Test of the Dragon

by Jessica Drake

  "Two days is more than enough," Tavarian said as we pushed the cart through the bustling city streets. As we made our way to the orphanage, I studied the buildings for any outward sign of resistance. At first nothing seemed amiss, but as I looked closer, I noticed things out of place. Broken windows in nice neighborhoods, boarded-up storefronts in what were normally thriving shopping districts. But even worse were the constant presence of Zallabarian guards. There was a guard posted in every square, every public avenue, and I knew they were the cause of the undercurrent of tension running through the city.

  "I wonder how many citizens they've had to kill to keep the peace," Lessie said as she observed through my eyes. I didn't miss the low-level rage simmering in her voice. "A handful? Dozens? How can anybody expect to fight back against those horrible weapons?"

  Lessie was referring to the pistol and rifle each guard carried. "We're going to need to get our hands on some of those 'horrible weapons' ourselves," I reminded her. "If we're going to have any chance of defeating Zallabar, we have to embrace new technology."

  Lessie only grumbled.

  We made a quick stop at the market to buy bags of produce, then went straight to the orphanage. "Thank you for your generosity," Miss Cassidy said fervently as we handed the cart and its contents off to the grateful staff. "We have been surviving well enough on the supplies you provided us before you left the city, but that won't last much longer."

  "Why not?" I asked. "Are prices so high you can't afford to buy more?"

  "No, it's not that," she said heavily. Her spindly body sagged into her chair, and every line and wrinkle seemed to weigh on her face. "The funding we received from the government, meager though it was, has been completely cut off, along with all other grants the former government was previously paying. The new leadership wants to go through everything with a fine-toothed comb, but during this time of transition all funding has been cancelled. Only the rich have been able to get their projects approved, and no one seems to care that in a matter of weeks, we will all be turned onto the street."

  The bitterness in her tone reminded me of my early years at the orphanage. The place had barely had the funding to put a roof over our head. Many of us had been forced to beg, or in my case, steal, in order to get by, especially if we wanted any spending money. I'd thought it was a terrible existence, but at least I'd had a place to lay my head at night. If the new regime took that away, they would soon find their city streets littered with the bodies of sleeping or dead children.

  Anger bubbled inside me like a hot cauldron, and I clenched my fists in my lap. "What about appealing to the upper class?" I asked. "They were the ones who helped get the orphanages on their feet in the beginning, weren't they?"

  Miss Cassidy shook her head. "Most of the rich in this city are dragon riders, and as such they have been chased out of their homes and are as poor as us now," she said sadly. "And that's if they haven't been arrested. The ones who aren't nobility don't have a care for us at the moment. They are too busy squabbling over what land and houses haven't been occupied by the general and his officers."

  Tavarian and I exchanged grim looks. "I was afraid something like that might happen," he said. "So, the new nobility is making common cause with the Zallabarians?"

  "Very much so," Miss Cassidy confirmed. "So many houses have been vacated that the new government is selling them off cheaply, and the new upper class is very happy that the dragon riders have been chased off to make way for them. They fancy themselves the new ruling class." The distasteful look on her face spoke volumes about what she thought of that. "While I've always had my issues with the way the dragon rider class ran things, at least we had a system I could count on, even if we could only count on it being unfair. Now we don't know what is going to happen." To my horror, tears sprang to her eyes. "And the worst of it is that this building itself was owned by a dragon rider family. We've been leasing it from them for decades, but now these greedy local investors want to grab it and will most likely raise the rent. Not that we could afford even the nominal amount the previous owner charged with our funding cut off."

  "I'm so sorry," I said as she pulled a handkerchief from her skirt pocket and dabbed at her eyes. I couldn't blame her for crying. Six staff members and over thirty orphans lived here, some of them only toddlers. "Lord Tavarian and I aren't going to be here very long, but we'll see if we can find a solution."

  "Thank you." Sniffling, she tucked her handkerchief away, then tried to put on a brave smile. "And even if we don't, we are still grateful for your help, Zara. I am sorry for whatever differences we may have had in the past. You have been a true friend to the orphanage."

  Though Tavarian and I left the orphanage with heavy hearts, my spirits lifted again as we made it to the Treasure Trove. To my pleasant surprise, the shop was still intact, with plenty of wares on display.

  "They must still be doing good business," Tavarian said as we entered the shop.

  Carina, who was ringing up a large and expensive-looking porcelain vase, nearly dropped the priceless item when we walked through the door.

  "Za—" she began, then cut herself off, remembering that I was a wanted woman. "Kira, would you mind helping this wonderful lady with her purchase? There's an urgent matter I need to attend to."

  "Of course, Miss." Kira stared at us with wide eyes full of delight as Carina ushered us into the back, and I promised myself I'd take a minute to catch up with her and Brolian before we set off again. After all, we had some time. The dragon heart relic was hidden in a public building that we would have to wait until nightfall to break into, as it would be crawling with Zallabarians right now.

  Once we were safely away from prying eyes, Carina threw her arms around me in a vise-like hug. "I'm so happy to see you're still alive," she said on a half-sob, and I hugged her a little tighter as she trembled in my arms. "But what are you two doing here, Zara? Dragon riders are being rounded up left, right, and center for execution. It isn't safe for you here."

  "Hence the farmer's wife getup," I said wryly as I pulled away to indicate my outfit. "Tavarian and I make a cute couple, don't you think?" I looped my arm through his and used my free hand to snap at the suspender strap running over his left shoulder.

  That stunt earned me a snort from Carina and an eyeroll from Tavarian. "Yes, it's a brilliant disguise, except for the fact that anyone who knows you will recognize your face immediately," she said. "If only we hadn't sold that blasted fan, you could have used that to disguise yourself as a hag again."

  My shoulders tightened as the fan reminded me of Salcombe once again. Was he already in the city? The fan couldn't change that wiry build of his, or the fact that he now moved with preternatural speed and grace thanks to the power of the dragon god, but he could assume any face he wanted, even a woman's if he wore the right clothing. I would have to be on guard for any sighting of him or his acolytes.

  "I'm very happy the shop has managed to keep its doors open," I said, wanting very much to change the subject. There was nothing I could do about Salcombe—we'd find out tonight if he'd already beaten us to the punch. "I gather more of the new nobility has decided to come shopping here to fill the empty halls of their newly purchased mansions?"

  "Well, yes," Carina admitted, her cheeks flushing. "But we've also had a surprising amount of business from the Zallabarians. It turns out the general himself has a penchant for ancient artifacts and vintage items."

  "I bet," I murmured, thinking of General Trattner and his family once more. He would have loved my shop, and I wondered if he would come to Zuar City one day. The irony of him standing in my shop, admiring the wares, after I'd stabbed him in the back multiple times was almost too much to bear, so I cast the thought aside.

  "Seriously, though, Zara, what are you two doing here?" Carina crossed her arms over her chest. "And please don't tell me you brought Lessie with you."

  "She's not in the city, of course, but yes, she's around. How else did you think we got here?" Briefly,
I told her about the stealth mission, and more specifically, our role in the city.

  By the time I finished, Carina's face had turned white. "So Jallis and Rhia are here too? That means you have not one but three dragons nearby."

  "Is there something we need to know about, Carina?" Tavarian pressed. "Something other than the obvious?"

  Carina sighed. "The Zallabarians are especially angry at dragons right now. The airship that was ferrying over our new governor exploded en route. Apparently, the governor's entire household was aboard, as well as quite a lot of gold, so they're understandably pissed about it."

  Tavarian raised an eyebrow. "Any chance the explosion was a malfunction?"

  Carina shrugged. "It could have been, but the Zallabarians are inclined to think a dragon brought the ship down."

  "Well, well," Lessie said smugly. "That sounds like a familiar story, doesn't it?"

  I gasped as the memory surged into my brain. "Where did the airship explode, exactly?" I asked Carina.

  “Somewhere near the Zallabarian border. Why?” she asked sharply.

  "Yeah...that was us," I said, a little sheepishly. "Lessie and I were scouting when we encountered the airship, and we figured we might as well bring it down while we were out. We figured they were ferrying weapons or supplies."

  "They probably were doing that, too," Carina admitted, "but your act of heroism has definitely made things harder back home. Ever since the explosion, the Zallabarians have become very paranoid. They've tripled the guard, enacted an eight o'clock curfew for anyone not carrying a special pass—and if you're not rich or Zallabarian, you can't get one—and other bullshit regulations that are pissing everyone off."

  "A pissed-off population is a good thing, right?" I asked. "After all, if our citizens are resentful toward the new regime, they're more likely to respond favorably to a revolt."

  "Yes, but many people are blaming the dragon rider class and the former regime for the stricter measures," Carina said. "It's not fair, I know, but people will lash out at whatever they can to make themselves feel better about the situation, and you and Lessie would be the obvious target if they knew you were responsible. The truth is, despite all the unfairness going on, almost nobody wants the dragon riders back."

  "Well, they're going to get us back, regardless," I said grumpily. "I didn't go through all this work just to be spurned by my own damn country."

  "I know." Carina laid a hand on my shoulder. "And I'll do whatever I can to help you. But the two of you need to be especially careful not to let your dragons be seen. The Zallabarians will kill them on sight."

  After that depressing bit of news, Tavarian left to scout for tonight's mission. I stayed in the back while Carina returned to the front of the shop, inspecting the wares and polishing up newer finds. Our stores were looking a bit emptier than usual, and I imagined that was the result of the Zallabarians' stricter measures. Treasure hunters would have a harder time traveling in and out of the city with curfews and gate checks, especially since many of us liked to smuggle in illegal items to sell along with our more legitimate wares. I had a feeling the Zallabarians would be no less tolerant of drugs or other contraband than the Elantian officials had been.

  I was just inspecting a jeweled scabbard when the door banged open and Rhia raced inside.

  "Mrs. Thomas!" I exclaimed as Rhia's mother rushed in behind her. The two of them looked quite out of breath, both clutching large, heavy bags to their chests.

  "What's going on?" Carina demanded as she followed in behind them. "Why do these two look like they've been running from the muncies?"

  "Because of this," Rhia said as the two women set down their bags. She opened the smaller one, and I gasped as she pulled out a golden dragon egg. "We didn't want to be caught with it on the street."

  "Dragon's balls," Carina swore, her eyes bugging out of her skull. "Do you have any idea what will happen to me if the guards find that thing in my shop?"

  "Our shop," I reminded her, "and it won't be staying long. We're rounding up all the eggs we can find and taking them out of the city, remember?"

  "Right." Carina eyed the egg warily as she raked her hand through her long, black hair. "Well, let's hide that thing in the cellar for now," she said. "Don't need someone walking back here by accident and finding it."

  As we did so, rolling the egg up in cloth and tucking it inside a sack of grain, Rhia and her mother told me what had happened.

  "I was chased out of my family home, as were most dragon rider families," Mrs. Thomas said, "but because I was not a rider myself, I was lucky enough to merely be thrown onto the street rather than imprisoned. Thankfully, I have friends who live only two blocks away, a middle-class family who worked with our shipping company for many years, and they agreed to take me in. Rhia, smart girl that she is, thought to look for me there."

  "And not a moment too soon," Rhia said hotly. "Danton, the son of the family Mother was staying with, found out she was hiding the egg in her luggage and had arrived back home at the same time to take it from her. I had to knock him out in order to get away safely, but it's only a matter of time until he wakes up and gives the guards our description."

  "And then there will be posters all over the city with sketches of your faces," Carina said with a groan. "Wonderful."

  "I'm sorry to be so much trouble," Mrs. Thomas said. Tears shone in her eyes, and her lower lip trembled a little despite her efforts to keep a brave face. "It's just that I couldn't bear to leave the egg with him, not when the Zallabarians have made it their mission to exterminate all our dragons."

  I thought about telling her our theory that the Zallabarians were planning on using the eggs to create their own army, but decided now was not the time. "No one is blaming you, Mrs. Thomas," I said, and put an arm around her shoulders in what I hoped was a comforting embrace. "You did the right thing. My friends and I have come back to Elantia for the express purpose of rescuing the eggs, so we're very glad you brought this one to us."

  The four of us retreated upstairs, and Carina went to the front of the shop to flip the open sign to closed so we could discuss the best way to smuggle Rhia, her mother, and the egg out of the city without being detected. But we'd barely begun the discussion when Carina walked back in, and she was not alone.

  "Jallis!" Rhia and I jumped to our feet at the same time, but she beat me to him. "What on earth happened to you?" she asked as she caught his bloodied face in her hands. Jallis winced as she tilted it this way and that to inspect him. His left eye was purpling, his lip split, and from the way he was hunched in on himself, I suspected he had a few bruised, if not broken, ribs.

  "I did a stupid thing," he groaned as Rhia helped him limp to one of the few chairs in the back office. The agony written all over his face made me wish Tavarian were here to heal him, and for a second, I wished Muza were here so the two of us could communicate via dragon.

  Carina rushed to fetch the medical kit I kept in the apartment upstairs while Jallis told us what happened. He'd decided it would be a good idea to enter his own family's townhouse on Dragon's Table to try to recover a few valuable heirlooms they kept there. Unfortunately, the townhouse had already been occupied by Zallabarians, who had called the guards immediately upon finding an intruder.

  "They called the guards on me like I was some kind of vagabond and had me beaten before they threw me out on my ass," Jallis growled, his eyes bright with anger. "Off my own property!"

  "You're lucky that's all they thought you were," Carina scolded as she applied ointment to Jallis's cuts. To his credit, he didn't even wince—I knew firsthand how much that stuff stung—but that might have been because he was too angry to notice. "If they knew you were the former owner's son, they would have arrested and executed you for sure. Your life isn't worth a few trinkets."

  Jallis's hands fisted in his lap. "I just can't stand the idea that the enemy is living it up on my family's property." But then he let out a sigh, the fight going out of him. "At least my parents we
ren't actually there, though. I hope they stayed on the floating island. It's very well defended, so they should be able to hold out for a few days."

  If the Zallabarians don't use their airship cannons to blow it to pieces, I thought, but didn't want to worry Jallis by mentioning it. Besides, I had a feeling the Zallabarians would refrain from doing that unless absolutely necessary. They would want the islands as intact as possible, after all.

  "Zara," he said wearily, catching my hand in his. "Would you mind heading over to my cousin's house for me and checking on him? I don't think I can make it there in my condition."

  I held in a sigh as I surveyed the room. One reluctant-to-help best friend, one too beat up to walk, and two who'd already managed to get themselves on the wanted list. Yep, this definitely boded well for tonight's heist.

  "Sure," I said, putting on a brave smile to hide my very real worry that this was all about to go up in flames. "That should be no problem at all."

  9

  Jallis's cousin's house wasn't hard to find. It was some thirty blocks away, in a middle-class neighborhood that was considered if not the nicest, at least one of the safest parts of town. It was also largely untouched, since there were no dragon riders or people of importance living here. The houses, painted in conservative shades of blue, green, and brown, looked the same as they always had, and there were even mothers walking about with their children, taking them for strolls or to the park to play.

  Of course, there were still guards patrolling the streets, just like everywhere else. But they seemed more relaxed here, almost indolent even. The people in this section of town had already fallen in, and why shouldn't they? From what Carina had told me, there had been only nominal shifts in the economy. I'd figured there would be an outright collapse, with dragon riders owning so many of the businesses, but since they'd been using normal middle-class people to help run their enterprises, things continued on much as they normally did. Sure, there might eventually be changes in regulation that would impact things, and the curfews and gate checks probably slowed things down some.