AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“In confidence, if you will,” Lord Graves said.
“Fine,” I said. Miazydar slipped from the table, people flinching back as his claws left great scratches.
“See, that wasn’t too bad,” Jez said with a smile. “Go Team Nan!”
“We’ll see,” Flea said, watching them closely.
Finally, we were called back. “The Council has conferred and we agree, you can leave.” Jez let out a little cheer. “But there are conditions. The portal in Damorica will be destroyed. You will not return to this world, nor will your dragon, or you will face the combined forces of the Aravisian dragon army.”
I was stung by this. Never seeing Natty again, not being able to fly across Bordertown, never seeing the Brigintinian ruins… “Or, we have a compromise. For official purposes, you become an Aravisian citizen, your beast will be registered with us and we will issue you with a visa that will allow you to travel freely through all the realms.” Graves held his hand out when he saw me smile. “However, any evidence suggesting you are allowing your dragon to be used by a foreign power will result in immediate loss of citizenship and subsequent rights. You will be executed for treason and your beast will be redeployed to someone on the merit-based waiting list.”
I looked at the others. Jez nodded but Flea’s eyes remained slitted, looking over the council members. “OK.”
“Now, to become a citizen with the rights of a dragon-rider, you’ll need to go through the requisite training—.”
“I knew there’d be a bloody catch,” Flea growled.
Graves held his hand up. “It will be greatly shortened. Most riders spend three years training but…” he waited for our disputes to drop away, “but, as you have no intention in taking your place in the armed forces or bureaucracy, we are happy to reduce this down to three months.”
“Three months. You’re not going to let me leave for three months?”
“You always have option 1. We are making considerable concessions, Ms McKinnon. What we are suggesting is unprecedented. It will take us at least that time to set up the requisite treaties and do the paperwork,” Grave said.
“Fine,” I said, “but you’re going to need to return my friends to the portal. And I need all of this in writing.”
“The paperwork outlining the deal will be drawn up in triplicate before the end of the day. As your friends were not requested to attend, you are welcome to purchase them a return flight or go via caravan.”
“Purchase? I can get them home and be back in time for the paperwork,” I said.
“You are not authorised to leave Aravisia for the three months training as discussed. You’ll need your dragon for the flight to Lohirikam University this afternoon. I’ll have Joon take you to the closest travel agency to set up transport.”
Shall I burn the man thing? M said. This is not the Aravisia I remember. It seems to be drowning in red tape and paperwork.
Probably not worth it. Let’s just hope we have enough gold on us.
10
Of course, we didn’t.
“Four thousand gold pieces,” the man in the travel agency drawled. “There’s two dragons going in the hour and another in the morning. You want me to book ‘em in?”
“Four thousand? As in four-oh-oh?”
“You’re missing an oh, Tess,” Jez said, “and so am I. I thought this place would be chock-a-block full of horny were-dragons who’d become part of my gang banging harem.”
“Four thousand each, lady. You want the flights or not?”
“What about these caravans?” The man’s eyebrows shot up, then he burst out laughing. “What? What’s the problem with them?”
“You wanna get some serious life insurance, love. The success rate is getting better, I grant ya, but still, only 70% of them make it to their destination. It’s over 800 kilometres of track between here and Bordertown, it’s gonna take days, and unless you’ve got pals in the export business and can jump in one of them armoured vans, your chances aren’t great. Them flyboys, they’re all safe on their damned animals. Don’t care too much about the ground crawlers, even if it’s us that’re bringing in the medicines and delicacies from the outside world.” He shook his head but peered at his computer monitor. “You want me to book it or what?”
“What the hell are we going to do,” I said as we walked away from the kiosk. “Kayla—?”
“Klara,” the Aravisian official corrected me.
“Is this the cheapest agency here?”
She nodded. “I assumed you were looking for value for money. We travel rarely as a people, so costs are high.”
