The Dragon Chase: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 6: Mathias

"Master, what is it?" Gerald asked, confused. Tabitha handed her apprentice the note without a word and left them behind as Gerald stopped to read it.

"Start working on the other ship! I want both of them in the air within the next four hours!" she shouted, pointing to a group of mechanics eating nearby. They stopped, one dropped his food, and they stood as straight as they ever had in their lives.

She rolled her eyes, and might even have hissed in frustration. "Check the frame, and prep for the application of the canvas. Go!" she barked, and the group ran off to the ship.

Mathias glanced over Gerald's shoulder to the note, which was written in a delicate, practised hand.

It read:

Tabitha a'Loria,

By this decree, you, your ship, and crew enough to operate her, shall be deployed in defence of the City, until the recently sighted invaders have been repelled. You are to fly, with all haste, to the western section of the wall and report to a communication hub for further assignment.

For the preservation of all in our care,

Benden Tammerlane

Lord Captain of the Wall

"Burn me," Lucille hissed, reading from Gerald's other shoulder.

Mathias watched Gerald deliberately rub his thumb along the writing. His eyes widened, and he nodded cautiously, as Gerald turned to Lucille. "This wasn't written with ink. It was burned on, which means it was scribed by a Crafter," Gerald said. He turned to Mathias, and added, "the Guild must have approved this message."

Mathias shook his head. "Not approved. There's no affirming seal on the document. But it does mean they know, and won't challenge it."

Gerald shrugged. "Semantics. The Captain of the Wall wants the ships, and the only agency we could appeal to just told us they won't intervene. My master and I, and by extension the two of you," Gerald looked to him first, then Lucille. "Are now part of the army. What's in the satchel?"

Lucille opened it, and drew out a sword.

Mathias took it from her, hefting it by it's still secured scabbard. The blade was longer than the standard-issue short swords soldiers received, single-bladed, with a curve near the tip similar to a cutlass. The pommel was a metal hoop with two horizontal bars inside, and the handle drank the heat from his hand.

"An officer's sword," Gerald said softly, from beside him. Mathias turned to him, impressed. "I can feel its core from here."

"The cold-stone core is meant to distinguish genuine officer swords from forgeries," Mathias explained for Lucille's benefit. "Like our knives, they're a symbol of office. The cold-stone core drinks heat, and a sword like this could flash freeze skin and muscle."

Tabitha, from a distance, shouted, "Put it on, Gerald! You'll need it more than I will!"

All three of them stared at Tabitha, and only Mathias was less than stunned. Gerald looked as if he had just swallowed the sword, and Lucille's eyes likely had never been open that wide. Mathias stepped towards his charge, deliberately putting himself between the other two and the Crafter.

"You mean to do this?" Mathias asked softly.

"Of course. He's ready, and he's the only one who doesn't know it," Tabitha said in response, meaningfully. She stepped past him, and ignoring Lucille, asked Gerald, "What is the fastest way to the Last Wall?"

Gerald, without hesitating, pointed to the Spire. "Ride the updraft two miles up, then head west. Descend after forty-five minutes. It should put you eight miles from the last wall before you drop below the cloud cover," he explained.