Dragon Dodgers (Wounds in the Sky Prequels Book 1) (3 page)

Nasur looked
over his shoulder, at the rest of the Company, but spoke to Targon
only.

“
Morale is low.” He said. “Sooner or later they’re going to
start listening to that idiot Serak.”

“
I can handle Serak.” Targon said.

Merchants
had begun
an assault on his men. Surface Runners always meant new goods for
them to resell, so they tried to tempt them with the finest silks,
jewels and tapestries in the whole of Arkhemia.

“
Look at these numskulls.” Targon said.

Nasur
shook his
head.

“
Might as well try to sell those to a Dragon.” He said. “But
still, the men’s pockets are empty. Even if it is useless crap,
they would all rather be able to afford it than not.”

“
Don’t worry. I’ll tell’em about it as soon as I know
everything.” He turned towards the company. “
Anweh!”

A small, olive skinned girl stepped up to him
with Enrig in tow.

“
Yes, boss.”

“
Don’t call me that.” Targon said. “What is he still doing
here? Go home, kid.”

“
Says he wants to join.”
Anweh told him.

“
I wanna be a Surface Runner.” Enrig said.

“
What?! No way, you’re too
young.”

“
I’m almost fifteen.”

“
Well, you look like you’re almost twelve.” Targon replied.
“And you talk like you’re ten.” Then, as if the matter was settled.
“Anweh, find us some accommodation.”

“
I started younger than him.” She said. Her wavy jet hair
bounced over her tiny ears. “And he’s good at reading Dragon’s
movements. You saw him up there.”

“
Yeah!” Enrig said. “I’ve been a Watcher for
years.”

Targ
on exhaled
loudly.

“
I’m not going to take a
kid as an apprentice unless I can talk with his
parents.”

“
My dad is somewhere out on the surface. Good luck finding
him.” Enrig said.

Targon had trouble answering
that.

“
He’s a Surface Runner.” Enrig explained.

“
Yes, I understood that!” The Captain said.

Nasur began to chuckle, which earned
him a furious stare from Targon.

“
You do see the irony in this, right?” Nasur told
him.

“
Shut the surface up.” Targon replied. “We’ll talk about
this when I get back.” He turned to Anweh. “And you, get us a place
to sleep. Nasur will hand you some gold.”

“
What gold?” Nasur asked.

Targon gave
him another angry stare.

“
Find something cheap.” Nasur told Anweh. “Maybe we’ll be
able to afford half of it.”

“
How about I pitch a tent
on the surface?” She asked.

Nasur
gave her a
wink.

“
That’s the spirit.” He
said.

Anweh turned
around with a graceful swirl and hopped away. Enrig decided to
follow her.

“
Right. Time to get paid.”
Targon said.

“
I’ll get the men
something to drink.”

“
Don’t let them get too drunk. It’s going to be a long
discussion when I get back.”

Nasur
nodded and
Targon walked away. A fruit merchant quickly jumped up to him,
displaying a glowing red pear.

“
Thank you.” Targon
said, snatching the pear. He took a bite from it, ignoring
the protest frozen on the merchant’s throat. The other merchants
decided it was better to just let him through.

He
crossed one of the
bridges that connected the two halves of the plaza and headed to
the massive gate of the Royal Palace. Above it, an elaborately
sculpted archway flamed on the wall of the cave. He stepped up to
one of the soldiers standing guard and showed him a rolled piece of
parchment with the sigil of Saggad etched on a seal.

“
I want to see the
king.”

* * *

Targon heard each of his steps repeated tenfold as he
slowly approached the throne.
The room seemed as tall as the giant cave outside. Pink
marble columns rose up to the naked rock ceiling, making sure the
artificial hollow didn’t cave on top of his majesty.

“
It sure feels empty with
just the three of us in here.” The Surface Runner said.

“
This conversation is meant for no one else’s ears.” Taggesh
II, King under Saggad, was a fat brown man with a soft voice.
Sitting atop his stalagmite throne, he looked much smaller than he
actually was. He wore a plain black tunic, and one would have been
forgiven for mistaking him for a commoner, was it not for the
flaming gold crown on his head.

“
I suppose this was the smallest room you could find in such
short notice.” Targon said.

The king did not answer, so
the Surface Runner produced the roll of parchment that had
brought him there.

“
Carn,” Said Taggesh to the servant beside him. “If you
don’t mind.” He waved towards Targon.

The man wore
a tunic similar to that of his king. He had a potent walk and a
serious stare, like nothing in the world could make him smile. He
had unusually fair skin for a Saggadi, and his short hair was
almost blonde.

The king’s servant retrieved the
parchment, opened it and read it in silence.

“
It is authentic, your majesty.” He said. “I recognize my
handwriting.”

Taggesh nodded.

“
Do you think you are the first Surface Runner to attempt to
collect this offer?” The king asked.

“
I would be surprised if
half of my competitors could read, your highness.”

Taggesh let out a soft
chuckle.

“
You are a witty man, Captain Targon. Is that a useful trait
on the surface?”

“
Alas, Dragons have a lousy sense of humor, your majesty. I
am afraid it is not.”

“
Your Company, what is its
name?”

“
The Dragon Dodgers, your
majesty.”

Taggesh paused and his eyes roamed for
a little bit.

“
Have you heard of the Dragon Dodgers, Carn?” He asked. His
servant told him no with a solemn shake of his head. “I have not as
well. I do not think your reputation has reached Saggad, Captain.
Is it a new Company?”

“
Founded it myself, twelve
years ago. Best Runners this side of the sun, your
highness.”

“
But you do understand I need more than just
Runners
, don’t you?” The king
asked. “Many companies have come to me, claiming they could do
this. Few convinced me they could. None ever returned to collect
the reward.”

“
My Runners and I tend to work mostly in Samehria.” Targon
said. “Sometimes we Run north to trade with the Arrelines in
Augusta or even Fausta. Other times we go as south as Awam, but we
rarely go east, and certainly never as far as Saggad. We have
travelled a great distance to be here, your highness. I wouldn’t
have brought the Dodgers this far unless I was sure we can do
this.”

Taggesh nodded
.

“
You are clearly motivated,
” Carn said. “that is very good. But what is your
plan?”

Targon
shuffled his feet. That really was the question. And he had spent
the last couple of months rehearsing the answer. After all, without
a plan, he was just sending himself and his Company to a certain
death.

“
My plan involves a third
party.” He replied.

“
That is rather vague, Captain.” Carn said.

“
An alchemist named
Kanuur. I have reason to believe he has made a discovery that will
assist me. But that is all I am prepared to share. The contract
does not imply I have to divulge my methods.”

“
But that is unacceptable!” The king yelled and jumped to
his feet. “I will know every detail of this operation or there will
be no deal.”

“
The king will be investing a vast sum of gold in your
endeavor.” Carn said. “If you are successful, but his majesty is
not capable of replicating that success, the investment will be for
nothing.”

“
Very well…” Targon said
, shuffling his feet once again. Those two were proving to
be harder to dodge than most Dragons. “We will be travelling to a
small town near the Shamissai Mountains called Sandahar. There, I
will meet Kanuur and obtain…” He swallowed in a dry throat and his
eyes rolled in every possible direction, looking for an answer
somewhere in the enormous throne room.

“
Obtain what?” The king asked.

“
A poison.”
Targon
blurted out. And now it was too late to take it back.
Oh boy, am I stupid…

“
A poison…” The king said.
“That is most ingenious. The possibility had never occurred to
me.”

That makes two of
us.

“
Indeed.” Said Carn. “If such poison
exists. You are certain that it
does?”

Why
don’t you just
shut up?!

“
I am very confident.”
Targon said.

“
Excellent!” Taggesh proclaimed. “As promised on the
parchment you hold, I will pay five hundred thousand Spades upon
your successful return.”

The mere thought of all that money
made Targon feel warmer.

“
I will also give you ten thousand gold Spades in advance to
cover any expenses.” The king continued.

“
Oh, thank you, your majesty.” Targon wasn’t expecting that
little, huge, bonus. It should be enough to get Serak off his back,
for sure. “You are most generous.” He said with a bow.

“
Carn will serve as your bank. Whatever you need money for,
just ask him and he will pay for it, up to those ten
thousand.”

“
Oh, that’s… You see, your majesty, Runners travel light, so
it would be preferable to restock once we reach Sandahar. For that
reason, it’s probably best if you just give me the
advance.”

“
That is not a problem, Captain. Carn
will be joining your expedition, of course. He
must learn all about this poison.”

Oh, Dragon
shit!

“
Are you fucking insane?!” Thamet
yelled.

The rest of
the Company looked similarly curious, but Targon held his fearless
expression. After all, he had been expecting this reaction from the
beginning.

“
Kill a Dragon? Actually kill a bloody Dragon?” Thamet
continued
. His braided
mustache whipping with his screams. “What is wrong with
you?”

They had the tavern all to themselves. Targon
was glad he had convinced that nosy
Carn to wait outside. Suspicious as he was, witnessing this
discussion would probably send him running back to his king,
advising him to pull off his support of the expedition.

“
Wait a moment, calm down.” Said Serak
, stepping to the front of the crowd. “For once,
the Captain might actually be on to something good
here.”

That was strange, Targon thought.
Serak actually sounded like he meant it.

“
Ten thousand Spades is a
lot
of gold.” He
continued. “And that servant of the king is the only one keeping us
from it. I say we kill the bastard half way to Sandahar, run back
to Samehria and never set foot in Saggad ever again.”

“
That’s a horrible idea.” Nasur
said.

“
Why
? Accidents happen
on the surface.”

“
No way Taggesh would fall
for that, Serak.” Targon said. “Word would get out. In less than a
year we wouldn’t be able to find a job this side of the
sun.”

“
So
this is what you
actually intended?” Thamet asked. “I mean, if your plan was to scam
the king of some far away eastern city, I could understand it. And
ten thousand Spades is almost worth crossing a whole continent. But
hunting a Dragon?! Hunt down an actual Dragon?!”

“
And kill it.” Targon
added.

“
We run from Dragons!” Yarek said.

“
We don’t kill them.” His brother Marek added.

“
No one does.” Yarek
finished.

“
That doesn’t mean it can’t be done.” Targon
replied. “
Five hundred thousand
gold Spades. You’ll be as rich as kings.”

“
Not if we’re dead, we won’t.” Thamet said.

There was a chorus of angry
agreements, but some of the Runners took the side of the
Captain.

“
It’s a lot of gold, Tham.” Casta said.

“
It’s certain death!” Liora yelled.

Approving yeah’s and angry no’s piled
on top of each other. There were even some shoves and
insults.