BOOK 4 - CHAP 1 - The Grand City

Basha leaned over the side of the ship's side and marveled at the magnificence of great archway that spanned the River Rathilm and the massive iron gates that barred the entrance. He heard descriptions of the grand archway, even saw a picture once, but none of it did what many considered a wonder of the world, justice. So in awe was he, that it took the man a while to respond to Colleen's question but just when she was about to repeat herself in the case that he had not heard her, Basha turned and answered, "Going to inspect my brewery."

Basha turned around and leaned his back against the side, stretching arms wide across the railing. "Perhaps 'striking it rich' was a poor choice of words. Angus and I made some money, but it won't last forever, so I decided to start up the Dragoon Brewery again."

The old soldier's leather face stretched into a smile as he thought about rebuilding what the Dragon-kin had taken from him. For a time, all he could think about was seeking revenge on them, but eventually he was able to let go of the rage that burned within his heart. "We can never get back what we lost in Fort Glory, Mrs. Smith but look at us now. I think we have to let go of our old dreams and create new ones. When I here people cry about the past and lament over their lost dreams, I know now that you just have to let them go. There ARE no more dreams, but we do have a future."

Basha had changed. He was well aware of it. Facing death can do that to a man, and he figured that maybe he had seen the 'harvester's' face one too many times. Whatever the reason, he was done with being a soldier once and for all. He just wanted to start again, that's all. The Fates had granted him a second chance and come 'flood or the forest blood' he was going to see it through. There was just one catch to his plans. One that was difficult to turn a blind eye to.

After a moment of silence, Basha said a word that neither Mrs. Smith or Elija used frivolously.

"Dracomance."

Seeing the reaction he was looking for in Mrs. Smith's eyes, Basha then continued.

"Kallend and Maeve told me about the boy. I wish they hadn't, but now that I know it's hard to simply go one with life knowing that a real live prophecy is playing out. The real question is, what are you going to do?"

As Captain Mandek and Collen talked, Elija and the rest of the Shoddy End Gang stood at the rail and looked with awe at the city they were to call their new home. As the passed through the great gates, Elija had a strange sensation that he had just arrived to meet his destiny and that his young comrades were somehow destined to stand at his side, once more. To fullfill a prophecy laid down in a long past distant age. As Elija looked towards the landing pier a chill ran down his spine. There in the throng of people he thought for a instant he saw a pair faces he recognized. "Impossible." he thought to himself as he squinted and scanned the crowd again. He turned to Sam and said "Me blinkers be playin' the crooked cross on me melon, mate." ( My eyes are playing tricks on my brain)

On the docks Splevey and Pincher threaded their respective ways in and out of the crowd gathered waiting for the riverboat to land. Pincher was watching Scrounger's collection of young pick pockets ply their trade, when he spotted Splevey and ducked back into the shadow of a warehouse doorway.

Colleen knew Basha had been in contact with William and Maeve the instant she heard the word uttered from his lips. Her eyes grew a little wider and she seemed to take a little more interest in what he was saying after hearing the word. When she heard him ask what she was going to do, she looked at him for a moment then looked at the beautiful city they were going to now call home before her gaze rose to the upper deck railing. As she looked at each chihld she rubbed her hands on her upper arms then looked back at Basha.

”I’m going to live, Captain. And in doing so, I hope to let those children live a life they so desperately deserve. I can’t ignore what Elija and I are now. Especially after what’s happened on this boat. If there are beings out there who would kill to get their hands on us, then we owe it to those who died for us to learn the gift we’ve been given. I’m not sure exactly how to accomplish that but I do know that if Fate guided us to William and the others then I’ll put my faith in that Fate and know we’ll learn what we need to learn. I suppose I’ll do what I’ve been doing all along only this time I won’t ignore what’s right before my very nose. I’ll help Elija all I can learn what he is and in doing so hope we can unlock the mysteries of this whole surreal life we’re now living.”

She gave Basha a small smile as she glanced up at the kids then back to Basha.

”Now…if you’ll excuse me. I need to get us moving so we can quickly get to our new home.”

With that, Colleen turned and walked away. A short time later she was up on the deck with the children rounding them up to get their belongings so they could leave the boat.

”Come on everyone. Let’s get our things together so we can leave the Baloc Belle behind and get into our new home.”

Basha was pleased to hear the optimism in Mrs. Smith's tone, his stone features even cracked into a slight smile. Deep down, though, he knew that her life wasn't going to be an easy one. The kids she had taken under wing all carried their assorted baggage and danger surrounded Elija; it was only a matter of time before it found him Baloc, in one shape or form, or another.

When the lady excused herself, Basha straightened up and tipped his hat. Watching her disappear in the crowd that had gathered on deck, he wondered how she would ever manage, but then it wasn't his problem. He had a brewery to get running and his own life to rebuild, but first he had to find Angus. As he leaned back on the railing of the ship, he contemplated where that old codger would have ended up, then it dawned on him — the land titles building, that was the most logical place to start looking.

Basha would later learn that the land titles office was in the Legislative Building across the river on the East Side. It was located in the original Town Square, now known as Sterling Square which received its name long ago from all the silver merchandise that was sold there. The Ilathrend Mountains were rich in the metal, and Baloc was famed for the artistry of its silver smiths.

As the Baloc Belle was moored. Basha lined up with all the other travelers as they awaited the gangway to be opened. He like many of the other passengers who had never before laid eyes on the wondrous city stared in awe at it's marvelous spires illuminated by the golden hues of the morning sun. It was an uplifting sight, one that he wished Lasekura could have seen and for a moment he hung his head in memory of his friedn. For a time he would mourn his loss but his death did not strike him with grief. Raj was a soldier, and soldier's died. It was that simple. He had died honourably, in defense of something other than his own life and he could rest peacefully, which was more than the old warrior could say about those he left behind.

Elija and the rest of the Shoddy End Gang gathered their belongings and stod in line with Collene ready to disembark when the gang way was lowered. Elija and Sam both scanned the crowd but could not see anyone they recognized. "Cum on mates let's be gittin' ta our new digs." Elija said in somewhat of a trepidatious voice.

As the passenger's flowed toward the gangway, Basha fought the current and made his way toward the stern of the ship. There he spied the brawny man who had been so kind as to lend him some of his clothes while his own dried through the night. By morning they were yet a little damp but he had put them on anyway and now he returned them back to their owner. No words were exchanged between them as Basha dropped the bundle in the crewman's arms and he kept right on walking toward the crane that was pulling a load of crates from the hold of the ship. As the load swung over the side, he gripped onto the rope netting and spun with the cargo smoothly landing onto a stack of crates. The dock workers looked up at him wondering if perhaps they should do something, but the man hadn't broken any laws so they just continued working while he skipped down to the docks. In no time he had melted into the shadows of the warehouse district and started walking toward the bridges he had seen up river. One of them he, figured would take him to the East side where he knew as much that his old friend, Angus would be waiting.

As Colleen helped the kids gather up their belongings she paused a moment when she came across Raj's things. What was she going to do with them? Collecting them with her things, she had the crewman carry their things for them as she herded the kids together and started making their way towards the gang plank. She waited until most of the crowd had rushed off before she and the kids made their way to leaving the ship. She figured it was much better than taking the chance of something happening she couldn't control. Still, she had Galley and Sam help make sure the smaller kids were kept in the middle along with Elija.

Her eyes kept scanning the crowd for any thing that looked out of the ordinary but as she remembered the fact the mermadon was able to look like anyone, she didn't take comfort in what she was seeing, or lack there of. As the crowd began to thin out and Colleen and the children made their way to the gangplank, she held tight to Elija's hand as they walked from the Baloc Belle to the dock, Colleen breathed a sigh of relief but it was short lived. As they began to make their way into the beautiful city of Baloc, Colleen knew their new life was just beginning but the old threats were still there.

And some new ones.

"Come along, kids. Let's see our new house. I believe it will be plenty big enough for all of us. According to what William said, anyway."

As Basha made his way through the west side streets of Baloc, the smell of the docks was soon overpowered by the industrial stench of the rail yard at its heart. Above him loomed a black trestle wide enough to support two sets of tracks as he passed beneath on the road that hugged the river bank, simply called River Road West. Under the trestle he could spy narrow walkways, no doubt left over from when the bridge was first made and probably left in case repairs were ever required but there was little need for their use when just little further south was a grand bridge. It was larger than all others and it was so large that towers and buildings had been built upon it so that it was more of a fully functional street rather than just a way across the Rathilm. Crossing it, Basha was amazed to find shops all along the way, suspended above the river so that the bridge itself was its own little community. Indeed, Baloc was a marvel and Basha still couldn't believe that he would have ever lived to see it.

Once across, Basha turned northward up the eastern river bank. He would have loved to have spent more time on the bridge and learn more about it, but he was anxious to find Angus. He wasn't certain where Sterling Square was but he figured it was somewhere in the center of the East side.

As Elija , Collee , Sam and the other Shoddy End Gang made their way through the streets of Baloc, they were reminded of Fort Glory. Elija looked at Sam and said softly "It be like ar ol' Glory, it be, keep yur blinkers awares mate." Elija looked about warily for any sighn of Spleevey , Pincher or Scrounger .
Yur right thar "L" it do look like Glory, but more grand. I bets we could turn a tidy profit, we could. Once we know'd tha Bobby Brown." Sam said softly. (Bobby Brown = Town)

"Mind yur gaub Sam." Elija said softly to Sam and gave a nod towards Collene.

As Collen and the children passed an alley between two of the many tall building, Pheobe and Bill watched. "Bugger me thar darlin if it ain't the kid an the rest a them brats, darlin" Bill said to Pheobe "Com'on weeze got some profits ta collect weeze do."

Basha made his way through the city streets. He kept his stern eyes straight ahead and acknowledged very little around him, as was his nature. Only a few times did he take the time to take in a sight or two, but he did so surreptitiously, as thieves and con-man were ever on the look out for newcomers to prey upon. While the old soldier was not one to be trifled with, it was simply instinct for the Vrezhnyan to hide any sign of one's ignorance, just as he did his best to disguise his accent.

The grand old buildings which were common in Baloc were infrequent in Fort Glory. Tall spires, ornate archways and beautiful stained glass murals decorated nearly every building reminding, Basha of his home land. The familiarity put him at ease, but not being one to easily let his guard down was ever vigilant. Once, and only once did a small hand slip past his pocket and the soldier's vice-like grip clamped down on it. The boy screamed in pain and as Basha's burning blue eyes peered down at him, they momentarily widened with surprise. The child was the spitting image of Elija when they had first met, filthy with the eyes of a fox, but it wasn't him. The urchin was quick to draw a razor with which to free himself; it flashed toward the soldier's arm in a vicious upswing but before it hit its mark, Basha picked up the kid and tossed him aside like a sack of potatoes. The kid hit the wall hard, bounced off and lay there dazed at the solidly built man's feet. It was only because he reminded him of the Smith boy, that Basha lingered. If he had a coin to spare he would have tossed to the pick pocket for his troubles but as it was, his purse and all his possessions were with Angus.

"Sorry, boy. Next time go after someone a little slower, and a little richer." Basha advised the young pick pocket.

Basha then continued on toward, Sterling Square and hopefully there he would be able to track down old Angus before the end of the day. It was a large city and before they parted all that was said between them was they'd meet around the Legislative Building and considering that Basha was unfamiliar with the place he could be anywhere.

Elija , tugged at Collene's sleave and said "Where we of ta mum?" Just as he had finished asking and they passed a large cathedral looking building, a fiant sound filled Elija's head. A soft calm voice called to him "Xihood ti pliso, douta cep vur donoap ui trelk. Yth nkyorl douta meage." Elija looked around nervously, with a quizical expression. As the voice once again filled his head "aovbijar aovbijar donoap di wer darastrix." Elija once again tugged at Collene's hand and said "This way mum we need to go to 1313 chemin du dragon."