Page 18 of Mountain of Dragons and Sacrifice

As he spoke, we rounded another corner and stepped into the largest cavern yet. Gems glittered in the light of the torch, shoveled into messy piles higher than Evander was tall. The piles disappeared into the darkness of the vast space, the torch insufficient light to reach the far corners.

Evander lifted his torch high as we wound our way through the room. All around us, gnomes scurried about, dumping carts into the piles or loading carts with gems from the piles. A few gnomes sat on the floor, using tools to cut the gems into shape. It was all a little willy-nilly, considering just one of these piles of gems would be a king’s ransom back home.

At the far side of the room, a large wooden water wheel turned in the current of the creek, spinning a barrel filled with what appeared to be gemstones. A few of the gnomes scurried along raised walkways, adding gems here, taking gems out there, adding in sand, rinsing sand away.

All the while, they kept up that steady chant, almost a gruff song, staying in perfect rhythm with each other, the squeak of the wheels, the whoosh of the waterwheel, and the pounding of their tools on stone. Perhaps there was a kind of magic to that cadence, the thrum of the mountain itself breaking forth in their song.

And strangely, seeing these hardworking gnomes relaxed something inside me. These gnomes might be strange with their caps pulled down to their noses and their gruff, barking language, but in the end, they weren’t that much different than my family and neighbors back home. They were simply hardworking people living under their dragon overlord, just as my village was. They served him in a different way, and they didn’t seem to fear him the way Thysia did.

“This is the tumbler used to give the stones a first polish.” Evander gestured to the contraption swarming with gnomes. “Once the stones are polished, the gnomes load them into the carts that they push into the other room for the final polish and distribution.”

I never would have guessed, looking at the mountain looming above the olive grove, that all of this was going on just beyond the realm.

“As you can see, the gnomes mine far more gems than we can manage to process.” Evander gestured at the large cavern, piled nearly to the ceiling in places with gems.

“That’s where I come in. The dragon needs more help polishing stones.” I pointed back the way we’d come.

“Only if you’re willing.” Evander turned back the way we’d come, strolling between the piles of gems once again.

“Of course. Whatever the dragon wants me to do.” I shivered, glancing around at the nearly dark cavern. At least I would be able to work in the other room instead of here in the dark.

Was this the reason the dragon wanted a maiden sacrifice? He needed more gem polishers? Then why a maiden? Anyone in the village would have done just as well.

If that was the reason, the other sacrificed girls should have been there, polishing away in that room alongside all the fae.

If they hadn’t been eaten, then where were they? Had they failed some kind of test? Could one fail at polishing gems?

Evander had already shown me the kind of evasive non-answers I’d get if I asked questions. Better I guard my tongue and figure out what was going on by myself. Questions about the sacrifice and its purpose would not only risk myself but also my village if I angered the dragon.

Instead, I’d focus on learning what I could about this new realm. The more I learned, the less likely I would be to fail a test and the more chances I would have to find out what was really going on here.

We halted for a moment as a gnome trundled past, pushing a cart. More gnomes scampered about, never running into each other despite having their hats pulled to their noses.

I leaned closer to Evander, keeping my voice barely above a whisper. I didn’t want to offend the gnomes, in case they were the type to turn vicious. “How do they avoid running into each other?”

“Truthfully, I’m not sure. I asked Boss Gob once, but his explanation didn’t make a whole lot of sense.” Evander shrugged, the movement pulling his jerkin and tunic tight over his broad shoulders. “The gnomes are sensitive to light, but as long as you warn them, they’ll pull their hats down. I’m not entirely sure if they have eyes. I’ve never seen them. They seem to be able to function perfectly well with their hats down to their noses.”

Strange creatures. I didn’t dare ask about the possibility of sharp teeth and them turning on me if I did a bad job.

When we reached the large double doors, Evander gave a whistle. Boss Gob popped up out of one of the piles of stones, waving back.

Evander pulled open one of the doors, then waited for me to walk through first.

In the other room, the fae had gone back to chatting while they worked. Their chatter halted as we entered, though smiles remained on their faces.

Evander closed the door behind us, then motioned me to a seat on one of the couches. He gave me quick introductions, though I didn’t remember most of the names. One of the goat-legged men—a faun, I learned—set a pile of gems on the table in front of me. A woman, her skin faintly glittering, handed me a polishing cloth and explained what to do. Evander pointed out the various cupboards. Each one was designated for another court or place in the Fae Realm.

“And this bin is for some of the best or more unusual gems. Those go to the dragon.” Evander plucked an emerald out of the wooden tub. It wasn’t the largest of the gems I’d seen that morning, but it shone with a clear, green light. Evander rolled it about in his fingers, a strange light glittering in his blue eyes.

Of course the dragon would claim the best gems for himself. I touched one of the other gems in the bin. “The dragon takes his cut of the wealth.”

“Something like that.” Evander turned the gem over in his fingers, his gaze still utterly focused on it.

If the dragon loved gems that much, then I would definitely do my best polishing them. I couldn’t give the dragon any reason to dispose of me.

Evander squeezed his eyes shut, clenching the stone in his fist for a moment, before he plunged fist and stone into a pocket. “I’ll deliver this one to him personally.”

Not a task I would volunteer for, but the steward must be more inclined to spend time with the dragon than I was. He wouldn’t be his steward otherwise.

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