* * * * *
It wasn’t long before the crew had finished their duties and made their exit from the ship to venture into town for the nightlife.
Dare stood alone on the ship, gazing over the open water, watching the waves come into port. The unique spicy smell of longtail redfish captured the harbor as several boats unloaded their daily catch.
A thin layer of low clouds defused the sunset on the humid evening. It would have been the kind of day Dare would pull out his fishing pole and fall asleep in the breeze, if it weren’t for a winged beast heading his way, from the north. Its reflective scales made it difficult to see at a distance, but Dare knew exactly who it was.
The Red-Tipped Silver Dragon dove down to the ship, expanding its wings only at the last second to stop his descent.
“Draq,” Dare said. “Ya never mentioned anything about a Blothrud. He destroyed me entire crate! You’ll have to come up with a new payment for my time and loss of me valuable crewmen.”
The dragon folded his glossy wings and perched on the railing. Slightly taller than Dare, he had the additional advantage of the railing as he looked down over his long snout. “The only things you value are the coins in your purse and the drink in your bottle. Regardless, neither are my problems. You asked for a case of Irr as your payment. I provided it. Your inability to outwit a stupid Blothrud is not surprising, although it’s still not my issue.”
“Think of me crew. I got noth’n for ‘em. They won’t help me anymore unless I can show them something of value at the end of this trip.” His head sagged as he tried to look pathetic.
“Listen, you fat repulsive human, I don’t care about your problems. Besides, Ambrosius knows you stocked away armfuls of your nectar after partaking some with Santorray and Thorik.”
Dare’s neck cocked to the side and looked directly at Draq. “What? You been spying on me? Ya no good Altered!”
“I have better things to do than watch you. Ambrosius on the other hand is watching everything.”
“Really? My sources tell me he was killed in Weirfortus. Closed behind the dam walls he be, under an ocean of water. Crushed. And yet you say he’s still pull’n the strings. How do ya fancy he be doing that from under that weight?”
“He managed to float his way up to the top of the reservoir, where I found him fighting off the Death Witch’s grasp for his soul.”
“Why didn’t you save him from being trapped by the Num in the first place?”
“I was detained.”
“So, how about that. The Num was right. He damn near did kill the old E’rudite. But how did ya save him from the witch?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t go unscathed.”
“I can just see it. Ambrosius sit’n on top of the world as he looks down from Weirfortus, bark’n orders for you to carry out.”
“He’s not at Weirfortus, and you are not to discuss the fact that he lives with anyone.”
“Then you shouldn’t have told me in the first place. It’s gonna cost ya to keep me quiet.”
“I told you because Ambrosius knew you wouldn’t do as I asked without knowing he was backing it. I have further orders for you from him and you’re going to keep his existence quiet or he will make sure you can’t talk to anyone. Do you recall the battle of Lirsha Mare? Are you sure you want to go through that nightmare again?”
Dare scratched his backside as he recalled the event. “That little Num killed Ambrosius as far as I know.”
“I thought so.”
Chapter 14
Mythical Forest Archway