ã€ŠSong of the Dragoonsã€‹


 1. The Thief and the Shepherd

    My feet slipped on the rain-slicked cobblestones of the alley as I ran at full tilt. The sound of boots hitting the ground wasn¡¯t far behind me. I needed a hiding place, and I needed it now. My eyes darted back and forth over barrels and crates tucked beneath short awnings and beside doors, but all of the containers were either nailed shut already or missing their lid. Those wouldn¡¯t conceal me, not at all. There weren¡¯t a lot of options, so I ducked into a doorway and tried the handle. Locked.

    Grimacing, I pulled a small metal hook from the pouch at my belt. It wasn¡¯t the same as my old picking tools, and I was out of practise, but I was also out of time. I slipped the hook into the lock, trying my best to concentrate over the steady crescendo of approaching pursuers. The lock clicked, clicked, and clicked again, but the hook didn¡¯t find solid purchase.

    ¡°Come on, you vicious idiot,¡± I hissed under my breath, but the lock stubbornly refused to listen to my threats.

    The footsteps picked up pace, and I looked out of the corner of my eye to see their owner, a young girl not much older than me, already at the end of the alley, rain-drenched red hair pressed against her face. I stumbled backwards, dropping the makeshift pick, and made a break for it.

    ¡°Hey!¡± she shouted behind me. My pulse roared in my ears as I ran, until a solid force slammed into my back, hurling me to the ground. My head hit the stones, not enough to concuss me, at least as far as I knew, but I felt a trickle of blood and a sharp sting on my forehead as the other girl pushed me onto my back, pinning my shoulders against the ground.

    She sneered as she looked down at me, breathing hard after the chase. ¡°Hey,¡± she said again, a little bit more calm but still with a thin coating of venom on her words. ¡°That¡¯s my Ma¡¯s necklace you took. Give it back.¡±

    I tried to reach up to feel the gash on my head, but she shifted her grip to my elbows, fully immobilising me. The rain carried grit from the shale roofs of the buildings around with it as it soaked into the cut. The steady patter was a nail driving itself into my skull.

    ¡°Did you call the Watch?¡± I murmured.

    ¡°Give it back,¡± the girl said, more purposefully.

    ¡°Did you call the Watch?¡± I repeated, a drop of panic breaking into my voice.

    ¡°Grace! Grace!¡± a third, deeper voice called from the alley¡¯s entrance. I was able to shift my head enough to see a larger man with red, messy hair of his own, a thick beard, and a covered basket in one hand, running towards us.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Pa,¡± the girl, Grace, by the sounds of it, called back. She eased her grip to sit back and address her father. ¡°I got her.¡±

    ¡°Gideon¡¯s blood, don¡¯t go running off like that again,¡± the man said. He gently pulled Grace back away from me and to his side. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here in the town by yourself, alright? You know that if something comes up, I can handle it.¡±

    ¡°But Pa,¡± the girl protested, ¡°she stole Ma¡¯s necklace! What, did you want me to just stand there and watch?¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± I said before the heat in the air could go any higher. I reached into that same pouch and pulled out the necklace, holding it towards them like a tribute. It was a gaudy thing, covered all in pale pink pearls that were almost certainly fake. Still, it was saying goodbye to a few days¡¯ worth of comfort as I sat up and handed it over, more if I could have found someone gullible enough to buy that it was real.

    ¡°Thank you, child,¡± the man said as he took the necklace.

    ¡°Pfft,¡± Grace snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t thank her for stealing.¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled.

    The man halfway stood, suddenly stopping midway through the motion. ¡°Say. Kid. How old are you, anyway?¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at him. Where was he going with that question? ¡°Twelve years,¡± I answered honestly.

    ¡°Twelve, hmm,¡± the man hummed. He knelt down. His green eyes were darkened in the shade of the evening, far from the nearest lamppost, but they had a softness to them that I wasn¡¯t expecting from someone I¡¯d taken from. ¡°Where are your parents?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I lied. ¡°Never met them.¡±

    A sadness, one that seemed like a familiar emotion to his face, crept into the man¡¯s expression. ¡°I see,¡± he said quietly and somberly. ¡°Do you have a place to rest tonight?¡±

    My eyes briefly flicked to the necklace still in the man¡¯s hand. Not anymore, I answered in my head, but I didn¡¯t tell him that. ¡°At an inn, maybe,¡± I said evasively.

    ¡°Maybe?¡± the man repeated.

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    He searched my face for a few more seconds before rising, and holding his hand out towards me. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t normally like to gamble on ¡®maybes¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s quite a ways from here, but there¡¯s a spare bed in our house. Why don¡¯t you come there with us, at least for tonight? Don¡¯t want to hear about any children freezing in the rain tomorrow.¡±

    Grace recoiled. ¡°Pa, what?¡± she said incredulously. ¡°That¡¯s¡­stupid!¡±

    ¡°Grace,¡± her father said gently. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do to leave someone out for the weather if we can do something about it. You don¡¯t have to talk to her, but you don¡¯t have to complain either. Understand?¡±

    Grace sighed and crossed her arms. ¡°Fine,¡± she muttered.

    I took the man¡¯s hand and stood. Distrust was still heavy on my mind, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t sleep well that night, if at all. But a little sleep loss was still preferable to risking the weather.

    ¡°Good,¡± said the man. He gestured for me to follow, and I did, just behind Grace as she stuck her tongue out at me. We headed towards the other end of the alley.

    ¡°Do you have a name, sir?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Brian,¡± said the man. ¡°Brian Lawcrest. Do you?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Most people call me Belfry.¡±

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Two Years Later

    It was midsummer, and a bright and sunny day. There on the northern slopes of the Fountainhead Mountains, we didn¡¯t get too many days of sunshine and warmth, and I was determined to make the most of the ones that we did get. The grasses of the field were soft enough to call to mind the woollen mattresses back at the house, and the bleating of sheep was familiar enough to me by then to be almost as a lullaby. The breeze was brisk, but not so cold that it couldn¡¯t be pierced by the warming rays of sunlight that set down on my face as I laid in the grass.

    The feeling of those rays was broken by a harsh tapping on my temple. ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Grace¡¯s voice asked from somewhere above me.

    I sat up and opened my eyes slowly to avoid being blinded. The familiar fells of the highlands that abutted the Fountainheads sprawled out around, eventually cascading down into the river valleys that cut their way through the hills to the flat Wildmoor and Lakelands to the north. The town of Vandermaine was nestled into a nook between two peaks just below us, for once bereft of the smoke that almost always drifted out of the chimneys and over the shale roofs and brown stone walls of the town. We weren¡¯t close enough for me to clearly make out the bell tower that rose like a guardian angel over the southern district, but I did hear the bell inside chime two¡­four¡­six times. Sprinkled around the town were hamlets and cottages that interspersed the grazing fields of sheep and goats, strewn seemingly randomly as though the imperial provincial planners had determined the location of each by tossing a handful of dice onto a map. Wherever space permitted, the sheltered entrances of mine shafts stuck out of the rocky mountainsides, with well-trodden rutted tracks tracing the flow of lead and coal back towards Vandermaine.

    I closed one eye against the harsh light and scratched the back of my head to shake off any pieces of grass that might have stuck themselves to my light brown hair. Grace poked the side of my head with her staff again.

    ¡°Anyone home in there?¡± she asked.

    I made a crude gesture towards her and stood. Like me, Grace was dressed in simple working clothes, with a white shirt and brown trousers. Locks of her reddish hair fell in front of her eyes, a trait she¡¯d carefully cultivated in order to look ¡°more mysterious¡±. My own hair was tied back in a ponytail. I could hardly imagine dealing with it if it were as messy as hers.

    ¡°I was just relaxing,¡± I said. The quietude up here meant that I didn¡¯t need to speak up to be heard, unlike in town. ¡°Not hurting anyone. Juni¡¯s on guard duty if something were to happen.¡± I glanced over at Juniper, our Fountainhead Mountain Dog, who was currently actually asleep in the middle of the sheep flock, looking like just a big white lump on the mountainside.

    Grace sighed. ¡°Yeah, and she¡¯s about as good at it as you,¡± she said.

    I rolled my shoulders as I stood and shot her an annoyed look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it out on my dog,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Just because she was born the day after you got here doesn¡¯t make her your dog,¡± scoffed Grace.

    ¡°Close enough,¡± I said, a smirk creeping across my face. ¡°You know I¡¯m her favourite.¡±

    Grace rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever. Pa¡¯s coming, so you should probably look like you¡¯re actually working.¡±

    I leaned forward on my staff as Grace took a seat on a nearby exposed rock, and we both stared down the slope at where Mr. Lawcrest was coming up the hill. His hair had faded paler as he¡¯d drifted into his late thirties, but he otherwise looked just like he had when I¡¯d met him two years ago, warm smile and all.

    ¡°Evening, kids,¡± he called as he trudged towards us.

    ¡°Evening, Mr. Lawcrest.¡± I gave him a wave. ¡°Is there something we¡¯re needed for?¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest stopped and surveyed the flock around us. ¡°Well, I reckon that it¡¯s about time we bring them down a little closer to the house,¡± he said. ¡°But today, I can handle that. I¡¯ve actually got something special for the two of you.¡±

    Grace and I exchanged curious glances before approaching. Mr. Lawcrest gave us a smile and held out his hand. I could hear the clinking of coins before he opened his fist to reveal six silver pennies, the distinctive stamped likeness of the Tower of Fire they said stood in the imperial capital glinting in the sun like a hypnotic will-o-the-wisp.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I breathed, completely speechless.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a bit of money, Pa,¡± said Grace, similarly shocked.

    ¡°It¡¯s from the last few weeks¡¯ savings,¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. ¡°You get three each. I¡¯ll take care of the sheep; I want both of you to go into town, and buy yourselves something. Whatever you want. Crown Day¡¯s tomorrow, and just because we¡¯ll need to work on the emperor¡¯s birthday, that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want you to enjoy yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked, tentatively reaching towards the money, but not taking it yet.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain,¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. ¡°Go ahead. You¡¯ll probably want to get moving soon, else you¡¯ll be home past sundown.¡±

    Grace snatched up the coins and leaned in for a big hug with her father. ¡°Oh, thank you, Pa!¡± she practically shouted. As soon as she stopped crushing Mr. Lawcrest, she grabbed my hand and yanked me forward towards Vandermaine, fast enough that I almost hit the dirt trying to keep up with her. ¡°Come on, Belfry!¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest chuckled. ¡°You be back before dark now, you hear?¡±

    ¡°I hear you, Mr. Lawcrest!¡± I called. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure we are!¡±

    The hill sloped down steadily until it met another plane of flatter land, this one level with Vandermaine and carrying a wide dirt road that led to the town at one end and to a series of switchbacks down the mountains and towards the moors at the other. This time of year, this far north, we still had several hours of sunlight left at least, but the sky was already beginning to tint orange and deep blue as the sun kissed the peaks at the western horizon.

    The gates of Vandermaine stayed open during daylight hours, so we were able to rush right through, under the vigilant eyes of watchmen standing on the walls, rifles and swords on full display. Even now, two years past the last crime I committed, the sight of those guns still made me shiver.

    The streets were buzzing, strange even on the day before a holiday way out here. People marched with purpose down the roads, looking harried and nervous. The air was heavy with anxiousness, but either Grace didn¡¯t feel it or she didn¡¯t care, because she kept running just as fast. We were headed for the Rockhurst Square on the south side of town, based on the streets Grace guided us down.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    ¡°Whoa, whoa, slow down.¡± I finally managed to get free of Grace¡¯s grip and stumble to a halt. Grace took a second to register that I wasn¡¯t with her anymore before she did stop, coming back to my side with her brows furrowed in confusion.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked.

    I pulled on my sleeves. It wasn¡¯t cold, but I suddenly wished I had a coat or cloak or something. ¡°Just¡­don¡¯t go rushing around, alright? Something¡¯s off.¡±

    Grace tilted her head. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    I glanced at the harrowed face of a stranger passing by. ¡°Call it intuition,¡± I said noncommittally. ¡°At least don¡¯t go haring off and running into someone. I¡¯d rather not deal with that.¡±

    Grace kicked a stray stone on the ground. ¡°Fine. Boring¡­.¡± She beckoned me forward, and I reluctantly followed, this time not being pulled along.

    Grace gave me a sympathetic look. ¡°Hey. So, what do you want to get?¡± she asked.

    I shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know, yet. I was hoping that we might be able to look around a bit before dusk.¡±

    ¡°I suppose that makes sense,¡± said Grace.

    ¡°You were going to the confectionery, weren¡¯t you?¡± I asked, pointing a finger in mock accusation.

    Grace scratched her head with a slightly embarrassed smile. ¡°Maybe,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll spend all of it on something sweet. But a bit of caramel now and then is good for the soul. And morale and all that. You know?¡±

    ¡°I suppose,¡± I agreed half-heartedly. It wasn¡¯t that I disliked caramels; they were delicious. But I never did understand how Grace could be content in buying something so fleeting. ¡°I think I might take a look at¡ª¡±

    ¡°Whoa, watch out!¡± Grace pulled me sideways into a building as a plume of fire shot into the air from the square just ahead. It was aimed too high to have hit me, but the wash of blazing hot air that swelled through the street sent my heartbeat into a sprint. I put my hand against my chest, feeling every pulse and breath.

    Both of us leaned around the wall. There was a crowd in the square just ahead, all standing around the small fountain that marked the cultural centre of Vandermaine. Five people surrounded them, wearing metal cuirasses, vambraces, and greaves, and thick sheepskin-lined coats underneath. Their helmets were blocky, with metal plates over softer cloth and flaps covering their ears. The fronts of their cuirasses were flared outward, with the blue-orange-white horizontal bars that formed the imperial flag painted onto that flared strip of metal. Each held a long, straight sword in one hand and a pistol in the other.

    Standing above them, forelegs leaning on that fountain, were dragons. One had red scales, the other green, both dark shades that lightened on the broad plates that covered their undersides. They were easily seven, maybe eight feet at the shoulders and two or more times as long. Their wings were spread wide, and their tails lashed threateningly. Metal plates were affixed to the tops of their heads and their chests, with leather straps keeping them in place and long cords strung from their helmets like reins. Large padded saddles were situated between their wings.

    The green one¡¯s throat glowed orange from in between the scales, and flames licked from its mouth. The crowd of civilians seemed at least a little bit cowed by the display of force, but insults, shouts, and rocks were still hurled at the soldiers.

    ¡°There will be order!¡± one of the soldiers shouted back. ¡°Disperse immediately! This city is now under the protection of the Imperial Order of Cuirassiers!¡±

    I pulled my head back, my heart in my throat, while Grace kept watching, I suppose out of morbid curiosity. As quietly as I could, I tested the handle of the door on the building we hid behind. It was unlocked. I didn¡¯t check to see if it was a public or private building before throwing the door open and urgently tugging at Grace¡¯s shoulder to follow me inside. Thankfully, she listened.

    I slammed the door perhaps too harshly behind us. It turned out the place we¡¯d wandered into was a pub. A good handful of people sat in lounge chairs around the dim fire burning in the hearth, or at tables near the long bar. It was dead silent, enough that everyone turned to look at us as we entered. The only other sounds were the quiet clink of glasses hitting tables and the distant but all-too-audible sound of the brawl outside.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Grace, just loudly enough to be heard. ¡°Just looking for¡­shelter.¡±

    A chorus of ¡°mhm¡¯s¡± went up around the room. Grace led the way over to a couple of nice chairs with a flowerpot in between, conveniently on the opposite end of the building from the fight. I focussed my attention on the flowers beside us. They were pretty, with long chains of deep violet blossoms that drooped towards the floor like raindrops clinging to a rope.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on out there?¡± asked Grace.

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡ª¡± I started to answer, before I realised that Grace wasn¡¯t looking at me. She was facing an older man, his salt-and-pepper hair combed sharply backwards, and a gold-rimmed brown eyepatch over his right eye. A small pair of spectacles sat far down on his nose as he squinted at a newspaper, and the pipe poking out from under his bushy moustache belched almost as much smoke as the fireplace.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± the man huffed. ¡°I suspect it has something to do with this.¡± He held the newspaper towards us. The headline at the top read, in bold text, ¡°EMPEROR DETHRONED BY VESKITE REBELS¡±.

    My jaw dropped. I glanced between the stranger, Grace, and the paper. I felt like I¡¯d been punched in the gut. Anyone who¡¯d caught any piece of the news in the last year knew about the Veskites that had been waging war in the south. But last I¡¯d heard, they hadn¡¯t been anywhere near the capital.

    I could at least clear up one point. ¡°I¨CI¡¯m sorry, who is this?¡± I hissed to Grace.

    The man gave Grace a look of bemusement. ¡°I should be offended that you haven¡¯t told your friend about me,¡± he said.

    ¡°I have,¡± Grace retorted. ¡°She just doesn¡¯t remember anything I talk to her about in the evenings.¡± She pointed her hand at the man. ¡°Belfry, I¡¯ve told you about Gordon. He¡¯s the blacksmith I go to for our nails?¡±

    I blinked. It took a moment to sift through two years¡¯ worth of reports from after Grace¡¯s visits to town. ¡°Oh! Okay. Yes. I know that name.¡±

    ¡°As well you should!¡± Gordon said with a laugh. ¡°Gordon Darter is no small business around here!¡±

    I pursed my lips. ¡°Um. Okay. So, is¡­that true?¡± I gestured vaguely at the paper.

    ¡°Almost certainly,¡± said Gordon. ¡°No paper¡¯d print anything that bad for the imperialists unless there wasn¡¯t a good way to spin it.¡±

    I tapped my foot against the floor, anxiety building. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be worried?¡±

    Grace shrugged. She didn¡¯t look happy, but she didn¡¯t look terribly upset either. ¡°Since when have the emperor¡¯s people ever come to Vandermaine? I don¡¯t think it makes much of a difference, one way or another, whose ass is on the throne.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at her, pointing frantically at the other side of the pub. ¡°There¡¯s a fight in the street with cuirassiers going on right this second,¡± I said. ¡°What are you talking about, ¡®when have they ever come to Vandermaine¡¯? There are dragons in our town!¡±

    Murmurs went through the other customers. Either they didn¡¯t know about the dragon, or just the fervor of our hushed conversation was driving them to chatter of their own.

    ¡°Feh,¡± spat Gordon. ¡°They¡¯ll be out of town in a few days. There ain¡¯t nothing here for the Order to be interested in. They don¡¯t do anything small-time. If the emperor really wanted to hold Vandermaine, he¡¯d bring the Imperial Guard up here instead. The cuirassiers are just passing through.¡±

    I pinched my nose. ¡°Okay. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Sure as can be,¡± said Gordon. ¡°By my guess, the most we can expect to come of this out here is that we¡¯ll start getting mining orders from and sending our tax coins to the Lord-Protector in Kirkwall. Closest big city with enough of an ego to try and make it on its own.¡± He seemed to catch a glance of my nervous fidgeting, and gave a small, reassuring smile. ¡°Trust me. Big stuff like this doesn¡¯t come to small towns like ours.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, trying to take his words in rationally. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Gordon nodded. He took one last glance at the paper before folding it and setting it down on the table next to him. ¡°So. Either of you two want an ale while we¡¯re all waiting for the commotion to calm down?¡±

    ¡°Still a year off sixteen, Gordon,¡± said Grace. ¡°No drinks till then. And she¡¯s a year younger than me.¡±

    I waved to emphasise the point.

    ¡°Well, if the emperor¡¯s gone, who¡¯s to say it¡¯s illegal anymore?¡± Gordon asked with a facetious grin.

    ¡°Still nope,¡± said Grace, matching him with a smirk of her own. ¡°Not just the emperor¡¯s orders. It¡¯s also the burgomaster¡¯s, and the Lord-Protector¡¯s. And mine.¡±

    ¡°Feh,¡± Gordon spat again.

    Before the mood could recover too much, a tremendous bang sounded from outside. A gunshot, without doubt. I nearly bolted out of my seat. Gordon¡¯s face immediately hardened. He extinguished the pipe and stood, pointing a stern finger at us. ¡°You kids stay here,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to go make sure things don¡¯t get worse out there.¡±

    I stared at the ground, rubbing my hands together. Grace put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Eh,¡± I grunted noncommittally. ¡°Just¡­ugh, feels like every time I actually think I¡¯m going to be able to, you know, settle, something has to go and spoil it. And then its back to jumping at shadows.¡±

    Grace nodded. ¡°I get it. It¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll just take it one day at a time, you hear?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, latching onto those words. ¡°One day at a time. One day at a time¡­.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before the noises calmed down, but Grace and I didn¡¯t chance leaving just then. We waited for what felt like hours for Gordon to get back and say that it was safe. I skimmed a couple of books under the tables, but my brain couldn¡¯t sit still long enough to start reading anything for real. Grace idly tapped out tune fragments against the wooden table with her fingers, every so often making five-sentence conversation with me before it all died back down to silence. When she thought I wasn¡¯t looking, I caught glances of the worried expression that laid behind the fa?ade, which only grew more intense as Gordon took longer and longer to return.

    He did return, though, after what the wall clock told us was only thirty minutes or so. He bore a heavy, irritated grimace on his face, but was otherwise completely unharmed.

    ¡°¡®On official orders¡¯, my ass,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°Alright, you two. They¡¯re gone. Go ahead.¡±

    Several others were already rising and taking their leave. Grace sprang up immediately. ¡°Great,¡± she said, her jovial spark returning to life. ¡°Everything go okay?¡±

    ¡°Close enough,¡± Gordon said as he slowly lowered himself back into his seat. ¡°No one died. Talked to their sergeant. He said they were on official orders from the capital. ¡®You¡¯re lying through your teeth¡¯, I thought. Least he said they¡¯d be gone in three days or less, so I was right about that.¡±

    My mind had questions about what we¡¯d do if that sergeant was lying, but I put them down for now. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said instead.

    Gordon nodded, picking his paper back up. ¡°Mhm.¡±

    Grace clasped my hand in hers again, ushering me towards the door. ¡°Come on,¡± she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We went out into the square. The air outside felt dead. A handful of people passed through the square with us, hurrying and keeping their heads down past the watchful eyes of three of those cuirassiers that had stuck around after the fight, still holding their rifles, though at least their swords were sheathed. The red-scaled dragon laid on the ground beside one of them, staring at me as we walked. I met its sharp yellow eyes once. The beast didn¡¯t speak, dragons couldn¡¯t, but there was still a knowing glimmer in its eye that was unnerving, to say the least.

    Our stop at the confectionery was brief and terse. Neither of us felt much like making conversation with the dour man who kept the business. Grace spent a whole penny on a bag of assorted sweets. I could see the regret in her face after she handed the coin over, but the weight of the events in the square was strong enough to coerce her into it anyway. I bought nothing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come back into town tomorrow,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not in the right mood to find something I like right now.¡±

    The road home felt a thousand miles long.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

    That night, I hiked up the mountainside. The commotion of the day had already worn all of the energy out of my body, but someone needed to call Juni back towards the barn for the night. As good of a guard dog as she was, she still had her bad habits, including trying to stay out each night at her favourite spot a mile from home, whether or not the sheep were with her. Calling her back was normally my job. She didn¡¯t like to listen to the other two.

    I slowly picked my way up the familiar route, watching for rocks that might have shuffled during the grazing of the flock that day or fallen from the rocky cliffs overlooking our pastures. The twin moons were both full that night, the bright white eye of Carin bathing the land in cold but bright light, and the greenish-yellow gaze of Styn peeking out from behind it like a blighted cyst. I shivered and tried not to glance skyward. A full green moon was a bad omen, I knew it in my bones.

    Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard the agitated bark of Juni up ahead. It didn¡¯t sound like the excited noises she made when she spotted the others or me, it sounded angry. I finally looked up from my path to try and spot her amongst the pale stones. She was standing over a small hole in the ground barking and pawing at it frantically.

    It was a little bit of a relief to know that there weren¡¯t approaching wolves, or perhaps some other worser monster that prowled the Fountainhead Mountains, but we¡¯d had scares of rabid marmots up here before, so it wasn¡¯t completely safe. I picked up the pace.

    Juniper ran to my side the second she noticed me, whirling around to growl and whimper at the hole she¡¯d been pawing at. ¡°What is it, girl?¡± I asked in a hushed whisper. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I knelt down to inspect her for any signs of bites, but she seemed perfectly fine. No blood or saliva clung to her fur anywhere, just dirt and dust. Still, she kept whimpering and staring at that hole.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± I asked. ¡°Is it dead?¡±

    Juni barked again. I sighed and stood. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to give you another look in the morning, once we¡¯ve got good light,¡± I murmured. ¡°Stay, girl. I¡¯ll go see what it is.¡±

    Juni dutifully sat down, but she didn¡¯t seem happy about it, continually glancing between me and whatever had disturbed her, her ears raised in alertness and whimpers constantly escaping from her.

    ¡°Stay,¡± I said again, giving a downward motion, before turning my back to her and approaching the hole, slowly just in case it was something still alive.

    It was small, but deep. Smooth and steep dirt sides told me it probably wasn¡¯t Juniper that dug it. A couple of bloodstains coloured the ground all around, and depressions in the soil underneath the thin grass carpet had the vague outline of bootprints.

    ¡°What in the hells¡­¡± I muttered to myself. People from Vandermaine came walking through our land all the time, so the footprints were normal, but the bloodstains were thrown in wide arcs, like someone was cut with a sword or bayonet rather than being bitten by a dog or wolf or suffering some other bleeding wound. My mind flashed back to the cuirassiers in the square, but they surely couldn¡¯t have come up here in the brief hour since they left the square, right? At least not without us noticing?

    The shadows that filled the deep pit almost made me think it was empty. I took my walking stick and poked into it to test, just in case. I felt it hit something hard like stone, but it made a clinking sound much more like tapping against glass. A few more prods satisfied me that there wasn¡¯t anything alive down there at least, so I laid down to reach my arm into the hole. It was at least three full feet deep, and seemed to have been carved partly into the shallow bedrock. At the bottom, there was what felt like a cold stone, perfectly spherical, and about the size of a curled finger. I grabbed it and held it high towards the moonlight to get a closer look.

    It was a gemstone, that much was obvious. Smoothly round to a degree unworkable by nature alone, and shining with a pale purple cast as the white light of Carin glinted off its surface. It had a scintillating sheen, like that of a pearl. It was beautiful, but unlike any gemstone I¡¯d ever seen before. In any other circumstance, I would have considered it a particularly artful forgery, but who buried a fake gem three feet underground? More importantly, who had come here to dig it up, and what had drawn their blood?

    I got to my knees. I looked down at the hole, then at the blood that surrounded it. Someone was clearly after this thing. It could be someone¡¯s cherished treasure. Or, maybe some kind of magical artefact? No, that didn¡¯t seem likely. But there was no doubt a gemstone this rare would be valuable if I could prove it was real, maybe even valuable enough to be measured in those golden castle coins I¡¯d seen rich merchants handle. And if I didn¡¯t get caught up in whatever trouble had befallen it before I arrived. My heart wavered between the thoughts of taking it and of leaving it where it was.

    I hovered my hand over the pit, uncertain. I felt something nudge me in the back, and I jumped, startled, only to see that Juniper had come to me and sat down, her big brown eyes seeming to be full of worry.

    ¡°Juni, you need to stay when I say ¡®stay¡¯,¡± I limply chastised her. I glanced at the stone again. ¡°But you¡¯re right,¡± I murmured, and slipped the gem into my pocket. ¡°No one will know I took it. Once we sell it, it might as well just have been any old thief.¡± A thread of anxiety wound its way through my head, but I brushed it aside.

    I hastily kicked some dirt back into the hole to at least partly conceal it. ¡°Come on, girl,¡± I said, ushering Juni back downhill, towards our little home on the mountainside. ¡°Let¡¯s get back, so we can both get some sleep tonight.¡±

 2. A Most Precious Stone

    The winds blew cold and stiff over the mountains the next morning. They were strong enough that I could feel the chill¡¯s bite in my bones by the time I had risen and walked outside to see Mr. Lawcrest chopping firewood and Grace out amongst the fields of sheep that were taking shelter behind the barn. Sombre clouds hung low over the northern sky, heavy with rain. A storm was certainly on its way.

    I reached into my pocket, idly fidgeting with that gemstone I had taken last night. It felt heavier than it should in my hands. I glanced towards the town below, wracking my brain to try and remember where I could meet someone to pawn this thing off before it drew anything negative towards us. It had been years since I¡¯d last tried to sell something stolen, and the memories of clandestine back alley swaps and under-the-table deals at jewellers¡¯ had begun to melt into the quiet life I¡¯d been living since then.

    ¡°Something on your mind, Belfry?¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. I jumped at the sudden noise and shoved the stone as deep as I could into my pocket, doing a poor job of concealing the guilty manoeuvre and the look across my face. Mr. Lawcrest squinted at me. ¡°Have you got something, there?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no sir¡ª¡± I coughed. ¡°I mean, well, yes. It¡¯s not anything special.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I see.¡± Mr. Lawcrest nodded, apparently completely satisfied, not betraying even a hint of distrust as he swung the axe down again, splitting another log. ¡°Grace told me you were planning on going back into town today to spend that money?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°If that¡¯s okay, sir.¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest stopped, propping the axe up on the stone block he¡¯d been bracing the wood against and leaning on it as he caught his breath. ¡°I reckon it should be,¡± he said. ¡°You picked a good day to delay for. Bad weather¡¯s rolling in, so we¡¯ll be keeping the flock close, where I can see ¡®em.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± I nodded, sliding backwards a few steps. ¡°So¡­I should probably go ahead¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hold on a second,¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. He turned to the side, cupping his hands in front of his mouth. ¡°Hey Grace!¡± he shouted. ¡°You feel up to taking Belfry into town again?¡±

    ¡°Sure do, Pa!¡± Grace cheerily called back, coaxing Juniper to sit down with a stick before traipsing towards us.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you need to do that, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I can go on my own, if you need her here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, like I said, it¡¯s a good day for you two to be away,¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. ¡°And you¡¯ve got to remember that you¡¯re only fourteen, kid. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt, alright?¡± He put a comforting hand on my shoulder. ¡°And you don¡¯t need to call me ¡®sir¡¯. We¡¯ve been over that. Remember?¡±

    I nodded, clearing my throat. ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled. ¡°Force of habit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re good,¡± said Mr. Lawcrest. He set the axe down by the block and started gathering all the firewood into a pile just as Grace hopped over the fence. ¡°You two don¡¯t be out too, too long, alright?¡± he said. ¡°And make sure you get something to eat! Don¡¯t want you coming home for dinner like ravening wolves.¡±

    ¡°We will, Pa!¡± said Grace. As soon as we were down the hill and out of sight of Mr. Lawcrest, she gave me a light shove and flashed a bright smile. ¡°Race you!¡± she said before bolting forward, her energy barely inhibited by the cold day.

    ¡°Hey¨Cwait!¡± I tried to call out, but she was far ahead of me by then. I didn¡¯t have much of a choice but to run after her. I wasn¡¯t nearly as much of a sprinter as she was, and pretty soon the frosty air filling my lungs spread out through my body, draining what energy I did have. I had to stop halfway to the town gates, doubled over by the road and breathing hard.

    Grace¡¯s boots slowly clomped against the ground as she backed up towards me. ¡°This better not be some plan to trick me into losing,¡± she warned. ¡°I¡¯ve never known you to be someone to quit, Belfry.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet,¡± I said between breaths. ¡°Today¡¯s not a good day. I¡¯m not feeling good.¡±

    I could practically feel Grace¡¯s expression softened at that. ¡°Still antsy about the cuirassiers yesterday?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, honestly. ¡°That and¡­other things.¡±

    My hand went back to my pocket. That gem felt colder and heavier every time I touched it. Grace¡¯s eyes obviously followed the motion, and she tilted her head expectantly. My heart pounded, but I brought the stone up, holding it low enough that our bodies blocked view of it from any passersby that might happen to come down the deserted road right then.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± said Grace, her eyes widening. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°Well, I know it¡¯s a gemstone. I don¡¯t know what kind, though. It¡¯s weird, it doesn¡¯t look like anything I¡¯ve ever seen before. And I found it¡­.¡± I weighed whether or not to tell her everything. ¡°¡­I found it in a hole. In the ground.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± asked Grace.

    ¡°In a hole,¡± I repeated. ¡°It was buried.¡±

    ¡°Right, but where was the hole?¡± Grace pressed. She added in a whisper, ¡°Belfry, did you steal this?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I said a little too fast. ¡°No, no. I don¡¯t think so. It was in the field, where the sheep graze. I found it last night when I was getting Juni. I swear I didn¡¯t steal it. If someone left it there, then they weren¡¯t looking out for it well enough.¡±

    ¡°Belfry, calm down,¡± said Grace. ¡°I believe you. If you didn¡¯t steal it, then it¡¯s all good. Great, even.¡± She held a hand out and I handed over the gem. She held it up to the sky, squinting at the glint of cloud-stained sunlight that shone from the edge of the stone. ¡°What do you think it¡¯s worth?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that either,¡± I said, trying to guide her hands down so she wasn¡¯t showing it off so brazenly. ¡°I think it might be fake. I¡¯ve never seen a purple pearl before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me neither,¡± said Grace. She tossed in the air and snatched it up before handing it back to me. ¡°If it is, then we¡¯ll find out today and you¡¯ll get a nice little pretty thing to hang on a necklace or something. If it isn¡¯t we¡¯ll get a whole heap of castles for it, more than we¡¯d make in years, and we can give those back to Pa as a Crown Day present!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I agreed, some of the stress melting away under her reassuring words. ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±

    Grace smiled and pulled me forward after I¡¯d gotten my energy back and put the gem away again. As we crossed through the gates once more, I finally thought to ask, ¡°Do you know someone we can hand it off to?¡±

    ¡°Not immediately,¡± she said. ¡°But I know who we can ask about that.¡±

    After the commotion of yesterday, I had have expected Vandermaine to have gone at least a little back to normal by now. But the atmosphere that hung over the wind-lashed streets that day was just as dead as before. We avoided the main square today, just on the off chance that it was still being actively occupied by the imperials. One of the dragons, the green one, did wheel through the sky overhead while we sheltered under an archway, confirming that they were still around.

    We were headed to the low city, where about a quarter of the town¡¯s buildings seemed to spill off the mountainside, clustering themselves on a series of precipices below the main field upon which Vandermaine stood, and which ultimately gave way to another fell further down. Chimneys belched thick plumes of smoke as workshops and small factories built halfway into the cliff churned through the coal dug up in the mines to the south of town. I coughed constantly as we climbed down switchback stairways and steep slopes in the road, eventually having to put the hem of my shirt over my face to filter out at least some of the acrid pollutants.

    Grace led us into a nook between two houses, where a small wooden door sat flush with the stone of the cliffside. A small sign painted with the word ¡°CLOSED¡± hung from a hook just at eye-level.

    ¡°Uh, Grace, it says they¡¯re¡ª¡± I started before Grace marched right up to the door and gave it three solid knocks.

    ¡°Are you illiterate?¡± a familiar voice called from inside. ¡°We¡¯re closed for Crown Day!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Grace and Belfry!¡± said Grace. ¡°We¡¯re not here for business.¡±

    Heavy thuds sounded behind the door before it cracked open just a hair, revealing Gordon¡¯s suspicious, bespectacled eye on the other side, before it swung open wide. ¡°Come in,¡± he said.

    I followed Grace into what was a combined storefront and workplace. A single line of shelves ran around the room, displaying a number of metal goods. Horseshoes and nails were the most abundant, but there were also locks, metal bars that seemed like the skeletons of furniture, and a handful of solid plates that surrounded them. At the back of the room was an end table evidently repurposed as a store counter, and beside it a much more open space with a somewhat conical forge that glowed with heat, a perfectly flat stone workbench with a number of tools I didn¡¯t recognise sprawled out across it, and a grindstone.

    ¡°Not to come off as suspicious, kid,¡± Gordon said as he shut the door behind us and made his way over to the workbench, leaning back against it as he faced us and crossed his arms. ¡°But you don¡¯t normally come by, save when you¡¯re needing nails or a fix for your gates. So, what¡¯s it that you¡¯ve come to me for this time?¡±

    Grace nudged me. ¡°Show ¡®em,¡± she mumbled.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I hissed, still eyeing the man with distrust.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be paranoid, Belfry,¡± said Grace, an edge of irritation creeping into her tone. ¡°Of course I¡¯m sure.¡±

    Gordon gave me an expectant glance. I pushed my nerves aside and retrieved the stone, holding it out towards him. The warm firelight from the forge flickered across its surface, clashing with the natural purple tint.

    Gordon raised an eyebrow. ¡°Fancy little bauble you¡¯ve got,¡± he said. ¡°What¡¯re you wanting me to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Well, Gordon, you¡¯re one of the smartest people around town,¡± said Grace. ¡°Belfry here found it out in the fields last night. We need to find out if it¡¯s real, and if it is, we need to sell it to someone. Would you happen to know where we might be able to do that?¡±

    Gordon snorted. ¡°For the record, I¡¯d normally count this as ¡®business¡¯,¡± he said. ¡°But I¡¯ll let it slide. Give it here.¡±

    With a heartbeat¡¯s trepidation, I handed the stone over. Gordon took it, adjusting his glasses and bringing it really close to his eye to investigate.

    ¡°What kind of stone you trying to prove this is?¡± he asked. ¡°Pearl? Can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever seen a purple pearl before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the only one I can think of,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, though. I just want to make sure it isn¡¯t glass, or something. Because it doesn¡¯t really matter what a jeweller would call it, it would still be pretty pricey, I think.¡±

    Gordon nodded, examining the stone in the firelight for several minutes of silence, eventually lighting an oil lamp by the workbench to brighten the room up a bit more. He rubbed it between his fingers, closing his eye as he concentrated.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t feel like a pearl,¡± he said.

    ¡°I know,¡± I agreed. ¡°It feels more like glass. Pearls are a little gritty-feeling.¡±

    Gordon glanced up. ¡°Oh? You handle a lot of pearls in your line of work?¡±

    ¡°Do you?¡± I asked, instinctively turning defensive.

    ¡°Gordon¡¯s done lots of things!¡± said Grace. I could see in her eyes she was trying to defuse that little fire I¡¯d just started, and I was more than thankful for it. ¡°We¡¯ve got some time. Why don¡¯t you tell her, Gordon?¡±

    Gordon gave a heavy sigh. He sat down at the workbench, grabbing a few tools and a hammer as he kept up his examination of the stone. ¡°I don¡¯t normally like to talk about this,¡± he said.

    ¡°You talk about it with me?¡± said Grace, her head tilting with confusion.

    Gordon paused. He opened his mouth, then closed it, then tried again. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°The other cuirassiers showing up just helped me put some things in order, I think.¡±

    I put two and two together pretty fast. ¡°¡®Other cuirassiers¡¯?¡± I repeated. ¡°Were you an imperial cuirassier?¡±

    Gordon¡¯s shoulders tensed up. ¡°I was,¡± he said. ¡°For a while.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯d you leave?¡± I asked. ¡°I thought cuirassiers were supposed to serve until death.¡±

    Gordon shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s a myth,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a pretty dangerous job. Especially with the rebellion that¡¯s been going on for years. Most folks just get old and stop going out on active jobs, they just teach the new kids.¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°But you¡¯re not teaching?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± said Gordon. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    His jaw clenched. Grace leaned forward, her joviality replaced with concern. ¡°Gordon?¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± hummed Gordon. It was difficult to make out in the flickering light of this underground room, but I could have sworn I saw a twinkling tear fall down to the workbench. ¡°Well. I know you, Grace, but how much do you know about the cuirassiers, little Belfry?¡±

    ¡°I know that they¡¯re the empire¡¯s best soldiers,¡± I said. ¡°And that they ride dragons.¡±

    Gordon nodded. ¡°You¡¯re closer than most,¡± he said. ¡°A lot of people have gotten fooled by the romantics into thinking that they¡¯re like old knight-errants. Soldier is better. They¡¯re basically the emperor¡¯s most reserved level of attack dogs.¡±

    I glanced at Grace to see a look of complete betrayal across her face.

    ¡°And they do ride dragons,¡± Gordon continued, ¡°but it¡¯s more than that. Dragons are smart creatures, smarter than most any animal or monster besides us humans. They don¡¯t just give you a dragon and wave you off to go soldiering, like they do with horse cavalry. Cuirassiers make a special kind of bond with one dragon. Then they work together for life. Or until¡­.¡± He stopped cold.

    ¡°Or until one of you dies?¡± I filled in the blank.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Gordon hummed in agreement. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell us much about the bond before we made it. I was bonded to a dragon, yellow as citrine. We flew all across the empire together. I thought we were doing good, keeping the peace. She seemed to like the work as much as me. I¡¯d have called us friends.¡± He sighed again, his entire body seeming to deflate. ¡°But then she just¡­got sick one day, and never really recovered.¡±

    My mouth felt dry. I wanted to comfort him, but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­really sorry for your loss,¡± said Grace.

    ¡°It¡¯s been eleven years,¡± said Gordon. ¡°I¡¯ll live.¡± He wiped at his eye, fully setting the tools and gemstone down to focus on the conversation. ¡°But once I wasn¡¯t bonded anymore, they tossed me to the streets. No help to get by without the Order¡¯s support, no word of a warning. Just booted out. I¡¯d spent three decades training and practising in only one skill, and then I couldn¡¯t do it anymore.¡±

    Grace made a disgusted face. ¡°That¡¯s so cruel. Why would they do that?¡±

    ¡°Better than what they did to people who weren¡¯t happy with the empire,¡± rumbled Gordon. ¡°I¡¯ll never get the sight out of my mind of one hamlet we got sent to. They said an illicit occultist had started a cult there to gather blood illegally. You know, most magi use blood to fuel their magic?¡±

    I blinked. I was vaguely aware that blood was the key to magic, what with it being preached as such in a few Luminary Church chants I¡¯d heard, and with it being somehow related to healing products I¡¯d seen in apothecaries¡¯ shops, but I hadn¡¯t done any study on the subject.

    ¡°Well, they do,¡± said Gordon. ¡°That¡¯s part of why the emperor outlawed drawing blood outside of some people with a license for it. Now it¡¯s only Church priests, some physicians, and a handful of licensed occultists that are allowed to.¡± He gazed into the embers of the forge as though they laid the past out before his eyes. ¡°But our commanders, they told us that it was a cult that was in that little hamlet. And then, when the people didn¡¯t tell us where our target was, they told us to burn it. Burn it all, because they discovered the ¡®cultists¡¯ were organising rebellion.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t think much about it. I guess I figured that they were too far gone in the cult to help.¡±

    ¡°Saints,¡± gasped Grace.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that there wasn¡¯t a cult at all?¡± I said gravely.

    ¡°Of course there wasn¡¯t,¡± said Gordon. ¡°I didn¡¯t learn that until I found some papers that our commanders had forgotten out of place. I wrote it off then. I was stupid.¡± He glanced at Grace, eyes full of sorrow. ¡°I¡¯ve done you wrong, kid. I shouldn¡¯t have told you all those stories of adventure. We didn¡¯t plunder many ruins, and most of the people we killed weren¡¯t brigands. It¡¯s not a glamorous job. If the emperor¡¯s gone, I can¡¯t imagine that the order will last much longer, anyway.¡±

    Grace rested her head in her hands. ¡°There¡¯s got to be someone in the Order that isn¡¯t like that,¡± she said. ¡°They do good things sometimes, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose they do,¡± said Gordon. ¡°Sometimes. But only when it suited His Majesty.¡± He frowned, seeing Grace¡¯s obviously distraught face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It didn¡¯t really catch on with me that I was feeding you a fantasy until the cuirassiers came to Vandermaine, of all places.¡±

    Grace pursed her lips. ¡°It¡­it¡¯s fine,¡± she lied. ¡°It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t dealt with bad news before.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Grace, you¡¯ve got that look in your eyes of an idea,¡± I said.

    ¡°No, no,¡± she shook her head. ¡°No ideas here. Just thinking about all those old stories. About knights flying through the air, cutting down rocs and gryphons and giants. Making sure that all the people under their shadow were safe.¡±

    Gordon closed his eyes, then forced himself to put on a small smile. ¡°Well, lass, if the world isn¡¯t what you want it to be, the only thing for it is to make it that way yourself. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll find some way to be that hero, even if the cuirassiers aren¡¯t what you thought.¡±

    I could practically smell the tell of a white lie in his false optimism, but it seemed to cheer Grace up anyway. She returned his smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Gordon nodded. He turned back around to grab the gem. ¡°Anyways, you came here for this thing,¡± he said, holding it up to the firelight, ¡°not to hear an old man¡¯s regrets. I¡¯m no jeweller, so take a grain of salt with this, but if I¡¯m honest¡­I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a pearl, but it certainly isn¡¯t glass either. I can¡¯t tell you any more than that. It¡¯s real, no doubt, but real what is still the question.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s closer than we have been,¡± I said, taking the stone and putting it safely back in my pocket. A weight felt like it lifted off the room once it was out of sight. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll have to find a real jeweller to get it off our hands, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be best,¡± Gordon agreed.

    Grace stood, beckoning me towards the door. ¡°Come on, Belfry,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ve still got to find you something to spend your gift money on, too, and I don¡¯t think that we¡¯ll find it around here.¡±

    I slowly stood. My eyes unfocussed and lingered on the wall. There was something else I wanted to ask Gordon while I had the chance, but the inertia of the silence was a little bit too much.

    Gordon turned to follow my gaze, and gave me a curious look. ¡°What you looking at, lass?¡± he asked.

    His question broke the seal on mine. ¡°Um, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± I started, stepping forward. ¡°Since you know so much about the town, I was wondering if you knew any apothecaries you might be able to introduce me to?¡±

    Gordon chuckled. ¡°You looking to learn the trade?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered. ¡°It¡¯s just always been something that interested me, more than shepherding, at least. But I¡¯ve never gotten a chance to really learn.¡± I rubbed the stone. ¡°But if this thing is valuable, I might really be able to, soon.¡±

    ¡°Aw,¡± said Grace. ¡°I thought you liked working with us?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± I said, holding up my hands defensively. ¡°I¡¯m really grateful for the work that you and your father have given me, but I¡¯ve always wanted to learn more about medicine.¡± I jabbed my finger at her. ¡°You know what I mean, right? You¡¯re the one who wanted to go off and ride dragons.¡±

    ¡°Heh, heh,¡± Grace said with a smirk, scratching her head. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right.¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°Hey, if you get to be really good at it, maybe you could come and be my medic out on the field!¡±

    Gordon held up a hand. ¡°Whoa, slow down,¡± he said. ¡°First, Belfry¡¯s got to actually learn, and that takes years of practise, from what I understand.¡± He fidgeted with a small hammer, flicking it back and forth between his fingers while he looked up at the ceiling. ¡°I know an apothecary here in the low city, but I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re taking on apprentices right now.¡±

    I deflated a bit. ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, now,¡± said Gordon. ¡°They aren¡¯t taking apprentices right now. But that doesn¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t study the craft. I can take you to them some time this week, I¡¯m sure they¡¯d be able to sell you some texts on herbs and medicines, maybe a pharmacopoeia if you really catch their eye.¡±

    I gave a melancholic shrug. ¡°I guess, but I can¡¯t use any of that stuff if I can¡¯t actually practise with it.¡±

    ¡°I also emphasise the ¡®right now¡¯ part of that,¡± said Gordon. ¡°They¡¯re getting as old as me. Their elbows are starting to creak a little too much, and I hear them complaining at the pub every now and then about having to fetch all the ingredients from their laboratory. I¡¯m sure that they¡¯ll have to start requesting help sooner rather than later. That¡¯ll be your opportunity.¡±

    I brightened up a bit at that, but it still sounded like a very distant proposition. A ¡®maybe¡¯ in a few years¡¯ time. ¡°I guess it¡¯s better than nothing,¡± I thought out loud.

    Gordon smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sure that your bound for a healthy apprenticeship someday, but a young girl like you ought to focus on study if a trade of knowledge is your goal. If you do, you¡¯ll no doubt end up¡ª¡±

    He was abruptly cut off by a sharp knock at the door. His expression instantly soured and he roused himself to walk over. ¡°Bloody morons in this town,¡± he muttered to himself. ¡°What¡¯s even the point of putting up a sign?¡±

    Grace stepped back away from the entrance as Gordon pressed his face against the door. ¡°No business today!¡± he shouted. ¡°Read the sign!¡±

    ¡°This is the Vandermaine Watch!¡± a haughty voice shouted from the other side. ¡°Open this door!¡±

    Fear stabbed its icy talons into my heart. Grace and I shared a look, though she seemed more confused than scared. Gordon just sighed angrily, throwing the door open wide for three watchmen to enter. They were clad in combat-ready gear, with their characteristic tall nickel-plated helmets and evergreen-and-goldenrod gambesons covered with slightly dented metal breastplates. Heavy steel-banded clubs filled their hands. They marched in, two taking up positions by the door as it swung shut again and the third, an older woman with a hawkish expression, went to the centre of the room.

    ¡°You,¡± she said, jabbing an accusatory finger at Grace. ¡°Turn out your pockets.¡±

    ¡°Hang on, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Grace. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±

    ¡°Now,¡± the woman ordered.

    ¡°Saints, fine,¡± grumbled Grace. She very aggressively turned her pockets inside out, letting a small metal whistle and a piece of lint fall to the ground. ¡°There. Good?¡±

    ¡°Stand aside,¡± said the woman, gesturing Grace towards the wall. ¡°You.¡± This time her finger pointed at me. ¡°Empty your pockets.¡±

    I fell back on instinct. I reached into my pockets to turn them inside out, gripping the gem in my fist to keep it concealed as I pulled the fabric out, revealing nothing inside.

    The woman glared at me. ¡°Open your hands, too,¡± she said.

    I held my breath. I hadn¡¯t tried this trick in years, so I was praying the rust wasn¡¯t about to get me imprisoned. I flipped my clenched fist upside down, trying to push the stone up my sleeve in the same motion. I kept eye contact with the watchman the whole time, doing my best to avoid the textbook ¡°guilty¡± face.

    The sharp clink of the gem falling against the stone floor felt like a dagger in my ears, and I flinched hard. I had dropped it. The woman knelt down and picked it up, looking at it very closely.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± she huffed, giving me a lethal glare. ¡°You know, we used to cut thieves¡¯ little fingers off,¡± she said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal it,¡± I said hurriedly.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t!¡± Grace concurred.

    ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± said the watchman. ¡°Where¡¯d you find it, then?¡±

    ¡°On the ground,¡± I said. Half-lies were easier to get away with, I remembered. I crushed all the tense emotions building up in my head and put on the old straight-face mask I hadn¡¯t worn in two years.

    ¡°On the ground?¡± she repeated.

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I answered. ¡°On the ground, in our field. It was just sitting there by a boulder. I thought it was a pretty rock, so I picked it up. I was thinking of selling it in town today for a few coins. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s telling the truth!¡± Grace shouted. I fought a wince. If anything was going to blow our alibi, it was her reckless enthusiasm and poor choice of words. I already knew she wasn¡¯t a very accomplished liar, but I didn¡¯t like having my theories reinforced when both of us were on the proverbial chopping block.

    The woman narrowed her eyes. ¡°Your field, huh,¡± she mused. ¡°Do you know if anyone happened to walk through your fields some time in the last few days?¡±

    ¡°No, sir,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone, but our fields are pretty big, so it¡¯s pretty easy to get through them without any of us knowing about it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± she said. She retrieved a small metal box from a satchel, and placed the stone inside before putting it away again. Watching potentially hundreds of castles disappear in front of my eyes was a familiar feeling that I had hoped I wouldn¡¯t ever encounter again once the Lawcrests had taken me in.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky this is an urgent matter, kid,¡± said the woman, ¡°else we¡¯d be taking you to jail to stand trial. As it is, your¡­reluctant aid to the Crown of the Empire of Lundenia is noted.¡± She walked back towards the door. ¡°All of you, carry on. May the saints bless your souls.¡± With that, she and the other watchmen filed out, leaving us in the smouldering silence of the workshop.

    I leaned against a wall, sliding down it until I was sitting on the floor, holding my face in my hand. Grace knelt down next to me. ¡°Are you doing okay?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I answered on instinct, before letting the wall down a little. ¡°¡­No, not really. I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Grace let out a big puff of air. ¡°Yeah. Me too, honestly.¡±

    Gordon hadn¡¯t moved from his place at the door, staring intently out the small crack between it and the frame. ¡°Seems like that stone had some folks on its trail,¡± he said. ¡°Were you expecting that, kid? The truth, please.¡±

    I swept my hair out of my eyes. ¡°No?¡± I said. My voice betrayed my lack of surety. ¡°I mean, I was kind of afraid of it, since I found it in a hole someone dug in our pasture¡­with some bloodstains around it.¡±

    Grace whipped her head around to shoot me a look of hurt and confusion. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that part,¡± she said.

    ¡°I know,¡± I whispered, my words spilling out hot and fast. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to get you worried in case it didn¡¯t matter. It could have just been sheep¡¯s blood for all we know¡ªmaybe one cut its leg on a rock. I didn¡¯t steal it. I promise I¡¯d say if I thought that it was stolen.¡±

    Gordon drew a long breath. ¡°Well, whatever you call it, it¡¯s clearly drawn some attention your way.¡± He shut the door fully, retreating to his forge. ¡°You should probably hurry home. Maybe stay there until the cuirassiers are gone and whatever this all is has blown over.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Grace said, standing. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s probably a good idea.¡± She held out a hand towards me. ¡°Come on, Belfry. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    I accepted her offer, and she helped pull me to my feet. I kept my head down as we walked out the door, but I gave Gordon a small wave as we passed him by. ¡°Thanks for your help, sir,¡± I said.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± he said. ¡°Least I could do.¡±

    We hurried out of town, keeping our heads down and moving as fast as we could without rousing too much attention. Every stranger we passed by made my heart beat faster as that little needle of doubt made me question if they would stop us for a search, or turn us in, or something. We didn¡¯t bother getting any food like Mr. Lawcrest had asked, and good thing too, because the rain began just as we were passing through the gates, the bitter wind dying down somewhat only to be replaced with a swarm of icy droplets. Thunder rumbled over the southern hills, and flashes of lightning lanced down towards trees that had the misfortune of sitting high up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you lost your rock,¡± Grace said as we skirted the growing puddles of mud that filled the rutted road.

    ¡°It happens,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to hear all that stuff about the cuirassiers. I know you always dreamed about joining up.¡±

    ¡°Eh,¡± said Grace. She hopped up onto a ridge by the road, holding her hands out to balance as she walked its length alongside me. ¡°It was a long shot anyway. I mean, I¡¯m just a farm girl from a small mining town. Working folks like us don¡¯t really go on adventures.¡±

    ¡°Well, when you put it like that, it sounds really sad,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just how things are,¡± said Grace. Maybe it was the rain obscuring my vision, but she still looked crestfallen.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll get to go rambling around the countryside some day,¡± I said, trying my best to cheer her up. ¡°There can¡¯t ever be too many heroes, you know. You¡¯ll just need to practise your swordsmanship.¡±

    ¡°Oh, if only we had a sword to practise with,¡± Grace bemoaned.

    I shrugged. ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re after, I¡¯m sure I could save up a shilling or two to buy one.¡±

    Grace smirked, jumping off the ridge to splash in a big puddle. ¡°And then whenever I get hurt, you can use some herbs to patch me up! We¡¯ll practise together, that way!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help a smile crossing my face. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that,¡± I murmured.

    ¡°You know,¡± said Grace, putting her arm around my shoulders, ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯d want to go off on an adventure anyway if my sister wasn¡¯t beside me the whole step of the way.¡±

    Sister. My heart swelled. ¡°Of course,¡± I said, glad the rain hid the tear sliding down my cheek. ¡°You couldn¡¯t go without me even if you wanted to.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Grace shouted in mock offence. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± I said with a grin.

    Grace gave me a playful shove as we turned onto the pathway that led to our house. ¡°So, what do you think was up with that stone, anyway?¡± she asked. Then, her eyes lit up, and she gasped. ¡°Wait! What if it was a dragon egg?¡±

    I cocked my head. ¡°I think a dragon is a little bit too big to fit in an egg that small, Grace.¡±

    She shook her head with exasperation. ¡°Well, obviously they aren¡¯t full grown in the egg, you blockhead!¡± she shouted. ¡°They¡¯ve got to start out small, just like everything else!¡±

    We argued about dragon eggs and how small hatchlings might be the whole way back to the house, and then over supper. I was glad for the enthusiastic conversation; it was a good distraction from the myriad caustic thoughts gnawing at my mind. Images of tiny dragons as delicate and cute as the baby lambs we kept made me smile all the way to bed.

 3. A Spark Ignites

    I was underwater. Warm light filtered through the currents all around me, gently embracing me as I sank further and further away from the distant and impossible surface. It wasn¡¯t an entirely unpleasant path¡ªthe water did not burn my lungs, and I felt no fear of drowning or being crushed despite the sea above me¡ªbut I knew that I would never be back to that surface again.

    A sound, faint and fuzzy, hit my ears. I tilted my head to the side, but I couldn¡¯t ignore it as it sounded again. It could have been a voice, or maybe an animal¡¯s call, and it sounded like it came from everywhere at once, but especially from below. I turned to look downwards, into the abyss of darkness the shade of where the boundaries of knowledge laid. There, in the endless chasm, I saw a flash, purple and faint, and the sound came again.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± I tried to call out, but suddenly the water turned hostile. I choked on my words. Whatever air I had managed to hold onto down here was lost, and I thrashed in the sea, trying to fight the inexorable pull downwards and get to that far-away surface. My throat burned, it burned like fire, before that heat spread to my lungs, and I felt for all the world I like I was being immolated from within. All the while, that sound kept on echoing, getting louder and louder with each repetition. It soon resolved itself, not into an animalistic call, but into a voice. A familiar one.

    ¡°Belfry! Belfry, wake up!¡±

    I gasped and shot up in bed as the nightmare collapsed, breathing hard in fear, only to feel my lungs fill with air that was hot and thick with dust. I coughed and doubled over, falling to the ground. My eyes stung from the dust in the air. I forced some breath through my nose, and the smell shook me out of the grip of sleep. It wasn¡¯t dust. It was acrid smoke.

    I got to my knees, blinking several times to get my eyes used to the stinging. Mr. Lawcrest was standing by the bed, his face pale behind a thin layer of ash. His shirt was lifted up over his nose and mouth to serve as a rudimentary mask, and I swiftly copied him.

    ¡°Belfry,¡± he said, his voice trembling. ¡°Get up. We need to go, quick and quiet.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lawcrest,¡± I said as I got to my feet. ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± A thought hit me, like the flick of a switch. ¡°Where¡¯s Grace?¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest beckoned for me to follow him out of my room, and I did. ¡°Vandermaine is under attack,¡± he said.

    The knot in my stomach that had manifested two days ago when the cuirassiers first arrived reappeared. ¡°By who?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Veskites, I think,¡± Mr. Lawcrest said. He hurriedly fetched a small chest and a basket and began piling belongings into them. ¡°I saw rocs in the air, and they¡¯re fighting with the dragons. The town¡¯s on fire. Grace is outside, with the sheep.¡± He suddenly lurched up and tossed a hatchet towards me. ¡°Go help her. Cut a hole in the fence, take the sheep down the mountain, and hide. I¡¯ll be with you in just a few minutes, I need to gather up everything worth taking. I¡¯ll be damned if I let those blasted rebels make use of anything of mine.¡±

    I nodded, taking halting steps towards the door, uncertainty slowing me down. The town was under attack? The sudden danger made me feel dizzy and sick. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay?¡± I asked.

    Mr. Lawcrest paused a moment before nodding. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°The fight is all in town. We¡¯re just being careful.¡± He gestured towards the door. ¡°Now, go.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I said with a nod, and dashed outside. It was still the dead of night, and the thick haze of smoke in the air blocked whatever light from the moons was able to cut through the dense cloud cover above it. There was still a drizzle of rain, but not enough to tamp down on the flames or the ash. The whole of the mountainside was tinted orange, and I hesitated to even look towards town. The view was blurry, but that didn¡¯t stop me from seeing the outline of great conflagrations that burned up and down the streets. The glow from the low city was volcanic, with pitch black smoke coming up from whatever coal stores had been ignited down there.

    All around, sounds of dragon roars, earsplitting bird screeches, shouting, and gunshots echoed throughout the valley. I could see the forms of the great beasts wheeling overhead, two dragons swerving in the air, roaring and blasting angry orange flames as they charged towards the silhouettes of gigantic birds of prey: the rocs that Mr. Lawcrest had mentioned. I only counted three, but I had other priorities than getting a full headcount of how many monsters were destroying our town.

    I sprinted into the fields, as fast as I could without risking choking again on the smoke. I didn¡¯t see the sheep, but I could hear them easily, bleating loudly in distress. I caught up to them soon. Their white coats were covered in a dusting of black soot. At least they blend in with the darkness, I thought.

    Juniper wormed her way out from in between the flock, whimpering and pawing at my feet. Her eyes were big and sad, and she kept looking away towards the burning town. I gave her some scratches behind the ear. ¡°It¡¯s okay, girl,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ll get out of here in just a minute, and go somewhere safe.¡±

    I looked around, searching for any sign of Grace. She wasn¡¯t nearby, but I was partly blinded by the smoke, so I wasn¡¯t terribly surprised. ¡°Grace?¡± I called out as I ushered the flock towards the fence. ¡°Grace? Come on, we¡¯ve got to go! Where are you!?¡±

    There was no answer. It felt like a fist clenched around my heart. I came to the fence and stopped, holding the hatchet close to my chest. I needed to go, but I couldn¡¯t leave without Grace. Mr. Lawcrest would be able to find me, probably, but what if he didn¡¯t know where she was? The bleating of the sheep felt like a saw on my brain, keeping my thoughts from quieting. It¡¯s fine, I told myself, it¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just at the barn, rounding up the lambs. They like to stay in there during the night, and we¡¯re bound to have stragglers.

    I looked up just in time to see one of the dragons collide with a roc, both beasts spinning as they descended, grappling each other and swiping with their claws. From their backs, the silhouettes of people, a cuirassier and a Veskite roc cavalryman swung about their mounts from saddle lines. Flashes of gunfire erupted in the air, then the harsh clanging of metal on metal as they attacked with their melee weapons, then the two monsters pushed away before they hit the ground, flying in opposite directions. The dragon blew a swath of fire as it retreated, the flames landing in fields that I only hoped were empty as they washed over the mountainside.

    I hunkered down by the fence, listening to the sound of my heartbeat. We had to go. They weren¡¯t avoiding collateral damage at all. The damn dragons probably started the fire in town in the first place, and saints knew that if they had to retreat, they¡¯d burn the whole valley while they did to keep it from feeding the rebels.

    I heard boots splashing in the mud, and I looked up, hopeful for a moment that it was Grace. It wasn¡¯t. Mr. Lawcrest came running, chest and basket in hand and full of a mixture of tools, preserved food, and whatever valuables he had in his home. He scowled as he saw me, and I immediately stood to attention.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± he barked.

    ¡°Grace,¡± I said. ¡°She¡¯s not here. I don¡¯t know where she is, but she didn¡¯t come when I called.¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest immediately shifted from panicked aggravation to pure panic as he looked all around in every direction, before eventually settling his eyes on the town. ¡°Oh, damn it all to hell, girl,¡± he snarled under his breath.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked, my own voice beginning to quake. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    Mr. Lawcrest dropped the containers at my feet, all the metal implements in them clattering like old bones as he did. ¡°She¡¯s gone into town,¡± he said. ¡°I knew she would do something reckless. Always wanting to take big and bold actions, that girl, even if it means she gets killed.¡± He stood, retreating a few steps before turning on his heel and pointing a finger at me. ¡°You. Take the sheep and go. Focus on surviving, don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll get Grace, and we¡¯ll be with you before you know it.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lawcrest¨C!¡± I shouted, holding out a pleading hand, but he was already running away. I stared after where he had vanished into the rain and ash. My hands shook. I wanted to stay, and I wanted to stay alive most of all. I turned towards the fence and lifted the hatchet up.

    Thoughts of Grace crossed my mind. I hesitated. I couldn¡¯t abandon her. No matter how much I wanted to break for the distant hills and get out of this war zone, I couldn¡¯t abandon Grace.

    ¡°Argh!¡± I roared, slapping my hand against my forehead. ¡°Why can¡¯t I just make smart decisions for once!?¡±

    I gripped the hatchet so hard I thought the wooden handle might break, and I swung it down on the fence. Adrenaline fuelled my strikes, and each chop hewed a bar in half. Three swings later, the bars were all cut, and I yanked them off one by one, throwing them to the ground beside me. The sheep didn¡¯t need any motivation to start funnelling through the wide hole, but I clapped my hands loudly and shouted anyway. ¡°Go! Get out of here!¡±

    They were out of the field in no time, running down the valley towards some kind of shelter. I hoped that if and when we all returned from this safely, we could get them back together, because if not I had just thrown our livelihood away. The only thing left in the field with me was Juni, still sitting at my heels and pawing the ground.

    I knelt down, putting a hand on her head. ¡°Juni,¡± I said. ¡°Go hide, then stay.¡±

    She whined and stared at me plaintively. ¡°Juni,¡± I said more forcefully this time. ¡°Hide. Then stay.¡±

    She took a few steps away, staring at me the whole time. The moment I stood, she stopped. ¡°Nah-ah!¡± I barked. ¡°Stay!¡±

    She gave me one last look, but then ran off southward. I knew where she was going, it was one of her usual hiding spots in our farthest field. Hopefully it was out of the way enough that she wasn¡¯t at risk of getting hit with those spraying flames.

    With Juniper sorted and the sheep gone, I ran away, towards the path leading down to the main road. I couldn¡¯t sprint, because then I would have to stop and catch my breath, and if I stopped my fear would have time to catch up with me. I knew Mr. Lawcrest would be ahead of me the whole way, though, and I had no idea where he was going.

    The chill of the night gradually faded as I got closer to town. The airborne sparks and cinders had already warmed the house, but here, every step bringing me closer to the burning town felt like another step towards a bonfire. Heat thoroughly permeated the air, and I began to hear the sizzle of boiling raindrops as they landed on the flaming ruins.

    The gate was entirely off its hinges by the time I arrived, and there were no watchmen on the walls, though there was a steady stream of coughing, burned, and hurt people running out. I heard screams of pain and wails of loss, but I didn¡¯t have the time to slow down and consider any of these people. I dove through the crowd and past the gates.

    Instantly, fire was on all sides. Not every building was burning just yet, but there wasn¡¯t anywhere I could look without flames filling some part of of my vision. The smoke was even thicker, and I had to crouch down to keep out of the worst of it. I ran as fast as my legs would take me, doing my best to stay out of the way and out of sight. I saw, through the veil of sparks, soldiers fighting in the streets. Blood mixed with dirt and ash as it ran in rivulets down the cobbles, sizzling as soon as it came into contact with fire. Every now and then I spotted a corpse, either in the defining blue, orange, and white of the empire, or the patchwork greens and browns of the rebels, or maybe even the ordinary clothes of civilians that had gotten caught up in the fighting.

    I heard a bullet whiz past my head, and I instinctively ducked down and to the side, throwing myself into a ditch by the side of the road. I could hear the clashing of a fight just near me, at least five soldiers by my estimation. Gunshots thundered out, and people screamed their war cries and smashed spears and axes against shields. I closed my eyes to try and rub them free of smoke while I hid, my back pressed up against the disturbingly warm wall of a grocery.

    I heard a sharp crack, and thought that it was another gun firing. I only realised my error when a chorus of other cracks sounded out, distinctly from above me. My limbs were way too sluggish from running. I got halfway to my feet, but I didn¡¯t move anywhere near fast enough to get out of the way of the collapsing building coming down on me.

    ¡°Kid, watch out!¡± a ragged voice behind me screamed, and I felt a massive shove push me forward onto the road. A huge wave of air full of gritty shards of stone and brick rushed over me as the top level of the building I had sheltered beside crumbled to the ground with a cacophonous crash. I glanced back. Whoever had saved me was buried under a pile of burning wood and stone. Their arms protruded from the pile, limp. A pistol was clutched in one hand, so I guessed they were probably a fighter, a rebel by the lack of imperial standard armour.

    I shakily crept back towards the pile, lifting the pistol easily out of their hands. It had the telltale flaccid rigidity of a fresh corpse. They must have died on impact. I felt the pistol, waving it around a little to listen to the interior of the barrel. From the rattling, it must have been loaded with one lot of crude shot rather than a bullet. Still, one shot was better than none, and I held the pistol tight. I gave the body one last glance, the reality of the situation just washing over me as I bolted from my hiding spot.

    I didn¡¯t have any clues to Mr. Lawcrest¡¯s location, and shouting would just give me away to anyone who might want to do me harm. But I had a guess as to where Grace might have gone. I made my way towards the low city, dodging in between tight alleyways that were thus far free of fire, until I came to the open switchback stairs that led down to to that district. The sounds of fighting faded, but I could still see the flying beasts in the sky, and I was in plain view if any of them wanted to take the opportunity for an easy kill. The stone pathways of the low city seemed to have themselves evaded the flames, but a number of factories and storehouses were burning so brightly that I couldn¡¯t even look at them without being blinded still further by the light. Hot cinders on the ground bit into my bare feet, slowing my hasty run to a crawl.

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    It felt like hours of picking my way down staircases far from flames before I arrived at the layer that I wanted, thankfully free of the blaze, at least for now. I followed the same path as yesterday, eventually coming to that little wooden door in a nook between two houses. My heart just about burst when I saw the small stains of blood on the cobbles and, more worryingly, on the handle.

    I didn¡¯t have time to second-guess, or to wait for confirmation. I threw the door wide open, and slammed it shut behind me. The inside of Gordon¡¯s workshop was in total disarray. Nails littered the floor, and many of the shelves had been smashed to pieces. The forge was covered in long arcs of blood. And there, on the ground at the foot of the workbench, laid Gordon, with Grace kneeling and openly weeping at his side.

    I ran to her, kneeling down beside and putting my hand on her back. ¡°Grace,¡± I said. ¡°Grace. Your father¡¯s looking for you. We need to go.¡±

    I took a good look at Gordon. He was surely dead. Blood had already begun to thicken in cascades down to the ground from two long cuts, one across the side of his neck, and another across his face over his one good eye, which would have been blinded if he were still alive. He stared upwards, lifelessly gripping a rusty sword in his hand, not unlike the ones I had seen in the hands of the cuirassiers, its tip also bearing the stain of blood.

    ¡°Grace, come on,¡± I said more urgently, trying to shake her out of her stupor.

    ¡°I was too late,¡± she whispered. ¡°Saints, I was too late. Why couldn¡¯t I have just woken up sooner¡­?¡±

    ¡°Grace,¡± I said again, forcibly turning her to look me in the eye. Her face was stained with a layer of ash, with rivers of tears carving two thin lines through it. ¡°You can¡¯t do anything for him now. Right now, we need to survive. We need to find your father.¡±

    She glanced at the door, a rare look of terror crossing her. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t go back out there. We¡¯ll die. The fighting¡¯s getting worse. Buildings are coming down, we wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to go. Do you know where Pa is?¡±

    I slowly shook my head. ¡°No,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°We¡¯ll die, then, just wandering around,¡± Grace reiterated, wiping the tears from her eyes and smearing the ash at once.

    I pulled her to her feet, instinctively clocking the door that led into Gordon¡¯s living space. ¡°We¡¯ll hide here, then,¡± I said, pulling her towards it. ¡°Come on.¡±

    Grace resisted me. ¡°But what about Pa?¡± she insisted.

    I put my hands on her shoulders. ¡°Grace, look at me,¡± I said. ¡°I know. Trust me, I don¡¯t like this either. But you¡¯re right. I almost died coming here. I¡¯m only alive because¡­.¡± I thought about those arms sticking out from under the rubble. ¡°Because someone else made a stupid decision. So it¡¯s either we hide in here and wait for the fighting to stop, or we go back out there, and then maybe all three of us die.¡±

    Grace tossed a pleading look at the door, as though some knight in shining armour would burst through and declare our troubles over if only she demonstrated how much she had suffered in the last hour. ¡°But we can¡¯t leave Pa¡­¡± she said again.

    ¡°Do you want to live, or not?¡± I snapped, my patience reaching its limit under stress. Grace¡¯s lips pressed into a thin, white line, but she followed me to the door.

    Gordon¡¯s chambers were small and barren. Only a single room laid behind that door, with a cheap straw bed, a small table with a handful of dusty ornaments on it, and a crest hanging up on the wall depicting a heraldic dragon holding a sword in its mouth. I ushered Grace towards the bed, and we slid underneath it to wait.

    The time passed slowly. Here in our cavernous hiding spot, the sounds of combat in the town above were very muffled, but still, every now and then we heard an explosion, or the roar of a dragon. We stayed silent, partly out of fear of being potentially overheard, and partly out of a complete lack of energy to actually discuss anything. I had wanted to chastise Grace about coming into town in the first place, but I didn¡¯t have the heart to anymore, not after what had happened here.

    My fears of the ceiling collapsing down on us or guards bursting through the door to kill us or take us hostage eventually quietened into a dull roar in the back of my mind. The adrenaline of the run through town began to wear down, and I suddenly found myself exhausted. We stayed there for what was probably hours, and all throughout I slept in fits, closing my eyes for a moment and blearily blinking awake minutes later, hoping that what little rest I was able to get here would offset the pain in my lungs.

    Some time later, I realised that I hadn¡¯t heard a roar or an explosion of any kind for a while. I rubbed my eyes and scooted out from under the bed.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± hissed Grace.

    ¡°To check things out,¡± I said. ¡°It sounds pretty quiet out there.¡±

    Grace followed me as far as the chamber door, while I went all the way to the exit of the forge. After hours of sitting in darkness, Gordon¡¯s body caught my eyes again. I forced myself to stare forward.

    I just barely cracked open the exit door to get a look outside. The drizzle was still coming down, but the sun seemed to be on its way up. There was still the faint flickering orange light of flames, but nothing as bad as it had been before, and breathing in the air didn¡¯t make me feel immediately sick from smoke. I pressed my ear up against the gap to listen. It was as quiet as I had thought. There were a few faint shuffling sounds, but no gunshots, no explosions, and no bestial cries.

    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, finally allowing my voice to raise above a whisper for the first time since leaving our sheep field. ¡°It¡¯s over. We can go.¡±

    Grace crept to my side, staring warily at the door. ¡°Are you sure?¡± she asked.

    ¡°If they aren¡¯t completely done, then they¡¯ve calmed down enough that we can sneak out,¡± I said. I pushed the door fully open. ¡°Let¡¯s go. We should be quick. Even if the soldiers are done fighting, I reckon tensions are still high out there.¡±

    Grace nodded. She held tightly to my arm as we slowly walked out of the forge, keeping our heads down as we made our way upwards and out of the low city. Some storehouses were still burning there, but a handful of people stood around them hurling buckets of water at the flames. Some were dressed in ordinary clothes or watch uniforms, but most had green sleeves and leather or plate armour that identified them as Veskite soldiers. I guessed they had won the battle.

    Thankfully no one on the streets seemed to pay us any mind as we slunk up the stairs towards the town centre. Some other rebels were moving towards the town outskirts, many dripping with blood from deep wounds or supporting others who were. We ducked into alleys when we could, but we obviously weren¡¯t their main concern in that moment.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± hissed Grace as we neared the town square.

    ¡°Back to the fields,¡± I answered, leading her forward.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t you say that Pa came into town looking for me?¡± asked Grace. ¡°What if he didn¡¯t¡­.¡±

    Her grip on my arm slackened and fell away. I turned back to see her take off towards the town square. I had been trying not to look at that place. It was a bloody massacre. At least twelve soldiers of the watch, cuirassiers, and rebels laid dead around the cobblestones, and as many civilians laid with them. Char and burnt blood stained everything a wretched shade of black. The massive carcass of the green dragon from before laid on the fountain, impaled on a long and heavy spear that propped it up against the ground.

    Grace ran to the side of one of the bodies, someone who had maybe tried to hide from the fighting around the corner. Their body was turned away and blackened on one side, so it wasn¡¯t recognisable from a distance as anything other than the remains of a very unfortunate soul.

    ¡°Grace,¡± I said, going to her side. ¡°We don¡¯t have time for¡ª¡±

    She turned the body over so that it was face up. Half of his face was charred, but once I saw the other half, there was no doubt that it was Mr. Lawcrest. His remaining eye stared up unblinkingly at the sky. His long hair and beard had caught fire as he fell, exposing bits of his skull as the flames had burned through his skin. Grace slid her arm under his torso to try and pick him up and hold him closer, but the right side of his body was so badly burned that his forearm broke away and fell to the ground as she did.

    ¡°Grace¡­¡± I mumbled. She didn¡¯t hear me or didn¡¯t listen. Instead she got to her feet, stumbled backwards a few steps, and managed to turn around before vomiting in the street.

    She stood there, stock still, for a few more seconds, before collapsing at the side of her father. I knelt down beside her and embraced her tightly. We didn¡¯t have anything more to say. We just sat there until the sun began to burn away the weather, letting what rain remained dissolve our tears as they fell to the empty, ashen streets.

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

    Days later, I stared at the town of Vandermaine from atop our little perch on the mountainside. The Veskites had taken swift control, and had already begun the process of rebuilding destroyed buildings, and they had built an enormous funeral pyre in the Lundenian tradition in the town square to burn the bodies of all who had fallen, whether they were cuirassiers, watchmen, rebels, civilians, or dragons. Mr. Lawcrest was in there somewhere. I could see its flames all the way from here as they reached their orange fingers up towards the sky. The rebels were trying to earn good will with the people that they had just conquered. I spat at the ground as I thought about it.

    Word on the streets was that the Veskites had already seized our provincial capital of Kirkwall to the west. Whether the imperial forces tried to continue the war or not, their little rebellion had completely dominated the province of Rimewater Vale, and they were here to stay.

    I turned away. I couldn¡¯t stand to watch the man who had taken me in be used as a symbol by people who were, at best, complicit in his death any longer. Just thinking about it made me sick with rage.

    Grace was sitting by the stump her father used to chop firewood on, Juniper laying down on the grass at her feet. We hadn¡¯t bothered to go and get the sheep I had let loose. They were still free somewhere in the valley. Whatever we were going to do from here, it wouldn¡¯t be shepherding.

    She glanced up as I approached, putting on the fa?ade of a smile. ¡°Hey,¡± she said. Her voice was deep with exhaustion.

    I blew out a tired breath. She was trying to put on a brave face for me. I wished that she would just accept that it wouldn¡¯t help this time.

    ¡°We need to figure out what we¡¯re doing,¡± I said, not bothering with the pleasantries. ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here much longer. We¡¯re almost out of food.¡±

    Grace sighed. She reached down to give Juni some scratches behind the ear. I was so glad that Juni hadn¡¯t run off with the sheep. Grace really needed her presence right now to keep from falling down a dark pit in her mind that she wouldn¡¯t ever return from.

    ¡°Always business with you, huh?¡± said Grace.

    ¡°It¡¯s survival, Grace,¡± I said. I sat down on the ground opposite her. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go hungry if we can help it.¡±

    Grace eyed me curiously. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re the one bringing it up, do you have any plans?¡±

    I sat back, looking towards the cloud-saturated sky. ¡°We could always try and join the Labourers¡¯ Guild,¡± I said. ¡°There aren¡¯t any real requirements for it, and it¡¯s simple work that¡¯ll at least keep us from starving. Or, we could try to find apprenticeships. I don¡¯t know if anyone is taking any right now, so that¡¯s a risk.¡± I looked down at my hands. ¡°Or we could¡­look out for ourselves.¡±

    Grace¡¯s eyes hardened. ¡°I thought you were done with that stuff years ago,¡± she said.

    ¡°We¡¯re desperate, Grace,¡± I tried to defend myself. ¡°The main thing we need to do is stay alive. Whatever that takes. Right?¡±

    Grace stood and walked out to fix her gaze at the northern horizon, where the foothills gradually smoothed out into the flat, marshy Lake Lands. I followed her, staying a few paces behind.

    ¡°Belfry,¡± she said, her voice wistful, almost ethereal. ¡°I want to leave.¡±

    Dread pooled in my heart. ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked gravely.

    ¡°There¡¯s no good reason to stick around here,¡± she said. I saw a glittering tear fall from her chin. ¡°I¡¯ve got no family left except you. Our livelihood here on the farm is all gone. So now¡¯s the best chance I think that I¡¯ll ever have.¡± She took a deep breath, like she was at the ledge of a precipitous fall. ¡°I want to go north. I¡¯ve done some looking. There¡¯s a flight academy up by the Crownbreaker Sea where the empire used to train cuirassiers.¡±

    I clenched my teeth. I was silent for several seconds, trying to reach for something to say. ¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡± I said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she answered. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the order¡¯s still around, but I want to go look.¡±

    I held my breath, but couldn¡¯t hold the vitriol back any longer. ¡°How stupid can you be?¡± I snapped. ¡°It was one of their damned beasts that killed your father! How could you ever think about joining them after that? Did you even hear what¡­what Gordon had to say about them?¡±

    ¡°You were right before,¡± she said, not yet raising her voice herself. ¡°¡®There can¡¯t be too many heroes¡¯. I want to be one. The emperor¡¯s gone, there¡¯s a chance for things to change. Maybe it won¡¯t be the cuirassiers. Maybe it¡¯ll be some other knightly order. But whatever it is, I want to be a part of it. I want to help make things better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just one person,¡± I countered. ¡°You can¡¯t expect reality to bend around you, Grace. The cuirassiers are monsters who make sure we have a healthy amount of fear for the emperor. Now that he¡¯s gone, or dead, or whatever, they¡¯ll either die out themselves or just turn into enforcers for what ruler the rebels prop up instead. They¡¯re not the heroes, Grace, and they never will be.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re not,¡± said Grace. Her face tightened with resolve. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t change anything. Whether it¡¯s with the cuirassiers or not, I¡¯m going to make sure that there are people who will look out for others like you and me. Maybe I can¡¯t change anything on my own, but I¡¯ve got to try anyway.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°You¡¯re going to die,¡± I said. ¡°You haven¡¯t got enough supplies to make it there. And even if you did, even if they did change, they still killed your father.¡± I grit my teeth, trying to keep my own tears from flowing. ¡°How could you ever forgive them for that? You¡­you traitor!¡±

    Grace whipped around, her eyes steely as they stared into my soul. ¡°What do you want me to do!?¡± she shouted. ¡°What is it you want? Do you want me to just wait around to rot? Do you want me to sit here and wallow in grief forever? Because I know that that¡¯s not what Pa would want!¡±

    I held my hands up, guilt immediately stabbing into my heart. ¡°Grace, that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not what you said,¡± she said. ¡°But it was what you meant! Don¡¯t try and pull this shit with me, Belfry, I know you.¡± She stuck an accusatory finger in my face. ¡°I know you, way better than I think you realise. Just because you¡¯ve given up on the world, given up on everyone but you, doesn¡¯t mean that I have! And I¡¯m not going to let you poison me like you have yourself. I¡¯m not going to just sit here until I¡¯m killed by disease or misfortune. I want to do something with myself, Belfry, whether it changes the world or not!¡±

    The guilt turned into fury and sorrow. This couldn¡¯t be happening. It couldn¡¯t. ¡°You¡¯re not going to die for a cause, Grace,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll just die. And it¡¯s not a waste to stay alive. Unless you think that it¡¯d be better if I saved everyone the trouble and went ahead and wait to starve?¡±

    Grace covered her face with her hands. ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I¡ªugh!¡± She pushed me aside. ¡°Get out of the way. You can come with me or not, but I¡¯m tired of this stupid argument.¡±

    She marched towards the house, grabbing a basket of small tools and food, and a knife that was lying at its side. The basket was hidden behind the pile of firewood. She must have known that I would try to stop her. This was planned.

    ¡°Grace!¡± I screamed. I tried to run towards her, but stumbled and fell to my knees. ¡°Please. Please, don¡¯t throw your life away. I don¡¯t want to lose you too.¡±

    Grace hefted the basket and walked towards the path that led down to the road, the road that led north, far away from Vandermaine. ¡°I don¡¯t either,¡± she whispered. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going. You can come with me, if you want.¡±

    I shook my head hard. ¡°If you leave,¡± I seethed. ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to see your face here again!¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Then I guess this is goodbye forever,¡± she said. ¡°Look after Juni for me.¡± And with that, she walked forward, away from our little home on the mountainside.

    ¡°Grace!¡± I wailed after her. ¡°Grace! Stop! Stop!¡±

    My pleas fell on deaf ears. She didn¡¯t even stop to give me one last look. I watched her from the hilltop as she joined the main road, surveyed the landscape ahead one last time, and disappeared behind a bluff.

    I breathed hard, holding back tears and staring after the space where she had gone. Juniper pushed her nose under my arm, looking at me with her big brown eyes.

    ¡°Go away, you stupid cur!¡± I screamed and stumbled back towards the house, away from Juni, and away from the road. I leaned against the wooden wall, trying desperately to get a hold on my emotions as the dam holding them back cracked and leaked. I balled my fist up and slammed it into the wall again, and again, and again, until my knuckles split and bled hot blood onto the ground, until I couldn¡¯t hold it any longer, and fell down to the ground, where I curled up and cried until there were no more tears left.

    I was alone. Again. Somehow, it hurt worse the second time.