by G. T. Spoor
Emily looked up and the last thing she saw, before she blacked out, was a mop of curly brown hair.
~~~***~~~
The sidewalk was surprisingly soft.
Emily slowly opened her eyes and found herself lying in bed, under a thick, fluffy blanket, with a stuffed pink rabbit staring at her. Setting the rabbit aside, she forced herself to sit up and was grateful to see the world remained steady, although her head still throbbed.
Obviously, she wasn’t in the sewers anymore. For starters, there was a sweet smell of lavender in the air, and the room had a more innocent quality to it than the one her captives wanted to lock her in. The floor was covered with a deep red carpet and the walls were painted a pale pink. There was even a set of lace curtains on the windows.
The stuffed pink rabbit was clearly at home in this environment.
A glass of water was left on the table beside the bed. Emily reached for it and noticed the bandages on her arms. Someone had tended her wounds. It wasn’t a professional job and looked a little hastily done, but at least her savior had tried. Picking up the glass, she held it with both hands so as not to spill it. She was still weak but managed to raise it to her lips. The cold water helped wash away the foul taste in her mouth.
“Oh! You’re awake.”
A woman stood in the doorway holding a pile of clothes. She was young, maybe in her early twenties, with a round, friendly face framed by a mop of curly brown hair. She seemed a little nervous and her smile seemed forced.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
Emily tried to answer, but the words refused to come. She took another long drink of water before trying again.
“Fine. Thank you.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. Carefully, she set the glass down on the table. “Who are you and where am I?”
“I’m Sarah, Sarah Cotton and this is my home,” the woman answered.
“How did I get here?”
“We brought you here.”
“We? Whose we?”
“Trent and I. We were on our way back from dinner when we saw you lying in the streets. At first, I thought you were dead. You were hardly breathing. Trent carried you all the way here. I cleaned you up the best I could and bandaged your wounds.”
Sarah set the clothes down on the chair beside the door and cautiously approached. Squinting, she leaned in closer and stared at Emily as if trying to study her. After a while, she relaxed and seemed relieved by what she saw.
Emily touched the side of her face. Aside from a bandage on her left cheek, everything seemed to be in the right place.
“Is there a problem?” she asked.
“Sorry,” Sarah apologized and looked down at her hands, seemingly embarrassed. Still, at least she was a little more at ease. “I didn’t mean to stare, I was just checking your eyes.”
“My eyes?”
“I… I was looking for dragon tracks.”
“Dragon tracks?”
The young woman drew circles around her right eye with her finger. “You know.” She said. “Dragon tracks.”
“No, I’m sorry. I don’t know.”
“Seriously. You’ve never heard of dragon tracks?”
Didn’t Squeaky Voice say something about dragon tracks? Emily wasn’t sure. He said a couple of things that didn’t make sense. She’d put it down to the poisoning.
“I think I might have heard of them, but I don’t know what they are.”
“Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve never seen them myself,” Sarah said. “Although Beth, she’s the woman who works in the Bird’s kitchen, she said her sister’s husband’s cousin’s brother… or was that her sister’s brother’s husband’s cousin… No. That’s not right. He drives a jitney up on Bermington. Come to think of it, her sister’s husband’s cousin’s brother is a mail processor down at the Bureau, so it’s probably not him either…”
“I’m sorry. I’m not following you.”
“It comes from using Terra dust.”
“What comes from using Terra dust?”
“Dragon tracks, of course.”
Closing her eyes, Emily took a deep breath. She wasn’t up for this type of conversation. “And what are dragon tracks again?”
“Oh. You know. They’re the thin blue lines you get in your eyes.”
“From using Terra dust?”
“That’s right.”
“What is Terra dust?”
“Oh, come on, you have to know what Terra dust is.”
Emily shook her head. Sarah looked surprised.
“Terra dust? Earth dust? Dust fiends? The Crystal curse? Blue heaven?”
“I’m sorry. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You’re not from New Doral, are you?”
“No. I arrived here yesterday… I think. I don’t even know what day it is.”
The woman sat down at the end of the bed and gently took Emily’s hand.
“Well, if you’re not a dust fiend,” she said, “then you should probably lay off the spirits. It’s no way to get through life. You’re young, you’re pretty, and you have a lot to live for. Of course, that’s just some friendly advice, mind you. I suppose you can live any way you want to live. It’s only that you were kind of messed up when we found you.”
“But I don’t drink.”
“Seriously?”
“It goes against the fifth tenet.”
Sarah quickly dropped Emily’s hand and jumped up from the bed. “Oh,” she said. “You’re one of those.”
“One of who?”
“It’s all right. It makes no difference to me, hon. I’ve met them all. They all come around the Bird eventually. The COC, the Followers of Mother Earth, the Church of Solas. We don’t discriminate.”
“I’m sorry, I’m still not following you.”
“Aren’t you one of those religious people?”
“No,” Emily answered slowly.
“So if you’re not a member of one of those cults, and you don’t drink, and you’re not a dust fiend, then if you don’t mind me asking, how did you get so messed up?”
“I was poisoned.”
“No kidding? Who poisoned you?”
“I don’t know,” Emily said. “We were attacked in an alley and the next thing I know, I’m waking up in this room surrounded by men talking about slave marks.”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “You were taken by slavers?”
“Slavers? You know something about the men who took me?”
“Me? No. Only what I’ve read in the papers and what people down at the Bird say.”
“What are they saying?”
“There’ve been rumors of people going missing, especially newcomers straight off the airships. They say they’re being smuggled to the outer regions and sold as slaves.”
“But… isn’t slavery illegal?”
“Yeah. Sort of. I mean…” Sarah shrugged. “People go missing all the time, and those who don’t have any connections to the city, well, nobody goes looking for them.”
“That’s horrible.”
“That’s New Doral.”
Somehow the city was becoming less a utopia with every passing moment.
“So, nobody cares?” Emily asked.
“It’s not that nobody cares, it’s just… nobody’s looking into it, at least I don’t think so.”
“How is that possible? I mean, don’t you have some kind of city guard, a bailiff, someone who enforces the laws? I saw men in black uniforms standing on the street corners. Who were they?”
“What tier were you on?”
“What difference should that make?”
“It makes a lot of difference.”
Emily tried to remember if anybody ever told her what tier she arrived on. She was sure Brian mentioned it, but she couldn’t recall what he said. It felt so long ago. All he was concerned with was getting to tier eleven.
“You said you arrived yesterday. Was it on an airship?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah, the
Aeolus.”
“The Aeolus? But that docked three days ago.”
“Three days? Are you sure?”
“Well, yeah, Keith stopped in the Bird yesterday.”
“Keith?”
“He’s the Aeolus’s boatswain. He always comes into the Bird when they dock. Most of the airshipmen do. Tom gives them a discount on drinks.”
“But three days…”
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I mean, you’ve been asleep here for nearly a day. Anyway, that means you were on tier nine since that’s where the docks are, so… yeah, what you saw was a Black Jack, the New Doral City Watch.”
“So, I should report it to them? Tell them what I know?”
Sarah laughed. “That won’t do you any good,” she said. “They only work the upper nine.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Black Jacks don’t come down here, and they definitely won’t go down to eleven. No, if you want to report it to someone, you’ll have to go to one of the Mercs Companies.”
“The Mercs?”
“Yeah, the Bureau authorizes them to patrol the levels the guards won’t, at least down to the edge of the abyss. Nobody goes into the abyss.”
“Then I guess I’ll report it to one of the Mercs.”
“Don’t waste your time, hon. It won’t do you any good.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Mercs won’t help you.”
“But you said—”
“I said the Bureau has authorized them to patrol the levels the Black Jacks won’t. That doesn’t mean they work for free. Unless you can come up with the money to cover their fee, they’re not going to help you.”
“So you’re saying I have to pay them to investigate?”
“I’m afraid that’s how it works here.”
“That’s ridiculous. Does the—who did you say the Merc Companies work for?”
“The Bureau.”
“Does the Bureau know the Mercs are charging citizens?”
“Of course they do. That’s how the Mercs stay in business. They don’t actually work for the Bureau. They pay the Bureau for the right to work. The more money they give the Bureau, the more freedom the Bureau gives them.”
“Wonderful,” Emily moaned. “So, where can I find these Mercs?”
“If I were you, I’d drop it. Right now, you’re safe. You don’t want to bring any more attention to yourself.”
“I still have to try. Brian’s missing and those slavers took something from me, something that I need to get back.”
Sarah thought for a moment and shrugged.
“If you think reporting it is going to help, then I guess the Red Wolves are the ones you want to see.”
“Red Wolves?”
“Yeah, all the Merc groups used animal names from the ancient index along with a color. You have the Red Wolves, the Black Eagles, The Blue Tigers, The White Hawks, the Green Thrax and that’s just around here. The Red Wolves patrol this area, so those are the ones you’re going to want to see. But I’m telling you, it’s not going to do you any good.”
“Well, I have to try,” Emily said. She moved to the edge of the bed, but Sarah stopped her.
“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked. “You’re in no condition to go wandering around.”
“But I have to go see these Red Wolves.”
“At this hour?”
Emily had no idea what time it was. Even looking out the window didn’t help. Without a sun to gauge time by, it could be midnight as easily as it could be noon.
“A little more rest wouldn’t hurt. You can go see the Mercs in the morning, for what good it will do.” Sarah lay her back on the bed and covered her with the thick, fluffy blanket. She then placed the stuffed pink rabbit beside her. “I’ve left some clothes on the chair by the door as well as some shoes, and if you get cold in the night, there’re a few extra blankets in the chest. The clothes may be a little big on you, but they’re better than what you were wearing.”
As much as Emily hated to admit it, Sarah was right. She needed the rest. She had to regain her strength if she was going to face the Red Wolves tomorrow. Lying back on the pillow, she closed her eyes. “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know how I can ever repay you for your kindness.”
Sarah smiled. “Think nothing of it. Get some rest. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
When the young woman left the room, she closed the door behind her. Emily waited a few minutes before setting the stuffed pink rabbit aside and sliding out from under the thick, fluffy blanket. Climbing out of bed, she stood for a moment on wobbly legs. She hadn’t fully recovered yet. Carefully making her way to the chest, she opened it and found a heavy woolen blanket. Pulling it tightly around her, she lay down on the floor beneath the window.
Chapter 3
Here There Be Blue Tigers
Emily woke to the sound of arguing. It was coming from the room next door and although it was muffled, it was still quite loud. Her first thought was that maybe whoever Sarah lived with did not appreciate uninvited guests. She hated to think her presence in the house was causing problems.
Folding the blanket, she placed it back in the chest and sorted through the clothes Sarah left for her. Most of what she found was inappropriate, at least according to her teachings. She settled on a modest drab-green dress and a pair of purple slacks. As for the shoes, none of them would do. Not only were they too big for her, they were a little too fancy. She opted to go barefoot.
Opening the bedroom door slowly, she stuck her head out to take a look around. The last thing she wanted was to make a bad situation worse by barging into a private conversation, even if that conversation was loud enough for the whole street to hear. What she saw was Sarah, sitting at a table, drinking a cup of coffee while reading the morning paper. There was no one else in the room.
“You’re up,” Sarah said, setting the paper aside. “How do you feel?”
“Better now. Thank you.”
“Would you like something to eat or drink?”
“Water would be fine.”
Sarah’s home wasn’t very big. Beyond the main room were two bedrooms, a lavatory, and a small kitchen area. There was no sign of anyone else living there. The décor was pretty much the same as the bedroom. Large overstuffed couches, plenty of pillows, lacy curtains, and brightly colored paintings. Sarah was someone who liked to surround herself with comfortable things even if they didn’t match.
Emily sat at the table as Sarah placed a glass of water down in front of her.
“Sorry about the noise,” she said. “My neighbors are at it again. These walls are too thin, but it’s only temporary.”
“What is?”
“The apartment,” Sarah answered. “After I get married, I’m moving up to one of the better tiers. Maybe all the way to tier four. Wouldn’t that be nice? Have you ever been there?”
“No, I can’t say I have.”
“They have real houses up there, with real lawns. You know, like with actual grass, and they’re surrounded with white picket fences. I want to plant flowers and watch my children play outside without having to worry about the crime. I want to live in a house where I don’t hear the neighbors breathing. Did you know they reflect the sun in so you have both a night and a day?”
“That sounds… nice.”
“Oh, it will be.”
“So… when are you getting married?”
Sarah shrugged. “As soon as I find a husband, I guess.”
“Oh. I just thought Trent—”
“Trent? Holy badger, I’d never marry Trent. He stocks shelves at the Green Lemon. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice enough guy, but… no. I can’t see myself marrying him.”
“It’s only that when you said you were getting married, I—”
“Yeah, I know, I’m getting a little ahead of myself. It’s a silly dream, but maybe someday, I’ll find the right guy. We’ll fall in love and get married and he’ll take me away
from all this.” She laughed.
“You’re not happy here?”
“What’s there to be happy about? The crime, the violence, the taxes. We sort of exist here, but I guess it’s like they say: it’s better than down.”
“So why stay?”
“Where else can I go?”
“Up. Isn’t that what you want? To move to one of those upper tiers.”
“Yeah, but I have to get married first and then—”
“Why? Why do you need someone else to make your dreams come true?”
“I can’t simply move to the upper nine. It’s not that easy. For starters, it’s too expensive, and where would I live? It’s not like I can buy a house up there.”
“Why not?”
Sarah looked at her strangely. “Because women aren’t allowed to own property.”
“Who says?”
“It’s the law. Besides, I wouldn’t know the first thing about buying a house or even how to move up. It was hard enough getting to this level.”
“But you did it, didn’t you?”
“Well… yeah, sort of. I mean, it was my brother who managed to get us this far. We came all the way from tier fourteen—that’s like slag territory. After our parents died, he sold everything we had to acquire the proper license to move up. We could only afford to get as high as ten. We always talked about going higher and we were saving up for it too, but, well, he died…”
Sarah fell silent and looked down at her coffee.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said. “How did it happen?”
“I don’t know. Back then, I couldn’t afford to pay the Mercs to investigate. All I know is he was found in one of the abandoned buildings in Dante’s Corners, not too far from where we used to live. I don’t even know why he went back down there. But, it doesn’t’ matter.” Sarah forced a smile. “That was five years ago and in the Chimney, you have to keep moving.”
As much as she tried to hide it, it was clear the events surrounding her brother’s death still troubled her. Emily was far too familiar with the feeling.
“The not knowing must be hard,” she said.
Sarah shrugged. “I still think about him from time to time, but what can I do?” Getting up from the table, she took her cup to the sink, then turned and leaned against the counter. The fake smile was replaced by a mischievous grin. “Please tell me you are not planning on wearing that out in public.”