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While the giants exclaimed over the city built into the sheer rocky face, I could only grimace. This wasn’t how I’d planned to arrive. Would I have the time to bathe and change before I met the King? I hoped so given I wouldn’t impress anyone right now.
As we neared the manmade rocky spires that indicated the entrance to the Seventh Jewel, I saw a group of veiled soldiers leaving via another set of markers. They rode iguamels, lizard-like creatures that could run a long time without stopping but required meat, and a lot of it, to keep them from chewing on their masters. More surprising, Jrijori sat on an iguamel of his own.
At the sight of us, they changed direction, and I braced myself, whispering to my companions, “Remember our cover.”
“No worries, Sliver.” Jord grinned. I almost groaned.
Jrijori’s authentic look of shock went well with his sputtered, “Sharia! You’re safe. I was so worried.”
I managed a shrug. “Sorry we’re late. A sandstorm hit, forcing us to wait it out.”
“Did the storm kill your mounts?” my “uncle” asked, his brows drawn taut.
It was Yaanik who exclaimed, “A monster ate them.”
“What?” one of the soldiers barked.
“They got swallowed by a pair of underground giant squid-like creatures,” Daisy summarized.
With Yaanik adding, “We killed the monsters.”
“Where did you encounter them? How far out?” the same man barked. He wore the same black veil as the soldiers flanking him.
“Just up the road.” Jord pointed. “We started walking before dawn, if that helps.”
The veiled head snorted. “A little. I assume you didn’t set a quick pace given your company.”
Hold on, that dig was aimed at me. My shoulders went back. “First off, I didn’t slow them down. And second, I’m fine, thanks for asking. I mean it wasn’t as if I wasn’t almost digested alive.” I was not in the mood to be accommodating.
“Wait, what?” Jrijori exclaimed.
I waved a hand. “How do you think I got like this? I was swallowed whole by a monster, and your giants had to chop me out.” Too late did I realize I’d misspoken. I wouldn’t call my own countrymen giants. Then again, they were compared to me.
“How big was it?” my uncle asked.
“The one that ate Sliver wasn’t as big as the one that swallowed the corshmels. That thing was huge,” Yaanik chirped and held out his arms.
“And it had tentacles!” Daisy exclaimed. “Great big wiggly ones like those octopus the chef sometimes cooks for us.”
“I wonder if we should have kept a piece,” Yaanik mused. “Wonder what it would taste like seasoned and cooked.”
I wanted to gag. “No thanks.”
“Are you sure, Sliver? Could be your chance to get that bastard back for trying to digest you.”
The man who kept asking the questions had a new one. “How did you weather the storm?”
I answered. “We were lucky and found a house.”
“A house?” Surprise in the tone.
“We came across it just in time, too.” Jord took over. “Poking from one of those big dunes by the road. It provided shelter until the attack.”
“Lucky indeed. Your story grows more fanciful by the minute,” the veiled soldier mocked.
I was too tired and cranky to have it. “I don’t understand your issue with the truth.” I glared and forgot for a moment I wasn’t wearing a veil and he could get the fullness of my displeasure.
“Now, now niece, be nice,” Jrijori cajoled.
