Dragonforge

'His wounds were mostly superficial,' Jandra said. 'After he was better, I had Hex bring him and the boy here. The first cave was too small for Hex, and I wanted us to have a little privacy after you woke.'

It was getting dark outside, and the roof of the cave was so black with the soot of centuries it looked like a formless void.

'Where's Hex?' Jandra asked.

'I don't know,' the boy said. 'He smelled something strange. Said he'd be right back. He only left a minute ago.'

'Where's Zeeky?' Bitterwood asked.

'We found her footprints,' the boy said, pointing toward the rear of the shaft. 'She's looking for our folks.'

'You're related to her?' As he asked this, Bitterwood saw that the family resemblance was undeniable. The same cornsilk-blond hair, the same evening-blue eyes. The boy's face was a bit more angular, however, his nose sharper, his chin more prominent. Bitterwood guessed the boy to be about twelve. He had the same wiry limbs that Zeeky possessed, a body shaped by poverty and the physical demands of climbing over this harsh landscape.

'Ezekia's my sister,' he said. 'I'm Jeremiah.'

'You're older than your sister,' said Bitterwood. 'Why did you let her go?'

'Ain't nobody can stop Zeeky when she sets her mind to do something.'

Bitterwood nodded. He knew this from experience. 'Jeremiah and Ezekia… these are names from the Bible.'

'Yes sir,' the boy said. 'My great grandfather was converted by a prophet named Hezekiah. He came to these mountains as a missionary.'

'I see,' said Bitterwood. 'People in this area are usually devotees of the goddess Ashera. I saw her temple in the town of Winding Rock.'

'If you know the Bible enough to know our names, are you a follower of the Lord, mister?'

Bitterwood felt anger stir inside him at the question. He knew the boy meant no harm in asking; no doubt he was merely looking for common ground with a stranger. The boy couldn't know that the only thing Bitterwood hated more than dragons were the words of the so called prophet Hezekiah.

Apparently, the boy sensed Bitterwood's anger, because he turned his face toward the floor and grew quiet, as if he was afraid.

'I didn't know you were such an expert in religion,' Jandra said to Bitterwood. 'Of course, almost anyone would know more about religion than I do. Vendevorex didn't teach me anything about spirituality.'

'If you stay in these mountains long,' the boy said, 'you'll learn more than you want to know about spirits. These mountains are full of devils.'

'Some people think these mountains are the home of the goddess,' said Bitterwood, not so much to argue with the boy as to explain things to Jandra. 'Jeremiah's people think the place is full of devils, but in the village where I was born it would have been unthinkable to mine these mountains-this was sacred ground. The goddess both lived in the earth, and was of the earth. Digging a hole this deep into her would have been like digging into her heart.'

'Hmm,' said Jandra. 'When I get back to the library I'll have to read up on theology.'

'Don't you carry the books inside your head?' asked a deep, strong voice from the growing darkness outside the cave. Bitterwood spun around, his body instinctively steeling itself for combat.

Jandra looked toward the shadows outside, and said, 'I can only recall books I've actually seen. This wasn't something I studied.'

The shadows at the mouth of the cave took on shape and substance as the ruby hide of a sun-dragon slinked forward. Bitterwood surveyed the room for a weapon. He'd never killed a sun-dragon barehanded. The pickaxes that lay at the entrance could do the deed.

However, the way this dragon moved gave Bitterwood a reason to relax. This dragon was no threat; he was limping, and there was a hint of freshly spilled reptilian blood in the air. Indeed, more than a hint-Hex must be bleeding freely to unleash such an odor.

As Hex moved nearer the light of the campfire, it became apparent that he wasn't limping. He was dragging something he grasped with his fore-talons, something quite heavy. From the corner of his eye, Bant saw Jandra toss a handful of silver dust into the air. Suddenly, the room was as brightly lit as if the noon sun was overhead.

The burden that Hex dragged behind him was copper colored and its body seemed to stretch on forever out of the mouth of the cave. It was studded with muscular legs ending in fearsome claws.

'I heard what you were saying about the goddess,' said Hex, as if the fact he was dragging a slain beast into their presence was hardly worth mentioning. 'We dragons don't believe in gods exactly, though we do believe in a life flame that endures beyond death, and we believe in spirits. These mountains are said to be haunted; perhaps the strange noise that permeates these rocks causes both men and dragons to seek supernatural explanations.'

'What noise?' Bitterwood asked.

'What in the world is that?' Jandra said, walking over to the beast, ignoring Bitterwood. 'I've never seen anything like it.'

'I'm not sure what it is. I smelled something odd in the wind earlier. I found this thing emerging from one of the nearby caves. It attacked when it saw me; I killed it in self defense.'

'Those are demons,' Jeremiah said. 'They live in the underworld.'

'This isn't a demon,' said Hex. 'It's an animal, and it was being ridden by a man. Unfortunately, he escaped as I was fighting the beast.'

Bitterwood nodded. 'There was a man on beast I slew as well. He didn't escape. I'd never seen anything like it either. But I've heard about a lot of legendary beasts over the years, and once was told of a race of long-wyrms that lived in the mountains. This must be one of those.'

Jandra ran her hands along the long-wyrm's hide as Killer, the ox-dog, drew up beside her and started to sniff. 'A creature like this shouldn't exist,' she said. 'I've been studying biology since I was old enough to hold a book. All vertebrates are limited to four limbs. It's biological law.'

'The beast must not have read the same books,' said Hex. 'If it can read at all. Despite its draconian head, I didn't get the feeling it was intelligent. It didn't speak during the battle, although its rider let out a string of scatological commentaries as he departed.'

'Jeremiah, what else do you know about these creatures?' Jandra asked.

'Not a lot, ma'am,' the boy answered. 'Occasionally the menfolk of my village spot the demons when they're in the mine. The demons shy away from light. But they weren't scared of fire when they attacked Big Lick.'

'Why did they attack?' Hex asked. 'What provoked them?'

'I don't know,' said Jeremiah. 'They just came in during the night and started dragging people from their beds. I don't think they killed anyone, their riders just tied us up like hogs and carted us back to the mountain. I'm lucky to have got away. Luckier still to find Zeeky.'

'And now Zeeky's gone into underworld to find your parents,' said Bitterwood. 'Can you lead us through the mines?'

'I… I'm afraid to, mister,' the boy said. 'They say these things don't just eat you… they also eat your soul.'

'If you live a life of cowardice, your soul has already been chewed up,' Bitterwood scolded.

The boy hung his head in shame.

Hex said, 'Zeeky's footprints are easy enough to spot in the coal dust. I can smell where her pig walked. We won't need the boy to guide us.'

'You're crazy to go into the mountain,' Jeremiah said, directing his words at Bitterwood. 'That one demon right near killed you. There were at least a dozen that came to Big Lick.'

Bitterwood smiled grimly. 'I've faced stiffer odds. I only fared badly because I was already injured. If Jandra can make me a bow and some arrows using her-' he stopped suddenly. Killer had lifted his head with a jerk, and turned to face the back of the cave. He let out a low growl toward the darkness.

'What is it, boy?' Jeremiah asked.

'I hear something,' Jandra said, looking in the same direction. 'Something's moving back there.'

Hex dropped to all fours and strained his neck forward, sniffing the air. 'Another long-wyrm,' he said. 'More than one, in fact.'