard takes a lot of dedication, time, and training. But before any of that, a potential wizard has to be born with the gift for magic. People without the gift can learn to use magic, but they have to be much more careful and would never be able to use magic with the same potency as a wizard born with the gift.”

  Beth tilted her head and looked at Tina in confusion. “Potency?”

  “They wouldn’t be as powerful as a wizard with the gift.” Tina seated herself on the edge of the counter. “I became a wizard when another wizard noticed I had the gift and offered to train me.”

  Beth leaned forward. “How can you tell if someone has the gift?”

  “It usually takes another wizard to recognize it.” Tina cleared her throat. “Beth, what is this about? You seem nervous.”

  Beth straightened up again. “Well, you see ma’am, I
was just wondering if… well, if my son could become a wizard.”

  Tina folded her hands together and rested her chin on them. “If he has the gift, it's a possibility. Does he want to become one?”

  Beth lifted her hands and held them up in front of herself. “Oh no, ma’am. He doesn’t know anything about magic.”

  Tina remained silent as she looked at Beth and simply waited for the rabbit to continue.

  Beth finally did. “Ma’am, I’m happy with my lot in life. Aside from the idea the Dragon Eaters might someday decide to change their diet to rabbit, I live a good life. My family doesn’t have nice things, but I have a roof over my head, eighteen sisters and brothers who love me, and a good job.”

  “Eight… teen.” Tina boggled at the number in reference to siblings. She shook the thought from her mind. The important part was that she understood where Beth was going at last. “But for your son, you want something more.”

  Beth smiled, though Tina thought she looked a little sad. “Aiden’s father was a wizard, ma’am. He wasn’t from Levansia, but I’m certain he’d been trained. Aiden doesn’t have what I did as a little girl. I had a large family to grow up with, but Aiden is among a lot of other children he doesn't seem to get along with very well. He spends most of his time in his room playing by himself. I try to get him to make friends, but he just hasn’t taken to it.”

  “It sounds to me like you just need to get him out of the house. Becoming a wizard is no small matter.” She laid her tail across her lap and rested her hands on it. “Why ask about him becoming a wizard anyway? Does he do unusual things like make chairs and tables levitate?”

  Beth looked at Tina curiously. “Levi... what?”

  “Float.”

  Beth shook her head. “No, ma'am. I just wondered if he might have gotten the gift from his father.” She rested her hands on the counter’s edge and slid off the stool to her knees so she could look up at Tina. “Would you be able to tell if he has the gift, Miss Tina?”

  The request wasn’t one unfamiliar to Tina. After all, she had come to understand in her life that being a wizard could seem very glamorous and a goal to which many might want to aspire. Tina leaned out to push up on the underside of Beth’s chin, urging her to get up. Beth apparently got the message because she rose and retook her seat on the stool.

  “Beth, if you want me to, if you really want to know if your son could be a wizard, I will at least meet with him for you. But,” she tapped the bridge of her glasses to push them up on her muzzle, “I have three things to ask you first, and four if the answer to all of them is yes. The gift for magic is uncommonly rare. If I determine Aiden is not a wizard, will you trust my word on it?”

  Beth tilted her head but nodded. “Of course, ma’am.”

  “If I determine that he is a wizard, but not trainable, will you trust my word on that as well?”

  Beth nodded again. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Tina set her hands into her lap with one on top of the other. “Will you keep it a secret that I am examining your son?”

  Beth looked confused, but once more nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Tina finally came to the last question and the one she knew would probably be hardest for Beth to answer ‘yes.’ She asked quietly and spoke compassionately. “Would you be able to live with the possibility that you would never see him again?”

  Beth paused. She curled her toes and fingers in anxiety and rubbed her incisors against her bottom lip. “Is… is it likely?”

  Tina nodded. It was a painful realization for a mother, but Tina wanted Beth to be certain. “Very.”

  Beth lowered her head. She stared at the floor for long moments in consideration. Her eyes closed as she answered, and Tina could hear a hint of sadness in Beth’s tone. “I… think so.”

  “Beth,” Tina waited for Beth to open her eyes and look at her again, “you have to be sure. The path to becoming a wizard requires focus and many years of study. You could be long dead before he completes his training.”

  Beth lowered her gaze again. There was another long pause before she spoke. “If it means a better life for him,” she looked at Tina once more, “then… yes.”

  Tina rose from the counter and walked to Beth’s side. She put her arm around as much of Beth’s as she could to squeeze it comfortingly. “Then I will examine him. But Beth, please don’t get your hopes up. As I said before, the gift for wizardry is uncommonly rare. Just because his father was a wizard doesn’t mean he has the gift for it.” Tina ruffled her own hair. “Both of my parents have brown hair and fur. But I was born with brown fur and strawberry blonde hair, thanks to my father’s parents. Some traits are there, but just don't show up in every child.”

  Beth looked down at Tina holding her arm. She smiled in spite of herself. “I understand, ma’am.” She leaned down and touched the end of her nose to the top of Tina’s head. “You’re very kind to do this for a stranger, ma’am.”

  Tina patted Beth’s cheek. “As little as I’ve seen of you, Beth, you’re gentle, humble, and kind, and you love your son. All of these things are admirable.” She stepped away from Beth and folded her arms across her stomach. “I’m happy to do what I can. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to rest and prepare for tomorrow. Once I have sorted out this matter with the Dragon Eaters, I will see your son.”

  Beth smiled appreciatively and rose from her seat to bow at the waist to Tina. “Thank you, ma’am. Please sleep well, and I wish you the best of luck!”

  When Beth turned away, Tina watched her leave. She really did admire Beth. In all of the thoughts of danger from the Dragon Eaters and living in a town far from her native lands, Beth had a smile to show. Tina turned around and continued on her way to her door. She rubbed her mouth with her hand and widened her eyes for a moment in amazement. “Eighteen. Goodness.”