The other's hair was also blonde and slicked-back. His posture was more human, although slumped forward a little as if he really didn't like his life on this earth. Much like his demeanour, his attire was grey and as dull as the barren landscape and roiling brown secicao clouds.
Sukina clicked her harness open behind me, adjusted her wellies and then descended the ladder. I started to follow her down, but I stopped at the top rung and turned to Faso.
“You don't want to come down?” I asked.
Faso had himself pushed up against the back of his seat. His knees were raised up to his chin now and Ratter stood vigil from one of his knees. “I'd rather not.”
“I never thought you'd be one to be afraid.”
“Afraid? Have you bloody seen that thing?”
I raised an eyebrow. “You did realise there were two of them.”
“What? No, not the dragons. The Mammoth. It will shoot you down as soon as you go near. They stole my technology, you know. That thing’s powered by secicao.”
I shook my head. There was now reasoning with this man sometimes. I descended the ladder and met Sukina on the ground.
The wavy-haired man stepped forwards, whilst the other kept his distance. The first man glanced up at the dragon, and he looked kind of impressed. Part of me wanted to despise him. He was supporting King Cini's harvesting operations after all. But then he had those good looks — high cheekbones, broad shoulders that looked like a child could ride upon each one. His wavy long hair fell gently over his shoulders and he seemed to just emit an aura of sheer handsomeness. A regal military look, much like some of the airship captains I'd met from Tow.
Careful, Sukina said in my mind. This man is using the collective unconscious to manipulate your feelings. He wants you to like him.
The man took another step forward, his shoulders and back straight, and his chest puffed out. He looked between both me and Sukina a few times. Eventually, he turned to me and gave a lopsided smile. “Francoiso Lamford,” he said out loud. “And, this is my brother.” He indicated the other man who was still loitering cautiously at the back.
Sukina turned to the second man at the back. “Charth,” she said. “You work for the king now?”
But his brother spoke in his place. “Yes, Dragonseer Sako, in a way we do.”
“Careful,” Charth said. “Do not give too much away.”
“Oh, there's nothing we can say or do that can be of any threat to us. We are, after all free agents. King Cini doesn't own us and we don't answer to him.”
“That's enough,” Charth snapped. He flicked a glowing speck of secicao resin off his lapel. He turned a hard gaze on Sukina. “We'd much rather not be here. But the king knew this automaton needed some guards.”
“Is that all you can say, Charth,” Sukina replied. “No, ‘hello, how have you been all these years?’ Always focused on the mission. You haven't changed one bit…”
Charth shook his head. “I have nothing to say to you. We established that a long time ago.”
I could almost feel Sukina grit her teeth. “This is not your land. And we can't permit you to go any further.”
“I don't think you have much of a say in the matter right now, Dragonseer Sako.” The way her name rolled off Charth's tongue indicated he at least held her with some regard. “You can take down the automaton, and so we’ll just fly back and bring more of them and extra troops. The king is creating hundreds of these things and he’s not going to back down now.”
The lines on Sukina's face hardened. “You killed our men,” she said. “And the dragons.”
“Oh that…” Charth looked towards where one of the men had fallen. We couldn't see him from here, only the hulking form of a Grey lying dead on the ground, occasionally revealed by the fast moving secicao clouds. “But you attacked us.”
“As I recall,” Sukina said. “It was your contraption that first fired upon us.”
“It's programmed that way,” Charth said. “We had no way of knowing that your Greys would be mounted by armed men.”
Francoiso gave me a wink. “And women, I must add,” he said. “With better assets than weapons, I'm sure.” How he was able to see any of that through our masks and camo was anyone's guess. Mind, who knows how they could stand there without a mask at all.
“Shut up, brother,” Charth snapped. “We don't have time for your tomfoolery.”
Francoiso smirked and looked back at his brother. “You never have time for a little fun. You need to lighten up a little.”
I put my hands on my hips. Handsome as this guy was, I wasn't going to let insensitivity pass. “This is no time for lightening up.” I gestured to our dead.
“I apologise, darling,” Francoiso said. “You must understand we're very sorry about your losses.”
Sukina stepped towards Francoiso, a hard gaze locked upon him. “What is it you want exactly. You don't seem as if you came here to mock us?”
“Why, simply to protect the king's harvesting operations. Although you never know who you’re going to meet along the way."
There was a silence for a moment. I wanted to say anything, but I really had nothing constructive to add. Sukina turned to glance at the dead then back at Charth.
“Why you?” she asked.
“That,” Charth said. “You will shortly learn, I'm sure. As well, as Finesia's plans for you.”
“Finesia is a myth.”
Francoiso chuckled. “And so, apparently, are the dragonseers.”
Again, silence fell. I could feel Sukina's rage burning in my chest.
This time, Charth was the one to cut the discord. “Dragonseer Sako,” he said. “I understand your reason for being here. The only reason you would attack us is if we'd almost stumbled upon your precious Dragon Queen's base. And you're quite right in doing so in your own way. King Cini, powerful as he is, is not ready to uncover your operations. Extermination of another queen would create an imbalance that none of us want.”
The rage in myself and Sukina began to turn into a glimmer of hope. “What exactly are you proposing?” Sukina asked.
“Allow our harvesters to continue operations in the Southlands — at least for now — and Francoiso and I will ensure they stay well away from your base. No more of your men or dragons will die and we'll no longer have to squabble.”
“And why,” Sukina said, “would you do that?”
A wide grin stretched across Francoiso's face. “It turns out that my brother can be quite generous when he gets the chance. As I said, we're free agents and we, in fact, have ulterior goals to the king.”
“Francoiso, that's enough,” Charth said.
The wavy-haired man turned to look at his brother. “See, it turns out that I can't answer your questions, without Charth getting all stroppy. Ah well, I guess we should bid you adieu and leave it hanging for another day.”
He turned to me, gave a long bow and the ground around him turned to brown dust. Out of the cloud, a black form rose up into the air. Charth looked up at the rising dragon, shook his head, kicked the ground and, in the same fashion, launched himself upwards. Momentarily, the Mammoth whirred back to action, it's turrets now remaining dormant but its great hulking legs turning the automaton in the opposite direction.
Once it had orientated itself, the thing moved surprisingly fast. I watched it for a moment, then turned to Sukina. She had her hands on her hips and her head pushed forward.
Shortly after, I felt my connection to her in the collective unconscious break.
“We had no choice,” Sukina said out loud. “We must report this to Gerhaun.”
“Men who could turn to dragons,” I said. “Who are they, Sukina?”
Sukina sighed and then walked away to attend to the dead. I turned back to check on Velos and noticed Faso cowering timidly behind his armour. He let off a meek wave. I didn't return it, but instead went to help Sukina gather the bodies.
CHAPTER 17
The night after our mission, I couldn't sleep.
So I just lay in bed staring into the darkness. Partly, the insomnia was due to what we'd seen that day. When I look back, I can't see what I'd found so alluring about Francoiso? I mean, I like my men a little rough and ready, but I didn't make a habit of chasing after my enemies.
But then, who were these men — if you could call them that, and how could they turn into dragons? And how could anyone who worked for Cini possibly see us as a potential ally after what we'd done at Fraw?
So many questions, so few answers. It was enough for me to want to tear out my hair from its roots. But Sukina and Gerhaun had both explained why they’d withhold information from me. I just had to learn how to mask my thoughts.
Then part of me felt a little guilt for being so concerned about the goings on here, that I'd forgotten about my parents. News still hadn't come by Hummingbird from the Five Hamlets, and I couldn't help but wonder if Gerhaun or Sukina was also hiding information about this from me for fear of what I might do. It didn't matter at this point whether they were my parents or not. I just wanted them to be okay.
I also felt bad about the arguments I'd had with Papo. By this time, my parents could be hanging by a noose from the rafters of their country farmhouse. Cini III wasn't as ruthless as his father, admittedly — I mean he didn't start the Dragonheats. But that didn't mean he was fair, and one thing was for sure: our king did not like subterfuge. I'd never forgive myself if our previous argument was the last exchange I’d had with my father.
You know, I'll have to teach you to worry less. Your anxiety is enough to keep Gerhaun awake, never mind myself. I almost jumped out of my skin, the way Sukina's voice materialised in my head like that, taking precedence over my own.
For crying out loud, I telepathed back. How many times do I have to say, I wish you wouldn't do that?
I'm sorry, Sukina said. I did promise to teach you how to mask your thoughts. It's not easy, mind, and at the same time it's the easiest thing in the world. You simply need to train your mind to exert zero effort. Detach yourself from conscious thought and then it no longer becomes open to others.”
Again, Sukina seemed to be entering the realms of the airy-fairy. Are you telling me not to think at all? Without thought, how would I ever get anything done?
On the contrary. I'm merely saying to separate your mind from your essence. This isn't a skill unique to dragonseers. Any skilled artist or craftsman can do the same. You simply need to forget yourself and become aware of everything around you. From there, comes true clarity of thought and a deep connection to the collective unconscious.
I don't understand, I said. How can I forget my thoughts when there's this huge mess around me? You're asking me to forget my parents and the jeopardy they're probably in, is that it? A tear dropped off my cheek onto the pillow.
It will take time, Sukina said. But you won't get there through trying to force it. This isn't about forgetting but deferral. Simply let your worries drift by and focus only on what you can control.
But I can control this. I could fly back and at least I'll know what's happening in the Five Hamlets. I should jump on Velos and ride him as quickly as possible through the night.
You know well the costs of doing so. There's no way you'll get Velos through the Southern Barrier alone. And, what's the point of doing anything when you don't even know the situation? Sometimes the greatest courage comes from patience. I know it hurts, and the pain won't go away but there are ways to alleviate it.
My heartbeat started to subside a little. Thank you, I said. And I'm sure I'm not the only one with problems around here. Dragonheats, you probably have plenty of your own.
I try to not let life get to me, Sukina said.
But sometimes it must, surely? I mean you said you write yourself, to fill the void of being alone.
This telepathy thing seemed more than the ability to hear each other’s words. I could picture Sukina in my mind right then as well, see her face as a smile crept across it, as if she was sitting right beside me.
Yes, Sukina said. I write to channel my energy sometimes. But to fill the void… I've learned to quite enjoy solitude since Faso…
I laughed. I can understand why, after Faso.
We just went different ways. Faso can be a little much sometimes, but he’s a good person underneath this arrogant mask of his. We just ended up going different ways…
I can see that, I said. And I started to wonder that if maybe I was a little harsh on hm sometimes. Through the darkness, I could hear Velos snoring in the distance, much louder than the other dragons, or perhaps I heard him in the collective unconscious. I took a deep breath, the musty air filling my lungs. Strangely, I felt much calmer after talking to Sukina.
You still there?
Yes, Sukina said. I can feel you're much calmer now.
I am. Say, I was just wondering before. Who's this boy, Artua. Why's he so important to you and Gerhaun and why did the king decide to kidnap him in the first place?
That’s one of the things I can’t really tell you, Sukina said and I felt her breath catch in her throat.
Is he like those two men? Can he turn into dragons, or something?
No, no, Sukina replied, nothing like them.
So, if the boy isn't one of them, who exactly is he?
I felt Sukina's sigh rise up within my chest. Please Pontopa, she said. Don't press on this issue. This is something we need to keep secret until you learn to mask your thoughts.
Okay, I said. I just wanted to learn a little more about you.
When the time comes for you to learn more, I promise I'll reveal all. For now, though, it's late and I'm pretty tired after today.
Now I had calmed down a bit, I also realised how tired I was. No problem, I said. But I'm eager to know.
I know, Sukina said and I felt her mind drift quickly and soundly off to sleep.
✽✽✽
It seemed strange in Fortress Gerhaun to wake up without natural sunlight. The brown clouds gave the whole place a foreboding gloomy quality which made my body feel as if it wanted to lie in until early afternoon. When I opened my door and looked at the clock outside, indeed I had slept in until eleven in the morning. So, I wandered down to the grand hall to grab the last dregs of breakfast — some cold crispy bacon, some sausage, some hash browns and a few slices of toast.
Faso came in a little worse for wear, his eyes red as if he'd hit the whiskey last night. He looked around the room, spotted me and then gave me a wave, his demeanour springing to life a little. Ratter also was perched on his shoulder, his red glowing eyes fixed upon me. A shiver ran down my spine.
He grabbed a plate from the buffet tray, piled on a selection of food, then sauntered over to me and plonked his rear on the seat in front of me. “Good morning Miss Wells,” he said. “You're glowing and radiant today.”
“You've lightened up,” I said.
Faso looked at the device on his shoulder. “Yes, well, Asinal Winda from the labs gave me ideas of some modifications to Ratter. I'm still working on a prototype, but I think this little guy could be the answer you need to take down those massive automatons. An army of them perhaps.”
I snorted, trying to imagine each of Fortress Gerhaun's troops carrying a Ratter on their shoulders. “You sure you wouldn't accuse Gerhaun of stealing your technology?”
“Not if she pays me a modest wage.”
“Really? And where would you spend it exactly.”
“Why in Slaro, of course.”
“The king would eat you alive.”
“Dear, I've got friends in high places there, you know. There are ways of hiding from Cini's forces, you just need enough money to do so. Besides, no one needs to know of my little arrangement with Gerhaun, and I can simply say Sukina took me hostage during the attack at Fraw, which in many ways is true.”
I laughed. He'd certainly changed his tune. I guess he was missing his home after all and he didn't seem eager to return to the Five Hamlets. But then, I couldn't imagine as a criminal, hiding away
in Slaro's dark alleyways away from the king, juggling clients who were literally at war.
Faso's expression hardened to contempt. “You seem to doubt what I'm saying.”
Again, I laughed. “I think you can do anything, Faso. Whether you can stay alive doing it, well that's another matter entirely.”
Faso scoffed. “It's all the name of science, isn't it? At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who I work for. As long as I'm advancing the future of mankind.”
There wouldn't be a future, I thought, if Cini's left to his own devices and what Gerhaun wrote in Dragons and Ecology is true. I didn't say it out loud, though. I didn't want another of Faso's lectures on what's proper science and what isn't.
“And get rich doing so,” I pointed out instead.
“Well, yes a man should take a little reward for his service. We can't all be monks, you know?” A sly grin began to creep across his smarmy face. “Say, why don't you join me on this endeavour. You've already wanted a life of adventure, right?”
“With an executioner waiting around every corner, no thanks. Besides, I can't imagine Faso Gordoni living a life of danger. You'd never leave the house.”
“Oh, I'll have servants to do that for me,” Faso said. “And representatives so the king would never have to know he was working with me.”
“You're not really selling this to me, Faso.”
“Yes, I thought not. Well it was just a thought.”
He reached up to touch a pressure point on Ratter's back. The ferret automaton scurried down Faso's arm, cleared a space at the centre of Faso's plate and sat itself down there. I looked at it with derision.
“What's that thing doing now?” I asked.
“Warming my food… You know, with me, you'd never have to eat cold bacon again.”
I shook my head. “Look, you don't seem to be getting the hint here, Faso. I would never be interested in you. I don't tend to go for anyone who makes false promises they can't keep.”
The smile tremored on Faso's face a little, but it didn't fade. “Oh, you're just playing hard to get.”
I decided it best to ignore him and lowered my head to tuck into my cold food. I left Faso sitting there without having to speak another word to him. It didn't take Ratter long to heat up his plate and after it had, Faso seemed pretty content to focus on his meal.
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