by Sky Corbelli
Chapter 36
Hidden Dragons
The search of Ezra's lab was relatively painless. Mr. Jeffries made a big show of discovering Ezra's unmodified glider in its carrying case, and was utterly disappointed when it failed to be anything really interesting. His DOLT team poked around, he made a few wild accusations, and generally managed to eat up the morning without uncovering anything of a suspicious nature. Jeffries was scowling ferociously by the time he left at around noon, grumbling about how it was just a little too neat and tidy while his subordinates quietly apologized for the inconvenience.
Not feeling up to contacting Mat or Sarah, Ezra tried in vain to get in touch with Gal, leaving about a dozen messages before giving it up as a lost cause. He halfheartedly toyed with a theoretical wormhole hacking model he had worked up for fun, but not even the thought of hijacking an active wormhole's power source by bombarding the hypothetical connection with non-Meruvian particles held any real appeal.
He was seriously considering just going back to bed when he got a ping from Liza Crawford. Surprised, Ezra pulled it up. “Hello? Liza?”
“Oh, Mr. Hawkins! I didn't expect to... well, you know, with everything that's been happening, and no-one being able to reach you for comment and all, I just assumed that you would be too busy to... oh! Not that I think you had anything to do with what happened, of course! I was merely checking to see, um, how you were...” Liza trailed off.
“No, I'm glad you called.” Ezra said, amused. “The last few days have just been so crazy, a familiar voice is like a breath of fresh air.”
“Oh yes, it all must have been terribly exciting. Miss Doe told me about your...” Her image glanced around, then she leaned in and whispered, “Your project. I can hardly believe it, it's all just too incredible. A whole other world!”
Ezra froze. Gal wouldn't have... no, no she was much too responsible for that. But still... “Oh. yes,” Ezra said, taking each word with care. “My... project. Um, what... exactly did Miss Doe tell you?”
“Oh, simply everything! It sounds so exciting, you and Mr. Matanane, working on your secret project for the government. Why else would you be learning to use a sword, after all?”
“Why else?” Ezra echoed.
“To blend in of course! Is it true that the dragons are as big as ten skiffs?”
“Huh?”
“Dragons!” Liza nearly shouted, then lowered her voice again, eyes darting around. “Miss Doe said that you brought her back a dragon's heart that you had to cut out yourself. And it was all made of crystal! And that you're using them to power the next generation of wormholes, and how the power problem was because you were hunting a crafty old dragon and probably had to use some modern technology, and you weren't sure how that would work out, and–”
“Wait,” Ezra interrupted her. “What? Dragons? Made of crystal?”
Liza was clearly taken aback. “Well, Miss Doe said that it was only their hearts made of crystal, but I suppose you would know best.”
“Liza, what are you talking about?”
“The... the other dimension,” Liza said, voice hesitant, sounding more than a little embarrassed. “The one that you, a-and Mr. Matanane go to sometimes. The one that... that you discovered in your experiments? It's where... well, Miss Doe said that all of the wormholes go through it, but we pass through so fast that we didn't know and... and oh my. She was making fun of me again, wasn't she?”
“I'm afraid so, Liza,” Ezra said. Stay serious, stay serious, stay serious. “The dragons we hunt are much bigger.”
Liza gasped, pulling her hand up to her mouth. Then she paused, eyes narrowing. “Wait, if the dragons were much bigger, how could you kill them with a sword?” Realization dawned on her face. “Ezra Hawkins, you're making fun of me too!”
Ezra burst into a fit of laughter. It felt good. Very, very good. “I'm sorry Liza. I just couldn't help myself.”
“Well, shame on you,” she said stiffly. “I see that you are in a fine mood, so I shall come right to the point. Miss Doe has informed me that I am ready to have a real sparring partner. Furthermore, she has stated that your hand-to-hand skills are dreadful, and I should take it upon myself to see to your edification. I've already spoken to Mr. Matanane, and he said it would be his pleasure to spot for us tomorrow afternoon at the gym.”
“Wait, what?” Ezra said, wiping tears of merriment from his eyes.
“I will be teaching you the basics of self-defense while simultaneously learning to spar with an opponent closer to my own size while Mr. Matanane supervises. It would be gentlemanly of you to accept.”
Ezra blinked a few times. “And Mat said he would be, uh, pleased to supervise?”
“Well...” Liza shifted back and forth, looking a little uncomfortable. “Those weren't his exact words...”
“What, um,” Ezra cleared his throat. “What were his exact words?”
“If you must know, he said that he would be pleased to see you, um, get knocked around by a girl like a, a...” She gulped. “Like a stuck-up bumpkin!” Liza slapped her hand over her mouth and stared at Ezra guiltily for a few seconds, then blurted out, “Oh please don't make me repeat exactly what he said! It took me all morning just to recover enough to send you a ping! There are...” She looked down and blushed. “There are some things that a lady simply should not say.”
Ezra shook his head, smiling to himself, “I think I can imagine it, actually.” He looked out the window at the setting sun, violet and pink ripples of light cascading through the Sanctuary shield around it. “Tomorrow afternoon then.”
==
“Watch your feet!” Mat hooted from the sidelines.
Ezra blinked and looked down at his feet for a split second. That was apparently all the time Liza needed. In a flash she had his wrist and was pulling him forward. Ezra stumbled and tried to brace himself, but suddenly the girl was dropping like a stone, spinning as she collapsed to her knees. He felt his arm follow, then his shoulders, back, hips and legs. In the midst of the inexorable flip forward, he was awarded a glimpse of his feet rising off the ground. Oh, watch your feet, Ezra thought. To brace yourself and prevent something like that–
“Ooph,” the air rushed out of Ezra's lungs as he landed flat on his back, his arm now pinned painfully above his head.
“Oh, Mr. Hawkins, I'm sorry, I thought you were in a better position and just tried to pull you a little off-balance.” Liza released his arm and clutched her hands to her chest, the picture of a distressed lady. “If I'd known that you were going to suddenly look down like that, I never would have attempted such a dangerous move.”
Ezra coughed weakly and turned his head to glare at Mat. The huge grin on Mat's face said it all, but he still called out, “Because you want them on the ground! Your feet!” He pointed to his own foot as if talking to an idiot. Ezra groaned.
Liza frowned at Mat. “Maybe that's enough for today, Ezra,” she said gently. “You've taken quite a number of falls–”
“Fifty-two!” Mat trumpeted. “That's the number of times she threw, tripped, pushed or pulled you flat on your back.” Ezra frowned and started counting in his head. “You fell for no real reason another six times,” Mat added helpfully.
“Mr. Matanane, please!” Liza sounded exasperated. “I know that young men bond over confrontation and the occasional harsh word, but I really don't think you are accomplishing anything with your incessant teasing at poor Ezra's expense.”
“Oh, don't worry, it's accomplishing plenty,” Mat said gleefully as Ezra put a hand to his forehead.
“It's okay, Liza.” Ezra still sounded a little winded. “I just need to catch my breath for a minute. You go on ahead.”
Liza gave him a worried look, then gracefully rose and bowed. She began to take her hair out of its braid, as she frowned seriously at Mat. “You'll take care of him, won't you Mr. Matanane?”
“Oh, I'll take care of him all right.” Mat still wore a pleased grin.
Liza gave Ezra
another concerned look, to which he responded with a weary thumbs-up. “Well, I'll see you both tomorrow then?”
“Wouldn't miss it.” Mat gave Liza an elaborate bow, then grabbed Ezra's raised arm and pulled him roughly to his feet. “Phew, but this boy needs a shower. Not everyone can perspire as beautifully as you, Miss Liza.”
Liza blushed a bit and rolled her eyes. “Mr. Matanane, please.” She easily wove her way through the gym like she'd been born there, exchanging pleasantries with various persons on her way out.
Mat watched her go with pride while Ezra glumly headed for the showers.
Halfway through getting dressed, something clattered onto the bench next to Ezra. Startled, he glanced over and saw a practice sword lying there. Mat leaned against the nearby lockers, casually inspecting his nails. “Just 'cuz we've got a little time off, doesn't mean you get to go soft on me. And frankly, what happened out there today was just too embarrassing. Foot work exercises for a month, and I want to see you escape at least one throw before the week is out.”
Ezra looked at him, hope budding in his chest. “Then, you're not–”
“Man up, Ezra,” Mat cut him off, laughing. “Guildsmen don't mope.” He punched Ezra in the arm on his way to the door. “Just don't let Gal know that her girl slapped you around so bad! I'll never hear the end of it!”
