Chapter 15
Da Verilyn led Nel out the rear entrance of the rchant inn, through the yard and into the back streets of Far Sound. Upon reaching the wooden palisade protecting the town, she was scooped up into her liege’s arms. Nel wrapped her arms around Da Verilyn’s neck just before they hopped over the wall. She wasn’t set down again until they made their way out of the clearing around the settlent and into the forest nearby.
“I’m pretty sure I can’t keep up with you,” Nel said.
“That’s alright,” Da Verilyn replied, “we’ll be flying.”
“Oh, erm…”
Nel reached into the satchel slung over her shoulder, pulling out her flight cap. She fastened it on and adjusted her goggles. Despite what had happened, a thrill of anticipation ran through her: she had only ever seen Da Verilyn as a Frost Dragon from a distance. The number of people who had seen a Dragon from up close was probably a handful at best and she doubted that anyone in the Empire had ever ridden one.
When she looked up from her preparations, she found that Da Verilyn had laid so sort of blanket on the forest floor.
“What’s that – oh, did you need help putting that on?”
“Putting what on?” Da Verilyn asked.
“The blanket? It’s for your back, right?”
“No,” her liege frowned at her, “it’s for you.”
Nel returned the frown.
“?”
“Yes, you,” Da Verilyn nodded and made circular motions with a finger. “Lie down and I’ll roll you up in it. The journey will be more comfortable that way. Oh, did you need to relieve yourself before you go? Out here, though – it’s safer.”
“Why is it safer to go to the bathroom outside?”
“In both Elenel and Far Sound, I found a man inside our inn’s latrine with a spear. I thought it bizarre, but maybe it’s just sothing that commonly happens in this part of the Empire.”
Wha…?
Soone was definitely trying to kill Da Verilyn, though Nel couldn’t imagine why. She also couldn’t imagine anyone succeeding.
“I-I’ll be fine,” Nel said. “Also, I have a magic item that bestows an Endure Elents effect, so you don’t have to worry about needing a blanket.”
“…are you sure?”
Da Verilyn didn’t seem convinced, but she put away the blanket. Nel gaped as the beautiful Human Bard returned to her draconic form. Then she gasped as the Frost Dragon snatched her in a foreclaw and flew off.
The treetops swiftly receded below as Nel dangled limply like a fish from an eagle’s talons. It took several monts for her to figure out what was going on.
“W-w-w-wait, why am I going like this?!”
“How else would you go?”
“Uh…on your back?”
Da Verilyn scoffed.
“Don’t be silly. This is obviously the correct way.”
“But…but what about Lady Zahradnik?”
“Lady Zahradnik is Lady Zahradnik.”
“Hah? Woah!”
Nel’s stomach lurched as she was tossed from one claw to the other. She squird as Da Verilyn adjusted her grip.
“Hmm, you’re a lot squishier than Zu Chiru. How hard can I squeeze you?”
“Please don’t squeeze . Various things are already threatening to co out.”
She was used to flying, but not flying like this. And certainly not this fast. Her ears kept popping as they ascended a thousand tres at what felt like six tis the rate of a Hippogriff.
With only a slice of the moon peeking out between the clouds, the lands below were an insubstantial void. Nel turned her gaze to the snowy peaks silhouetted against the night sky, trying to figure out how far they had already flown.
“How long until we’re there?” She asked.
“I don’t know,” Da Verilyn answered.
“Y-you don’t know?”
“I’ll know when I see it,” Da Verilyn said. “Unless…how well-drawn do you think that map was?”
“It was basically a sketch with so landmarks. You should be able to see them from up here, right?”
An uncomfortable silence passed between them.
“About that…Frost Dragons don’t learn or think the sa way as Humans do.”
“But you seem perfectly intelligent to ,” Nel said.
“What!” Da Verilyn’s claws twitched. “W-why does it have to go in that direction? Just because people are different doesn’t an they have to be stupid.”
“Sorry…”
“Anyway,” the Frost Dragon continued. “We have a perfect mory for our experiences and we learn the fastest through them. Maybe it gets better as our accrued experiences build up, but it’s very difficult for Frost Dragons to learn by reading and other abstract ans because how we associate things is through our direct experiences.”
Huh…
“So that’s what you ant back then…but how do you understand unfamiliar things that people say without ‘experiencing’ them?”
“I don’t. Until I do.”
“So as your experiences grow, you understand more about…what you rember?”
“That’s right.”
“How does that relate to the question about the map?”
“The Sorcerous Kingdom’s maps are very accurate. I can look at a map and look down from the sky and match things like that. If it’s just a map made out of abstract images, it won’t an much to .”
Nel pulled out the map. It was clearly a rough sketch that used symbols to indicate the landmarks around the eting place.
“But this is a map made out of abstract images. There are icons and everything.”
“Obviously not to !”
“Does that an you’ve been looking for trees like the ones on this thing? And a stream that looks like a squiggle?”
“That was a stream? I was just looking for a squiggle.”
“Where does one find a squiggle like this?”
“I-I don’t know! I haven’t been everywhere yet. Maybe there’s a place sowhere in the world that has a squiggle on the ground just like that!”
A goddess. Lady Zahradnik must be so sort of goddess if she was able to teach Ilyshn’ish about Human customs, laws and territorial managent.
“So what were you imagining when you were talking to about potato farms and such?”
“Sothing like the villages in Lady Zahradnik’s desne? With potatoes.”
“And what do potato plants look like?”
“Uh…sothing like grapes, maybe? Or oats. I’ve never seen potato plants before.”
Nel scowled down at the map. They were definitely going to get lost. She was going to be dangled all the way to the Beastman Confederation at this rate.
“Oh, I think I see them. One, two, three…eight sacks? Does that sound right?”
What was the point of this map?
“They didn’t take the wagon drivers,” Nel said, “and I doubt we’d find people carrying eight sacks out in the middle of nowhere. How many are there?”
“Two dozen,” Da Verilyn replied. “They’re moving pretty fast for Humans.”
“What do they look like?”
“They’re dressed in black from head to toe.”
Fendros’ described the kidnappers along those lines, so there was little chance that they had found the wrong people.
“How far are we from Far Sound?”
“Hmm…about thirty kilotres. They’ve been following this river up into the mountains…if they keep going like this, they’ll reach the treeline in two hours.”
The treeline in the northeast of the Empire was a bit over two thousand tres. To get from sea level to the treeline in about four hours while carrying people…they must all be very strong. Could Da Verilyn fight that many strong people at once?
“What are we going to do?” Nel asked.
“Where does the map say we’re supposed to et?”
“Further up this river, between the two big ranges southeast of Far Sound. There should be a set of falls. They’ve probably set up so sort of trap for you.”
“?”
“Yes, you! That’s what the note said, right? If you want to see your husband ever again, go to the place marked on the map.”
“Oh. Well, that’s awkward.”
They continued flying southeast up the mountain valley. Rather than getting closer to the ground, she rose above the surrounding peaks. The Frost Dragon banked into a huge circle that went from one range to the other. Nel was beginning to regret not opting for the blanket: Da Verilyn probably felt that she was handling her gently, but it still grew uncomfortable.
“Why are we flying around like this, Da Verilyn?”
“I’ve never been here before, so I’m familiarising myself with the place.”
“…and you’ll just rember it forever?”
“I’ll rember the experience of familiarising myself with this place indefinitely.”
Nel shook her head as she continued to dangle an absurd distance over the ground. Would she be able to do her job as a seneschal properly if this was what Da Verilyn was like? If she ntioned sothing dependent on sothing else like ‘taxes’, would it bring a specific number of gold coins to mind? A single page on a financial report might take weeks to explain.
Please continue to serve Da Verilyn well – she is exceptional in many ways, but she will be depending on you for others.
A strange warmth rose within her as Lady Zahradnik’s words echoed in her mory. Nel wasn’t aware that she had been entrusted with so much. Soone else might have been tempted to deceive and confuse Da Verilyn in the sa position, but she most certainly would not.
Compared to imperial society, where one wouldn’t be surprised at any dirty dealings undertaken for the sake of gaining advantages, her new ho would be vastly different. An impossible place that Nel thought could only exist in fantastic stories like Dreams of Red.
“Uh oh.”
Nel scrubbed her cheek.
“What’s wrong?”
“Soone’s coming.”
“I…I can’t see anything this high up.”
“Not down there,” Da Verilyn said. “Up here. Another Dragon is coming this way. I guess a dangling Human going in circles six thousand tres in the air is quite conspicuous.”
Was that what she looked like? Da Verilyn did ntion sothing like that in Engelfurt…
“Is the Dragon with them? Maybe that’s why they thought they could take you on.”
“That’s highly doubtful,” Da Verilyn snorted. “A Bronze Dragon would have nothing to do with kidnappers. They’re all about order, justice, righteousness and that sort of thing. Sothing like Paladins? No charity, though – that would be absurd.”
“So we’re not about to be attacked? Wait – have you t a Bronze Dragon before?”
“No.”
“But if Frost Dragons learn through their experiences, then how would you know anything about Dragons that you’ve never t before?”
“I just know,” Da Verilyn said. “We’ve gone over this before, yes? Unlike Humans, Dragons are born understanding various things. As for your other question, that would depend. While they readily involve themselves in conflicts that they believe to be just, they tend to avoid killing or even injuring others unless they believe that it is similarly justified. Ah, speaking of which: try to stay neutral in any sort of conversation he brings up.”
“Why? You make it sound as if Bronze Dragons are good Dragons.”
“I’ll explain later: he’s getting close enough to overhear us. Oh – if he’s more aggressive than expected, I’m going to have to throw you away. Make sure you cast a Fly spell if that happens.”
Nel adjusted her goggles, trying to spot the approaching Bronze Dragon. His voice bood out into the night long before she could see him.
“Stranger, declare yourself!”
“Could you keep it down, please?” Da Verilyn hissed back.
“WHAT?”
“Shh!”
Da Verilyn slowed to a lazy glide and the Bronze Dragon ca alongside her. tallic scales glinted over a draconic form nearly twice as long as the Frost Dragon’s. Despite the sheer difference in size between them, Da Verilyn seed unconcerned. A pair of glowing amber eyes regarded them from a beaked head with ribbed and fluted crests that swept back like the wings of a Paladin’s helt.
“Good morning. I’m Da Verilyn.”
“Da?” The other Dragon’s voice was incredulous, “As in a Knight?”
“That is the title I currently hold,” Da Verilyn replied. “Is there a problem with a Dragon being a Knight?”
“Erm, no, but a White Dragon being a Knight is a bit out there…”
“Is that so? There are plenty of stories about White Knights.”
“That’s not how it works.”
So this is what a conversation between legendary beings is like…
It wasn’t legendary at all. Even being dangled in the air all night was more legendary than this. Nel would have so words with the next Bard she heard telling a tale where legendary figures enacted epic exchanges.
“I don’t believe I got your na, Sir…”
“Erenos’iphilii,” the Bronze Dragon replied. “Uh, no ‘Sir’.”
He seed to have beco ek. Was it because Da Verilyn had a title and he didn’t? She did make it seem like Bronze Dragons were like knights in shining armour or scales or whatever.
“Well t, Erenos’iphilii,” Da Verilyn said. “I won’t be here for long. I’m just here to deal with so kidnappers and then I’ll be gone.”
“Kidnappers?” The Bronze Dragon’s gaze went down to Nel, “I hope you realise how strange that sounds when you have a Human in your clutches.”
“Hm? Ah. This is one of my minions. Say hello, Miss Gran.”
Nel was suddenly thrust out in front of the Bronze Dragon’s beaked snout. He went cross-eyed before falling back a few tres.
“H-hello,” Nel said.
“Is what she says true? Are you one of Da Verilyn’s minions?”
Nel did her best not to squirm before the maw of huge teeth.
“I’m her vassal,” she nodded. “The seneschal of her territory, to be precise. My aides and so rchants we’re travelling with were kidnapped so Da Verilyn ca to rescue them.”
“I still have no idea why they would do that,” Da Verilyn muttered as she tucked Nel away again.
Erenos’iphilii tilted his head to look below. A low growl issued from his throat.
“Nothing would surprise when it cos to their despicable acts,” he said. “Those are agents from Ijaniya.”
“I take it that you’re familiar with them.”
“They’re an unscrupulous Assassin organisation that have based themselves between the northeastern border of the Empire and the City-State Alliance to the east. The complex that you see below the glaciers over there is their headquarters. They’re commonly hired in this region for espionage, abductions, murder and all sorts of other foulness.”
“I’m surprised that a Bronze would suffer their presence at all.”
The other Dragon snarled viciously at the landscape below. Arcs of yellow-green electricity coursed over his maw.
“Oh, rest assured, I’ll get them. They are aware of my domain over Veneria to the east, so I’m sure they’ve made preparations to fend off any premature attempts at their destruction. But another century and their doom at my hand is assured.”
“In that case, do you mind if I remove them?”
“You? That they’ve abducted your minions is reason enough, but Ijaniya is not an organisation that an Adult White can destroy. You heard just now, yes? An Adult Bronze like myself needs another century to overco them. Though…if we combine our might, these villains will surely–”
“Thanks,” Da Verilyn said, “but no thanks.”
Nel squeaked as the Frost Dragon tucked her wings and dove from the night sky.
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