Free Dragon Dodgers (Wounds in the Sky Prequels Book 1) by V. R. Cardoso

the
surface, the Akhami left the Shamissai Mountains and looked for
refuge underground. My Master was obsessed with studying these
early events. He collected ancient tablets and papyrus rolls. You
know, records of those times.” He stopped and grabbed the broken
stone beyond which he was taking them. “Most of those artifacts
were damaged, badly preserved or just irrelevant. But he did find
something interesting. References to special warriors, armed with
magic swords and lances, who bravely fought Dragons. It was hard to
believe, of course. At first, we assumed those were just myths,
campfire lore to keep the people’s hope alive. Until… we found a
map. A tablet with a rough depiction of the Shamissai Mountains and
warriors pulling their swords from it. So Master Kanuur sent me to
track down this place, which the map called, the Elder Spires.” He
smiled and crossed to the other side.
    Targon and the Dodgers followed him, only to freeze a
couple of steps later . The
sight before them defied reason. It was simply not possible. They
were now on one side of a deep ravine that sank so far below them,
that the ground was invisible. Springing up from it, as tall as the
mountain peaks themselves, rose massive, three faced spikes aiming
at the sky like a bear trap ready to be sprung.
    They stepped forward, mouths dropped,
trying to make sure they weren’t in a dream.
    “ It’s…” Nyssa mumbled.
    “ It’s amazing.” Targon
said. “What is it?”
    The spikes were made of some kind of gray stone, polished to a gleam, as if they were
handcrafted. Blue crystals hued all over them, like dew covered
tree branches in a cold winter morning. Each spike had its own
inclination and they seemed to form a single file along the
ravine.
    “ The Akhamis believed…” Balcazar sa id. “That an ancient Dragon god once died and sank
into the seas, leaving only its back above the water, and that our
continent – Arkhemia – grew on top of it. This,” He indicated the
spikes. “…according to the tablet map, was the Dragon god’s spine.
The Elder Spires.”
    “ Like the plates of a Jaggedback...” Enrig
whispered.
    “ Like the plates of a
Jaggedback.” Balcazar agreed smilingly.
     
    * * *
     
    Marek and
Yarek swung themselves into the nearest Spire. The Glowstone stung
a little when they grabbed them, like an ice burn, but much
quicker, like a jolt. The red headed brothers returned with a
backpack brimming with crystals.
    “ Here they are.” Marek said, dropping the Glowstone. “What do we do with
it?”
    Balcazar picked a
sharp piece of shale off the ground.
    “ Everyone grab one of
these and let’s start carving.” He said.
    To
demonstrate, he put on his thick leather gloves, grabbed one of the
Glowstone shards and hit it hard with the sharp end of the shale.
The crystal shattered and a small piece of it came off. He kept
hitting it until the crystal was shaped like a small
blade.
    “ Fit this on top of a
pole, and you have yourself a Dragon killing lance.” He
smiled.
    Targon grabbed and inspected
it.
    “ That was quicker than I thought.” He muttered. “This is
like fragile glass… Are you sure it can go through Dragon scales?
Because not even diamond can do that.”
    “ Captain, you have seen the letter. I have done this
before.”
    “ That reminds me…” Marek said. “I’ve been wanting to ask
this for a while. Did everyone in your team survive?”
    “ Well … Not everyone,
no.” Balcazar scratched the back of his head.
    “ How many , then?”
Targon asked.
    “ Just me, I’m afraid.” There was a mournful silence. “The
Dragon didn’t actually kill everyone.” He paused. “Most of them
just didn’t resist their wounds...”
    The Runners exchanged uncomfortable glances,
shift ing their feet, until
Serak broke through the crowd and grabbed one of the
crystals.
    “ I really wish you had remembered that detail, back when we
met you.” He told Balcazar.
     
    * * *
     
    The mountain had become