Page 65 of Of Scale and Blood

There were at least two dozen other soldiers dotted about, some in groups, some singular. Hannity sat alone at a table to our right and rose as we approached, saluting casually.

“Good to see you up and about, Captain. Commander Green was here a few minutes ago, looking for you, and said he’d be back in half an hour to escort us to the surface.”

I nodded, a little surprised he hadn’t relegated the task to a junior officer. But perhaps he was paying deference to my position at the palace rather than my military one. “Then we had best eat.”

I dumped my packs, then hobbled over to the servery. A big sweaty man in brown plated me up a meal consisting of roasted meat, four potatoes, a few rather sad-looking vegetables, and several slices of thick bread, then motioned me toward the end of the servery where there were several pots of steaming shamoke. I poured myself a drink in the largest mug I could find and then headed back to the table to eat. I was damnably hungry and would probably have gone back for seconds had not Green arrived with two other soldiers.

I stood up and saluted. “Morning, Commander. Any news regarding Hopetown?”

“There’s been no additional attacks, but riders have been sighted on high. We suspect they’re looking for any indication of additional fortifications before they send a new invading party in.”

“Or they’re looking for the drakkons,” I said.

“Indeed. Shame we do not have more of them.”

“If we can work out a means of nullifying the acidic weapons of the riders,” I replied, “then the need for drakkons would be lessened.”

“I can’t help but think an army of drakkons would be of benefit to Arleeon, especially when the Mareritt remain a problem.”

“Given how close we came to causing the extinction of the drakkons,” I couldn’t help but bite back, “it’s a miracle they’re willing to help us at all.”

He looked a little startled at that. “You don’t control them?”

“No, Commander, we do not.”

“Then perhapsthatshould be a prior?—”

“Commander, I wouldnotfinish that sentence. The drakkons are every bit as intelligent as we humans, and they are not ours to rule or force into obedience and servitude.”

“Captain, they are nothing more than a large animal?—”

“All large animals can either eat or kill you if they’re hungry or angry enough,” I cut in. “And the drakkons have very long memories.”

“Which doesn’t matter given she isnothere?—”

“Except,” Kele drawled, “for the fact that our captain and her drakkon have an open line of communication, and our queen drakkon is no doubt listening to every word we are saying. I wouldn’t be roaming the streets alone anytime soon, Commander, because she does have something of a temper.”

Truth,Kaia said.Would crunch his bones and spit him out.

And I would definitely let you.I flexed my fingers lightly against the flames burning against my fingertips. “Slavers once considered the people of Arleeon and other nearby continents to be no more than wild creatures to be tamed and used. Do you approve of that, Commander?”

“That is a very different?—”

“No, Commander, it is not. Now, if you don’t mind, we need to get to Esan. Please provide us with a guide back to Hopetown.”

Annoyance flickered through his eyes, no doubt thanks to the inference I didn’t wanthimleading us, but he turned and snapped his fingers at the two soldiers behind him. “Greta, Marc, escort the captain and her people back to Hopetown.”

“Thank you, Commander.”

He nodded, spun on his heel, and stalked out. I couldn’t help but wonder what my father thought of the man. Maybe it was nothing more than his opinion on the drakkons rubbing me the wrong way, but I definitely wouldnothave placed him in overall control of Hopetown’s fighting forces.

I collected my packs, threw them over my shoulder, then motioned to the two soldiers to lead the way. They did so at a good clip, and over the course of the next hour we passed numerous guard stations and several unmarked but extremely strong-looking metal doors. By the time we neared the steep steps I only vaguely remembered, my calf was beginning to ache. Obviously, the painkillers were wearing off.

Greta motioned us to halt, then quickly ran up and activated a vertical long viewer with an L-attachment at the eye end. It allowed her to use the viewer without the inconvenience of needing to squat underneath.

“All clear,” she said, after a few minutes.

Her companion ran up the steps, slid the hatch open, and quickly jumped up. After a few more seconds, he echoed, “All clear.”

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