Page 38 of Scaled Hearts

Now we’re getting close.

“This used to be farmland.” Nothing would grow now. I can see that. We’ve flown to a blighted, cursed part of the peninsula. “It was dying before, no matter what the farmers tried. Their mountains began to sink, and their lakes began to dry, and their crops began to rot.”

“How unlucky.” Her voice is wry, but I can feel her shiver against my back. “Even orcs refuse to come this way. I’ve always wondered why they were so afraid. It’s cursed somehow?”

“Quite.” My lips twitch in amusement at how much she restrains herself from asking me the point in this history lesson. “And this is how it concerns you, my mate. The dark elves built a jewel of a city here in the dawn of time, when the Thirteen walked amongst us. But they made a grievous error.”

“I’ve heard they often do.”

“The ruler of their city claimed it was the best in the world, better than any other race could build. Better than the gods.”

“That does sound like something a dark elf would claim,” she says.

“It does, doesn’t it? And so the Arbiter was called to judge the city, and found it wanting. As punishment for their hubris, he walked up to their finest building, their ornate courthouse wrought from magic and stone, and he slammed his staff against it so hard that the entire city sank into the ground.

“He proclaimed that nothing new could come to this land, not until the last dark elf has walked the planet.”

“I always was partial to the Arbiter.” Kelly hums thoughtfully. “So you’re taking me to a cursed, sunken city?”

“I’m taking you to treasures beyond your comprehension. Legends say the city is still here, buried intact. If that’s true, we might find the Paradise Lotus preserved beneath the sand.”

“You think it’s likely?”

“I’ve been here many times before.” I don’t know how often others have come, too, since I’ve been gone, but I find myself strangely wanting to preserve her hope. “It’s our best chance.”

And here is the mouth of the cavern, just as I remember. It’s lodged beneath an unassuming outcrop of rocks, and I have to transform out of my dragon form in order to fit. Darkness and damp surround us until I summon my magic to light our way, illuminating the cave in bright blue light.

There’s a large skeleton of an orc just inside the entrance. It holds a rusted sword and nothing else. The caverns are littered with bodies of those who tried to rob the dark elf city, and I anticipate that Kelly will need reassurance before we continue inside.

But Kelly glances at it once before stepping over him and deeper into the cave.

“You’re safe,” I say as we walk past another skeleton. “I won’t let anything happen to you here.”

Kelly looks at me, baffled. “I know.”

Her faith pleases me, and I preen a bit as we walk, pulling her close whenever we cross through a tight passage.

We make good time, but she’s only human. After a few hours of traveling, I catch her smothering yawns against her shoulder and shuffling her feet as we walk. We still have a fair amount of ground to cover, and the paths only grow more treacherous. I don’t want her to get hurt.

I grasp her elbow and pull her to a stop as we walk into a wide, flat part of the cave. It’s tall enough that we can both stand, even if I have to hunch my shoulders a bit.

“We will set camp here.”

“I’m not tired,” she lies.

“I didn’t ask if you were tired. I said we’re setting up camp.”

With a snap of my fingers, the blue light transforms into my ghostly servants, and they set about making our camp comfortable and warm. At first I expect her to continue to protest, but then I conjure wine and a feast of roast gallus, which she gratefully accepts.

“I still can’t get used to this,” she says around a bite.

“Caves, forbidden cities, or dragon lovers?”

“Food.”

“I see.” My servants play music in the corner of the cave, powered by magic. We sit at the entrance to a city struck down by a god himself. And it’sfoodthat has her impressed. “In general, or are you just a fan of the seasoning?”

“No, I mean. You can just create food whenever you want. On command.” She’s eaten her meat to the bone, so I make her another. It gives me a primal satisfaction to see her fed. “I would have given anything to be able to do this when I was younger. Hell, even a month ago would have been nice. You have no idea.”

---