Page 96 of Kingdom of Rot & Ruin
My head pounded, and I was on my knees before I realized it, sharp edges cutting into the flesh of my palms and knees.
It didn’t … matter … now.
Sleepy.Just lay down and die.
No.
Yes.
No.
Nothing.
Smack. Smack. SMACK.
I blinked, blinding light forcing me to screw my eyes shut again.
“Oh, no you don’t! I can either carry your unconscious body or kick along the Noble … not both!”
Groggily, I forced myself to open my eyes, the anger in Shava’s voice stretching a grin onto my face.
Hadn’t I been actively dying?
“Yeah, it’s so funny. Don’t touch that!”
I struggled to focus as I slowly sat up, wiping the grit out of my eyes with the neck of my robe. Shava had turned around and slapped the man’s hand, who had reached it out tentatively to pat the massive gold dragon next to us.
“You!” I accused, pointing a wildly waving a finger at the scaly menace in question. “We … have to talk.”
The dragon snorted embers out of its nose, and I lowered my finger lamely.
Glancing around, we were back at our home sweet home atop the canyon, with the city in the distance. My bags and satchels lay in a tattered, dusty heap outside the cave entrance.
But they made it, at least!
One hand on her hip, Shava brushed away a streak of mud on her cheek. Her eyes were tired, but she was still so beautiful and strong. I wanted to possess it. I wanted to take it for myself.
“The short of it is simple: Zariah fought off his brother, accidentally caving in your tunnel during the process. He then dug you out and brought you here.”
Well. That was relatively simple. It was annoying being constantly in someone else’s debt, though. I would work to rectify it immediately. Though the amount of food I brought back certainly at least took a chunk out, right?
“There are two of you, then?” I clarified, feeling that Shava had been rather nonchalant in skipping that point.
Shava waved her hand dismissively. “It’s like you said, isn’t it? Zion is the heir, Zariah here, the spare.” She gave him a half-sad, half-whimsical grin. Zariah growled, and ducked his head under a wing.
The Noble sniffed loudly, rubbing his nose with his sleeve. “Two princes. Two dragons. We are more cursed than we know!”
“Shut up, already. Or we’ll feed you to the dragon.”
Cerys emerged by the cave with D, already eyeing up the satchels of supplies next to me.
“No, this mud girl here said the dragon wouldn’t,” he insisted, but shot nervous looks between both.
“You’re surrounded by mud people, you ingrate,” I sneered at him.
He lifted his hands above his head in deference, his large sleeves falling down and exposing his arms.
“I’m sorry! I’m just hungry. And tired.”
