Page 25 of Queen’s Griffon (Swords & Tiaras #2)

Chapter 24

Avera

The bats must have known Frisk hadn’t come alone, for a hairy face—snouted and showing off glaring red eyes—poked through the hole Frisk had created in the barricade. It hissed and tried to wedge itself through the opening, but its wings got caught.

To his credit, Lenno didn’t panic or flee but yelled, “Die you winged bastard.” With his sword, he jabbed the bat in the eye, pushing deep into its brain and causing an instant death. The creature went limp and formed a blockage that prevented other bats from trying to enter the tunnel.

Lenno, waving his bloodied sword, turned around and yelled, “Why the fuck didn’t you tell us the bats fucking ate people?”

“I warned you not to go in there at night. It’s when they’re awake and most active.” Basil shrugged. “Even during the day it can be dangerous, hence why the area’s been blocked off.”

“I should kill you for that,” hissed Lenno.

Avera understood his anger. Frisk’s last scream would most likely haunt her. She’d not particularly cared for the man, still, even she could feel regret for a horrible death.

“Ah yes, kill me despite the fact I explicitly cautioned against entering. You were the one who insisted,” a smug Basil replied.

A reply that only deepened Lenno’s scowl. “You’re lucky I still fucking need you. As to those damnable rocks, you’re sure they’re in there?”

“They were the last time I saw them, but for obvious reasons, it’s been a while since I’ve been inside so I cannot state with one hundred percent certainty if they still remain.”

Avera kept quiet, not mentioning the fact she could feel a tug but from a different direction than the bat cave. Either Basil lied, or he didn’t know they’d been moved.

“I should have sent you in,” Lenno growled.

“I would have refused. I haven’t lived this long by acting rash and stupid,” Basil chided.

True. Of all the things Avera had expected—danger, death, surprise—finding her father alive never made the list.

Yet there he stood. The man her mother had loved enough she’d born his child despite the stigma attached to it. Had he felt the same? He’d said he cared for her but blamed the stones—and likely Zhos’ influence—for his betrayal and abandonment. He’d left his lover without seemingly a backwards glance, but it seems it wasn’t of his own volition. Would he have acted differently if he’d known about the pregnancy? Avera doubted that. From the sounds of it, he'd been obsessed with the rocks he’d stolen.

“Guess we’re fucking waiting until the morning,” Lenno grumbled. “Got any food? I’m starved.”

“If you can tolerate mushrooms, then yes, I have a stew brewing. I made enough to feed me for the entire week, but I guess circumstances call for sharing. It’s quite delicious.” Basil beamed vapidly.

“Anything’s got to be better than the hard tack in my pack,” Lenno grumbled.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the cave I call home. It’s a bit of a walk. When the volcano erupted, those of us who couldn’t escape the continent went deep to avoid the poisoning of the air.”

“That’s how you survived,” Avera murmured. “Did anyone else?”

“Yes. We started out with about a hundred people. Alas, that number dwindled over the years. Lack of nutrients. Suicide. And then, of course, the hazards. Now I’m the only one left.” His lips turned down. “I’m afraid Verlora’s current state doesn’t allow for humans to thrive.”

“No shit,” Lenno grumbled. “Oversized fucking critters and a bloody dragon. Where did that thing come from, anyhow? Or was it just a normal lizard until your bullshit serum made it big?”

“Oh, it’s a real dragon, born in the magma of the volcano.” Basil gave a sideways glance to Avera, as if trying to convey something.

She thought over what he’d said before. Something about tossing in one of the stones?—

Her eyes widened and Basil winked.

The Dracova stones weren’t actually rocks but dragon eggs! Oh my. A startling revelation.

Lenno didn’t catch on. “I wonder if Merisu might end up with its own dragon. Our volcano spits every decade or so. At least we weren’t dumb enough to build a city at its base.”

Basil’s lips pursed. “At the time of Sitnalta’s creation, the volcano had been dormant for quite some time. Long enough even the histories didn’t mention it. The eruption ended up violently powerful creating geyser of lava and rivers of magma.” Basil’s expression turned somber. “Those on the far side of the continent fared poorly. The shallow waters meant only small-sized boats could be tethered. I don’t know if anyone managed to escape. For years after, the waters around the continent boiled, killing everything that used to live there. Even now, they’re still warmer than is conducive for a thriving marine ecosystem.”

“That’s why there’s a constant fog,” Avera stated.

“Yes. We’re not far,” Basil announced as he turned at a fork in the tunnels. He moved rapidly and Avera only had a second to note the markings on the wall, arrows with labels written in Verlorian, a language she only knew a smattering of.

The air warmed noticeably and hinted of sulfur. The inner tug also became much stronger. Did Basil keep the stones in his home?

“Holy fucking stink,” Lenno complained.

“It won’t smell for long. We’re almost there. My place is through the end of that tunnel,” Basil pointed. The corridor of rock sloped downward and ended in an opening that glowed orange.

“I’m going first.” Lenno pushed past Basil. “Don’t need you or whoever is inside your place pulling any tricks. And don’t even think of attacking me from behind. I’m fast with a blade.”

“Would never dream of it. Just be sure to save us some soup. I’m sure my daughter is hungry,” Basil stated.

Avera eyed her father, then Lenno moving quickly down the slope, kicking loose stones as he went. Surprising there’d be so many, given Basil would have been through this passage hundreds, if not thousands, of times.

As Lenno reached the end of the tunnel and extinguished his torch, not needing its light anymore, Basil snagged her sleeve and held her back.

She glanced at him.

He had a faint smile on his lips.

She glanced at Lenno. An awful man. A true jerk who probably deserved anything that came his way. Still, she couldn’t forget how Frisk had screamed.

She wrenched free and made it partway down the slope before she heard Lenno yell, “You’ve been holding out on me, old man. Look at all the treasure.”

The statement creased Avera’s brow, and she quickened her step, halting just outside the cavern the corridor led to. The room beyond was absolutely massive and a glance upward made her realize there was no roof, but open sky. This was the heart of the volcano. A pool of lava bubbled in the center of the mountain’s bowl. A stone ledge ran around it, wide enough it could have fit two carriages abreast if it weren’t cluttered with stuff. So much stuff. Knapsacks, some spilling jewelry and gadgets. A golden statue. What appeared to be a metal wind vane. An eclectic collection that included four round rocks sitting close to the edge of the lava lake. The pull within hammered, and she might have answered its call if Basil hadn’t joined her and put a hand on her arm to restrain her.

“I wouldn’t go in there.”

She eyed him questioningly.

He murmured, “Did you know dragons like to hoard?”

“Why? What would they need human junk for?”

“Because they are collectors. And once something belongs to them, they don’t like to let it go.”

As Basil finished speaking, a glimpse of movement showed Lenno bending down to grab a bag spilling golden-hued dishes. He crowed, “I’m rich. Fuck the emperor and his rocks. I am done being anyone’s lackey.”

Lenno, busy celebrating, didn’t notice the lava bubbling or the ridged head that rose from the magma.

The really, really big head.

Of a dragon!

Avera wanted to turn away. She didn’t want to watch. Not when she knew what would happen. Hadn’t the Merisu witches predicted it, according to Lenno?

The oblivious man never noticed the giant orbs staring at him and Avera feared making a sound lest she draw the beast’s attention. The dragon remained focused on the man stealing from its stash.

A man who suddenly realized something might be amiss and whirled.

“No,” was the last thing Lenno said before the dragon opened its mouth and chomped down. As if that weren’t horrifying enough, it then chewed before it swallowed the man.

Lenno disappeared in a single gulp and the dragon then turned its gaze to Avera.

Hello, again.

The voice inside her head widened her eyes. Had it spoken to her?

Its gaze moved to Basil and narrowed. The nostrils exhaled smoke.

Basil hissed, “Time for us to go.” He yanked her away from the doorway and she ran with him, her legs protesting the upward slope, her heart racing with fear even though the dragon didn’t appear to be chasing them.

They made it back to the fork before they slowed and she huffed, “You lied and led Lenno into a trap!”

“You’re welcome. Nasty fellow. The world is well rid of him.”

He had a point, but still… “You also lied about the Dracova stones being in that bat cave. I saw four round rocks in that dragon’s hoard.”

“I told you it liked to hoard. Of course it acquired them. Although, I do wonder how, seeing as how it can’t get inside the bat cave.”

Avera rubbed her forehead. “If the stones are being guarded by the dragon, I’ll never be able to bring them back to Daerva.”

“Why would you return?”

She whirled. “You can’t be seriously asking. You stole them and because of your greed, Zhos is breaking free of its prison.”

“Which is unfortunate, however, in good news, Zhos is far from Verlora.”

“How can you be so callous?” she huffed.

“Even if you could acquire them, how would you leave Verlora? The ships are destroyed.”

“I know where to find a boat. How do you think we came ashore?”

“Assuming it remains intact. Visitors and their vessels don’t fare well,” he commented.

“Not entirely true, since thieves keep coming. Don’t deny it. I know Merisu has been sending people to filch what they can find.”

Basil’s lips pursed. “Yes, they’ve been persistent.”

“You’ve encountered them?”

“Seen traces of their actions, yes, but as I said, the dragon doesn’t take kindly to their trespassing. Although, the last few groups have gotten smarter and have been releasing slaves as decoys while they rob.”

“How come you never tried to escape with them?”

“Why would I leave?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

“Because you don’t have to live like a mole in a burrow eating mushrooms.”

“Bah, I’ve spent most of my life underground. My foray to Daerva was probably my longest stint in the open air. My research has always kept me busy.”

“Speaking of research, the Dracova stone you tossed into the volcano, it was an egg. A dragon egg.” Stated not asked.

“Yes, which I’ll admit surprised me. The scrolls mentioned them being special, an unimaginable power created from sacrifice, but I assumed some kind of magic.”

“Is that why you wanted them? For the power?”

“That kind of thing never interested me,” Basil scoffed, his pace rapid as he navigated the many tunnels and their branches. “As I mentioned before, I only wanted to study them.”

“Your curiosity didn’t give you the right to steal, nor to seduce my mother in order to facilitate your theft,” Avera rebuked.

“Calixte was a surprise. I went to Daerva expecting to have to pay the queen for information on the stones hidden in Fraegus Spire. I brought her presents to that end, only the moment we met, I was smitten.” His smile softened in remembrance.

Rather than delve more into her mother’s love life, Avera stuck to the other thing he’d said. “The scrolls you mentioned, is that how you learned of Fraegus Spire, because Mother claimed the royal pilgrimage was secret.”

“The scrolls described their location. It wasn’t hard to decipher where they referred to once I began to research. My first attempt to ascend the spire failed. I kept getting turned around, hence why I had to convince your mother, the queen, to help. The scrolls mentioned on those of the old blood could find the way.”

Whereupon he’d repaid her mother by abandoning her and fleeing with his stolen goods. “What made you throw the rock into the lava?”

“Not me, technically. It was the last Verlorian leader, Chancellor Lance Leif. I’m afraid he became irritated with my experiments with the stones. He demanded I cease my studies under the guise of being concerned for my well-being. When I refused, he snatched the stone I was working on and tossed it in the magma lake.”

“And thus, the dragon was born,” Avera murmured.

“Yes, although we didn’t know it at the time. It was weeks before we saw it. It began as a dog-sized lizard with wings that we assumed used to live locked away in the volcano. Lance took to feeding it, being the only one who could get near. Soon enough, though, the dragon could hunt on its own, and it fed on the infected bugs and rats, and, well… you saw the result. It became a very large dragon.”

“It seems very territorial.”

“It is. Fascinating creature.”

A reply that puzzled given its actions. “Why does it sound like you admire it?”

“Because I do,” Basil stated. “It’s a magnificent beast and much more intelligent than expected.”

“It eats people.”

Basil waved a hand. “It’s a meat eater. Of course it does. To it, humans are just another meal.”

“How do we stop it?”

“Why would you?” Basil asked with surprise.

“So the Verlorian people can come home.”

“I’m afraid that will never happen. The dragon is too mighty to be killed. And before you ask, it was tried by some of the others who survived after the explosion. All of them failed. Their attempts to stab and harpoon didn’t even leave a mark.”

Not the most encouraging news. “Guess I’ll just have to wait for a moment when it’s out hunting to grab the rocks.”

“Touch anything in its hoard and it will hunt you down.”

A problem she’d have to surmount. “I wonder why the dragon didn’t drop the other stones in the lava. You’d think it would want companions.”

Basil snorted. “Dragons are solitary creatures.”

“How would you know that if there’s only one alive to observe?” she said tartly.

Basil’s attitude grated. She tried to give him some leeway given his isolation from human contact, but at the same time, would it kill him to listen to other possibilities and not assume he was always correct.

“I told you, that cavern of scrolls had much ancient knowledge, with much information on dragons.”

“You also said they spoke of Zhos. Did they mention what is it?”

Basil shrugged. “The scrolls didn’t identify it, nor did they have a description or image. But then again, I didn’t really pay a long-dead creature much mind. The Dracova stones were what interested me.” Basil waved at a door ahead of them. “Here’s where I’ve been living. You’ll have to excuse the mess. It’s been some time since I’ve had to worry about entertaining visitors.”

Mess didn’t begin to describe the space. It mostly held tables, the tops of a few covered in contraptions with tubing that led to jars in which liquid bubbled. Other surfaces held sheaves of paper and books. A mound of fabric in a corner appeared to be a bed. Only a stool, no chairs, dotted the space. Heat came from a small, bubbling puddle of lava over which hung a pot on a trivet.

“Make yourself comfortable while I find a second bowl.” Basil began scrounging through his papers seeking a container.

Avera strolled toward the nearest table with a pile of scrolls, one which had been unrolled, the corners weighted by rocks. A glance showed writing she couldn’t decipher. “What language is this in?” she asked.

“One long dead, so it took me time to decipher, but once I did…” Basil’s expression turned dreamy. “The knowledge that was lost, fascinating stuff.”

“Griffon says Verlora used to have quite the library.”

“Who is this Griffon?” Basil asked, ladling some soup into a bowl.

“A Verlorian turned pirate. His father managed to put him on a boat before the volcano erupted. He’s now the de facto leader of the refugees on Saarpira.”

Basil paused. “And his name is Griffon.”

“Yes. You probably knew him. When I told him your name, he recognized it.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Basil muttered. “And where is he now?” He carried the bowl to her.

Avera shrugged. “Home, I imagine. The night I was kidnapped, Saarpira was being attacked by giant crabs. Not real ones, but magical constructs.” Her nose wrinkled. “Captain Koonis used them to distract everyone so he could abduct me.”

“Will Griffon come to your rescue?” Basil asked as he returned to the pot with another bowl.

“Doubtful. For one, he has no idea Koonis brought me here. And even if he did, from the day he met, he’s refused to set foot on Verlora. He’s most likely happy to be rid of me.” He’d never been clear on why he’d abducted her in the first place, and she doubted any royal ransom would be motivation enough for him to overcome his fear of returning to his old home.

And that single shared kiss wouldn’t be enough to have him put himself or his crew in danger, either.

“Well, I am most delighted you’re here,” Basil stated with a smile. “Now, shall we eat?”

Her nose wrinkled at the grayish gruel in the bowl. It would be rude to refuse. It tasted as unpalatable as it looked, but Avera managed to choke it down, bitter taste and all.

With her belly full, her eyes grew heavy, and she yawned. “Goodness, but I’m tired.”

“Sleep. Sleep. We’ll speak more when you wake.” Her father waved to his bed.

Avera stumbled in its direction, didn’t remember hitting the makeshift mattress, and awoke confused for she lay flat on her back on a hard surface. When she tried to move, she found herself unable to do so for she’d been tied down. She thrashed, tugging to no avail at the straps binding her wrists and ankles.

“Help!” she yelled.

“Awake already? I should have put more of the sleeping agent in your stew,” Basil muttered as he came into view, holding some narrow tubing, the dangling end of it fitted with a needle.

“What’s happening? Why have you tied me down?” she huffed, straining to free herself.

“Because I need some of your blood.”

“My blood?” she squeaked. “Why are you trying to kill me?”

“Not kill. You’ll simply feel a little weak once I’ve extracted a few pints.”

“You’re not making any sense. Why do you need to bleed me?” Avera asked as he wrapped a tight band around her forearm and began tapping around her inner elbow.

“Because I require it for an experiment.”

“Why my blood? Why not use your own?”

“I would if I could, however, it doesn’t have the right qualities.”

“But mine does?” Did he know it sometimes allowed her to do magical things?

“We will soon find out. Now, don’t move while I put this needle in a vein. My eyes aren’t as keen as they used to be, and I’d hate to miss.”

Avera could only watch wide-eyed as he brought the sharp, metal tip close to her skin. When it poked, she let out a scream, not of pain, but rage.

Turned out it wasn’t the monsters of Verlora she should have feared, but her own father.