The three men walked together at a leisurely pace down the well-compacted dirt trail. Old trees grew tall, their branches crisscrossing overhead. A cool sea breeze played through the leaves of the forest, and birds chirped throughout. The path was wide enough for a cart to drive past without pushing them to the forest, and the pleasant weather made the trip between Starstone and Baybreach quite enjoyable. Only about half a day’s walk separated the two towns, giving the men plenty of time to banter about their plans in the port city.

Each man carried with him a small pack, and while Oskar was armed with his bow, Tobias and Manuel carried worn walking staves. Oskar took aim at a ratkel as they passed, but missed and the small rodent scurried off into the forest.

“Looks like you could use some practice, Oskar,” said Manuel cheekily. “Even I could’a hit that fat ratkel, and I haven’t shot a bow in years.”

“Yeah, okay Manie,” responded Oskar, mocking the younger man. “At least I don’t get spooked every time I leave the village alone.”

“Hey! I’m telling you that dragon is real!” Manuel said, his anxiety rising quickly. He glanced around the forest nervously. “To be honest, I’m not sure we’re safe out on the road as it is.”

“You need to tell him yourself, son,” Tobias cut in, looking meaningfully at Oskar.

“Tell me what?” questioned Manuel.

“I was going to wait until we were in town…” began Oskar. “Manuel, I met a stranger the other day. Said he came from the cliffs out west. He found a dragon scale, and had come to town to sell it.”

Manuel stopped, rooted to the spot. “I told you! I told you there is a dragon out here!” Manuel shouted, panicked.

“Calm down, son,” said Tobias as he pulled the scale from his pouch and showed Manuel. “First, did it look like this?” He held up the scale to the light, and Manuel examined it.

“To be honest, I don’t really know. It swooped down fast, and the storm was picking up, I only saw it for a second,” Manuel replied. “I remember it was bright red though, that could be from the same dragon.”

“Hmm…” Tobias contemplated as he began to walk again. “I find it unlikely that more than one dragon is in this area, and if you think the one you saw may have dropped this, it’s good news.”

“It is?” asked Manuel.

“Yes,” interjected Oskar. “The man I met, Enzo, told me he hid in a cave during the storm and found the scale there. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never heard of a dragon letting a human stay in its cave to avoid the weather. It’s probably moved on now, and your cow was an unfortunate stop on its way out.”

“He told me the same story,” said Tobias. “And I checked the scale, it's legitimate. We’ve already spoken with the Elders about it, and they’ve sent me along with you boys to speak with the governor about sending a search party to the village.”

The news visibly calmed Manuel. Thank the gods, I know I couldn’t deal with this alone forever. Hopefully, that thing is gone for good.

The remainder of the trip was smooth, and just before sunset, the men made their way through the main gate of Baybreach. A tall, gray stone wall surrounded the city on three sides, before falling away into the ocean. The gate itself stood as a wide archway, large enough to allow two horse-drawn carts to pass through side by side. A large portcullis hung from the interior, and thick, iron-plated wooden doors swung out to either side of the gate. The road to Starstone passed through the northwestern side of the city, and split into the northern residential and western commercial districts.

The common people of Baybreach lived in cramped buildings, often with multiple families sharing living quarters. The walls of the buildings started as the same gray stone as the outer walls, but over time, had accumulated murals and paintings. Some walls depicted the families that had owned the homes for generations, while others showed scenes of battles against the fabled sea monsters of the deep. The murals were a source of pride for the common folk, and the houses with the best murals were judged annually by the governor. Winners of the competition often had taxes forgiven for the year or won other prizes sponsored by various companies that traded in the city.

The commercial district reached all the way through to the docks that spread across the southern coast of the city. Men and oxen pulled heavy carts to warehouses that lined the streets against the wall, while merchants set up stalls opposite the storage center to sell their goods.

Positions in the city changed annually, as merchants volunteered to pay higher taxes or sponsored various events within the city to gain more favorable storage or sales positions. Each year, total contributions were calculated by the Governor’s Treasury and results were posted every winter for the following business year. The biggest event of the year was winter clearance sales, where every merchant slashed the prices on their remaining goods to make the transition to their new locations cheaper and easier. The practice, combined with the annual warm waters of the port, kept the city lively year round.

As the men entered the city, Tobias split from the group.

“You boys, have some fun,” he called to them. “I’ll be staying at the Golden Tench Tavern, if you need me. I’ll see you in a couple days for the return trip.”

“Sounds like a plan! Good luck with the governor!” Manuel called back as he and Oskar joined the crowds headed through the residential district.

===========================================

Tobias pushed through the wall of people packed into the Golden Tench Tavern. It was sunset, and the workmen from the port had flooded into every available tavern for beer and food after a long day. The year was nearly over, just a couple weeks before the end of year lists were to be posted, and every merchant who knew anything had brought on extra help to make their final push up the list.

The Golden Tench brought back fond memories. Tobias glanced around the room, remembering evenings spent playing cards by the fire and the hours he spent crafting the large golden fish mounted above the bar. He made his way to the innkeeper behind the front desk to reserve his room for the next couple nights.

Initially, the man tried to tell him the inn was full, but Tobias mentioned his name and flashed the insignia on his hand that matched the one hidden tastefully in the scales of the fish. The innkeeper recognized the symbol immediately, and led Tobias directly upstairs to one of the nicer rooms that overlooked the main street. He dropped his pack off, and locked the door, before setting off for the Governor’s Office. It was sure to be closed at this hour, but the aides routinely worked through the night to keep things flowing in the city, and Tobias wasn’t just a random merchant.

He worked his way to the inner walls of the city, passing all manner of shop stalls and dock workers on his way. The Governor’s Office and Treasury sat within an interior, walled-off section of the city. Only the wealthy few, or those stationed here by the King, were allowed to own property within the inner section of the city. The gates were kept open during the day, and the town’s people had the right to approach the Governor’s Office with legal complaints or to enter the Treasury and deposit or withdraw money. The main guard barracks were also stationed within the inner walls.

Tobias strode into the Governor’s Office, and approached the main desk. The building was more opulent than the last time he’d been here, with a long red carpet stretching from the front entrance to the main desk. Offices with polished benches and chairs lined the hall, and a staircase rose behind the front desk to a tiered second floor that overlooked the main hall. The entire building could be transformed into a reception hall for the King at a moment’s notice.

“I’d like to set an appointment with the governor tomorrow, if possible,” Tobias said as he neared a man working behind the counter. The poor lad couldn’t be older than 16 and clearly had been working from dawn with an infinite number of tiny details and small caveats all day. Stress lines already marked his young face and bags dragged under his eyes.

“That’ll be tough, Mr….?” the boy responded, looking Tobias up and down.

“I’m Tobias, the governor will know me,” he responded, flashing the crest again. “Just let him know that I’m in town at the Golden Tench. I’m sure he’ll reach out tomorrow.” The boy took note of the request and the strange insignia, and waved Tobias on his way. The old man smiled and shook his head as he turned to leave. Poor boy has no idea, just trying to do his best. He left the building and headed back to the inn, wondering what nonsense the young men he brought with him had gotten into.