Dragon's Cage

by Daniel Potter

  Her guts fizzed as ran beneath a faded red Torii and into a forgotten garden. The ill fitted paving stones of the path caught her toes and made her stumble and stagger along it. Yet she did not fall until she reached the end of the garden to the ancient willow tree. The drooping branches parted to admit her and Yaki flung her arms around the thick trunk. "Grandmother." Yaki panted, pressing her hot cheek against the cool bark. The tree was not mother but she was safe. The bowing limbs blocked out the world beyond them. As Yaki caught her breath it came back in hiccuping sobs. Clinging to the tree it all came back to her, memories of the last week rose up like a sudden storm. Nearly dying and then being forced to live, being utterly naked in front of a mocking monster and the news that mother was gone.

  Mother had been a cold comfort at times but Yaki desperately wished for her now. There'd be scolding for this stupid weakness, but maybe a hug and definitely a plan. And not something dumb like let’s go try to seduce a pair of guards on active duty. The heart ache added to the constant hurt in her chest. She almost wished that branch had struck true.

  Slowly, the sobs exhausted themselves and Yaki pulled back from the tree. She pressed her palm against the trunk. "Thank you Grandmother, for the second time. Sorry I'm a wreck of a shrine maiden."

  The branches rustled in a gentle laughter.

  Yaki leaned against the thick trunk, ignoring the tickle of the vines that curled around it. Grandmother years stretched beyond old, into ancient history. According to the records she had been here during the time the sun emperor built the grand torii. She had witnessed his last days and then the entirety of the Great Wyrm's empire. The tree had survived raging fires and centuries of neglect. The earth below her feet was covered with brown leaves laying on a tangle. Guilt filled Yaki as she looked at the accumulation. How long had it been since she had raked these grounds? Clearly no neighborhood girl had thought to attend to Grandmother willow's needs in the years since she'd been in finishing school.

  For a long moment she meditated on that. How nice it must be, to be happy with simply existing as grandmother willow did. Or did she too scheme and plot in her own way for the best sunshine and battle other plants for territory? Was Grandmother Willow so old due to luck and fate or among the Kami, the most ruthless tree?

  The wind shifted among the branches and the rustle's pitched with disapproval.

  "Forgive me. I'm an unclean and corrupted woman Grandmother. At the very least I should be one of the enshadowed." Yaki said.

  A bird tweeted sharply in rebuke from among Grandmother's branches.

  "Yes, talk to the priests and the kami who govern the purity of the waters. They disagree with you." Yaki pushed herself to her feet, stepped up to the curtain of branches and pushed them aside. Wreckage greeted her eyes, Yaki covered her mouth as it fell open, Grandmother's shrine, lay shattered, her offerings lay rotting among the debris of the passing seasons. Its roof had been bashed in, its tiny red shingles lay scattered on the ground like flakes of blood. Its basin split in twain. The metal plaque that declare that this shrine was the responsibility of the decedents of Admiral Madria had been half pried off. As if the vandals had been chased off before they could finish their defacement.

  Beyond it, the scared grove had the look of deep winter despite the mid summer sun shine that beamed down onto it. Most of the trees were bare, their branches twisted with gnarls of wood fungus. A sigh blew from behind her. Yaki turned to behold a tree far different from what she stepped from. Vines choked her trunk and black fungus spotted her leaves. A wind blew through the garden moving the bowing branches sway as if the entire tree sobbed.

  Yaki stumbled back and landed on her bustle. A root had entwined itself around her ankle. "Grandmother," Yaki chided, "I'm not going to wander off now that I'm here but I am going to need tools."

  Reluctantly the root let her go. Yaki threaded back through the snagging branch of the grove and found Guro waiting for her with a sour expression. He slouched on the one side of the torii that guarded the garden. "Weep out all your demons? Feel better?"

  Barbed comments flowed to the tip of her tongue but she swallowed them back. "Unless you have something to tell be about my mother surviving and Ishe being releases by your Lord then my demons are staying put. But yes, I feel better."

  His eyes walked over her body and any calm bought by the emotional outpour shattered.

  "And stop looking at me as if I'm on the market." Yaki snapped.

  "Why? I'm simply admiring." He shrugged, "You're pretty even after you've cried a river. Not quite as impressive bodily as your sister but those eyes make up for it." He smirked wickedly, "particularly when your angry."

  An image of precisely what would happen to this man if he ever evaluated Ishe like something at the market rose into her head. The only question would be which end Ishe would start taking apart first. A laugh burst from Yaki, low and dangerous. It wasn't much but it helped her reign in her anger. "I might need you alive for now but you don't need your eyes to talk to Yaz'Noth."

  "Yeah, yeah. Threaten me all you want. Although you'd get a lot farther trying to seduce me than throwing yourself at a bunch of guards." The grin turned vicious.

  "Never!" Yaki spat. The mere thought made Yaki's skin crawl as if maggots were tunneling beneath her skin.

  "Then today's little trial goes into the report right. And if he doesn't see you making progress." Guro gave the tiniest shrug. "The Lord is not the most patient of Gods."

  Yaki's sword left its sheath. She thumbed the hidden crystal set where the hilt blossomed into a basket.

  A sword materialized in his own hand in a blaze white light, accompanying a similar flare from the sheath of his weapon. A quick draw crystal, rare and prized by anybody who often finds themselves in stick situations. He twirled the weapon easily as if the heavy blade had no weight to it at all. "Don't go this route girl. There is a reason I'm your minder. Stick to you skirts and fawning lads, you're no warrior like your sister."

  With the speed of a crossbow bolt the rapier's blade extended fifteen feet and stabbed right through Guro ear. The blade paused just long enough for the pain to register on his face before recoiled with in the space of an eye blink. He clapped a hand over his ear. "You bitch!" he swore as he brought up his sword, as if that would do anything against her rapier.

  "I think you need a reminder of who you’re dealing with Guro." Yaki said, her voice even. "I'm over my head with your Lord, but I want to remind you that my mother taught me precisely how to deal with men like you." The sword shot forward, stabbing straight Guro's hand. His sword fell. Clattering on the ground. "We stomp on slimeballs until they burst. And if Yaz'Noth harms one hair on my sister's head then he's violated the deal and I will have the entire Golden Hills navy surrounding his little hide away. They'll pulverize that entire mountain to dust. Your Lord might survive that, but nobody human in that mountain will."

  Genuine fear animated Guro features. "You don't know where it is."

  "He has my twin sister. I know where she is." Yaki grinned to cover the lie.

  The color drained from Guro face as he bought it. It filled Yaki's chest with joy as he bowed his head. "I... apologize."

  "Good, now why don't you go make your little report. Make sure you tell him about our conversation." Yaki said.

  He nodded but didn't move. Blood ran down his neck from his ear as he clasped his injured hand. "Could I use your medical crystal for a moment first?"

  "I don't have it." Yaki smirked.

  "What?" Guro mouth dropped open.

  "It, shattered two days ago."

  "Oh my lord." Guro whispered. "You haven't been using one for two days?" A smile twitched at the corner his lips. "He's done it then? Are you in pain?"

  "Yess, quite a bit of pain." Yaki's narrow her eyes. "Why, what does that mean?"

  "It means you might live longer than the lord predicted." Guro stood and was backing out of the garden, injured hand curled in a fist against his heart. "I will meet you ba
ck at the apartment Mistress."

  Yaki kept her face frozen in that suspicious glare until he had left her sight. Once he was gone. She fell to her knees in utter bewilderment. Mistress? What in the nine hells!

  Chapter 13

  Ishe looked up from the book that reported to be Mother's biography which couldn't decide if it was an adventure novel or a textbook, jumping from exciting anticoates from Madria life to eye lid drooping accounts of the author's journey to cooberate the stories. An easy book to put down to watch the scene below.

  The messenger approached as most Dragon sworn did when they had the unfortunate task of speaking to the dragon. He had appeared at the door and two armed guards stood by. Spoke to them and if they deemed the thing important they signaled to Miss Cog or one of her swarms of assistants. She in turn, got the dragon's focus by standing close to whatever had his attention at the time. Yaz'noth himself rarely did nothing. Always peering through a magnifier at a book or at one of the many old world artifacts that shared space with the books on the shelves, mostly half disassembled boxes with green cards for guts. Ishe had spent the entire day waiting for him to order the new round of beatings.

  Yaz'noth had yet to even glanced at her today and her promised beating brigade hadn't showed either. Yet when Miss Cog reached under the magnifier to stop the assistant from turning the page his eye didn't look towards the door where the massager was. He looked at Yaki with that strange Draconian smirk. "Approach." He said.

  The man shuffled forward bearing a wooden box, that held a long tapered crystal in within the shine of black velvet. "Sir, Guro has something you wanted to hear."

  Curiosity drove Ishe to her feet to peer down at the box. Where was Guro?

  "Hello Guro," Yaz'noth said in a too loud voice. "Has Yaki acquired the quicksilver?"

  "I greet you Lord." A voice came from the crystal with a harmonic buzz, Ishe's mouth dropped. A talker crystal, mother had been attempting to get her hands on one of those for as long as Ishe could remember. Only a single crystal grove produced them in the far North at the rate of a pair a year. "Unfortunately miss Yaki's attempts to gain access to the quicksilver have met with... disappointment so far. She's taken the day off to work in a garden." He sniffed.

  Yaz'noth's wings fluttered, stirring up a small dust cloud. "And you needed to report that to me at once? I'm sure she is aware of the time limits."

  "No sir," The crystal whined. "I have other news. The medical crystal has shattered."

  Yaz'noth stilled before his tail gave a long, dangerous lash. "Find her a new one! Don't blabber to me about it!

  The crystal emitted a high pitched squeak, a laugh that everyone in the room wince, "My Lord it shattered two days ago."

  "Two days ago? But you said she's- Oh!" Yaz'noth eyes grew wide and Ishe saw that the whites of a dragon's eyes were glowed red, like molten metal. "That means..." The tip of his began to vibrate. "You dramatic little meat sack!" He bared his teeth at the crystal but the threat was delivered in a manner of court lady scolding a beloved pet. Had the man been present he might be snatch up and violently hugged.

  The wince inducing laughter sounded again. "My apologies my Lord."

  "Accepted, keep me informed." Yaz'noth gestured with the tip of a claw and the box containing the crystal was closed. Then he settled back, closed his eyes and let his mouth open so his teeth shined through the gap between his thin lips. The no play at the corners of that mouth as his wings, usually folded tight against his back half opened as tension eased from his massive body. "Finally, finally after all this time." He signed.

  "What does that mean?" Ishe shouted her demand far louder than she intended. The question had burned its way out of her.

  Yaz'noth did not look at her. "It means you do not get a beating today. Miss Cog, will you please safely stow our guest for the rest of the day. I declare this to be a festival day."

  "Right away my Lord!" Miss Cogs's stern face broke into a grin so out of place that Ishe had a mental image of it shattering her entire head. The entire room exploded into a swarm of frenzied activity, everyone rushing to clean up their tasks and stow books. Ishe swiftly lost her vantage point as he cage was lowered to the ground. Miss Cog rushed over with the keys to the cage in hand but seemed to think better of it at the last moment. Instead a team of dozen dragon sworn were recruited. Ishe tried to get them to answer questions but they were like speaking to walls. Together they lifted the cage and unable to fit the cage through the human sized door, opened the dragon door a crack. Under Miss Cog's supervision, they hauled her into the warehouse. Set her down briefly to clear a wider path through the dross and hurriedly jostled Ishe until the cage was within thirty feet of the entrance to the magazine.

  "Good." Miss Cog said as Ishe's cage clanked down onto the stone. The Dragon Sworn paused for a half second to see if she'd issue anymore orders and then bolted back for the entrance to the warehouse. The guards of the Magazine watched this with a deepening concern etched on their faces. "It has been declared to be a festival day." Miss Cog told them. "I will make sure you are relieved at the proper time and will send a meal once it is prepared."

  This mollified the guards somewhat, who both looked about to toss down their weapons and run after the rest of the dragon sworn.

  "But you must look after the Lord's guest. You are not to touch her or talk to her. She is not to be harmed by anyone. Understand?"

  A low rumble of a horn sounded through the warehouse. Two more guards appeared at the entrance of the doorway, flanked by Tannis, the keeper of the Armory and the only Dragon Sworn who out ranked Miss Cog. "What is going on Chei?" He asked Miss Cog, who's face flinched minutely at the man's use of what Ishe assumed was her actual name.

  "The master's experiments have progressed." She said with a sideways glance at Ishe.

  "I'm in a cage!" Ishe protested, "I get it. Yaki's doing better than anyone expected. Why are you all acting as if I can't figure that out?"

  Miss Cog ignored the outburst but Tannis smiled gently. "Would you give up your black coat and swear loyalty to Yaz'noth?"

  "Never." Ishe responded automatically.

  "Then get used to life as a currency for your sister's good behavior." His serene smile never wavered.

  Stupid. Ishe thought grimly as he and his two guards locked up the magazine. Should have at least pretended to play along. Within minutes he set off back across the warehouse, walking side by side with Miss Cog, leaving Ishe alone with two guards who didn't want to be there. The distance echo of drums came, along with the sound of voices raised in scattered songs and cheers. Ishe tried to engage the guards but they only returned baleful stare back at her. One of them sported a yellowing bruise beneath her jaw. Possibly from Ishe's own fists.

  The shift relief came after several hours of tense staring. A glum looking man in armor dragging a clearly inebriated companion. Ishe heart surged when she saw that and then sunk again when she that they did not come unsupervised. Two girls clad in blue kimonos trailed behind them. The smaller of the two she recognized immediately, Sin. The girl that had given her the privacy she had needed. The girl that Ishe owed the favor to and judging from the scrunched up look of pain on her face, had been punished for aiding Ishe.

  The bigger girl, Ishe did not recognize, older certainly. She filled out her kimono with hips and breasts, teetering awkwardly, as if she didn't know if her legs would hold her. In a few years she'd rival Yaki's looks. Ishe had seen it happen more a dozen times at the finishing schools. The thicker girls suddenly sprouting over the course of year. It had happened to her too but it hadn't lasted long. Fat and muscle had caught up with bone quickly.

  "They punished me for you." Sin said by way of greeting. "Seven lashes. The first of the tenth ever to be whipped. It isn't fair though. I broke no oath."

  "You swore not to talk to her." The bigger girl corrected.

  "Did not!" Sin protested. "Nurse lied. I just mumbled something, I didn't make no oath."

  "Don't matter."
The other girl said.

  "Yes it did! It hurt!" Sin snapped.

  Ishe smirked to herself, enjoying the show but wondering what this could be about. Interesting that Yaz'noth hadn't assigned her to a similar fate. A lashing would certainly prevent her from even scheming to escape for a week or two. Still, for Sin to be walking at all at this stage was impressive. "And this effects me how?" Ishe asked.

  "Because she screamed about how you owe her a big favor. Now you owe me one instead." The bigger girl said. Sulkily Sin nodded in agreement.

  Ishe chuckled at this. "Fat lot of good that does you." She gestured at her enclosure. "And if I'm going to owe you anything you probably ought to tell me your name."

  "I am Mei. I am first of the Tenth. The oldest and the first to choose my own path." She stuck out her chin as if she had been born of one of the five great houses back home. "I require you to tell me about you sister's mark.

  A nervous giggle erupted from somewhere although the girls seemed no to hear it. The same one she had heard last night. It occurred to Ishe that if she traded the story for the favor then she'd be giving something up. Careful with collecting favors girl. They go both ways. Nobody can collect a favor from the dead. With that in mind Ishe shrugged. "No." And she held up a hand before Mei could protest. "A story isn't a favor. It’s not a secret story at all."

  Both girls drifted closer. Ishe pulled herself up from her slouch and crossed her legs as she wracked her brain for the contents of the story that she had only heard a few times. "Yaki is marked by a great spirit who the Low River's tribe call the Death Panther and it is she who gave the tribe the way."

  "What way?" Sin asked.

  "Thee way." Ishe said as she wondered how to start the story with two people, plus the undrunk guard who didn't know the first thing about Low Rivers. The very beginning she supposed.