Dragon Adventurer collection Page 9

  Oh, right. I opened my hand and summoned his pack out of the ring.

  “That is still so cool,” he muttered. “Listen, one more thing. Our team has tomorrow off. No going into the swamp this time, okay? Awesome! See you later!” And he took off toward the lobby at a trot.

  Finally! Now I could head back to my room! I resumed my fast walk toward the nearest stairs. I really needed to check on-

  “Hey! Dragon!” a familiar voice called out. I turned to see Charlie hurrying towards me. “I need to talk to ya!”

  “Son of a…!”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  chapter 11

  Charlie raised an eyebrow at me. “Ya know, that's a hell of a way to greet a gal.”

  “Sorry...” I sighed. “If we need to talk, can we at least do it in my room? I want to put my bag down.” Not the main reason, really, but something I did want to do.

  She tilted her head, frowning at me. “Alright, privacy would be nice, and I don't have a room here. But, just a question. If the pack’s an issue, why not use that fancy ring on it?”

  My mouth dropped open as I tried to process an answer. In the end, all I had was the truth. “I... never thought of that.”

  She grinned. “Silly dragon. Lead on.” She gestured in the direction I had been heading.

  I didn't stop to think. I just hurried up the stairs. I wasn't going to let anything get in my way this time.

  “Slow down, ya scaled monster!” Charlie called out as she hurried to catch up. “I don't have your honking huge legs!”

  Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to let her catch up.

  “Jeez! What's your rush anyway? It's a room, not like it's gonna run... Wait.”

  I stopped. She looked at me closely as she pulled out her book. “This has nothing to do with your bag, does it? It’s a compulsion thing. Gotta check on the rest of your shinies or something?”

  When I didn't respond she poked me with her pen. “Come on, ya can tell me. It’s for posterity, right?”

  I considered melting the damn pen into slag for a moment but decided, in the end, it wasn't worth it.

  “Yes,” I grumbled.

  “Interesting,” she drawled. “So, is it checking on your hoard? Or is it something else?”

  “I want to know my stuff is safe. Doesn't help I just finished talking to Henry about your old room.” The last part came out as a mutter.

  I came to a stop at the fourth floor as she slowly caught up, her head bent as she wrote.

  “Ah, that. Yeah, that's a bit of what I want to talk to ya about. But it's best if it waits till we got some privacy. “She closed her book as we proceeded down the hallway.”

  It took only a moment to get back to my room. With a quick click, I had the key in and the door unlocked.

  Holding my breath, I swung the door open.

  Everything was just as I had left it. I let out my breath in a rush.

  “The hell is that?” She pointed at the lamp.

  Its flame was still going strong. It overwhelmed all other light sources, bathing the room in dancing shadows.

  “That’s...” I didn't know how much to say, so I settled on being a jerk. “A lamp.”

  She looked up at me with a glare as I shut and locked the door behind us. “No shit. Really. Why is it doing all...that?” She gestured at the open window where the late afternoon shone directly in. Even with it being right there, though, the sun wasn't able to pierce the dancing light of the lamp.

  “Dunno. When I woke up, it was doing that. Won't go out either.”

  “It won’t go out?”

  “Tried dunking it in a bucket, and it just boiled the water.” I motioned to the single chair in the room as I moved to sit on the bed. I winced as I sat down before adjusting my tail so it was out of the way.

  As Charlie's eyes followed my movement, she froze. Her mouth opened and then shut. “That's… That's a lot of gold,” she finally managed to get out.

  I glanced down at the bed. I had forgotten that I had poured all of the gold out there. My tail began to rattle as I looked back a Charlie.

  She glanced down at the tail and then blinked. She quickly held up her hands. “Woah! I'm not gonna steal it. It’s just… Okay, as far as we can tell, everyone got coins when they woke up. We guess it’s money’s replacement, since all the dollars are gone. Most people got copper coins and a few silvers. A few got some, as in single digits, of those two-inch gold coins. I was one of those lucky few. I got nine. Those nine gold coins are what bought me my new house. A multi-hundred-thousand-dollar home. Just nine gold coins. And ya got, what? fifty piled there? You’re rich! Why the hell are ya living here? At least I get why ya really wanted to check in here! Ya really do have a hoard!”

  Okay…those were worth way more than I had thought. So, I had a lot of cash. Still, the thought of letting even one coin go made me anxious.

  My attention was drawn back to Charlie as she loudly smacked both her cheeks. “Okay! That’s not why we’re here, though!”

  “Right. You said we needed to talk.”

  “Yeah! Right. Okay. Listen, I’ve been asked to come and talk to ya about a request from the mayor. Its…dangerous. The mayor and the council want you to act as bait for the Inquisitors.” The last bit came out in a rush.

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “Alright. Maybe not the best way to explain. The basics are what I said. Long form? She wants ya to go out of the city ‘by yourself.’” The way she said ‘by yourself’ made it obvious I would be anything but alone. “The reason it has to be ya is you’re the only person to slap them twice.”

  “Twice?

  “Yup. Fought one and chased him off. And ya found where their supplies are coming from. Another team is going out to make sure that’s true, but I'm convinced, and so is the mayor.”

  “Right… Still, why would they care about me?”

  “Well first, you’re the first one to balk them. Even though they haven’t been active long, they can’t let that slide if they want to keep up their momentum. Second, ya have a magic item that ya used to find them when they were hiding. Third, we don’t think that…dungeon--don't know what else to call it--anyways, we don’t think that’s the only one out there. The mayor’s putting guards on that one, so Inquisitors are gonna need a new source, and you’re the one with the best chance of finding it. We’re betting they’ve figured that out, too.” She sighed and rubbed her head. “As many times as they’ve surprised us already, they have to have people in the upper ranks of the city.”

  “Well, that’s not good. Alright. What do they want me to do?” A small voice at the back of my head was happy. I might get a chance at the prey that got away. I quickly did my best to tamp that voice. More than any of the other new feelings and compulsions, that one worried me.

  “Well, no clue on my end.” She gave him a weak smile. “My part of the job was to get you to volunteer. I'm sure you'll hear more later.” She rubbed her face. “I'm gonna head home. I’ll see you around, Jake.”

  “Charlie, about the gold…”

  She laughed. “Don't worry, little dragon. I won’t tell anyone about your hoard.”

  “Thanks.”

  After she left, I decided to try a new sleeping arrangement.

  Remembering the night at the campsite, I pulled out the flaming dagger and reached up the chimney, wedging the knife into the brickwork, where the heat could be reflected into the room without melting anything.

  I grabbed my gold and piled it up on the stone floor near the hearth. Couldn’t tell why I did it. It just felt right.

  All in all, it made for a warm and cozy feeling in the room, though the actual sleeping conditions weren’t all that great. I kept rolling around all night. I found that the most comfortable parts were the ones on the coins.

  In the morning, I couldn't help looking down at my small pile of coins. As much as Charlie had said they were a lot, they weren't enough. At least, not if I wanted to get a good night’s sleep.


  Luckily, I knew where I could get more, and since I had the day off… Well, why not?

  Packing was much quicker this time! Magic ring for the win! My sword and the knives, which I had laid out on top of the dresser, went in first.

  I threw in some food, the fire magic book, just in case I found a spot to read, and an extra set of clothing as well.

  When I thought about it, that was really everything I needed.

  As I got ready to leave, the light in room flickered. I looked over at the lamp. Now that I was thinking about it, should I bring it? Charlie had pointed out that the Inquisitors might be targeting me. If I hadn't had this lamp… Well, I had no misconceptions. I would be dead.

  If I was going to bring it, though, it would be useless to store it. With that in mind, I took the time to strap it onto my belt, where it could hang and give off light but hopefully not set me on fire--not that being on fire inconvenienced me anymore, but still.

  As I hung it on, I checked the room once again and noticed a last set of items that I probably should be wearing. My gauntlets sat on the edge of the bed, where I had left them after emptying my bag last night. I strode over and picked them up. It had been a while since I’d looked these over. When I bought them, the seller had told me that they were just display pieces. They only had plating on the top of the hand, leaving the palm and the bottom of the fingers exposed.

  I didn't feel like I needed the armor, but…there was something about them. They felt ‘off’ the way my rings had felt in the dungeon—strange, and weird. I was starting to get the impression that the feeling might have to do with magic in some way. If that was the case, then the gauntlets might be special as well. With that thought in mind, I just couldn't bear to leave them behind. Strapping them on, I admired them in the light of the lamp for a moment before giving the room a last look.

  All loaded up, I left the room. I made sure to store the key after locking the door. I wasn't going to risk losing it again.

  A quick trot down to the lobby had me standing in front of Jasper’s desk.

  “Hello?”

  He peeked out from behind his books. “Y-yes?”

  “Hey! Sorry for interrupting. I was just wondering. I want to head back to my home for some more of my stuff. Is there anything I need to do?”

  Jasper raised an eyebrow. “There isn't any paperwork, but it’s really dangerous out there. Do you really want to go? You brought so much back last time.”

  “I forgot something important.” I was kind of embarrassed that he had remembered. Guess it had only been two or three days, actually. Felt like a lot longer.

  “Alright. Well, when you’re coming back, don't forget to request entrance at the guard post, okay? Use the words 'Requesting entrance to Asylum.’” He took a deep breath, looking nervous. “Also, once people leave their homes, the houses are considered abandoned. There are people who have been going out to loot them, especially since the city is hurting for supplies. Please don't get too angry if yours was one of them.”

  My tail began to rattle at the thought of somebody stealing my things. It wasn’t Jasper’s fault, though. “Thanks for letting me know!”

  “Good luck.” With that, the scrawny man ducked back into hiding.

  Leaving Asylum, I started home at a clip. I could still remember the route that we’d taken when Robert and Sarah brought me here.

  As I hurried through the streets, I once again found that I was one of the few people not wearing some form of covering to keep their changes hidden. Every one of them seemed tired and scared.

  “Well,” I mused, “it hasn't even been two weeks yet. Shouldn't be surprised.”

  As I walked, I entered what had been one of the more traveled areas of town. Now, the streets seemed so empty. Other than the first time I’d entered city, every time I was out and about, the place felt…deserted. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people were still missing. How did this whole change thing work?

  So far everyone had just called it waking up. But what did that mean? Were there people just laying around sleeping? Or was it called that because, when people came to, it felt like waking up? Either way, how many people were still out there waiting their turn? And why did the day they woke up make a difference?

  A flicker of movement caught my eye. I glanced up in time to see a child in a window of what I thought used to be an office building. He was green. From what I could see, his lower canines made it look like he had a considerable underbite. More than anything else, though, the thing that caught my eye was the look of longing in his eyes as he watched me.

  I smiled and threw him a wave. After a moment of hesitation, he gingerly waved back before ducking back out of sight.

  I let my hand drop back down to my side. Maybe there were more people here than I thought.

  This type of thing--going to a magical new world--was my dream come true. But for most people, it might be a nightmare.

  I thought back to the questions Jasper had asked me when I first met him, the ones about family. How would that work? A child wakes up before their parents? Families waking up in different places and trying to meet back up? Finding out that you’re entirely a different species now? I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

  I was lost in thought when I realized somebody was calling out to me. I turned to look.

  “Slow the hell down!” Brittany and Carah were running to catch up with my long strides.

  I’d finally figured out a trick for telling them apart by sight, the side of their head the single horn was on. When one of the sisters finally caught up, panting for breath, I was pretty sure it was Carah.

  “You...,” she managed to puff out, “…are a pretty fast mover when you want to be.”

  Brittany stumbled up behind her. “You!” she got out before she needed to stop, hands on knees, to catch her breath.

  Shit! If these two were following me, had something come up? “I thought we had the day off?”

  “We do…” Carah smiled at me.

  “Last time you got a day off,” Brittany continued sternly, “you wandered out of the city, and we lost a full day looking for you!” She leveled a finger at me as she glared. “Then what do we see today, but you trying to leave the city! Again! Do you hate us? Is that what's going on?”

  “What? No!” That was a sudden change of direction.

  “Then why are you wandering off?”

  “I'm just going back to my house! And I didn't mean to wander off last time!”

  “Oh, sure! So that wisp grabbed you in the city?”

  “Well no, but…”

  “Right!”

  This was getting annoying, but it knocked me out of the funk I had been working myself into. I took a deep breath. All of that stuff about waking up… It was important, but I couldn’t do anything about it right now. Better to focus on something else.

  “Look, all that aside? I’m just going to my house.”

  Brittany glared at me. “Why?”

  “I have stuff I left behind that I can bring now.” I wiggled the finger that had the storage ring.

  Carah’s eyes lit up. “Well, now that’s an idea. Hey B, maybe, you know, since we’re worried about him, and he’s just gonna go anyways, maybe we should go along?” She gave her sister a smile. “You know, for his safety?”

  Brittany turned her glare on her sister, crossing her arms. “You just want to talk him into swinging by our old flat too!”

  “Guilty. But you’re gonna go anyway, right?” she asked me.

  “Miss, I would be happy to walk you home and help you bring a few things back,” I said, stepping into the gap that Carah had opened for me. It wasn't actually what I wanted but leaving these two pissed while I ran off seemed like a bad idea.

  “Come on, sis! See how nice and chivalrous he’s being?”

  “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” Brittany said, sighing. “Fine. Just this once.”

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Chapter 12

  Th
e three of us tromped through the outer city. Although there wasn't actually any extra weight in it, my finger felt heavier.

  After some bargaining, we’d gone to their place first. I still didn't get how they’d had a position to bargain from, but they still won, somehow, in the end.

  Now I had everything but the kitchen sink stored in my ring. Nice to know it could fit something as a big a bed, at least.

  We’d left in the morning, but it was nearing late afternoon by the time we made it to my house.

  “Don't take too long. It's already getting pretty late.”

  I shot Brittany a look. After all, it was her fault we took so long--searching their home three times to make sure they had every last thing in the house.

  Also, I found a downside to storing too much in the ring. I got a headache when I tried to check on what was inside, because the huge list of what was stored in the ring was shoved into my head all at once. The only way around this was to store things as package deals. My biggest success was storing an entire bookcase, with everything on it, as one item. Still, it was a lot of junk--I mean stuff.

  “Quit sulking. It wasn’t even all that bad,” Carah chuckled.

  “It’s not like you aren’t going to do the same thing with the junk in your house right?” Brittany added.

  “Don’t even know if I have room for my house now,” I muttered.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Brittany said, waving a dismissive hand. “We’ll wait out here.”

  As I walked in the door, I was hit by a familiar tingle of energy in the air. It felt just like when…we were in that dungeon.

  I looked around in alarm. “The hell?” This wasn’t my house. It couldn’t be MY house.

  I went back outside and looked up and down the block.

  I recognized my street, even with how much the houses had changed. There, across the street, was that familiar gnarled old tree. A little way up were the weird statues that the artist family had made. All the positions were right. This was my house. I turned, glared and walked into the damn place.