Page 79 of Queen's Griffon

“Because I do,” Basil stated. “It’s a magnificent beast and much more intelligent than expected.”

“It eats people.”

Basil waved a hand. “It’s a meat eater. Of course it does. To it, humans are just another meal.”

“How do we stop it?”

“Why would you?” Basil asked with surprise.

“So the Verlorian people can come home.”

“I’m afraid that will never happen. The dragon is too mighty to be killed. And before you ask, it was tried by some of the others who survived after the explosion. All of them failed. Their attempts to stab and harpoon didn’t even leave a mark.”

Not the most encouraging news. “Guess I’ll just have to wait for a moment when it’s out hunting to grab the rocks.”

“Touch anything in its hoard and it will hunt you down.”

A problem she’d have to surmount. “I wonder why the dragon didn’t drop the other stones in the lava. You’d think it would want companions.”

Basil snorted. “Dragons are solitary creatures.”

“How would you know that if there’s only one alive to observe?” she said tartly.

Basil’s attitude grated. She tried to give him some leeway given his isolation from human contact, but at the same time, would it kill him to listen to other possibilities and not assume he was always correct.

“I told you, that cavern of scrolls had much ancient knowledge, with much information on dragons.”

“You also said they spoke of Zhos. Did they mention what is it?”

Basil shrugged. “The scrolls didn’t identify it, nor did they have a description or image. But then again, I didn’t really pay a long-dead creature much mind. The Dracova stones were what interested me.” Basil waved at a door ahead of them. “Here’s where I’ve been living. You’ll have to excuse the mess. It’s been some time since I’ve had to worry about entertaining visitors.”

Mess didn’t begin to describe the space. It mostly held tables, the tops of a few covered in contraptions with tubing that led to jars in which liquid bubbled. Other surfaces held sheaves of paper and books. A mound of fabric in a corner appeared to be a bed. Only a stool, no chairs, dotted the space. Heat came from a small, bubbling puddle of lava over which hung a pot on a trivet.

“Make yourself comfortable while I find a second bowl.” Basil began scrounging through his papers seeking a container.

Avera strolled toward the nearest table with a pile of scrolls, one which had been unrolled, the corners weighted by rocks. A glance showed writing she couldn’t decipher. “What language is this in?” she asked.

“One long dead, so it took me time to decipher, but once I did…” Basil’s expression turned dreamy. “The knowledge that was lost, fascinating stuff.”

“Griffon says Verlora used to have quite the library.”

“Who is this Griffon?” Basil asked, ladling some soup into a bowl.

“A Verlorian turned pirate. His father managed to put him on a boat before the volcano erupted. He’s now the de facto leader of the refugees on Saarpira.”

Basil paused. “And his name is Griffon.”

“Yes. You probably knew him. When I told him your name, he recognized it.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Basil muttered. “And where is he now?” He carried the bowl to her.

Avera shrugged. “Home, I imagine. The night I was kidnapped, Saarpira was being attacked by giant crabs. Not real ones, but magical constructs.” Her nose wrinkled. “Captain Koonis used them to distract everyone so he could abduct me.”

“Will Griffon come to your rescue?” Basil asked as he returned to the pot with another bowl.

“Doubtful. For one, he has no idea Koonis brought me here. And even if he did, from the day he met, he’s refused to set foot on Verlora. He’s most likely happy to be rid of me.” He’d never been clear on why he’d abducted her in the first place, and she doubted any royal ransom would be motivation enough for him to overcome his fear of returning to his old home.

And that single shared kiss wouldn’t be enough to have him put himself or his crew in danger, either.

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