The Landlord

V

When I wake up, it's the fourth. I needed to go through the portal and get my regular pay so I could pay the dragon whom I owed rent to. It would still be early there, but Gilbred should be home. I go through the portal and I'm back in the western kingdom. I run from my backyard and down the street and turning left where I should turn right, and then I turn around and go right and there are the stables. I don't see any new horses. I'm guessing Gilbred didn't get what he wanted.

Knock knock knock!

I know they're awake before they're always awake before first light.

Marion opens the door.

"He's not back yet," she says. "Had a problem with the horse. Says he won't be back until the seventh now."

And there it is.

My heart sinks.

I'm going to get eaten by a dragon. There was nothing else I could do unless I fled. And Ygarth would likely hunt me down. Dragons take their payments seriously.

"What's wrong?" Marion asks.

"He's killed me," I tell her. "I needed him to pay me, and he's killed me."

"Don't be so dramatic," she tells me. "Surely it can't be that serious. Besides, don't you have another fund?"

"That's festival money. And anyway, it's not enough to cover my rent anymore."

"Well I'm sure you'll think of something," she says. "I'll see you on the sixth for work." Then she closes the door.

Yeah, if I'm not eaten first, I think.

I walk back, my head low, and I turn right where I should have turned left and so I turn around and go back home and go through the portal. I put my festival clothes on and start walking to wait in line again.

"If I'm going to die in a couple of days, I'm at least going to enjoy myself," I say, and one of the guys waiting in line wearing shades enthusiastically agrees with me.

"Yeah, life is short, man," he says and hugs me. I can tell he's on dragon ash already.

We get through and I take my dragon ash and feel the drug take effect. I want to kiss the air as I dance my troubles away.

I find Dagmar, and I avoid telling her about my unfortunate outcome, and we dance together and drink and I share the dragon ash with her. We listen to the magical music and watch the shows and that night, I join her at her camp instead of my cottage, and we sleep outside the tent under the stars.

In the morning, we wash in the stream and eat porridge with fruit and listen to the acts warm up.

That day, we danced, we shopped, we drank and did more dragon ash and fell in love with the sky.

"I want to marry the sky!" I declare. "Before the dragon eats me, I just want to marry the sky."

"Why would the dragon eat you?" Dagmar asks. "Did you pay your rent?"

"Uh...no. No. My boss who has my money is stuck somewhere because of horse shit, so I can't pay the dragon, ergo, I'm going to be eaten by said dragon."

"How much is your rent?" Dagmar asks, thoughtfully. "I have a lot saved up. I'll just loan you the money."

"Wait, really?"

"You'll pay me back?"

"Every copper."

"Let's hurry then."

We leave the festival and head through town towards the cottage, then we go through the portal. Dagmar takes me first to her townhouse where she goes upstairs. I'm still running hard on dragon ash, but somehow I'm able to keep myself together. The only giveaway would be my eyes. They're probably glowing like my jewelry.