The Bones of the Earth (The Dark Age) by Scott Bury Page A

reached for the axe handle, embedded deep in the fire-drake’s skull, and pulled hard. It would not budge until Javor tugged several times, and then all it once it came out of the monster’s head with a sucking sound. Javor watched in wonder as the drake’s blood—if that’s what it was—evaporated in steam until the axe blade was completely clean. He shuddered, then tucked the axe handle into his belt and climbed back up to Photius.
     
     
     
     

Chapter 5: The cave
     
     
     
    By afternoon, Javor was panicking with every step as they crept along a ledge narrower than his shoulders. The ledge was covered with a thin layer of tiny pebbles, and each footfall slid and crunched and pushed a puff of dust over the edge.
    Cliffs rose almost straight up on their left and dropped so far on the right that Javor felt dizzy if he looked over. It did not seem to bother Photius, though, who walked carefully but steadily forward and up.
    There was no sound but the wind. Above, the sky roiled with gray clouds. Clouds don’t move like that, Javor thought. He pictured rocks falling from the top of the cliff, crushing them or hurling them down the slope to be smashed against yet other rocks.
    “ How do you know where we’re going?” Javor asked when they paused. The sun was getting lower, sinking behind his shoulders. He hadn’t seen a footprint or a trace of any living thing since the cold-drake.
    “ There are signs for those who know how to see them,” the old man answered. Javor was getting tired of Photius’ enigmatic statements. Why was he in this part of the country, anyway, and why did he arrive just at the same time as this monster?
    “ Do you have a plan, Photius? You said the more we know of this monster, the better we can find its weaknesses. What do you know? When we find this monster, do you have any idea of what to do then?”
    The old man smiled a little. “I was beginning to wonder if you would ever ask, Javor. Well, this monster appears to live in a desolate place, so that means it doesn’t need to eat very often. A human or two every few weeks seems to suffice.
    “ Also, with all these rocks about, it must have a tough hide. So probably your father’s little hatchet there won’t even cut it.”
    “ Then why did you bring me here? What’s the point of this chase, if I haven’t a hope of killing this monster!”
    The old man seemed to smile, but with the sinking sun shining into his eyes, Javor couldn’t be sure. “You came here freely, Javor. Remember, I only came after you. The question is, why did you come?”
    “ You’re the one who’s tracking this monster! You’re leading me ! And to what?” Javor screamed. “What do you want from me? Why have you brought me to this place?”
    “ For what you wanted, Javor,” said Photius, and still his voice was even and soft, gentle. “For revenge.”
    Is this old man crazy? “How am I supposed to get revenge on a monster that can’t be hurt?” The old man’s calm was getting on his nerves. “How do I know that you don’t intend to have the monster kill me, too?”
    Photius looked disappointed, not offended. “Now, Javor, do you really believe that I would go to all this trouble, walking for days in this desolate place, if all I wanted was merely to achieve your end? I think there would be easier ways to accomplish that.” He chuckled when Javor grasped the handle of his axe. “Now, Javor. Look at me, and then trust what your own heart tells you: do you believe that I intend you any harm?”
    Javor looked at Photius, and somehow knew that he could trust the stranger, this old man from a far-off civilization, who seemed to know his thoughts before he did. He let go the axe.
    “ Come, Javor. We can’t stay perched on this narrow ledge. Besides, I don’t believe we have much farther to go.”
    They scrambled with hands and feet up a slope that was slightly gentler only when compared to the cliffs they had passed. Javor’s fingertips were