Secret of the Giants' Staircase by Amy Lynn Green

gratitude.
    â€œIt’s perfectly even,” Silas said. “The blacksmith who made it must have been a master.” He ran a finger along the base. “It looks like it was once connected to something.”
    â€œThat’s because it’s a weapon,” Rae insisted.
    But that didn’t seem right to Jesse. The triangle was too wide. Weapons like knives and arrows came to a narrow point. This was more like the blade of a miniature plow than anything else. But that wouldn’t explain the ornate design.
    â€œIt’s a sundial,” Jesse finally said, “the point of one, anyway.”
    â€œI think you might have something there,” Silas said. “It does look like it was broken off of a base.”
    â€œNo,” Parvel said, taking it from Rae. “No, it can’t be. The angle is wrong. Very wrong.”
    â€œHe knows the angle of the sun,” Rae muttered. “Of course he does.”
    â€œFor it to accurately measure time, the top would have to be here ,” Parvel said, indicating the angle with his hand.
    But Rae had already wandered off. “If it’s not a weapon, I’m not interested.”
    â€œMaybe whoever left this here misjudged the angle,” Silas suggested.
    â€œIf it were a crude, handmade dial, perhaps, but this is a work of art,” Parvel said. He studied it some more, turning it over in his hands. “No, this does not measure the height of the sun.”
    Jesse thought about all the things that could be measured—rainfall, temperature, crop growth—none of them seemed to fit.
    â€œLook at those designs,” Parvel said, shaking his head in wonder. “They’re so detailed. How was it done?”
    â€œThey probably poured it into a mold,” Jesse guessed. That, he knew, was the easiest way to create a detailed design.
    Silas shook his head, running a finger over the flat surface of the dial. “You can feel the hammer marks. This was cut out of a sheet of metal. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
    Jesse tested it himself. Sure enough, he could feel tiny grooves and indentations in the surface of the triangular dial.
    â€œBefore I joined the Guard, I was apprenticed to a blacksmith,” Silas explained. “A very poor one, in fact, but it was a trade. He didn’t want to let me break my indenture contract to join the Guard, but the Patrol soon changed his mind on that.”
    Jesse looked at the dial again. “What is this doing here anyway, in the middle of the swamp?”
    â€œI think I could answer that,” Rae’s voice called from a distance away. Jesse could see a smirk on her face. “While you men were busy examining your chunk of metal, I found the rest of the city.”
    Even Parvel jerked his head up at that. “The—” His voiced trailed off. “No, it can’t be. It was destroyed so long ago….” He took the dial with him as they went to investigate.
    â€œIt’s not a functioning city,” Rae said. “At least, not unless the citizens like their buildings in ruins.”
    Past the thick trees was a clearing that gently sloped up a hill. On top of the hill were the broken walls of an ancient city. “The ruins of Lidia,” Parvel breathed. “It does exist!”
    Jutting out from the ruins, in what looked like the center of the city was a huge tree, the largest Jesse had ever seen. Even at a distance, it was impressive. You can probably see its crown from the outskirts of the swamp .
    Rae was the first to run forward, but Silas remained planted where he was. “I say we leave it be,” he said. “We have to find the other squad. It’s our mission.”
    Parvel looked almost pained, like someone had destroyed his most valuable possession in front of him.
    â€œMaybe the other squad is living in the ruins,” Jesse suggested, although he didn’t think it was likely. “Maybe that’s how