Page 28 of Caveman Alien's Terror

“Theremustbe gold. I command it!” I kick at one of the stones that surrounds us. They’re big and unusual. “What kind of place is this?”

Tarat’ex kicks at another stone in an imitation gesture meant to flatter me. “It’s the middle of nowhere, Chief. That’s what.”

“Looks like an old village made from stone,” Astrid chirps, reflecting my own impression of the rubble around us. “It was ruined somehow.”

I pick up a piece of white stone. It’s been broken off from a bigger one, but one of the corners is smooth and even, as if especially made. “Some care went into this.”

“A lot of care,” Astrid agrees, picking up another piece. “Someone carved these pieces from hard rock to build something from them. It must have been a big, white village. Or a few buildings.

As I hold the piece, I’m certain. I can feel the work that went into it, the effort in the making, the care and the experience of the man cutting it and polishing it, his sweat and the time it took him. Much more work went into this than the cheap pieces of brass.

I take out my hoard pouch and add the stone piece to it. It’s nowhere near enough for me. But items like these, which it has taken great effort to make, have some value. Not worthy of a hoard, of course. Even the gold imitations I have carved myself give barely any strength. And yet, if I had better items, which have taken even more effort to make, it might just give me the energy I need to Change and leave this hellhole.

And leave Astrid, a strange thought comes unbidden to my mind.

Well, the other dragons leftmebehind. Why should I not leave her? It’s not just revenge, it’s far too small an act for that. She’s too insignificant to give me a satisfying vengeance against this planet. But it would do something to help me feel better. Praxigor the Devious is someone wholeaves, not someone whoisleft!The more she needs me and wants me, the better the effect will be on my ego when I casually discard her and leave her forever. It will be the start of the healing for me, something to make me feel better about myself while I travel through the Void on the way home to my hoard: I leftherbehind. I wasn’tleft.

“If this was a village,” I muse out loud, “perhaps it was trampled by one of those ridiculous giant beasts with the tiny brains. Then there may be items still hidden. Sacred items, perhaps. Valuable items. Perhaps even gold items.”

“Hidden under the ground,” Astrid points out. “If this was a real village, it was a long time ago. Look how overgrown it is! The real village must be several feet underneath us. And there’s much more.” She squints into the jungle. “ There are stones all over. Some are still standing. I think it was a big village, but I can’t tell for sure. I have to wait until the sun comes up.”

“I don’t like waiting,” I tell her and pick up the last of the torches still burning on the ground. As I lift it, it hisses and goes out and the darkness deepens.

“Fool’s gold!” I curse viciously. “What’s wrong with this planet?! It keeps working against me!”

“It’ll only be a few hours,” Astrid says as she sits down on a rock. “I have to rest.”

“You!” I yell at the outcasts. “Search this whole area for items that may have at leastsomevalue!”

“It would be better to search in the daytime, Chief.” Tarat’ex says, wiping his brow as if sweaty. “And we have been working for you for days with little sleep. Please let us rest so that we can serve you better!”

“Such weakness!” I lament. “How are you people evenalive?Why must you be so fragile and feeble? Must I do everything myself?” I stride into the woods where Astrid was looking. If there are any items of value, perhaps I can sense them. There may even be gold. If it’s buried, it would be much harder to detect, even for me.

“I’ll dig up this whole jungle,” I mutter to myself as I lift one broken stone and toss it away from sheer frustration.

10

- Astrid-

Praxigor stomps in among the trees and tosses big, moss-covered stones around as if they were toys and he a furious toddler.

I’m not a fan of that side of him; the callous, icy dragon who’s completely ruthless when it comes to obtaining gold. Then there’s the other side which makes him say ‘my Astrid’ with a tinge of warmth, and makes him kiss me so tenderly I see stars and makes him put himself between me and danger. That gold obsession of his must be similar to an overpowering drug addiction, so it may be curable. Or it may not.

I don’t understand everything he says about himself, that whole ‘Change to my real form’ thing, but it sounds like he really believes it himself, and he’s so much like a fairy tale character that I can’t discount it being true. I don’t long to see him as a full, fire-breathing dragon, if that’s what he means.

I know I should plan an escape. But I also know I’ll stay with him. If anyone can keep me safe until we find Cora, it’s him.

And when we do find her, I can only hope that he won’t murder me too painfully.

Because she never had a gold bracelet, or jewelry of any kind. But if that lie is what it takes for Praxigor to help me look for her, then the risk may be worth it. It’s not exactly the least I can do for Cora, but it still seems fair after the way I treated her.

Luna slinks out of the woods and comes over to me, two watchful eyes staring ahead and one behind. She’s tense, and she has to know the risk being this close to Praxigor. I can’t imagine he likes her much.

“Stevik,” comes a hoarse whisper from the side. One of the outcasts slowly draws his sword as he stares at Luna.

“Don’t!” I tell him, raising my hand. “This is not a wild stevik. She belongs to me. She won’t harm you.”

He frowns. “Belongs? A Small belongs to you when it’s being grilled over your fire, female. Not before.”

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