Page 57 of Queen's Griffon

“Yeah. Foul, unnatural women they are. Wielding forces they shouldn’t. Nattering in his ear.”

“You don’t approve.”

“Emperor’s changed since they started advising him.”

“Changed how?” she asked.

“He got younger, for one. He was a doddering old man with a son ready to take over when the witches did something to give him back his youth.”

The claim surprised. “How is that possible?”

“Magic,” groused Lenno. “Which ain’t right. A person is born, gets old, they die.”

“One would think him being long-lived would be a good thing.”

“Not when it seems like he’s readying for war. He’s been expanding his army. Building a fleet of ships that’s ten times what we used to have.”

“And who is he planning to conquer?”

“As if he’s going to tell a grunt like me.” Lenno sulked.

“Captain Koonis must think highly of you to put you in charge of this important mission since he couldn’t come himself.” She attempted to keep him talking.

He snorted. “I’m here ‘cause the captain’s a coward.”

“You’re not. Of the men he sent, you’re the only one who doesn’t seem afraid.”

“Because I’m not dying today or tomorrow or anytime soon, for that matter.”

“You sound very sure.”

“One of the witches told me how I’d die. Looked me in the eye just before we left and said, ‘You will meet your fate at the claws of a dragon.’Which, considering they don’t exist, means she’s full of shit.”

As he spoke, a shadow once more blotted the sky and they both craned to look.

She saw the moment Lenno blanched and understood too. Because that was no bird flying overhead. An extremely large dragon—distinguishable by its long, sinuous neck and tail, massive wings, and the shape of its head—flew past, carrying a kraken in its talons. It landed on a ledge high up on the mountain and disappeared from sight.

Avera should have held her tongue, but she couldn’t help but quip, “Guess those witches aren’t constipated after all.”

Lenno whirled and slapped Avera before she even saw the blow coming. “Shut your mouth,” he hissed. He might have said or done more, but Frisk came stomping back complaining.

“Ain’t nothing that way but fucking thorns.” Frisk sucked at the side of his hand which bled.

A short while later, Munro returned with Ron, the latter smiling. “We found a ramp going down into the city.”

“Let’s get moving then.” Lenno said nothing of what they’d seen.

Avera kept silent, too. No use panicking the others. She already had enough anxiety to handle and now could add the threat of a dragon.

A real dragon.

It explained the deaths of those who’d come before. It also worried her because the fact none but Vinmo ever managed to escape indicated it could and would hunt humans. Did it do so by scent, sound, or sight?

As she glanced at the men surrounding her, she almost sighed because they made no effort to mask their presence. At least if the dragon targeted the noisy men, she might have a chance to escape, but did she really think she could evade an apex predator as well as find the stones and escape Verlora?

According to Opal, not without Griffon.

What she wouldn’t give to still be with her pirate.

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