Part 2

Koji shakes his head. He lured the boy to his table in order to find something out about the riders and their next missions. The boy was at the beginning rather shy and didn't talk much. Koji then asked the perfect question: "Tell me something about your dragons. I know nothing of them."
The lad now talked about dragons for whole 2 hours. How they are feed, how great it is to ride them, how sensitive they are ....
As if that interests him. He also had noticed, that the boy drank rather slowly, therefore, he forced one jug of wine on him after the other. The landlord brought the jugs extremely eagerly and with an oily grin. The cheeks of the lad are now reddened; he has difficulties to speak clearly in the meantime. Nevertheless he doesn't let himself be interrogated; he only talks about his favorite topic - dragons. Koji stops him with a movement of his hand. "Do you got no other topic? I now learned more over these animals as in my whole life before. Don't you do anything else?"
The boy becomes deep red. He looks so sweet now, that Koji has to get a grip on himself. He has an outstanding reputation as a thief and as Lady-killer. His conquests are numerously; he is regarded as somebody who gets everything, what he wants - both women and anything else. The boy does not fit into his concept. Why does he feel the need to stroke him? And why does he try all the time to convince himself that his interest is strictly a matter of business?
"No, I'm sorry. Everything revolves around the dragons, their training and how they are guided. But what are you doing, Koji?"
"Oh, nothing special. I do various businesses here in the city. Rather boring." This answer brings a smirk grin on the faces of the guys who are sitting around. Each one here knows him and knows what his "Businesses" are.
The boy introduced himself as Takuto Izumi. It's very polite to mention the whole name. However, his experiences with other people are rather minimal. "Say, since when are you a rider?" "Since 10 years, I became selected when I was seven years old."
"Then you are now as old as I am. And you did never something else?" Takuto jumps a little. The question makes him a little embarrassed. "No ... there is nothing else for me. When I was selected, it was clear, that was my whole life would be with the dragons." Koji feels -- pity ?!? Impossible! "And what is with girls?" "They would only play the 2nd role. So we leave them behind."
The conversation is getting awkward for Takuto; he finishes his wine and gets up. Better, he tries it. The boy grabs on to the table until the room stop to spin around him.
Koji grins broadly. " -Problems?"
"Uhh, no. I have to go. It was nice to meet you. See you soon." He leaves the tavern more or less upright and takes the direction to the palace. Koji jumps up. He won't let himself be dumped so easily. "In your state you hardly find back. I'll go along with you." The boy turns himself round to Koji, a wild light flashes in his eyes again. "I'll find the way alone, thanks. I need no company." Koji is surprised about the fierce brush-off; nevertheless follows the boy.
He simply can't help it ....

As he leaves the tavern, the boy is already at the street corner. Koji sees immediately the dark figures that hold themselves close to the house walls. Blast! Not these muggers now, too. The boy is in no condition to fight. He himself does not want to put on an actual fight with those, they are at least 3, ...? No, 5, two more hid back in the shadows as reserve.
Takuto feels dizzy and leans against a house corner. It has been definitely one or two jugs of wine too much. He can't hold his drinks well, his stomach rebels hard. When he looks up,  he suddenly notices the street robbers.
Even before he can move into combat position, Koji stands beside him and reaches for his arm. "You condemned thick head, do you want to collapse on the street? Where do you have to go?" The shadows of the men merge with those of the houses, the men disappear suddenly. Koji is distinctly thankful for his bad name now. Not, that he wouldn't have fought but this way is considerably welcomer. Takuto tries in vain to push the arm away. He finally gives in and supports himself on it. "I have to go to the palace, our quarters are there. And the pen with the dragons."
Ah yes, the dragons. Koji brings Takuto up to the castle yard. Just as he wants to say goodbye to the boy, he hears a loud, aggressive hissing behind him and is torn to the ground by a gigantic paw with tremendous claws. The paw is so large, that the animal can position only one claw in the middle of his chest.  The other claws are near to his body; enclosing him like a cage.
Takuto stumbles briefly as Koji is torn down. He falls on his knees and looks around. Tetsu'ko stands there and presses Koji onto the ground. Takuto is immediately sober. "Let him go! Tetsu'ko, let him go, he is no threat!" The big dragon flickers his split tongue towards Takuto, checking, if he is okay. He is about 20 meters long, from that fall 7 meters onto his body and the rest to tail and neck. His skin is covered by brown to golden or bronze scales depending on which light falls onto them. His wings are folded tidily on his back. He has big, dark eyes in which now no pupil is recognized. After he is convinced, that Takuto is obviously unscathed, he loosens his grip a little, however, does not release Koji.
Takuto straightens up and focus on the dragon. His eyes sparkle sharply. "Let him go immediately." He does not even shout, his voice is firm, calm and clear. Koji is astounded; the boy transforms in front of his eyes from a nice, naive, slightly tipsy boy into a man, who pronounces a demand without expecting any resistance.
The dragon releases Koji and steps back.
He bends his head down to Takuto and expects to be stroked. Takuto ignores the request and helps Koji up. "I'm sorry, I do not know what went into him. Normally, he holds some distance to foreigners; he simply does not like them. Are you hurt?" "Well, I can't help but notice, that it doesn't like me." Koji checks his body. The dragon did not even scrape him.
"It really takes care, I have to admit."
Like a keyword, a scaly head jostles itself between the two, pushes Takuto gently back and eyes suspiciously Koji. Takuto sighs. "No Idea, what's wrong with him. Thanks for bringing me home; the streets here are really not safe. Are you tomorrow in the "Full Cup" again?"  "I think so. Come around if you please. However you better leave your pet at home, it could cause some trouble. Apropos trouble: Do you have a lot to do tomorrow?" Takuto ruffles the neck of his riding animal: "We are on the way. There is at least one more large gang in the mountains - still." "Good success!" Koji waves goodbye and disappears in one of the narrow streets behind the palace. That means that the road is clear in the city and the port tomorrow since guards usually support the riders. Hmmm ... This screams for a little coup  ....
The tavern is still well filled. Koji goes without looking around into the rear room. Several men already expect him. They arise and observe him attentively, without a word.
"The palace is almost unattended tomorrow. Precisely the correct occasion for a small visit. Shibuya ..." Koji turns to the fair boy whose innocent Baby face disguises a really clever tactician behind it, "you look after the front guards. Divert them with a small quarrel. Nuruk and Gunji will accompany me. The others secure the withdrawal." Nuruk hesitates. "What should I do?" He is extremely unsure as always when Koji gives him something to do. Nuruk has the body of a giant, it's 2,10 m and muscle loaded. However his intelligence didn't increased as much. Koji regards him calmly: "You have to let me down on a rope and pull me up again. You can do that." The giant nods calmed. Koji bends forward. "Let's talk about the details ...."

On the early morning, the 6 dragons and a majority of the city guards start into the mountains.
It is a great view as the dragons start elegantly. They turn some narrow rounds over the city center and turn up into the sky. They form a formation and disappear in the direction of the Storm mountains. The guards have to fight with their horses to calm them. The captain growls some curses into his beard. Cursed dragons! He will hit three crosses when they are at last away. At least more traders come into the city again, that's something after all.
The remaining guards are busy with the departure and a sudden loud quarrel on the main gate between a fair lad and a trader whose carts were just knocked over so they completely overlook the inconspicuous figures, who vanish silently behind the palace.
Koji climbs over some eaves with Nuruk and Gunji. Their destination is a skylight through which one reaches the walk to the treasury. They throw a rope down as soon as they reached their destination. Koji disappears alone into the dark walk, which normally is only used by the king and his treasure master. Nuruk feels a move on the cable after a short time.
He lifts it and detects a bag, which Gunji can just bear. The second time, he has a very heavy bag on the cable which no doubt is determined for him. He lifts Koji at last with a small bag.
According to the grin of his chief, precisely what he wanted to have. The 3 glide the way back, trusty hands conceal them fast on an old cart under some old cloths and a lot of stuff. The cart rumbles unseen through the back gate.
King Boltis bends consternated over the small note. "Many thanks and see you soon!" is written on it with elegant letters. His gold stock in the treasury shrank dubiously since his last visit. However, it's worst, that the famous queen necklace is missing. Every ruler has to put it on his wife at the wedding. The word is, that the carrier falls hopelessly for the
other and his parents told him, that it always worked. King Boltis has not yet married; his thoughts rotate in his head.
The necklace has to be back! Now!! And his gold, too. Who in hell is bold enough to break into his treasury at bright day?! The king does the only thing possible: He screams. "GUAAAARDSSS!!!"