"Then as a show of good faith."
The pirate captain slipped his dagger back into its sheath.
The dragon growled but released the two pirates.
Clay lifted his hands, showing his empty palms. "Our ship, Expatriate, was beached-"
"I know how you got here," interrupted the dragon. "I brought you."
Clay understood.
"So you're the mage."
The dragon didn't reply.
Clay had been in similar sorts of negotiations before, though never with a dragon. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then tried to proceed as if he was talking to a rival captain.
"So, what is it you want of us?"
"You've come for my egg," replied the dragon.
"Egg?" bluffed Clay. "We don't know anything about any egg, our ship was run aground-"
The dragon blew out another strong breath, its lip curling, as it said, "Do not play games with me, human. I know why you were looking for this island. You've come to barter with the thieves for my egg."
A cold lance of fear shot up Clay's spine.
"Are you going to kill us?"
The dragon leaned back, giving the captain a bit more space, and said, "That depends."
"On?"
"You're not the only ones who have an interest in my egg," explained the dragon. "The thieves who stole it have taken it deep into the volcano where I cannot go-
"What do you want from us?"
"I want you to go in and retrieve my egg."
The captain cocked his head, a bit confused. "You want us to retrieve your egg?"
"That is what I said," replied the dragon. The captain laughed.
"If whoever took your egg is so powerful…" Clay struggled for the right words. "If you can't retrieve it yourself, what makes you think we'll be able to get it back for you?"
The dragon reared back, crossing its mighty fore-limbs over her golden chest. Her eyes burned an even darker red.
"The thieves are not mighty. They are cowardly and small," the dragon said, looking at each of the pirates in turn. "And that is the problem. They have taken my egg into the volcano where they have wards and magical protections against one of my kind. Out here, I would crush them, but I cannot follow them into their lair."
"What's in it for us?" asked the captain. "If what you say is true, and we did come here for your egg, then what's stopping us from just taking it and carrying it off in our ship?"
The dragon snorted, blowing another plume of watery vapor out that nearly reached Clay.
"If you do I will destroy your ship and kill you all."
"Let me get this straight," said the captain. "Either we risk our lives trying to retrieve your egg from the inside of the volcano, or we die." Clay crossed his arms over his chest. "That's not much of a deal."
"If you succeed," said the dragon, "I will let you go-unharmed."
"That's very kind of you."
"I have gold," added the dragon. "Lot's of gold."
A smile spread across Clay's face. "What did you say your name was?"
"Kraxx," replied the dragon.
Captain Clay placed his palms together and bowed as hed seen men do in his travels to far Kara Tur.
"Well, Kraxx, I think you have yourself a deal."
The dragon lifted one of her wings, pointing deeper into the jungle.
"The thieves took my egg into a lava tube on the southern slope," Kraxx said as she turned and headed toward the beach. "I will be awaiting your return, beside your ship. If you are not back by nightfall, your crew will die."
At the southern slope, just where the dragon said it would be, a circular opening led into the rough basalt mountain. Unlike the rest of the jungle, the base of the volcano was completely void of all vegetation. The smell of burned plants and sulfur filled the air.
"Well, maties," said Clay, gripping the hilt of one of his daggers, "it's down the hatch for us."
The captain entered the dark opening. One step over the threshold and Clay's damp skin became instantly dry. It was as if his whole body had been wrapped tight in a curtain of hot, dry air, and he felt as if he'd just stepped inside the bellows of an iron forge. Every strip of exposed flesh was pressed back by the oppressive heat, and the captain had to squint to keep his eyes from drying out quicker than he could blink.
The passage was narrow-barely wide enough for two men abreast-and dark except for the sunlight coming in from outside. Ahead, it appeared as if the tunnel they were following made a very subtle turn to the right. Clay couldn't make out much more. The light simply didn't penetrate that far. Clay looked back over his shoulder.
"Tabor," he called quietly.
"Aye."
"You're going to need to take the lead," said Clay. He stepped aside to let the dwarf pass. "In this darkness, my eyes are about as good as a Veldornian mainsail."
"You're too hard on the Veldornians," quipped the dwarf as he made his way past his captain. "They may not have much use for a sail, but even they could make one that works better than your old human eyes."
Both Mansa and Hadar let out a snicker.
Clay ushered the half-ore up next to the dwarf. Hadar grunted, then he and the dwarf headed down the passage.
The farther they went, the darker it became. Soon Clay couldn't see anything at all. He followed the sounds of the half-ore's footsteps and ran his hand along the wall to make sure he didn't fall over. At first the wall was rough, like pumice. Clay just let his fingertips rest against the rough surface, using the feeling of solid stone to reassure him as they plunged deeper into the volcano. But after a time, the stone became smooth. The deep crevices and sharp ridges gave way to a soft, almost polished feel, and the walls grew warmer.