Warren - The Dragons Banker

The Dragons Banker

By Scott Warren

Copyright 2019 Scott Warren
All rights reserved.

Contents

A Quick Note From The Author

It gives me joy beyond measure that I can present you with these two stories.

The Dragons Banker is the story of the unlikeliest of heroes mixed up in more conflicts than he realizes, and in more trouble than he can imagine. Our hero lacks the magic of the great wizards of his world, the brawn of its greatest warriors, and the guile of its greatest rogues. Instead he must make do with his wits, his integrity, and the loyalty of his comrades.

Readers of my other books, The Sorcerous Crimes Division , will recognize the shared world. But The Dragons Banker is completely removed from those stories by both time and distance, and written and as a standalone story. As ever, Ive taken queues (read: stolen ideas) from my favorite authors and created an interlaced world to serve as a vehicle for the stories within. And The Dragons Banker is, at the time of this writing, both my favorite story that Ive ever written and the closest you will likely come to my own unfiltered internal monologue in the narration of Sailor Kelstern.

I hope that you will find entertainment in his frustration.

I chose the subject matter that I did as a challenge to myself, and as a departure from my nominally violent, militaristic work. I wanted to write a true pacifist, a hero in a threatening fantasy world who could not (and would not) solve his problems through violence, and I also wanted a story that could explore the engines that made fantasy worlds tick, pick apart the minutiae of what goes on behind the scenes of everyday struggles of those far removed from the epic clashes of armies and wizards and queens.

Forego Quest is something of a quirky story. It started out with a simple premise. What if you were the hero of not just one legend, but so many overlapping prophecies from every book, movie, video game, and song that it warped the very reality around you? What it ended up as was a love letter to all the legends we grew up on, with some not-so-subtle pokes at some of the common tropes along a heros journey. I hope it gives you a chuckle, and good luck spotting all the references.

From The Ballad of Alkazarian

Into the mountains burning heart

Our champion descended

His blade of gleaming silver shone

His shield of gold defended

But from the Alkazarian

That god of greed and endless spite

Came wrath alive and in his rage

An unquenched fire, blazing bright

And neath his blackened dragons claws

The shield of gold was rent

The silver sword turned molten

And our champion lay spent.

Verse 9, The Ballad of Alkazarian author unknown.

Chapter 1 Kelstern Merchant Banking

P lease, Master Kelstern. All the other banking houses have turned me down.

Thats not something a banker typically likes to hear when reviewing a voyage proposal. Unless your name happens to be Sailor Kelstern, which mine is. And unless you happen to be the head of Kelstern Merchant Banking, which I am.

I set down the figure sheet and peered across the desk at a beleaguered alchemist with no small measure of desperation in his eyes. My word,I glanced down at his paperworkum, Jess, is it? All of them?

Jess nodded, trying and failing to control his nervous, sheepish smile. Decates, Taigne, and erm, he said with a glance at the door to my office as my secretary slipped inside. Fost .

My secretary, Dahli Fost, didnt look up at the mention of her family name. But I did notice the freckled corners of her mouth tighten. I turned back to the man sitting before my desk.

I see. And what made you decide that your fortunes might change here? I asked.

Well, he said. The feller I spoke to at Fost said to ask after you. He said maybe someone named Sailor might be more inclined to nautical ventures, see?

I shook my head and stifled a smile, already knowing exactly who to thank for such a ridiculous referral. Sailor is just my given name. And a silly one at that, I admitted. I know very little about ships and sailing. I couldnt well tell you the difference between a prow and a poop deck.

Jess expression fell, and I held up my hand. Still, I said. You were right to come to me. I dont know sailing, but I do know a promising venture when I see one. Theres very little competition for alchemicals in Lethorn right now. Of course, a summer voyage around the Krakens Teeth with a hold full of caustics isnt without risk. Its no surprise you were met with resistance. But whats life, and therefore business, without a little risk? I asked. I pulled a sheet of vellum from my desk and began to ink a brief chit of intent. Master Jess, if youll acquiesce to a captain of my choosing for your voyage, Ill agree to finance your crew and cargo.

I did a small bit of mental calculation as I scribbled. Wages for fifty men, securing a vessel, and the going rate for caustics here in Borreos should put this at four thousand, six hundred marks in silver at three percent interest. Plus ten percent at the point of sale. Are these terms acceptable?

Yes, Master Kelstern. Very acceptable. I owe you greatly, sir, said Jess, snatching the chit from my outstretched hand almost before Id offered it. I kept the hand extended a moment longer so that he could shake it as he looked over the figures.

Thats just the preliminary, of course, I said. Ill have a full contract over to you tonight. But this will be enough to begin arranging what you need. Congratulations. Your voyage is funded.

Jess gathered up his mess of parchments and beat a hasty retreat. Maybe he was worried I might change my mind if he lingered too late in my office. I leaned back in my chair, chuckling, and looked at Dahli. She closed the door to my office behind Jess and then shook her head as she leaned on the corner of my desk.

So was his plan good?

No, I admitted, pushing an errant lock behind my ear. Its rubbish. Theres no competition because theres small demand for caustics in Lethorn. And the first week of summer is a terrible time to launch a voyage across the shifting winds to the west. They churn the sea with crosscurrents that will turn the strongest stomach. Im not surprised we were the last resort. But it seems we often have to make wine from the dregs, of late. Dont we?

So the captain you suggested

I felt a smirk crawl across my face. Skilled, but a drunk. Hes cheap, but most importantly hell brave the roughest inland waters without hesitation because his world is already swimming. If were lucky, hell get the shipment to Lethorn before the alchemicals lose their potency. But I do feel bad for his crew. I paused, considering. And whoever will have to clean the ship. But it will require more than luck and a skilled captain to turn a profit on that deal.

Your schemes will have to wait. I brought you something. She checked the door again and then pulled a crisp little square of paper from her pocket and unfolded it.

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes locked on the little brown slip. I reached out and took what she offered. Is this?

An official fiat note. The first in Borreos ever printed at the order of the Queen herself, said Dahli.

Few pleasures in my life were equal to a fistful of gold dinars and silver marks. But laying eyes upon the first run of notes from the royal mint came close. The note bore a perfect likeness of Queen Liza and the value of one hundred silver marks in each corner. It was like holding a feather, and yet it carried the weight of a full purse behind it.

I thought they werent being issued until high summer, I said, holding it up to the south window to see the watermark. I wondered if the shifting colors held some subtle enchantment against forgery. Just think, Dahli. A currency not backed by precious metals. A country where promises have more weight than gold. A handful of these could fund a caravan north to Kaharas for timber and marble, or west to the wizards college at Whadael. How did you get it?