"Dek! ...D...Dek! Where are you? Someone is trying to break in!"
Dek appeared at the door to the bathroom; wet, a towel loosely tied around his waist, hair still lathered and dripping water on the carpet, "Sorry Miss Kizzy! I'll get it."
As soon as the door unlatched the person on the other side pushed it up, nearly ripping the chain-lock off the wall, "Mr. Dek! This is the Timothea Municipal Constabulary! You are under arrest for assaulting a Mister Yoren Malferous IV in the lobby of the Riverview Hotel! Open this door immediately!"
Kizzy gestured for Dek to go quickly dry off and get dressed as she tousseled her hair and dropped the shoulder strap from her night gown and peeked though the door crack at the constable. "Officer, please do me the favor of letting my associate get dressed first. You have my word, as the Queen of Demonsfall, that you'll get what you came for, just wait for us in the lobby, there's no other exit, right?" before the officer could stammer out a protest Kizzy closed the door on him and twirled around to see Dek, trunks packed and clothes for her laid out, "We've got a few minutes before he gets suspicious, I assume there's no way down from the balcony?"
Dek shook his head, "Miss Kizzy, I'll go with the officer, I deserve it, I did punch the man."
"No way I'm leaving without you Dek," she held up a polka dot skirt and plaid blouse and shook her head at Dek, "Honestly? These?"
"Sorry, I-I- panicked!" Dek's face turned red.
Kizzy let herself laugh and walked to the balcony, "We're only on the second floor, we could probably repel down with bed sheets, a bit cliche but..."
The door slammed open and was filled by three constables, "Mr. Dek, Miss Drakland, you're coming with us. Now."
***
"This cell is disgusting," Kizzy nudged a dead rat with her boot into a corner.
"Not that bad, considering some places I've been," Dek said with a devilish smile that confused and exhilarated Kizzy.
At that moment a jailer walked by with a clipboard, "Miss Drakland, Mr. Dek, the Guilds in Congress of Demonsfall posted your bail with the stipulation that they... well it seems they withdrew the money directly from your personal accounts and then charged you the overdraft fee as well and will charge you interest to pay them back," the jailer's eyes' were wide and then said under his breath, "what a shitty place."
After being processed and issued court dates they were out on the street with their trunks. "Miss Kizzy, I am so sorry, I won't punch anyone every again I swear!"
"No! Dek, that's sweet but don't make that promise, one never knows when someone needs to be punched. But, the fact of the matter is we missed our river cruise and we need to make Mesior by tonight to stay on schedule, I can't keep Lys... can't keep our contact waiting much longer."
The two had been absentmindedly walking toward the river landing when they stopped at one of the docks and slumped down onto their trunks, both feeling dejected. Dek pulled out a harmonica and began to play a jaunty tune which brightened Kizzy's face.
"Why Dek, you are musical! Does that tune have lyrics?"
Dek's face scrunched up, "Sure does, I've heard it sung all my life in Demonsfall," he took a deep breath and began to sing,
Because a thief who boasts and brags will rarely live to grow old.
For silence is a thief's best bet and if he breaks this etiquette.
Undoubtedly what he will get...will be more trouble than gold."
Kizzy giggled, "Oh Dek, that's such a charming song. Wise too!"
"Thank you Miss Kizzy! I'm sure you know some songs?"
"Well, Draconian songs are a bit more... involved. I'll sing- Wait a minute, what's going on over there?"
A troupe of musicians were hastily unloading their instruments, costumes, and equipment on the nearest dock. As Kizzy and Dek moved closer they overheard the leader of the musicians shouting at the captain of the riverboat, "You filthy communist Elw! You've cheated us out of pay for the last time! Don't bullshit us about some barter-currency and lecture us about the decadence of compensation! We need erbs you cheap bastard! Good luck finding replacements to match us!"
Dek and Kizzy looked at each before running over to the riverboat captain, "Captain! Let us come aboard! We can entertain your passengers!"
The captain looked at these unwashed, haggard looking people, "Uh, well normally I wouldn't but what can you do?"
"Well," said Kizzy, "He has a harmonica and we can both sing."
The captain's face was expressionless for several seconds. "Fine, fine, get on, but you're getting kicked off when we make port in Mesior."
***
That evening Kizzy and Dek took the stage, after Kizzy taught Dek the song she would sing and he knew both the tune and his back-up lines. Fortunately the riverboat captain had a few spare instruments so Dek didn't have to rely on his harmonica only.
Kizzy walked up to the microphone, "Ladies, gentlemen, I know you were promised a comedic musical farce tonight, but my companion and I would like to share something else with you. This is a song sung by my people, we have been wandering for generations. Many things that others take for granted, we struggle with. Although we have found peace, hopefully, the darkness still lingers. One thing that we know to be true, one thing that can almost take the place of a home, is love. Draconians do not love easily, but we love deeply. This is a song sung by my people, in our most ancient tongue from the eastern foothills of Mt. Dracon in far away Tapfer.
Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
S'il lui convient de refuser.
Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière;
L'un parle bien, l'autre se tait,
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère;
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît.
(L'amour est un oiseau rebelle) L'amour...
(Que nul ne peut apprivoiser,) L'amour...
(Et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,) L'amour...
(S'il lui convient de refuser.) L'amour...
L'amour est enfant de Bohême,
Il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi;
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime;
Si je t'aime, prends garde à toi! (Prends garde à toi!)
Si tu ne m'aimes pas,
Si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime; (Prends garde à toi!)
Mais si je t'aime, si je t'aime;
Prends garde à toi!"
As Kizzy ended the final note, she glanced over at Dek but he was turned away, soon the crowd was on their feet, filling the clear night sky with applause as they drifted down the inky black river.