On the Right Path

Up on Randel’s back, Roscrow felt the heavy scrutiny of the immense dragon. Randel watched the stranger with curiosity and caution, quite aware of the new weight.

Ignoring the dragon, Roscrow raised a brow at the small shelter. Mostly buried and overgrown with vines, with a tattered gray tarp pinned to an uneven door and a slanted metal roof partially covered in moss, it blended into the surrounding as though it were just one of the natural mounds on the dragon’s back.

“How quaint,” he stated disparagingly. “No wonder I could not pick this Tunker from the others. I was expecting something akin to civilized.”

Jasper glared at him. “Oh, so we fooled you, then? Seems it was working as intended.”

With a curl of his lip and a sour glare, Roscrow changed his focus to Slina. She stood near S’re, her neck craned back to look up at him in wide-eyed awe. As soon as she felt the intensity of his attention, she visibly shrank back.

Cocking his head curiously, Roscrow eyed her. “A Scouter? What country let you out?”

Slina clenched her teeth, looking down at the ground. Her whole body was so tense that she trembled.

“She can’t speak,” S’re spoke up for her indignantly. “Slavers stole her from Lindarow and cut out her voice. So stop scaring her!”

Casting her a scowl with enough weight to stagger her back a step, he snarled while gesturing to himself. “As you yourself have stated, ny’Salohm, I am terrifying simply by my very existence!”

Blinking a few times, S’re let out the breath that would have been another snippy remark, looking down. “Sorry. It ... really bothers you.”

His brow pinched tight, his especially dark glare crushing down on her. “It bothers me when you speak of things you don’t understand. Simply to know a person’s innermost secrets doesn’t give you understanding. This is why Tamers keep privy what they see in others. Now is a good time to begin habituating the practice.”

Pulling her lower lip slightly between her teeth with a sharp inhale, she returned his glare for a brief moment, though she did not meet his eyes directly. Crossing her arms while muttering “yeah, fine,” she turned away with a frown.

Returning his attention to Slina, who had stepped closer to S’re, he raised his hands to get her attention. In flowing, practiced motions, he spoke fluidly in the signed language of her region rather than the common. “As a Lord, it would be my privilege and honor to have the finest surgeon in Academy restore your voice to you.”

Gasping, Slina blinked rapidly a few times before peering up at him with wide, uncertain eyes.

“What did you say to her?” S’re pressed, glaring between them.

A sly hint showed through Roscrow’s stern mask, a gleam in his eyes as though he had just discovered a game. “She knows.”

S’re’s brow pinched as tight as her mouth. “What did you promise her?”

His lip curled up playfully. “Protective of your harem, ny’Salohm?”

Jaw popping open then snapping shut, S’re blushed and scowled at him. “Stop that! That– that’s not what this is!”

Nodding with a smug smirk, Roscrow did not relent in his tease. “Right. That’s why she wears his clothes and he wears yours.”

Fumbling for a defense, she looked at Jasper in hopes of help. Her hopes were dashed by his sheepish grin and shrug. “The man’s perceptive, I’ll give him that.”

“What!?” she barked. “If anything, it would be your harem!”

Pressing his lips to a thin line in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid the smile that curled up the ends anyway, Jasper shook his head, eyes twinkling. “No, see, you’re the Tamer. I am but your humble steed.”

S’re groaned in anguish, burying her face in her hands with Slina following suit, but she could not hide the blush that reddened all the way to the tips of her ears.

It made Roscrow boom out in laughter.

“That was terrible, Jasper,” S’re whined behind her hands.

“So terrible that you’ll spend the whole trip back like that?”

Spreading her fingers, she cast him an evil eye. “You’re terrible!”

With a triumphant grin, Jasper bobbed his head up and down. “So, that would be a yes. You know, it’s going to be a long trip back.”

“Not entirely,” Roscrow interrupted, quickly regaining his composure. “As entertaining as the three of you are, the faster we are out of Mardarow, the better. We need only to make it to the next town. There is a train stop at the Vorishki tavern there.” He let his eyes shine down on S’re with a frown. “Had you not run off, we could have been there already, gotten the train on order, and then came back to deal with your merry little band of bed warmers.”

Jasper’s brow creased. “Wait, the train? How will it take Randel?”

Roscrow tilted his head arrogantly with a little smirk as though he knew something special. “Bultaj can move mountains.”

Eyes popping wide, Jasper’s face grew pale. “B-Bultaj? Oh. Uhh ... great. That’s great. We’ll, uh, have a real nice trip, then.”

Roscrow’s demeanor changed, his eyes narrowed curiously. “How exactly are you acquainted with him?”

“Oh, uhhh, well,” Jasper started, running his fingers through his hair nervously. “Ha, IIIII may have ... burnt down several of his train depots. He, um, has a bounty on me. The biggest one, in fact.”

With a self-righteous tilt of his head, the Lord teased, “Perhaps he’ll be forgiving.”

Jasper glared up at him. “That’s bullshit, and you know it!”

Putting a fist to his hip, the Guardian leaned over him with a grave wrinkle in his brow. “What’s bullshit, saipaki, is wasting my lead and putting my Tamer in danger by acquiescing to her obduracy. Now, will you get this beast moving, humble steed, or shall I use my sword to poke him in the rear?”

It wasn’t often Roscrow received such a look. In fact, only a few people in his experience ever cast him such a scowl– like he had overstepped himself and might find himself over the edge of the shell, if only there was a way to move the giant.

Gritting his teeth to hold his tongue, Jasper spun on his heel and stomped into the foliage, muttering under his breath. “Guess I’ll get us started on this journey.”

“Ah, yes. That would be a most pragmatic idea. Good man,” Roscrow mocked after him.

If looks could kill, the glare Jasper shot back might have dropped him dead. Smirking, he returned his attention to his Tamer. She was not impressed.

“You don’t have to be a dick. It’s not going to make you any friends here.”

His eyes narrowed with disinterest. “I’m not concerned about making friends at the moment, ny’Salohm. We will have centuries to warm up to each other. Right now, all of us are in danger, and it’s a bit disappointing that I have to keep reminding you of that.”

The ground beneath their feet vibrated and lurched as Randel began his journey to the end of the old trail.

Shaking her head in aggravation, S’re muttered under her breath “I just had to end up with a jerk,” before turning away.

When she jerked her head to indicate for Slina to follow, the young woman hesitated. Peering up at him again, she held up her hands to sign. “Do you mean it?”

His face softened noticeably. “I do not dissemble, and I put up no farce. I would not say it if I did not mean it.”

Smiling up at him, she followed S’re back into their shelter.

Stepping through the brush as he returned, Jasper suddenly found himself alone with the dark-eyed giant. He started to hurry past when he stopped and faced Roscrow.

“Look. I don’t know much about the Q’Hu, but I have heard you’re territorial, true?” Frowning, Roscrow nodded sharply. Pointing down at the dragon beneath their feet with both hands, Jasper’s tone was stern and steady. “My dragon. My territory. If you don’t like that, you can complete this trip on your dragon.”

As he spoke, Roscrow’s expression changed from dangerous to surprised to amused. He leaned down only inches from Jasper’s face, shimmering orbs locked on him. “You do know I could kill you and your dragon?”

It was not said as a threat, merely a statement of fact, but it still elicited a chain reaction in Jasper’s body. Despite the apprehension that pounded in his chest, he clenched his fists and held his ground. “I have no doubt.”

Roscrow’s amusement deepened. Smirking, he straightened and glanced through the foliage towards the shelter. Then, baring his teeth in a smile that was more of a polite snarl, he drawled slow and sweet, “I yield in your domain.”

Though he knew the Q’Hu humored him for her sake, Jasper accepted the victory. “Thank you.” Turning on his heel, he hurried away, clasping the flap shut.

Superior hearing had its perks. Roscrow snickered to himself when he heard Jasper’s tremulous breath, seeking solace in S’re’s embrace. They whispered of fond memories, especially those of when he felt most sure of himself.

Still smirking, Roscrow set himself on the upturn of the Tunk’ta’s shell, hanging his legs over the side. As he was near Randel’s head, he spent the time muttering to the dragon in a myriad of languages about his predicament as if the beast could understand him.

After the humans fell asleep, S’re came to stand beside him. She could see the green shimmer of his gaze in the corner of his eye. Tucking some of her hair behind an ear, she crossed her arms nervously as she pulled up the shirt that kept falling off her shoulder.

“Um,” she said softly with hesitation. “You, uh, seem to know a lot of languages.”

“I am fluent in 63,” he replied casually as though she should have known that. “I’m currently working on learning 7 more.”

“Oh. Wow. I, um, I only know a little bit of elven.” Sucking in her breath, she looked down at her feet. “L-Look, um, Roscrow,” she started hesitantly, “you and I both know I ... I don’t have any right to tell you what to do. You obviously had a really ... big, important life before me. Meanwhile, I’ve spent most of my life trying to dodge slavery. But ... could you please stop being a dick to Jasper? He means everything to me. I probably wouldn’t even be alive if it wasn’t for him.”

Staring at her silently for a hard second, he turned his attention to their surroundings with a flat response. “As you wish, ny’Salohm.”

“Thank you. And ... you don’t have to call me that. I’m not royalty. I’m just a H’elfling. I’m lucky if a shop will even sell anything to me.”

He glanced back at her. “My father would have some stern words for me if I did not.” Returning to staring off into the trees with a shake of his head, he continued. “That also won’t be happening anymore. Lucky for you, Academy has always maintained a policy of royal status for their Tamers. No place will turn you away. Everything will be free to you. A parade of servants will be at your beck and call at all hours to acquire anything your imagination can fathom. All we have to do is get back there, hopefully without further incident.”