I was on the road to Dart well before noon. Destiny was well rested and eager to canter, so I let her have her head as we made our way along the road. I only slowed her when I needed to eat in the saddle; otherwise, I let her have her head, so that the miles slipped away under her hooves. Even with a stop for water, we made good enough time that the sun was still over the horizon when the town came into view.
I paused then to watch a pair of dragonlets spin around each other in tight loops above the dusty road. Their wings were only the size of my hand, but the speed of their mating dance kicked up a miniature dust devil that twirled between them. Sand and grit sparkled in the sunlight as it rotated, undisturbed by even the hint of a breeze.
Riding the circuits was hard, but it had its advantages. My cousins near the capital might have advances we did not: things like newly poured stone streets and electric lights, along with gifts of magic and technology the Empire had brought with them from across the Unreal. Here in the Outlands, the wonders might be smaller, but they still lurked around every corner.
Destiny nickered at me. The dragonlets darted away skyward in a panic. The dust devil gave one final spin before collapsing into nothing.
“Impudent beast. I know you’re thirsty. Don’t worry, we’re almost there.”
Spurred gently, Destiny moved slowly, but without protest. The dead and drying grass along the road baked in the waning heat of the summer day, raising its own unmistakable scent. It mingled with the odor of the dust and horse sweat in a distinctive but not unpleasant way.
I lifted my hand in greeting to the guards at the gate as the town’s stone wall came into view. They gestured vaguely in my direction in return, doing the bare minimum to recognize me. I could hardly blame them for the informality. The heat sapped their energy as it did mine. Fortunately, my horse knew the way well. She carried me slowly along paved streets toward the center of town. The few people out and about were as listless as the guards.
Destiny huffed as we entered the stables attached to the garrison house, greeting her favorite stable hand. I dismounted and gave him a nod.
“Fetch fresh water, please, Dankei.” I patted Destiny on the flanks. Even a summons from the governor was no reason to ignore my horse. “I’ll rub her down.”
Dankei grabbed her reins. “Nay, sir. I’ll take care of her for ya. Governor Tanner left word. Wants ya to see him, soon as you wash the grime off ya.”
I swung down, stretching my back. “Huh. He’s letting me clean up, at least. Any idea what’s going on?”
Dankei didn’t speak, but jerked his head toward the stables. A huge gray stallion stood in one of the larger stalls, staring at us. He snorted and tossed his head when he caught me looking his way.
“Who does that monster belong to?”
Dankei shrugged. He was already whispering to Destiny. He didn’t chatter and engage in idle talk the way other stablehands did, but for him to ignore my question completely was unusual. I focused my Talent just for a moment and brought Dankei’s aura into view. Normally it was a uniform bright blue, placid and calm. Today it was mottled and rippling. I let loose of my focus before it could start my head aching.
“Dankei.” I waited until he looked back at me reluctantly. “Who is it?”
“Empire man, Kellan. Real Empire, I mean.”
“You’re sure?”
“You can tell by his accent. Sounds like our old schoolteacher, the one they sent after they ran off the Accuser.”
He turned back to Destiny. I gave her a final scratch under the chin before heading to the bathhouse to wash the dust from my face. What was a representative of the worlds-spanning Empire doing here? And why did the governor want me involved? I’d find out soon enough.
You can find “Blue as Sky, Blask as Sin” and eight other stories of science, magic and daring adventure in Cannon Publishing’s 2024 High Caliber Awards anthology.
