Pledged in Blood - Chapter Forty Two (Patreon)

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Chapter Forty Two

Food

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I followed Ayrah through the crowd. Walking amidst so many humans remained a surreal, disconcerting experience. They milled about, shifting all around me like an ocean tide. Their voices rose and fell in murmuring waves. I think I’d had dreams like this, surrounded by humans and impossible environments. Such half-glimpsed memories left my paws chilled, and turned my stomach. Though I was more relaxed than when I first arrived, I had no way of knowing which humans may secretly wish me harm. I was thankful for the gryphons’ escort, and for Lir’s ever watchful eyes above me. 

As we ventured down the road, the throngs of people thinned slightly. The mass of humans I’d spoken too had all gathered to watch me pass. Now that it was clear we were diverting down the thoroughfare, they’d dispersed a bit more to make room for one another. Some watched me pass and returned to their daily tasks, others followed us as if unable to tear their eyes away from our strange procession. 

Ayrah set our pace. Though progress was slow, by the standards of a dragon, I did not mind. Ambling along behind her gave me more time to adjust to the situation, to grow a little more accustomed to being so completely encircled by humans. I did all I could to avoid thinking of them as my enemies. Instead, I tried to see them as potential friends, or at the least, future allies. 

Moving slowly gave me time to observe them in turn, as well. I had already noticed the wide variety of clothing they swaddled themselves in. Now I spent a little time considering the make up of the crowd itself. Seeing so many humans all at once reminded me anew that like dragons, their hides held a wide variety colorations, from pale to dark. They were mostly adults. I saw few children. Those I did see where usually near the back of the crowds, either clambering up to elevated positions for a better view, or held aloft by their parents. I doubted many of the city’s families wanted their children to get too close to me. I certainly could not blame them. When Vevorek was young, I’d not have wanted him near humans, either.

I spotted a few other urd’thin mixed in amongst all the humans. Short as their species was, they struggled just to get a look at us. Some were jostling through the taller townsfolk, trying to get a peek at me. Others joined some of the children in clambering up onto window ledges, or into the boughs of winter-barren trees. There were not many urd’thin, though, a few dozen compared to the hundreds of humans in immediate view on each side of the street. I could not help but wonder if they saw Lir as a point of pride amongst their people. Much as I’d like to think riding a dragon would be the pinnacle of her achievements, I suspected it was far more impressive for her to have reached a position of importance within a sizable human city.

There were no other gryphons around that I saw. Before I’d met Sparrow and Blue Jay, that would not have surprised me in the least. But knowing how they’d become integrated into parts of the human military, I half expected to find a detachment of them stationed here. Then again, my gryphon companions did not seem too surprised the city was lacking in their kind. Perhaps later I’d ask them about how their Gryphon Legion functioned. For all I knew, they might only be stationed in the capital, and on the front lines of whatever their military was doing. 

The further down the street we went, the more I was struck by the human’s flair for the artistic. Every where I looked, they were fine details to marvel at. A vibrant mural of dancing children adorned the side of an otherwise drab, gray-stone building. Colorful strings of flags and banners were strung between soot-stained chimneys of multi-story dwellings. Water danced in a copper fountain shaped like a great flower. Marble statues edged a plaza, each depicting what I could only assume was another famous human. One hefted a sword, another a book, a third, a rifle. Elaborate portraits adorned the sides of other buildings, or great signs held up on thick poles. Some of them showed lines of people building rail lines, or staring up stylized factories and gasworks. In several, a human female was depicted in a gown of golden feathers, smiling down at the streets. Each time we passed such a painting, some of the soldiers accompanying us gave it a quick salute. 

I nudged Nesh, then gestured at the image with a wing tip. “Is that your ruler?”

Nesh smiled up at the painting, and gave it a little salute of his own. “Empress Tirina, yes. Each major city has portraits of her like that, so it appears as if she’s always watching over us.” 

“Interesting.” I paused to pause at the woman’s image. “So that is the one I must impress.” Though it was difficult to tell how lifelike the portrait was, she looked older than Nesh, but not as old as I imagined. Her face was a little darker than Nesh’s, and she held a regal bearing, with a kind smile that belied her piercing gaze. She certainly looked ready to command an army, and rule an entire nation. I smiled to myself. “I like her.” 

Nesh chuckled, patting my leg. “I should hope so, since you’re going to need her help if you’re ever to achieve your own empire. She’s also quite popular amongst the people. More so than her father was.”

We continued on, and though the crowds had lessened some what, humans continued to line the streets. As they heard us approaching, many came out from their homes and businesses to watch us pass. Others watched from rooftops, or stared out windows the way they had when the streets were closed. Hounds barked from alleyways and from inside buildings. Cats and other smaller pets prowled in the distance, pausing to watch me pass. 

New, pleasant aromas tinted the air, and sweetened the breeze. Till then, the air had remained thick with the acrid smell of smoke, and the lingering stench of refuse littering some of the side streets and allies. The newer smells were very different. Some of them were sweet, others smoky, spicy, or even reminiscent of the spice moss we burned to scent our lairs. Other scents were clearly of meats and other foods being cooked over flame. Those left me belly rumbling. 

“Nesh,” I said, bumping him with my muzzle. “There is food somewhere, yes? I hunger.” 

“You hunger?” Nesh arched his brows, chuckling. “That’s a very dragonly way of saying it. But yes, there’s definitely food nearby.” 

“And ale, from the smell of it!” Blue Jay padded closer, tilting his beak into the breeze. He raised his voice. “Ayrah! How about some of that food and drink we can smell?” 

Sparrow broke from her position to join the other gryphon. “Yes, for once I’m in agreement with him. We haven’t eaten since before we journeyed here.” 

Ayrah turned back towards us. “I was going to have food brought to you later, but we can definitely eat now instead.” 

“We will eat now.” I licked my muzzle, not wanting to end up drooling in front of the humans. Just the idea of eating doubled my hunger in an instant, it gnawed at my belly as if seeking an escape. “And we shall eat later. Where is the food?” 

“Ah, yes,” Ayrah said, flourishing her hand towards me. “Just when I’d forgotten how demanding you dragons can be.” She laughed and shook her head, signaling for Nemos to bring our escort of soldiers to a stop. “What would you like, Ella? And don’t just say, meat.” 

I stared down at her, my frills half raised. “But that is what I wish.” 

“Yes, but what kind of meat?” Ayrah pivoted on her heel, waving around us. “There’s a dozen places we could go, and-”

“Wherever the ale is.” Blue Jay held up a paw. “The good stuff, preferably.” He set his paw back down, ruffling his feathers. “Though, since I rather doubt you have any taverns with space for gryphons, let alone a dragon, I will settle for whatever place has enough food and drink to actually feed us all.” 

Nemos walked up to Ayrah’s side, a crooked smile replacing his usually stoic expression. “Jero and Sons?” 

Ayrah clasped his shoulder, grinning back at him. “Somehow, I knew you were going to say that. But it’s perfect.” 

“Nearby, too.” He turned away from her, raising his voice to his troops. “We’re going to Jero and Sons! Keep the roads secure, and when we get there, set up a perimeter! You two, run ahead and get things set up for us.” When his men hurried to follow his instructions, he glanced back at Ayrah. “You know, you’re going to have to pay for all of this.”

Ayrah sighed, and ran a hand down her face. “Oh, I know, I know.” Then she walked to me and when I lowered my head, scratched my jaw. “Luckily, I also know that dragons are extraordinary wealthy, and keen to pay their debts.” 

I snorted at her, ruffling her copper-brown hair. “The money we brought is for purchasing supplies. Though, I suppose food counts as a supply.” 

Ayrah just laughed and shook her head. “You silly old lizard, I was trying to invite you to return.” 

Nesh folded his arms, staring at Ayrah. “With her treasure, anyway.”

“I should damn well hope so! All this extra security isn’t going to pay for itself.” She followed Nemos down the street, and I walked after her. “Let alone enough food to feed all of you.” She stopped, and turned back towards me. “Ella, of course, is welcome here anytime, free of charge.” Then she appraised Nesh and the gryphons. “You three, though. You’re the ones I’m going to charge.” 

“Fairly sure I’m unemployed now,” Nesh said, scratching at his head fur. “And the gryphons are worried about a court martial, so…” 

“So it’s debtor’s prison for you, and military prison for them, is it?” Ayrah laughed again. “May as well live it up while you can then, hmm?”  

“That’s my life’s motto!” Blue Jay strode ahead to walk alongside Ayrah. 

“I gathered as much from that story about you and the bar wench.” She laughed, reaching out to ruffle his crown feathers.

Blue Jay leaned into her touch, warbling. “Speaking of which, what manner of establishment are we going to?” 

Sparrow gave a sharp squawk. “Certainly not that sort!” 

Blue Jay flashed her an open beak grin, his ears perked. “A gryphon can hope!” 

“Hope on your own time!” Sparrow snapped her beak at him. “Since your belly and your balls do all your thinking, let me remind you we’re supposed to be serving as Ella’s escorts!” She flicked a wing out, pointing it at me. “So get back in your damn position!” 

Blue Jay gave an exaggerated sigh, turning towards Ayrah. “She’s just jealous she’s not as much fun as I am.” Then he returned to the opposite side of me from Sparrow. “Reporting for duty, Flight Captain!” 

“Lazy sack of feathers,” Sparrow said, her voice a mutter just loud enough for the rest of us to hear. “If I didn’t care about you, I’d have you reprimanded again, myself!”

“But you do care about me, and that’s the important part.” Blue Jay chuckled, drifting closer to me. “You and I should go out drinking later, Ella. It’s an important part of the human city experience. Bring Nesh along, if you like. Lir, you’re certainly welcome to join us!”

Lir wriggled on my back to peer down at the gryphon. “That’d be awfully tempting. We’ll see how much work the boss gives me, later.” 

Ayrah led us onwards again, calling back. “Payment’s on you, if you hit the taverns without me.”

I licked my nose as I padded down the street. Ahead of us, our escort turned the corner onto an intersecting street. “Speaking of payment, are you not the local ruler? Can you not simply demand they serve you whatever you wish, without being required to offer payment in return?”

“Wouldn’t be a very popular mayor if I did.” Ayrah adjusted her coat sleeves. “That’s not really how things work, anyway. Things are a little different here, than the way you dragons live.” She paused and pointed ahead of us. “That’s where we’re going.” 

The street we had turned onto was more narrow than the last, with fewer humans lining it. The buildings looked a little older, squatter and more stained with soot. Just like before, when it was clear we were coming, humans soon emerged to stare at us. The destination Ayrah indicated was only a little ways down the road. A large sign standing alongside the street depicted some manner of goat, seemingly nonplussed by the fact it was on fire. Lettering above and below the image read Jero and Sons, Meats and Ales.

The building in question was wooden and shaped like half a barrel, cut lengthwise. Windows ran down one side of it, with an entryway at one end. Wooden tables and benches littered the grounds all around the building. Soldiers were busy moving them aside. A small army of humans scurried about behind the place, amidst immense stone-brick ovens, fire pits, and open flames. I glimpsed several whole animals roasting on spits, with larger pieces being placed into one brick enclosure, and removed from another. The scent of woodsmoke was strong here, as was the delectable scents of roasting meats. 

“Oooh, I like this place already.” I tilted my head back and forth, sniffing at every little breeze. “It smells heavenly around here.” 

“You’ll really enjoy this food, I think.” Ayrah guided us to the front of the odd building, where her troops were clearing away the tables and chairs to make room. “Used to take Melakar here, so they know how much a dragon can eat. There’s also not many places you’d be able to fit through the doors, but this place has a huge outdoor patio. They’ve got enough food for you, and enough ale for the birds.” 

Blue Jay clicked his beak, padding alongside me. “I want food, too. I just also want ale.” 

“I’d suggest you get a job working in a pub after you’re kicked out of the Legion, but you’d drink the place dry!” Sparrow glared at him around my chest.

“And I’d be getting paid for it!” Blue Jay warbled gryphon laughter. “You’re right, that does sound good.”

Nesh shook a finger at the gryphon. “No it wouldn’t, you’d get yourself fired before you earned a single coin!” 

“Would not!” Blue Jay ruffled himself up. “I’d make it at least a day or two before I got fired.” 

Humans hurried about before us. Soldiers moved the last of the furniture out of our way, leaving just a single table, and several chairs. This time of year it was cold enough outside most customers were eating indoors. The few who weren’t were ushered into the rounded building. Some of them stared out at us through tall, glass windows. A humming cacophony of voices escaped through the open doors, interspersed with hearty laughter. I did not wish to draw too close to the building, but I lowered my head to peer inside while the doors were propped open. 

Dozens of humans sat around rounded tables, or huddled in lines of padded booths. A long, tall counter ran down one side of the room, with more chairs lined up in front of it. Rows of barrels were stacked behind it. There were also bottles of all shapes and sizes filling wooden shelves. Several humans hurried back and forth behind the counter, delivering drinks to customers. More humans carried platters heaped with steaming meats to tables, or removed empty dishes at the end of meals. Though many occupants were now watching us, others remained focused on their meals or conversations. 

“I can see why he liked this place.” I chose a spot that allowed me a good view inside, and eased onto my belly to await our meal. “It’s oddly fascinating watching so many humans in their natural habitat. Melakar must have been enthralled.” 

“Natural habitat?” Ayrah waved her hand, and her soldiers hauled over the last table, along with some chairs. “Makes us sound like animals at a zoo.” 

I flattened my frills. That was an unfamiliar word to me. “Nesh, what is a zoo?”

“It’s a place where live animals are put on display.” He took a padded chair from one of the soldiers, and set it next to the table, at a place nearest me. 

“That does apply, then.” I returned my attention to the inside of the tavern. “Your people are certainly on display here.” 

Nesh scowled, resting his elbow on the table. “Not sure you quite grasp the concept. While it’s true that humans are animals in the biological context, a zoo is a place where thinking, speaking creatures go to view the lesser beasts and animals. They’re put in exhibits or cages, sometimes meant to replicate their natural…Ella, are you listening?”

I snorted. “No.”

Sparrow sat back on her haunches near Nesh, draping a wing across his back. “You’d think by now you’d have learned better.”

Nesh sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I really should have.” 

Lir tucked her weapon away, and scrambled down my side. She wandered over to the table, and climbed atop it. Then she sat down on it’s edge, her booted feet hanging above the ground, her gray-tipped alabaster tail stretched out behind her. She opened her coat, and this time produced a small leather-bound book of some kind, along with some manner of writing utensil. 

“So,” she said, glancing at Nesh. “Do you always ramble on like that?”

“Yes.” Blue Jay flashed her a gryphon smirk, ears splayed and beak half open. “He does.”

Nesh grunted, folding his arms. “Oh, stuff your…undertail area!” 

Lir scratched at her ash-smudged ear with the dull end of her implement. “You must really be furious to use that kinda language.” She clicked her teeth, chittered, and scribbled something down in her notepad. She showed it to him. “I spell your name right?” 

Nesh glanced at it, nodding. “You did. What are you doing?”

“I like to keep notes and information on all the boss’s friends.” Lir wrote a few things down in her little book. 

“Her enemies too, I suspect,” Blue Jay said as he sat down alongside me.

The gryphon was close enough that his feathers brushed over my scales. By now, I was so used to gryphons and their tendency towards close proximity social affection I scarcely even noticed the feeling. Besides, after sleeping between them in the cold, I was accustomed to their warmth and softness against my hide. While I doubted I’d ever be as quick to indulge in casual social contact as gryphons, it was not without its charms. 

Lir waggled her book at him. “That’s a different book. This is the book you wanna be in. That other one…” She shrugged, then clicked her teeth twice. Whatever such a gesture might mean from an urd’thin, I did not know, but it made Ayrah laugh.

Before anyone could further question Lir, an older human walked out of the tavern and approached us. He had more craggy lines on his face than hair left on his head. A great brown apron covered in pockets and grease stains covered his rounded belly. He walked right up to Ayrah, wiping his hands off on a towel before returning it to a pocket. She came to meet him, and they did their paw shaking ritual. 

“Another dragon?” The man laughed, a warm sound, and turned towards me. “Times’er sure changin’.” 

“That they are.” Ayrah clapped the older man on the shoulder. “This is Jero. He runs the place, despite the many times he claims he’s turning it over to his sons.” The man laughed again at that, and Ayrah waved at me. “Jero, this is Ellmyriss.” 

“Couldn’t say that right if I tried.” Jero grinned, and offered me a very ungainly bow. “Pleased to have ya here, though.” 

I wondered how he would know if he could pronounce my name properly without trying it, but decided it mattered not. I lowered my head to return his gesture. “Thank you. I am pleased you are willing to accommodate us.” 

“And I’m pleased you ain’t tryin’ to burn us down!” The man chuckled, then grasped Nesh’s shoulder in a burly hand, and shook him so hard he nearly toppled him out of his seat. “Don’tcha think, boy?” 

Nesh straightened out his coat when the man stopped shaking him. “I don’t think Ella’s ever-”

“You know, my grandfather’s entire village was burned down by a dragon!” The older man shook his head, running his hands down his apron. “Crops and all! Ate all the livestock, then burned every building, and all the farmland, right down to the topsoil. And kidnapped my grandfather, held him for ransom!” As he spoke he turned, randomly glancing at each member of our group. “So my grannie set out to save him! Course, she weren’t my grannie then, she were still young. Village woodcutting champ! When she found him, she threatened to have his balls off with her woodcutting axe!” He paused to shake a finger at Sparrow. “The dragon’s, not my grandfather’s. I wouldn’ta been here, otherwise. And that’s how my grandmother saved him from the dragon. Now, here we are feedin’ ya.” He offered me a wistful smile, then turned towards Blue Jay. “So, I hear the birds want booze, whaddya have?” 

Silence fell over the group. The gryphons gaped at him, open-beaked. Nesh coughed and cleared his throat. Lir remained fixated on her little book. Ayrah folded her arms, a impish smile on her face. She must have expected some manner of comical tale or another from him. I imagined our stunned silence was just the reaction she was hoping for. Though I felt I ought to be offended by his story on principal alone, the whole thing was so patchwork and outlandish I couldn’t help but find it amusing. I wasn’t sure if the old man was toying with us, or just filled with random anecdotes of varying truthfulness. 

I turned my head to meet Ayrah’s mischievous grin. “Melakar must have loved this one.” 

“Dumbstruck, are ya bird?” Jero shook his head a single time. “Happens more than you’d think. I’ll just bring you a bucket’a-”

“I will not drink from a bucket!” Blue Jay slapped his paw on the ground. “I will have two ales, sizable for gryphons. One pour of your finest, and one pour of your strongest. Should they be the same, I will have two of that.” He growled, fluffing up his feathers. “Better not come in a damn pail, either.” 

“Two birdbaths of worm cider, it is.” He turned towards Sparrow. “And for the lady bird?” 

Sparrow collected herself enough to reply. “Wine, actually.” She lifted a foreleg and held up a single digit. “But only one.” 

“House’s finest vintage.” Jero turned towards the humans. “And you lot?” 

“Wait, why are you threatening to give me some…some…worm beer…” Blue Jay flattened back his ears, grinding his beak. “But she gets a fine vintage?” 

I glanced down at the gryphon, smiling. “Because he likes her better than you.” I was starting to catch onto his antics. 

“You dragons wise up quick!” The older man thumped his hand against the table in approval, then smiled at Ayrah. “The usual for my favorite mayor?” 

“Yes, please, thank you Jero.” Ayrah sat down near Nesh, and signaled for Nemos to join them. 

Jero held his hands up to Nemos. “Nothing for you while you’re on duty.” He turned to Lir. “How about for the fuzzy sharpshooter?” 

Lir chittered happy laughter, glancing up from her notes. “I wish. Gotta stay sharp. Some juice, though?” 

“Fly bait it is.” Jero reached out and ruffled Nesh’s hair like he was greeting a child. “What about you, boy?” 

“Whiskey.” Nesh’s voice was flat, his gaze level with Jero’s. 

“There ya go, son!” Jero clapped his shoulder and shook him again. 

This time Nesh stood fast, barely shifting at all. “Your damn finest, at that. For the dragon, too. And your finest ale, for her as well.” 

I glanced down at Nesh, my frills lifted. “I shall trust your judgement. But also, I require meat, and lots of it.” 

“Good, cause that’s what’s coming.” Jero turned towards the doors.

Before he could vanish inside, I called out, “So, did she have them off, or not?” 

“Eh?” He paused and gave me a confused look, his eye ridges furrowed. 

“Your grandmother, and the dragon.” I wasn’t quite sure where the line between truth and falsehood lied, but I was curious to see what else he might come up with. 

Jero scrunched his face, lips drawn into a thoughtful line. “No, I don’t think grannie had the dragon off. But who knows, maybe I got dragon blood in my somewhere.” 

Nesh heaved a sigh. “That’s not how biology works.”

Jero ignored him completely. “One way or another, Grandma came back to the village, with my grandfather, and with the dragon in tow. She hitched that beast to a plow, and in no time at all, they had the whole village rebuilt. And, that’s how grannie saved the town.” Jero turned away again. “Lemme get those drinks sent out.” 

Only when he was completely out of earshot did Ayrah finally loose the deep belly laugh she’d been holding back. She laughed till she clutched her ribs. “Oh! Your faces! All of you, priceless!” 

Nesh rested his head against his head, his elbow on the table. “I take it our host is always like that?” 

“Hell.” Nemos dropped into a chair at the table. “If anything, that was him being restrained. And before you ask…” He held up his hands. “Before any of you ask, the answer is no. As in, no, we don’t know how much of it’s true and how much is bullshit.” 

Blue Jay snorted, rustling his wings. “And when you say ‘it’, you’re talking about every bit of nonsense that falls out of his mouth.” 

“Precisely,” Ayrah said, after she’d caught her breath. “Jero’s been like that as long as I’ve been coming here. Can’t tell if he’s getting worse in his old age, or just likes screwing with people even more. Think he’s softened a bit, after Melakar’s visits…” She trailed off, gazing into the distance with a wistful, sorrowful look in her eyes I knew all too well. “Didn’t really want a dragon around, at all. Think there’s probably some grain of truth in his stories. Somewhere in his ancestry, think they lost people to a dragon attack. But…he came around to hosting Melakar surprisingly quickly once Melakar started matching Jero’s crazy stories with his own. They once spent an entire afternoon trying to outdo one another over who’s relatives suffered both the greater embarrassments, and the most monumental triumphs.” 

Lir chittered laughter, looking up from her notes again. “That was a fun day. Started simple enough, Jero’s granny took down the largest bear to ever live with a single pistol shot, and Melakar’s ancestors talked a gryphon war party into just, well, partying with them.” She spun her pencil around her gray-tipped fingers. “But by the time the sun was setting and they were nearly out of drink, Jero’s old granny was mud-wrestling an entire army of dragons into submission, and Melakar’s forefather was singlehandedly taking down an entire fleet of airships, whilst simultaneously seducing four different dragon clans’ queens, at the same time.” 

“Yes, that sounds like the sort of nonsense he’d come up with.” I smiled at the memories that brought up. “When we’d lay together at night, in the warmth of lairs in winter, or under the stars in summer, he’d entertain me with increasingly elaborate, and outlandish stories.” I laughed to myself, then snorted. “It was that, or bore me to death with his historical lectures.” 

Ayrah leaned back in her chair, grinning. “I think the fact you hated those so much made it even more fun to him. He just loved getting under your scales, sometimes.” 

“Did he?” Blue Jay perked his ears up. “I’m increasingly sorry I did not get to meet this dragon. If nothing else, his stories sound like fun.”

Sparrow warbled at him. “Yes, you’d have provided a formidable challenge to his storytelling process.” She preened her wing, then spat a feather. “You’re made of bullshit.”

While the gryphons argued and baited one another, I stared down at my paws. I could almost see Melakar settling his own forepaw across them. “You know Ayrah, I think you enjoyed his lectures even more than I enjoyed his nonsensical tales.” 

Ayrah fidgeted with her coat sleeves, then rubbed her thumb against a button. “Maybe. But I think part of him hoped my interest might spark yours. The fact I genuinely enjoyed his history lessons was just the icing on the cake, as we say.” 

“So all the lectures I’ve heard Ella complain about, you actually enjoyed?” Nesh turned his chair towards Ayrah. “I’d have expected you to be bored, as well.” 

“How the hell could I be bored, hearing about the history of damn dragons?” Ayrah chuckled, gesturing at me. “Before I met them, I didn’t even know dragons had a history. Hell, I didn’t even know they could speak our language. First time I saw Melakar, I thought the bastard was gonna eat me!” She mimed pulling a weapon from her belt. “Pulled my pistol on him, and then damn near shit myself when he said, ‘please don’t shoot me, that would be profoundly uncomfortable’. Then while I sat there gapin’ at him, he introduced himself!”

Nesh beamed at her, leaning forward. “So, you like history, and you pulled your pistol on the first dragon you met? You and I have more in common than I realize.” 

“You pulled yours, too?” Ayrah raised her brows. “Wait, you drew on Ella, and lived?” She glanced my way. “You’re getting soft, Ella.” She jabbed a finger in Nesh’s direction. “And you’re just lucky.” 

“Clumsy, more like.” I stretched a wing to curl it across Nesh’s back. “He fumbled it into the snow, and surrendered. Didn’t seem quite right to incinerate him, at that point.”

Nesh bristled, just a little. “You needed my help!”

“Which you offered, in exchange for your life.” I pulled my wing back, softening my tone. “Wisely, I will add.” 

Nesh scratched his head. “Seems to have worked out fairly well, thus far. Aside from the whole, ‘forfeiting my career’ thing.” He sighed, turning his attention back to Ayrah. “You know, I’m quite fascinated by the dragons and their history now, as well. If we get a chance, I’d love to hear what you can remember from Melakar’s lessons. With all respect to Ella…” He offered me a smile, then returned his gaze to Ayrah. “Your interest in the subject probably means you’ve retained a lot more than she did.” 

“Probably so.” Ayrah stretched her arm across the table to run her fingers through the fur of Lir’s tail. “Lir took notes, when he was out here, too.” 

The little urd’thin nodded, swiveling her ears towards the conversation, even as she kept scribing. “Yeah, I got some stuff you can read, if you want.” She paused her work long enough to turn her head and flash Nesh a toothy smirk. “I can teach you how to hold a pistol, too.” She clicked her teeth, twice.

Nesh sighed, rolling his eyes. “I can hold a pistol! It’s just…my hands were very cold, and, quite frankly, I was terrified.” 

“Uh huh.” Lir’s tone was flat as she went back to writing. “Lemme know if you wanna learn how to shoot it.” 

The arrival of food interrupted the conversation, preventing their playful argument from descending into anything else. All the humans I’d seen scurrying around the firepits and brick stoves out back now walked around the building, bringing with them entire mountains of fire-cooked meats. Some of them carried platters heaped with immense piles of it. Others worked together to carry whole animals on trays nearly as large as Nesh. The mingling aromas were so powerful, so delicious, they were nearly dangerous to the humans bringing our food. It was all I could do to keep from bowling them over just to get to my meal. 

Lir tucked her book and pencil away and hopped off the table. Nemos, Aryah and Nesh all got to their feet to help arrange things. Nemos signaled for a few more tables to be brought over to accommodate all the delectable things being brought out to us. The gryphons rose to their paws and I did the same, struggling just to stay out of everyone’s way. As much as I wanted to go and eat right away, more and more food continued to arrive. 

The first things set down were large, wooden trays smothered in meat. One such platter was laden with thick slices of mint-rubbed lamb and hunks of spiced mutton. They both had a dark crust edging each slice, with redder meat beneath it. Another platter heaped with shredded pig, the animal we’d eaten on the way to the city. Bits of herbs and something red studded the meat, along with a slightly tart, slightly sweet sauce. 

One table was soon entirely covered by whole animals. There were two goats, and one of the local antelope. Ayrah explained that each was prepared a different way. One of the goats was cooked in a pit in the earth, lined with alternating layers of hot coals and various aromatic vegetables I was not familiar with. Another was cooked in one of the big brick ovens, using the hot smoke of smoldering wood. The antelope was stuffed with dried and preserved fruits, and roasted on a spit rotated above a fire. Ayrah also explained that in the warmer seasons, they’d use fresh fruits, along with different herbs and vegetables, but in the winter they made due with what was available. 

They brought out other foods, as well. The vegetables roasted with the meats were presented alongside them in great wooden bowls. Other dishes contained preserved or pickled vegetables with a sharp, pungent aroma. Several kinds of dark bread were served as well, some in thick slices, others in rolls the size of Nesh’s hand. Smaller bowls held different sauces Ayrah said were created from a mixture of meat drippings, spices and ingredients I had never heard of. 

By the time they’d finished bringing out all the food, my hunger was painful. Given the way Blue Jay’s belly rumbled so ominously, he must have felt the same way. Yet I forced myself to refrain from attacking the feast laid out before me for a little while longer. One thing I did recall from Melakar’s old lessons was that in times long past, a queen visiting another clan would show respect by allowing her hosts to eat first, and select the choicest bites of prey for themselves. 

I stretched my wings to bar Blue Jay and Sparrow from the tables a little longer. “Ayrah, as our host, you should feed first.” I bowed my head to her in a show of respect, even as a smile parted my muzzle. “That goes for the rest of you smaller creatures, too. Because the gryphons and I are about to destroy this.” 

Ayrah returned the bow. “How gracious of you, Your Majesty.” She spoke with nary a hint of sarcasm, but when she straightened she took a few wooden plates from a nearby servant, and thrust them into everyone else’s hands. “Hurry up and fill your plate while there’s still food.” 

As if just to tide us over while the bipeds took their share, alcohol arrived for the gryphons and myself. Most of it came in immense oversized bowls, which Nesh claimed would normally be used for serving things like punch and soup to entire groups of people. I had only vague ideas of what those things were, but the dark liquid occupying mine smelled heavenly. I’d had ales a few time before, usually offered in tribute by merchants traveling through the valley. But this smelt stronger, with hints of something like dark, candied fruit beneath its otherwise pleasantly bittersweet aroma. Blue Jay was given a bowl of the same ale, and a bowl of a different one, with a sharper, more pungently sweet aroma. Sparrow’s bowl was a little smaller, and the wine within it exuded the smell of berries, fruits, and a hint of honey. The whiskey Nesh ordered for me came in a much smaller bowl. I sniffed it, and found a bevy of aromas beneath the alcoholic heat that came with its scent. Many of the scents were unfamiliar to me, but I knew the smell of oak, and vanilla, and a hint of a spice I thought was cinnamon. 

“Careful with that,” Nesh said, pointing to my whiskey. “It’s quite strong. I know you dragons like your homemade booze, but I don’t know how much experience you’ve had with real spirits.” 

“Thank you for the warning.” 

The drinks for the humans and Lir arrived shortly after, but I was more interested in my own. Deciding to try the ale first, I lapped up a few mouthfuls. It tasted even better than it smelled. It’s initial taste reminded me greatly of the dark, preserved fruits biped traders used to bring through the valley. Raisins, dates, figs and the like, none of which grew in our valley. I had not tasted flavors like that in years, and the reminder was a pleasant one. The sweeter flavors gradually gave way to a faintly herbal bitterness, which made for an enjoyable balance. I found the taste lingered on my tongue, and gradually returned to sweetness before dissipating entirely. 

“This is delicious!” I licked my muzzle, glancing over at Blue Jay, who was also trying it. “How do they make the flavors change? How does it last so long?” 

“A very knowledge brewmaster, that’s how.” Blue Jay gave a delighted warble, then glanced my way, his ears splayed out. “Afraid I don’t know all the specifics of how it’s made, but this is excellent stuff.” He lowered his head to the other bowl, taking a drink of his second ale. Then he gave an exuberant squawk, followed by birdsong laughter. “Oh! This one’s good, too! Much stronger though, it’s like candied honey and rum! That’s the one that’ll knock you on your ass if you’re not careful.”

“So of course he gulps it down like water.” Sparrow clacked her beak, then sipped her own drink. “But if anyone’s interested, their mead is excellent, as well.” 

“Glad you like it!” Ayrah carried a plate of food back to her chair. “I think you’ll like the food even more. We’ve all gotten ours, if you want to dig in.” 

Damn right I did. I jumped to my paws as Nesh, Nemos and Lir all took their plates of food to join Ayrah. Considering the amount of food they’d brought us, the four bipeds had scarcely made a dent in it. As the gryphons and I had little interest in plates, we simply settled ourselves around the food-laden tables, and helped ourselves to everything on offer. 

I started with the slices of lamb, explained by Nesh to be a young sheep. It was stunningly good. The first bite me shiver, my scales clicking. Each slice had a layer of blackened skin and fat that was somehow crispy on the outside, yet so moist beneath it that it melted away completely upon my tongue. The lamb’s crust tasted partly of the dried mint rubbed across it, and the still-red flesh beneath was tender and succulent. There was also an underlying sweetness, where the fat beneath the skin had melted away. Nesh attempted to explain that the dark outer edges was where it had caramelized, but I had no idea what that word meant. 

The adult form of the same animal was served next to it, and called mutton. It had the same type of dark crust, with the same caramelized sweetness. Rather than mint, it was rubbed with a variety of species which gave it a flavor unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was rich, and savory, slightly earthy, and left my tongue tingling in the strangest way. I was admittedly very unfamiliar with human cooking, let alone the seasonings they used, and I had to eat several slices just to wrap my mind around all the strange and delightful tastes. 

Next, I tried the pig meat. Nesh called it pork. I was starting to find all the many names for their foods confusing. Why did they call their sheep meat, mutton? Why give it’s young a different name? Why was pig meat, pork, and deer, venison? It made little sense to me. Dragons had no such custom. We did not make up nonsense words for the meat of our prey, we simply called it what it was. If I was to tell someone I was eating deer, I simply call it that, deer. As far as I could tell, humans simply strove to create complications where none existed. 

Strange naming conventions aside, the pig tasted just as alien to me as the other meats, and just as delicious. The meat itself was soft and tended, and for some reason, shredded into long strands. It was served with a thin sauce that was equal parts sharp, tangy, and sweet. There were fragrant herbs cooked in with it, along with small bits of various vegetables, and bits of something red and dry that Nesh called peppers. I was vaguely familiar with the dark and crumbled spice of that name, but not with the chunkier, red version they’d diced up into the meat. All together, it was unlike any meat I’d ever eaten, and very enjoyable. However, it left a strange, vaguely burning sensation across my tongue. If not for my trust in Ayrah, and the fact that the humans ate of it as eagerly as we did, I might have feared they’d tried to poison me. 

“Pork’s a bit spicy, isn’t?” Sparrow clicked her beak, glancing at Blue Jay. “Good, though.” 

“Very!” Blue Jay shoved another pawful into his beak, then waggled his fingers. “I’ve had it cooked and pulled apart this way before, but not with all the spicy peppers in it. It’s good!”

“Is that what it is called?” I licked my muzzle a few times, unsure how I felt about the strange sensation. “It makes my tongue tingle to the point of burning.” 

“That’s how you know it’s good,” Nesh said from the nearby table. “Though it’s a bit of an acquired taste. Do you not like it that way?” 

“Melakar loved that stuff.” Ayrah smiled at her own plate of food, wistfully nudging one of the red bits back and forth with a utensil. “Used to ask for it every time we were here.” 

“He was always eager for new experiences.” I dropped my head to my ale bowl and took a long drink. The bittersweet edge to the somewhat sweet, complex drink did not totally ease the strange burn, but it did compliment its unusual flavors. I glanced back at the pile of meat, licking droplets from my muzzle. “However, if I were to find that fruit growing in the wild, and taste it, I would assume it was poisonous and spit it out.” 

Nesh burst into laughter, gesturing with a slice of mutton. “That was my first reaction too, actually! But I learned to love the stuff.” He took a bite of meat, chewing thoughtfully. “I’m impressed you realized it was a fruit. Most people think it’s a vegetable, but it’s actually not.” 

I shrugged my wings. “It is red. Red means fruit.” 

“That’s…” Nesh scrunched his face. “Actually, is that accurate? Let’s see, there’s strawberries, of course, cherries…tomatoes are actually a fruit..” 

As Nesh rambled off a list of various crimson-hued foodstuffs, I turned my focus to the whole animals present on another table. I started with the goat cooked in the pit in the ground, lined with coals and vegetables. The meat was wonderfully juicy, and so tender it fell apart in my paws as I stripped it from the bone. The various aromatic vegetables cooked with it steeped it their own rich flavors. For once, I was familiar with some of the tastes I discovered. The valley grew a plethora of things like wild garlic, scallions, and onions, as well as plentiful herbs. In the olden days, the clan would occasionally roast meat with such things for a very special occasion. In my life time, I had mostly experienced them when various vassals gathered them for their own cooking. Their flavors and scents blended wonderfully with the slow cooked goat meat. 

The goat cooked with woodsmoke was just as good. It had the same sort of darkened crust and melty fat, as the lamb, only here it was richly flavored with smoke, rather than spices. The goat’s taste was stronger than that of the lamb, and combined with the smoke, quite bold. Where the fat was most caramelized, sweetness balanced the smoke. I liked it very much, and wondered if smoking prey was something dragons could replicate. 

Finally, I moved on to the antelope. Of all the foods presented to us, the antelope was the most familiar. I had hunted its brethren in the valley many times. Though different breeds, the flavors were very similar. The fact it had been cooked on a spit, over flame, gave it’s outer flesh a blistered, slightly charred quality. It was not unlike the act of searing an animal’s fur off with our flame before we consumed it. The preserved fruits and herbs stuffed inside the animals body cavity had bestowed it with own perfumes, like prey cooked inside an orchard. 

Only then did it occur to me that none of these whole animals were truly whole. I stretched a wing to brush it over Nesh’s back. “Nesh, where are the entrails? Do I not get to feast on their hearts?”

Nesh chuckled, lifting his hand to rub my wing. “Not sure. Probably used in something else.” 

“Indeed.” Ayrah pushed her empty plate away. “Most of the guts get taken out to be made into their own dishes. Some of the hearts and kidneys get roasted, the intestines end up in stews or as casings for sausages, and so on.” She leaned back in her chair, gazing across the grand feast. “Most of these animals start cooking late in the night or early in the morning, so they were already prepped long before you arrived. If you want to come back while you’re here, I’ll set it up so you get to try all the foods using the organs, too.” 

I rumbled in agreement, licking my muzzle. “That is satisfactory.” 

The rest of my meal was spent mostly in silence. The food was simply too good for me to interrupt it with conversations. From the way the gryphons were reduced mostly to throaty purrs and delighted trills, they clearly felt the same way. While we ate, the bipeds carried on a casual chat. Now and then they laughed, but I was far too lost in enjoying my meal to pay much attention to the topics of their conversation. 

Between bouts of stuffing my muzzle with delicious food, I savored my drinks, as well. The whiskey proved quite potent, just as Nesh had warned. It’s head spread all the way down my throat and into my belly after every lapped mouthful. It was also quite enjoyable, as well. The oak, vanilla, and spice flavors that the aroma carried were even more prevalent in its taste. Still, even a little of it left my frills feeling warm, and little tingles running through my wings. I’d not have wanted more unless we were settling in for the night. 

By the time the gryphons and I had eaten our fill, the tables were desolate again. Only small scraps and crumbs remained, along with pools of juices and lingering spices. It was all I could do to keep myself from licking the platters clean. I made do with finishing my ale, instead. The servers returned with damp towels, heated over the flames. While I had no idea what they were for, Blue Jay and Sparrow were quick to use them to wash their paws, beaks, and faces. I followed their lead and used the towel to wash the stains of a good meal from my paws and muzzle, then set it on the table. 

Jero returned, somehow with even more grease stains on his apron than before. He sidled up to our group, gazed across the ravaged trays of food, and gave a loud snort. “Well, shit, guess you hated it.” 

“Absolutely.” I offered a rumbling purr of appreciation. “So much so I hope to make it back before I must return home.” 

Jero busied himself stacking up empty trays. “Guess I could let you settle your scales here again.” He glanced at Blue Jay, snorting a second time. “Dunno about that one, though.” 

“What have I done?” Blue Jay squawked, flaring up his white-tipped crown feathers. 

Jero gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. “My grannie woulda hated you.”

Blue Jay narrowed his eyes, glaring at the humans. “I’m starting to wonder if your grannie even existed.” 

“That’s your problem, right there. No respect for your elders.” Jero waved his hand at the street beyond us. “My granny built this town. By herself! Cut the wood and dug the stone, built it up one building at a time.” 

Sparrow chirruped, smiling at him. “I suppose that dragon helped, too? The one who burned down her previous village?” 

“Well, someone had to cook the food and clean her house while she did all that work!” Jero picked up the stacked trays and turned away. “And that’s how granny settled the wild frontier.” He gave me a single nod of his head. “Thanks for not burning me down. See you next time, lizard.” 

“Wait, wait, wait.” Nesh drained the last of his whiskey, then wiped his mouth with the back of a hand. “That wasn’t even the same story, was it? What are you, mixing and matching your most popular farces?” 

Jero only smiled as he vanished back inside his restaurant. 

Ayrah stood up, wiping her hands on her towel. “He’s being very restrained, today. Must be nervous about dealing with a new dragon.”

As I rose up, I wondered if Jero knew about Melakar. Though Ayrah had sent people ahead, I had no way to know just what they’d told him. Would Jero mourn Melakar’s passing as he might a friend? Perhaps, he’d work Melakar’s memory into one of his outlandish tales. The idea of some crotchety old human telling his patrons stories about Melakar made me smile. He would have loved being remembered that way, I was certain. 

“Everyone ready to move on?” Ayrah adjusted her fur-lined coat. “I’ve two more things to show Ella, and then I’ll take you to your home for the next few days, if that’s alright with you.” 

“I’m not sure I can actually walk any more, after all that food.” Sparrow grunted as she forced herself up onto all fours. 

“Nor can I.” Blue Jay stretched as he rose, his forepaws splayed out before him, beak split with a yawn. “The rest of you may just have to roll me down the street.” 

“You’d look like a big, feathery blueberry if we did.” Nesh chuckled to himself, straightening his coat after standing. “Besides, those of you with four legs need to be able to walk, so the rest of us can ride you till we’ve recovered from this impending meat coma.” 

“Oh, no, I won’t be giving anyone any rides.” Blue Jay clacked his beak, then smiled at Lir as she ambled back towards me, her snowy, gray-smudged tail swishing behind her. “Other than you. You’re welcome to hitch a ride any time you like.” 

“Aww, thanks, gorgeous!” Lir diverted around me to Blue Jay. She stretched up on her tip toes to scratch at his shoulder and chest, making him purr. “But I gotta keep overwatch, for now. Maybe tomorrow you can take me out flying?” 

“Certainly.” Blue Jay lowered his head to nuzzle his beak between her oversized ears. “Anyone who properly appreciates gryphons certainly deserves to fly with them.”

Lir squeaked and chittered, sounds that nearly bubbled over with delight. She rubbed Blue Jay’s beak, then stretched her arms to scratch his ears. “You’re so pretty!” Finally, she turned away and walked back to me, the melodious joy in her voice quickly replaced by a more matter-of-fact tone. “Ready to go, Dragon?” 

“I am.” I curled my neck to watch her scramble up my foreleg as if she was scaling a tree. “Though I shall never quite understand how a dragon can seem so unimpressive to you.” 

“You’re not unimpressive.” Lir settled herself against the base of my neck, retrieving her revolver from her coat. “You just ain’t got feathers.” 

“Lir’s like the opposite of me,” Nesh said, taking his usual place at my side.

The urd’thin leaned towards him. “You mean I know how to handle a gun?” 

Nesh rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored her comment. “I saw plenty of gryphons back in the capital, but never saw a dragon before. She’s seen a dragon plenty of times, but never a gryphon.”

“That just means she’ll tire of them shortly,” I said, waiting for Ayrah to retake the lead. “Where are we headed next?” 

“To the open air market.” She lead me back towards the street, sending Nemos to give his men new orders. “It’s where we were headed before hunger took over. You won’t be able to fit down the lanes, but you’ll get a good look at the place, and it’ll let a lot more people see you walking amongst us as a friend.” 

“Very well, Ayrah.” I lowered my head to bump my nose against her back. “Lead on.”