Once Kerune had taken complete control.
The beast slammed into the fence hard enough to make it shudder. A boom rang out. It clung to the mesh and roared, yanking at it, struggling to break out. It would rip through us with its claws if it escaped.
“We reinforced the cage before it woke up.” A frown filled Jessia’s face. “It’s strange . . .”
“What is?” The dreg snapped its head back and forth, growling and gnashing its fangs, trying to bite through the metal.
“I used to wear them like every other rider.” She tapped her shoulder where, in the past, she’d pinned one of the largest clusters of bone coins I’d ever seen. Twenty or thirty of them, at least. “When I entered the pen after we’d clipped its wings and while it was still sleepy, it groaned and reached toward me. I thought at first the light caught on the jewels, and that was why they drew its attention, but then I realized it was trying to touch them. I got away from it fast and disposed of them not longafter that. Did you know that if a fire is hot enough, it can burn bone coins?”
I shook my head.
“We all know what happens when dregs get a hold of one. I couldn’t let that happen.”
“I don’t know what happens.”
Her frown deepened. “They reinforce this in many of our classes.”
It was too late to regret that I hadn’t paid attention. I’d grown up since then. “Tell me.”
“They say that if a dreg swallows a bone coin, it’ll give the creature incredible strength. I’ve heard of cases where they’re twice their size after, where they’re so vicious they can wipe out an entire flight of riders all on their own.”
A shudder ripped through me. “Have you seen it happen?”
Her hand flicked to the dreg inside the pen. “Look at this beast. Can you imagine how deadly it would be if it was larger? We can barely restrain it as it is now.”
Did Kerune plan to give them coins?
“The Lieges wear them,” I said.
“I think they use them to control the dregs.”
“Magically binding them?” An interesting idea.
“Something like that. Have you ever seen what happens to the coin if you don’t steal it off the dead Liege? There’s magic there, for sure.”
I shook my head. “I’ve killed three, and I took all their coins. I didn’t leave any behind.”
“The coins melt and are absorbed into the ground. Only the bony Liege and their shredded cloak remains.”
“Why absorbed?”
“It’s all part of their magic, I guess.” She shrugged. “Just another mystery about Lieges and dregs.”
And the coins they wore at all times. “We shouldn’t wear them out in the open like we do. We’re battling with dregs on a regular basis. Any of them could grab our supposed trophies, and the rest of us would have to deal with the ramifications.”
“We never used to.”
“We have for as long as I can remember.”
“It’s a new thing. Someone . . .” Her head tilted. “I can’t remember who, but one of the riders thought it would be fun to wear them as trophies. The idea caught on, and here we are, with many riders carrying them in their pockets or on a chain around their neck as if the horrifying things will bring them good luck.”
When they could make things worse if the dregs got a hold of them. Ticking weapons, they were poised to explode.
“I’ve spread the word about them,” Jessia said. “But some riders still cling to the idea that they’re safer if they wear them. It’s hard to counter superstition.”
I nudged my chin toward the dreg. “Why didn’t you kill this one?” One dead dreg was one less I had to battle, and many villagers’ lives saved.
“Oh, I plan to. But I felt it was important to study it first.”
