Chasing the Lantern(103)

It was her friends on the airship she was worried about, and whatever had happened in the skies above. A short time ago she'd been scrambling after the procession when something up in the sky had exploded. She hadn't seen what, but the noise had been thunderous. The Dawnhawk she could still see now and again past the towers. But not the Copper Queen. Lina feared the worst.

Through the crumbled wall Lina spied another lot. Rather than by a tower or ancient ruin, it was occupied by one of the wide, low pyramids that were obviously of Draykin make. Small statues were clustered on its terraces. More foliage surrounded the building, but this was tended and well grown, a garden of sorts. A single, wide opening allowed access from the side facing the main thoroughfare to her right. There was no adjacent wall surrounding the space.

Five Draykin stood before the opening to the pyramid. All of them were armed with spears. They argued excitedly until one turned back to the opening and stood before it. The others jogged out from the garden and onto the main street, running toward the center of the city. The one left behind crouched down and hissed something into the interior of the pyramid behind.

Lina glanced to her right. The main thoroughfare was too wide, too open to sneak across. Irregularly, more Draykin came running up it toward the center of the city. To her left, the side street continued until it met another just like it, similarly busy. Her only way through was forward.

She took a breath, regretted it, and then darted out from behind the ruined wall and over the side street, taking refuge behind a fern just before the pyramid. It hid her from the lone sentry left to guard the squat structure, but from nowhere else. Lina felt horribly exposed.

The Draykin guard stayed where it was, squatting on its haunches, spear held in its claws. It looked toward the center of the city, only periodically turning to hiss threateningly back into the pyramid it sat before.

Two sounds caught at her attention. From somewhere near she heard an intermittent popping noise, like the echoed reports of gunfire. Much closer she heard more of the hissing, spitting Draykin language. Those noises came from the entrance to the pyramid, pitched higher than the voice of the guard out front.

Lina thought furiously. She couldn't stay hidden here for long. Sooner or later someone out in the street would notice her. But if she moved through the garden path, the guard would see her. What to do?

No time to be clever. Small stones surrounded the lot, remnants of a low wall that had once stood there. She picked up the nearest one she could without moving too much, then threw it off into the brush toward the wide main street. It landed with a rustling of leaves and branches.

The guardian Draykin perked up at the noise. It peered at the brush toward the main street, obviously wondering if it had misheard. Lina picked up another stone and threw it in the same general area.

The Draykin guard called out. "Randache?" It sat up, peering at the greenery ahead of it. Lina threw another stone. The creature hissed and stood. It gripped the spear in its hands more threateningly. Cautiously, it crept forward.

Lina stood and sidled over to the front of the pyramid. There was no covering brush here, and the guard had only taken half a dozen steps or so. It peered back and forth, took another step. Lina snuck along the wall, hoping, praying that it didn't turn around and see her.

The guard pushed forward into a bush where she'd thrown her stones. It jabbed about with its spear. Lina took the opportunity move up to the opening and then past it. As she stood in the threshold she spied movement within, out of the corner of her eye. Half-panicked, Lina turned.

The low pyramid was hollow. Its entrance opened into a wide, open room, similar to the ruin she'd crept in on the outskirts of the strange city. This one was not dark, however. Nor was it empty.

Torches glowed from little nooks cut into the interior wall. Carpets of woven hemp covered the floor, along with bowls, baskets, and other minutiae. Small, diminutive Draykin clustered around the interior entrance. They were obviously children, the source of the high-pitched noises she had heard.

All of them were staring at Lina.

One of them pointed a finger at her. "Hristala!" it squealed in excitement.

Lina glanced back. The guard turned at the noise, saw her, stared. It opened its mouth to bellow a warning. Lina didn't bother staying around long enough to listen.

She fled. Across the front of the pyramid, out through some fruiting bushes, into the street beyond. A low wall appeared before her. She vaulted it. Beyond she found a small pen, filled with small, squealing, pig-like creatures. They oinked and hooted in alarm at her appearance. Lina danced, pushed, and kicked her way through them until she reached the other side. A hissing cry and more alarm from the pigs told her that the guard was chasing after her, hot on her heels. She didn't bother looking back, and vaulted the next wall.