Dragon Choir Read online

  With his mind aflame, and chest heaving, Elrin boiled with power out of his control. The young man’s hands shook and the dagger seemed to pulse in his tight grip, as though it were alive and hungry for more blood.

  The remaining two guards drew their swords and edged toward him.

  Elrin was no battle hardened warrior, he did what a lowly messenger did best. He ran.

  CHAPTER TWO

  In a Door, Out a Window

  Elrin fled down the alley, feet tingling with every stride. The blaze whipped at his heart and his vessels thrummed with power, pushing thoughts through his mind faster than his legs could travel. Searching for a way to safety, he careened out of the alley onto Merchant Circuit which bustled with trade. He jostled and weaved through the crowd, dodging around an elderly woman and vaulting over a vegetable cart. He leapt further than he expected and ploughed headlong into a rack of colourful silk garments. Scrambling to his feet and trailing green and yellow brocade, he darted down the adjoining alley. Halfway down, he chanced a glimpse over his shoulder. Malek, the guard captain, had caught up after the fall, taking the turn into the alley alone.

  With a swing of his arm, Elrin knocked over a stack of crates and sped on, Malek’s heavy footfalls still pounding behind him. The guard captain crashed through the hazard like a raging orc, cursing and yelling for blood.

  After a dogleg in the alley, Elrin spotted another of the Guildmaster’s men at the next street opening, flanked by two city guards. They shouted and drew their swords, muscling down the narrow backstreet, blocking any escape. The only door was without a handle and no amount of shoving would make it budge; there was no way out. He backed up to the door holding his dagger tight, ready for his last stand.

  Elrin raised his eyes to the heavens praying to Nathis to take him to paradise. There above him his eyes found the gift of an open window; Nathis must be have been too busy to take his soul. Not one to let an opportunity pass by, Elrin clenched the blade between his teeth and leapt for the sill. His hands found it and he pulled himself through, arms still surging with unnatural strength.

  The blaze crashed through his system while the city guards ran off down the alley, one of them ringing a bell. Every clang registered in his ears like a brass cymbal upside the head. They’d be back soon and the whole city would be out for him. Malek ordered one of his men to kick in the door. “You just wait up there, you can’t run from me.”

  Elrin shut the window, squinting in the dim storage room where barrels were mounted on stands and the yeasty whiff of spilled beer fouled the air. There was a door. He took his chances, running out and knocking into a barkeep. The startled man was quick to grab at his collar, but Elrin was faster.

  He bounded left and right, dodging tables and pushing past the morning drunks nursing their tankards. As he got to the front door, it burst in and four city guards blocked his escape.

  Elrin swung around, chest heaving, eyes wild. He charged up the stairs, taking the full flight in three paces. Dashing down a narrow hall, he tested each door, desperate to put a barrier between him and his pursuers, but none would open. Elrin rushed to the window at the end of the hall which wouldn’t open either, so he cracked the hilt of his dagger through the glass and clipped off the remaining shards. He was about to go through when the door beside him opened.

  A woman stood in the doorway wearing a short silk nightdress. Her hair fell wild about her shoulders in a tumble of cinnamon and saffron. Dark eyes appraised him.

  “Try my window.” The woman beckoned him in. “I’ve a much better view.”

  Elrin’s voice stuck in his dry throat. He entered her room, unable to refuse or think with clarity. The woman winked, closed the door between them and locked it.

  Guards, thundered up the stairs and down the hall. The beautiful woman stopped them outside, but Elrin could not make out her words.

  What if she trapped him and was after an easy reward for his capture? He moved to her window and tested it. It opened with well-oiled ease. He hesitated a moment, checking for guards down on the street below. It was perfect. The high roofline obstructed most of the street view, concealing his exit.

  Once out the window, he padded across the tiled roof to the side of the inn. He jumped across the gaps between the buildings, careful not to be seen and descended to the street, using the down pipe of a nearby building. He began to jog along back streets, heading home, then the futility of the plan struck him.

  They knew where he lived. City guards were already being posted to each corner of his block. He would never get past them all. The only option was to return to Herder Kleith. He would help.

  Elrin backtracked towards the inn. There were no guards, but some locals gathered near to the front door, gossiping and gawking inside. People would still be on the lookout for him.

  A young vendor smiled with a conspiratorial wink. His stall was an upturned crate just inside an alley off Merchant Circuit.

  He waved Elrin over. “Fair clip you get on those pins. Faster than most what I’ve seen.”

  The vendor was around Elrin’s age. Like Elrin, he was a man ready for ink, but had none to show. Messy black hair licked across his brow and his clothes were rough spun. His display of ornaments for sale were precisely ordered, graded by size and colour in three neat rows.

  Two city guards came down the main road in their direction. Elrin edged further into the alley, ready to run.

  “Easy now,” The vendor placed a small statue into Elrin’s hand. “Just have a peek at the wares and a natter. They won’t notice you here. They’re out for a rabbit not a fox.”

  Elrin pretended to inspect the scrimshaw trinkets and sandalwood beadwork. He made every effort to keep his back to the road, instinct urging him to face the threat. He bottled it all down, forced his feet to stand still. He picked up a statuette.

  “Only the finest dragon bone, see.”

  “Really?” Elrin examined the small figurine of Ona, the Mother. “Looks like horn.”

  “Of course it is, my mistake. Dragon horn it is. And for three coppers, it’s the perfect gift.”

  “Only three?” Elrin felt awkward. Was this a bribe to keep quiet? There was no chance the statuette was dragon horn at that price.

  The scruffy vendor peered over Elrin’s shoulder. “They’re most past now,” he whispered. “Just wait here and mind the merchandise for me.”

  The vendor walked out of the alley and onto Merchant Circuit proper. He looked up and down the road and returned with a knowing smile. “You’re set to go. Want the Good Mother for your travels?”

  “Thanks, but no. I don’t have anything to give.” Elrin shook his empty pouch to prove it.

  “If you’ve pissed off a guilder then you’re all right with me. See now, with no ink on you and none on me, we’re almost brothers.”

  “If it’s all the same, you keep it.” Elrin left the Ona statuette on the table. “Thanks for your help.”

  Elrin crossed onto Merchant Circuit and walked beside a wagon rolling down the street. An off street took him behind the leatherworkers’ guild house. Further along, he ducked down a back alley. It was filthy with refuse. He followed the alley as it slunk left and right, collecting festering waste from the knacker’s yard and the tannery vats. The alley became more like a drain than a thoroughfare; slick with green and brown algae. It terminated in a barred sewer entrance. He climbed up the iron grill and onto a small road running behind the Hall of the Dead and Herder Kleith’s residence. He knocked on a small rear door and waited.

  ***

  After a moment Herder Kleith opened the door. Although he held the highest station as the Hand of Nathis, Herder Kleith dressed simply in robes of grey roughspun. There was no way of telling the rank or station between each herder, they all wore the same. Elrin knew Kleith’s kind face though. It was a welcome sight.

  “Have they come?” Elrin looked up and down the alley and peered in the room behind the priest. “Are the guards here?”

  “Y
our eyes child. My, what is wrong with them? They’re set to burst.”

  “Please Kleith. Are they in there too? Tell me and I’m gone. I won’t bring this on you if they are ... are they?”

  “No child. Quickly now, in, in.” Kleith coaxed Elrin through the door, shutting and bolted it after him. “Come and sit.”

  The priest guided Elrin to a plush lounge and let him sit. Elrin’s hands shook and his jaw was clenched, grinding his teeth to sand.

  Herder Kleith rang a small bell and Elrin jumped. “Easy child, I only call for tea.”

  “Sorry, Kleith. The Guildmaster rang his bell too and he wanted me dead. He cast a spell on me, I couldn’t move and then these guards came. They were dressed like city guards, but they kicked me and jumped on me. The guards, they ...” Elrin traced the sigils on the daggers blade, curious that no blood marred the steel after the fight. “I think I killed one. There was so much blood.”

  Kleith set his brows together, but his eyes softened. “Firstly, tea. Then we will start from the beginning.”

  Tea came and Elrin told his story. Herder Kleith listened closely.

  “This is indeed serious.”

  “I have to get back to Mother. They might have her. They might think she knows where I am. What if they kill her?” Elrin’s mind raced into a panic and he stood up. “I have to go warn her.”

  “No. That is not wise. You must escape. I will protect her.”

  “Then what of Father? Why were they speaking of him? Why would they want to kill me for eavesdropping? I don’t even understand what they were on about.”

  “This dagger you mentioned. The one you used against the guards. Do you have it with you?”

  Elrin presented the dagger without hesitation.

  Kleith gingerly reached out and touched the blade then winced, recoiling and shaking his hand as though it had bitten him. The hilt grew hot and the sigils glimmered gold.

  “Describe it to me Elrin. Is the blade curved? Is there a large black stone at the end of the hilt?”

  “It’s right here. Can’t you see it?”

  “It wishes to remain unseen to me. It is wise. You had best follow its good example. Come, we must get some robes. They won’t be searching for a herder.”

  The guilder took the young man upstairs to a dressing room and fitted him in the grey garb. The garments were baggy enough to fit over his clothes, hanging to his knees with long sleeves that covered his hands. A cowl hung low over his face, concealing his features.

  Kleith rushed about anxious for him to leave. Elrin knew he was trying to keep him from harm, but all he wanted was an explanation. There was so much unsaid. Kleith knew something. He had to. What was he holding back?

  “Why don’t you speak of Father when I ask? You were his best friend. He must be alive. He might be here. Don’t you want to find him too?” Elrin tried to catch Kleith’s eyes, to find some sign of the truth, but the collector averted his gaze and focused on packing a satchel.

  “There is much afoot here Elrin. Calimska is folding upon itself and you are not safe here. Your mother will not be safe with you here either. You must leave.”

  Tears welled in Elrin’s eyes. “But, what of Father? What of him?”

  Kleith gripped his shoulders, his own eyes moist. “You are Arbajkha’s son indeed. He was always at the point of a situation. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time. That dagger followed him around too you know.”

  Twisting the weapon, Elrin remembered his father’s bedtime stories of heroic adventure. The tears took over; it was all too much. Kleith had been there for Elrin and his mother, but he never spoke the name Arbajkha. Not since his father left. Mother was the same. For all Elrin’s asking they never spoke of him. His mother would cry and Kleith would comfort. Things were better for his mother without hearing of Arbajkha and now she would not hear of Elrin.

  He had to go, or die. He didn’t understand why, but knew it was serious. Kleith always looked out for them and knew what was right.

  “Easy child, leave these tears.” Kleith put his arm around Elrin’s shoulders again, his grip firm and comforting. “You must be strong if we are to aid your father.”

  Elrin’s heart leapt. Father is alive! Just as he always believed. He took a deep breath and did his best to stem the tears. He would be strong and listen.

  “You must travel to the Hoard Islands. Seek the Dragon Choir.”

  “Dragon Choir? You mean the Dragon Cord, like in the legends of Drensel Tath?”

  “No. You must seek the aid of the Choir.”

  A loud banging on the door downstairs gave Elrin a start.

  “Quickly, there’s no time. Take the hall to the resting chambers then leave through the chapel. Make haste!” Herder Kleith rose and left the room.

  Elrin grabbed the satchel, stuffing the dagger inside and raced down the hall, careful not to thump his heels on the boards. He passed through an arch and down a spiral staircase that led him below ground to the chambers of respite. Glow pots and candles illuminated scores of dead at rest. It made him uneasy, the mourning silence thickening the chill air where the dead lay to farewell the living.

  He hurried through the dank chamber into the chapel’s gentle warmth. His unceremonious entrance drew a glare from a priest kneeling in prayer. Elrin slowed to a brisk walk and bowed in apology, keeping his face concealed.

  “And don’t forget the crook this time prentice, lest it be your last. Plenty more poor boys to replace your forgetful lump of adolescence.” The Priest returned to his prayer and Elrin did as he was told, seeking the crook to avoid suspicion.

  The crook was a tall wooden staff with a silver incense condenser hanging from a chain. Elrin had witnessed Kleith prepare the crook many times before and repeated the ritual, adding several hot coals to the condenser followed by three squares of resin. He shut the lid and smoke began to rise from the silver lattice of the condenser; a little too much smoke.

  “Get out of the chapel with that, you dolt! By Nathis boy; the lost are out there. Out! Out!”

  Elrin opened the chapel door and moved into the street. He squinted in the glare and waited for his eyes to adjust. People in the street kept their distance. They covered their noses to avoid the smoke billowing from the crook, as if breathing the incense would call Nathis to take their souls while they still lived. It was a ridiculous notion, but convenient for him nonetheless.

  The vapours still pumped in his system. It was an effort not to break into a sprint for the gates and keep on running. Elrin got to the end of the road where a market square began. Four guards were on watch, waiting at the market entrance. Elrin kept a steady walk and held the crook high in front of him. He concentrated on an easy gait, transferring a gentle swing to the condenser with each step. One of the guards looked straight at him for a moment, but did nothing. The others averted their eyes, hoping to avoid the death collector’s attention.

  Elrin continued through the market square and took Lake Road through to the Silk Gate. Wagons and riders trying to leave the markets were being stopped at the barbican while guards inspected their cargo, searching for a stowaway.

  A wave of nausea swept over him. All he wanted to do was turn and run. People on foot were passing in a steady flow through the wicket gate, but a guard stood either side of the passage, eyeing off those leaving the city. Elrin was about to turn around and seek another way out of the city when the guards pulled a young man to the side. People kept moving through the pedestrian access while the poor fellow was searched and questioned.

  Elrin’s gut squirmed, but he took his chance, pressing ahead to the passage through the city walls. The crowd made way for him and the guards gave him no notice at all. He passed through the pedestrian access without being stopped.

  Further down Lake Road he felt his legs growing weak and headed to the shade of a tree. The violent surge of strength had vanished and his vision swam. The blaze vapours were making a rapid retreat, leaving his body empty and the world distorted. Elr
in fought to contain his gut and failed, retching beside the tree, spasms contorting his insides. With a throbbing head and trembling limbs, Elrin crawled away from the foul mess and rested against the tree.

  He worried over how to reach the Hoard Islands and find the Dragon Choir. Thinking of his mother all alone, staring out the window awaiting his return, clouded his eyes with tears again. Kleith would take care of her; keep her safe. He wiped the tears away; crying would likely attract attention. Not that the vomiting wouldn’t. Although, people mightn’t think a drunken apprentice was so far out of the ordinary.

  Wagons rolled by on their way between the market square; inside the city walls and the trading post; not far from his tree. Most of the wagons were small traders from the local area, their wagons packed solid with produce from the fields and orchards. A few were heading out of town, but the empty wagons that he might fit in were likely headed back to the farms of nearby hamlets. The wagons going through the mountain pass to the east were the only option.

  Elrin gathered his strength, pulling himself up to stand with the crook for support and staggered to the trading post, seeking passage to the coast.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Trading Post

  Minni urged her painted mare forward, cutting ahead of the carriages and wagons that were backed up from Calimska’s Silk Gate. Merchants and farmers stuck in the queue called to each other, trying to find out what was going on. Just before she got to the portcullis, two guards stepped in her path.

  One had his thumbs tucked in his sword belt, splaying his tanned arms out like a roast chicken. “Citizen?”

  “Not on your life, the food here’s much too salty,” Minni smiled, hoping the guard could take a joke.

  “Permit?”

  “All talk aren’t you.” Minni leant forward, searching through a saddlebag.

  “That’s a lovely bodice, Miss. Where do you go to from here, so well equipped?”

  Minni lifted her head to speak to the guard, but his eyes strayed to her chest; men were so simple, it made her job all the easier.