("DRAGONS OF THE CHIME" is based on the world building exercise that was done at On-Con 2020, hosted by Geek Archaeology, panel by Brent P. Newhall, world created by attendees. The stories in "DRAGONS OF THE CHIME" are written by Steve Gearhart, me, unless noted otherwise. Please enjoy! - Steve)
Itsuki presented himself to the militia captain of Station One ten minutes early. Itsuki had no desire to create any animosity between himself and his final commander. He knew that the captain would either make his last few days reasonably comfortable, or the captain would turn him into a janitor cleaning toilets for his last few days.
Station One was on land, not on a pier over the water. It was just inside of the gate to the commercial district, to the right of the wide street. The station itself had the outward appearance of a normal, militia blockhouse. It could double as a small fortress. Not that it had needed to be one for many years.
There was a stable for six horses and one carriage on the far side of the building. As Itsuki came around from the gate, he saw the attendant for the horses, grooming one of them. The carriage looked to be in the best condition. Ready at a moment's notice.
The doors to the blockhouse were already open, making the foyer and the report desk available to anyone who came to Station One to report a crime or to help find a lost pet. Itsuki walked in and approached the polished desk. The militia guard was still setting the desk to his own standards after replacing the night shift. Itsuki stood at attention and waited for the man to address him as was custom.
The man's uniform marked him as the desk militia officer. A simple, purple robe, tied off with a black belt. Underneath, Itsuki could catch a glimpse of the white, panel-armor shirt underneath. The robe hid the standard-issue dagger at the waist and whatever other weapon the man might have mastered. He was bald and looked to be just a little too old for the position. Itsuki wondered what this man had done before coming here.
The bald man looked up from the desk with no visible emotion or greeting and simply held out his hand. Itsuki provided the transfer papers and the man quietly took them. He read the papers quickly, gave Itsuki a glance, and turned to the wall behind him.
On the wall were a large number of small levers. The man reached for one in the middle and gave it a sharp push downward with one hand. All station houses had a call board like this. Each lever was attached to a tether string, much like the ones used to connect to the sky islands, and went to a corresponding bell in an office or boarding room. Faintly, Itsuki heard a bell somewhere behind the desk and to the right.
With no emotion, the bald desk militia officer said, “ Stand to the right of the desk at attention.”
Itsuki did as he was told. He didn't have to wait long for the captain of Station One to show. In fact, he barely had time to re-adjust his own dagger before the captain suddenly appeared before him.
For a brief moment, Itsuki forgot about his troubles as he stood at attention. Only one other time in Itsuki's life did he stand before his hero, Captain Hideki Sato. And that was when Sato presided over Itsuki's inclusion into the militia after the pirate battle.
Captain Sato was a renowned officer even before that fateful battle. He had taken down two crime organizations and countless gangs. He was also known for having the highest rate of solving murders of any militiaman. And on the day of the pirate battle, he was the one who led the main attack after Itsuki's moment of bravery with the mermen allies.
Sato's presence commanded respect. He towered over most people on both the sea and sky islands. He had short, brilliant white hair cut very short and an equally white, but trimmed beard. He never wore the dress uniforms, preferring the patrol uniforms with just the three gold conchs on each shoulder of his black top robe to denote his rank.
What also commanded respect from others was his saber. It was reputed to be an heirloom of his clan. A blade that could suddenly become ethereal. However, it still caused the pain of being cut or stabbed by it...but without any physical damage. Rumor was that only a member of the Sato clan could activate that power after a moment's concentration.
For the briefest of moments, Itsuki was thrilled to be in the presence of his hero. Then that small joy was crushed when he remembered why he was at Station One to begin with. Stoically, Itsuki stood at attention and waited for the words of disappointment from his hero, Captain Hideki Sato.
Captain Sato looked down at Itsuki with a stern face, hands balled on his fists. The large man took a deep breath, sighed, shook his head and said to Itsuki, “At this moment, a dead crab at the bottom of a rotting basket sitting in a gutter next to a whorehouse has better prospects than you do.”
Itsuki felt his heart sink, sure that he would spend however little time he had left at Station One as a janitor. He took a deep breath, eyes still forward, “Yes, Sir.”
It greatly surprised Itsuki when Sato laughed loudly, head thrown back. Smiling, Sato slapped Itsuki's back so hard he almost fell over. Still chuckling, the revered captain gestured towards the hallway, “Let's go to my office, perhaps have a small sip or two of kiwhisky.”
Numbly, Istuki followed the captain, murmuring a thank you for the drink before realizing how early it still was in the morning. Sato's office wasn't far away and when they entered the bare room, there was already a small container of the kiwhisky sitting in ice with two small cups laid out.
Captain Sato's office had only the bare essentials. A desk. A chair in front and behind the desk. One small table and a wastebasket in one corner, the rest of the office open to the outside, the doors open with a view of the harbor. Itsuki noticed that they could immediately leave for the militia pier just outside.
Just like the report desk, there were multiple levers that would ring bells throughout the blockhouse. They were labeled with each officer's name and room, as well as the report desk, the kitchen, the stable and out to the pier master for Station One. Beneath the levers were the requisite communication tubes. One sent messages, the other received messages. All of the tube communications went to a central terminal at the militia's main headquarters to be sent to the proper locations.
Sato gestured Itsuki to sit. Itsuki obeyed and eyed the small cups and liquor with growing alarm; he still hadn't heard the morning bells yet. Surely the captain wasn't going to get him drunk this early...right?
Sato pulled papers from his desk: Itsuki's file. He placed them to one side and sat down himself. He sighed heavily and stared at Itsuki for a few moments, before talking.
He waved at the cups and kiwhisky and smiled, “Yes, I intend to serve you a drink.”
Itsuki glumly nodded. You only got a nice drink after being told the not-so-nice thing that was going to happen to you to take the sting out of it. Itsuki was hoping that after being made the janitor that the militia at Station One treated their toilets well.
“And, no...you will not be cleaning toilets.”
Itsuki blinked and sat straighter in his chair.
Sato waved at his file, “We both know what this file says. We both know what you have done. Had your uncle decided not to cut away his island and disgrace his family, you would have ended up here at some point on your own merits.”
He poured out the kiwhisky into a cup. The green, fermented liquor issuing a pleasant aroma.
He continued, “I will not lie to you; you will most likely be kicked out of the militia. But I do not know when that will be. My contacts at the council chamber have not yet heard the decision on what to do with you. I just know that you will not be facing any charges of any crimes or any charges of treason. The city is too indebted to you.”
Sato poured the second cup, “For however long you are here; you will be working your job as expected. I already have a partner set up for you. Once we have a drink, I will give you your orders and off you will go. Here, take your drink. I don't do toasts. Welcome to Station One.”
They both slowly sipped the kiwhisky until it was gone. Kiwhisky was expensive, good and unknown. The only thing people knew of kiwhisky was that the process started with fermenting kiwis. The other thing people knew was that it was sweet, went down so smoothly and then exploded like a firebomb in the stomach.
The makers of kiwhisky, no matter what island they lived on, demanded laws to be passed that would protect the secrets on how they made the special liquor. It was believed that the process dated back to ancient times and the mermen sold the secret to a number of brewers. If the island government wouldn't pass the necessary laws to protect the secrets, it would not be made. The laws were always passed.
After both men felt the burn, Sato continued, “I'm pairing you with Tezuka Ibsen. Yes, he is a half-breed. His father was the lighter-skinned one. Doesn't matter...what matters is that Tezuka is wonderful at rooting out corruption. But...again, he gets it from his father...he likes food a little too much. He needs some muscle to help him with the more physical aspects of this position. That would be you.”
As Sato stood, so did Itsuki in preparation to leave immediately after Sato initialed his orders. Itsuki felt good for the first time that day. Part of it was the kiwhisky, part of it was knowing that he would at least be allowed to do his job for the little time left that he had it.
There was a thud and then a chime as a messenger canister arrived into the office. Sato immediately flipped the communication tube open. He quickly slipped the message out of the canister. His face went grim. Itsuki wondered if this was the message to terminate his services.
Sato reached into the drawer and pulled out a small form. He pulled out his dagger from its hilt, slit his thumb on the sharp edge and pressed it onto the paper. He handed it to Itsuki whose eyes went wide after reading it.
Sato nodded with his chin back to the hallway, “Go to the armory and get the weapons you are most proficient with. Then go out to the old man on our pier and have him take you to Tezuka using the spring-boat. You need to be with Tezuka as quickly as possible. You understand what that piece of paper means?”
Itsuki nodded brusquely, “Both Tezuka Ibsen and I are acting with your power of authority. May I ask why?”
Sato nodded, “Despite the fact that a dead crab outside of a whorehouse has more prospects than you...due to your service against the pirate fleet, I feel that you deserve one last mission to complete before you leave the militia.”
After a moment, quietly, Sato added, “Your actions saved the men under my command.”
Itsuki nodded. The battle against the pirates. He bowed deeply, felt the honor that had been bestowed upon him by Sato, was immensely grateful for it. Captain Sato returned the bow and handed the message over to Itsuki,
“It would appear that during Tezuka's audit of a certain, corrupt merchant has led to the discovery of murdered merman. Help Tezuka find the killer and bring him to justice. Go.”
