Page 59 of Queen's Griffon

Griff went up the steps first, sword in hand, senses attuned to his surroundings, listening for even the slightest whisper of sound. He heard nothing.

As they moved away from the pier area, and the steam rising from the water, the true extent of damage—some caused by the volcano, the rest by abandonment—revealed itself. The warehouses that lined the shore remained mostly standing, built sturdy enough to endure storms and the decay of time. The windows, however, had shattered. Those with wooden roofs sagged in places, although the concrete and steel versions appeared to have fared well. The once clean paths and roads were littered with debris that included the bleached bones ofthose who didn’t make it to a boat. Griff’s chest squeezed at seeing a tiny skeleton alongside that of a larger one. So many never managed to escape.

Each step they took kicked up puffs of dust. Simhi looked more serious than he could ever recall seeing.

She glanced all around before murmuring, “Sitnalta was so big.”

“It was. One of the biggest cities in the world.” Only the Merisu emperor’s capital might be larger.

“Doesn’t seem like anyone’s been through here,” Mohan remarked, crouching to observe the ground. “Not seeing any footprints. Not much pawprints either.”

“The gases might account for much of the death,” Griff stated. “People inhaling it in high concentrations would have been poisoned, and that includes any wildlife.” Collapsed buildings and the fissures would have accounted for some of the losses as well. Add in a dragon and Griff doubted they’d find any survivors which caused a pang of disappointment. It would seem the little boy within hadn’t entirely let go of the hope he’d find his father alive.

“Which way should we go?” Monty asked. “The city is huge. Finding the queen will be quite the task.”

“She’ll be looking for the stones Basil took from Daerva,” Griff stated. “Which means she’ll be heading for the lab which can be found in the base of Mount Etna.”

Simhi’s lips pursed. “If the scientists caused the volcano to blow, wouldn’t it have been the first place destroyed?”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Volcanoes aren’t predictable in their destruction.” He waved a hand. “The street we’re standing on remains intact and yet one block over,” he pivoted to point elsewhere, “it’s completely buried in volcanic rock.”

“Will she even know how to find it?” Monty queried.

“Avera spent a bunch of time studying everything she could about Verlora,” Simhi replied. “A few of the books had some sketches of the city so she should have a basic idea of where things are.”

“Assuming she makes it to the city.” Mohan’s more ominous addition.

Griff’s jaw clenched. While Mohan had a point, he didn’t appreciate it.

Neither did Monty, for he huffed, “The queen is tough, and apart from the dragon, doesn’t seem like there’s much else around here to worry about.”

“Said every sailor before us,” muttered Mohan. “Just because things seem uninhabited, doesn’t mean there’s not something lurking. With an aerial predator, I imagine anything that survived is either inside the buildings or underground.” A comment that had them looking at their feet.

“I think it goes without saying stay sharp, remain close, and watch where you step.” Griff tapped a crackling part of the pavement and leaned back as parts of it collapsed, creating a hole. “Given the heat of the water in the bay, we should assume the lava’s been tunneling below the city.”

“Meaning we should treat the ground as if it were ice that might crack at any moment,” Simhi added. “Got it. Don’t mind me if I don’t walk close to you big lads.”

“Are you calling me fat?” Monty huffed.

Her lips curved. “You are twice my size.”

“Because of muscle,” he boasted, flexing an arm.

“If you say so,” she sang, heading off adjacent to them, her steps light.

“Simhi has a point. We shouldn’t cluster lest our combined weight prove too much for any weak spots,” Griff agreed.

Mohan ranged ahead, Monty went left, and Griff stayed back, his nape prickling. Why did it feel as if he was being watched?

The eerie silent city pressed down ominously. It left Griff tense and jumpy. He wasn’t alone. When Simhi scuffed her foot, both Mohan and Monty reacted by whirling abruptly.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

As they walked past buildings, some with their doors gaping wide open, Griff couldn’t help but wonder what remained inside. Would he really not peek? He’d spent decades thinking about the home he’d left. Fantasizing about his return.

Seeing a building that still held part of its sign, Emporium of Curiosities, he stopped suddenly. “I’m going in for a look,” he announced.

“Did you hear something?” Mohan asked.

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