Here There Be Dragons [edit] - 5

Here There Be Dragons

Chapter Five - Jot

Chance was in a surly mood after the incident with the innkeeper and his wife. And he stayed that way as he sulkily struck a deal with a gruff ironsmith who seemed suspicious of the ragged boy. Can’t imagine why.

In the end, Chance got his armor properly cleaned and inspected for a small fee, which apparently wasn’t quite what he had been hoping for, but sufficed enough for his set budget.

We left the armory and mixed in the crowded street again, this time with a shining metal suit stuffed and strapped to the pack. Chance still insisted on keeping them covered, to draw less attention, as he put it. “Now for a horse,” he muttered.

“They’re usually found in stables,” I commented aloud to myself. Chance sighed, as if he had something burdensome on his mind. Probably thinking of his sister, dear boy.

As Chance quickly discovered, there was only one stable that sold horses, and in that rickety structure there were only three steeds available. I subtly peeked out of the pack and in a second had reckoned that the first one, a large draft horse, would make a fine meal for me, though it looked a bit doughy and lethargic. The second was too sprightly and would no doubt give me an upset stomach. The third was no better than a rack of bones with some skin stretched over it and a bush stuck on to pass as a tail.

Unfortunately, as Chance was just starting to discuss the possibility of buying one of the sorry steeds, the nervous one caught my scent and went berserk, setting the other horses off in varying modes of alarm. Of course, the stable owner wasn’t to know that the cause of the horses’ unease was actually me; he naturally thought it was Chance, and concisely told the boy to get the hell out of the stable and bring his bad luck with him.

This did not seem to improve Chance’s feelings, especially towards me.

“Now what am I going to do?” he sighed, frowning at the closed stable doors. “I can’t walk to Rale on foot, that would take too long. I wouldn’t reach it in time.”

At the moment, we were in a corner of the village, surrounded on two sides by the protective wall and on another by the back of the barn. The only other way into our private corner was a dank alleyway; as it was, no one was around. I felt it was safe enough to poke my head out of the pack.

“There are other towns, aren’t there? You can buy a horse there. Besides, you’re also going to need a guide, and if I’m not mistaken, that unfortunate person will be in need of a steed as well. So you might as well save yourself the trouble until you have another person.”

“True…” Chance deliberated over my words.

“Of course it’s true. I think about this sort of stuff, unlike you. I expect you haven’t even thought about the guide this morning; you were too focused on your petty supplies.”

“What?” Chance turned his head awkwardly and glared at me. “How is armor petty? It could very well save my life.”

I snorted; a burst of smoke erupted into Chance’s face. “Ooh, sorry. That was unintentional, I swear.”

With a cry of frustration, Chance slid his pack off and onto the ground. “Get out! I don’t need you on my back anymore.”

“And I don’t want to be in your smelly bag anyway!” With an indignant huff, I scrambled out and scuttled to the corner of the walls, away from Chance. I turned around, drawing myself up proudly to faced him—and stopped.

There was someone lurking in the alley behind the boy; I saw a fleeting motion and a faint shadow.

Chance was too upset to notice. He was ranting on and on about how much of a bother I’d been and how inconvenient the whole situation was. While he flailed his arms and yammered on, I saw a corner of the lurker’s cloak peek around the corner, caught by the faint wind. It wouldn’t be much longer until the spy took a look and saw a rag-tag boy yelling at a cat-sized dragon, either of which would give good cause for alarm. And the last thing I felt up to that morning was having to battle off a whole slew of guards and ruffians; the latter have a tendency to be very good at sneaking up and being quick with their daggers, and I wasn’t feeling quite my usual self to revel in slaughtering all of them.

With these thoughts in mind, I took matters into my own control, and set about changing my scales.

This was another of those so-called powers that Chance had asked me about, and that I had failed to answer. I couldn’t turn invisible exactly, but by a careful bending of my scales, I was able to refract the light in such a manner as to make me barely seen. It was a technique I’d perfected over the years, used many times to hunt unwitting prey, and in less than twenty seconds I had disappeared from view.

And with good timing. No sooner had I become virtually unseeable than the lurker peeked around the alley’s corner. A small cry of recognition left my mouth, but fortunately Chance was still going on, completely blind to the fact that I was nowhere to be seen, and that a potentially murderous man was standing behind him.

It was at that moment that he finally became aware of my supposed absence, and he stopped in midsentence, face flushed with his heated talk.

“Jot? Where are you?” He sounded peeved; I kept still, watching the man behind him.

“Eh now, who might you be talking to?”

Chance started and whirled around, gasping a small gasp of recognition.

“Hello, lad.” Ryder—the trouble-causer of the tavern, the scraggly-looking roustabout—seemed inordinately pleased with himself. “I see you remember me, short though it was that we saw each other. I easily recalled your face; most distinctive. Reminds me of someone I once knew, a long time ago.”

By this time, Chance had regained some kind of composure, though I saw him turn his head ever so slightly one way and then another, eyes searching vainly for me. I rose and silently slunk a little closer before seating myself again; now, sitting with Chance on my left and Ryder on my right, I could watch each of the men’s faces and properly enjoy the show.

“Well, sir,” Chance was reverting to formality, I could see. I don’t know what good he thought it would do to a ruffian like Ryder. “I did happen to see you last night at the inn.”

“Yes, boy, yes. But that is beside the point. I couldn’t help but hear you talking to someone; where is this person now?”

While Chance stammered out some excuse about not knowing what Ryder was talking about, and how Chance had a bad habit of talking to himself, and other such jaw that wasn’t believable in the least, I took the opportunity to scrutinize Ryder.

He had a scruffy brown beard, tangled, greasy hair, and a glint in his gray eyes that all characterized a fighter; as for his clothes, they were good, durable ones that travelers usually wore, stained with mud and other—well, let’s just say brown—spots. He had a broadsword at his side, which looked very much like it could be drawn in one easy motion. I had no doubt that this man knew how to fight, and fight effectively, whereas I had yet to see Chance display any sort of combative prowess. Unseen, I heaved an internal sigh. The boy was going to die, and I would be without my steel. Perhaps it would be better to eat Chance and have done with the whole business.

While I was pondering over this lovely thought, Chance seemed to have been sizing Ryder up as well, and I could almost feel his mind spinning, wondering what to do, as his sentence trailed off. Ryder was now standing in front of the boy, arms folded and legs in a firm, confident stance. He was regarding Chance steadily, rather like a shark watching a floundering minnow before it.

“Well, boy,” he finally said, breaking the silence that had draped over our corner of the city. “Fond of soliloquy, hm? I can relate; when one is alone, one must make the most of whatever company they are capable of possessing; your own voice, in this case.”

I could tell that Ryder didn’t believe a word of Chance’s spiel, and was merely talking for the sake of toying with the boy’s nerves. Ryder rested a casual hand on the hilt of his broadsword. Chance didn’t miss the gesture, but he didn’t echo it, which was the first intelligent move I had seen from him that day. No need to start hostilities just yet.

“Anyway, are you in need of some help? I overheard you talking about a journey and the need of a guide. I can take you anywhere in Cingden Realm—for a fair price. I can guarantee you that I am one of the very finest you’ll find.”

I very nearly snorted, but held it in. I wasn’t quite ready to make a move yet; I wanted to see what Chance would do.

In fact, the boy seemed to be actually considering the vagabond’s words. “You can guide me to Rale? Do you know of a route faster than the usual road? I need to get there as soon as possible.”

Ryder chuckled. “Of course I do! The shortest way I know would take no more than ten days. It is a difficult path, but I’m sure a strapping young lad such as yourself would be just fine.”

Now I was in danger of laughing at this outright jibe. It was only with the severest contortions of the face that I was able to keep it in, and in the meantime Chance had responded with a hesitant, “Thank you. And what is your price?”

Ryder crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, studying Chance. “Well, normally it’d be a good fifteen silvers per day. But since you’re more than a peasant, and therefore richer, that’ll be thirty pieces per day.”

Chance let out an exclamation. “That is an exorbitant price! I cannot pay you that; and anyway, what makes you think I’m rich?”

It was a valid question; I couldn’t fathom where Ryder had gathered such information.

“Your bearing. It’s not that of a mere serf who labors daily for his meals. You have the skin of one who has been raised in the comfortable confines of a castle, and the stiffness of one who’s only known obedience from servants. You haven’t traveled much, that is very obvious, and there are dangerous people in this town who would take advantage of that. We’re filled with robbers, swindlers, the like.” No doubt there, coming from one such person. “What would be another corpse in Marshwin? Did you see the bog less than a mile before town? Filled with the bodies of those who run on the wrong side.”

“Er, no, I didn’t see that. I don’t think I came that way.” Chance was visibly tense and I shook my head. The boy had much to learn when it came to dealing with others. I had a better sense of humans, and I only ate them.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll see it when we leave. That is, if you agree to the price.” Ryder grinned at Chance, and I saw a gap in his molars, where a tooth was sorely missing.

“N-no. That’s quite all right, I don’t need a guide. Thank you anyway.” Chance was gripping the pack’s straps tightly, and he had ceased to even look for me.

“Now, now, don’t be too quick to leave.” Ryder’s hand tightened on the sword’s hilt. “I want some kind of payoff. I’ve spent quite a lot of time with you, boy, and I intend to be paid for some of that.”

“I don’t pay for time,” Chance said scornfully, drawing himself up so he looked taller (and, consequently, even thinner). “I didn’t ask for you to talk to me, so it’s your fault.”

Ryder’s expression turned into a dangerous frown. “I wouldn’t be so quick to blame, my lad. And I would definitely encourage you to give me whatever money you have before I have to search for it myself on your cooling body.”

Chance became paler than I’d ever have guessed he could have turned. His lips twitched, but no reply came out. I saw his fingers inch towards his sword; I doubted he’d be able to last very long against the confident Ryder. Chance’s eyes were bulging and focused completely on the ruffian in front of him, debating.

Meanwhile, I was growing impatient with the circumstances we were falling into due to the imbecilic mind of this boy. He would get himself killed, and I would be without my steel. So I decided to take control of the situation.

In one fluid motion, I bunched my haunches, poised, and sprang at Ryder, opening my wings at the same time. All that Chance or Ryder would see was a vague shimmering; all they would hear was a faint flap of wing membrane.

The next thing Chance would see was Ryder suddenly being knocked to the ground, and the next thing Ryder would feel was my considerate weight on his chest and a paw on his mouth.

I extended my head down near his face and whispered in a guttural voice, “Make one loud noise, and I’ll pluck your eyeballs out and fry them up for a little bite!”

The man’s eyeballs were, at that moment, seemingly going to pop out of his sockets without any help from me. He hoarsely whispered, “What’s that? Who’s on me?”

I slowly let my scales bend until I was clearly outlined. I think Ryder’s eyes bulged even more, though I wouldn’t have thought it possible.

“Jot!” Chance cried, relief in his voice. “You—I didn’t know—”

“Yes, yes, we can discuss my numerous and wonderful abilities later. Right now, we need to find a place to dispose of his body.”

Ryder gave a muffled cry, and I put just the tiniest bit of pressure on my foremost claw that was on his mouth. “Shhh. Don’t make any wrong decisions, Ryder. Wouldn’t want to lose an eye.” I did my best to sound soothing, and I think it worked; Ryder stopped his noise. I flicked my tongue out; there was a distinct smell of fear, along with horse manure and something nastier.

“Are we really going to kill him?” Chance asked in a lowered voice. “That’s murder, you know.”

“Unless you’d rather the murder be of you, then yes.”

“I don’t think it’s right—”

“Oh, to hell with morals!”

“Jot, this is my quest. I say we take Ryder somewhere more private before any guards come this way.”

“Oh sure. And where do you suggest? The inn? I’m sure they’d love to have you two again.”

Chance glanced behind him, then back at me. “If we could get over the walls somehow…”

“Ha! Easily done. Go ahead first. I’ll take care of the smelly ruffian.”

The boy looked at me sternly. “That doesn’t include eating him and ‘carrying him in your stomach’.”

I flicked my tongue out at him. “Go on, stringbean, before I make a stir.”

Chance frowned and turned to the wall. He spoke to himself. “Shouldn’t be too hard to scale that wall after climbing up to your cave.”

I blinked in surprise as he stepped to the stone barrier and started to—well, climb it. I do have to admit that he was impressive at it; fingers and boot tips acted like little anchors for the rest of his gangly body, and like a large, ugly spider, he scurried up the wall. Once he was at the top, I saw him peer over the side, then swing his body over the top, no doubt swarming down the outside in reverse of what I had just seen.

“Our turn,” I whispered to Ryder, and at the same time that I grabbed his upper arms, I launched myself into the air, changing size and simultaneously turning invisible. It was quite a good feat, I’d say, and in an instant we were skimming over wall and dropping away on the other side, gliding to a distance away from the walls before we landed. Anyone watching would have seen a man simply levitate with a muffled scream of horror and then go flying off, his arms held at an odd angle, probably to help him fly. Nothing too suspicious.

I spotted a small stand of trees a little ways off and easily glided over, plunking Ryder down in the middle of the copse. I changed size and landed beside him, becoming visible again.

“Try anything and I’ll have your innards out before you can scream.”

With this threat, Ryder sat on the ground quietly while we waited for Chance to come running to join us. He arrived soon after, panting, and leaned against a tree, breathing heavily.

“You climb like a climbing-bug,” I commented to Chance.

He was too busy trying to regain his breath to reply, and when he finally did it was merely to say, “Now what?”

“I don’t know. This is your mission.”

“I thought you had a plan.”

“Yes. It was called, ‘Don’t let anybody see us as we deal with the smelly bum.’ Now what’s your plan?”

He made some strangled sounds, then started pacing in front of Ryder, who watched with an alarmed look.

“What are we going to do with this man?” Chance asked. “Obviously, he’s seen you now, and if we let him go he’ll start spreading word, and the last thing I need is to have people following me in the hopes of slaying a dragon.”

“That would be the last thing I need, you mean.”

“Yes,” Chance said impatiently.

“I could always eat him,” I suggested brightly. “After he’s had a bath, of course. I’ve had bad before, but I can’t think of anything worse than that.”

Ryder’s face had gone an interesting pasty color, and his eyes were almost as wide as Chance’s normally were. “Please!” he cried, getting to his feet.

I immediately pounced on him, pinning him to the ground again, while Chance stood over him, frowning. Ryder looked beseechingly at the boy, nearly sobbing now. “I’ll do anything! I promise I will not tell anyone! I do not go back on my word! I do not lie!”

Pressing a claw onto Ryder’s cheek, I looked up at the boy. “Hear that bit of irony, Chance? He said he wouldn’t lie, but what’s he doing now? Lying down, I’d say!”

Chance failed to see the humor in this. He rubbed his head, and I was reminded of how young he really was. “Look here,” I said conversationally. “Let me just handle the man and then we’ll continue on.”

“No! Please!” Ryder was getting frenzied; he grasped Chance’s boot and clung on as the boy tried fruitlessly to shake the hand off. I gave Ryder’s wrist a sharp whip with my tail, drawing a thin line of blood.

“Don’t do that again,” I said with a yawn that happened to show my teeth. Ryder subsided with many whimpers.

I glanced up at Chance hopefully, but the boy was looking at the man with a thoughtful, calculating stare. “You said you were a guide?”

Ryder nodded frantically. “Yes, yes! I know my way around!”

“And you said you could get us some horses?”

“Well, for a price—”

I coughed, sending a small puff of smoke into Ryder’s face. “Ooh, sorry about that. All your talking made me itchy inside.” Ryder shut up.

Chance deliberated; finally, he announced, “We’ll bring Ryder with us.”

My groan was quickly masked by Ryder’s, “Thank you, sir! Thank you!”

“On the condition that he stays true to his word. He will provide us with able steeds for our journey, and take us to Rale the quickest way possible.”

“I shall!”

I snorted. “One more thing. If, at any time, Ryder tries to break this agreement, or harm me, or escape, I get to eat him.”

Chance eyed me shrewdly, narrowing his buggy eyes. “Add that no harm shall come to me, either, and I shall agree wholeheartedly.”

“Fair enough.”

Ryder looked at our faces and sighed. Already the terror was diminishing, as no immediate threat to his life was apparent. “Why’d I ever take any notice of you? Why couldn’t I have left well enough alone?”

“Funny,” I mused aloud. “That’s the same I thing I ask myself whenever I think of Chance.”