Keelin took a sip; it was rum.
“The Dragon Empress ruled from her floating city of Soromo while the Dragon Emperor ruled equally from here. Under their combined government the Dragon Empire flourished, as did their dragons. These were true dragons, mind you, not the drakes that fly the skies these days. Pale shadows of their former selves, but I will get to that.
“This city was a happy place, and most of Larkos’ citizens were content with their lot. Ruled by the fear of dragons in their skies. The authorities held little sway over the goings on in the streets; their power stemmed from the dragons, and those creatures could not traverse the intricacies of human settlement without destroying all around them. Gangs appeared, and lots of them, each carving out a portion of the city and ruling the crime within those portions.
“When the Dragon Emperor heard of these gangs, he directed his will towards crushing them, driving them out, and restoring order to his city. He succeeded only in causing chaos. The gangs lived in the streets and the underground, where the Emperor’s dragons could not follow them.
“Eventually the Emperor gave up. He realised that the gangs did a better job of upholding order in the city than his guard ever could. He asked each of the twelve major gangs to send him a representative in order that he might negotiate with them. A deal was forged. The gangs would police the city for the Emperor, and they would each pay him tribute for the privilege of being allowed to exist.”
The Oracle smiled, his eyes distant. “It was the Emperor’s grandest folly, and it cost him both his life and the future of his beloved dragons.
“You see, dragons are strange creatures. In order to breed true dragons, there needs to be both a matriarch and a patriarch. Otherwise, all that will ever hatch will be drakes, and while drakes can breed more drakes, they can never breed a dragon.
“But I digress. The gangs were pleased for a while with their new legitimate authority, but it did not take long for them to realise they were paying the Dragon Emperor for no reason. They did not need him. He took from them and gave nothing back. But he had given them something in the beginning. He had brought them together and given them peace. He had stopped them warring among themselves over territory and prestige.
“So the gangs met in secret and devised a plan to rid themselves of the Dragon Emperor. They took the gate and the wall, and they turned the city’s weapons of war inwards. They waited until the Emperor’s dragon took flight, and they brought the beast down. The Dragon Emperor could not live without his dragon, and soon after he was found hanging.
“But the dragon patriarch had left no heir. No one had seen the treason coming, and all now knew that the dragons’ time upon the world was ending. The Dragon Empress was enraged, and she threw her armies against the city of Larkos. Men fought and died. Dragon Princes rode their beasts into hails of ballistae, and the city held. No one thought it possible, but the gangs held the city walls and the city docks.
“Larkos was scarred, but it survived, and the Dragon Empress was forced to retreat before all of her dragons were lost.
“The gangs renamed themselves guilds, and they carved the city into new districts and laid down a series of laws to stop them clashing ever again. They had stood the test of war and dragon fire together, and they had come out the other side stronger, more resolute, and more unified than ever before. Eventually they added a thirteenth guild, so that no disputes between their council could ever be tied. Larkos survived and grew, and prospered into the city it is today.”
Keelin sat still, waiting for the Oracle to signal he was finished with his story. He had no idea why the man had decided to tell him the tale, and he was just as unsure about what he truly wanted, but every one of Keelin’s instincts was telling him not to anger the Oracle.
“Why tell me that?” he said eventually, when it seemed the man would say no more.
“It is an interesting story, don’t you think, Captain Stillwater?”
“Uh… sure.”
“The guilds owed their peace and their unity and their existence to one man, the last of the Dragon Emperors. Yet they removed him from power and killed his dragon – and, as a consequence, the Emperor himself.
“I cannot see the past, only the future, but I believe had they not rid themselves of the Emperor, they would have torn themselves apart. Or perhaps he would have torn them apart.”
Keelin sighed and looked down into his mug. “What does…”
He looked up. He was standing outside the tavern, facing the docks. The Oracle was gone.
Chapter 29 - Starry Dawn
Elaina wandered up the gangplank onto The Phoenix and looked around at her temporary home. In the daylight it looked as clean a ship as it had ever been. She had a few more scars than when Tanner had given her to Elaina, but scars were just evidence that there were stories to be told.
“Ain’t as sleek as the Dawn,” Alfer said sadly.
“Bigger though,” said Pollick.
“Needs to be, with her fat arse.”
“Now now, lads,” Elaina chastised. Some of the crew had gathered around, and pirates were notoriously defensive when it came to their ships. “This here’s our new home for the time being. All comparisons to our Starry Dawn can wait ’til after we’ve got her back. Right now let’s be appreciative that these fine folk are giving us the grace of their ship.” Diplomacy seemed to be mostly about flowery words and empty compliments.
Elaina handed her pack off to Alfer. She didn’t have much in the way of possessions these days – almost everything she owned had been stolen along with the Dawn – but she’d picked up a spare set of clothing and a few other essentials.
“Get those stowed away on a bunk, Alfer,” she said.
“With the rest of us, Cap?”
“Where else would I be staying?”
“Well, with the Cap’n of this ship and you, I figured I had to ask.”
Elaina gave her quartermaster a grin and a shake of her head, and the man set off with Pollick towards the nearest hatch. Pavel continued to hover nearby, his faded crimson robes making him stand out aboard the ship.
“Reckon you’ll be bunking with the crew as well, priest,” Elaina said.
“What in the name of Rin’s leaking tits are you doing here again?”
Elaina turned to Keelin’s little waif with a wide grin. “Haven’t you heard? I’m ya new shipmate.”
The waif’s face went from anger to confusion, then back to anger. Elaina struggled to stop herself cackling at the woman.
“Keelin… uh, the captain agreed to this?”
“Aye,” Elaina said cheerfully, stepping forward to look down on the smaller woman. “Jumped on the idea when I suggested it, actually. I think he wants a real woman on board, just between me and you.”
To her credit, the waif didn’t back down despite being horribly outmatched. A number of the crew had gathered around to watch the confrontation. She didn’t care one drop for the attention herself, but the more folk Elaina could get on her side, the more likely the bitch would jump ship at her first opportunity.
“Back to work,” Keelin roared. “Now! I intend to be under way before midday.”
“Not everyone’s had a turn ashore, Cap’n,” said Smithe, appearing from the shadows of the main mast.
“Then those that ain’t can blame those that have,” Keelin growled. “Some have been ashore talking about our big score. We’re leaving now, before folk start asking questions.”
“Big score?” Elaina said with a smile, still staring at the other woman.
“I thought you didn’t care,” Keelin said coldly, brushing past her and steering the girl away from the confrontation.
Elaina watched the two walk away, noting that the woman looked far from happy. After a very brief conversation she pushed his hands away and leapt up onto the rigging, scurrying quickly up towards the nest. Elaina would have been impressed if she hadn’t been so focused on being rid of her.