by CM Raymond
Because their days were long, Hannah seldom visited the bathhouse. She usually went there during the dinner hour, which nearly guaranteed the place would be empty.
Placing her things on a wooden bench by the door, she stripped and stepped behind a curtain. Turning a lever, she stepped back and watched the water flow from a pipe sticking out from the wall. She hated the shower. Mostly because she hated being cold. But a long session of fighting in the dirt with Karl and his men meant that a good washing was necessary.
She danced on the tile floor as her feet started to warm and steam filled the room. Shoving her hand into the water, she felt its warmth sting her cuts, but the pain wasn’t as bad as the pleasure was good. Muscles loosened as she let the hot water pour over her.
Gregory, you’re a beautiful man, she thought as she stepped into the water heated by some sort of magitech hidden behind the walls.
After washing and then basking in the heat of the water until it started to turn cold as the power stored in the amphoralds waned, Hannah got out of the shower. The chill of the tower air woke her up as she pulled on her clean set of clothes. She crinkled her nose as she looked at the old ones.
If only Gregory could come up with a machine that would sanitize them, she might just worship the guy.
Grabbing her things, she pushed through the door and down the hall toward her room. She nodded to a few of the community members who were setting the tables in the dining room for their meal. They responded with waves and smiles. Though some didn’t realize who she was, most did, and they treated her like a celebrity.
Just as she was about to step into her room, a foreign sound hit her from the end of the hall.
Laughter.
Stranger still, it was children’s laughter. Life was hard in the Boulevard, and now, in the tower, the difficulty only increased. The out-of-place laughter drew her past her door and toward the end of the corridor.
There, the laughter grew louder. It was pouring out from behind a door near the end that was slightly ajar. Closing one eye, she peeked through and saw something that made a smile form on her own lips. The kids from the Boulevard, nearly a dozen of them, danced around the room, laughing and pointing.
At her pet dragon.
Three kids, who couldn’t have been more than eight years old, sat between the spines on Sal’s back. They all held on for dear life as Sal danced around the room, spun in circles, and finally jumped— levitating just enough with the flapping of his wings to hold them above the floor. The whole crowd of them squealed in delight—but none louder than Sal himself.
Hannah walked through the door as Sal fluttered to the ground. He spun one more time and then tilted his body to the right, rolling the kids off his back, down his wing, and safely onto the floor. They all laughed hysterically as the dragon crouched waiting for the next group to come and take the ride.
“About time you did something useful around here, you lazy newt,” Hannah shouted across the room at her pet.
Sal jerked his head in her direction and ran to meet his master. Hannah gave him a scratch under the chin, and he leaned in for more.
The kids in the room stood silently and stared at the beast, longing for him to return to them.
“I don’t think your job is done here yet, you lazy bastard,” Hannah whispered to her dragon.
“Hannah,” Maddie, who was standing in a back corner of the room, said, “language around the children.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. Hannah knew that Maddie was a noblewoman. She’d been raised differently than Hannah had— differently than all the children. “That was my proper language. These kids—they’ve heard those words since they were in the womb. We don’t have much time for social graces down in the Boulevard.”
She watched Sal go back and play more with the children, and she looked at each and every one of them, trying to remember them playing in the streets.
It was hard to imagine that any of these children knew that their homes were now gone, and this time in the tower was nothing more than their first ever vacation away from Queen’s Boulevard.
As Sal loaded up the children for the next dragon ride around the room, Maddie paced over to stand next to Hannah. She smiled as she watched the kids enjoy themselves. “I hope it’s all right. They freaking love him. Sal just wandered in and, out of nowhere, started… messing around.”
“Looks like he loves them, too. I’m sure old Sal there is going to think that he’s the king of the tower before too long.” Hannah smiled, watching her creature do laps around the room. “What are you doing in here anyway?”
“School. I guess that’s what you’d call it. I mean, everyone’s pretty busy doing all sorts of things around here. I wanted to make myself useful, so I just got them together. Thought I might start teaching them something.”
Hannah felt her face flush. The noble girl didn’t know it, but having something as simple as school meant more to the Arcadians living in the Boulevard than she could ever imagine. Hannah remembered playing with her brother before they were old enough to hustle on the streets.
Often times, they would set up their bedroom like what they would imagine a schoolhouse to look like. It was the closest thing they had to actually being there.
She nodded. “That’s so nice of you.”
Maddie turned red. “It’s… It’s nothing, really. I mean, compared to what you and the others do, it’s just so meaningless. I wish I had more to give.”
Hannah nodded toward the group of kids playing around with the dragon. With a smile on her face, she said to Maddie, “That’s our future right there. I might be able to take back Arcadia with fireballs and a hammer-swinging rearick, but the work you’re doing with them is going to build our future. Never downplay that.”
“Thanks,” Maddie said looking at her shoes.
“And anyway,” Hannah said, “you do have more to give. Zeke gave us that sensitive diplomatic mission, remember? I’ve been chatting with Karl; he knows this land better than anyone. The nearest farms are only a couple hours walk from here. We could check it out tomorrow?”
“OK,” Maddie said. “But are you sure you want me to go? I don’t want to get in the way.”
“Are you shitting me?” Hannah asked. “You’re the one doing all the heavy lifting. I’ll keep you safe, but you need to talk some sense into these people. If it were just me, I’d probably end up torching their asses. Not a great way to bring in allies.”
Maddie smiled. “Fair enough. We talk to them first. And if they turn us down, then we light a fire under their asses.”
“Language!” Hannah said as she clucked her tongue.
Both girls started laughing even louder than the children.
CHAPTER FIVE
Parker, Hadley, and Marcus walked mostly in silence toward Arcadia.
Night had fallen, and every snap of every twig under their boots seemed to echo through the darkness. But Parker knew that it was only his imagination. He was glad to have Hadley by his side. No matter how much shit he gave the mystic, he knew that the man was a gifted comrade and was loyal to the death.
Parker couldn’t be sure what it was in the mystic community that bound them together so tightly, but they understood the importance of family that had nothing to do with blood. He could only imagine that it was the amount of time that they spent walking around in each other’s minds.
His head turned on a swivel and took in the silhouette of Marcus, which was lit up by the full moon. Ezekiel had cleared Marcus to go with them, and Parker had come to trust the Founder more than he had trusted anybody for a long time—except for Hannah that is. But nevertheless, he was still mildly on edge about the man joining the mission.
After all, if Marcus were dirty, Parker would be the one paying the price for it. He subconsciously started to rub the scars around his wrists.
Maybe he would have never thought of it, but once Karl spoke up about his own misgivings during the meeting, it all started to make sense. Trust wou
ldn’t come easily during the revolution, and as far as he was concerned, Marcus had done little to earn it.
But Julianne trusted him, and from what little Parker knew of her was that she wasn’t someone who was easily fooled. That had to count for something.
Glancing over his shoulder, Parker could see his crew walking close behind. A small group of women—of various ages—who had rallied to his side during the Battle for the Boulevard. They were fierce, unafraid, and unrelentingly committed to fighting for their families. Now, they were following Parker into an even crazier situation—but they seemed content with him as their leader. A few months earlier, such a situation would have seemed unlikely, if not downright impossible. But now they were here, marching with him toward the city that was once their home—and would be again.
Coming up over a rise, they could make out the outline of the city in the moonlight.
“Peaceful night,” Marcus said.
“It’s like the city’s asleep,” Hadley added. “Or dead.”
“He’s gotta be expecting something, right?” Parker asked, scanning the edges of the woods for any movement.
Marcus laughed. “Adrien? Hard to say. He’s one cocky son of a bitch. It’s possible he thinks we’re long gone. Holed up in the Heights, or that we turned tail and ran for the North—toward Cella or beyond. His hubris might be to our advantage.”
Parker watched his face as he spoke, looking for any lines of deceit, but there was nothing. Lying and cheating had lined Parker’s coin bag for most of his life, and he knew a liar when he saw one. Either Marcus was telling the truth, or he was really good at lying. If a trap waited for them in Arcadia, they wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Don’t be so sure,” Parker said, trying to push him. “A guy doesn’t become a tyrant of an entire city by having his head firmly shoved up his ass.”
Marcus laughed and looked over at Parker. “Don’t get me wrong; I’m going in with my guard up. But I’m just saying, Adrien thinks he’s won, or at least he thinks it’s going to take us much longer to regroup and figure out a plan. My bet’s on the fact that they’ll never expect something so bold as this. Hell, I can’t even believe we’re doing this.”
Parker kept his eyes forward. “This was your plan after all—and it’s a bloody big gamble. You better be right, because we’re not just playing with our own chips anymore.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
Parker nodded over his shoulder. “It means we have ten of the finest women from the Boulevard walking with us into the belly of the beast—on your intel. It’s not just our own lives we’re playing with. That’s what I mean.”
They walked in silence for another five minutes before Marcus spoke again. “You’re smart.”
“What’s that?” Parker asked.
“Not to trust me. Makes you smart. Wrong, but smart. And I know I can’t convince you to trust me. That’s not how it works. I’ve seen enough to know that trust takes time—time we don’t have. But I’ve also seen trust formed in the heat of battle—it’s hard to hide who you are when death is on the line. My hope is that we won’t be put in that situation tonight. But either way, tomorrow will be a new day for you and me.” He let the silence hang between them for a minute and then spoke again. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure mind-boy over there has been trying to walk around inside my skull all night. So, what do you think, Hadley?”
“Clean as far as I can tell. But I’ve done this long enough to know that someone with skills can keep me in the dark. So, yeah, jury’s still out.”
Marcus’s grin grew. “Another smart one. With minds like yours, this should be a piece of cake.”
****
Close enough to see the blue glow of the magitech lights held by the guards at the gate, but far enough away not to be noticed, Parker and his party came to a halt.
Parker took a knee, and everyone else followed suit. Pointing to the East corner, he explained how they would find the drainage pipes just beyond there. If they didn’t mind crawling in the muck, they could make their way to the armory almost completely underground—at least if what Marcus was saying was true.
“Follow me. Stay low and try to keep quiet.”
Everyone nodded, and Parker could see by the light of the moon the look of fear and trepidation on the faces of the women behind him. Desperation had driven them into battle in the Boulevard that day. Grit had made them victorious.
Now, they had the disadvantage of having time to think about exactly what they were walking into.
Parker stood, and they all did the same. “I know you’re afraid. Hell, I’m afraid, too. None of you need to follow me any further.” He pointed at the wall. “But behind that stack of rocks is my town. Our town. And I’m not going to let them take it. If the revolution is going to be successful, we need weapons. The only way we can get those is if we succeed tonight. And if I fall, I fall. But I’ll go out knowing that my dying breath was for Arcadia and for the Matriarch.”
Parker turned and started his path toward the corner of the wall. He could feel them walking just a few paces behind, and he couldn’t help but feel the weight of Irth on his shoulders.
****
Hannah and Julianne stood in the doorway, watching a group of men, women, and children sitting idly around, burning time together.
“It’s going to need to be all hands on deck to take back Arcadia,” Hannah said.
The mystic smiled. “Indeed. All people need is motivation—a narrative that is greater than the one they have always known.”
A mischievous smile crept across Hannah’s face. “Know any good stories?”
“I think I’ve got one,” she replied.
As the two entered the room, everyone looked up at them. While Hannah was quickly becoming legend around the tower, Julianne was still a mystery.
Adrien had spent years demonizing the mystics, painting them in a terrifying light. Even though Julianne had done much to protect these people, they were still a little skeptical.
Hannah had decided it was time to show the people of the tower what Julianne could really do.
Sal slept on the floor adjacent to a lumpy couch, which was cobbled together with pieces found throughout the tower. With eyes closed, the dragon’s breathing was steady and heavy, uninterrupted by the kids who were using him as their furniture and playground.
One of the kids, no more than six or seven, looked up at Hannah and then back down at the dragon. “He’s yours, right?”
Hannah grinned. “Depends on who you ask. I think he’s mine. But Sal here is convinced I belong to him.”
The girl giggled. “You’re funny.” Then she pointed to Julianne. “Is she funny, too?”
Hannah cocked her head. “Not as funny as Sal, but she is a very good storyteller.”
“I like stories,” the girl replied, dimples standing out on both cheeks.
Julianne cleared her throat. “Do you want to hear one?”
All the kids nodded as a half dozen adults ignored them, talking to one another on the proper furniture.
“How about them?” Julianne asked, nodding to the older folks.
Eponine, a young girl from the Boulevard, leaned against Sal. She had seen a lot during their final days in Arcadia—it all nearly ending with the Prophet’s knife across her jugular. But she was sharp—and resilient.
The girl seemed to be adapting to life in the tower better than the others, which was perhaps the result of growing up as an orphan on the streets. Her eyes sparkled at Julianne. “Adults don’t like stories,” she said quietly, but with confidence.
Julianne laughed. “Nonsense. Where I’m from, everyone likes stories. No matter their age.”
“Are you from the Academy?” the littlest girl asked.
“Oh, no,” the mystic said. She held her hand out, parallel to the ground, as still as a statue. After a moment, tiny bumps appeared to form on the floor; the bumps grew and twisted and finally took the shape of mountains seen from a b
ird's eye view. “I’m from the Heights,” she said with a smile.
She extended her fingers out straight and wiggled them. As she did, snow started to fall over the mountain, covering its peaks in caps of white. A few grownups glanced up from their conversations, unable to resist the mystical images cast by Julianne. Leaning in, the kids giggled as they could hardly make out a group of tiny figures moving about a small town halfway up the mountain.
“That is Craigston,” Julianne whispered. “It’s where the rearick live.”
“Like the one with the hammer?” the girl asked.
Julianne nodded. “Exactly! But he likes it here better.”
“Why?”
“I think he likes you,” she said as she watched the little girl blush. “And further up, there is the temple. That’s my home.”
Julianne closed her hand and dropped it at her side. The kids gasped as the image disappeared. “But,” Julianne sighed, “today’s story is not about me. It’s about another girl… older than each of you.”
Raising her hand again, the milky white film covered her eyes. Where the mountains had just stood, a dirty city street appeared. It was a close-up view of an alleyway.
As Julianne drew her hand higher, the picture panned out to show a figure in a robe. The hood covered her face, but the figure was evidently small, like a child. She carried a crutch in her hand, but as she moved, she walked without a limp.
“The girl in our story today grew up just like each and every one of you. A normal kid in a normal town with very normal problems!”
“Like bullies!” a little boy with a beakish nose leaning against Sal yelled, causing the dragon to open one eye, shift, and fall back into his slumber.
“Why, yes, there were bullies. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The worst was the hunger!”
The kids nodded, each of them knowing empty bellies better than any child ever should.
Julianne turned her hand to the side, and the kids and the adults watched the girl walk out of the alley. Stepping onto the city street, people rushed in every direction around her. She leaned onto the single crutch and walked with a limp, dragging a foot behind her.
