by Kyle West
By the time we emerged onto the deserted street, it was late afternoon. We made our way forward, slowly. We had lost all sense of direction, as the streets were a maze. While they were laid out in a grid-like pattern, the piles of rubble and collapsed buildings made getting around difficult, even more so once evening arrived. From time to time, we’d hear men shouting, but the voices were distant. Otherwise, it was completely silent.
The Ruins didn’t seem to be fully inhabited…rather, there were islands of settlement in a sea of abandonment. These abandoned parts were where most of the fighting was taking place.
Isaru and I decided to enter a nearby building to take shelter for the night. We found some stairs and climbed up to the second level, listening to make sure the building was truly empty. It was almost completely dark, and since there was no way to start a fire, and doing so would have just given away our position, we ate our food cold.
As we went to sleep, we could, in the night, hear the sounds of shouting and men screaming.
CHAPTER NINE
I AWOKE WHEN A LOUD bang echoed through the hallway. I immediately reached for the hilt of my sword, but remained still; it was too dark for anyone to see me, but if I moved quickly, that would give our position away.
But my hopes that we would go unnoticed were dashed when an orange light appeared around the corner, flickering in the darkness. We had been tracked, and whoever was here had torches. Shouting filled the hallway.
“Up,” I said. “There’s no way out of this.”
Isaru and I stood. My hands shook as they gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, and I assumed Treeform. As I entered the position, calm entered me; I had done this so many times that entering Silence was natural, even in the most stressful situations. Isaru followed my lead, just in time for the first shadow to round the corner.
“Hurry!” he shouted gruffly. “We can hold out against them here. Two abreast, five deep…with luck…” He paused. “There's someone already here.”
“Boss?” one of the men said.
“Footsteps in the dust,” he said. “They lead this way.”
He hadn’t taken two steps before Isaru called out. “Hold!”
The man stopped, along with every other man who rounded the corner, about ten in all. Each brought their blades and clubs to bear. All were men, well-muscled, of various ethnicities. Some were darker skinned, while there was one who was so pale that I might have been able to see him without the torchlight.
“Who are you with?” demanded the boss.
“No one,” Isaru said. “We don't want to fight, but we will if pressed.”
My heart felt as if it would beat out of my chest, but I did nothing to betray that. On the outside, I was calm and still as stone, ready to defend at a moment’s notice.
“Don’t lie to me,” the man said. “Tell us who you are with, or we will be forced to kill you.”
“Dragons,” I said.
There was a moment’s pause, as the men looked at one another. It was an answer they hadn't expected.
“Well, Dragons,” the boss said, “prepare to die, courtesy of the Red Suns.”
The men came forward quickly – all too quickly. They formed a line as they forged ahead, clearly meaning to make fast work of us.
“Sorry about that,” I said. “I’ve always been a bad guesser.”
“Focus,” Isaru said. “Remember your training. We can get through this.”
Whatever the case, it was Isaru and I against ten gang members.
It was time to see what a Seeker’s training was worth outside the Wild.
The leader was the first to strike, flanked on either side by two more gangsters. He came for me, bringing a thick longsword down in a wide arc. I anticipated the move, and it seemed to move slowly as I stepped aside – right into the line of attack of the man on the leader's right, who was swinging a nasty mace laced with sharp spikes. I ducked, feeling wind whoosh over my head. With both men put off balance, I struck the maceman quickly, right in the gut, withdrawing my blade just in time to knock away the leader’s second swipe.
Isaru, meanwhile, was trading blows with the other attacker, even as more piled on from behind.
I stepped backward for breathing room for the chance to change forms. I needed something aggressive – something that killed quickly. Nothing but Flameform would do, and I had to make the bet that none of these men were trained in how to counter it.
I dropped my blade until it was low, and even as more men came at me, I didn’t waste time parrying, instead running forward between two of them, timing it just right so that their blades slashed only empty air – leading me right into the back ranks of fighters. Surprised, a man fell easily to a sharp slash on the gut, while another fell to a deep cut in the neck. Isaru used the confusion to dispatch his first attacker, going for the ones I bypassed to protect my flanks.
What followed was mayhem. Terrible screams filled the darkness, but wrapped in Silence, I only focused on what had to be done, giving no reign to emotion. I was surrounded by four men, but they were still shocked at seeing four of their number fall so quickly…but I couldn’t let up now. My blade became a whirlwind of aggression. Had I tried this against a Seeker, or even an Apprentice of the Sanctum, my flurry of attacks could have been easily countered, but these men have never had to face the unrelenting fury of Flameform.
Like an inferno in a dry forest, there was no defense now that I had warmed up; there would be no stopping me until I'd burned through every last man. They fought feebly, such as they could, but in the deep meditation of Battletrance, there was no move I could not predict. Due to darkness and the shifting of the torchlight, they fought like blind men.
And then, there were only bodies where once there had been living, breathing men. It was only now, as Battletrance slipped away, that I noticed the markings on their foreheads – all had at least two or three. It had happened in less than a minute. It had been slaughter, and the hallway that had before been a scene of mayhem was as silent as a crypt.
“Impressive.”
A deep voice resonated from down the hall, where a single man stood, arms crossed. There were more men lined up behind, who stood silently, waiting for their leader to continue.
“Please,” I said, my voice coming out, cracked, “don't make the same mistake they did.”
The man gave a deep, throaty chuckle. “I wouldn't think of it. After all, you've done my work for me, girl.”
He stepped forward into the darkness, and the other men followed.
“Stop there,” Isaru said.
The man stopped, just short of the pools of light cast by the two discarded torches. “Who are you with, to fight as such?”
“We are with no one,” I said. “We claimed allegiance to the Dragons, spurring these to attack.”
The man was quiet, considering. If I could have seen his face, I would have suspected he was arching an eyebrow. “No wonder they sought to kill you. For they were fleeing from the Dragons. From us.”
The man stepped forward once again, kneeling to pick up one of the torches. With that action, his face was revealed – a man with strong, masculine features, thin lips, and a head shaved bald. His eyes were dark, but glinting with the firelight, and he wore an amused smirk. Three deep markings lined his forehead.
“My name is Nael Shalan,” he said. “I am a warlord of the Dragon Clan. Usually, we kill any stranger we find here, but seeing your work here…it would be most prudent for us to ignore that custom. In fact, we could use you. If it is true, that you have no allegiance…” He frowned. “How, then, did you come here? You can’t have been in the Ruins long.”
“That’s our business,” Isaru said. “We are passing through and don't wish to be bothered.”
“You're wrong,” Nael said. “If anyone passes through Dragonland, it is the business of the Dragons. We are only three here, but outside I have fifty men at arms. Perhaps you could dispatch ten with no problem, but I doubt you could deal with fi
fty. And I doubt you wish to kill yourselves trying to kill us.” His tone became commanding. “So tell me. What are you doing here?”
I couldn’t see a way to talk ourselves out of answering his questions, and I couldn’t think of a lie fast enough. I was as bad at lying as I was at guessing. Telling him at least some of the truth probably wouldn’t hurt.
“We are Seekers, searching for lost knowledge,” I said. “It can only be found here. We will speak no more of this, for we are sworn to secrecy.”
The man did, in fact, raise an eyebrow at this, but it wasn't him who spoke next, but one of his men: “There are no Seekers. They are a tale told to children. Do you take us for fools?”
I had to bite my tongue to not say, “maybe just you.” Thankfully, Isaru came to my support.
“You can choose not to believe us, but a Seeker can stand up to many times their lesser and come out victorious. The best among us could kill your fifty without breaking a sweat.”
“And I assume you are not the best,” Nael said, “or you would have mentioned that killing fifty would be easy.”
He had Isaru there. “Maybe we can’t kill fifty, but we can kill you. So what will it be? I suggest you leave us alone.”
“I can’t do that,” Nael said. “Perhaps if it were just me here, but you’ve already caused too much of a stir. My honor is to the Dragonlord; if I don’t kill you, then I must bring you to him for judgment.”
“We will not go,” Isaru said.
“Not to die,” Nael said. “If what you say is true…and something tells me it is…then the Dragonlord would be most interested in your mission. He might even be willing to offer aid.”
“Our mission is for no one to know,” Isaru said.
“Perhaps,” Nael said. “But what choice do you have? If anything…perhaps you could become Dragons. In fact, you fought better than any Dragon I know. The Dragonlord would be most eager to meet you.”
I was about to voice my agreement with Isaru, until I realized that this could be a great opportunity. Rasi’s words returned to me: no one survived in the Ruins unless they were part of a gang. Maybe Isaru and I would make it just fine on our own, but having the Dragons escort us through might make things easier if we could somehow get their help.
Besides, it didn't really look like Nael was giving us much of a choice.
“How far is this Dragonlord?” I asked.
Isaru looked at me, but I kept my eyes on Nael.
“Not far,” he said. “An hour through the Ruins. You will come to no harm. Of that, I assure you.”
“Why should we trust you?” Isaru asked.
“Why should I trust you?” Nael asked. “For all I know, you could attack me right now, while we are only three, and escape before any of my other men can help me. And yet, here I am.” He laughed. “What will it be, Seekers?”
I looked at Isaru – he seemed adamant about saying no, but if there was a way to get out of this without more bloodshed, I was going to take it. Isaru, at last, gave a terse nod.
“We agree,” I said. “But if you cross us…”
“We won’t,” Nael said. “You can follow behind us, at whatever distance you please. Dragonhold has the highest walls in all the Ruins, aside from the Sphere, and it will be far safer for you to rest there than here. There is food, water, whatever your heart desires.”
I wondered what was included in that last bit, but decided not to ask.
“Lead us, then.”
Nael gave a slight bow. “Then follow.”
He turned and walked down the hall without hesitation, using his torch to light the way. His two henchmen stood watching us for a moment before turning to follow.
Isaru waited while I went forward to grab the torch. I held it, and turned to face Isaru.
“I feel like this is what we need to do,” I said.
“I know it is,” he said. “And I will do everything to watch your back. You are far too trusting of these people, Shanti.”
“I trust no one,” I said.
“Not even me, apparently.”
“Don't be so sullen. Of course I trust you.”
Isaru gave a stiff nod. “We better get moving. But if I decide it’s too dangerous, we get out.”
Well, it didn’t feel good to have Isaru disagree with me, but there really wasn’t anything I could do about that. Nothing, except hope that he wasn’t proven right.
CHAPTER TEN
WHEN WE REACHED THE STREET below, I saw that Nael was as good as his word. Some fifty Dragons stood waiting, eyeing us suspiciously with hands going to their weapons. With a single order, Nael could have Isaru and I killed – even if that came at the cost of a lot of his men's lives.
Instead, Nael made a placating gesture, causing everyone to take their hands away from their weapons. They weren’t going to kill us, then. At least, not yet.
“To Dragonhold,” Nael called.
Many of the men’s eyes were filled with relief as they turned and followed Nael down the deserted street. Isaru and I waited until everyone had gotten moving before we followed at a distance. I briefly thought about running away, but it would have been impossible. There were eyes on us at all times, and in unfamiliar territory, we'd be caught sooner or later.
The Dragons made a quick path through the crumbling streets. The empty windows of buildings stared like dark eyes as we passed between them. There was rarely a place where the street wasn’t covered either with the dust or broken concrete of a collapsed building, but trails had been forged ahead of time, which the Dragons seemed to know by heart. We even went through buildings sometimes, finding our way to the opposite side only to come out on yet another street.
We continued in this way over the next hour, as the moon disappeared behind a building that might have once been a warehouse. And then, we turned onto a final street, where at the end was a high mound of rubble with a dip in the middle, completely cutting off access beyond. It took me a moment to realize, with a tall palisade mounted at its top, that it wasn’t like the other mounds. Judging by the increase in pace of the men, I knew this had to be the final stretch to Dragonhold.
We climbed the slope of rubble, and the gate blocking the middle swung inside. Two watchtowers were built to either side of it, each manned, and furthermore, I could see men watching from the buildings rising above the street.
Nael Shalan stopped at the gate, waving the other men through, until it was just him and us standing outside of it.
“Follow me,” he said.
He went inside, and we only hesitated a moment before following after. No sooner were we in, the gates began to shut behind, creaking in the darkness.
We had entered a wide square bordered on every side by buildings, some of which were incredibly tall perhaps as much as twenty stories. Most were collapsed, though these had obviously been constructed over four centuries ago, before even the Ragnarok War. Only two seemed to actually still be intact. Even so, there were other buildings that were obviously newer, built around the perimeter of the square, mostly shabby in construction. Torches lit large portions of the area, which was kept clear of the rubble that so drowned the rest of the Ruins.
At this time of night, it appeared no one was awake besides various guards. The men we had traveled with were almost all heading toward one of the large buildings, but it wasn’t to this that Nael was leading us. Any point open to the outside was walled and had at least one tower for defense. Dragonhold seemed to consist of this fortified square and nothing more, but judging from all the buildings, there were probably a lot of people living here.
We became lost in the empty stalls and small buildings of what was probably a market, taking up the center of the square. Everything else was briefly lost to view before we exited to find ourselves before the largest of the intact buildings. Two torches were lit on either side of its double doors.
Nael approached, holding up a hand to tell us to wait. Then, he gave a complicated series of knocks that was obviously a passwo
rd. He waited a moment before there came the sound of a bar being thrown back, followed by the door creaking open, revealing a large man in a plain white shirt and canvas pants, his thick, muscled arms etched with tattoos – two of which were Radaska dragons. His forehead bore three marks, like Nael’s.
“Dragons rising, Valan,” Nael intoned, flashing the twin dragons on his arms.
“Dragons rising, Nael,” Valan repeated, raising his own meaty arms.
Nael nodded toward us. “These are to be taken to the Dragonlord for an audience.”
Valan glanced at Isaru and me. “The Dragonlord is resting, and is not to be disturbed.”
“I thought as much, but can you see about giving these two lodging? They are great warriors from the outside; they killed the ten Suns we pursued before we even had the chance to wet our blades.”
Valan’s eyes widened at that, and he looked at us with respect. “Ten, you say. Yes, we can find a place for them here.”
It was hard to tell whether he meant he could find us a place for the night, or whether he could find a place for us here permanently.
“We won’t be staying long,” Isaru said.
“You can speak to the Dragonlord about it tomorrow,” Nael said. “For now, though, follow Valan to your room for the night.”
With that, Nael left us with Valan, who quickly took charge. “This way, outsiders. By what names am I to call you?”
“I’m Elec,” Isaru said. “This is Alara.”
Valan nodded, even as he led us inside the building. We were greeted by what had once been a grand lobby, with marble floors and a rich red rug that looked as new as the day it was woven. It was dark, lit only partly by torches. Perhaps a king had lived here in older days.
While there was a pair of curved staircases leading to a second floor balcony overlooking the vast space, we remained on the first floor, taking a corridor branching off from the main atrium. We passed no one save a lone guard making his rounds, who did not stop to speak to Valan, though he did look at us curiously.