I picked up the sword and spun it, my eyes scanning the harnesses and scabbards along the wall—and I found it. Emmanuel’s tried and tested system for a shoulder harness, with the newest embellishments provided by me.
I grinned at Cara. “Only the best for your armory.”
She smiled back. “He insisted.”
I pulled it off the wall and put it on, adjusting the straps, then sliding the sword in and out. The scabbard released the sword at mid-draw, permitting even a long sword to be used this way. Very few systems worked as well as his. I tweaked it until the hilt sat exactly where I needed it.
“Are we ready yet?” Havoc snarled from the doorway.
Kiko had managed to strap a second knife to her thigh without my help. I grabbed two more, attaching them to my arm and waist.
“You do have talons,” Havoc hissed.
“Happier with these.” I added a short knife to my calf. I hadn’t trained for that one—Centaur legs weren’t suited for it. But it seemed a good idea for human ones.
“Okay,” Cara said. “Cloaks on the rack along that wall. I suggest you all use them—sometimes it’s a good idea to disguise that you’re a Dragon.” She glanced at Vali. “Or female. I’m going to send you through to the town of Drundas. Its gate is the closest to the volcano valley.”
Havoc took a cloak. “Disguising the Dragon is a good idea. That’s Claw territory. Grista might be better, it’s more neutral.”
The Watcher shook her head. “Another day’s Dragon flight away.”
Kiko frowned. “What’s a Claw?”
Havoc snorted as he pulled on his cloak. “Small-time Dragon gang.”
“Well, if it’s small time, then what’s the big deal?” Kiko asked.
Vali adjusted her cloak. “I’ve heard of them. They own that city. Vicious bunch. We don’t want to run into them.”
Kiko shot Havoc a look. “And you call them small time?”
“Small time compared to Brock,” the big Dragon said. “They only control that one city.”
It was a reminder of the dangers that lay ahead. I adjusted my cloak so that the sword hilt was accessible.
Had a feeling I was going to need it.
* * *
The Drundas gate spat us out into a building.
We were instantly surrounded by guards that, by their size, could only be Dragons. Although the wings that sprouted from their backs upon our arrival were a dead giveaway.
A particularly large specimen stepped directly in front of us. “What’s your business in Drundas?”
Havoc charged right into his bubble, and snarled. “It’s no business of yours.”
I thought the guard did a good job of looking unimpressed, considering the menace radiating off the red Dragon. But a dead guard wouldn’t get this mission off to a good start. I shoved my shoulder between them, and said, “We are just passing through.” I shook the pouch Cara had given us. It clinked invitingly, and I poured out a selection of coins.
The guard grabbed them from me and scanned the two smaller members of our little team as he weighed them in his palm. Then he raised his head, and sniffed.
With Kiko’s and Vali’s hoods up, he was limited to his other senses.
“What are you doing with the Satyr?”
I shrugged. “What does anyone ever do with a Satyr?”
The diminutive cloaked figure drew herself up in indignation, but I raised a cautionary finger, and she subsided.
