Fireclaws 04 by T. Michael Ford

Author:T. Michael Ford [Ford, T. Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-02-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Ryliss

Donatello? Diori and I both stood up and backed away from the table in shock. It didn’t help the situation that we were both watching the Auric’s letter char and turn to ash in the construct’s hand. What? Another quest? What is this, my third already this trip? I seriously need to talk to Rosa about a raise when I get back…if I get back.

“Ryliss,” Diori said quietly, plainly saddened by the ashes sifting through her stone fingers. She wouldn’t even be allowed the comfort of keeping the last words of her mentor. “May I call you a friend? I perceive I really need a friend right now…”

Humans always seem to offer consolation at times like this, usually in the form of holding the other person or a hug of some kind. I put my arms around her, and it was immediately awkward because I don’t think she was used to being touched at all. But it didn’t take her long to bury her head in my shoulder and let the tears pour out. I expected her to be cold, hard and rock-like, but not at all. In fact, her body movements and spasms from the sobbing were amazingly human.

Finally, she straightened back up and attempted to dry her face with her hands, speaking in a whisper, “I’m sorry, I did not intend to presume that we had a friendship. If the physical contact was distasteful to you, I sincerely apologize.”

I took a deep breath and waved off her concern. “I remember how I felt when my mother and unborn brother died, Diori. Sometimes, you really do just need to know there is someone who cares. Now, it seems we have a young dragon to find.”

Diori searched my face with her eyes, which in itself was a little disconcerting as she has no pupils or irises, but still her face could still come alive with expression. “You would be willing to accompany me on this quest?”

“Well, it seems your quest and my missions are intricately tied together so, yes, of course I will help you. Do you have any idea where this egg chamber might be?”

“Thank you, Ryliss. But to answer your question, sadly no, she had laid a number of recent clutches in a special chamber here in Anorthosite, but she had a string of bad luck and they were all infertile. Knowing what I know now, I believe it is possible that it wasn’t bad luck at all, but murder. Judging by the tone of the letter, I am reasonably sure Donatello is not within the Anorthosite complex. The Auric’s letter made it plain that she felt security here was compromised. Knowing how Kailemora’s thought processes worked, the egg is probably in a location that she discovered centuries ago and kept secret. Close enough so she could keep an eye on the site, but revisiting it only once to lay her egg. She would have been wary of showing too much interest in a spot in case she was being watched.

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