Chronicles of Den'dra: A land on Fire

by Spencer Johnson

  “Well, had to let my cook go several years ago, but if you need anything, just give a holler for old Yacub. Sleep in whatever room you like. There isn’t going to be anyone else coming.” Yacub turned to leave when Urake began digging through his bag for the coin sack.

  “How much for a night?”

  “The others are already paid up, but you don’t owe me anything. The gargoyle practically owns this place because of all the help he has given me when the times got tighter. Be seeing ya, if you hang around for long that is.” With that Yacub shuffled down the stairs.

  “I don’t understand. An inn without a cook?” Cero pushed open the door and found the room to be relatively clean with only a thin layer of dust on everything. It looked like it had been cleaned after the last guest, but then left closed up for the weeks since that time.

  “This is the lower city. You have to go to the upper city in order to find an inn with a cook. There are quite a few food shops around that we can try, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Most of it is rat meat. The rest is most likely dog meat.” Urake grimaced while Cero looked outright sick as they listened to Aleest’s advice.

  “I think we should have enough food in the packs to survive a couple days. Not that we will be in the city long. Emeck and I are going to go north while the rest of you sell the wares. Keep an ear out and find out what you can about the girl masquerading as the princess. You two stay away from the southern gate. Emeck and I will be leaving through the east gate first thing in the morning.” Urake checked out a couple more rooms until he discovered the locked doors belonging to their compatriots.

  “Why the east gate?” Aleest inquired as he picked a room and took off his pack.

  “Reigns is going to be inordinately upset when he hears about what I will have done and is likely to try and catch me. The first thing he is going to do is suspect that I passed through Shienhin and took the north gate.”

  “I see. I'm tired so I'm going to turn in early.”

  “All right Aleest. Enjoy the bed because we probably won’t be sleeping in a real one for a while when this all goes down. One other thing while you are both here, if you end up having to leave Shienhin in a hurry, don’t risk waiting for me. Emeck can find you again if the need arises.” Cero took the room opposite of Aleest and after barricading the door, he coaxed Bani out of the pack. It seemed like the little dragon found the smell that clung to everything to be particularly offensive.

  “Sorry I don’t have any meat for you. Want a piece of cheese?” Bani turned his snout up at the offer after a tentative sniff. He then stalked under the bed. A few minutes later, Cero heard some scuffling, squeaking, and hissing. Hanging over the bed, Cero found Bani snapping his tail around and dragging something. Dropping to the floor, Cero reached under and pulled whatever it was out into the dusty light of the room. His first reaction was to jump back when he saw the large rat bleeding from a dozen wounds. It was still twitching, but otherwise Bani had done a fine job of killing it. Not that the wounds were large enough to cause such a rapid death. The frothing at the mouth seemed to indicate some sort of venom.

  “I suppose you want it cut up into nice bite size pieces. It is already bleeding on the floor so I guess I should do something about it. I got some rags that I can use to cut it up on so we won’t have to explain a mess.” Bani happily curled up and watched Cero go about the task. The rat was a fat one so there was an abundance of fresh meat for the little dragon to enjoy and even enough for another meal later when Bani had his fill.

  ***

  The sun was just rising over the horizon when Urake and Emeck left through the eastern gate. The roads were not as well traveled as the ones leading up to the southern gate so they were in slightly better condition. Turning north, they followed some of the paths that wound through the fields for several hours before turning again and connecting in with the road that led to the port nearly due north at this point. Shienhin still towered over the plains behind them, but it had lost its original awe inspiring grandeur once it had been examined up close.

  To the north the port town grew in size until they could make out the individual buildings. Situated as it was on the Silent Sea, there was little strategic value in the port. Most of the traffic in and out was made by the small fishing vessels that hugged the coastline. Even the larger trading vessels that traveled the coast were infrequent. There weren’t any ports along the Outlands worth visiting. The elves were understandably not interested in trading and the only other coast line was under draconic rule and the dragons were more interested in burning ships than anything else. The only purpose that the port now had was to offload the cargo the fishing vessels brought in and to outfit ships for supplying the southern army. It was only a couple weeks to make the trip to the south if the winds held. From there, the goods could be moved inland with relative ease compared to traversing the entirety of the midlands and the Draeld.

  When the duo had made it within a few miles of the port, they stepped off the road into a stand of trees and waited for the sun to finish its circuit to the horizon. After an appreciable level of gloom had fallen, they left their hiding place and entered the port within the hour. There were a few fishmongers about, although it was mostly just soldiers tasked with loading and unloading the ships. Not that they dirtied their hands with such manual labor. That task was delegated to the serfs who worked for enough coin to keep their families and themselves alive.

  “There is a lot more troop ships out there than I had been told. Most look like repurposed fishing vessels to tell the truth.” Urake mused to Emeck as they casually strolled along the wharf. There were easily enough ships to move half of Reigns’ army down south of the Princess’ position in the Outlands. From the looks of the tent camps set up outside the port, it looked like Reigns intended to do just that.

  “So what is the plan?”

  “First we find a spot up wind. The breeze is going from inland out to sea so it should hold steady for a while. From there I will get to a good vantage point while you keep me apprised of any guards in my whereabouts.” Urake found Emeck a spot on the outside edge of the port and waited for it to finish getting dark. After the stars came out, he pulled the hood up on his cloak and began working his way towards the ships. Finding one that was against the dock he slipped aboard and climbed the mast. Finding a spot on the secured mainsail he waited until the dock workers had finished their tasks for the night. Emeck contacted him a couple times to let him know that sentries had started patrolling the docks and when they neared his position, but they never noticed the shadow that lurked high above their heads. They would make escaping a little more risky, but Urake was sure that they could be handled easily enough then the time came. There was also the good chance that they would be occupied at that time and wouldn’t even notice his escape.

  Urake waited until the camp fires had started to die down in the army camps. A few isolated pockets of soldiers were still hanging around the last remaining fires and their occasional laughter drifted up to the silent listener. Eventually, even they moved off to their tents.

  Urake had already removed his pack and had the arrows laid out in front of him tucked into a fold in the sail. Each one had a palm long, two thumb wide vial fastened with thin wooden splints around the arrow head. Tusul had fashioned them so they could safely be stored wrapped in soft rags until they were needed. At that point, they could be slid over the arrow head where the barbs caught and secured it into place. As Tusul described it, if it didn’t break on impact, the arrow would shatter it an instant later achieving the same result. The entire stock that Urake had carried from Warton was ready for their intended purpose.

  When he had figured that there were enough people in bed, he got confirmation from Emeck as to the exact location of the patrolling sentries. After getting the description of their location, he was able to see them chatting at a crossroads in the docks. Picking a ship that was in the middle of a cluster, he hefted one of the modified arrow. Taking aim a little higher
than normal, he fired the arrow. In the immediate flash of light he saw that he had still undershot his target. The side of the ship was in flames instead of the deck like he had planned. There was also a film of flames floating on the water and spreading to the other ships in close proximity. The cries of the guards caught Urake’s attention as he readied another arrow. Waiting until they had run across the entire wharf, he loosed another projectile on a ship near where they had just been.

  This time the arrow was true and the ship deck exploded into a ball of fire. Streamers flew off the explosion out and caught on several of the surrounding ships. Despite floating in water, the vessels were tinder dry this time of the year and readily fed the hungry flames. The sentries soon discovered the second fire and increased the amplitude of their calls for help. The army camp was soon stirring like a confused ant hill that had been trampled upon. People were rushing about with buckets of water, tossing them ineffectively on the roaring infernos that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Urake had lit the majority of the ships in the harbor when he picked up his last arrow. Not finding a good target he scanned the area. All the larger vessels were rapidly being reduced to charred hulks and infecting their neighbors with the insatiable inferno. The conflagration would take Urake’s ship in a few more minutes. It was when Urake spied a large warehouse on the dock that he made up his mind.

  The flash of light illuminated the deck below allowing Urake to safely drop from his perch. Quickly grabbing a bucket he leaped to the dock and strode purposefully away from the chaotic fires. None of the soldiers that rushed to help paused to question the dark figure and no one noticed when he stepped between a couple dark buildings with the bucket rolling out of the alley a moment later. One of the frenzied soldiers scooped up the bucket and rushed into the mayhem.

  “You sure know how to have fun.” Emeck appeared and the two quickly began moving east.

  “That should set them back a little.” Urake paused to look back over the harbor that was engulfed in fire. The fire had begun interfering with the breeze and starting to swirl the smoke around. A large portion of the firefighters had withdrawn and were watching from a fair distance. Urake smirked as he recalled Tusul’s cautions concerning the effects of the smoke when his little machinations burned.

  “I would say so. What is the hurry?” Emeck inquired as Urake stepped up the pace when the smoke swirled dangerously close.

  “Tusul just said that the smoke was toxic. I would rather not test his assertion. Is everyone still back at Shienhin?” Urake paused again when he saw the consternation on Emeck’s face as he tried to look for the rest of their party.

  “As usual, I can’t see Cero, but the others are also gone. Something is wrong. The entire city in in an uproar. There they are. Heading south east. They have horses and are moving fast. All six of them. No… seven. There is something else. Someone else. Someone old, but skilled. A tracker! He found me…!” Emeck convulsed and started falling to the ground. Urake moved fast enough to catch him before he hit the ground, but discovered that there was no sign of life. Recognizing the signs, Urake tossed him over a shoulder and grabbed the youth’s pack with his free hand and began trotting towards the foothills in the distance.

  Chapter Eleven: Survival

  “Are you awake?” Cero sat up dislodging a disgruntled Bani who moved to the warm spot Cero had just vacated.

  “Aleest?” Cero pulled on the clothes he had discarded before climbing into bed and went to the door.

  “You are awake. I'm glad I didn’t wake you. Are you ready?”

  “No, not yet anyway. I haven’t fed Bani yet or eaten anything myself.” Cero swatted the flies away from the rat meat that he had saved from the night before and held up a piece for Bani who flicked a tongue at it before burying his head beneath a wing.

  “Sorry if I woke you up.” Aleest apologized as Cero pushed the bench away from the door.

  “I didn’t really sleep last night. Sort of just laid there and drifted in and out. How about you?” Aleest slipped inside and took a look at Bani from a safe distance. The little dragon snorted and disappeared seconds later.

  “What is his problem?”

  “He had to settle for rat meat last night. Not his favorite from the way he turned his nose up at it this morning.”

  “You did go out to one of the food shops.”

  “No, I followed your advice. Bani killed one under the bed yesterday. You are welcome to what is left. Cero motioned towards the remains of the rat where the flies were swarming.

  “I would rather not. Best get rid of that before Yacub sees it.” Aleest took one last look at the gutted rat before moving to the seat on the other side of the room.

  “So who is in charge of selling the stuff in the wagons?” Cero inquired as he pulled a piece of bread out of his pack.

  “Sticky fingers and grumpy are in charge of the wagon with the cheap stuff and Torroth is already peddling the contents of the other wagon with Inadar. That leaves us to explore and gather information for Urake.”

  “Shouldn’t we help sell the supplies with the rest of them?” Cero munched on his bread with a wry expression. “This could use some water to wash it down, but I'm afraid that I don’t trust the water around here.”

  “Na. It isn’t like they will sell much anyways. The people around here are just too poor. Are you ready yet? You can leave your pack here if you want.”

  “Bani doesn’t like how it smells here.” On hearing his name, the little dragon opened one emerald eye that seemed to float a couple inches above the bed.

  “It will smell worse where we are going.” At Aleest’s comment, Bani yawned dramatically, tucked his head under a wing, and disappeared again.

  “I think you convinced him. Let’s get going then. How is it that you know so much about the city?”

  “I grew up here, remember?” Aleest pulled a piece of hard cheese from his pocket, bit off a chunk and began softening the piece in his cheek.

  “I thought that you were in the castle.”

  “That was only after Em’risi got me the job as a groom. Before then, I was a sewer rat. Actually that used to be my nickname because they said that the rats raised me.”

  “That’s a mean thing to say about anyone.” Cero scowled at the idea.

  “It was partially true. I think I'm an orphan that got dumped in the sewers and left for dead. I probably would have died if it weren’t for the rats.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You forget I speak a common language with the rats. They brought me food and anything else I needed. For years I stayed hidden in the deepest tunnels before the rat hunters caught me. They tried to make me hunt rats for their little games, but I ran off and lived in the streets for a few years before Em’risi found me.”

  “That would explain why you have so much control over your Gift. You practically have been using it your entire life.” Cero looked at the lad at his side with a new respect.

  “More or less. It took a long time before I learned to control it. This way.” Cero followed through a maze of back alleys and paths that meander through the lower city like a snake in its final death throes. The tortured paths were seemingly placed in random orientations; however, Aleest threaded them unerringly. Eventually they came to a round hole in the wall that was surrounded by ramshackle buildings.

  “What is this?” Cero inquired as he peered inside.

  “When Shienhin was built, there was a natural spring that brought up fresh water. They built the city around it and used it for fresh water and to flush the sewers clean. Over time the spring began drying up. It still supplies water to the castle but little more so the old sewer tunnels are empty. The new sewer system doesn’t have the fresh water to flush them so they had to be built differently. You saw the gutters in the lower city. The ones in the castle and richer parts of the upper city are like that except drained better and covered.” Aleest stepped inside and Cero followed uncertainly.

  “We should have brought
a candle or something.” Cero lamented when the light grew dim following the second corner. He was about to say something else when he saw that Aleest was on his hands and knees feeling his way forward.

  “A candle would have been nice, but I can feel my way from here.”

  “There is still enough light to walk for a little ways yet.”

  “No there isn’t.” Cero watched as Aleest got up slowly and looked into his eyes.

  “What is it?”

  “Your eyes are glowing faintly. They look sort of like Bani’s, but only bluish instead of green.”

  “What do you mean like Bani’s eyes and glowing?” Cero wasn’t sure he understood.

  “They aren’t round. More like narrow slots and they are glowing a dim bluish white light. You can’t see it unless you are real close. It is actually kind of weird.” Aleest cocked his head to get a better perspective.

  “Weird? It sounds creepy!” Cero descended to a whisper when the tunnel amplified his voice.

  “How many fingers am I holding up?” Aleest held up a hand with three fingers held up and two bent inward.

  “This many.” Cero copied Aleest with his own hand.

  “I can’t see anything. How many?”

  “Three. Now there is two. Now you have five fingers. What is this supposed to prove?”

  “That you can see in the pitch dark. You also get to lead the way. Just describe the tunnel intersections when we get to them… Wait for me! Let me hold the back of your shirt.” Aleest made his way to where Cero had stopped and grabbed the back of his shirt. Cero made sure to describe every obstacle that they reached until he heard something in the tunnel ahead of them. Some sort of tapping sound that was growing louder. They were near a side tunnel so they slipped inside and out of the main tunnel. A minute later Cero saw a ragged individual walk past, feeling his way with a stick. After the man had gone and the tapping had disappeared in the runnel that they had just come from, Cero turned to Aleest with a question.