Fillion glanced at the large dragon. “She’s not entirely wrong about that. A strong evening breeze has spread the last fires. A large swath of Stronghold is ablaze and nearby fire brigades are sorely pressed to keep the flames from spreading farther.”
“How can we help?” Master Doronal stared at him.
Fillion held out a rolled sheet of paper. “This is a map of where the fires are as of ten minutes ago.”
As Guildmaster Millinith unrolled it, everyone gathered around.
“If blowing cinders start a fire on the roof of a building then people can’t escape to up there,” Fillion said, “so there’s not much for us to do. But when the fire starts elsewhere, then people that can’t get to the ground seem to head for the rooftops, and that is where we can assist.”
Aeron smiled. He’d been right! “We grabbed straps and belts, so we’re ready.”
“Good,” Fillion said. “Oh, and switch your comm sets off.”
“What?” Polandra stared at him. “How will we coordinate?”
Fillion shook his head. “We’ll have to get our dragons to do that. The way the fires are started uses similar methods to how the comms work. If another signal goes out to start a fire, a screeching squeal will blast from the ear piece. It hurts. A lot. Until Quillan finishes work on the replacement circuits, we have to do without. Do bring them with you, though. He said it’s a simple matter to fix them.”
“Alright.” Guildmaster Millinith removed the pieces of her prototype comm set, disabled them, and placed them in her pocket. She looked back at the map.
As Aeron and the others disabled theirs, she said, “Do they need assistance at the first two sites?”
Fillion shook his head. “No. I stopped by them on the way here. The first one is under control, and the second has nearly been contained. They only need help at the swaths where the fire still spreads.”
“Alright.”
Aeron listened as she divided them into teams and worked out a plan.
+ + + + +
Jessip shook his head. So many buildings were on fire. Under a bright dusting of stars in the sky, the red bloom of flames lit up Stronghold in several areas, including along a stretch of tenements below. The fires were definitely spreading by hopping from building to building in the same direction the stiff breeze blew.
“Not that it’s easy in the dark, but I don’t see anyone on these roofs!” Renny looked around.
Jessip stared at him with a pang of guilt. All the shit they’d gotten into at Caer Baronel was extraordinarily embarrassing now, and all of it had been at his own instigation. Why had he been that way?
You are no longer that person. You are the ‘you’ right now.
He glanced down at Zolin and lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile. True enough. And the me right now needs to get to work.
He turned to Renny and yelled across the gap between hovering dragons. “Uchu can spot them for you! We’ll keep flying a route over our section to make sure we don’t miss anyone! You two start at that end!” He pointed.
Renny nodded, and with a bark, Uchu headed for the far side of their area of responsibility.
Jessip wasn’t sure how much to put on their shoulders. They hadn’t worked together at all, he didn’t think, and they weren’t bonded, so how coordinated would they be?
They will be fine.
I hope so.
They must take wing eventually.
I suppose. Let’s head to our end.
It didn’t take long to reach the border of their section, and as Zolin paused to look over the buildings for people in trouble, someone yelling below drew Jessip attention.
“We were too late to save this one, but no one’s left inside, so grab some irons and chains to tear down that wall!” The man must be in charge of the fire team. He held an enchanted speaking trumpet to his mouth and gestured to the side of the two story building with his free hand. “Move it, you dogs! I won’t have another one come down while on fire and spread flames to the next building!”
As two of the firefighters ran to the fire truck, Jessip scowled. The water being sprayed onto the buildings, fed by pump trucks, didn’t seem to be enough to slow the fire, much less extinguish it. What was needed was more water on the flames. But how?
Watching the other firefighters, the hose crews, as they directed streams of water onto the building tickled at a memory. Something about forcing water to do his bidding.
Alarm came from Zolin. Coatl sends word that two more fires are about to start.
What?
They received a signal for fires five and six.
Yrdra’s ice cold tits! Take us up. We should be able to see the new fires soon enough.
What of Uchu and Renny? Zolin beat his wings to gain altitude.
Jessip glanced down at the firefighters as they pulled down part of the wall. We’ve been going about this the wrong way. In our patrols here, did you sense anyone still inside any of the buildings on fire?
Surprise and embarrassment came though the link. I–I did not sense anyone.
Tell Uchu that while on patrol, they only need to search for people in new buildings that the fire spreads to. There’s no sense in wasting time looking for people on roofs if there are no longer people to get on those roofs.
Done. And I am sorry.
Hmm?
I should have realized that same point when I did not sense anyone in the buildings.
Jessip reached down and patted Zolin’s neck. No worries, buddy. We’re all new to this . . . fire . . . rescue . . . assistance duty.
At altitude, perhaps two hundred feet up, Zolin turned southeast and hovered.
Why this direction?
Based on the map Fillion showed us, this direction seems the most likely one where they will start a fire.
Oh? Why?
It is difficult to explain, but it feels right.
Jessip grunted. I’ll follow your intuition any day.
Zolin let out a chirp.
There. Zolin beat his wings and flew slightly east of where he’d been facing. I see heat blooming in that building.
Jessip scanned the area ahead. Which one?
A view appeared in his mind and lay slightly skewed atop his own vision before aligning in combination with it. Everything became incredibly sharp and detailed, and he could see things that he couldn’t before because it had been so dark.
There. That building.
They approached a towering ten story tenement building within a cluster of others. At the building’s heart, he saw a small, bright glow, pulsing and wavering. There were larger glows within the building, too, though somewhat dimmer, flickering like heartbeats.
Jessip blinked a few times as he tried to focus on the wavering glimmer—where exactly in the building was it?—but then the strange imagery that had overlain his vision disappeared, taking with it the bright glow and everything else.
It was as if some sort of cloudiness suddenly afflicted his eyes. Things now looked slightly blurry, less crisp and clear, and a great deal darker.
He grunted. Had that been a taste of how Zolin saw things, even at night?
Further thought on the subject would have to wait. They hovered a couple of dozen feet from the building, and even he could see the flames now, briefly flickering within a window here, and then there. Disturbingly, the windows were on two of the floors next to them, about halfway up the side of the building. Half the building could soon be cut off from escape.
Send Itzel our location. Have her tell Guildmaster Millinith we found one.
Done and done.
Jessip quickly wove an enchantment. The voice expansion spell co-opted for use at the dragon show was exceedingly helpful for directing people during a nahual hunt in towns and cities, and would be helpful now, too. “Attention people in the ten story tenement! Your building is on fire. Evacuate as quickly and safely as possible.”
Moments later, curtains were drawn aside in a few windows and wide-eyed people
stared out at the dragon and rider.
Fire alerts came from below, whistle blasts. It looked like a police officer had heard him. Good. He wouldn’t have to do that himself to try to summon a fire truck. Still, this was a large building and there were a lot of people in it.
Do you recall where the nearest fire brigade is located?
I do.
Let’s see if we can’t offer a little more assistance on this fire. Take us down to the officer.
People were rushing out of the front doors of the tenement when Zolin landed near the officer.
“Sir!” Jessip waved at him.
“You can’t land here, dragonlinked. You’re blocking the sidewalk.”
“Hang that,” Jessip said. “Let me take you to the nearest fire brigade so you can direct them here faster.”
“I can’t just—”
“Listen, the fire is already on at least two floors. We don’t have time to waste. I’d go by myself, but there will be less resistance if one of you is with me.”
The officer glanced at another several yards away, then frowned at Jessip.
“And hurry up. We’ll need to return quickly so my bond-mate and I can rescue any people who go to the roof.”
“As you say.” He turned to the other officer. “Candace! I’m going with the dragonlinked to summon a fire brigade. I’ll return shortly.”
She nodded. “Good idea. I’ll keep things under control here.”
Jessip leaned down and offered a hand to the officer, who took it and climbed up behind.
“Stirrups,” Jessip said, “and hold on tight.”
Let’s go.
Loose arms around his waist tightened convulsively when Zolin leapt into the air.
“Oh gods, oh gods.”
Jessip smiled at the whisper. About half the people he’d taken up so far had reacted like this.
In less than five minutes, Zolin set down a few feet back from two enormous doors at the fire station. It appeared they had yet to receive notice of the fire. Several men and women sitting around or standing stared at them with idle curiosity out of the enormous door that was open.
The police officer jumped down. He eyed Zolin, then looked up to Jessip and cleared his throat. “That was certainly faster than running. My thanks.” After a quick bow of his head, he turned and ran to the open bay door. “Get off yer asses, you lot! We’ve got a fire at Checkerboard Lane! Ten story tenement, so move!”
Some sort of wail started from within the station, and the firefighters jumped into action. The second large bay door started rising, revealing another pump truck.
The officer turned to him. “I’ll ride with them. Get back to the tenement in case there are people that need rescuing.”
“On the way,” Jessip said. Let’s get back.
Zolin barked and jumped, pulling them higher into the sky as his enormous wings beat over and over again.
At the tenement, he had Zolin land on a nearby building so they could assess the situation without his bond-mate hovering and wasting stamina. There were five people on the tenement roof. No, make that six. A woman just ran out the door from the stairwell. Below, flames could clearly be seen in quite a few windows on several floors.
Pissing blades. They had to start immediately or—
The other fire has been located. Anaya and Balam have gone there with Ikan and Mia.
He grunted and watched the people milling about on the roof. A few went to the edge to stare down to the street. We’re not going to be able to get all these people off very quickly. We can only carry two of them at once, and getting them strapped in will take time. I don’t trust them not to fall without straps.
Itzel sends word. Fillion has an idea for getting people off the roofs faster. Apparently, he and Coatl made use of something similar while rescuing the girl, Preeti, and her aunt.
Oh? What’s the idea?
Instruct the people on the roof to stand in a clear area, arms held out. A dragonlinked will levitate them, and their bond-mate will then fly in and grab them and carry them to a safe roof nearby or to the ground.
Jessip grunted. If there were a lot of dragons to carry them, that would definitely be faster, but otherwise, I’m not so sure. One at a time versus two?
There will be more dragons.
He looked at Zolin. How? Who?
Itzel says to open a portal to the Guildhall in two minutes.
What? Why? And why not now?
It is not our turn.
Not our turn? Thoroughly confused, Jessip was about to ask what his addle-brained dragon meant, but instead, he let out an exasperated sound and waited.
Sooner than expected, Zolin barked. Now.
Jessip opened the portal and stared up at the glowing sphere of mist.
Coatl and Fillion came through, followed by Renata and Xochi, and two dragons whose names he did not know yet, former Departed who were now in House Mochyehua.
Xochi says that Renata wonders if you are surprised.
Jessip’s mouth made a quiet clomp sound when he closed it. I am.
“What about the other fires?” he yelled at Renata and Fillion.
“Most of the buildings near them have already been evacuated,” Renata explained.
Fillion put a hand to his mouth and shouted, “Renny and Hunter are patrolling near the biggest ones, and will search for people on buildings that the fire spreads to unexpectedly. Uchu and Chuki will send word if they need help.”
Jessip nodded. “Sounds good. Might as well start!”
Zolin flew them down. The sound of his enormous wings must have caught the attention of those on the roof. Faces turned up and several shouts for help followed.
After a quick weaving of the voice expansion spell, Jessip said, “Listen up, people! We’re here to save you, but we’re going to need your help to do so! I need each of you to move to a clear area, at least six feet from anyone else. Hold your arms straight out to the side like this.” He demonstrated. “We will levitate you, fly in and grab you, then take you to safety. Anyone who causes trouble will be left for last, hear?” He gestured to all the dragons hovering around. “We have plenty of help, so there’s no need to panic.”
Yet, he thought but did not say.
Jessip watched as they hurriedly moved away from each other and held out their arms. They were remarkably calm. Then again, the fire had yet to reach the top floors. Work out an order for the dragons to pick people up, would you?
We already have.
He chuckled. Good. He canceled the voice spell. Let’s go save them.
+ + + + +
Tobin stood just off stage left with Lord Koen and Cadoc, watching High Lady Hasana. As she thanked everyone for allowing her to speak on an important national matter, one of the security detail in the other wing across the stage glanced their way again.
Tobin drew his brows together. Could that woman suspect they were planning something? No. The security detail eyed everyone, including those in the audience. It was just his nerves. He took a breath and let it out, tried to ignore the agents, and focused instead on the speech.
“. . . and right now it is jobs that people need—steady jobs that people will hold for more than a week or a month. Jobs that will allow them to provide food for their families, put a roof over their heads, and put clothes on their backs. Jobs that might even allow them to save a few marks in the bank for a rainy day.”
High Lady Hasana looked around the dim auditorium, letting the listeners absorb her words.
Tobin glanced at Lord Koen. How would he react? This was exactly what the people, what Tobin, wanted. She was talking about the very things the criers berated her for not addressing.
The man remained impassive, his expression blank.
“The nation can ill afford to simply throw money at this problem, however.” High Lady Hasana stared at her hands resting on the podium a moment before looking up. “To put it in terms many of you would understand, the nation needs a return on this investment in
its people.”
A glance at nearby faces in the house, dimly lit by a few house lights and those from the stage, showed more than a few listeners nodding at the words. Tobin grunted. She apparently understood her audience.
“We are in the infancy of what many are calling an Industrial Revolution. The momentum for this great transition has been stalled, however, due to the terrible events of two years ago. Many businesses and financial institutions failed, and with the loss of those jobs, the confidence of the people flagged as did the economy. But even had the equine flu not occurred, the nation still had a core problem—a problem that still exists.
“One cannot build a tower upon soggy, marshy soil. It would be folly. What one does is dig down and build a solid foundation on good, firm bedrock, whereupon the tower will stand tall and true. And that is what we must do.”
She leaned forward, gripped the forward edge of the podium, and stared out into the dim auditorium, eyes shining. “In order for the Industrial Revolution to be more than a mere talking point, we must build that foundation, we must improve the nation’s infrastructure. We must expand good roads and rail lines throughout the nation. We must build flood control systems, both in the countryside and in all large towns and cities. We must extend the benefits of waste control systems to as many communities as we can so our people remain healthy and able to work. All this and more we can do. All this and more I will do.”
She clasped her hands on the podium. “The Fair Deal plan I have begun will offer fair pay for fair work. It will employ a great number of people and will take many years. Several infrastructure companies have signed on to the plan and will begin accepting applicants next week, starting here in Stronghold.”
Here? Tobin raised his brows. Next week?
Lord Koen suddenly turned and walked deeper into the wing, Cadoc with him. He stood near the wall, lips pressed together.
Tobin wanted to hear more of the High Lady’s plan, but he hurried over. “Isn’t this great, sir? She’s actually going to do what we needed.”
Lord Koen’s lip lifted in almost a snarl. “Big words from a chit of a girl.” He turned to Cadoc. “This complicates matters. I’ll need some time to think of how we can adjust our plan. We may need to hold off on the finale. I’m not certain, yet.”
Of Gods, Trees, and a Sapling: Dragonlinked Chronicles Volume 4 Page 89
