Thankfully, he didn't seem the type to ask unnecessary questions, or perhaps he just figured guards would already be on the way after all the noise we'd made. Either way, he didn't complain and instead took off at a brisk pace back toward the docks.
We ducked into the alleyways as we moved, avoiding the sound of running footsteps whenever we heard them. That part wasn't particularly easy. Even after the sun had set, the city was still very much alive, and those guards—and our battle with them—had made even more noise than my fight with the thugs in the garden.
I stuffed all of the System's messages away for later and kept moving forward, my eyes on Will's back, trusting him to take us somewhere safe.
The truth was, I didn't have much of a choice. I could have run off on my own, but navigating the city by nothing but oil lamps or magelight was dangerous for someone who was still getting used to seeing things from such a lower perspective.
The use of [Swift Strike] had also left me a little out of breath, and I noticed that my body felt more fatigued as we moved. Perhaps it was just the adrenaline wearing off—as the ability hadn't cost me that much Stamina before when I'd practiced in the alley before.
"Seven bury me," I muttered thinking back to the time. I was supposed to meet with the rest of the crew soon. But getting back into the city proper was probably going to be difficult after what we'd just done.
Thankfully, it looked like the current leg of our journey was over, as Will stopped before a plain looking door in the side of a building, glanced down both directions of the street, and then pulled out a small key, which he used to unlock the door.
He motioned me inside.
The first room was simple, adorned with several bright but simplistic tapestries. The furniture appeared to be mostly braided wood, though there were large cushions on every seat. There was a curtain draped across one of the walls—a doorway just visible through its partially opened center.
Will collapsed into one of the seats after locking the door behind us.
"That was closer than I intended it to be," his shoulders shrugged and the tension in his body seemed to ebb a little.
I followed his example, plopping down into one of the chairs opposite of him. "He knew you'd be coming."
"Aye, seems that way." He scratched at his face. "Suppose I'll need to pay you extra for the trouble."
He pushed off the seat he'd taken and vanished through the curtain, showing me a bit more of the room beyond. It was simply adorned like this one, but held a large bed. I couldn't see anything else through the small slit that his passage had left.
Will returned a few moments later with a heavy coin purse. He held it out to me and I took it without question. It was a lot heavier than I'd expected. "Are you sure about this?" I asked, weighing the thing in my hand.
He nodded. "You handled yourself better than I expected, and considering the price that is probably going to be on our heads now, you might need that to get yourself some different clothing."
His eyes wandered up and down my body, almost like they were surveying me, but I didn't feel any of the hostility or predator-like intentions behind it like I had with Brin or the thugs.
I nodded my thanks and tucked the heavy coin purse against my body. I'd always known that I'd have to find somewhere to stash my belongings, but I hadn't really expected it to happen so soon. But there was no way I was carrying this heavy thing around all the time.
"This should help immensely," I told him as I leaned against the back of the chair. "You think anyone was able to spot us?"
Will returned to his seat and shrugged, those massive shoulders falling and rising like an entire city during a quake. "Hard to say. Lots of businesses and houses around that area. Mostly people keep to themselves. Will depend on how much the Empress and her city dogs promise people for information."
"I'm sorry? The Empress gets involved in things like this?"
He nodded slowly. "Sometimes. Though, it seems to have been happening a lot more lately. Lot of talk coming from the palace about her being more involved in the city's business. Something about ensuring her people are safe." He scowled as he continued.
"Lot of big talk from the tyrants, if you ask me. Never had much use for the dragons myself. They keep us safe, aye. No arguing that. But surviving and thriving are two very different things. That's what my father always used to tell me. Said I should always put myself in a position to do more than just survive." Will looked around at his humble surroundings.
"I like to think I've done a well enough job—could be better, I suppose. But, I take care of myself and mine. What about you?"
I stared for a moment, silent. This was the first time I'd heard anyone outright speak against the dragons. Against me. I stumbled over my words, a bit of anger flushing through my cheeks.
"I, uhh, to be honest, I feel like I've just been surviving these past few years. Every day has felt like a battle, so I guess you could say I'm not really thriving."
I burned to ask him more about his opinions on the dragons. Curiosity was a dangerous thing—a saboteur waiting to trip you with every step. Was Will one of the humans that turned on my people? I had never met him before, I knew that much. I would have remembered his face, wouldn't I?
No, of course not. How could I? I had been ruler to hundreds of thousands of people. Not even a dragon could remember so many faces. So many names.
"Why do you hate the dragons?" I asked, the words coming out slowly. I hadn't meant to ask the question, but there was a part of me that needed to know. To understand.
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Will shook his head. "I don't hate them, not really. Despise how they rule, maybe. Hard to nail down any particular reason. Like I said before, I can agree that they do a lot to keep us safe, but it feels like they're too focused on the bigger picture. So focused they don't see the little guys like you and me down here, struggling to stay out of the mud."
I nodded along. That was a feeling I had been coming to understand in recent days. Dragons did see the world from a different perspective. A much larger one. Seeing things from the perspective of the little man, the human, was something I was having to learn to do. Even now, my most burning questions had been about why the dragons might be bad, not how the changes that whoever was wearing my skin was making might affect me.
I struggled not to smack myself in the face. I was a dragon still, sure. But hadn't I decided that I needed to tear down the empire I'd already built so that I could build it anew? Stronger. Better.
"I think I understand what you mean," the words came out slowly, but not as slowly as the previous question. "I haven't had much experience with them myself," I lied. "But I can see why people would think that, and I don't believe you're wrong."
That last part ached to say. I wanted nothing more than to prove him wrong. To prove that his words were nonsense, that he'd lost sight of the things that mattered. But how could I say such a thing when I was the one that had lost sight of those things? It was like admiring a grove of trees and assuming it was just a grove because you couldn't see the forest beyond.
"Perhaps dragons have been blinded for too long, and they need to be reminded of what truly matters." My words were soft. Almost unspoken. I wasn't even sure he heard them, because he made no response.
After a moment of silence, Will let out a sigh and cracked his knuckles on his knees. "I think we should be okay now, if you want to try to head out. I'll get you a cloak that you can cover yourself with."
He stood, straightening up, and I noticed for the first time that his head almost touched the ceiling here. I gawked, and that made him chuckle.
"Yeah, it's a bit of a small place. But it's nondescript and keeps people from asking too many questions." He vanished through the curtain again, this time returning with a wet cloth and a dark purple cloak.
"A friend of mine left this behind. Doubt she'll be needing it anymore, so you can have it. Consider it part of your payment. First, though, you should wipe your face down." He held out the cloth, which I took, and used to wipe the grime and blood off my cheeks.
When I'd finished, he held out his hand for the cloth, took it back, and then motioned for me to stand. I did, and he draped the cloak over my shoulders. "It's supposed to be enchanted or something," he noted with a bit of disbelief staining his words.
New Item Equipped: Enchanted Cloak of the Shadesmith Item Description: An unassuming cloak. Its surface seems to absorb light, and when examined closely, the wearer may even see what appears to be tiny, shimmering motes of darkness—like captive starlight—swimming within the fabric. +2 to all Sneak-based skills
I read through the words as I tied off the strings that kept it around my neck. He pulled the hood up, checking how it fit over my head and nodded in satisfaction. "Looks good and should keep people from asking too many questions. You know your way around the city?"
"Well enough, I guess. Never been out much in the dark, though."
He nodded. "Where are you heading?"
"Eastern quarter."
"Alright, take a right outside the door, then follow the street four blocks. At the fifth corner, turn left and then go another three blocks before taking a right. Should put you right near the edge of the Eastern Quarter and far enough away from where we caused our ruckus earlier."
"Okay," I said, still processing everything we'd talked about. I had a lot to think about on my walk. And I needed to think about it, because I had to clear my head. There was too much happening. And I had too much riding on the next couple of days to let things distract me at the most inopportune times.
I crossed the room to the door and pressed a hand against the knob, turning back to look at him from underneath the hood. "Thank you, Will. Let's work together again soon."
He nodded. "Absolutely. Take care."
I pressed off into the night, the cloak billowing behind me as I moved.
I took a left at the bottom of the stairs, following his instructions exactly. As I walked, I thought about what I'd learned. The fact that dissidence existed within the ranks of humans that shared my home was not surprising. I'd already learned about the plots the Segrids were hatching. And yet, hearing that someone like Will questioned our purpose—our very reason for ruling—seemed to reach deeper into my heart.
It was hard to explain exactly why the opinion of someone so insignificant mattered so much. But it did. Perhaps that was part of the problem. Perhaps I had seen people like Will as insignificant for too long. What was it Aureleon had said? That every person in this empire was a piece on the game board that I could play and use against the [Hero]?
That's what I needed to do. I needed to learn how to use those pieces to my advantage, instead of seeing them as unimportant.
A message appeared in the corner of my vision.
New System notifications
That was new. I focused on the message as I took the second turn Will had described, a window expanding from the smaller words.
New Quest Detected: Fast Friends or New Enemies? Objective: Get to know Will and discover more about his plight. Can you convince him that not all dragons are sightless fools or will he be one of the first to turn on you? Accept?
I chewed at my cheek, staring at the words as my feet carried me into the Eastern Quarter. The wording of the quest objective was almost offensive.
Did this mean that the System agreed with Will's assessment of dragonkind? That we were too focused on the bigger picture to notice the smaller things that mattered, or was it just playing into the thoughts already spiraling through my own mind?
I had no choice but to push the question away as bright torchlight drew my attention to the street ahead where several guards stood, questioning passing townsfolk. It took everything in me not to turn and dash away, but doing so would only draw attention.
Instead, I steeled myself and pushed forward, walking right up to the throng.
"Aye, cloak," one of the guards said, motioning an armored hand toward me. "Remove that hood."
"What's the trouble, my good man?" I asked, trying to channel what I thought they might expect from a townsperson wandering the streets after dark. Even I knew I sounded ridiculous.
"Been a lot of murder down in the South Quarter, and since that's where you're coming from, we need to check you out."
"Murder?" I asked, lacing my words with disbelief. "Who would dare do such a thing under the watchful eye of our great Empress?"
One of the men eyed me with suspicion. Okay, maybe the last part was a bit much.
"Told you to take the hood off," another man said, stepping forward, his hand moving to the hilt of the sword hanging from his belt. "So take it off."
I obeyed this time, reaching up with a slight tremble in my hands that I told myself was all part of the act. The hood came down easily, exposing my face to the group of men. They looked me over, but none moved to step any closer.
"I'm just trying to get back to my room," I told them. "I haven't been in the city long and got a bit turned around coming back from Merchant's Row. Heard the shops over there were very nice. Bit too high for my purse, though," I said, hoping that none of them would notice the bulging coin purse tucked against my body.
The first guard who had spoken eyed me up and down again, as if looking for any telltale signs I might be lying.
"Alright, be on with you," he finally spat out, motioning for me to continue past them.
I gave him a quick nod as I slipped past, and the men turned their attention back to the others they'd been questioning before. I let out a heavy breath of relief and had to force myself not to pick up speed as I continued toward The Slumbering Drake.