You wish to invite the whole clan? They are apolitical hippies. They cannot be tolerated.
That’s exactly why I want to invite them. You will then complain to your kin that they’re coming and will embarrass you or act inappropriately at the wedding. Never mind that I had no idea what inappropriate dragon behavior would be—I was already concerned about the appropriate dragon activities Zav was planning. Then your mother, who I am certain does not want her clan or her son to be embarrassed, will insist on coming with the rest of your family to keep an eye on the Starsinger Clan.
You wish me to enact a ruse on my mother?
It’s either that or tell her you’re disappointed and hurt that she doesn’t care enough to come. You seemed reluctant to do so.
I will enact the ruse.
I smirked. Do you think it will work?
Perhaps… I may need to modify what you suggest, but it is true that the Stormforge Clan never wishes to see its kin embarrassed. It is only because of your actions at the Crying Caverns that the queen no longer finds our relationship an embarrassment. She has told many of how you fought with me and risked yourself to free our kin.
She talks about me? I didn’t know whether to feel mortified or pleased.
Yes. I do not believe she is truly enamored with you, but she wishes others to believe you are a worthy mate for her son.
I guess that’ll do. I wasn’t enamored with her either. In-laws don’t have to love each other, just refrain from throwing drumsticks at each other during Thanksgiving dinner.
Drumsticks?
Yes. If we survive this—I paused to correct myself with some of the positive thinking that Mary recommended—after we deal with the lich and return home victorious, I’ll pick up a turkey. Thanksgiving is coming up. Make that ten turkeys. You’ll need a few of your own, I trust.
I am certain. Birds on your world are small.
Zav flew faster than I would have preferred, and the ominous black Mount Crenel soon grew visible on the horizon. I hoped he knew how to get in. The lich had appeared near the top, so maybe that meant an entrance was up there. I hadn’t sensed her until she’d been outside, so she’d either activated some camouflage until she chose to reveal herself or the mountain had some inherent magic that hid its contents. That could make sense if the dwarves didn’t want strangers finding their ancient tomb and repository.
Instead of flying straight to the top, Zav started his search over the foothills, sailing over the area where Li had been captured. I peered over his side, hoping vainly to spot Chopper lying down there, but the rocky slopes were empty of anything except a few sturdy tufts of vegetation growing up from cracks.
The road I’d been following the day before led to a vertical cliff on the side of the mountain, but if a doorway was there, it had been collapsed. Stone columns lay tumbled to the ground and broken, reminding me of Roman ruin sites in Italy.
Several dead animals lay among the ruins, not only the deer-like creatures I’d seen before but large birds and something that looked like a scaly bear. This place didn’t seem to be good for one’s health.
It might be possible to clear that entrance and go in there, Zav told me as he circled the area, not commenting on the animal carcasses, but I sense collapsed tunnels on the other side. They go back at least a quarter of a mile. That is as far as I can sense. The interior of the mountain is protected by obscuring magic.
The creatures and the lich had to come out from somewhere that’s open, right?
Yes. We will seek another entrance. Zav flew around the mountain and toward the peak. I sense a hint of magic.
A minion? I rested my hand on Fezzik.
An artifact. Perhaps a weapon.
I sat up straight. Chopper?
I do not believe so, but we will investigate.
With his powerful wings, it didn’t take him long to fly up thousands of feet toward the peak. He didn’t go all the way to the top but shifted his path to fly horizontally along the crown. I also sensed something magical and squinted toward the ground.
It could be a trap, he pointed out. Something left outside to lure us down.
Is it something that would entice a dragon?
No, but it might entice a human or dwarf.
Do you think the lich is worried about humans or dwarves?
Did she not capture the half-dwarf thief?
Yes, but we don’t know why. It might have been a vendetta rather than worry.
After the talk of traps, I thought he might ignore the item, but he sailed closer to the ground.
This may be something useful, he said.
It did feel to my senses like a weapon. But why would a magical weapon be lying among the rocks? Unless it was being used as bait in a trap….
There was no road up this high on the craggy, uneven side of the mountain, nor even a path, but something glinted in the weak morning sun. Zav flew lower, gliding over what turned out to be a body, its armor reflecting the sunlight. There were several bodies, all armored, many with shields and great hammers or swords.
“Dwarves?” I wondered.
Zav surprised me by ignoring the potential danger and landing nearby.
One of the dwarves carried a magical sword. Zav’s head turned on his long neck to look at me. Perhaps you should borrow it in case you need it for a battle inside. It will be more effective against magic than your firearm. We can return the weapon to the dwarves when we are done.
You don’t sense any traps? I eyed the ground as if molten lava flowed over it, not wanting to be the one to trip an alarm and let the lich know we were here. Something killed those dwarves.
Admittedly, it had happened some time ago. Vermin had already chewed away their flesh and were working on the rest of the bodies. A grisly way to go.
I do not, but you are right that traps could exist. One moment. Rock and dust stirred as Zav trickled magic toward the bodies—there were six visible now, one decapitated and others appearing to have been crushed by boulders. I grimaced as his magic tugged a sword out of one of the dwarf’s hands. The poor guy had died fighting. They all had.
The sword floated over to me, no dried blood on its blade. But why would there be? The lich's minions were undead and didn’t bleed.
The hilt was cold in my hand, the weapon heavy compared to Chopper, but I would carry it and use it if need be.
A rock clattered farther up the mountain, and Zav’s head jerked around. A stout skeletal humanoid creature between four and five feet tall stood up there, gripping a double-headed axe, his hollow eyes turned toward the bodies. I couldn’t sense him, and Zav must not have either, but there he was. And even if he couldn’t detect us through our camouflaging magic, he must have seen the sword float over to us.
Instead of coming down to investigate, the minion turned and stepped back between two boulders. An alcove he’d been assigned to stand guard from?
Zav sprang into the air and flapped up to it. But it wasn’t an alcove. It was a hidden entrance, the tunnel opening not visible unless one stood—or flew—directly in front of it. It was only a few feet wide and seven or eight feet high. It was hard to imagine the lich being able to come out through the gap. Did that mean this wasn’t the real entrance?
The skeleton went inside, Zav said, landing again on the rocks. Likely to warn the lich that someone is out here.
Are we going in?
Zav magically lifted me to the ground, then shifted into his human form. He continued to speak telepathically. We must. I must gather as much intelligence as possible before my people arrive. If the lich has concocted some way to deal with numerous dragons coming for her… they must be warned. He lifted his chin. There is danger of traps. I will go first.