Book 2

Chapter 29: The Great Escape

A warm, wet cloth slipped down Sylph’s forehead and bunched up on her snout. Her body felt as heavy and coarse as a cobbled street and her head pounded like the entire invincible company with its hundred tons of dragons, riders, and armor had marched over it. She opened her eyes and groaned. Being sore meant she had not burnt out and would be in a shape, not the fighting shape she preferred to be in, but in a shape none the less.

Brandon sat opposite her, leaning against the pillar. “Do you feel better?”

She nodded and stretched the soreness out of her body. A feat that sounded simpler than it was. She paid close attention to every muscle, searching for any unusual pain after the fall, but found none. Her wing still stung whenever she turned it, but she could endure that.

“I knew you had something to do with the large plume of smoke.” Brandon followed her example and stretched as far as he could.

“Am I that predictable?” Her mind drifted back to the office, and a shiver slithered along her tail as she recalled the images. They had finally cornered her in a private moment and taken hold. “Captain Tanno was a crazy man. He went on about his very own ideas of slavery and even offered me a job.”

“He did what?” Brandon scratched his growing beard.

“Joining his revolution, or whatever he wants to accomplish.” Sylph picked away at the base of the wooden pillar in front of her as words continued to spill. “Something is happening here. We didn’t want to get involved, but we did.”

“Is that why he showed up at the inn? Because he thought you were already part of that something?”

“Why else would he do that?” She debated continuing as the incident flashed before her eyes. But Brandon should know. She could not keep this secret, not from him. “Tanno pulled out a knife, wanted to make me touchable.” Brandon’s gaze flicked towards her. She raised her right arm and let water form a puddle in her open pfod. “He did not know about this.” The puddle vanished as she closed her digits around it.

“What did you do?” His voice grew hasty and anxious as he leaned in closer.

“I-” She struggled to say the words. “He did not get back up.” He had threatened her, caught her, played with her weapons while she was at his mercy. Despite that, she was not sure if he deserved death. She could have done something differently.

“Oh,” Brandon blurted out in surprise, or shock or terror, and continued in a hushed voice. “He attacked you. You defended yourself.”

“You make it sound simple. It does not feel that easy.” She drew a deep breath. “It differs from reacting and lashing out at Tim. I knew what I did, realized that Tanno would die. Veria would probably scold me for being this sodden about it a second time.” Maybe she had a point. She should not feel sorry about Tanno. He was her enemy. He had tried to main or kill her and paid the price with his life instead.

“I doubt that your mother would blame you. I wasn’t there, but you would never kill someone without a very good reason and as a last resort.” Brandon propped himself up and nodded. Again, she was surprised by his reactions to the death of somebody.

“We need to go home,” she admitted. “We can’t keep up our disguises now.” Finding her parents had become impossible. But her mothers still knew the truth. It was no longer a secret where she came from, only who.

Brandon slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a last vial. Sylph guessed it was the same he used against Tanno. “I think our best bet is slipping through the crowd and running once we reach the gates. This will stop them for a short time if utilized correctly.”

Sylph shook her head. “Any guard will notice me. We should sneak out at night.”

Brandon shook his head. “I peeked outside when you slept. The area is filled with patrols thanks to your stunt yesterday. And waiting in here is also no choice. Who knows when the owner comes looking.”

The more she considered her options, the less seemed practical. There was no secret tunnel or perfect disguise. “Blending into the crowd again will probably work best, for about five minutes. Then we run?” She twitched her ears. “I’m gonna need earplugs for that stupid bell, though.”

Brandon pulled out two pieces of torn cloth wrapped around a thick gray moss. It was not a proper earplug, but it looked dense enough to dampen the bell. “I am amazed you thought about that.”

Brandon headed towards the hatch. “It’s nearly afternoon. I had a lot of time to think about getting out of this mess. I even have a path in mind. Business is bustling. We should go, now.”

Sylph cocked her head and judged the time. “I slept for over a day?” She vaguely remembered getting up once it had been dark then, a day was a long time.

Brandon nodded and pushed the shoddy hatch open. “I would’ve been quite worried if you hadn’t done that already on the ship after Linz.” Bright light streamed into the dusty cellar and she averted her gaze. After her eyes adjusted, she followed outside and peeked around the fence. The alley was empty and her ears picked up no sounds of concern.

“Good morning, or should I say afternoon?” Dust beckoned from the roof behind them. Sylph froze. If he had been a guard with a crossbow, their escape would have been cut very short. He grinned downwards with an expression somewhere between worry and amusement. “Always pays off to look up, even in Prina.” His part in all of this was still not clear to her. Tanno found him helpful and that should bother her.

“What do you want?” Brandon said, already back to raise his shoulders and grabbing the leash.

“Precious little from you right now.” He jumped into the backyard, filling out the cramped space completely, and smacked random barrels and crates out of his tail’s way. Dust ignored the expected pretend pleasantries with Brandon. His tone and mannerisms from earlier had all but vanished. “I believe that I never asked for your name.” He lowered his head far enough to be on eye-level with her.

Her body tensed up as he closed in, but she saw herself in no danger. No dragon lowered their head if they wished to attack. “It’s Sylph.”

“Well, Sylph, answer the next questions quick and truthfully.” Dust coiled his tail around his feet, the tip twitching as he tasted every syllable of her name.

“And if I don’t? You wanted to answer mine, but left me to the guards at the pits.”

“If you don’t? You are dead.” Sylph jumped into a fighting stance, but Dust remained as calm as his words. He instead dismissed her attitude with a nod. “Not by my claws or teeth. You told me you hatched north, taken there by some slavers. Is that true?”

Sylph relaxed her posture just a little, but her heart skipped a beat. Was he maybe still on her side? “Yes,” she answered, not even blinking.

“You tracked your parents all the way here. How?”

Her sore dragonheart ignited again. This may be her last chance. “I got the info that my egg was bought here in Prina. Sold to that village way up north because they are, well, stupid. We came to look for records and possibly the slaver that sold me.”

“Interesting,” his voice cracked ever so slightly in a strangely expecting way. As if he only confirmed what he knew. “One last question. Is it true that you killed Captain Tanno Greyfort?”

She hesitated to answer. “Yes,” she mumbled.

Dust rose up. “That makes things- complicated. Come, mistress Nahana would like to make your acquaintance.”

Sylph perked up and took a step backwards. “Nahana? Who’s that?” This reeked of being involved in whatever it was Tanno had been doing. Or against whatever Tanno had been doing. Nothing she wished to get dragged into even deeper.

“Now is not the moment for questions. We have to move.” Dust took a first step forward, but Sylph barred his way into the alley. Not that the several heads higher and hundreds of pounds heavier Sol would have a problem with walking through her if he chose to. It was the gesture that counted. “I think this is a great time to finally get my questions answered.”

Dust bowed back down, his hot breath blowing over her face. “Do you want to live?” The words were as harsh and dry as the desert itself. “You are the talk of the town, my dear, and that is not something you want.”

“Wasn’t really our fault that Tanno got involved. We did not come here for trouble.”

“But it found you. Nahana’s name will protect you. Walk with me and you will reach Senbo. Walk alone and find yourself gutted on a pike come midday.” Dust frowned, bent forward over the fence and peered down the narrow alley.

“We can still run if things go bad, right?” Brandon whispered, quiet enough so Dust would not hear him.

“He seems sure that we can’t escape the city. And he has got wings.” Sylph dodged Dust’s swinging tail as he stepped over the fence past her and squeezed his way along the building. He turned to look over his shoulder and spoke to Brandon. “Mistress Nahana is not fond of humans. You should stay here.”

“It’s both or none.” Sylph locked gazes with Dust for a few seconds. Neither one broke away. “Fine, we’ll deal with that later. She may just allow it, considering the circumstances. But lose the rope.”

Sylph pulled her head out of the sling and threw it to the side. Losing it in the middle of Prina felt strangely freeing, defiant. “I hope it is true and we aren’t walking into another trap or he’s out to sell my scales or something,” Sylph whispered to Brandon after they reached the main street. A part of her remained unconvinced by Dust’s intentions, but for now, he seemed like the only valid option.

“I’m wondering how he found us. No one walked past while you were asleep. And I did not hear him land either.”

“He’s a Sol and neither of us had a bath in days,” Sylph snorted. “And he seems quite adapt at moving quietly to evade even my ears. He is massive, but silent if he chooses to be.”

Dust laughed in a deep grumble. “Being around Aer does have that effect, you get used to your ears. And if you really want to hide from a Sol; Don’t leave your scent all over the wall in the backyard. Although, I doubt many Sol here knew your scent in the first place.” Sylph felt her face heat up. There were some things about hiding she really did not consider. Then again, they had been hiding from humans, not Sol.

People stared at their small group as they passed. Even if she was wandering into a trap, she did so with sheepish and stubborn pride, behind the massive, muscular and scarred Sol, of course. Maybe it would inspire some dragon strolling by.

The defiant high lasted until the first group of guards spotted them. “Stop!” Clad in armor matching Tanno, the group approached and barred their way. They pointed their spears at her and Dust. The distance was still several tail lengths when both groups stopped. Running was still an option. Sylph’s dragonheart ignited and sent her chest into a light, throbbing pain. Maybe running would be the least favorable choice for her sore body.

Dust slightly lowered his head to face one guard that stepped out of the line. “Dust,” the guard snarled. “If you know what’s good for you, you better step away.”

“If it isn’t little Francis, all grown up,” Dust mused, “ranked up too, got your own band to order around now.”

Sylph eyed the guard in question, trying to discern what made him a higher rank. His face looked maybe a few years older than Brandon’s, with a grubby beard. Her gaze went further down his red and black gambeson and stuck to the waistband decorated with silver embroidery. The guards behind him wore copper. A girdle, of all things, seemed to be what showed their rank.

“Spare me your ramblings,” Francis said, and pointed at Sylph. “She’s not some pickpocket you took pity on. She’s a murderer.”

Dust sat down on the sand and coiled his tail around his legs. He was not thinking of fighting or running. “Nahana wants to talk to her.” The guard hesitated for a second and lowered his spear, but quickly raised it once again towards his face, scowling, but Dust showed no reaction. “That name won’t help you protect her in this case!”

Sylph’s head drooped down and muscles tensed. This was on the way to go wrong and yet, Dust still sat calmly at the point of the spear. His tail slapped the ground and brought up a small cloud of sand. “I can smell Tanno’s cheap wine on her from here. He was drunk and made a fatal mistake. Our weapons are not to be played with.”

Dust lied for her. He did not know what happened. She had not told him the details and nothing about her ability. The guard did not answer, only blinked. “You say that-”

“We both knew that he’d slip up like that, didn’t we? That one day his arrogance and disrespect would get him killed?” His face twisted to what Sylph would call a forced smile. “In the end, we are all people following orders. We don’t decide things, do we?”

The guard expelled a sharp breath through his teeth. “This true?” The question was aimed at Sylph.

“My channels are off center, something I was born with,” she lied, and slightly flexed her crippled wings. “He touched both.”

The guard spat out. “This city,” he mumbled. “This will have repercussions.”

“The mayor and mistress will have a fiery exchange of letters, I am sure,” Dust said. With those words, the guards lowered their spears, turned around, and left. Sylph could not believe what she saw as her gaze followed them down the road. The event raised one burning question about the Tira in the room. “Who by the six is Nahana?”

“A question for later,” Dust said.