Myrtle gave a sly chuckle as I looked around the room in embarrassment. Kennith shrugged. I bet he was happy to have me not complaining about how I was bored all day.
“Should’ve brushed on your public speaking skills when you had the chance.” Myrtle sounded entirely unsympathetic.
I tried to stammer out some kind of response.
“Oh don’t worry. I’m sure if you botch the attempt then I’ll have many embarrassing moments to weave into your epic. In that regard, good luck!” She gave me a dainty, playful wave as I felt blood rush to my face. All of this was getting written down?!
“Come on Mur-Mur! At least help me write the script!” I pleaded as everyone laughed.
Chapter 19: Call to Arms.
Ashe and I exchanged lost glances as we stared at the unimpressed crowd. We were standing on the wooden stage of the Drunken Dragon, a basement bar that ran the risky but lucrative business of existing five minutes’ walk from Mithil’s central church.
It was open all day and night, on the account of constantly rotating guard shifts. The smell of beer had soaked into the floorboards and covered every surface. Not even the owner’s constant cleaning of his counter could keep away the smell of alcohol.
Instead of being armed with Myrtle’s script, I found a note in my coat pocket telling me that even if she wrote me a speech, it would come out ‘apocalyptically awful.’ She’d scribbled a ‘follow your heart!’ with a fancy ink heart on the end. Thanks, but my heart got me into this mess. I didn’t have any faith that following it would get me out.
That’s nice Mur-Mur, but I am not actually that confident, nor that good at speaking to large crowds. So here I am, staring down at least a dozen different men, some of them who decided to bring their guard armor and a few weapons. They likely just got off duty too.
“So did my brother tell you guys what’s going on?” I began, then I heard a holler in the back.
“You’re Kennith’s younger sister?” It was a reflex, but I felt my cheeks blushing at the comment.
Good. One step forward right off the cliff. I looked over at Ashe and he returned a look that said he didn’t know what to do either. I probably had a better shot than some scrawny teenager who only happened to have authority because he had purple eyeballs.
Fair enough.
“So, everyone knows that there’s going to be a fight between two of the royal dragons? Right? I’m sure Kennith’s been warning you about it?” The crowd nodded to my lukewarm introduction.
“Ya, lass. What’s your point?” There was a collective grumbling as Ashe waved at the crowd, telling them to shush.
“Uh, so the fight’s going to be taking place in two days. I know. Not a lot of time.” The murmurings began again, while even the barkeep looked a bit uneasy this time around. Ashe didn’t stop them immediately, instead giving the tavern a bit of time to let the news sink in.
“But I’m going to go for a big ask.” I put my hands together in a makeshift prayer. “I…we’re betting on Aria. Not King Lazarus. So we’re asking if you could give us a hand.” Louder murmurings.
“Better plan. We stay home, because between you and I lass, they’re dragons. It ain’t about who’s supporting who.” There was a roar of agreement, followed by another round of beers. Okay, not going so well.
“But it can be! I know this is going to sound like a tall tale, but I traveled with Aria. Yes, I traveled with a royal dragon. I don’t know what you guys get out of the current king, but you guys aren’t more than living furniture aren’t you? Guarding…guarding what? Dragons? Let’s be honest, they don’t need guarding.” I had their attention for once. They wanted to either see me blow their minds or watch me crash and fall.
“That’s what you are to the current king, because nothing changes. Aria though, she wants things to change. She’s got a lot in here,” I tapped my chest, hopefully landing close to where my heart was, “Because you shouldn’t be decorations. There should be something, some purpose for you to be royal guards! Aria’s going to need people like you, and not for her sake. For the change she’s trying to make. You know, so that you can get to do something more than standing there all day!” There were looks of concern as Ashe shot me a worried look. A second passed. Then two. Finally, one of them spoke out, somewhat apologetically.
“Look, lass. We’ve got families and such. We’re not trying to do something heroic and dangerous. We’re just trying to get by, and having someone shake things up isn’t really why a lot of us are here for. Ya, we know how to shoot a crossbow, or swing a poleaxe, but that’s it. Now, that kid over there with the purple eyes? She’s the kind of folk you need. Not us.”
Ashe didn’t bother trying to stop the uproar in agreement. We were losing the crowd in record time.
“You got any ideas?” I looked over at Ashe, trying to find an out. Instead, I heard Aria’s melodic voice ring through my ears, offering me a solution served on a plate of questions.
“No, but I do.”
Aria descended the stairs into the tavern, flanked by Sebastian and two older Pact Mages. Instead of the black cloak, she wore a white, furred coat loosely draped over her dazzling blue dress. Gold embroidery fell down her shoulders, giving her a regal aura that I’ve never seen her wield, but now that it was there, I couldn’t imagine her without it. There was a silence as the bar patrons looked at her in disbelief.
“Aria! What are you doing here?” I managed as she crossed her arms, turning her glare at me.
“One, I thought I told you to stay home. Two, I suspected Ashe would pull something like this and try to get you involved. Let’s just say that I’m one step ahead of her, and I very much don’t appreciate her pulling a stunt like that.” She was so serious and bitter. Wait, her?
“You mean he right? Ashe is a boy,” I blurted out as the entire tavern watched Aria’s expression soften, surprised at the change of topic.
“She? She.” The two of us looked at the mischievous Pact Mage as he shrugged.
“Whatever you want me to be!” He had this crackling laugh that made him sound like a fox, which did not help us at all. At least it helped soften the mood.
“Regardless.” She cleared her throat as she turned to address the tavern.
“I know it is strange for a royal dragon to ask for your assistance, but I have my reasons. I wish to keep the fight between my brother and I, and not the organizations built around us. Thus, I would like you to act on my behalf, or on behalf of King Lazarus if you wish. I would like you to convince as many guards to not participate in our fight in two days and secure the castle for the victor. While I do not believe many will do so, I know that rash actions happen in the heat of battle, or in a moment of vengeance.” She paused, letting the crowd soak up her every word. See, if I had those fancy eyes and was a dragon then I would also amaze the public.
“King Lazarus has not taken such considerations into mind, so I’m forced to ask you to do what I cannot. Hopefully my willingness to be with you in this final hour has changed your mind on what kind of dragon I am, but if it does not, I will not force your minds. Finally, I offer the opportunity for four capable individuals to assist me personally. It is for those who seek glory, not those who wish for the safety of the castle nor the comfort of family. Thank you.” She gave a small bow as the entire tavern erupted into clapping. She walked over to me, still with a deathly glare in her eye, and yanked my arm.
“Come on, we’re going to have a talk,” she grumbled, dragging me forward. Fortunately for me, footwork was one of those things that I heavily invested into as a child, and I’d only gotten better with time. With one perfect lunge forward, I pecked her on the cheek. I had the delightful sight of her expression suddenly softening up as her face lit up like the sunset. There was dead silence in the bar as they waited to see whether I’d get murdered or not.
“Missed ya, sweetie.” My statement was met with embarrassed stammering by the cute princess right beside me.
“Y-You’re not supposed to be doing that in public!” she sputtered out, trying to keep quiet and failing spectacularly. There was a roar from the patrons as it turned to a rowdy mess of cheering and gossip as she dragged me out of the tavern. I gave a parting wave, complete with a stupid grin before being forced up the stairs by Aria. Dragon strength was no laughing matter, even in her human form.
We were outside now, and she had dragged me to a secluded alleyway in between the tavern and some other restaurant where patrons weren’t permitted to spill beer all over the floor. Sebastian looked like he was dragging Ashe out into the alleyway as well.
“Be honest, you liked that.”
That got another embarrassed smile out of her as she rubbed her cheeks, right where I had kissed her.
