Page 24 of Dragon Eternal (Dragon Kings 4)
CHAPTERTEN
Merrill tossed back the last of his ale and let his gaze move around the crowded pub. The ale wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t Dreagan whisky, either. By the stars, what he wouldn’t give for a dram.
He forced a laugh when the soldier he was sitting with told a joke and looked his way. It hadn’t taken long before he realized that the soldiers knew the most. Not just any soldiers, though. It had to be ones who patrolled the upper levels. Merrill had watched several as they went on shift and then were relieved. That’s when he spotted Tomar.
The soldier was older and outranked many others. The lines on his face and the few gray strands at his temples mixed with his brown hair told Merrill that he had experienced a lot. Merrill followed him and learned where he lived. Then, it was just a matter of bumping into him, literally, and striking up a conversation. Tomar liked to talk.
That wasn’t good for the Divine.
But it was great for Merrill.
He had already learned that Tomar believed that Stonemore was the greatest city on the realm—despite never visiting any others except in battle. Tomar had also lived in Stonemore for his entire life. He was the sixth generation of his family to become a soldier for the city.
Merrill watched the soldier now, thinking back to before he had been a Dragon King, when his life had seemed so simple. When the only things that had mattered were training and his friends. Longing for that time hit him so hard, Merrill couldn’t breathe for a moment.
Tomar slammed his wooden tankard on the table and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, pulling Merrill from his thoughts. Then the soldier bellowed for the serving girl, who was entirely too young to be working in a pub full of rowdy men eyeing her as if she were a morsel they couldn’t wait to devour. “Another round!”
Merrill wasn’t sure how much more ale he could stomach. He’d already had two pints. He wanted more information on the soldiers, but after he’d spotted Shaw with the woman and then heard Tomar’s low whistle, Merrill became intent on learning about the beauty who had ensnared Shaw’s interest.
“That woman a little while ago that you whistled at? Who is she?”
Tomar swung his head to him, his eyes blinking as he tried to focus on Merrill. “Nia. A rare beauty in this city. There isn’t a man or woman here that wouldn’t do anything to be with her.”
“And her husband?”
Tomar chuckled and then winked at the serving girl who delivered two more pints. “She doesn’t have a husband.”
“She doesn’t need one,” the girl replied before sauntering away.
Merrill frowned. “What does that mean?”
Tomar’s eyes were on the girl’s swaying hips when he said, “Nia has her own estate on the sixth level.”
“She’s wealthy, then?”
Tomar nodded as he took a long drink of ale.
Merrill leaned back in his chair, thankful that Shaw wouldn’t have to contend with a jealous husband. “Hard to believe that someone of her stature and beauty is single.”
“I can honestly say I don’t understand half of what the uppers do.”
That could be said for the affluent on Earth, as well, but Merrill kept that to himself. “Wealth has a way of doing that.”
Tomar grunted and then burped loudly. He placed his forearms on the table. “It’s hard sometimes when I see how many riches they have. It could save someone’s life down here a hundred times over.”
“Is it normal for the uppers to come down to the lower levels?”
“Usually only for religious services.”
Merrill noticed Tomar eyeing his still-full pint, so he took a drink. “There’s only one temple? I would’ve thought there would be two.”
“I’m sure the uppers would rather that instead of coming down to us, but it’s just one level lower from theirs. Besides,” he said with a sneer, “they go inside the temple while the rest of us have to wait outside.”
That explained the large area outside the place of worship. It had to be big enough to hold a lot of people. “Everyone fits?”
“Not even close. Many of us get there hours early just to claim a spot. Otherwise, you have to sit in the streets and hope you can hear the priest.”
“Everyone attends service?”
