by Eric Vall
“It’s one of our fleet,” Laika explained as she walked up behind the mage. “The only better way to fly is on a dragon’s back.”
“Really?” the lizard Demi-Human wondered with a small smile. “That is a difficult experience for anyone to match. Flying with Lord Evan was quite breathtaking, so I’m interested in this runner up.”
“Make sure you go on the top deck,” the wolf warrior advised with a wink.
It’d been a while since I’d taken a ride on an airship, and I followed Naomi to the deck to look out over the city as we rose into the air. I wondered where Lexavo was, and the thought had barely entered my mind when a golden line jutted out in front of the airship and veered out the gates of the city.
So, my precognition worked both ways. It not only told me the direction my enemies could take, but it also told me the direction I would have to take to reach my destination.
Pretty fucking cool.
Though no one else could see the line, the airship followed its path almost exactly, and we soared above the city and toward Lexavo. The airship glided along the wind currents, and I watched Naomi close her eyes and hold out her hands to feel the air rush by her face with a smile. Her short magenta hair flowed out behind her head, and her matching scales sparkled in the sunlight.
Then she seemed to realize I was staring, and she turned to look at me with a lusty stare before she blinked and rushed over to stand closer to the helm.
I chuckled as I focused on the golden path once more, and I noticed it getting brighter the further we went. We crossed over the forest just outside Hatra’s city walls, and then we were over the desert. A few trees and animals appeared like shadows below us, but the land was mostly bare.
Finally, I could just make out a tower ahead of us and then a dark gray stone wall with iron railings along the parapets.
Something seemed odd, and as we flew closer to the city, I heard the familiar sounds of battle. Swords crashed together, and arrows whistled through the air.
Then we saw them.
Red-robed bandits had already begun to attack Lexavo.
Chapter 9
“Hurry!” I called out to Nallen.
The warrior dipped his head and steered the airship close to the battle, and I ran back down through the ship with Naomi hot on my heels.
“What’s wrong?” Alyona asked as she rushed up to the deck with her brow furrowed with concern.
“Someone’s already attacking them,” I grunted as I rushed to the door and pushed it open.
The airship was still about ten feet from the ground, but I didn’t want to waste any more time. So, I leaped from the ship and rolled through the sand before I jumped back up to my feet. Then I sprinted toward the hooded figures and pulled out the Sword of Hatra from my spatial storage.
I heard the ramp finally hit the sand behind me, and the rest of my comrades ran to catch up, but I was already close enough to grab one of the attackers by the back of his robe.
I yanked him to the ground, and he landed on his back with a thud that knocked the wind out of him.
“What the--” he gasped before I lifted my sword and plunged it down into his chest.
Blood spurted out from the wound as I pulled the blade back and turned to find more of the bandits. Then I looked past the red robes to see the Lexavo guards in green and silver armor, and I realized they all appeared to be human. Most of them were on the parapet and shot arrows down at their attackers, but a few stayed on the ground and battled with swords and shields. They fought the red-robed attackers back toward me, and I grinned as I continued to grab them from behind.
Nallen was the first to catch up with me, and he barreled through three of the men and scooped them up. Then he tossed them at least ten feet away from the fight, and they landed in a heap of broken bones and concussions.
A Hulk smash kind of guy. I can go with that.
I plowed the Sword of Hatra into another bandit’s side, and the attackers finally seemed to realize they were losing men on both sides. A few turned around to face us, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Alyona’s face contort with anger before she mumbled a few words and threw her hands out toward the bandits.
A white wave of magic washed over a handful of the thieves, and they collapsed into the sand. Their bodies seized and spasmed as foam poured out of their mouths, and then they laid still. Their eyes were glazed over with a white layer, and I was pretty sure my super badass fiancée had just killed them.
“You need to teach me that one,” Naomi said in a voice filled with awe.
Alyona smiled innocently, and the two lady mages got to work. As they cast spells to lay waste to the bandits, Saxon, Laika, and Aaliyah joined me in hand-to-hand combat. Laika’s broadsword cut through the bastards like butter, while Aaliyah and Saxon used their animalistic instincts to rip and shred the opponents. Every enemy Aaliyah faced was left tattered on the ground, and the lioness licked the blood from her claws as she looked for another bandit to take on.
I glanced around for Miraya, and I finally found her just as she walked up behind Alyona and placed her hand on the princess’ shoulder. The contact seemed to give Alyona even more power, and her next spell sent a dozen men flying backward. They crashed into the stone wall around the city, and blood spurted from their heads and faces as they slid back down to the sand in a heap.
I grinned and turned back to find another opponent when a sword appeared in the corner of my vision. I tried to duck the wild strike, but the blade sliced through the meat of my shoulder and down my bicep.
“Fuck!” I growled, and instinctively, I started to send a wave of healing magic to my nearly useless arm, but the power I’d taken from the Eternal Flame kicked in.
My skin began to knit back together, and my attacker watched the wound heal with wide eyes.
“What kind of beast are you?” he whispered as he gripped his sword with shaking hands.
“The kind you shouldn’t have fucked with, bitch,” I snarled and whipped my blade around to slice him across his throat.
My attacker’s blood poured out of his neck like a waterfall, and he crashed to the ground as he gurgled and gasped for air.
“My lord!” Nallen’s voice boomed across the sand, and I turned to see him with one meaty arm around a man’s neck while he pointed at a few of the bandits sprinting away from the battle.
One of the men’s hoods had blown back from his head, and he looked over his shoulder to see if we would follow. His face was vaguely familiar, and I couldn’t place him, but I would find out.
“I got them!” I shouted back.
Nallen nodded and then cranked his captive’s neck to break it in one smooth motion.
I conjured a fiery bow and arrow and aimed for the bandit at the back of the pack. Then I remembered my new power and decided to just think about the man I wanted to hit. So, I took a deep breath, pulled the arrow back, and released the bowstring.
The arrow whistled across the sand and pierced the man’s back. He stumbled and fell on his face, and the others turned to see what happened but didn’t stop to help him. His red robes were soon engulfed with the flames of my arrow, and I quickly grabbed another and fired at the next man in line. He looked over his shoulder and tried to duck the projectile, but the arrow dropped with him and drilled into his shoulder blade.
He let out a guttural cry as he crashed to the sand, and the leader of the pack shouted at the others as I drew another arrow. The leader threw something down on the ground behind them, and they continued to sprint away from the melee.
Before I could release the fiery missile, a puff of gray smoke appeared between us, and when it seemed to magically implode a moment later, the thieves had vanished.
I growled and turned back to the battle, but it seemed my companions had finished the job. Red-robed bodies littered the ground in front of the city’s gates, and the Lexavo soldiers looked around in utter bewilderment.
“Everyone good?” I asked as I looked over the group
.
“Saxon was injured,” Laika called out from next to the snake.
“It’s nothing, guild leader,” Saxon said as he brushed the wolf’s hand from his shoulder. “It’s a flesh wound.”
I jogged closer and saw the snake’s shoulder was completely dislocated, and a large gash had ripped a few of his reptilian scales from the side of his neck.
“I can fix it,” I told him before I opened my mouth and released a cloud of glittery healing magic that floated over him and came to rest on his injuries. The sparkling sheen had been a bit confusing when I’d first arrived in Inati since I’d expected fire, but being able to heal had certainly come in handy.
The Demi-Human’s shoulder slowly rotated back into place with a pop, and the wound on his neck and arm began to stitch back together as his scales grew out and returned to their normal yellow color.
“Wow,” Saxon breathed as he stared down at his previously injured arm. “That normally takes a couple weeks, especially to get my scales back.”
“One of the bonuses of hanging out with a dragon.” I grinned, and the snake returned my smile before we all turned to walk up to the guards.
“We owe you great thanks,” one of the soldiers announced, “though, we do not recognize you.”
“I am Lord Evan of Hatra,” I replied with a bow and then turned to introduce my group. “Princess Alyona, Laika, Nallen, and Saxon of the Blue Tree Guild, Lady Aaliyah, Lady Naomi, and Lady Miraya.”
Each of the women bowed or curtsied at their names, and the soldier’s eyes widened in surprise.
“The great Dragon Lord of Hatra has come to Lexavo?” he asked as his jaw went slack in astonishment, but then he shook his head, quickly composed himself, and dipped into a shallow bow. “Forgive me, my lord. My name is Samuel, and I am honored to meet you. I am simply surprised at your sudden appearance. We received no word that you or your party would be coming today.”
“We only returned to Hatra yesterday and heard about your trouble with bandits,” I explained. “Have you had many thieves like that lately?”
“We have,” Samuel admitted, and his lips thinned into a grim line. “I’ll take you to the castle. Lord Torrin will be most interested to speak with you.”
“Sounds good,” I agreed.
Samuel waved to the guards in the tower above us, and the iron gates rattled open. We followed the soldiers inside the city, and I stared at the landscape around us. Ruslan wasn’t kidding about these guys mining iron. They used it for everything, from sheet metal buildings to iron gates around the houses to metal troughs along the road. It was like walking into one of those industrial style houses I used to see on TV back on Earth.
The soldiers led us through the city, and only a few people stood outside as we walked by, though I saw a few curtains shift with movement from inside the houses. The citizens were obviously curious, but not many wandered outside, probably because of all the dangers they’d had with the bandits already.
After a few minutes, we arrived at what looked like an airplane hangar. It was a long metal building that stood two stories high, and even the doors to go inside were made out of sheet metal. Two guards stood at the door and eyed Samuel with a questioning look, but when he waved, they opened the door to let us inside the palace.
As we walked inside, our footsteps echoed around the metal building, and I could see it was divided like most of the castles we’d been in. We followed Samuel through a large living area with several sitting chairs and a fireplace, and then we walked into a huge room. The ceiling soared the full two stories above us, and a long green rug ran the length of the room from the doorway to a raised platform at the end. Atop the platform were two large chairs covered in green felt and decorated with various jewels, and the gems sparkled in the light that streamed in through the windows on our left.
A human couple sat in the two chairs, and they reminded me of old pictures of kings and queens. The man wore a large furry coat that draped over the sides of his chair and nearly touched the ground, his gray hair hung down past his shoulders, and his beard was nearly as long. The woman wore a silk cape with a huge emerald brooch at the neck, and her blonde hair was streaked with white. They both looked to be in their sixties or seventies, and the man stood up as we entered the room.
“Samuel,” he bellowed, and his voice echoed around the metal room. “What is going on?”
“My lord, please excuse the interruption,” Samuel replied as we hurried to keep up with his long-legged pace. “We have visitors, and I knew you’d want to meet them. Let me introduce Lord Evan of Hatra, Princess Alyona, and their companions.”
“Oh!” the woman gasped and covered her mouth with a gloved hand.
A lady-in-waiting seemed to appear from behind the woman’s chair and fanned her with a large paper fan. I had to stifle a laugh at the dramatic reaction, and Alyona squeezed my arm as she gave me a stern look with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Lord Evan!” the man chuffed heartily, and he stepped down from the platform to greet us. “Princess, I am Lord Torrin, and this is my wife, Lady Meadow. It is an honor for you to come to our city.”
“Thank you, Lord Torrin,” I replied as we gripped forearms.
I noted the man’s arm was skinny and frail, though he tried to cover it with the large coat and layers of green and white robes.
“Lord Evan assisted us with the latest attack on our city,” Samuel said. “He and his group were able to help us clear out several waves of bandits. A few escaped, but I doubt they’re stupid enough to come back with only four men since their group of forty failed.”
“I would hope so,” Torrin chuckled. “I’ve been the leader of this city for decades, and yet, we have never been attacked so often as we have in the past few months.”
“Do you know what they’re after?” I asked.
“I imagine it’s our treasure.” The old man shrugged. “There is much unrest in the kingdom, as you well know. People either learn to work together, or they learn to fight for themselves. We have chosen to work with Hatra, but others have chosen to look for the easy way to survive.”
“You have sympathy for the thieves?” I raised a doubtful eyebrow.
“Not at all,” Torrin replied easily. “I simply understand the way a man’s mind works after such a long time of dealing with them.”
“Forgive me for asking, but how long have you been here?” I asked, and I heard Alyona’s sharp intake of breath at the question.
“Don’t fret, princess,” Torrin laughed. “Lord Evan’s question is reasonable, and I like a man with honest questions. I am now one hundred and fifty-three, and my father passed the city to me when I was only eighty.”
“Wow,” Aaliyah breathed from behind me.
I was thinking the same thing.
“Come, come!” the old man directed. “Let’s speak in a less formal arena. My lady?”
“Coming,” Lady Meadow replied as she stood shakily from her chair, and her servant rushed around next to her and took her elbow without a word. The two made their way down the stairs from the platform and followed us as Lord Torrin guided our group back to the living area we’d seen before.
A few other servants appeared with additional chairs, and everyone sat around the cold fireplace that seemed to be more decorative than useful. It was hot outside, and I didn’t imagine it getting much colder around here.
“So, tell me about this treasure,” I said after we were all settled.
“Ahhh, right to the point,” Torrin chuckled. “Well, as I mentioned, I’ve run this city for many years, and before that, my father was the lord of the city. Back in his time, it was rather fashionable to conquer other cities and tribes, so he would send his guards to take over some other city and return with their greatest treasures.”
“They would just go fight, take all their nice things, and come home?” Laika asked as her furry gray ears twitched atop her head.
“In the simplest terms, yes,” the old man confirmed. “This
is not the way of the world anymore, mind you, but back then it was completely normal, though very impractical. Once a city was conquered and its riches gone, my father would have no way to rule them from afar, and the city would have nothing to use for bargaining with another city. So, the people would then move away, and the conquered city would become useless.”
“And that was normal?” I scrunched up my nose. “Sounds dumb. I like treasure and all, but what was the point?”
“Only to be able to claim the most gold and land,” Torrin replied. “As soon as I took over after my father’s passing, I changed the purpose of our soldiers. I couldn’t do anything about the treasure we’d already amassed, but I could prevent the unnecessary dismantling of other cities.”
“Lord Torrin immediately gained the reputation for being a kind ruler,” Lady Meadow chimed in with a fond smile. “Our soldiers were happier with their new roles, and our people were happy not being considered the bad people.”
“Makes sense,” I said. “So, basically, you just have like a bunch of cities’ worth of gold?”
“You could say that,” Torrin laughed, and his eyes glittered with mirth. “Would you like me to show you?”
“Ahhh, yes,” I nearly growled as my inner dragon preened at the idea of more gold. “If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, that is.”
“Not at all,” the old lord replied with a wave of his hand. “I know dragons like that sort of thing, and it will also probably help you understand why we continue to be a target.”
“Okay, lead the way.” I grinned.
We rose from the chairs and followed Lord Torrin down another hallway to a large thick door. It was made of iron as well, and it had long vertical bars and short horizontal bars that crisscrossed to cover the entire surface. In the middle was a handle that reminded me of a boat steering wheel with six two-foot spindles extending out from a circular hub. Torrin pulled a necklace from inside his robes and revealed a key he inserted into the center of the hub. As he turned it, a thud echoed down the hallway, and he spun the wheel to open the door.
