City of Towers_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [44]
It was a calculated risk. If the charmer worked, Dek would think of Lei as an old friend. But if it failed and he realized what happened … at the very least, they’d be thrown out of the King of Fire. And changelings were known for their slippery minds. But they didn’t have money to spare, and Daine needed to be able to trust the information they received.
The light faded. Lei left the stone on the table. Slowly, Dek picked up the crystal shard. He seemed slightly dazed. Lei caught Daine’s eye and nodded slightly.
“I know it’s not much, Dek, but I wanted you to have it,” Lei said, putting her hand on that of the changeling. “Something to remember me by.”
“Thank you,” Dek said, and his voice was suddenly a mirror of hers. A swirl of coppery color ran through his hair, then faded away. “What … what was it you wanted to know again? I’m afraid I blacked out for a moment.”
Lei asked questions about the aerial races of Sharn. Dek was only too happy to help his new best friend, and he told them all about the different sports—skyblade jousts, the windchasing routes that wound through the maze of spires, and the Race of Eight Winds, an ancient tradition dating back to the early days of Sharn.
“The race is incredibly important to the people of this tower,” Dek explained. “Each district is associated with one of the eight beasts that can compete in the race. As the race draws near, you’ll see the inhabitants of each district wearing the colors of their beast or showing their allegiance in other ways. There are feasts and games for weeks before and after the race. Of course, tempers grow high. There are long feuds based on past performance, and occasionally it turns into violence.”
“I don’t understand,” Lei said. “How could a griffon possibly compete in a race against a hippogriff? The Hippogriff is far faster.”
“There’s more to the Race of Eight Winds than speed,” Dek explained. “The rider is allowed to carry a small crossbow and a quiver of quarrels coated with a weak venom—not enough to kill a creature, but strong enough to slow it down. And the beasts are allowed to use claw, tooth and beak. I’ve never seen the Griffon win the race, but one or two of the other contestants usually fall prey to its claws. The people of Precarious don’t expect to win. They just want to see who the Griffon will take down. But while it was before my time, the Griffon has won the race before, and I’m sure it will again. The Windguard—the handlers, racers, and organizers—spend the time between races negotiating and scheming. The Griffon’s services are bought with future favors, and eventually those all come due.”
“But the faster beasts usually win?”
“Well, yes. It’s often really a race between the Pegasus and the Hippogriff, with all the rest following in a pack. But I’ve seen some interesting things before. Many of the racing beasts are intelligent, after all. I’ve heard a rumor that the current owl is studying magic to enhance her speed with wizardry, though that seems a bit farfetched. The Gargoyle is a recent addition, replacing the bat. He’s a surprisingly tricky beast, and the goblins love him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pulls it off one of these years.”
“Lei,” Daine whispered, “can we get to the point? We’ve got a dinner appointment.”
She nodded. “This is fascinating information, Dek, but I was wondering if you could tell me about one of the riders—a human named Rasial Tann, who used to race with the Hippogriff?”
Dek thought for a moment, then his face brightened—literally. “Yes! Rasial! I remember him now. He started out doing the lesser windchases, aerial jousts in the Hollow Tower and the like. His first time in the Race of Eight winds was 991, I think, and he won the year after that. One of the finest hippogriff riders I’ve seen, and a good man by all accounts. Gold Wing guard, you know. Terrible loss for the Hippogriff. Ralus, their new rider, isn’t nearly as good.”
“New rider? What happened to Rasial?”
“Well, he had a series of accidents, the first of which cost him victory in the Race