The Broken Scale (The Dragon Riders of Arvain)

by Clausen, Nicholas

  They wore earthen tone clothes that were meant to be worked in, both of their outfits were dirty and had holes starting to show through. While the people in the city wore much more elaborate colors, and every one wore capes and hats with large feathers in them. Hayden looked at the people with interest, but he could quickly tell that the people were looking down at him with disgust. Some even pulled their children away and turned their nose up to them. Hayden wanted to say something to Fendrel about it, or even say something to the people who were looking down at him, but Fendrel shook his head and pulled him along. As they passed under the gate Hayden looked into the eyes of the copper dragon and smiled.

  “Boy, I would like to introduce you to the riders of Arvain.”

  Chapter 4

  Fendrel pulled Hayden through the river of people that were making their way up and down the busy streets in what Hayden had just learned was called The Housing District. The people still looked down on him and Fendrel, and few people moved out of their way as they tried to walk, but Fendrel did not slow down and just pushed his way through the crowd. Hayden kept trying to ask questions about the things he was seeing, but he never got more than a few words out before his voice was drowned out by someone else talking louder than him.

  Hayden had lost all sense of direction only a few moments after entering The Housing District. His head was still swimming with everything he was trying to take in. I have seen another dragon up close. A copper dragon actually looked at me. This is where I belong. Hayden realized that he was having a hard time thinking with everything going on so he decided to stop asking questions and just try to follow Fendrel.

  Fendrel kept weaving in and out between people and turning down one street just to go a few feet and turn down another road. Hayden noticed that when they had first come into district, the metal houses were two and three stories, but as they made it deeper into the district Hayden noticed that the houses were beginning to look less extravagant. The nicer houses had elaborate carvings and decorations on the outside of the houses. Some even had different kinds of metals used to add color to the constant shinny grey. The houses that Fendrel was leading him through had no such designs, no ornate decorations, just plain grey walls. These houses were just as tall as the other ones, but where one family would have all three stories in the richer part of the district, here they crammed multiple families into the homes.

  Fendrel made an abrupt stop in front of an ordinary house compared to the corresponding metal homes, except it seemed to Hayden that it looked un-kept and a good bit dirtier than all the other houses. Fendrel did not knock on the door but pulled out a metal key that had a lot more elaborate bends and points then Hayden had ever seen. Fendrel unlocked the door, which when he turned the key sounded like a large rock falling, and gave the door a slight push with his hand.

  The door however did not move and Fendrel had to slam his shoulder into it twice to get it to open. The door gave out a loud creak when it finally opened for them and a large puff of orange smoke came loose from the one large hinge that ran the whole length of the great metal door.

  Fendrel stood straddling the threshold with one foot in the strange old metal house and one foot out in the equally strange metal street; he gave a short bow and made a sweeping gesture with his hands and ushered Hayden in. Hayden took a few short timid steps and tried to see what was in the house, but all he could see was where the light from the outside hit the floor.

  Fendrel closed the door behind them and set the lock back in place. As soon as the door closed Hayden was engulfed in darkness and he stopped all movements and just tried to listen.

  Hayden heard Fendrel’s footsteps falling on the floor and more creaking and grunting, which made him believe that Fendrel was trying to open something. Soon Hayden was blinded by light shinning directly on his face. He turned his head and closed his eyes tightly, and when he opened them again he saw Fendrel standing next a couple of old metal shutters he had just opened.

  “Boy, I would like to welcome you to my house.”

  Hayden looked around the room he was standing in and saw that it was a common area. Everything was covered in dust so thick that when he looked back to where he had walked in his footprints looked like they had been made in snow. The walls had begun to rust near the top where water had leaked in and no one had been around to fix it; he could also see a few spots on the walls where torches were hung and the soot was still caked on the wall.

  “Nice, it’s very spacious.” Hayden tried not to say anything negative about Fendrel’s house. Fendrel wore a smile on his face as he walked over to one of the softer looking chairs and almost fell back into the chair, sending out a cloud of dust so thick that Hayden lost sight of him. He could hear him cough as the dust finally began to settle.

  “Ok, it could use some cleaning, but hey what do you expect when no one has been in here for almost twenty years. Come on; help me clean all this up so we can at least have one comfortable night before you fly off on a new adventure.” Fendrel sat up and tried to dust himself off, but quit after a few seconds because the dust was just too thick.

  Hayden nodded and sat his pack down, and the two men got to work. Fendrel opened up every window and every door to help ventilate while they cleaned. Hayden walked around and noticed that Fendrel’s house consisted of two equal sized sleeping chambers with one wash room between them, a kitchen with a large open space with a table for them to eat their meals and the living area where they had first walked in.

  The house was not messy it was just dusty; once they wiped everything off, which still took a few hours, the house was looking like it was lived in again.

  Fendrel had already lit the torches and the one large fire place in the common area before it got dark. He then left to go out and buy supplies, and left Hayden alone with his thoughts for the first time since they had met three days prior. Although Hayden had only known Fendrel for a short amount of time he had already grown close to the man and enjoyed his company. It was the closest thing Hayden had ever had to a friend or even a father figure.

  Hayden walked around Fendrel’s house and nosed around his cupboards and drawers. He was still amazed that everything was made of metal; he had never seen anything like it before. Everything was cool to the touch, and since they had cleaned off all dust the house gave off a slight shine, and when Fendrel had lit the fire it reflected off of every surface and lit up the house.

  Hayden noticed that there were a few notches in one of the corners that sat between the common room and the kitchen. At first glance Hayden thought that they were random cuts in the metal that had been done on accident, but as he examined it closer he realized that there were things carved into the metal next to each mark. There were only two diff letters by each scratch; F, M. Beside each letter was a number that grew with the height of the scratches.

  “This is where Fendrel and his brother’s height were measured every year. Fendrel was always a little shorter it looks like.”

  “No, my brother always stood just a little on his toes.” Fendrel walked into the kitchen with some food and new clothes in his hands. Even though they had oiled all the hinges in the house, Hayden was still a little startled that he could not hear the massive front door open when Fendrel had entered.

  “What was your brother’s name?” Hayden helped take the food out of Fendrel’s hands.

  “Morgane, his name was Morgane.” Fendrel stopped where he stood for a second when he spoke. When he was finished he continued to help Hayden lay everything out. He then handed Hayden one of the bundles of new clothes and instructed him to go change. After Hayden had changed and entered back into the kitchen he noticed the fire in the kitchen had been lit and a pot already hung above it.

  “I was wondering, since this might be my last night with you, if you could answer a question I have wanted to ask for the past three days.” Hayden stood beside Fendrel and helped him cut up various vegetables and meats that he had purchased.

  “I guess we won�
�t be having a silent dinner then, go ahead and ask.” Fendrel made an over exaggerated sigh of exasperation, before he answered, but when Hayden looked at him he was wearing a devilish grin on his face.

  “Well I was wondering how you knew so much about dragons and their history. I know you said I was untaught in my town but it seems to me like you might have had extra learning or something. Does everyone know as much about dragons and the riders as you?” Hayden did not take a breath while he spoke so all the words ran together.

  Fendrel looked at Hayden, and Hayden could tell that the older man had understood the questions just fine and did not need him repeat himself.

  “Everyone knows about the riders and there are even some that have figured out a good deal on their own or, as you put it, some have had learning about them. I had learning, but it was not from a school or any kind of instructor. I learned everything I know about the riders of Arvain from the riders themselves.” They continued to work on the stew Fendrel had started while they talked. Soon they were both sitting around on the padded chairs, enjoying the smell of their dinner that was now surrounding them.

  “It wasn’t long after Morgane had become a rider, as I said before my parents were just so proud of him, and my parents wanted me to help him somehow. Since I had lost my chance to become a rider myself, they thought it was only fair that I work for the riders.

  “I found myself living in the Metallic Pyramid with my brother, but where he lived in the riders chambers with his dragon I lived in a servants quarters. I did random menial jobs at first; making sure the riders and their dragons were comfortable, lots of cleaning and carrying anything and everything from one place to another.

  “When I first arrived there I avoided my brother at all costs, but that could not last long, we were brothers. He introduced me to his dragon, which was a male who was already large for his age that he named Argentum. We tried to be like we were before but it was never the same.” Fendrel never stopped working as he spoke.

  “Soon his rider friends made fun of him being around me so we stopped seeing each other. I got over being mad about my lot in life and I decided that if I was going to have to spend my life here then I was going to make something out of it. I started asking lots of questions about the dragons and I found myself working under some of the dragon handlers who took care of the dragons when their riders were too lazy to. I was always interested in working with the eggs, but they would only let riders work with them so that someone like me could not get in there and hatch an egg.

  “I did get a chance to ask questions about my egg and they said it was the only one they had ever seen that had a mark on the egg. I made friends with one of the caretakers of the silver eggs and when I left twenty years ago she told me the egg was still there.” Fendrel got up and made them both a bowl of the dinner. They ate in silence as Hayden mulled over what all he had just heard. It must have been hard to be that close to his egg but never being able to have it.

  “Why did you leave the Metallic Pyramid?” Hayden had started to clean up and let Fendrel relax and continue talking.

  “I left only a year after I had gotten there. My brother had become a full fledged rider and was about to start his first year at the tower in Eytherka when he died. I left right after that and stayed here in Celestial City and worked as a trapper most of the time.

  “I was still in constant contact with the same caretaker for the whole time I was here, which was about ten years. She was killed one night in the Metallic Pyramid, it was an accident, she was trying to master some new weapon with another rider and the other rider messed up and it cost my friend her life. Once I learned of her death I left the city and hadn’t been back since. Until now that is; I found out some years ago that my mother and father had died. After what happened to my brother they weren’t the same any more. After my friend died I had nothing left in the city to stay for.”

  Hayden followed Fendrel into the common area and they left the windows open and watched as the people went through the city. Hayden was surprised to see so many people out, and most of them were shouting things Hayden was not familiar with. Some were even placing bets with other people who were shouting out odds. Hayden hated to change the subject, but he was so curious with the people’s activities he had to ask.

  “What is everyone doing out there?”

  “They are getting ready for tomorrow; they are placing bets on who they think will win and showing support for their favorite attendee in tomorrow’s trials. The city really comes to life this time every year.” Fendrel leaned back and Hayden noticed he was wearing a slight smile as he watched the people go about and celebrate.

  “How often do people come from other towns and do the trials?” Hayden asked.

  “Not very often. While you lived back in Erskine, how many people left to pit themselves against others in an attempt to become riders?”

  “None that I can think of; when’s the last time an outsider has actually gotten an egg?”

  “Well I hate to repeat you, but none that I can think of. There have been a few that have come really close, but none ever make it all the way through.”

  “So the odds aren’t looking that good for me, huh?”

  “Boy, the odds were looking great for me and look what happened. Not only did I not get my egg but it cost me my brother, my family, and a friend. Never count on, odds, boy something can quickly change all that.” Fendrel got out of his chair and stretched; Hayden winced at the sounds of Fendrel’s bones cracking.

  “After all that you probably think I am crazy for trying, don’t you?” Hayden asked, but he felt like he already knew the answer.

  “I would think you were crazy if you didn’t try, boy. Even after all I went through, all the pain and loss I endured, I would do it all over again just to see my egg, just to see it.” Fendrel balled his fists and placed them on his hips. “Just to see it one more time.” He then shook his head and turned to walk into what was going to be his bedroom for the night.

  “What was her name?” Hayden asked as he made his way towards his own room.

  Fendrel stopped just in the doorway of his room and rested upon the door frame. He was silent for a few minutes and then lowered his head before he spoke. “That, boy, is a story for another time.” With that Fendrel went into his room. Before he closed the door he turned and faced Hayden. “You need rest; I will get you up before first light. Tonight will be the last night you spend as a man trying to become a rider. By this time tomorrow you will either be with your very own dragon in the Metallic Pyramid, or with me again figuring out what trade you want to do for the rest of your life.”

  Hayden gave Fendrel a nod and a nervous laugh, but when he closed his door he put his back against the door and let the truth of what Fendrel had said sink in. This is my last night before the trials. No one from outside the city has ever passed and gotten an egg, but I will be the first. I have to pass it no matter what. I have no idea what I would even want to do if I do not get an egg.

  Hayden stood there and thought for a few minutes before finally going and lying down on what was going to be his bed for the night. He realized Fendrel must have gotten new bedding because the blankets and pillows were both new and did not smell like dust.

  He turned over and lay on his back with his hands behind his head. He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before turning back over on his side.

  “I miss the stars already,” he said to himself.

  He listened to the muffled sound of the people on the street and waited for sleep to come; it was some time before that happened. He closed his eyes for what seemed like only moments and heard Fendrel knocking on the metal door.

  “Alright, boy, it’s time to get up; people are already making their way towards the Metallic Pyramid.” Fendrel seemed wide awake by the way he was talking, but Hayden was having a hard time focusing his eyes and his head was feeling fuzzy. He sat up and decided that was not a good idea and he lay back down.

  “Boy, t
he trials are starting if you want an egg, get up NOW!” With the last word Fendrel must have kicked the door for how loud the knock sounded. With mention of the trials and the dragon egg that was to be his, Hayden woke up and became completely alert. He walked out of his room after he got dressed and with only a glance at Fendrel the two made their way out the door and headed off with the crowds to the Metallic Pyramid.

  ------------------------------

  Nether of them spoke as they walked, they listened to everyone else talk about who they wanted to get an egg and some of the younger people talk about how they couldn’t wait till they were eighteen and they could try for an egg. Hayden could pick out of the crowd the people who were trying for an egg this year because they were not cheering and goofing off with the others. Most did not talk or show any kind of acknowledgement to the surrounding people. They were each lost in their own world and preparing in their own ways for what lay before them.

  Hayden noticed that there was one person in particular that was making an awful lot of racket about how he was going to be getting an egg. Hayden heard bits and pieces about how his father was a rider of a silver dragon and it was only right for him to ride a silver or a gold. He heard him talk about if he got a copper he would kill it even if it meant death for him because he would not be caught alive on a copper. Hayden hurried through the crowd because he could not take listening to the boy talk about dragons like they were just a piece of clothing to be worn till they were of no more use to the owner.

  As Hayden and Fendrel crossed over the bridge that led them to the military district, Hayden noticed a girl sitting on the railing of the bridge. He only saw her for a second but he could tell two things immediately after he laid eyes on her; one she was beautiful, and was causing many men to look at her as they passed, some whose wives elbowed them once they noticed, and two she was staring right at him.