The Dragon Chase: A Tale of the Everburning City

Interlude I: Samuel

Author's Note: This chapter, while taking place during The Dragon Chase, is also an introduction to the next Tale of the Everburning City, Bitter Cold Truth.

Fire howled at the night, and the sky answered with cannons.

"Samuel!" Lieutenant Arnold Effran bellowed, despite being close enough that the older inspector could rest a hand on Samuel's shoulder. "Stand out in the open, in the middle of that street! Have everyone who comes out of these buildings run past you, towards the station! We're setting up an emergency shelter in the Agora!"

"Sir!" a uniform orderly shouted, staring over at the living inferno in the distance. "Is the Agora safe?"

Samuel could see the terror wash over Lieutenant Effran, like a wave crashing against a levee wall. His face went pale, his posture faltered just a little, and the hand resting against his truncheon shivered just a little.

But like a wave, it crested, and then faded. What was left behind, as Arnold Effran grimaced and offered the orderly with a sympathetic smile, was nothing but hard resolve. "Nowhere is safe. The Sixth is here. Help them anyway."

Louder, Arnold said, "go from door to door, use crowbars if the doors are still locked. You skip an apartment, you've killed a family. Let's go!"

Samuel could only step back and wave as Lieutenant Effran and two dozen orderlies sprinted away from where he stood, towards nearby doors leading to the apartment towers.

Samuel took up a torch and made himself as visible as possible in the middle of the street. He tried his best to focus on watching for people coming out of their homes, but he couldn't help himself as he looked back at the ongoing battle.

Grey streaks cut through the air, so fast Samuel would barely believe he saw it, except as a terrifying droning note mixed with a faint whistling sound that he couldn't place.

In the distance, the mass of fire collapsed back onto the street ahead, howling so loudly it stabbed at Samuel's ears, forcing him to cover them with his hands.

Only then, as that mass of fire raised itself off the street again, could Samuel make out a shape.

Wings. Nearly as long as a train, and bright red, the beast beat against the air just to righten itself. The wind swept past Samuel like a gale, and the scalding hot air threatened to steal the air from his lungs.

"Burn me!" someone exclaimed from behind Samuel. He turned to see a dozen soldiers coming towards him at a run, only to stagger to a halt as they reached him.

"Civilian, what the burning hell are you doing out here?" One of them asked. From the pips on his shoulders, Samuel recognized the man as the squad's sergeant.

"Inspector Samuel Fraser, Orderlies. We're trying to evacuate the civilians. I'm here to guide people towards the trains," Samuel reported, as he raised his torch again. "My people just went inside."

The army sergeant nodded approvingly. "I can't guarantee you're safe out here. Not with that."

The beast in the distance roared again, a thunderous note that shook Samuel to his bones.

Another set of grey streaks cut through the air, except one seemed to cut against the side of the building closest to the monster, and swept through the street past Samuel in a hazy blur.

Behind Samuel, someone screamed. He whirled around, to see one of the soldiers on her knees, grasping at what was left of her right arm.

"Spit and ash!" the squad's sergeant barked, as he pointed to his fallen soldier. "Keep pressure on that, tie a tourniquet on her arm, just above the bicep! Tristan, if the bleeding stops, take her back to the FOB."