A grunt escaped me as I hit the tunnel floor, taking most of the impact on my shoulder. Hands grabbed my feet and started pulling me back through the fake wall before I could get a good look around me.

  “Other than the bruise on my shoulder, that was fun,” I said, sliding back into the clutch chamber on my back. Jerseil and Harper helped me to my feet, and I brushed myself off.

  “This is twice you’ve found a Finn-centric barrier in these caverns. Just once I’d like to find one that only lets bards named Jerseil through.” Jerseil muttered.

  Harper snorted. “Whatever. Did you see anything in there, Finn?”

  “Not really, but it was kind of a shock. I swear, I touched or leaned against that spot five or six times already,” I said.

  “We are going to have to hold on to you again, I guess,” Harper said thoughtfully. “Just so you’re not alone.”

  Jerseil glanced over at the still sleeping Druzzik. “Should we wake our kobold friend?”

  “Let him sleep. Finding all those broken eggs was pretty hard on him. Like, really hard,” Harper replied. “Let’s just surprise him when we actually have something.”

  I held out my arms. “No time like the present. Latch on,” I said.

  They both grabbed on and we walked through the illusionary rock face. The tunnel beyond it was enormous and much larger than the dragon was, by my estimation. I looked down and saw the small, glowing tracks reaching out into the distance of what was a really long tunnel. We cautiously walked down the passageway, coming upon intersections that the little dragon did not even stop to look down. Instead, it continued to go straight. Like it knew exactly where to go.

  On both sides of the hall, arched doorways opened up into rooms full of items of wondrous make. From furniture and art to weapons and armor. They stopped to look at the riches that were within easy reach.

  “This looks like a trap to me,” Harper muttered. “I don’t know what type, but it would be better to touch nothing.”

  “But look at it all! I see some stuff that Finn could use, stuff that could really kick up his overall power!” Jerseil exclaimed. “Can’t we just… you know, borrow some of it?”

  I was not sure if he was serious or not, but if I could get stronger equipment…

  “No,” Harper said firmly. “For all we know, this is a magic cave issue. Like, if you take even the smallest thing and you’re fucked? We are not going to chance it.”

  Moving on, we looked at the walls with interest as the decoration increased with a variety of art and wall hangings. Some tapestries looked quite old, but were still intact. I wondered at the number of things that could burn in the halls of a dragon and how they still were not soot on the walls and floor.

  As we passed another doorway, movement in my periphery caused me to stop and look. The room was filled with chests of all sizes. Some were fanciful with gold and jewels worked into ebony inlaid with red and white woods. Others were so plain that I wondered why they were even in the same room.

  “What is it? Did the hatchling go in there?” asked Jerseil.

  “No, I thought I saw something move in there,” I said. My hand raised before I noticed. One of the plain chests had moved! “Holy shit, did you see that?” As I watched and Harper and Jerseil joined me at the doorway, the plain chest opened its lid and front further than should be possible. The opening was lined with thousands of teeth. A long tongue shot out and wrapped itself around the richly decorated chest it had snuck up on, pulling the now monstrous plain chest toward its heavier prey.

  The fancy chest opened its lid and mouth and a horrible scream escaped, but it was unable to flee. As the plain one’s jaws snapped shut on its prey, a grinding, crunching sound competing with the screams of the fancy chest being devoured. It was soon over, the plain one bloated with its meal, slowly showing signs of better decoration.

  “Fucking mimics. Get enough of them together, and they cannibalize each other for the inherent riches each has,” Harper spat. “Obviously, something is keeping them in there, and we do not want to be in a closed room with even three mimics.”

  “It looks like at least fifty in there,” Jerseil said incredulously.

  “How often do these things show up? Like in the world?” I asked. The mimics were fascinating, but in a horrifying fashion. I wondered what kind of loot they’d have.

  I followed Harper and Jerseil as they walked away from the mimic room. Whatever was keeping them in there, I couldn’t see or sus it out what it was, but I was grateful for it. If only I could see magic itself, then I would be able to do such things, I thought ruefully.

  A suspicion grew in me that the items or treasure we saw in the rooms were a trap for any who would cross the door’s threshold. A baited trap. I glanced down the next intersection, seeing more rooms off in the distance. I remembered something about dragons being hoarders, but unlike that reality tv show, this seemed very organized.

  We passed two more intersections of tunnels, marveling at the straight, clean walls that had never seen a chisel. We were like mice in a cathedral, trying not to be noticed. As we came to the end of the hall, there was an old smell of decay, like something had decomposed and the odor was facing the grim reaper itself.

  The end of the hall was just a rounded out cave chamber, similar to the clutch chamber. But in this one, there was a massive skeletal form of a dragon curled up as if to sleep. And curled up next to it was the baby dragon.

  “Oh no, is it still alive?” I said, stepping forward to check. I knelt down in front of the tiny, sinuous form and what I assumed was the remains of its mother. When I touched its neck, it was warm to the touch, and it moved against my hand before opening an eye to look at me.

  There was a tentative brush against my mind, which startled me, and I pulled my hand back. Forelegs out in front, it stretched like a cat before stretching its small wings and tail. The baby dragon yawned wide before turning toward me. Its eyes widened as it looked sharply to the right of me and let out what could only be a baby roar.

  Jerseil was there almost impossibly fast, his sword drawn and swinging toward the small creature. Without thinking, I cast Phantom Wing, deploying my magical buckler, and blocked Jerseil’s blow. My arm ached with the surprising force of the attack. “What the hell is wrong with you, man? It’s just a baby!”

  “It was about to attack you! Fucking look at it,” he said, straining against me. That high strength stat of mine making it more difficult than he likely expected.

  “Back the fuck off, Jerseil! I’m not going to let you kill it,” I said, getting angry. “Not only is it wrong to kill something so young, but we need it for the quest!”

  I hazarded a glance at the small dragon, and it the way it was standing with its head down and teeth out, hissing, was full of hostility. Directed not at me, but at Jerseil. Which made sense, as he had just tried to kill it.

  Harper stepped closer. “Jerseil, knock this off! Finn’s right!”

  Still straining against me, Jerseil glowered. “Damn it, Finn! With the dragon dead, we will have our pick of gear and loot! I’ll bet that there is a trove of Mage spell books, lying in a library or in one of those rooms. You’ll be the most powerful Mage this world has ever seen!”

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  With the last, he pulled back, moving a couple of steps away. “You should kill it yourself, you know. The amount of experience you would get from killing even a hatchling dragon would kick you up several levels. Think of the power,” he said, sword still in hand.

  The brush against my mind came again, stronger. The mental touch was awash with fear. Fear and anger. I stood up and stepped between the baby dragon and the others. “No one is going to kill this dragon. Not you, not me. I don’t need power if it means killing an innocent,” I said coldly. I was ready to kill my friend if I had to. Or at least die trying. Something’s were just not done because they were so wrong and evil.

  “Hells, Finn. It’s dangerous. Look at this place,” he said, gesturing widely to the tunnels. “It is a massive place, filled with all kinds of treasures. How do you think the mother gathered all this? Working for years to afford it? Donations from the kobold tribes? No, she killed for it! That’s what dragons do, Finn. They kill and pillage and hoard their wealth! They are a menace to the world that needs to be expunged.”

  Harper looked strained by the exchange, gripping the hilt of her undrawn rapier. “Jerseil, let it go, will ya? Finn’s not going to back down. And I agree with him. Killing a hatchling that we need, just because of the stories of dragon atrocities, is like locking up or killing Finn for being a mage. We don’t know that this baby will grow up to do that.”

  Jerseil sneered angrily and slammed his sword back into its sheath. “Fine. This is a fucking bad idea,” he said, before pointing a finger at me. “You need all the power you can get if you want to survive everything coming at you, Finn. People have died protecting you. Juan died protecting you!”

  He turned and stormed off, back down the tunnel. Harper glared at the back of her lover as he left us. “He had no fucking right to say that. I’m sorry, Finn, I don’t know why he’s acting like this.”

  “No, he’s right about people dying to protect me. But I don’t think that’s as much of an issue anymore.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I made a decision not to hold back on those who would try and stop me from finishing this quest. Those kobolds I killed were people. And I don’t like killing, but if anyone gets in my way of getting everyone back home, I will kill them.” I said coldly.

  A small, questioning chirp sounded at my feet. The baby dragon looked up with what I could only parse as concern. I crouched down and smiled at the small creature. “It’s okay, little guy. No one is going to hurt you if I have anything to say about it,” I said, comforting it.

  It growled indignantly, pulling its head back.

  “Um, not a guy? Are you a girl dragon, then?” I asked. She looked mollified and nuzzled against me. “Okay girl, I got you.” I went ahead and gave her head a rub and she leaned into it before climbing up on my shoulders. She was warm, but not horribly so, and lighter than I expected. This, I decided, is not what I expected. But I can live with raising a dragon for a bit.

  Harper looked at me uncertainly as I stood up, the little dragon draped around my neck like a stole. “Finn… I don’t agree with Jerseil or his actions, but is this the best attitude? I’m worried that you’re going down a dark path.”

  “You know, I think that ship sailed when my dad died. I just didn’t realize it until I was here in this world for a while. I had a lot of anger when he passed. At him, the doctors, God, even my mom. With him gone, mom buried herself in work, leaving me to deal with everything at home. I had to give up my life other than school and my part-time job, just to keep my brother and mom from falling apart.”

  “And you know what? I really never had time to deal with my shit. And it kept getting worse. Hell, Harper, I haven’t really had a chance to deal with this fucking place! And then Juan died! Fuck!” I cried out, my emotions overflowing. The little dragon nuzzled the side of my face. The stubble on my face itched, having gotten a little long again. I hadn’t even looked at myself or thought much about my appearance for some time, and it was just another thing. I patted the small creature.

  “All this time, my head has been in a weird place. I’m not paying attention to everything that I should. I haven’t been proactive, just going with the flow. But now I’m thinking about things clearer, and I can see that I have more than a little ability to be violent. And a couple months ago, that would have been horrifying to me. But now? It’s a tool to get me, and everyone else, home. I can’t pull my punches, Harper. Jerseil is my friend, but he’s crossing a line with me. Heck, with all of us from Earth. If he does it again…”

  Harper looked at me sadly. “I understand. But, Finn. Be careful not to do something you’ll regret, okay? We don’t know where this desire to kill the dragon, or up your levels and power, is coming from. I’m sure that there is something he is not telling us. Maybe it’s a good reason, or something we can work with.” She pleaded.

  I searched her face for a moment, trying to get a good read. “Alright, but you need to talk with him. I’m not able to right now,” I stated.

  “No shit. I’ll catch up to him and see if we can make this work,” Harper agreed.

  *********************************

  The baby dragon, who needed a name, had some sort of innate telepathy. At first, she just brushed up against my mind, a gentle pressure that was not unpleasant. Before we got back to where we had left our kobold friend sleeping, that pressure was just there. A presence in my head that I couldn’t quite understand. But it was definitely her. There was no denying the sensation of the hatchling’s mental touch.

  She seemed to nap while I walked, trailing a suitable distance behind Harper and Jerseil. I couldn’t hear them, but I could see Jerseil’s angry gesticulating and Harper’s firm yet placating gestures in response. I was not sure that their relationship would survive this, but I found it mattered little to me. That was their concern. Jerseil had made himself an issue with me, and though it saddened me to lose a friend, my path forward and conscience was clear.

  My passenger made what sounded like a contented noise and continued to sleep. It was strange, like getting used to a new pet or person in your space. I stayed to the middle of the hall-like tunnel, glancing at the treasures in the rooms we passed. It was sad to leave all of it behind, despite the trap issue, but all good things and all that. I was a little perturbed why the Voice had said nothing, being as I had completed the quest.

  “Hey, Voice. I found the beast. Isn’t the quest completed? Could I get an update or something?” I said quietly. But there was no answer from the Voice. There must be something I’m missing. I thought about the wording of the quest, and nothing jumped out at me. The only pertinent piece of it was that I had to track the beast. That was not enough to go on.

  Harper and a very dour Jerseil awaited me at the magical barrier that looked and felt as solid as the wall it was mimicking.

  “Can’t get through without me, huh? Alright, grab on,” I said, holding out my arms. Jerseil almost looked like he wasn’t going to at first. We walked through and were met by the sight of a very anxious Druzzik. Jerseil let go of my arm and went to the other side of the chamber, his face still dark with anger and frustration.

  “You gone, through wall?” he asked, incredulously. “Why me not know?”

  “We decided to let you sleep, Druzzik,” said Harper. “You really needed it after all we went through.”

  The kobold nodded slowly. “Sleep needed. Find anything?” he asked.

  I laughed, waking the slumbering dragon draped around my shoulders. “Yes, Druzzik. I would definitely say we found something. Or should I say a small someone?” I said happily as the hatchling nuzzled my face. I got the feeling it was hungry and pulled out a travel biscuit. And lifted it up to the now alert creature, who grabbed it with her front feet. They seemed more like hands, the way she held the biscuit, biting into it fiercely. “Druzzik, how’d you like to meet the daughter of your Great Dragon?”

  Druzzik gasped, finally noticing the hatchling devouring the biscuit like she was starving. Stunned, he fell to his knees, tears poured from his eyes and he too laughed. “Friend Finn! You found hatchling! Quests won. Can go home. Why Hatchling ride Finn?”

  I smiled sadly. “I kind of saved her life. And she likes me. I don’t mind carrying her around. She’s light and has been without food for who knows how long.”

  The little dragon made a little chirping sound while looking at Druzzik, who smiled back at her. Then she nuzzled me again, and I pulled out another biscuit for her. She took it politely and ate it slower than the first.

  Jerseil looked like he was about to say something, but a glare from Harper stopped him. He muttered something under his breath and sat down, staring angrily at the nest in the middle of the chamber.

  “Finn big protector. Must stay with hatchling,” Druzzik stated decisively. “We hurry. Must get home.” The kobold carefully packed the hatchling’s shell in his knapsack and settled it on his back. He looked over at Jerseil, cocking his head to the left. “Friend Jerseil, why angry?”

  Jerseil looked up at him, his jaw clenching. “Finn and I are in disagreement as to how to proceed. I am not going to say anything further about it.”

  “Friends no fight,” Druzzik replied. He shook his head sadly and looked to me.

  “I’m ready to go. I don’t relish the idea of going back through the Mole People’s territory, but it’s the only way to get back out. Druzzik, will the Cinderclaws give us any trouble about the hatchling? Or any of the other tribes?”

  The kobold thought for a moment. “No trouble. Will want spread word. All tribes. Same,” he said firmly.

  “So they’ll just let us pass with a baby dragon?” Harper asked. “Without trying to take her?”

  “Dragon not property. Dragon go where dragon want,” Druzzik said with a shrug. “Hatchling want go with Finn. Hatchling go with Finn.”

  This was good news for us, being as I had to take her to some frozen night place or literal knight. Not to mention I was already growing attached to the adorable creature. I scratched her under her chin and she made an almost purring noise. “Oh, that’s the spot, isn’t it, little one?”

  Jerseil jumped to his feet, looking out towards the barrier. “Uh, hate to interrupt your dragon love fest, but we have a problem!” He said, all the broodiness gone from him.

  I looked out and saw two Mole People pressing up against the shimmering barrier. Then three more walked up. And then there was a crowd pressing against them, looking in at us.

  “That, my friends, will not be fun.”