The Dragon Knight and the Steam World

by D. C. Clemens

  Her teeth chattering from her jitteriness as much as from the cold, the woman asked those of us approaching the dragon, “W-w-what, what are y-you doing?”

  “I told you we came from above,” replied Eric. “And he’s how we’re escaping.”

  It was a tight squeeze with some of us holding on to the children, but employing the spare rope to secure us to the saddle and each other, I left the mountain with the expectation that no one was going to fall off.

  I expended essentially all of my corruption to get us back to the ship. The turncoat and her baby were sent to the brig. The children went to the doctor. Absent any danger, I only retained the energy and motivation to get to the sleeping quarters, something the krewen abetted me with.

  Chapter Seventeen

  On venturing into my next conscious state, I saw that Svren and Alex remained in the unconscious one. However, assuming he wasn’t sleepwalking, an awake Ishree rummaged through a metal cabinet mounted to the wall.

  “How long have I been asleep?”

  “Not long. About five hours.” He closed the cabinet after pulling out a thick pair of spectacles made of dark leather, brass, and almost black glass. Strapping them to the top of his head, but not over his eyes, he said, “You should take off your armor and go back to sleep.”

  Stretching, I said, “I’m fine for now.” I slipped out of the hammock. “Anyway, anything to appraise me of?”

  “Hmm, well, the human fledglings are being kept in the rec room. They haven’t exactly been forthcoming, but I heard the woman has given us several details about the turncoat nest. You should get a better update from the major himself. He was speaking with the doc last I saw him, but I’m sure he’s somewhere else by now. Er, I have to go help make some repairs. Come, I’ll escort you to the mess hall. Someone there ought to know where he is.”

  Being it was still deep into the numbing night, the ship was mostly devoid of bustling life. It only became mildly active again when we strolled close to the kitchen, where a couple of cooks prepared breakfast. Eating out of cans and socializing in the mess hall were a handful of sailors and Vanguard, one of these being Felicia. Letting Ishree go off to do his work, I went up to her. She bore an irked mien.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked the Vanguard woman.

  She twirled her spoon in the can to gather the yellow pudding thing inside. “Haven’t heard? I’m a mother now.” The pudding disappeared behind her lips.

  “They have you watching the children?”

  “I got tits, don’t I? That obviously means I’m good with brats, no matter how scared they are or how much they’re crying.”

  “Can’t blame the children for being upset.”

  “No, but I can complain all I want about them.”

  “Indeed. Do you happen to know where Major Holson is?”

  “Should be in his room.”

  “Sleeping?”

  “Maybe. Go check yourself.”

  “Shouldn’t I be escorted everywhere I go?”

  “Oh, right.”

  “I promise to cry less than the children.”

  My jesting vow managed to invoke a trifling smirk from her. She stood up with her food can. After scooping and eating what was left of the food inside, she put the can down and said, “Fine, let’s go.”

  “There’s no rush,” I said, beginning our walk. “Unless you want to get back to those kids right away.”

  “Ugh.”

  “Can I assume your sister is taking care of them now?”

  “In a sense.”

  “Is she as enthusiastic as you are about children?”

  “She’s better around kids than I am, but these are a lost cause. They’ve been raised to believe we’re the enemy, and taking them away from their parents isn’t exactly proving them wrong. I’ll be shocked if they don’t grow up with some serious issues. It’s not like any respectable family are gonna take in turncoat kids.”

  “I don’t want to agree with that, but I fear you may be right. Nevertheless, there’s little else we could do different.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  “Uh, who else would I be talking to?”

  “It’s an expression. It just means I agree.”

  “I see… Anyway, if you wish, I can accompany you the next time you’re charged with watching the youngsters. They should be somewhat diverted by a corrupted dragon knight from another world.”

  “I’m not sure they can be diverted right now, but I won’t stop you from trying. And yeah, your ghoul power could legitimize you to them more than anyone here. Well, except maybe your brother, but I get the sense he shouldn’t be trusted to make the wisest decisions.”

  “You’re telling me. Did I use that right?”

  “Yes, very good. I’d reward you with a piece of candy if I had one.”

  “Is that what tutors do here?”

  “Never had a fancy tutor, but my favorite schoolteacher did sometimes hand out sweets when we answered a difficult question correctly.”

  “They know you’re out here fighting monsters?”

  “Don’t know how it works in Orda, dragon boy, but unless you’re related to them, most kids here don’t keep in touch with their teachers once they get out of the schoolhouse. Besides, whether I kept in touch or not, it’s nobody’s business whether I’m out here fighting monsters or not.”

  “I wasn’t accusing you of anything.”

  “Maybe not, but it sounded forced.”

  “Hmm, I suppose I did have an ulterior motive.”

  “So, come out with it.”

  “I was wondering why you’re out here fighting. It doesn’t seem like you have to.”

  “Why? Because I can just marry into money?”

  “Something like that. Unless I’ve been hearing wrong, a fetching woman with magical ability has such an option available to her.”

  “You sound like my damn mother.” She stopped walking and imparted a hard stare that would give a hallion pause. “Look, I never liked the idea of being some prim wife for some husband who will probably only see my pussy as a way to give him magic weaving children. Children he’ll barely see. And what’s the use of weaving magic if I can’t use it for something other than a party trick? What’s the point of going out skeet shooting if you’re never gonna shoot anything worth shooting? It’s all so damn pointless! Imagine yourself in that life and tell me whether you’d choose a little luxury over killing murderous bastards who deserve it!”

  The unalloyed passion pouring out from pent-up frustration disregarded my armor and charged a heart that had yet to find anything in this world to care much about. It was as though she were now the first real person I met in this realm. I wanted to treat her sentiment seriously, but it had disarmed me. The only thing making it out of my mind and into my mouth was the question, “What’s skeet shooting?”

  Her head jerked back a little. Her face, while staying warm from her emotional flash, softened. Restarting her walk, she calmly answered, “It’s a game where you shoot at flying clay discs or balls.”

  “A game, huh? Is it a good way to learn to shoot?”

  “Not at first, no. It’s better to start slower. If you ever get the chance, anyway.”

  “How much can someone teach me without having the actual weapon in my hand?”

  “Just wait ‘til someone lets you handle a gun. It’ll be simpler that way.”

  “So you think it’ll happen?”

  “I mean, probably. You got powerful magic and a fuckin’ dragon. Someone out there is gonna give you a gun at some point. Maybe it’ll be someone on board or maybe it’ll be someone else. Who knows? Let’s just go see what the major has to say for now.”

  Turning the next corner brought us to the hall with the major’s cabin. The metal door to it was already open. To the right of the entrance was Xavier standing in front of Eric, who sat behind his wooden desk. The room also held a metal and glass bookshelf, a couch with a pile of clothes on it, a chair on small wheels, and a
bed fixed to the floor and wall.

  When they made eye contact, Felicia acknowledged the Vanguard superior with a quick salute.

  “Sergeant,” responded Eric. “Anything from the children?”

  “No, sir. I’m babysitting this big one for a bit.”

  “How can I help you, Eberwolf?”

  “I wanted to know where we stand with this turncoat business.”

  “We’re not quite done with it. I’d like to go back and apply greater pressure. I doubt taking a few kids and one of their newer recruits is going to force them out from one of their premium dens.”

  “They’ll be extra vigilant now. Another infiltration won’t go as smoothly.”

  “Which is why I don’t plan on attempting a secret one. Maya has described the location of another entrance. I think it’s at least worth wrecking with your dragon’s fire. It should demonstrate our capacity to harass them all we want without needing to break through their heightened defenses.”

  “She only knows about one other entrance?”

  “She’s heard of another, but as she has never used it herself, she is unaware of its exact location. Regardless, even if we were to burn all their entrances closed, they would still have earth weavers and dynamite to dig themselves out. We can’t permanently shut them in no matter how much we try. We’ll head out in the middle of the night again. Is this acceptable to you and your dragon?”

  “It is, though this doesn’t sound like a long-term solution.”

  “Unless I’m ordered to rout the enemy at all costs, I’ll keep this mission closer to a reconnaissance one than not. I already took one too many risks in the last mission.”

  “Nonsense, sir,” said Xavier. “No one could have predicted the hallions.”

  “No, I sensed something off the second we spotted the first two groups of ghouls. They acted too organized, yet I dismissed it as coincidence… sending us deeper into their territory.”

  “And all of us charged in thinking it was a basic kill sweep,” said Felicia. “That’s what we get for not taking things seriously. We’d all have been scattered to the winds if you didn’t get us in a good defensive position right away.”

  “And you trusted me to get you off the island,” I said. “Now there’s a chance I can get some people off this damned world. Focus on helping me get to that point and we’ll all be happier.”

  “I know I’ll be!” said Xavier, resting his arm over my shoulders. “Have you eaten anything, dragon knight? No? Good, then let’s leave the major to get his beauty sleep and get your stomach full. We all need to get our energy reserves up.”

  Xavier, Felicia, and I went to the mess hall. The cooks were not done preparing the main meal, so Xavier and I made do with eating a raw yeokra stalk about a foot long and a tad thicker than my thumb. Its teal, crisp skin-shell protected a pulpy, juicy core. Evidently, this plant was the principal reason humans could live on this harsh continent at all. While other edible vegetation could be grown and harvested in small quantities, only the yeokra flourished. Most of the stalk grew underground, and as long as it received enough water, the soil did not need to be particularly fertile or warm for it to stay healthy.

  As soon as I bit into the vegetable, my tongue recognized that this plant’s juices was the reason many foods carried a sour flavor. Krewen also grew and consumed the stalk, but their side of the continent supported a couple of other crops to sustain their population. Unfortunately for humans, those plants caused more harm than good. Perhaps a half fiend could eat them without a bad reaction, but I did not want to test the theory unless I needed to.

  At any rate, hot bowls filled with pieces of meat and other vegetation eventually made their way to the table. The ready breakfast also brought much of the first round of eaters, which included Alex. I let him eat in his corner in peace until it looked like he was nearly done. I went to sit in front of him.

  “You did well in the cave,” I said. “But you could have done better. We can’t ignore it anymore. We need to train together. I need to know firsthand what you’re capable of, and you need someone who can make you stronger… Actually, we both need someone to make us stronger.” He finally took his eyes off his bowl to look at me. “No one here will have the prana to last long against us, and we can’t stay at the same skill level the whole time we’re here. I really don’t see why I have to convince you to agree. Don’t you want your chance to hit me? That’s basically the only impression I get when we talk or look at each other.”

  “Hmph… You’re right, I would like to hit you, but I was taught training is…”

  “Yes? What were you taught about training?”

  “Nothing… Fine, I’ll train with you. Just don’t pretend being a dragon knight makes you my master or some shit. In fact, don’t talk during training or about training. I can learn fine on my own.”

  “Then it’s settled. We’ll meet on the bow at daybreak. Shouldn’t be too long from now. We still have to recover prana for tonight’s mission, so we won’t use spells in our inaugural session. This acceptable for you?”

  “Yeah, as long as you don’t wear your armor. I want you to feel it wherever I hit you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  I got up and went over to Svren. I asked if he minded looking after my armor for a while. He agreed, so he and I headed back to the krewen sleeping quarters to change out of it. As it turned out, lacking the insulating defensive layer made me feel the nigh perpetual chill to an uncomfortable degree, so I requested for clothing thicker and warmer than my shirt. Svren went out and came back with a few examples for me to try out. I chose a dark gray, long-sleeved shirt of a hardy woolen material. When Svren wondered why I did not bother removing the cloth wrapped around my left arm, I gave him my standard “old injury” answer.

  Half an hour after making the change, I thought it time to head to the top deck. On reaching it, I saw the ginger horizon accompanying the starlight and the smaller moon, the larger one already having descended out of sight. Since I did not whisper in the mess hall, those who sat next to us overheard about my plan to train with Alex. That meant the crew and soldiers who saw me going up to the bow followed after. The crowd increased its sum when Alex stepped out to join me. I stood at the widest point of the deck and gestured for the bystanders to take several steps back.

  “We’re only a troupe of sick oddities to these people,” said Alex.

  “Then let’s give them a show. Unless you’re suddenly feeling shy?”

  “Don’t try provoking me. I won’t fall for it. Hurry up and let’s get this training going so you can shut the fuck up.”

  I bowed. On unbending, I propelled prana to my legs and feet. A rushed leap brought me in front of a surprised Alex, who must have figured I would wait for him to make the first move. His response was to step back, but he could not escape my range. I reached out and grabbed his shoulder, then pulled down with heartless strength. Even his bracing arms couldn’t prevent his face from smacking the metal floor in a pained grunt.

  As he rose his face to reveal an angered, grimaced aspect, Alex let loose a blast of corruption no one on board could have missed sensing. Between a scramble and a jump, he returned to his feet. His lunging punch was dodged. The next one was parried. The sheer speed and strength behind his fist bruised my palm, but I fought through worse. My left hand grabbed his left forearm. A half spin brought me and his own arm behind him. A kick to his right ankle put his shoulder to the floor.

  Using the smooth, slick surface to his advantage, Alex opted to spin his whole body to begin a sweeping leg kick. I stood to close to avoid it, but I saw it coming with enough time to limit its effectiveness. When the leg tripped me forward, I was able to plant an arm on the ground and leverage my momentum to get back on my feet in one motion. Alex was up at the same time as well.

  His flurry of strikes were dodged, absorbed, or blocked. He was damn fast with his corruption powering his twitching muscles, but he remained predictable. I doubt he ever committed him
self with proper hand-to-hand training. Nevertheless, despite considering myself an above average fighter, any letup by me would have him land a skull-cracking blow. I suppose that meant his brute strength and speed would be more than adequate against the majority of opponents. Of course, I was not the majority of opponents.

  The next time Alex opened his stance too wide, I grabbed his punching wrist and pulled it down so that he ended up punching the unforgiving metal. A kick to his chest then put him on his back several feet away from me. All the corruption in the world could not keep the air in his lungs, forcing my brother to suck in the air back in a couple of gasping coughs. All the corruption in the world did help him rapidly recover from that intrusive stint.

  It’s at this point when his corruption began presenting its advantage. My untainted prana reserve had still not fully recovered, and even if it was filled, such an ordinary prana could never keep its stability longer than a wholly corrupted fiend’s naturally dense spirit. I recognized I was slowing when I failed to deflect a punch despite foreseeing its course. It struck my lower ribs and sent me staggering backward.

  Having no other choice, the next Alex kick was stopped dead by my corrupted hand. Clutching his leg, I spun my body once and let go of the limb. Alex slid all the way to the short wall and railing, his back and head banging against it. He stood up slightly dazed, which was a death sentence now that I held nothing back. He was exclusively on the defensive now, and the only reason I simply did not send him to the ground again and again was so he could squander his energy further and gain greater experience.

  Once I sensed his speed and power take a hit, I pushed down his attacking arm and rammed an uppercut beneath his ribs. As his hunched form gulped in the sky’s invisible element, I thrust an elbow down between his shoulder blades. He squirmed as he hit the ground… then he squirmed some more.