“Guard the entrance, Talon. They don't know who they're trying to deceive.” I pulled out my trace glasses and put them on. “I will find something, and I will see them pay for what they did. All they've done with this little trick is added on the crime of covering evidence.”
The talon, who happened to be human, stared at me for a moment, then bowed deeply.
“What was that for? I haven't done anything.”
“Yes, you have, sir. You've done your job. Over and over. No matter who the victims are, you do your best every time. No prejudice. No holding back. Thank you.”
“That you feel you have to thank me for that, Talon, makes me furious.”
“And that makes me respect you even more, sir.”
Before I could respond to that, shouts came from the mine entrance, and then came the most horrible sound to hear in a mine—falling rocks. I grabbed the talon and ran for the entrance with him. But I had to pull him back. It was too late. We would have been crushed.
A few men pulled out light tubes and cast them about. Coughing out rock dust, I waved my arm to clear the air and count heads. Luckily, the team with me was far enough into the tunnel that no one was harmed. Even the men near the entrance had known better than to risk running through falling rocks to get free.
When the dust cleared, I inspected the barrier blocking our exit. It was too precise. The ceiling was still intact. “Magic,” I muttered.
“Sir, I saw who did this,” a talon said. “I was near the entrance when the rocks came down. It was a Chelli man and a Ricarri woman. The Ricarri was the General's wife. I swear it, sir.”
“Oh, I believe you,” I said. “And I know who the Chelli is too. They're the murderers who buried the humans in here. And now, they've buried us.”
The men shuffled and exchanged worried looks.
“Don't be disheartened.” I looked around at the huddled team. “We are not going to die in here.”
“How can you be sure, sir?”
“Because they haven't compromised the mine.” I pulled forth my light tube and shone it at the ceiling and then the walls. “You see? They summoned rocks from the mountainside, not the tunnel. So we can dig our way out without worrying about getting buried. And we will.” I looked at the walls again. “We are only a few feet from the entrance. If we concentrate our efforts on one location, bracing the sides as we go, we will get through in no time.” I set my light tube on the ground, pulled off my coat, and then my shirt. “The good news is; we have our evidence—an eye witness who is also a talon. There is no disputing that.” I patted the talon witness on the shoulder. “Now come on, everyone. I want to be free of this place by dinner so I can arrest those motherfuckers before they have a chance to fill their bellies!”
The Talon team cheered and got to work.
Chapter Thirty-Five
We were about a foot through, all of us covered in sweat and dirt, when I heard shouting. Then the rocks began to move. My chest filled with a light feeling, and I grinned as I stepped back.
“Everyone get back!” I waved the talons away from the rocks. “Our rescue has arrived.”
“Our rescue?” someone asked. “Thank the Gods.”
A roar came, loud enough to shake the stones.
“Is that a Dragon?” someone else asked.
“Yes,” I said and grinned wider. “Yes, it is.”
“He's with the King, remember?”
“Oh. Shit. That'sthe King?”
“Better step further back,” I said.
We stepped back just as another roar came, this one louder. And then the wall of stones burst inward. Through a veil of dust, a massive form appeared. A man. Hair wild. Eyes glowing. Teeth bared. That furious stare pierced the fog of debris and locked onto me. The Dragon King barreled into me, lifting me off my feet.
After catching my breath, I said, “I'm fine. I'm all right, Tor'rien. Everyone survived.”
Tor'rien set me down but didn't let go. “Are you sure?” He brushed back my hair and inspected my face. “No wounds? Do you need blood?”
I cupped his face. “I'm fine.”
