House of Winter

Chapter 11, Part 2

A R I

"They are our friends and families," Pythos Savvas said, his voice loud but calm, despite the energy of the crowd. He stared around at the crowd, and then pointed. "You, Christos," he said, pointing to a large man with his dark beard trimmed into a triangle on his chin. "Your brother Michalos moved to New Hamilton with his children after his shop was destroyed in a storm and the White Dragons killed his wife. Do you no longer consider him your brother now he lives on Lombardian soil?"

"Of course not," Christos said loudly. "Michalos is forever my brother, and if I was young and healthy I would fly to Lombardia to free him from these camps, if what you speak of is true. But I cannot leave my wife or children, and I have no healthy dragon to fly me to Lombardia."

"But you have a ship, do you not?" Pythos Savvas asked. "Could you not donate your ship to our cause?"

"He wants us to give up our ships?" someone yelled. "Savvas, you're gone mad!"

"Perhaps the gravity of the situation is lost on them," Olatuja said to Ari. "They don't believe a war is coming."

"They don't want to believe it," Ari said, staring around at the crowd.

"I'll pledge my ship!" the man named Christos yelled out. "I'll pledge my ship to you, Savvas, if you can bring back my brother and his family."

Ari saw the smallest of smiles on the Water Dancer's face, but then his expression became resolute once more. "Who else will pledge to save our brothers and sisters in Lombardia?"

"You'll need a crew for Christos's ship," a woman called. "I'm not a starrling, but I'm a fine sailor, and my sisters are too."

Ari's gaze alighted on the woman, who was holding her fist up. "For Vastier!" she called out.

Ari felt her heart swelling as she saw others rally to Savvas's cause. It seemed that while there were a few detractors in the crowd, the power and influence of the Water Dancer was well and truly alive.

"Calm seas and catches of plenty to all of you," Savvas called out, before he lowered himself back into the saddle of his dragon. "Join me up the hill at the Dancer's Grove where we'll feast and prepare before we set off for Lombardia."

The crowd dispelled as Savvas's speech ended, leaving a few remaining stragglers. Ari glanced up at the balcony of the government building again, to see that the people up there had returned inside. She wondered whether Savvas would make any enemies or cause himself trouble by so openly rallying for a war in front of the government building.

Olatuja needed to buy medical supplies, so Ari followed Savvas through the streets as he knocked on doors of prominent houses, asking for donations to his cause, or help from starrlings. As many denied him, many still pledged as much money as they could, or offered to join him on a trip to Lombardia.

"But we're travelling to Kakaio first, right?" Ari whispered, after they'd spoken to a young boy who seemed more than eager to join Savvas on a mission to free Vastiens in Lombardia.

"Of course," Savvas said. "But I think it's best if we keep that quiet. I have a trusted crew that'll be able to take us far enough, and we'll need to fly the rest."

The suns were setting, and Ari was starving. Savvas took them to a stall with a pot of rice that was big enough to fit Ari inside of it. The rice was brilliantly yellow, filled with fragrant spices, herbs, vegetables and fresh seafood. Ari's mouth was watering as she approached.

They took two bowls and sat at the harbour, looking out over the ships as the suns set over the ocean.

"Once it's dark we can go to the White Dragons den?" Ari confirmed.

Savvas nodded as he was chewing. He swallowed, and said, "It's good you have Warrah with you. The White Dragons will think you're a water starrling. It's just important that you don't use your ice magic. The Red Dragons were already looking for you, and I'm sure the White Dragons aren't far behind."

After dark, it was like the harbour had become a different place. The friendly market stalls selling fish and wares were gone, replaced suddenly by groups of drunk sailors who shouted as they walked past, and women and men in revealing clothing with feathers in their hair and eyes shining bright in a way that made Ari think they were high on estellaine. As Ari watched, a young woman with feathers in her hair and yellow teeth approached Savvas and flashed a smile at him. Her eyes were shiny with the drug, but Savvas ignored her and she moved on.

"The harbour is disputed territory," Savvas said, nodding across the river. "White Dragons and Red Dragons are constantly fighting along here for space. We need to go down river further to the brothels and the gambling houses. The den is in the heart of White Dragons territory."

Ari had grown up in New Hamilton, a city rife with crime, but nothing had prepared her for the streets of Zantiala after dark. There were gang members everywhere, she realised once Savvas started pointing them out. Members of the White Dragons patrolled the streets, looking for trouble, starting fights, and ensuring that the brothel workers on the streets were working hard for their coin, or their next hit of estellaine.

Two of the White Dragons noticed Savvas, and Ari watched them run off in the opposite direction, probably to give a warning that he was approaching. Ari felt her heart beating hard in her chest as they reached a street that was alive with activity. There were shouts and the sound of smashing glass, and Ari thought there must be a brawl, but it seemed that this was just the normal sounds of the White Dragons den.

A huge casino with dirty white stone walls was nestled in between two towered wooden buildings that looked ready to fall down in the next storm. There were water dragons guarding the building, and they flexed their wings as Ari, Savvas, and their own dragons approached.

"Here comes the Water Dancer," someone sneered. "He's always got a girl, ain't he?"

But the men stepped aside to allow the four of them through the great doors of the casino. Inside was chaos. There were gamblers everywhere, throwing coins down onto tables and dice onto boards. Everywhere she looked there were waitstaff, dressed in revealing white outfits, serving cocktails to the guests. There were dragons curled around tables, guarding piles of gold.

Savvas was leading them through the crowd and to the back of the casino, but something made Ari turn and look up past the dancers on the podium. There were a collection of velvet sofas, raised up high so they had a perfect view over the casino floor and the dancers on podiums. There were dragons sitting in front of the sofas, and a few men and woman in elegant outfits sitting on the sofas.

On a podium meant for a dancer, held in place by a gold collar around his neck and a muzzle over his jaws, was Jinni.

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