by SlyOkami
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An hour later
Erik stood at the ship’s railing, watching the docks as the North Orca made port. By his side stood Nerick with Ivara around his neck.
Alan, lost in his thoughts.
And Shizuka, looking about warily.
“Thank you, captain.” spoke Thea as she stepped out of the ship’s cabin with captain Genus, “We’ll be here for a few weeks, I’ll be sure to add onto your payment with every extra day we end up staying.”
Genus grunted in agreement, “She’ll be docked and waiting, give ‘er some maintenance while you’re away. Ships are hard to keep, and not doing so can bring less than unsavoury issues.” He said, then standing at attention and saluting. “Have a safe visit, Lady Selene.”
Thea saluted back, “I’m…sure I shall.” She reluctantly responded, then turning over to the rest who were waiting on her.
“Well we’ve made it to Ai’sen in one piece,” Alan said with a sigh, “What’s next, ambassador Selene?”
“We’re here a few weeks earlier than they probably expected we’d be thanks to Erik,” Thea responded as they moved towards the ramp being raised onto their ship, workers down at the docks were rolling the machinery out by turning a couple levers. “So instead of them coming to us, we’ll have to go to the embassy ourselves and meet with the Druvian ambassador who stays here locally.”
“The Embassy? Ugh…” Alan groaned, as an adventurer he’s had to deal with the Druvian ambassador within Sinbeni before.
“Not on friendly terms with the embassy?” Nerick guessed with a smirk.
“No, they don’t exactly like my kind.” Alan admitted.
“Which kind? Pale human, immortal or dragon slayer?” Makaela jokingly asked, appearing out of nowhere to stand nearby Erik who turned to her.
“Report.” Erik said simply, before turning back to studying the city ahead.
“My dreadblades are still making themselves known to the locals, but word is a young Dragon took part in some shady underground arena.” Makaela said, pausing as brief rage ran through Erik’s expression.
“Continue…” Erik then said, still grinding his teeth.
“The arena, or the monster coliseum as the locals call it, is a legal event where the wealthy of Sinbeni go to pit their pets and slaves against one another. They bet on the winner, and many use their prized fighters to advertise products too.” Makaela continued her report, “The owner of this leisure, is Ramzi Al-Salem, ex-Warlord and blackmarket boss.”
“Ramzi…Al-Salem.” Erik repeated the name, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
“Do you know him?” Nerick asked.
“No, but he shall know me.” Erik growled.
“I’ve heard of him…” Shizuka then said, everyone turning to the new Spirit Beast, the sudden attention causing her to freeze up briefly. “I-I only heard rumours.” She warned.
“Rumours and myth are bits and pieces of truth.” Makaela said, “What did you hear?”
Shizuka nodded, “That he’s brutal, and his title as Warlord is nothing to scoff at, the bastard has killed more Bestia than any other Sinbeni alone in his younger years. He is also not just a master within the Sinbeni black market, but the global puppeteer in the slave trade.”
“All that and more,” Alan then spoke, “Ramzi is a chair holder in the new Sinbeni council. I also hear that he is in league with the Assassin’s Pact, and my sources have yet to fail me.”
“So, in the end it all comes down to this Pact…” Makaela sighed, “How shall we proceed?”.
They each turned to Erik, who was deep in thought for several moments.
“This council, explain it to me.” Erik then asked, as he began to descend the ramp and onto the docks.
The rest followed him down, as Alan started to explain. “The council was first founded after the Dragon Wars, but it fell apart after a string of assassinations that occurred during the failure at Nurin and was reconstructed at the arrival of Azruxan and his army.
There are thirteen council seats in total, each being held by an important member of Sinbeni’s society. Each are nobles of birth or their own making, but are all regarded as princes of the land.
Three of the seats though, are technically more important than the other ten. The crown seats they are unofficially called, as these three are regarded more as kings. These three individuals are actual landowners of Sinbeni, born through the families who claimed the land.”
They began walking down the docks, now following Alan as he explained. “Ramzi is a minor seat holder, but is good friends with one of the crown seats. Specifically, the noble who owns this here port of Ai’sen and all the land till over the next city, Lahihr.”
“Which gives him the freedom to mostly do as he wishes.” Makaela guessed.
“Well where being friends is not enough, passing a couple gold coins under the table is.” Alan added.
“I get the basic hierarchy,” Erik then said, “First though we shall meet with this local Druvian ambassador Thea must see and go from there. We also need to secure a base of operations, Makaela I shall leave that up to you.” He told the cloaked dark elf, “Xilfir aren’t regarded very highly in these parts.” He then added, noticing the glances they were receiving from locals.
“Agreed, I would see about procuring us a building…Although, I must admit I’m running a bit low on funds, Erik.” Makaela said with a sigh.
“How so?” Erik asked.
“The provisions we stocked upon, to last us the entire trip took a lot out of my pockets, that and the wyvern eats a lot.” Makaela replied, glancing at Ivara with some annoyance. “The move of Zentha and Ascal’s divisions took some of our treasury with as well, whether in the shape of actual gold coins or more provisions.”
Erik grimaced, both annoyed at the prospect of having to care for currency and at some of the glares the locals gave them once they entered the actual city streets. “How about setting up camp outside the city?” he then offered.
“That would be more work and probably cost more too, the warm climate within the city is nothing compared to the heat outside with the surrounding desert.” Makaela warned, “Although my dreadblades tell me there are a few rocky hills to the north, rumours of a pirate cove laying there.”
“Look into it, Etheria will know of our arrival and she will not wait to strike, we have a few days at best.” Erik said, and Makaela immediately disappeared right after, melding into the crowd they were met with in the city.
“We could visit the bank after this? I’m sure my father has some funds saved up here in Sinbeni we could use.” Thea then offered.
“What’s a bank?” Erik asked.
Each of them turned to look at him awkwardly.
“Ah…Right, there weren’t such things in our time.” Alan chuckled, “It’s a place where people store their money, their gold, silver and copper coins.”
“So, like a lair? Wait, why would you store silver and copper with gold?” Erik then asked.
“Because that is how the agreed currency in between the alliance is structured. A gold coin is equal to a thousand silver coins and a silver coin is equal to a hundred copper coins.” Thea explained.
“And no, it is unlike a Lair. A bank stores the money of several thousands of people all in one place, keeping notes of how much each individual has stored and requiring verification of their identity to access said funds.” Alan added.
“Sounds inefficient, couldn’t someone break in and steal as much as they want from several people at once then?” Erik asked in amusement.
“Well…they’re usually heavily guarded but, yeah sometimes thieves do manage to break in.” Thea admitted.
“Must be disorienting,” Shizuka said, “With everything being so different from your time that is.”
“We-My people are highly adaptable, this is nothing.” Erik claimed proudly as they continued to tread through the crowd.
“Ugh, how do
so many people survive pushing against each other so much just outside on the bloody street?” Nerick whined after a few more moments, as he bumped shoulders with more people he ever had in his entire life, the street seeming abnormally crowded. “I feel like my skin is going to melt off with this heat!”
“Really? I don’t feel a thing.” Erik said, barely noticing the change in temperature.
(“Master whiny, warmth never killed a wyvern!”) Ivara added.
“Might just kill me though…” Nerrick continued to whine, wiping the amassing sweat off his eyes.
“I’ve been away for…years, I have to admit the heat is dreadful.” Shizuka admitted, also sweating a fair bit herself.
“Sorry…” Thea apologised, “I don’t feel it either…” she admitted.
“Good for you…” Alan then said weakly, surprising everyone as they noticed his skin already being sunburned.
“Is it?…” Nerick began but held his words.
“Yes, their bonds affect how temperature affects their bodies. But yours and Ivara’s isn’t strong enough yet.” Erik explained, “Also, hold your tongue, we aren’t about to announce ourselves, yet.” He reprimanded Nerick with a whisper.
They continued onwards for half an hour, struggling through as they followed Alan. Each of them bumping into others left and right as they walked these rough streets, all but Erik who had an eerie enough aura about him that the citizens avoided walking by him altogether.
An aura Shizuka was struggling to ignore, “Gah, Erik can you stop that?” she asked.
“Stop? You feel that?” the drake asked back in confusion.
Confusion which Shizuka felt, confusing her in turn. “I…I can feel your annoyance and just now I think you were confused?…” she said in surprise, slowly reaching up to hold her head as it suddenly started to ache.
“Shizuka?” Thea called out as the spirit beast fell to her knees, the rest gathering around her as walkers by kept their distance from them.
“Kid? What’s wrong?” Alan asked as they watched her ball up on the ground, eyes wide with pain.
Shizuka felt her mind exploding, over and over as her senses were suddenly overwhelmed. She felt everything, every slight bit of emotion of every creature within the city. Anger and frustration, happiness and joy. Each of their feelings bombarded her mind, even the confusion and fear that came from those around her, merging in her head yet she could barely tell each apart.
“What’s wrong with her!?” Thea asked, turning to Erik who kneeled down next to the young Spirit Beast.
“Her senses are being overwhelmed,” Erik said as he raised his left palm over Shizuka’s forehead, “Slumber” he chanted, causing her to suddenly pass out.
“What did you do?” Nerick asked.
“I put her to sleep, for now.” He answered while taking her in his arms, “She needs a calm place, let’s get out of this crowded path.” He told them before veering off towards an alleyway.
“Why were her senses overwhelmed? What was that about?” Alan asked as they followed him.
“I’m not entirely sure, but it might have to do with what she is now.” Erik said as they reached a side-street where barely anybody was walking through. “Xilfir, take her back to the ship.” Erik spoke in elven, to which two dark elves walked out of the shadows nearby.
He handed the unconscious Shizuka to one of them, “You have permission to enter my Lair, lay her to rest there.” He said, before the three of them faded out of view. “I told them to take her back to the ship, we’ll let her rest at the Lair for now. And I guess, we’ll use the Lair as a base of operations, although I’d much rather not.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Thea worriedly asked.
“Yes, although she’ll be disoriented when she wakes up.” Erik sighed, “I did not foresee her senses to be so acute…My draconic aura which I was using to keep the cattle out of my way might have ‘Opened her ears’ in a way.” He mused.
“Cattle?…” Nerick repeated with an awkward grin.
(“Cattle!?”) Ivara exclaimed through their mental bond, as her head rose up at attention. But seeing no prey around other than many not very tasty ones, (“Master, I’m hungry.”) she then whined, nuzzling her snout into Nerick’s hair.
“Shouldn’t we go back and wait for her to wake?” Thea then asked, “I mean, she’ll be scared if she finds nobody, and Makaela’s clansmen aren’t exactly chatty.”
“I’m connected to my Lair wherever I am, I’ll be there when she wakes, in a way.” Erik assured, “We have more important things to deal with, Thea there’s nothing wrong with caring for a cub, but that cub will have to learn to stand on its own feet one day.” He then told her, turning around to dive back into the crowd.
He then paused for a moment, “Well?” Erik asked as he glanced back.
“You don’t know where the embassy is, do you?” Alan asked with an amused smirk.
“If you insist on me finding it on my own, I’m sure I’ll be able to tell one pile of ash from another better than you, once I’ve charred this entire city.” Erik warned in annoyance.
“Sheesh, you have no sense of humour, do you?” Alan rolled his eyes as he took the lead once more.
(“Humour? What is that, master? Is it tasty?”) Ivara asked Nerick curiously.
“Err…I’m not sure how to answer that.” Nerick admitted.
“I…wasn’t talking to you, silver.” Alan said, glancing back at the still very strange looking warrior.
“Oh, I was talking to Ivara.” Nerick assured while gesturing at the young wyvern, realising they couldn’t hear her.
Thea and Alan both stopped to look at him awkwardly.
“Seems like someone else needs shelter from the heat,” Makaela chuckled out of the shadows, causing Nerick to spin about in surprise but seeing nobody he turned back to keep up.
“What? Seriously no, she talks!” Nerick argued as they continued on their way.
“Do you need a drink Nerick?…I have some water on me.” Thea offered as she looked at him with pity.
“Damnit, I knew this would happen!” Nerick groaned, “Erik you tell them, Ivara speaks to me in my head!”
“Sure she does.” Erik said, smiling wickedly as he walked beside him.
“W-Wait…she does, right?” Nerick then asked, confused and worried.
Erik chuckled, “I do have a sense of humour, I’ll have you know.”
Ivara made a strange screeching noise, (“Dragon very funny! Dragon play master for fool!”) she exclaimed in childish amusement.
Nerick sighed in relief, “Thea, I’m going to need something a lot stronger than water with these two…”
“Wait so, the wyvern talks?” Thea asked in further confusion.
“I’m more curious about whether that strange sound was just Ivara laughing or choking on something…” Alan said as he glanced back.
To which Ivara began hissing, her words causing Nerick’s eyes to widen.
“What?” Alan asked seeing his expression, “What did it say?”
“I can’t say…” Nerick answered.
Alan chuckled, “That bad?” he asked.
“Err…she isn’t quite done cussing you out yet.”
Ch 37 - We shall spark the embers
Thea walked into the embassy building first with the rest following in behind her.
It was a rather small building compared to the Noble houses nearby, three floors tall just like them but only a few rooms wide. Druvian flags flew outside and within the building, marking it as a place of diplomacy, while the rest of it matched the surrounding buildings in both colour and style.
Cheap, was the first thought that came to Thea’s mind as she glanced around, then walking up to the front desk where a single clerk was going through several scrolls of paperwork.
She cleared her throat, gaining the busy clerk’s attention.
“Oh-Oh! Mis-L-Lady Selene! You’re here earlier than we expected!” the woman cried out in surprise, sh
e was human but visibly of Sinbeni origin from her darker skin tone, bright green eye colour and accent.
“I’m surprised you recognise me so easily?…” Thea said awkwardly, not used to being well known.
“Oh, I do apologise,” the woman stood up and forwarded her hand, “Kate al-Yasin, I worked with your mother years ago, I must say you look awfully alike!” she said after introducing herself. Kate was a middle-aged woman with black hair bunched up into a bun, wearing a set of bright wooden glasses and a warm smile.
“T-Thank you…Is ambassador O’Connor in still?” Thea asked, seeing as the sun was setting.
“Yes, yes of course! That man barely leaves his office these days, oh how I pity him.” Kate said, then rushing around her desk but suddenly stopping, she glanced at the three others that stood behind Thea. “And who might they be? Oh, well, I recognise that troublemaker Alan over there but the other two not quite.”
Alan waved at her with an awkward grin, “Hey Kate.”
Kate ignored him.
“These two are colleges of mine from the Crimson Guard, Nerick Damion and Erik Fire…born.” Thea introduced them, (“We need to work on your last name…Saying it is getting awkward.”) she then said to Erik through their mental bond.
(“I don’t see why, I’ve heard stranger names.”) Erik replied as he nodded at the clerk as she looked him and Nerick up and down, seemingly missing Erik’s tail entirely and is more caught off guard by the wyvern which she previously thought to be a scarf.
“Ah, very well, excuse me for asking but it’s been a precarious few weeks.” Kate explained, “Right this way, he’s not quite expecting you but surely will be overjoyed to see you!” she said while leading them out of the small entry hall and into a larger hall decorated with all kinds of art. “This way please, I must lock the door behind us, regulations you see.” She said as she waited for each of them to walk inside before locking the door.
“So how have things progressed?” Thea asked as they followed Kate up the staircase.
“Horribly, the council is at odds with one another as usual but…” she paused for a moment, “Oh Clayton can explain it better than I can, it’s a dire situation I’m afraid.”