The Courier's Quest

Chapter 2

1

RASHA LAY PRONE ON THE roof, watching Jak on the ground below, wondering if he forgot the signal or had decided to audition for the theater down there. The way he was dancing and prancing around, she couldn't make out what any of them were saying.

At last, Jak pulled out his sword, giving her the signal.

She whistled for her dragon, who swooped in with a screech and a roar.

Rasha climbed onto her mount and they descended, landing hard on the ground in front of the tavern. Inside, the men who saw the dragon scattered in all directions.

Jak came running out first.

"What the yahtz was that? I said come in quiet!" Jak leapt up behind her onto the dragon and pointed to the side door with his sword.

"Dragons aren't quiet! Or didn't you know?" Rasha directed the dragon to where he'd pointed.

As soon as they were close enough, Jak slid off of the beast and held up his sword, ready for the first of the men to come out. Two men charged him at the same time and he got between them. He knocked one back, giving him enough time to deliver a kick and disable the other. Their size and strength, however, made it difficult for Jak to keep up with both of them.

"I could use a little help down here,” He said as he fought off two of the men. Rasha jumped down and took out the one at his back. Two more made their escape during the commotion. Her dragon caught them running and delivered a whip of her tail that sent both men flying backwards.

"That's why you bring a dragon,” Rasha said to Jak.

She huffed as she deflected another man's sword in front of her. The two of them fought off the men until they were all down. Jak knocked out the last of them with the butt of his sword.

"Got it." She reached into the fallen man's pocket, but it was empty. "It's not here."

Jak reached down and felt inside one of the other unconscious men's pockets. After closer examination, they still didn’t find a package on any of the men.

"Well, what happened to it?" Rasha asked.

A transport vehicle built for jungle and desert travel pulled up next to her dragon.

The dragon stumbled back out of fear and roared at the two men inside.

"What a delightful beast you have, Rasha,” Gorg said from behind the wheel of the vehicle. His partner snickered beside him.

"What are you two doing here? Looking to lose at another game of Hand?" she asked.

The two had lost their last vehicle to her and her partner Lu. She never let them forget it. Gorg's face puckered in annoyance. Jak had heard the story and didn't mind goading them either.

"How old were you then, Rash?" Jak asked, feigning ignorance.

"I was seventeen and Lu was only sixteen."

"That's right. Well, enough reminiscing, what are you doing here?" Jak asked.

"Oh, nothing. We just like to watch you work for nothing. Since we've already fetched the package, there's no reason for you to be harassing these men,” Gorg said as he flashed them the small package.

Rasha's blood boiled. There was no way they'd gone through all of that to come away with nothing. Before she could get the question out, he offered an explanation.

"We thought we'd come by early and relieve them of the package, then wait and see how you would have done it. The dragon's a nice touch." Gorg revved the mechanical engine, and the two raced off, kicking up mud and dirt behind them.

Rasha used her hands to brush at her clothes. She walked over and patted the dragon on the neck. The poor thing, startled by the closeness of the noisy vehicle, had retreated further and only now ventured forward.

"There, there. Those pumseeds are gone now. You're safe."

Jak kicked at the dirt.

"That's the third one in two months," he said.

"Yes, once is a coincidence. The others make it a pattern. We need to find out why the Courier's Keep is giving them our assignments."

Jak put one arm around her shoulders and reached out with the other to give the dragon a pat on the neck.

"It's true, the dragon is a nice touch."

Their communicators beeped at the same time. Jak and Rasha both reached for their pockets.

"Priority level one," Jak read the message.

"Delivery to the Courier's Keep. Well, that's convenient,” Rasha said, slipping her communicator into her pocket.

"We have to go to Poobari's stink hole. Should we take the dragon?" Jak asked, gesturing with one hand to the beast.

Rasha made a face. She hated Poobari's Tero-Joro prison.

"Yes, that way we've got a quick exit," she said as she climbed into her seat behind the dragon's neck.

"By the way, when are you going to name her?"

"I don't know what to call her."

Jak hoisted himself behind her. "You named your swords Cutter and Blade,” Jak paused, realizing he'd made her point. "True, you need to think of something more original than Dragon."

"Poobari, you mangy man, I thought you were dead," Rasha said. She and Jak entered the jail and found him sitting at his desk. The man's thinning hair—the patches that hadn’t fallen out, anyway—had grown down to his shoulders. His thin mustache and beard looked like extensions of the greasy hair from his head.

"I heard you were a princess,” he returned. “Can't believe everything on the feed." His middle jiggled and rolled with laughter. "You must be here for the delivery to Courier's Keep." Poobari leaned to one side of his desk and pulled out several square keys. He slipped them into his pocket as he stood up.

"Correct. If it wasn't so urgent we'd love to sit around here and–" Jak looked around the tossed room, at a loss for words, before turning back to him, "stare at the walls or whatever it is you do here."

Rasha stifled a laugh. She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers with impatience as she waited for Poobari to give her the package.

"Oh no, it doesn't quite fit in the palm of your hand." Poobari waddled to the door and used his blue key to unlock it.

"This way." He continued down the corridor, not waiting for them to follow. "They told me they'd be sending the best, I had no idea they meant you,” Poobari said as he continued down the dank corridor. The jail had the distinct odor of rotting flesh, urine, and feces.

Rasha leaned forward and took a whiff of Poobari, then leaned back again, letting him get several steps ahead of her. The rotting flesh might be him. They'd taken two turns before Jak spoke up.

"Where are you taking us?" he asked.

Poobari smiled but said nothing.

"You could have had the package waiting for us when we arrived,” Rasha said as she avoided an outstretched hand from a prisoner inside one cell they passed.

"Nope, this one is special." He stopped in front of a dark cell and chuckled. "She and I are old friends. Aren't we, little girl?" Poobari pulled out an orange key and unlocked the cell door.

The prisoner sauntered up to Rasha and Jak with a huge grin, then put one hand on each of their shoulders.

"I'm so pleased to see you. Have you both been well?"

"Ladi?" they asked in unison.