The smugglers all turned and looked at where we had begun to enter the room.

  I couldn’t fault them for their surprise. Biff was someone they could understand easily enough. But a brown robed sage, a yellow-robed enchanter, and an orange-robed rune lord had to have caught their attention. Poor Lyra, who was used to being the center of attention, would have been second fiddle to the three of us standing in front like we were.

  “Get them!” Captain Zack bellowed.

  And while Shame’s offer to appeal to their greed might have had a shot at working, our entry threw that plan out the window, or, sewer cover, or whatever metaphor worked best down here.

  Shame called out, “Sorry, I expected more dialogue from them.” And he laughed a deep, gravely laugh as he closed on the captain and a couple of his men. The others rushed us.

  I saw Shame’s ring expand into a silver staff, which he clearly knew how to use. He was as fast as a monk in his reflexes and as accurate as a warrior with his strikes. The two men with the captain went down with a single powerful strike apiece.

  Biff and Lyra stepped in front of us and took the first attacks by the smugglers. I expected the bard to sing, but instead she did something I had only ever seen Simon do. She held her silvery sabre with both hands and then pushed out at the smugglers. A concussive wave shot forth, and they flew backwards all over the room.

  Biff looked over, nodded to her, and crossed his arms, waiting for the men to get back up and rush them again.

  Half the smugglers did not get up, and the other half backed away.

  “It is important to learn how to talk to men so they understand you. They are usually a little slow. This group picked it up pretty quickly.” Lyra was remarking to Starla.

  “Looks like your men are abandoning you, captain.” Shame bantered with Captain Zack as they sparred. The captain used a scimitar and a dagger as his fighting style, and Shame alternated between one-handed and two-handed fighting with the magical staff.

  During the confusion of the fight, Ears snuck over to the large crate and was whispering into it through a small air hole drilled into the side. Not getting a response, he pounded on its side.

  I saw what was about to happen, but I was too far away to do anything. The captain faked a lunge forward, which caused Shame to take a step back. However, instead of advancing, the captain used a skill to leap over to the crate. He grabbed Ears with his sword arm, pinning the boy to his chest as he placed the dagger near the irregular’s throat.

  “I’d say it's time for a parlay.” The captain called out.

  We all stood still.

  “Let the boy go,” I called out.

  It was as if the captain was seeing me for the first time. “Patron!” He spat. “Are you responsible for all of this?”

  I was taken aback. I did not know how he knew me or what he thought I had to do with Shame. But instead of arguing, I said calmly, “Let the boy go, and we can talk.”

  Apparently, I confirmed whatever he had been thinking, and he blurted out, “You will not get away with this. I shall be handsomely paid this day!”

  I whispered to Lyra out of the side of my mouth, “What is this guy babbling about?”

  Before she answered, Thorne ignored the captain and walked over to a table near where the group had been gathered. He started rummaging through papers.

  “What are you doing?” The captain called out. “Patron, stop him or your little boy here goes to meet Davy Jones.”

  “First, I’m not here with Gwydion. Second, you are on land, so your threat is a bit off. Third, if you kill the boy, I believe that the brawler would pull your arms out of their sockets and proceed to beat you to death with them. So, I’d advise a new strategy.” Thorned said as he picked up a ledger and waved it to Lyra. “We got what we were looking for. The captain can go as far as I’m concerned.”

  “Now hang on!” Shame said. “He’s on my list. I’ve been after him for weeks.”

  The captain called to Shame, “I’ll double your payout if you help me escape.”

  Shame gave him a look. “Oh, please. Bounty hunters don’t break contracts. We’d never get another one. But if you come quietly, I won’t break any of your bones or let the brawler pull off your arms.” He counteroffered.

  The smuggler was beginning to look panicky, and I was afraid he might do something stupid.

  “Okay,” I said. “Let the boy go, and you have my word that you can go free. The bounty hunter will have to hunt you down on a different day.”

  “Steady on there, yellow robe. You don’t speak for me.” Shame called out.

  Starla stepped forward. “Three mages, a bard, and a brawler say the smuggler goes free. You can catch him later.”

  Shame stared at her for a moment, looked over at the boy, and said. “Yeah, okay. Pick up your men, and I’ll give you a ninety-second head start.”

  “Ten minutes.” The captain shot back.

  I was getting tired of this. “Five minutes starting now. Waste it arguing if you like. If you take any longer, I am going to turn you into something that won’t swim and pitch you into the bay. Old Sergeant may be gone, but there are still plenty of sharks out there. Four minutes fifty seconds and counting.”

  He stared daggers at me.

  “Four minutes thirty seconds,” I stated twenty seconds later.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  The captain moved toward his men. “Pick up Rivers and Stubby. We are leaving out the back.”

  “You leave the boy in the room, or the deal is off,” I demanded.

  “You all stay put. I’ll leave the boy at the exit. Your word, Patron. Five minutes.”

  “Four minutes eight seconds.” Thorne corrected.

  “Five minutes!” He screamed.

  “Okay, we will start the count over at five minutes from your exit through the doorway if the boy is here and unharmed.” I corrected.

  They all made their way to a back wall that had some empty crates piled up haphazardly. Apparently, there was a passageway out behind them.

  The smugglers exited first while the captain waited. When the last of them passed by, he made eye contact with me. “I shall remember you, Patron. And what you cost me.”

  I felt a feeling settle on me, and the AL whispered into my ear. Enchanter Gwydion earns an enemy in Pirate Captain Zack Wren. Additions and notes have been added to your Book of Quests that remain unread.

  With a push, Ears went tumbling across the stone floor, and the captain turned and fled.

  Shame rushed over to the exit after the smugglers, but stopped by Ears. “You okay, boy?” He asked.

  The sound of collapsing stones could be heard from the tunnel, and a blast of air and dusty debris came rolling out.

  Biff pursed his lips. “Nice escape.” But he was also moving over to help Ears.

  The littlest Irregular stood on his own. His eyes were watery, but he was not crying. He walked over to the crate and tried to open it.

  I noticed that the box had a single painted label that read, Silver.

  “Here, let me help.” Shame said as he located a crowbar, and between him and Biff, they pried the lid off. As soon as the lid was loose, the four sides of the box collapsed outward with a bang and a cloud of dust off the floor.

  Inside was a cage that glowed with a faint, yellow color. Inside the cage was a sleeping silver dragon. It was as big as a winged horse, but tiny by dragon standards. It was a very, very young dragon.

  And it was sleeping.

  “It’s been enchanted to sleep,” Starla said. “Look at the cage, it has magical runes on it. This came from up north.”

  She was right, there were runes carved into the cage on all four corners of each side of the cage. I presumed the top and bottom were similarly enchanted.

  “This is some strong magic.” She admired. “Done by a master of rune lore.”

  “Will anything sleep that is put in that cage?” Shame asked.

  Starla walked around the cage and examined the runes. “Yes. It would take very strong magic to counter these spells. There is a lot of redundancy. It was designed to keep a magical creature resistant to magic in a state of deep slumber. Not many creatures can compare with dragons for magical resistance and power. Even a youngling like this.” She explained.

  “His name is Sliver!” Ears nearly shouted.

  Shame nodded and looked at me. “You are here to free the dragon?” He asked.

  “I guess we are,” I said, looking at Ears, who had looked up at me when Shame spoke.

  Ears smiled.

  “Then, in payment for my loss of commission, I will confiscate this cage for the guild. We can always use something like this for our more troublesome bounties.”

  I looked around. Lyra shrugged her shoulders, “Seems fair to me. I am not lugging that thing out of here. But I will look through a few of these other crates while you figure out how to release the dragon in a way that we all don’t get eaten or crisped.”

  She had a point, at least about the dragon.

  Thorne walked over to me after placing the ledger in his backpack.

  “You find what you needed?” I asked.

  “Sadly, yes.” He replied, oddly. “How will you wake it?”

  I looked at our rune lord. “Starla?”

  “I think we just open it. There is no lock on the door, just a latch and hinges. There wouldn’t need to be a lock since this does not have an off switch. It always functions. Although you could always add a chain or two if desired.” She added as an afterthought.

  Biff suggested, “Maybe we move this to a better location so when it awakens, it does not run around eating people in Undercity.”

  Ears got indignant. “Sliver wouldn’t do that!”

  “You can’t know that.” Lyra tried to explain calmly.

  Biff said, “Hmmm.” And we all looked at him.

  He shrugged. “If it were any other Irregular, I’d agree. But it's Ears. Maybe ask him how he knows.”

  I knelt down beside Ears, who had been stroking the dragon’s scales. “How do you know it's safe?” I asked.

  “He is my friend. We talk to each other. It was how I knew he was here.” Ears replied.

  I didn’t have an argument for that. “Okay, we’ll let him go and then help him to find an exit and leave the city. You know he can’t stay here with you, right ears?” I asked.

  His eyes watered again. “I know.”

  I looked up. “Be ready, just in case,” I suggested.

  “Let the boy be the first thing the dragon sees. It might be safer for all of us.” Shame suggested.

  “Good call.” Starla agreed.

  So, we moved Ears up front and told him to open the door.

  He did, and the magical runes faded to the merest dim glows.

  The dragon did not stir.

  “Sliver?” Ears asked, tentatively.

  The dragon’s nostrils flared, but still it did not move.

  “Sliver? It's me, Ears. You are free now, just like I promised. My three friends and three others rescued you. Seven came just as you said they would.”

  The youngling’s eyes fluttered open, and it took a wide, toothy yawn.

  It spoke, saying, “Yes, my long, terrible dream is over. I thank you, my friend. Are you sure you will not come with me? What awaits here is not for you.”

  “I will stay with my friends.”

  The dragon sighed. “I know.”

  And then it did the strangest thing. It cried.

  The tears fell into Ear’s outstretched hands. Seven, 10pt diamond tears simply formed as the tears dried.

  “One for each of you.” The dragon said quietly. “Know that you are my friends.”

  The AL whispered into my ear. Enchanter Gwydion earns the title Dragon Friend for solving the Sliver of Silver quest. Sliver, youngling Silver Dragon, is now a friend. Additions and notes have been added to your Book of Quests that remain unread.

  Ears walked over to each of us, and we chose one of the diamonds from his outstretched hand. He accepted the last one, himself.

  “I must go, ears. I have a very, very long way to fly.” Sliver said.

  The dragon and Irregular walked together out of the chamber. Ears led us all along a long water channel that I realized dumped out of the city and into the marsh to the north of Crab Corners.

  When we reached the large grate and Biff had no trouble opening it, I realized that this was an easy way into or out of the city and would need to be guarded and, better yet, sealed off. The exit was large enough for three Biff’s to walk out side-by-side, and it showed up on the plans like a pipe two feet across.

  Ears hugged the dragon’s neck for a long moment, and then, without anything else being said, the dragon took off into the air and flew toward the Pillar of Heaven and its home.

  As we were about to head up the stairs to Blunky’s, I offered, “I can take a look at your dragon diamonds if you like.”

  Lyra just laughed. “No thanks, Enchanter. Mine is just fine.” She chuckled as she made her way up the stairs.

  Thorne said with a smile. “She wears on you. Have a look at mine.” He handed it to me.

  I used a casting point and entered it, sharing what I learned. “Fascinating. You can have your choice of one of the following that can be triggered once per day: Lesser Heal Other, Lesser Heal Self, or Holybolt, which are cleric spells; Lesser Solum’s Slumber, Restrain Other, or Ashram’s Key, which are wizard spells; or Speak Dragon, which is just really, really cool.” I informed him.

  “Yeah, I’ll take Speak Dragon. Languages are my thing, and I doubt I’d just pick that up in a book somewhere.”

  I made the same offer for Starla, Biff, Shame, and Ears. Starla took Lesser Solum’s Slumber. Biff took Restain Other. Shame took Ashram's Key once I explained it would open any non-magical lock. Ears took Holybolt, and I also took the Speak Dragon spell. It was too cool to pass up, even if it was likely to be far less practical than any of the others.

  We had no difficulties returning to the shoppe, although the smuggler merchant behind the counter at Blunky’s did a double take when we walked out.

  I sent a note to the Watch Commander about Blunky’s, the secret entrance into Undercity, and the exterior grate. I was sure it would be handled quickly.