Page 62 of Queen's Griffon

Lenno sighed. “Those aren’t rumors.”

A rigid Frisk spat, “Meaning what? What did your cousin admit that you’re not telling us?”

“Wasn’t my cousin who told me about the monster in Verlora. Trust me, if he’d told me about a dragon, I’d have never come.”

“Dragon?” squeaked Ron.

“Now you’re fucking with me,” a disgusted Frisk spat.

“I wish I were. I saw it while you were off scouting a path down.”

“Bullshit!” Frisk shook his head. “Dragons aren’t real.”

“Ask her majesty. She saw it, too.”

As Munro, Frisk, and Ron eyed her, Avera shrugged. “He’s telling the truth. We saw it in the sky, carrying what looked to be a kraken to the mountain.”

“Oh, no. Fuck no.” Frisk swore and paced. “How the fuck did your cousin not mention that?”

“He was out of his mind, delirious. He only said something about beware the lizard with big teeth. Given he’s not the best fighter, his skills being more in lockpicking and stealth, I didn’t pay it much mind,” Lenno explained.

Frisk remained unhappy, though. “But he knew about it, which means the emperor does too, and yet he still sent us to this god-forsaken continent.”

The statement turned Ron’s lips down. “We shouldn’t be here. My grandmum used to tell stories about dragons, how they used to rule over the land until humans chased them away. She claimed one day they’d come back and have their revenge.”

“Old wives’ tales,” scoffed Lenno.

“Tell that to Verlora,” retorted Frisk. “Anything else we should know? Maybe the real reason we’re here, and don’t feed me some bullshit about the queen here sniffing out something that’s been lost. She ain’t never been to Verlora so I don’t see how she’s supposed to be able to find shit.”

The quiet Munro was the one to turn to Avera and murmur, “Could have to do with her being one of the old-blooded. The Voxspira line stretches back as far as the imperial one.”

His mention reminded her of the times her blood had done miraculous things, such as releasing the people from Zhos’ mind control in Fraegus Spire.

“What are we looking for anyhow?” Frisk demanded. “It better be good, seeing as how we’re risking our lives.”

“We’re looking for rocks,” declared Lenno. “Fivespecialrocks,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

“I’ll bet it’s those witches that done put the emperor up to this,” Ron grumbled. “I should have listened to me da and gone to work for him in the bakery.”

“Maybe you should have if you’re going to be a whiny coward,” Lenno snapped.

“It’s not whining to want to live,” insisted Ron. “We already lost Collin and Kenny and we ain’t even found these stupid rocks yet. I don’t wanna die.”

“Then don’t. Keep sharp. If my idiot cousin can survive, then so can we. Now, enough yapping, and let’s get this done before Captain Koonis decides to leave us because we’re taking too long.” Lenno glared at her. “You gonna start leading us in the right direction finally?”

“I’m not doing it on purpose,” Avera hotly replied.

“You also don’t know where the fuck to go,” Lenno stated with a scowl.

“I know where they are,” she murmured.

“How when you ain’t never been here? Or are you holding back on us?”

How to explain? “Munro might have a point about my blood. Ever since we landed, I’ve felt a tugging in the direction of the mountain.”

“Felt?” drawled Frisk. “Oh, that’s just fucking great. We’re following a feeling.”

Her lips pinched. She understood his skepticism, but he didn’t understand the pull within.

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