And me? I stand ankle-deep in mud, wearing laundered pants and preparing fruit for a female.
“That went better than expected,” Morgan says as she breathes out. “I thought he was going to burn us both.”
“It’s highly suspicious that he didn’t at least burnme,” I growl. “He didn’t even try.”
She loves me, you see.The words linger after he's gone. Not the claim. Dragons claim many things. It’s the certainty that bothers me.
“Astrid must have told him to not hurt you,” Morgan says. “It’s actually really hard to get Praxigor to do anything at all, even for her. She must have been really wanting him to find me and check on me.”
One more day.That is what I told myself yesterday. One more day of rest. One more day with Morgan. One more day before I resumed the search.
And now Praxigor has found us. Another dragon has seen what I have become.
No. Enough.
“How wonderful to have such caring friends,” I snarl. “That they won’t murder your allies. But I’ve tarried too long on this blasted island. Now we’re leaving. If there’s a speck of gold anywhere in this jungle, I’m going to find it!”
Morgan sighs. “Can I finish my breakfast first?”
“Hurry,” I tell her as I seek out a suitable tree. Finding one, I grab its trunk and using all my might pull it out of the ground. I carry it to where the river is at its narrowest and put it across, so that Morgan may cross.
Morgan adjusts her dress and gathers her hair in the back, tying it with a piece of green bark. “Which way are we going?”
“First across,” I tell her. “Then straight ahead- oh, those again.”
On the other side of the new ‘bridge’, the misshapen Plood and his friends are gathering, hands full of useless offerings. The small one waddles along the bank and stands still, staring into the water.
“The monster!” Morgan says and points.
Indeed the river creature is back, clearly visible in the clear stream. Fins flare and tentacles flex, studded with spikes and hooks. It lifts its head and stares at us with its three big, crusted eyes. It’s close enough that it may cause some trouble. But right now, I’m too frustrated to wait.
I grab Morgan’s hand. “Come.” I lead her over to the tree and put one foot on the trunk. This tree isn’t as steady as the other one, and it tends to roll a bit. But that’s less important now - the only thing is to start searching for gold again.
Morgan resists. “That monster is really close now.”
She’s right. The current is bringing it closer by the moment.
“Then we will cross now,” I decide and push Morgan onto the tree trunk ahead of me. “Go.”
“But the monster!” she protests.
“It’s not moving,” I tell her, and it’s true. I would have expected it to raise some tentacles and at least get ready for an attack, but it’s not doing anything.
Morgan runs across the ‘bridge’ and arrives on the other side. I stop midway over. The monster still isn’t moving, just drifting as if dead, eyes stiffly focused on the little Plood.
I shrug and get to the other side.
Only then does the monster stir. It reaches its tentacles out of the water and stretch them out towards us, but I push Morgan further in from the bank and the monster has to withdraw.
“Curious,” I ponder. “It must have known its only chance was to strike while we were on the bridge.”
“He must be afraid of you,” Morgan suggests. “Maybe he smartened up.”
I nod. “That must be it. Very well, we shall continue-”
The Plood surround us and hold out their offerings.
“Check on that,” I command her. “This many Plood may accidentally have brought something useful.”
