“By purechance,” he repeats mockingly. “Whatchancedo these brainless things have of finding real gold when they don’t know what it is? They could bring me a thousand rocks and not one of them would be a nugget!”
“It’s a long shot,” I agree. “I’ve never seen gold here.”
He peers at me. “But youhaveseen gold?”
“On Earth, yes. Never on Xren.”
He takes a step closer. “You never saw Praxigor’s hoard? Not even a part of it? His wife! You said he has a wife. Or was that also part of your insane lie?”
“He’s married,” I confirm carefully.
“And he never gave that wife any gold? A ring? A necklace?” His eyes glint dangerously as he bends closer to me.
I swallow in a dry throat. “I’ve never seen her wear any.”
He straightens. “You pass the test. No dragon would give gold away. At least in this you are truthful. But you have seen gold. You know what it looks like. Thus you may assist in finding some for me.”
I should probably try to seem useful. “On Earth, they usually have to dig into the rock to find gold. In mines.”
“Yes, yes,” he scoffs. “That’s the common way of the lesser species. But a dragon doesn’t mine. Hetakesthe gold that others have already mined and refined and shaped and cherished. And now, you will find it so I can take it. Your break is over and we can go on:” He turns and walks on.
I hurry to keep up. The jungle is deadly on its own, and he’s my only protection. He’s clearly not trustworthy, but if he thinks I can be useful for him, he might keep me safe. From the jungle, anyway. Probably not from him.
He seems to be walking a fraction slower now, so that I can go on longer without exhaustion.
I slowly have to think of what I want with this. Sure, I want to get away from the Borok village. But where am I going? The only place I know that might be safe is wherever Callie is with her fisherman husband. It might be a better place and a better tribe-
I hear movement behind me and spin around.
Then I scream. The raptor must have followed me for a while, and it’s so close that it could be all over me in one long bound. It stares at me with yellow, lifeless eyes, green slime drippingfrom its gaping maw, all triangular teeth in uneven rows. The predator is a splotchy blue with brown bits.
“What is it now?” Vyrathion says somewhere behind me. “Another friend?”
I’m too petrified to answer. On shaky knees I slowly back up, away from the dinosaur.
The predator tilts its head as it studies me. One clawed foot lifts and settles again without making a sound. The thing is deciding what to do. Its yellow eyes never leave me, and every instinct in my body screams that it already knows exactly how fast I can run.
"Female," Vyrathion says with exasperation from somewhere behind me, “I have no time for this.”
I can't look away from the dinosaur long enough to answer. My heart pounds so hard that it hurts. The raptor takes another slow step forward, then another, its tail perfectly level behind it. Every movement is smooth and deliberate.
"There, there," I whisper. “Good monster. Stay.”
Behind me, Vyrathion sighs again. "Goodgold. What is the holdup?"
"Raptor," I manage without taking my eyes off the predator.
"That thing? I don’t want it following us. It has a stench to it. Send it on its way."
I keep walking backwards, one short step at a time. "I can’t. It wants to eat me.”
"Ah. I’ve heard of these things. A lesser predator."
“It could kill me,” I inform him as I back up.
The raptor is clearly not sure about what to do. It must feel the fear of the dragon, but it also seems dead-set on attacking me.
It lowers itself. Muscles bunch beneath its mottled blue hide.
