Dragon-Ridden

by T. A. White

  Even Jost, when he was meeting with potential ‘investors,’ had brought along some of the crew to act as protection in case the meeting went bad. It was a good thing, too, because they’d had to fight their way out of more than one situation.

  It was pointless to try to convince Kadien and Tempest not to act like bodyguards, but it might be just possible to get Umi to act like a small-time Night Lord. A plan in place, Tate’s stride grew buoyant as she followed Kadien down still more steps.

  By the time they reached the bottom, Tate’s previous optimism had drained to a grim determination. They were deep enough under the city that its sounds could no longer be heard. Tate strained her ears trying to hear the clatter of wheels against the street, but no luck.

  She fought off a shiver and wrapped her arms around her stomach fighting off memories of the chamber. Still, they rose. After waking up on the floor with only a dim light hanging over her for company, Tate had lain there for what felt like days trying to recover some semblance of strength in her limbs. When she finally tottered to her feet it was to find a single door that led to a labyrinth of corridors that seemed endless. There had been no food. She’d gone hungry for days. The only water she had access to she had to lick off walls where it had dribbled down from cracks in the surface. She’d been down there for far longer than she cared to think about. It was only by chance that she’d found the lit corridor that had eventually led to the surface.

  In that dark place the dragon had spoken to her for the first time. Providing companionship when she’d thought she’d go mad. She still wasn’t convinced that the being invading her mind and body wasn’t a figment of her imagination, resurrected so her already fractured mind had a way of dealing with her situation.

  She forced her thoughts away from the dark paths they’d turned to and back onto her surroundings. If she got separated from the others, she needed to be able to find her way out. The tunnel they were in was narrow, letting them travel one by one and were constructed out of the same black stone that was in the cliffs. That stone probably ran deep under the city.

  It was odd, though. She’d have thought being this close to the ocean, and this deep underground, that there would be some water in the tunnels. Instead it was dry, a little cool, but incredibly dry. No trace of water on any of the ceilings or walls.

  Tate rested her palm against the wall. Equally strange was that the stone was surprisingly warm against her hand, not cold as she would have expected considering how far down they were.

  “Don’t get out of sight of us,” Tempest said, startling Tate out of her speculation. “This place is like a maze. If you don’t know where you’re going, you could be stuck wandering down here until you died.”

  “What is this place?”

  “Nobody knows.” Tempest turned expecting Tate to follow behind. They caught up with the others before they turned down another corridor. Being below ground was screwing up Tate’s admittedly weak sense of direction. She marked on the side of one wall with a piece of rock she’d found. “Some of the mages from the academy theorize that it was built by the First People when they came to this world.”

  “The First People?” Tate asked. Her brow crinkled. She’d heard something about the term, but she couldn’t remember from where.

  Tempest stopped dead and turned to stare. Tate blinked owlishly at him, waiting for him to continue his story. When he didn’t and only stared at her while Kadien and Umi got farther and farther away, she gave him a shove in their direction. Getting left behind wasn’t in her plans for the evening. The sooner they completed their task and got back to the surface the better.

  “Everybody has stories of the First People,” Tempest whispered. “Who are you that you don’t?”

  Tate gave him her death glare. He wasn’t overly impressed, instead facing forward and catching up to the others.

  They’d made two more turns, Tate marking them when his back was turned, before he continued, “The tunnels aren’t fully explored and mapped. Every so often the academy sends scholars down with the intent of learning more, but the tunnels go on for days. There are also traps and dangerous… creatures, making exploring down here hazardous.”

  Tate noticed his hesitation when he said creatures but refrained from commenting, not wanting him to stop. This was the longest conversation the two of them had had without the threat of it devolving into a physical altercation.

  Silently she urged him to continue, almost bubbling over with questions. Were there other endless tunnels? How did they know where they were going? Who were the First People? How much longer would it be until they got to their destination? The list of questions went on and on.

  Tempest’s lips quirked, as if he could hear the questions rustling around in her brain. “We knew there was a high possibility that we would have to venture to the underground for our mission. Several of the people who work for my lady’s family keep an eye and ear on the catacombs and agreed to give us directions as long as we didn’t reveal where we’d gotten the information.”

  Tate chewed her lip in thought and followed Tempest’s back as he turned down another corridor. It differed from the others in that it had glow lights every few feet marking the way. It was the first sign of people they’d come across since they started their descent. By now the three had been walking for half an hour and despite Tate’s best attempts to remember the way, she was thoroughly lost. Only her little marks might help her find the way out. It was no wonder the night market thrived despite the law’s best attempts to locate and eliminate it. Even if they knew it was underground the poor bastards would probably just end up lost and starving to death.

  “We’re getting close,” Umi cautioned Tate.

  Her face was tense with nerves and both Tempest and Kadien looked ready for battle. Tate licked her lips responding to the others tension. This wouldn’t do, not at all. Not if they wanted to portray Umi as a master criminal.

  If they couldn’t do relaxed authority perhaps it would be better to be crazy and dangerous.

  “Umi, how are you with knives?”

  Umi and Kadien traded looks before Umi said, “I am proficient.”

  From Tempest’s startled and slightly disbelieving look, Tate downgraded proficient to awful. Still, as long as the other three played their part maybe they’d be lucky and none would want to try their luck against them.

  Once Umi had been outfitted with several knives, one tucked into her belt, another on each wrist and one in her boot, Tate explained how she wanted each of them to act.

  “We won’t let you down,” Umi said, reaching out to grab Tate’s hands. Her earnest gaze held Tate’s as she made her promise.

  Tate shuffled her feet. She was the one who was supposed to act as reassurance not the other way around.

  She nodded and stepped back. Tate closed her eyes and let the tension and nerves flow down her body and out through her arms and legs. When she opened her eyes again she was the cocky, smooth talking thief she’d been while on the Marauder.

  Turning on her heel she sauntered through the low hanging opening and into the underground with the other three at her back. At her first view of the market, she fought to keep the awe from her face.

  Instead of the small furtive gathering of criminals she’d been expecting, the underground was every bit as busy as the day market she’d visited. The group’s entrance had led them onto a ledge slightly above the maze of stalls below. This gave them a bird’s eye view of the proceedings.

  “I guess nothing in Aurelia is done on a small scale,” Tate murmured slightly shocked.

  They were in a cavern that could house at least four ships of the Marauders size. The cavern was made from the same black rock as the tunnels and cliffs. The walls of it curved gently creating a dome type feeling, while the roof itself was actually one perfectly level piece of rock. Terraces like the one Tate’s party stood on dotted the walls, each with their own precise staircases leading down to the maze of booths and stalls.

&nb
sp; “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Tate whispered.

  “I could do without the den of iniquity and vice,” Tempest said.

  “I take it you disapprove?”

  “I think criminals should be hunted down and strung up by their necks on their first offence. None of this three strikes bleeding heart nonsense.”

  “Hmm.” Tate’s voice was noncommittal as she looked around.

  “You don’t?” Tempest’s face was stony when he looked back at her. “That’s right. I forgot. You’re one of them.”

  Tate stilled at the hate that rolled through his words. A lot of his actions made sense now. The man had a hard on for thieves and the like and probably judged all of them as having come from the same tattered cloth. No wonder he’d been so unpleasant to be around since they’d met. His attitude wasn’t wrong exactly. Thieves took what others had and profited from it. But she’d seen enough of the world to know it wasn’t always so black and white. There were shades of grey everywhere. She didn’t blame him for his views, but his attitude would make working together difficult.

  “That’s right. I am.” She smiled toothily and stepped closer. “And you need me because you’ve kept yourselves so damn pure that you can’t even walk amongst common folk.”

  He fell back a step, disgust filling his face. “We have no need to fit in with these bottom feeders.”

  “Look around,” she gestured down at the people. “The reason they have an underground is to fence their merchandise to law-abiding citizens such as yourselves. So which is the criminal— the person who sells it or the person who buys it?” She poked him in the chest. “What’s worse is you guys couldn’t even pose as a genuine buyer with that holier than thou attitude.”

  Tempest sneered as he stubbornly held Tate’s gaze, closing his mouth tight against the words he obviously wanted to say. Tate touched her head and closed her eyes, her posture one of weary acceptance. Talking to him was about as useful as talking to the wall. He didn’t get it. How could he? In his black and white world grey didn’t exist.

  It was sad, really. With such a strict view on the world he missed a lot of the subtle nuances that deepened ones appreciation for the genuinely good things it had to offer.

  There was plenty of black in the underground. Of that Tate had no doubt. She’d seen enough of it traveling with Jost’s crew, but she’d also seen the other side of the coin. The side where desperate children sold themselves for a chance to put bread in their bellies or stole what they needed at the expense of others. Despite what Tempest thought, nothing in this world fit neatly into the boxes of white or black. But he’d have to learn that for himself, as Tate had, even if she couldn’t quite remember where she’d learned it.

  “Alright,” Tate said in a chipper voice, clapping her hands. “Does everybody remember the plan? Umi, you’re now a low level thug so walk like you own this place. If something happens don’t cower behind the other two. Meet whatever it is face on. People down here respect strength even if it’s only an illusion. Tempest and Kadien try not to make it too obvious you’d die for her. People in this place rarely inspire that kind of loyalty. Whatever you do, don’t show weakness. These people are like sharks. Any blood in the water will lead to a feeding frenzy.”

  Tate tilted her head and observed the trio. Umi still stood too tall and the boys hovered around her like they were afraid she’d break. It’d take a bloody miracle to make it out of here without one or all of them being kidnapped, maimed or killed.

  Muttering under her breath about arrogant men and their damn favors, Tate stalked down the nearest set of stairs. The others followed her into the stormy mass of the thieves’ den.

  Had there been time and her companions had not insisted on tagging along, Tate would have enjoyed watching the movement and interactions of the market. Watching how others acted gave her clues on how to push when she needed to and fold when appropriate.

  She learned early that every port’s underbelly differed from the other. There were always similarities but also differences that helped separate the outsiders from the rest. Those who couldn’t walk the walk and talk the talk were usually targeted and easily taken advantage of.

  The Night Market differed from the Day in the fact that instead of pushy hawkers, the stall owners down here sat and watched their potential patrons with a sly assessment letting the customer come to them rather than tempting them to lighten their purses. Instead of open-air stalls showcasing their wares to the public, the underground had closed stalls not letting casual passerby’s see what’s inside.

  This place relied more on word of mouth. People didn’t come here not knowing what they wanted. Those desperate enough to seek the underground usually knew what they wanted and got out as soon as possible. Only fools tempted the denizens of the market by lingering.

  Tate took everything in with an assessing gaze. The terraces she’d originally judged to be empty had people sitting with their legs hanging over the edge and watching the proceedings with careful eyes. They were like birds of prey watching the people below in hopes of snagging a juicy snake.

  Noticing where her eyes had been drawn, Kadien said in a quiet voice, “The market is divided into several levels. Yellow, the most basic where the lighter criminal elements such as pickpockets and common thieves fence their goods. That’s where we are now. Red, which is where the higher priced items are traded. The last is Black where only the masters in their craft can be found and the Night Lords hold court. I’m told Jost, your old friend, has a seat reserved there for anytime he’s in port.”

  Tate stilled at the mention of Jost and fought to keep the surprise off her face. Of course he’d be in the Black. He was infamous in most waters for taking extremely high paying and difficult jobs. She hadn’t thought her companions would know that much about him though. Perhaps his bounty had gone up again.

  Kadien smiled slightly. “You didn’t think we’d have let you come on this journey without us checking you out beforehand.”

  Well, as a matter of fact, she kind of had. She hadn’t thought he’d known about her before meeting her at Ryu’s. No need for him to know that, though. She kept a slightly amused expression on her face while her mind filed the piece of information away.

  It wasn’t a complete surprise to know that he had a seat at the highest level of the city’s underbelly. The man seemed to have his fingers in every pie. Despite Kadien’s insinuation of Jost’s lack of moral character, Tate knew that wasn’t entirely true. Oh she knew he was a criminal and a damned good one at that. He’d slit your throat without a second thought and then dump your ass overboard. She’d seen it happen. However, she also knew he had his own moral compass, it might not make sense to regular people, but it made perfect sense to him.

  Kadien’s comment required an answer so Tate smiled flirtatiously up at him. “I’d expect nothing else of suspicious sorts such as yourselves. Now, since you took the time to explain the different circles to me, I have a feeling you’re going to tell me we have to go up to one of those.”

  “Yes. The,” Umi paused while she searched for the right word, “item isn’t something a regular thief would be able to obtain. The planning would have taken months. The men who took it would have to be part of the Red Circle at the very least.”

  “If they’re Black?” Tate asked. “Ryu said not to take them on by ourselves.”

  The three got very quiet and shared a look.

  “Let’s hope they’re Red,” Umi said quietly. “It would take certain connections to even meet with any of the Black, let alone the ones we need to speak to.”

  “Well, Ryu said I was supposed to help you get into the Red. But I have no idea how to get there.” Tate placed her hands on her hips and gave a crazy-eyed stare to one of the cutpurses who had ventured too close. He spooked when he noticed her staring at him and backed off right away.

  “We’ll get you there. We have a contact waiting to guide us. You just have to get us in. We were supposed to meet him last nig
ht but were unable to find him before encountering problems.”

  Tate nodded thoughtfully falling into step with Umi while Kadien and Tempest wound their way to a group of tables in the middle of the hubbub. It was a meeting place, and judging by the smell of food and the presence of beer, a type of pub. Tate’s stomach rumbled. It’d been awhile since those meat turnovers. She could do with a little sustenance.

  There was a sense of something forgotten niggling at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t quite remember what it was. She mentally shrugged. Whatever she’d forgotten would come back to her, or else it just wasn’t important.

  Umi sat herself at a table and Tate joined her. Kadien and Tempest arranged themselves around the two looking exactly as what they were. Guards.

  Tate threw her arm over her seat and rested her head on it. She batted her eyes at Tempest and said, “Since you’re still up, why don’t you two see about getting us some drinks and food. I’ll take two meat pies and whatever bread they have.”

  Tempest balked and Tate could tell he wanted to say something nasty. Kadien bumped him with his shoulder and gestured with his head to follow him. Tate rested her chin on her arm as she watched them stalk off.

  “Slouch, Umi,” Tate whispered.

  In any other situation Umi’s attempts at slouching would have been comical. There was none of the grace that normally characterized her movements. Tate’s lips quivered as she watched Umi try to get comfortable in her seat. Finally she burst out laughing and slung an arm around Umi’s shoulders.

  “So which one of the boys do you like?” Tate asked while observing the people around them.

  “What?”

  “Oh, come on,” Tate teased. “You must like one. How about Tempest? He’s young but it’s so fun to mess with him and watch him snarl. Or maybe Kadien, he’s just so proper and manly.”

  “I’m not sure that this is an appropriate topic of discussion,” Umi said primly.

  Tate turned so that Umi’s hair shielded her mouth from anybody who happened to be watching them.