The Dragon Eaters

by Duke Kittle

  * * *

  Captain Cephalin pulled the key out of the lock holding the stocks around Kravek's wrists and ankles. He pushed the stocks open and glanced at Tina. “I'll inform Lieutenant Copaire of her new duties.” Without giving Tina time to reply, he turned and walked toward the front gate.

  Tina watched the wolverine depart, then looked up at Kravek as he rose from the stocks. “Feeling all right?”

  Kravek rubbed his wrists. “I've been in the stocks before. I'll be all right.” He took a step and stumbled against the side of the stocks, fumbling his attempt to grab for them to keep himself standing. “Oof.”

  Tina adjusted her glasses. “I suppose that answers that question.”

  Kravek pulled himself up with a hand on the stock and set his feet. He took in a deep breath and then blew it out. “Hoo. Nothing like ale to soften a guy's hooves.”

  Tina folded her arms across her stomach. “Are you going to be all right to walk?”

  Kravek took a moment to get his bearings. Removing his hand from the stocks, he settled down onto his haunches and balanced on his hooves. “I'm all right. Just disoriented after being bent over in the stocks for awhile.” He gestured to Tina. “But why?”

  “Why did I get them to release you?” Tina walked to Kravek's hand and jumped up to take a hold of one of his thick fingers. Pulling herself up, she climbed into his palm. “For a few reasons, one of which is feeling a little responsible for you getting in trouble this evening.” She waved a hand in front of her nose at the smell of alcohol still lingering in the bull's fur. “Though I've been told you wind up in the stocks more often than most.”

  Kravek sighed. “It happens. Don't feel responsible, though.” He stood up and placed Tina onto his shoulder. “I'm the one who dented Cephalin's armor.”

  “I suppose. But I also came because I'd like to offer you a job.” Tina folded her legs beneath her and seated herself on Kravek's shoulder. “Do you have any plans for the next day or two?”

  Kravek scratched the side of his chin. “Nothing worth the time.” His hand moved under it to rub the sore spot where he'd been elbowed. “There's no work at the dock right now. What kind of work are you offering?” He let his hand fall back to his side as he glanced at Tina on his shoulder.

  “In effect, to be my legs for a bit.” Tina smiled and wiggled her whiskers. “I need to leave the city and head north tomorrow. If you don't mind doing my walking for me, I'll pay you for your time.”

  Kravek swept the tuft of fur on the end of his tail around and slapped it against his side. “You want me to get something for you up north?”

  Tina shook her head. “Oh, no. I'll be accompanying you. I'd just be riding on your shoulder, much like I am now.” She smiled up at him.

  “So... you just want me to walk?” He tilted his head and looked down at her.

  “That's about the size of it.” She pushed her glasses up along the bridge of her muzzle. “I need to go to a cave north of town. Lieutenant Copaire will be accompanying us as well.”

  Kravek folded his arms. “Are you going to Dragon's Mouth?”

  Tina wrinkled her muzzle. “I'm not familiar with that name.”

  Kravek pointed to the north with his thumb. “A group of caves on the cliffs facing the sea.”

  Tina nodded. “That sounds like the caves the governor described.”

  “I know how to get there. And since I'm free,” Kravek grabbed one of his horns and turned his head to one side until a pop came from his neck. He sighed in relief, “I'll take you there. As far as pay goes, if we're going to be gone long, something to eat for lunch will do.”

  Tina smiled. “I think I can manage that. In the meantime, you should get some rest for the walk. Would you mind taking me back to the Stumble Drum?”

  Kravek shook his head. “Course not. I'm staying there myself.” He turned and walked down the road leading back to the Stumble Drum.

  While Kravek walked, Tina thought. It was strange to her that Kravek was proving to be as helpful as he was and yet maintained a reputation for being a heavy drinker among the guards as well as his employer. She wondered over the reason or if there even was one. “Kravek, I have to ask. Why is it you have garnered the reputation of a heavy drinker?”

  Kravek flicked one of his large, floppy ears. There were long moments of silence before he finally answered, and the Akoan looked uncomfortable doing so. “I drink a lot when there's no work.”

  “Have you always been a heavy drinker?”

  “No.”

  When Kravek offered no further explanation, Tina took a moment to examine his expression. His jaw was set tight, and the muscles were flexing. His eyes were turned intently forward on the road ahead, and his expression was dark. Tina decided not to press the matter. Whether he was a heavy drinker was a personal issue, and she didn't want to pry.

  As Kravek and Tina approached the front of the Stumble Drum, the last of the lights on the inside of the inn were being put out. The badger woman Tina had seen mopping the floor of the dining area was throwing out her mop water before she disappeared through the front doors. Tina was surprised when Kravek stopped before the doors.

  “I don't know if you have any notion to care, Tina, but I have been drinking because it helps me.” Kravek looked at the mouse wizard on his shoulder. “There are things I came to this place to forget.”

  Tina wiggled her whiskers. “I can understand wanting to leave things behind, Kravek. But don't you think there might be a better way to do it?”

  “I function and I work. For now, that is enough.” Kravek pushed on the door to let himself into the Stumble Drum.

  “Wait a moment, Kravek.” Tina took hold of one of Kravek's ears and pulled herself up to the top of his head. She seated herself, leaning forward onto her hands so that she could look down over his brow. “Where do you plan to go from here? Are you staying in Likonia for the duration?”

  Kravek looked up at Tina perched over his brow. “It's comfortable enough.”

  Tina waited for further comment, but none came. “So that's it, then?”

  Kravek sighed. “There isn't much else for me, Tina.” He lifted his hand to rub a spot on top of his head next to Tina. “I just... don't know what else to do. I want to do more. But... I feel like I just need time.”

  Tina ran her fingers through Kravek’s hair in a comforting manner. She felt as though she wanted to rub his shoulders, but she hardly had the reach. Instead, she scratched the spot where Kravek was rubbing. “I know the feeling, Kravek. I don’t mean to be prying. You just seem like a good man to me.” Tina leaned over so she could scratch the back of one of Kravek’s large ears. “I knew another good man who got lost in his sorrows and drank himself into the grave.”

  Kravek took a step back from the door and tilted his head a little to raise the ear Tina scratched. “If I go to my grave, it won’t be surrounded by a sea of ale.” He closed his eyes. “Thanks. That feels good.”

  Tina giggled. “You’re very welcome. You know Kravek, for being drunk, you don’t seem to be all that impaired.”

  “Impaired?” Kravek stepped toward the door again, but his hoof caught the edge of one of the floorboards on the porch. He tried to bring his hands up to catch himself, but before he could stop, the black bull’s horns slammed right into the door and imbedded themselves deeply.

  Tina snapped forward sharply, but managed to grab Kravek’s ear. The force of his trip swung her out wildly, and she just missed hitting the door. She clung tightly to Kravek’s ear as she dangled in the air next to his muzzle.

  Kravek tried to pull his head back, but his horns were too deeply buried in the wood. He looked at Tina hanging beside his head. “Tarsus, that was close. Are you all right?”

  “Close!?” Tina opened her eyes and looked at the door just inches away. “Any closer and I’d be a lot thinner!”

  “Sorry.” Kravek
tried to jerk his head back again, but the wood simply wouldn’t give. “Uh… I think I’m stuck.”

  Tina climbed up Kravek’s ear and onto one of his horns. The angle at which his head was tilted made it difficult to walk down safely, but she managed to scoot herself to where the door and Kravek’s horns met. She adjusted her glasses on the bridge of her nose, glad they hadn’t completely fallen off. “You’re jammed in pretty deep, Kravek.”

  “Well, I am big. A lot of weight behind me when I fall.” He put his hands on the wall and started to pull back.

  Tina could hear the wood creaking. She waved her hands at him. “Wait, wait. If you pull out now, you’re going to break something. Just give me a minute.” The wizard turned back to face the door so she could examine the wood again.

  Kravek stopped pulling. “Can’t you just magic me out or something?”

  “Magic is not a cure-all, Kravek. I can use a spell to get you out, but I might cause more damage to the door or your horns in the process.” She made her way back up along his horn and climbed into his hair. “You know, Kravek, I think you’re stuck here for the rest of your life.”

  Kravek cocked one eyebrow. “You’re kidding.”

  “Well, at least until someone opens the door.” She held one hand up and drew a finger across it. “Maybe they’ll cut your head off.” Tina giggled.

  Kravek rolled his eyes. “I’d rather just make them a new door.”

  Tina smiled. “I’ll have you out in a second.” The runic circle appeared in Tina’s right lens as she examined the door. If she was going to get Kravek out, she could either compress the cracks and have them force Kravek’s horns out or widen them and risk the cracks growing into a split. Since the second solution meant Kravek could keep his horns, she decided to widen them. “All right, try pulling back while I do this.”

  Tina lifted her hands in front of her and crossed her wrists. She focused on the disturbed equations around the cracks in the door and drew on her gift. Casting it into those equations, she slowly increased the size of the cracks while Kravek pulled back. In a few seconds, she heard the whining groan of the wood before Kravek’s head pulled free.

  But the bull’s balance was not as sound as Tina would have liked, and she lost her focus as Kravek stumbled backward and landed flat on his back. Tina flipped in the air a few times before landing on his chest flat on her back as well.

  “Oof.” Kravek mumbled as he rubbed his head. “Maybe I should lay off the ale.”

  Tina sat up and carefully searched for her glasses. “Truly an epiphany, Kravek.”

  He chortled as she ran her fingers through the fur on his chest. “Trying to make me laugh?”

  Tina thumped his chest with her fist. “Hold still, Kravek. I dropped my glasses.” He stopped laughing and let out a slow sigh, holding his breath. With Kravek’s chest still, Tina felt her fingers brush against her glasses and picked them up. She put them back on her muzzle. “Found them.”

  Kravek started breathing again. “I’m sorry, Tina.”

  Tina walked up Kravek’s chest and prodded the underside of his chin. “We’ll live. Head inside. I’m going to fix the door.”

  He tilted his head to look down at her. “Want some help?”

  Tina curled the corner of her mouth. “Thanks, but I think you just need to lie down. I want to fix the door, not finish the job of breaking it.”

  Kravek waited for Tina to climb off him and sat up. He sighed before pushing himself to his feet. Tina thought she saw an odd hint of sadness in Kravek’s eyes before he pulled the door open and went inside.