Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
I growled at the black dragon.
Death Mile
Dragon Heights, Wyoming
Upon closer investigation of my body, I determined I possessed a mix between a hoof and something closer to the elongated digits of a lizard tipped with sharp, retractable claws capable of slicing through steel.
Jorge had provided an old shovel ready for retirement as the test, and I’d sliced through it with little issue.
I whistled my approval over my claws, and I did a little dance in place, bobbing my head in delight over the discovery.
“Any thoughts on what her claws are made of, Pascal?”
“I’m not a betting man, but I would say if I were placing any wagers, she’s mixing her colors.
Alloys aren’t impossible among metallic dragons, but I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to take a closer look at the navy dragons.
I’d place my money on her claws being a mix of chrome, nickel, and cobalt.
” Pascal took hold of my right foreleg and pulled, manipulating me until I exposed all my claws.
“I’m also willing to bet she has a reversible knee. ”
“A what?” Jorge asked.
“Reversible knee. Right now, she’s configured closer to a cat, capable of pouncing. However, her ankles and hooves appear to be designed to take impact more like a horse. Right now, she resembles a horse that has suffered from a catastrophic injury.”
I growled at the black dragon.
“What? It’s true. It’s easy to test, and if I accidentally hurt you, I will pay for the medical bill myself.”
I heaved a sigh and stared at the far larger dragon in disapproval.
As I didn’t pull away, he pushed on my leg. Sure enough, the joint popped, and my knee turned backwards. As the process proved to be painless, I whistled a demand, which he interpreted to release me.
As my newly turned knee held my weight, I attempted to switch my other knee.
To my delight, the process proved simple enough, although I had to contort somewhat to pull it off.
Aware I no longer moved quite the same way, I took a few more steps, finding my stride to be more comfortable than before.
I squealed, bucked, and tested a run, which went well enough I bucked again.
“That looks a great deal better,” Pascal commented before stretching out his neck, seizing me by my middle, and returning me to his side.
“A hunting form and a running form. That is ideal. Truly, a phenomenal little hatchling. I hope that Millson hatchling of hers has good conformation. He is going to need it to keep up with her.”
Jorge snickered. “Young Erik is, according to his doting father, a demented slinky with legs and wings right now. He’s the talk of the town because he couldn’t be more of a yellow if he tried.
The Millson clan has yellows from all heritage types, so he could be any of them.
Now that we’ve made her more comfortable, start digging.
And I’m going to say you’re the one who gets to do the digging, Pascal.
With her knees like they are, let’s not risk her popping them because she’s a little one.
She will have to practice and strengthen her legs before we make her do basic chores. ”
“Agreed,” the black dragon rumbled before nosing me out of the way.
“Let Jorge take more pictures and get a look at your gradients to see if he can make a color list for you. You’ll want the list to identify if you need training, as I’m certain those tyrants also known as your parents are the self-discovery type.
Self-discovery is great until you realize you do, in actuality, have active red genetics and light your house on fire.
As your house is new, let’s avoid burning it down. ”
As the last thing I wanted was to burn down my new home with its nice tub, the kitchen Erik loved even more than I did, and plenty of space for us to do our crafts and surround ourselves with peace, I bobbed my head, got out of the way, and waited for him to handle the dirty work.
Within half a minute, I determined that Pascal had no interest in taking his time with the excavation of the casket, as he brought numerous pairs of his legs into play, tearing up the ground with brutal efficiency.
Within ten minutes, he’d revealed the battered casket, which had held its shape better than expected.
Jorge frowned. “It should be far more crunched than that. This model casket is not designed to withstand soil weight, and the vault had definitely expired. The dirt is directly in contact with the casket, and that doesn’t happen until expiration.”
Interesting. I crept to the edge of the hole, whistling at Pascal so he’d hurry it up and bring the body to the surface so we could get a closer look at it.
Bracing two pairs of legs on either side of the hole, he made use of two more sets of his pawed hands, secured a hold on the casket’s handles, and pulled it free of the ground with a grunt. I backed away to give him space, marveling at his finesse and strength.
Pascal placed the casket beside the hole, eased away from it, and transformed back into human form in the blink of an eye, fully dressed and pristine, as though he hadn’t just been exhuming a grave. “It’s far too heavy for a human skeleton,” he announced.
“All right. Let’s help Kinsley shift back, as one of you will want to open the casket while the other records. I will stay out of the way so I don’t interfere with your investigation.”
While I had expected some drama switching back to human, Pascal patted my back, and the next thing I knew, I had transformed, blinking as my perspective of the world had changed. Fortunately for me, my clothes remained intact. “Is it supposed to be that fast?”
“When you are being helped, yes. When you do it yourself, it will be lengthy and painful. Once you are adept at it, you will pop back and forth without issue,” the black dragon assured me. “I’ll open, you take videos.”
I nodded, retrieved my phone, and set it up to record. “How much do you think it weighs?”
“Probably eight hundred to a thousand pounds, possibly more. My bet is she stashed gold inside rather than her husband’s body.
” Pascal sighed. “It won’t be the first nor the last time a dragon dabbling in necromancy has done that.
The circumstances make it likely. Will it cause you problems, Jorge? ”
“Not at all. We have the waivers and releases from them failing to show us the interior of the casket. This is your problem now.”
Pascal waited until I had my phone pointed at him to get to work opening the casket.
With a strained grunt, he wrangled open the top lid.
Sure enough, the sparkle of gold and jewels greeted us rather than decayed bones.
“Well, that explains the weight. I’m surprised the lid didn’t pop open when I moved it considering how packed it is in here. ”
“I’m impressed it didn’t collapse in on itself from the soil weight.”
“There’s magic imbued in the casket offering it greater strength.
It seems the Merorie clan understood the problem of pressure and weight and made certain these treasures were not destroyed after the vault collapsed.
” Pascal dipped a hand into his pocket, pulled out a pair of gloves, and snapped them on.
“Jorge, can you get a sheet or a towel and note cards for me, please?”
“Certainly. Notebook and paper?”
“Actually, yes. We’ll do paper and digital records for this, as if there are any surviving dragons that know about this hoard, they’re going to want to gain access to it. Kinsley, if you’re going to help sort, make sure you’re gloved.”
As I also tended to carry gloves when evidence might be handled, I retrieved mine and slid them onto my hands. “We’re going to want backup for this. There are likely thousands of items here. I did not bring enough bags.”
“Neither did I. You call for backup, I’ll start unloading everything once Jorge gets back with the sheets and towels. Let’s not damage anything, especially until we can confirm who owned them.”
“Good call. What if the Merorie dragons did own all this?”
“After the evidence is registered, it will belong to you.” The black dragon raised a brow.
“Here, let me help you with your problems with unearned wealth. You can forgo accepting pay for investigation cases using this hoard to pay your keep. Then you can do charity for others as a private investigator without worry. Does that help some?”
I relaxed, nodding. “It does, actually. Thanks. If I just keep all this stuff as future payments when I take on charity cases, I can pull my weight in the household and help others. I like that a lot.”
“You’re the type. It’s why you became a cop in the first place. You live to serve.”
I did, and because I did, I accepted his advice with a nod and went to work.
* * *
Approximately 13,000 BCE
The Edge of the Laurentide Ice Sheet
Montana
A dragon reminiscent of a giant, six legged alligator that had somehow mated with a horse to create a squat demon pony, boasting expansive wings and iridescent scales, waited to die, ice entombing the lower half of its—no, his—body.
My first impulse was to attempt to fight fate and find some way to free my ancient brethren from his plight.
“You should not be here, little one,” the dragon chided.
The fact I understood the words startled me into sucking in a breath, but then I felt it, a soft and feathery sensation across my skin that settled in my ears.
“Where is here?” I asked, and my magic whispered tales of a far older version of Montana. Like in Sumeria, the date eluded me, an indication time had yet to be tracked as we did in modern times.
“We call this the Dying Lands, as this is where we go to find our final peace,” the dragon informed me. “Why are you here?”