Dragon Country, Chapter 4 : The King of Thieves
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The mood all across Dragon Country was somber. Shadi and Isis attended Spear Dragon feverishly, while Anzu hovered over the steaming bathwater the Dragon was submerged in, her brow creased impossibly deep and a look of despair in her eyes. The children crouched around the back end of the stables; some of the younger girls were weeping. Mokuba clutched his brother dearly, and Noa absently stroked his hair, trying to reassure him; his dark blue eyes stared vacantly into the distance. Unless they had jobs in the stables, people had gone home early and gathered at the kitchen table, talking in hushed voices. Someone had seen Honda, Seto, and Jounouchi approaching at top speed with the limp body of the wild Spear Dragon and spread the news. Apparently, everyone knew that this meant something important, and that it was bad; now they speculated as to what exactly had happened.
Inside the stables, Kujaku Mai was trying to attend to the exhausted Winged Dragon, but her eyes kept filling with tears. From time to time, she'd throw a glance over to the pen where Harpies Pet Dragon was being kept and her face would go rigid with anger.
In the front of the village, Atemu's imposing palace stood. It too was void of the usually bubbling life and activity; now, the most important gathering was in the throne room, where Seto and Jounouchi had first met the Pharaoh. Atemu, Seto, Jounouchi, a man neither of them knew and Ryou the fireman were the only ones in the room; Atemu had abandoned the throne chair in favor of a small table in the center of the large floor.
"Did you catch any names?" Atemu asked tiredly, massaging his temples after Seto finished telling their tale.
"Just one," he said unhappily. " 'Marik'."
This was somehow significant, because Ryou slumped in his chair; the black-haired man, whom Atemu introduced as Otogi Ryuuji, Captain of the Dragon Country Guard, bolted upright; Atemu nodded as if he'd been expecting this.
"What's the Clan doing in the Barrier?" Otogi asked incredulously.
"Wait," Atemu said sharply. He peered at Seto. "Anything else? About the people, I mean?"
Seto shrugged. "There was one man in a mask…"
"Pandora," Atemu nodded.
"A man with piercings all over his body…"
"Strings," Atemu said, making an expression of disgust.
"Two tall men, bald, with odd symbols painted on their forehead," Seto recalled, wracking his memory.
Atemu rolled his eyes at this. "Mei and Kyuu. Worthless lackeys."
"And the only other person I remember is a man who acted like their leader," Seto admitted reluctantly, cutting his eyes to the side. "What did he look like? That's easy." He took a breath. "He looked exactly like Ryou."
The poor fireman sunk even lower in his seat, if possible. Atemu and Otogi both gave him sympathetic looks.
"He's my brother," Ryou admitted. "My twin brother. Bakura's his name."
"What's your brother doin' out killing Dragons while you work in here to keep their forests safe?" Jounouchi asked with characteristic bluntness.
Ryou sighed. "It's a really long story…"
"Tell it," Atemu ordered, absently rubbing his Puzzle again. Ryou dipped his head in agreement; he'd obviously been waiting for the request.
"Bakura and I were born in a city far south of here. My mom- a firefighter, like me- died when we were young, in a giant fire caused by a raging Berserk Dragon. Our father was a merchant, and came here a lot on business. Bakura and I traveled back and forth between the south and Dragon Country; I loved it here, but he preferred down south. I guess our big differences just had to do with circumstance. When Bakura was really little, he got into a scuffle with a One-Eyed Shield Dragon. They're really small," he addressed to Seto and Jounouchi, "And they don't have much in the way of claws, but it was enough to leave a scar under his right eye. Did you see the scar last night?" he added as an afterthought.
Seto shook his head. "No, but we were pretty far away and it was dark."
Ryou shrugged. "Well, hopefully you won't be close enough to see it sometime later," he said glumly. "Anyway, Bakura's never really trusted Dragons since then. When we were teenagers, he said they should all be killed and roasted, or raised as prisoners." Ryou bit his lip. "Shortly after my father passed away, he left home and formed a group that he simply called the Clan. They live in the unpopulated area in between Dragon Country and the lands to the south. The Clan makes their living by robbing travelers… and by hunting wild Dragons and illegally selling their scales. Dragon skin is worth quite a lot in illegal trade. I suppose they started eating the meat rather than throwing away the whole carcass," Ryou added in distress.
"I've led several expeditions against them," Otogi added distastefully. "But Bakura's taken to calling himself the King of Thieves. It's impossible to catch the Clan. Even our best Dragons can't find them when they slip into the densest forests, or follow underground caves, or crouch under boulders and the like."
"Do they hunt with those wooden spears?" Jounouchi asked suddenly.
Otogi nodded.
"So were they up to the same things in the Barrier?" Jounouchi wondered.
"That's what I'd like to know," Otogi said grimly.
Atemu lifted his head. "They've been quiet lately. During the spring and early summer, the Clan will raze the smaller settlements to the south of this village, driving the people here for temporary shelter. The Clan burns their houses, raids the settlements for food and wares, and kills some of the Dragons that live nearby. We hadn't seen hide nor hair of them since last summer, and it's autumn now; I thought they might have disbanded. But it appears not- they have simply moved. The question remains, why? I'm sure they haven't exhausted resources in the south. That logically points to only one conclusion: They've found a better way of making money somewhere. Possibly, a better market."
"The Krawdiites?" Otogi wondered aloud.
Atemu cast his eyes to the side. "Difficult to say for sure."
The door slid open at the far end of the room, and Anzu entered, her pretty blue eyes shadowed.
"How is she?" Atemu asked, half-rising.
"I don't know," Anzu answered softly. "She started sweating."
Atemu groaned, and returned to his seat, resting his head in his hands.
"Does that mean she has a fever?" Jounouchi questioned. "I thought that being hot was good for Dragons. What with the fire and all."
"Dragons are different from people," Anzu explained, sitting quietly between Seto and Atemu. "A high temperature is good, very good for them. But they can only maintain this high temperature if they don't sweat. As you know, sweating is a physical means to regulate body temperature in humans, to keep it low by evaporative cooling. It's dangerous for Dragons to chill down like that. Spear Dragon is in the hot-water bath right now, which should help."
"Is there anything we can do?" Seto asked, his voice low.
Everyone turned to him. "You've done so much already," Anzu told him, her voice trembling. "Thank you. If it weren't for you, Spear Dragon would probably be dead right now, and we'd never know about the Clan. Maybe now we have a surprise advantage over them."
"I'm sorry you were put out of your way," Atemu said grimly. "We'll arrange transportation back immediately."
Seto hesitated. "That… won't be necessary."
All heads swiveled to him, including Jounouchi's.
"You'll stay?" Ryou asked, his voice sounding hopeful.
Reluctantly, Seto nodded. "For the time being. I want… to help. With the Dragons."
Jounouchi's eyes brightened, but his reaction was nothing to Anzu's. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him, and for a moment Seto almost wished she would. But she restrained herself and turned back to the informal meeting, a spark of hope born in her eyes.
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The lone man found shelter in a small, but dry, cave, and decided to pause and regain his energy. He was crossing the Barrier from the north, entering Dragon Country in a relatively isolated area. But part of the reason for this isolation was the extreme weather. Not even many Dragons could thrive in the constant snowfall, merciless winds, and bitter cold that were characteristic of the mountain pass in this area.
The man brought out a wisp of grass and some flint from inside his pocket. As he'd been walking, he had picked up what little timber could be found in the sparse trees and fallen branches. He dumped his armload of wood in a haphazard pile on the ground and began working at lighting it. For five minutes, he struck the flint over and over onto the grass. The dry grass first smoldered, then burst into flames; but no matter what he tried the sopping wood wouldn't catch. The constant snow had soaked it through, and finally his grass ran out. In a momentary fit of anger, he chucked the flint out of the cave entrance, slumping back on a cold rock wall.
A soft chuckling floated to the cave. The man opened his eyes again, and saw a curious-looking Dragon poking his head through the entrance. In his mouth was clutched the flint the man had just thrown away.
The Dragon moved into the cave, stumbling clumsily, and dropped the flint. He sniffed the pile of wood tentatively. The man watched the Dragon with amusement, but with caution; it was an Armored Dragon. This one was young, and almost comical-looking; but the babies were never far from their parents.
Decisively, the Dragon opened his mouth and let out another of the chuckling-noises. Then his chuckle suddenly deepened, and a red-hot spark of fire flew out and landed on the wood. Immediately, the wood flared up, and the fire spread quickly. The Dragon sat back on his haunches, pleased with himself.
The man laughed in delight. "Why, thank you," he said, reaching out to scratch the Armed Dragon's ears. The orange Dragon preened.
A deep, dangerous rumble resounded through the mountains, shaking the very air. Armed Dragon scampered back, turning in a quick, agitated circle.
"That'll be your mother calling," the man told the Dragon. "You'd best hurry along. We don't want her coming here, after all."
Armed Dragon gave its affectionate chuckle one more time, then turned and hurried out of the cave. Craning his head, the man thought he could see the huge, imposing shadow of the full-grown Armed Dragon, silhouetted against the half-moon. Smiling faintly, he settled back down, holding his hands out in front of the fire. It warmed him, through and through.
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"Um, hi," Jounouchi said hesitantly, peering over the stall door.
Mai glanced over her shoulder at him and gave a nod, quickly turning back to Winged Dragon. "You'll be fine," she murmured at him, giving him a quick pat on the head. Then she left the stall, flipping the latch behind her. Winged Dragon turned in a circle three times, just like a dog, as Jounouchi noted with some amusement, then settled down on the straw mat and closed his eyes.
"He's okay?" Jounouchi asked awkwardly, tagging along as Mai set off at a brisk walk down the hall. "He flew at top speed back here. I've never seen anything move so fast, especially when carrying a whole bunch of passengers."
"He's exhausted, but all he needs is rest," she responded quietly, picking up her pace. Jounouchi trotted after her.
"Wait! Did I- did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?"
She stopped abruptly, and Jounouchi nearly crashed into her. He breathed a sigh of relief, then realized she was facing the stable. He twisted his head, and saw the same elegant label: 'Harpies Pet Dragon'.
"When you guys first brought Spear Dragon in, I saw the wound she had," Mai said in a low, dangerous voice, vibrating with rage. "That's the same wound Harpies Pet Dragon has. That was no Dragon claw. Someone put a spear through her leg."
Jounouchi's jaw dropped; her words were making perfect sense. He suddenly understood. "You're right…" a shiver ran through his body. "It was the Clan that did it."
"I thought as much," Mai said, lifting her jaw. She opened the stable door, letting Jounouchi follow her through. Then she strode over to the Dragon. Harpies Pet was already awake, standing up as if she'd been expecting Mai; her tail wound all the way around the front of her feet and the gleaming gemstone atop her head nearly scraped the roof.
Mai ran her fingers across the scar on the Dragon's leg. "Don't worry, girl," she whispered in the same deadly tones. "They'll pay."
Jounouchi hesitated, watching the two of them. Mai and the Dragon had a lot in common, he mused uncertainly. They were beautiful, powerful, and he had a sneaking suspicion that they could both be very dangerous.
"I'm sorry," he said finally.
Mai and Harpies Pet both turned their heads to look at him, and he cringed, wanting to smack himself for his stupidity.
"For what?" Mai asked, arching an eyebrow.
"For, uh… leaving. For being about to leave. So soon. You know?" Sheepishly, Jounouchi kicked the ground.
"Don't be," Mai said, folding her arms and giving him a long look. "I can't blame you. I'd be in a rush to get out of here, too."
Jounouchi lifted his eyes to meet hers. "You're serious, aren't you?" he asked, amazed. "You said before that you didn't belong here. How is that possible? This is the most fantastic place I've ever been in! How can it get boring with the Dragons around?"
"You don't understand, Katsuya," she fired back, her eyes sharp. "You just got here, so of course it seems new to you. But… there's nothing here. It's the same thing, every day! Don't get me wrong, of course I love the Dragons, but that's all there is! I've seen everything there is to see! There's nowhere to go, nothing new to try!"
Jounouchi opened his mouth, then shut it again. Scratching his head, he admitted in a subdued voice, "I didn't think of it that way."
"No one does," Mai said, sounding suddenly tired. "Everyone else can deal with it. They love routine, they don't get bored. Every day is an adventure for them. I admire them… I'm just not like them. I need something different."
She sat down on the ground, leaning against Harpies Pet's leg. Jounouchi hesitated, then warily walked over and sat next to her, keeping a careful distance from the Dragon.
"What's your world like, Kaysuya?" she asked.
"Huh?" Jounouchi asked intelligently.
Mai turned her neck to face him, and he blushed. "What's the Other World like?" she asked again. "What is in there? If you don't have Dragons, what do you have?"
"We have… lots of things, I guess," Jounouchi said, though his mind was a blank. "Um… cats, dogs, cows, horses, pigs, monkeys… tons of animals. And other stuff."
"Like what?"
"Well, let's see." He ran a finger through his hair, thinking. "I guess the big thing is technology. You know, like computers. And televisions."
She was giving him a blank look, so he tried to elaborate. "Computers are machines that you can do stuff on. Like talk to your friends, or type up homework, or play games… Televisions are these giant boxes with pictures inside. The pictures move, and talk, and tell a story. Sometimes. Other shows are just kind of pointless."
Mai was staring at him, her eyes narrowed. Jounouchi shrugged helplessly. "I'm not doing a very good job, I know," he admitted. "It's one of those things you have to see for yourself."
"What do you do for fun?" she asked abruptly, shoving her confusion aside and moving on.
"Oh. Well. Uh, I go to college a lot of the time. It's a really big school. Tons of kids go there and learn about life. And stuff. But I have to admit, I like the weekends a whole lot more. I don't really have just one thing that I do. Sometimes I go watch a game, like baseball or something. That's where a lot of people play on teams and try to beat each other. They've got other stuff to use, like a bat and a ball and gloves… anyway. Sometimes I go rent a boat with my friends and we waterski or kneeboard. Stuff like that. Uh, I like the arcade… you can play lots of games there… and occasionally I'll catch a movie. Sometimes my buddies and I just hang out at the pizza parlor. And get food," he added. "Kaiba'll come, if I blackmail him well enough. Did you know he's into mermaids?" he asked lamely.
Mai heaved a sigh, tilting her head back and shutting her eyes. "It sounds fantastic…" she murmured.
"Yeah. I guess it is," Jounouchi said slowly, thinking. "Yeah. I loved the world, even though that sounds kinda cheesy. I had a ton of fun with my life. But you know who I think does belong here?"
"Kaiba," she responded.
Jounouchi blinked. "Wha-? How'd you know?"
"I saw him when you guys brought Spear Dragon in," she answered, turning away. "It's all in the eyes."
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"How long are you planning to stay?" Ryou wanted to know. He and Seto were walking together off the stable grounds, down toward the manmade river that looped through the palace grounds.
Seto shrugged. "I wanted to stick around until we find out what's going on with the Clan," he responded.
"Well, once winter sets in, we shouldn't hear from them all season," Ryou answered doubtfully. "They typically attack sometime in the spring. You could be here a while."
"That's a problem?" he said stiffly.
"Oh, not for us," Ryou assured, his eyes growing wide. "I was only concerned that you might want to move out of here faster, that's all."
Seto lifted his jaw. "It seems to me that if winter were setting in, it would be hard for Katsuya and me to reach the Barrier anyway."
"That's true…"
"It was freezing while we were up there," Seto continued quickly. "And Katsuya isn't really made of tough enough material. He's not cut out for strenuous hiking like that."
"If you say so," Ryou said, holding up his hands. "Well, let me extend you an official welcome to Dragon Country."
Seto dipped his head slightly, slowing to a stop in front of the river. "Which way?" he asked, glancing from left to right.
"This way," Ryou said, motioning upstream. "Daedalus, the Levia Dragon, lives in a small lake that pools right before we redirected the river to the palace, here."
"Lives in the lake?"
"Yes. Anzu mentioned that Daedalus's element was water," Ryou smiled. "It's really a unique Dragon. I think you'll like it."
"What does it look like?" Seto asked, curiosity piqued.
"Well, you'll just have to wait and see for yourself," Ryou replied, his voice light. "Come on, let's hurry!"
As they quickened their pace, Seto glanced around. It was a beautiful day, and appeared to be spring. But hadn't Ryou just mentioned that winter was coming? Perhaps it was early fall, and they were using loose terms to describe the not-so-sudden approach of a new season. His thoughts were diverted when Hyozanryu yawned and stretched, revealing the darkish blue underside of his wings and the two bold stripes of orange on his underbelly.
"Ah," Ryou laughed, shaking his head. "We usually say that Red-Eyes and maybe Thousand and Baby Dragon are the most spoiled ones here, but I have to admit that we really pamper all the Dragons." He smiled slightly. "Over in the Stables Major all the Dragons get special attention, really. I suppose it comes with being domesticated, or as domesticated as Dragons can get."
"I heard Slifer was spoiled," Seto remarked.
"Oh yes! That doesn't make him any less powerful, though."
Seto glanced at Ryou out of the corner of his eye. "What does Slifer do?"
Ryou lifted his shoulders. "Only Atemu and Anzu know, and perhaps Otogi has some idea, as Captain of the Guard. It's whispered that Slifer and the Pharaoh can communicate and that Slifer offers guidance. We have no idea how old he is, you know. He was alive when the Blue-Eyes were first born."
Seto snorted. "Where was Slifer when the Blue-Eyes was beating back the Krawdiites?"
Ryou shot him a surprised look. "On the verge of death," he remarked quietly. "The Krawdiites had a weapon, a legendary Dragon with five heads. It got into an epic fight with Slifer, one in which both Dragons were grievously wounded. Slifer went back to the Stables Primary- an older version; the new one was built about fifty years ago- and recovered; the five-headed Dragon simply disappeared. It's been widely feared that it will rise again, but that's just a rumor. We have no evidence towards that."
"Do you have any evidence that any of the stories are true?" Seto asked, surprising both of them.
"Sometimes, stories are all you have," Ryou said, glancing at him up and down as if judging him. "That doesn't mean they're not real. We're here," he added suddenly, gesturing over at the stream that had suddenly widened into a startlingly calm and smooth lake. "I'll call out Daedalus whenever you're ready."
"I'm ready," Seto responded immediately.
"Good." Ryou crouched down next to the lake and carefully unslung the small leather pouch from his shoulder. He opened the flap and removed a small golden globe, placing it with care on the surface of the water. The golden bauble began glowing, and bobbed out into the center of the lake.
"What's that?" Seto asked, trying to keep the fervent interest out of his voice.
"Treasure. Dragon Treasure, if you want to be exact." Ryou made a slight face. "But sometimes I get sick of saying the word 'dragon' all the time! I'm sure you've noticed it's in nearly all our names."
Seto snorted. "True. But that doesn't explain what that 'treasure' is."
"Sorry," Ryou apologized, rising and absently brushing at his pants. "It's just a playful trinket. The Dragons love it; the glowing surface attracts them. The younger ones play with these. We figured that it was a handy way of calling to Daedalus."
They watched as the bauble made its way farther from shore. "We don't call out Daedalus that much," Ryou remarked. "There aren't that many fires, and usually the regular team- like Red-Eyes or Curse of Dragon- can take care of them by stomping them out or scratching dirt atop the flames. But scouts reported a small brushfire in the meadow and I'm usually worried about those. Besides," he continued with a sheepish smile. "It's a good chance to show off the Levia Dragon to you. I love working with him." The golden globe, which had been slowly making its way out to the lake, suddenly changed course and zoomed back towards them. "Ah," Ryou said, sounding pleased. "He's coming."
Ryou stooped and retrieved the bauble, and a second later the water started rippling at the surface. Seto gazed as what must have been a huge body rose, nearly emerging into the air, and sped towards them. When it had almost reached the shore, Daedalus broke the surface and emerged into full view, bellowing in what must have been affection for Ryou, or possibly surprise at the newcomer.
It was okay if Daedalus was surprised, Seto thought hazily, because he was shocked. Daedalus was by far the largest Dragon he'd ever seen or ever imagined. It was long, long, long… the head was as large as he was and looked heavy. It was elaborately studded with bone ridges and spikes and gems. Then the body extended forever, snaking behind Daedalus; it was mostly smooth, with a red spine and more hard ridges.
"How can something like that even exist?" he choked out.
"He's amazing, isn't he?" Ryou said proudly.
"He's huge." Daedalus reached the shore and, to Seto's further shock, didn't stop swimming. After the front quarter of his body had wriggled onto the land, two feet appeared. The Dragon emerged fully on the water and shook himself off briefly, although his scales still glistened with water; that whole bulk was being supported by four ridiculously small legs.
"How does he do that?" Seto blurted again, hardly able to believe what his eyes were telling him. His gaze darted to Daedalus's underbelly- it was hovering off the ground. It was unbelievable. Those legs should not be able to carry around that much solid weight. "How can he stand? How is he not being crushed under his own weight?"
"I'd like to give you a reasonable answer, but I can't," Ryou admitted. "A long time ago, some 'doctor' from your world fell through the portal. He spent two years examining the Dragons, trying to figure out how they breathed fire and how their proportionately-small wings could carry their body weight. Eventually he gave up before he went insane."
Seto snorted under his breath. "I thought this place called those who belonged," he said, his voice unintentionally sneering.
Ryou gave him a puzzled look. "It does. Now he lives in the southern cities, married to a very nice lady. They have three kids and run their own clinic."
Seto fell silent. He gave a half-turn, only to come face-to-face with a curious Levia Dragon. Daedalus sniffed him up and down once, then dismissed him and turned to Ryou. "Hello there," Ryou said, patting the Dragon on the head. "Are you ready to go exploring in the meadows? This is Kaiba Seto," he added, as the Dragon turned to his companion again. "He's here to help."
The Dragon lumbered forward, and Seto watched in fascination as its small legs carried it smoothly onward. His own feet began moving, carrying him after the Dragon. Ryou brought up the rear, smiling in faint amusement. He rather liked Kaiba, except he couldn't understand why he was so stubborn about the oddest things.
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"Ishizu predicted snow sometime this week," Ryou remarked offhandedly. He was just trying to make conversation, and perhaps draw Seto into a discussion; he could sense that the boy was bursting with questions but was afraid to ask them.
Seto looked up, his brow furrowing. Daedalus was basking in the center of the meadow, letting the sun shine on his long body; the two boys were reclining under a tree, eating some apples. "What is she? A weatherwoman?"
"I don't think so," Ryou replied, blinking. "She's just gifted like that. You know… she can see the future."
"Are you serious?" Seto asked, his voice full of doubt. "She predicts the future? And she guessed it would snow?"
"Yes," Ryou responded, wondering if he'd said something wrong. A vein was twitching in Seto's forehead.
"I don't believe in that kind of stuff," Seto announced, crossing his arms and daring Ryou to disagree with him. "You can't know the future. Fortune-tellers or whatever your friend is are all bogus."
Ryou hesitated; he didn't want to offend Seto, although the other boy apparently wasn't concerned with that. "That's just what she said," he ventured timidly.
"It's ridiculous." Seto harrumphed. "Besides. It's not the right season." He waved his arm at the meadow. "Everything's still green. It looks like spring. Maybe late summer. Certainly not fall, and that's the earliest it ever snows."
Ryou stared at him, baffled. Kaiba certainly was set in what he thought. Maybe being here, with the Dragons, will be good for him, he thought ruefully. Carefully avoiding a confrontation, he rose to his feet. "If you're ready, we'll move on with Daedalus," he suggested. The other boy paused, glancing around the meadow, and nodding his head in satisfaction. Then Seto clambered up behind him. "Of course. Let's go."
They circled the meadow, Daedalus in tow. It was an easy day; there were no fires, not even small ones. Daedalus left them after a few hours; Ryou assured Seto that the Dragon just didn't like being out of water for that long. He took Seto to the caves, and to the edge of the forest; they spent most of their time watching the many wild Dragons that lived nearby.
And as they trudged home later that afternoon, the first snowflakes started to fall. Seto stared first at the clear blue sky, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the sparse white clouds that littered it. Then he gazed around at the meadow, still green and fresh; the flowers held the snowflakes so they sparkled in the light of the setting sun. Ryou was smiling peacefully, holding out his hand and letting the white crystals alight in his palm. He held them for a brief moment before they melted from the warmth, leaving a small puddle of glittering liquid. Ryou tilted his hand, letting the water droplets trickle down to the grassy blades. "Come on," he said, putting a hand on Seto's arm. "We should get home. We'll need to find you a place to stay for the winter."