House of Winter

Chapter 9, Part 2

The men were staring at Sofia, who had just opened her mouth as if she intended to blab to them about Ari.

Ari stood up hastily and dropped the scrubbing brush she'd been holding. It clattered on the deck, making both of the men turn to her. They barely looked at her, but the distraction had been enough so that Maria had time to grab Sofia and hold onto her tightly. Sofia closed her mouth.

"There's a war brewing, Savvas," the first man said.

"And you'd best decide whose side you'll fight for," Savvas said gruffly.

The Red Dragons glared at him, but they didn't go any further. They both pulled themselves onto the backs of their dragons and took off into the sky.

The suns were beating down on the harbour; a warm winter's day that was baking hot by midday when they finally docked. The cold clutches of winter didn't touch Zantiala, which was further to the Loth and privileged to receive warm balmy days all year round.

Ari stepped down the wooden plank and then turned back to help Jinni, who stepped down with trepidation. He was still weak, and he eyed the busy crowds of Zantiala with unease.

Pythos Savvas stepped down after Ari and was immediately greeted by children who screamed his name and gawked in wonder at his famous dragon, who was bathing in the water.

"Impossible to keep a low profile," Olatuja commented, before turning to help Maria down from the ship. Maria was leading Sofia.

"There are boarding houses being set up for water starrlings coming in from Lombardia," Savvas said. "We'll go there, get settled. Jinni can rest for a few days. Then we'll find a ship to take us to Singtsu."

Ari was frustrated at how long it would take,but he knew that Jinni would be able to recover from his infection quicker if he rested on the island for a few days. Plus, Ari wanted to see what preparation was being done in Zantiala for the war.

As Savvas led her and the other girls off the wharf, Ari noticed the ruined remains of a ship being dismantled. The sound of hammers against nails rang through the air.

"Lombardia's already been attacking ships?" Ari wondered aloud as she watched the workers repairing the damaged ship.

"Probably got caught in a cyclone," Olatuja said, because Savvas had been caught up in a flurry of children who were circling him and trying to grab a hold of him.

Ari stared at the ruined ship.

"A cyclone?"

"We're getting more and more of them," Olatuja said. "It's why so many people have been trying to immigrate to Lombardia. The Red and White Dragons don't care if you've just lost your house in a cyclone; they'll still cut off your finger if you don't pay your taxes. The people who lose everything here often need to flee to Lombardia to escape their debts to the warlords."

Ari had often wondered why so many Vastiens moved to Lombardia when they were treated so poorly there. But now she understood a little of what might drive someone to flee their own country to a new one, even if it meant experiencing hatred from Lombardians.

Up the hill was a tall boarding house with dragons stretched out to sunbake on the roof. Ari watched as Warrah the dragon immediately flew up to join the other dragons in the sun, while Jinni remained close to Ari's side as their group was greeted by the Vastiens who ran the boarding house.

There was a long table between orange trees, with small lanterns strung up on ropes between the trees. The table was already set with piles of dishes and jugs of red fruit juice. People called out greetings and hugged, while their dragons played among the fruit trees. There were women squatting in front of the coals of a fire pit, cooking fish, and there were men dishing out bowls of fragrant rice.