Oakes 1
Erin OakesWord Count: 2,644
Professor Ersinghaus
Creative Writing
4/4/18
Short Story #3
Dragon’s Gift: Chapter One
by
Erin Oaks
A chilly wind cried out in glee as it whipped the worn cloak of a weary traveler walking up a slope to the narrow ledge of a cliff. The traveler stopped at the edge, and looked down upon the small city below a short distance away. Lights began to dot the small town like fireflies as it lost the days natural light. If the traveler remembered correctly, this was the town of Mythral, or what was left of it after the long past war. It had been at least a centuryor so since the traveler had last set foot within the city’s gates, but he could recall it all like it was yesterday.
“This is where it all began…” the traveler murmured gravely, a deep frown pulling at the edges of his thin lips. The traveler turned away from the small city and moved away from the cliff’s edge. He began the trek down the side of the cliff, even though the sky was void of any light.The traveler chuckled to himself, a small nostalgic smile saving his thin lips from the deep frown. This cliff alone brought many a naïve memory from his youth to the forefront of his mind, let alone the small town itself.
The trek down was long and only made longer by the two miles between the bottom of the cliff and the small town. Normally the traveler wouldn’t have risked crossing such a distance at night, but tonight was the first night of winter and large masses of gray clouds blotted out any light from above. Only a low class bandit would try to rob anyone on a night like this, even in wide open terrain. Still, the traveler remained on guard as he made his way to the town. Luckily, the last part of his trek was uneventful, and arrived at the gates of Mythral unchallenged.Despite losing feeling in most of his body by the time of his arrival,the Traveler pounded hard on the door wooden door before him.
“State your name and business.” A nasal toned voice demanded after a moment.
“Good evening, gate keeper,” the traveler greeted, keeping his face partially hidden beneath the cowl of his cloak. “I am Ryu Stern, and my business is with the local blacksmith: Noel Boivin.”
“And what business do you have with said blacksmith, Mr. Stern?” the nasal voice inquired.
The traveler’s cowls to slip back slightly as his head shifted towards the direction of the disembodied voice. Glowing, narrowed sea blue eyes saw through the illusion keeping the gate keeper’s window safely hidden. “My business is a private matter; only for the ears of the blacksmith.”
“Calm down, sir.” The nasal voice sighed. “It is what I must ask of those that wish to enter Mythral past curfew.” Over the next minute the clicking of many, many locks unlocking sounded, before the door was finally opened. There stood a squat little man, in the formal robes of a mage. In his stubby hands he held a lantern up between them. “You may enter, sir, and find shelter quickly before a patrol finds one for you.”
The traveler nodded and strode past the gate keeper. His outdated memory of the town’s layout had him wandering the streets for at least twenty minutes, and being after curfew he was the only civilian outside. The streets were brightly lit by small white orbsthat were maintained by the local mages, if his memory was still correct about it. The orbs kept the main roads well lit, but did nothing for the shadows lurking in every side passage.
Thankfully, a patrol was nice enough to escort Ryuto his destination: the Singing Raven Tavern/Inn. One of the patrolmen was sympathetic enough to explain that the building had been moved farther away from the entrance due to an altercation some years earlier, which was why Ryu had trouble finding it. This was the place Noel had instructed them to meet at. It was a fair sized inn, two levels high, and hopefully with an available room on this frigid night. Keeping the cowl low over his face, Ryu entered the busy tavern/inn. Waitresses hurried around the room large room to his right with deliciously smelling food, which made Ryu mouth water, and, more than likely, alcoholic drinks to graciously paying customers.
Ryu easily spotted Noel the black smith inside the room. He sat at a corner table, a single mug, probably once filled with ale, in one hand and the other on his favored weapon: a cane. His long brown beard curled at its ends, just short of touching Noel’s round stomach, while his head was still as hairless as ever. Noel’s bright blue eyes currently examined his now empty mug, and shouted, his voice still hard and commanding, ordered another round of ale for everyone with an empty glass. Ryu grinned from ear to ear. Noel certainly seemed to be doing well for himself after all these years.
Across from Noel a young man sat, who Ryu could only assume was the black smith’s current apprentice. His dark red hair was cut short, and his face was clean shaven. He seemed like a waif of a boy to Ryu, but Ryu knew only too well that looks could be deceiving. Noel’s apprentice sat leaned back in his chair, his head resting in his out stretched palm, elbow resting on the chair’s arm rest. The apprentice’s golden eyes disgustedly watched the boisterous tavern goers’ party. No drink sat in front of the apprentice, which could mean a number of things.
Still grinning, the traveler turned away from the room and towards the front desk. Here the owner sat reading the latest newspaper edition: The Mythral Gazette. The Inn Keeper looked up as he heard Ryu approach his neatly kept desk.
“What can I help you with, good sir?” the Inn Keeper asked, marking his page and folding up the newspaper. He placed it under his arm for safe keeping before lacing his hands together and leaning forwards towards Ryu.
“Is there a room available?” Ryu asked, the warmth of the front room starting to warm his almost numb body.
The Inn Keeper leaned back and picked up a small brown book to his left. He repositioned his thin wired glasses and began to flip through its pages with bony fingers. “I’m sorry, sir, but all the rooms have been filled for the night.”
Ryu sighed. It was just his luck, though he did have two choices available to him: Camp out at Noel’s or camp out in the forest surrounding the meager town, which meant going back out into the numbing cold.Ryu wasn’t fond of either of those options, not after Noel had twisted his arm into agreeing to this meeting. He liked his friend, but Noel’s snoring was unbearable. Then again, sleeping outside on the first night of winter was not only deadly, but also dangerous…
“Sir, did you by any chance reserve a room before hand?”
The Inn Keeper’s voice brought Ryu back out of his thoughts to see the Inn Keeper staring at him cautiously. Would Noel have been generous to reserve a room for him? Ryu shrugged, “I don’t belief so, but a friend may have reserved one for me.”
“Well, sir, tell me your name then.”
“Ryu Stern.”
“Ron…Ryan…Ryder…” The Inn Keeper muttered as he turned through the brown books pages once more. “Rylan…Ryker…Ryo…Ryoichi…Ryota…” the Inn Keeper sighed as he closed the book. “Sorry, there's no one under that name.”
Another sigh left his lips. Of course the reservation wasn’t under his current alias. That would have been too easy and his friend liked to be creative…However, there was one name he hadn’t used since the war, but Noel wouldn’t be foolish enough to…then again it was Noel. “Please, sir, humor me and try the…nickname Dragon?”
“Very well, sir, but this is the last time. Then you must go out into the cold.” The Inn Keeper declared and he picked up his brown book for a third time. “Doyle…Draco…Dragan…Drago…Ah!” the Inn Keeper exclaimed with false excitement.“I’ve found your name sir. The rooms already been paid for.”
Ryu nodded, “Thank you for your patience.”
“Here’s your key. It’s room thirty one, on the top floor.”
Ryu took the key and disappeared up the nearby stair case, which lead to the second level of the Inn/tavern.
Meanwhile in the adjoining tavern, Noel was still paying for everyone’s drinks and the apprentice was still glaring across the table…
“Oi, Master Noel, are you finished yet?” the apprentice asked as he watched Noel finish yet another mug of ale. This was becoming a semi-nightly occurrence, which was rather bothersome. They still had five orders to finish back at the workshop and the customers were due to pick them up tomorrow evening.The apprentice glared as his Master continued on downing his current pint of ale as if he hadn’t said a word.
“Another round on me lads!” Noel shouted joyously, holding up his own mug. The Tavern cheered, and the waitresses began to refill the raised mugs.
“Don’t ignore me, you drunken fool!” the apprentice growled, but Noel just laughed and gulped ale from his freshly refilled mug. “Fine. Have it your way. Seldeen enip otni ela sretsam nrut.”
Noel nearly chocked, pine needles flying from his mouth as he coughed. Once the coughing subsided, Noel slammed his stein down onto the wooden table and vowed, “Never shall I again, take a mage for an apprentice!” Noel flipped the mug upside down and held it over the edge of the table. A small amount of pine needles fell from the stein and to the wood floor. He then cleared his throat and looked sternly at his apprentice, “Now Badr,we’ve been through this, turning a man’s drink into pine needles will get ye beaten up quicker than ye could mutter a spell.”
“Can we leave this place now, Master?” Badr asked, ignoring Noel’s warning and the fact he could have killed the blacksmith.
“No, not yet.” Noel sighed, placing his stein down more gently than before on the table top.
“And why not?” Badr demanded raising his voice to his master. “We’ve been here more than enough time and we both must be up at day break!”
“The young are impatient.” Noel sighed and leaned as far over the table as his round stomach would allow him to. “They can’t stop to smell the roses at a historical site.”
“Historical site?” Badr repeated, raising an eye brow, “You mean something historical happened here?” At Noel’s following nod, Badr scoffed, “This is a bloody tavern! Nothing historical happens at places like this.”
“The young are also quick to judge a book by its cover, my old friend.” A calm, but serious male voice caught the black smith’s attention, before he could further discipline his apprentice.
“You’ve finally arrived!” Noel exclaimed jumping out of his chair, and turning around to slap his friend’s shoulder with his large hand. “Ryu yer a sight for sore eyes. It’s been too long my friend.”
Ryu nodded, “Yes, five years is certainly too long.”
“Enough about the past, my friend, let’s focus on the here and now!” Noel retorted cheerfully pulling a chair up for Ryu to sit at the table with them. Noel then turned to his student, “Badr, I am pleased to introduce to you my old friend, Ryu Stern. Ryu this is my disrespectful apprentice Badr Samara.”
“It’s a pleasure meeting you.” Badr replied politely extending his hand.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Ryu returned, shaking the younger one’s hand briefly. “Noel is the finest Black Smith in all of the Nimue Kingdom. You couldn’t find a better teacher if you tried.”
“Sit, sit Ryu!” Noel exclaimed taking his own seat. He automatically began to lift his stein to his lips, but paused remembering that it was empty. Instead he held it upwards and roared, “Waitress another round of drinks on me!”
Ryu chuckled shaking his head as the tavern goers’ cheered with glee. Noel really hadn’t changed much since the time of their youth. He sat down in the chair offered to him, “I’ll have just one drink, Noel, but then we have matters of importance to discuss.”
“One drink is all you’ll need lad!” Noel laughed, “It only ever does take one…two at the most. Ah remember that time during the war, Ryu? You got so hammered you took on the whole bloody–”
“You fought in the war?” Badr asked incredulously, cutting off his master’s words.
“Quit yapping while I’m talking boy!” Noel roared, making the tavern quiet momentarily. The blacksmith had just about had it with his apprentice’s antics tonight, “One more word outta you and yer be finishing the orders yer self tomorrow!”
“Easy, Noel,” Ryu cautioned his friend, glancing around at the other patrons in the tavern. It was hard not to be noticed around a drunken Noel, “I don’t mind answering questions about the war. You and I both know how much the official records glorified everything.” Ryu said in a hushed voice to his old friend, not wanting others to overhear his words. Returning his attention to Badr, Ryu smiled as he answered, “Yes, both of us served in the war, Badr. It’s how your Master and I first met actually.”
“Aye, everyone’s been asking questions since the end of the war, but they don’t want to hear what really happened during it. All anyone cares about is the official record of what happened, especially the royals.” Noel replied, setting his glass back down on the table. “The Higher Powers know the money they paid us, the reparations, was to keep us quiet for as long as we lived.”
“Ah ha!” Badr exclaimed leaning forwards in his chair. “So that’s how you can afford to do this every night.”
Ryu chuckled, “Regardless, Noel, I came all the way out here because you insisted we meet about something important?”
“Oh very well, let’s talk business.” Noel stated as a waitress paused at their table. She refilled his stein and placed a wine glass down in front of Ryu.
“Mr. Stern, an admirer of yours asked me to bring that over to you.” The waitress explained before Ryu could ask for an explanation. “You are Mr. Stern, correct?”
Ryu nodded, “Yes, I am.”
“Good, it’s a Cinnamon Caramel Apple.” the waitress sighed, relieved she hadn’t delivered the drink to the wrong person. She reached into her shirt and pulled out a note and handed it to Ryu, “Your admirer also wanted me to give you that note.”
“Is said admirer still in the tavern?”
“No, he left just a minute ago.”
“Alright, thank you.”
“You’re welcome sir.” The waitress replied and hurried away from the table.
Ryu exchanged a weary expression with Noel. Aside from the Blacksmith no one had known Ryu was coming here this evening, and no one still living in town should have recognized him. Carefully, Ryu opened the note and began to read. It was short and to the point. Frowning, he handed it over to Noel.
“So it’s from him.” Noel muttered gravely, looking over the note.
Ryu nodded, “So it seems, but you and I both know it can’t be. More like someone wants us to think he’s still alive.”
“Bah! You’re still underestimating him.” Noel retorted dismissively, “You always have.”
“… Is this why you insisted I come here?”
“Aye lad, it is.” Noel replied and gulped down some of his drink, “You never were very good at killing people, even with that Dragon’s Gift of yours.”