Path of the Flame (The Dragon Thief Book 1) Read online

  As long as it worked long enough to get him into the encampment, though, Ty didn’t care. He circled back around, reaching the entrance. It left him uncomfortable to go through the gate in such an open, exposed manner, but the worst that could happen would be that he’d be turned away. A single priest exited as he approached, and he suspected that the priests didn’t all enter in a group.

  Ty flashed a smile. His slight build made him look scholarly, which was one of its benefits. He could pass for an archaeologist.

  “Name?” one of the Dragon Touched asked.

  “Jensen Ogleton,” he said, trying to pitch his accent in such a way so that it sounded like it came from Carn. He chose the name of an actual archaeologist he had met, though that man was a proper thief, much like Ty, and he’d been more than willing to make bargains with Ty. “I was asked to look at the acquisition that recently arrived.”

  The Dragon Touched regarded him. He was dark haired, with deeply tanned skin and wrinkles around the corners of his eyes that made him seem old. Ty had to hope that he wasn’t as experienced as he appeared.

  “What are you carrying with you?”

  Ty swallowed quickly, then hurriedly pulled out the dragon claw. Maybe it could be of some use. “An item I’ve been examining,” he said. “You can see the striations and the texture. It is quite marvelous,” he said. “With how the colorations interact, you can start to gauge the age of the find, and—”

  “The striations don’t matter so much as what it’s holding,” the Dragon Touched muttered. He glanced over to the other man, who shrugged, then they waved him in.

  Ty smiled to himself. He had heard archaeologist talking a few times, and knew the way they would go on and on about aspects of dragon relics that he couldn’t care less about. But it seemed to him that the Dragon Touched also didn’t care much for that, which worked to his advantage. It was better for them to think he only had the dragon claw, not the dragon-bone dagger he carried on him. He didn’t know if they could detect that the way they could other dragon relics, as it had been in his family for a long time, but he wasn’t willing to take the risk.

  Now that he was inside, he had to be more careful.

  He hurriedly looked around, checking to see if Eastley had managed to get here, but Ty didn’t see him. He would probably find his own way in fairly quickly though.

  Then again, he wouldn’t put it past Eastley to jump the wall just to get inside to beat him. He would be more than happy to risk exposure like that if he thought it meant he could stay ahead of Ty.

  Ty felt far more exposed than he had before, now that he was inside the walled-in area. He saw that the wagons in the center of the space were steadily laden with dragon relics, and he realized that the archaeologists would carry items over only after they had some discussion with a priest.

  Was there some agreement in place to negotiate?

  The mountain trembled again, carrying with it the power of Ishantil, and he resisted the urge to look back at it. He found a table carrying a box that looked similar to what he’d seen on the handcart and hurried over to it. Ty didn’t see anybody near it, nor anybody near him. He tested the lid, found that it swung open easily, and glanced inside.

  There was a small dragon bone, which he grabbed and held for a moment, and a separate canvas sack inside. He pulled that open and began to sort through it. Dragon teeth.

  Those could be valuable.

  Ty heard voices and hurriedly stuffed the dragon teeth into his pocket, along with the bone, and closed the box. He feigned making his way toward the wagons, when two priests caught his attention—or, rather, one of them did.

  Albion.

  Ty hadn’t seen his brother in well over a year. The last time had been when Albion had come through here while working for the head priest. He hadn’t been a part of Ty’s life for so long that it was strange to see him now.

  He looked much like Ty remembered: the same black hair, deep brown eyes, and solid, muscular build their father had. Ty had always taken after their mother, down to his sandy blond hair, blue eyes, and slight build. There was a part of Ty that wished he looked more like Albion but looking the way he did certainly made it easier for Ty to sneak into places he wasn’t supposed to go.

  Albion started to turn toward him, but Ty hurried forward, turning away. He didn’t want his brother to see him. Knowing Albion, and his belief in the power of the Flame, he’d probably even turn Ty in.

  He found another table unguarded and flipped open the box, looking inside. There were more bones—several of them, all of various lengths, and some with dirt and rock still clinging to them. He grabbed two of them and slipped them into his jacket, when he heard the sound of voices behind him.

  No dragon pearls though. That would’ve been too easy.

  If there had been a cache of dragon pearls, it would explain the reason for the security here, along with why a Tecal would’ve come to the city. Maybe it was simply that there had been a massive collection found, and the king was trying to protect it from anyone else who might come across it, including Lothinal. The neighboring kingdom often sent their own thieves into this kingdom to try to steal dragon relics, despite rumors that they didn’t have anybody capable of using them.

  “Put that on the wagon,” one of the soldiers said.

  Ty nodded, grabbing the box and starting toward the wagons.

  As he approached, Ty felt a sense of heat. Zarinth was warm most of the time, occasionally incredibly humid, but this was different—a dry sort of heat. Was there a Dragon Touched using magic near him? He had never spent much time around any of the Dragon Touched, and didn’t really know what their power felt like, so he wouldn’t know even if there was.

  He took another step and heard the sound of chains rattling. It came from inside the circle of wagons. He approached more carefully now. Then he caught sight of something.

  It was small—little larger than a wolf—and strange, with black, leathery scales, long and sinuous, and what appeared to be stunted wings. But he knew exactly what it was that he saw.

  A dragon.

  Ty had seen them paraded through the city before. Typically, they were in cages, the king’s way of revealing his power and authority.

  Seeing one up close was different. Terrifying.

  Even though it was small, an enormous surge of heat came off of it.

  He heard somebody say something behind him, then there was a stirring. He started forward, his steps quick, and reached the wagons. All of this could be his. An incredible find. An incredible prize.

  Shouts called out.

  He hazarded a look behind him. Albion was only about two dozen paces away, but his attention, like everybody else’s, was pulled toward the south.

  He glanced over and saw Eastley scrambling toward the wall.

  That fool.

  Then again, Ty was here in the middle of an encampment with the king’s archaeologists, some Dragon Touched, and even Priests of the Flame.

  Worse, he had come close to one of the king’s dragons.

  He was the real fool.

  Ty wasn’t going to stay here though. He wasn’t stupid enough for that.

  Now was his opportunity to either grab something—or get out.

  He held on to the box he was carrying and grabbed another one, tucking it under his arm, then hurried toward the wall.

  There came a shout behind him, and he quickly tossed the box up and over the wall, jumped it, then hurried for his cloak and threw it over his shoulders before racing toward the city.

  He didn’t look back.

  He had gotten a prize, though he didn’t yet know what was inside.

  Hopefully Eastley had gotten away. Regardless, Ty had earned himself the sculpture. Footsteps chased after Ty, and he raced away, hoping to slip into the city before soldiers or Dragon Touched caught him.

  Ishantil trembled again, and again, Ty wondered whether it was angry with him, or if it was pleased.

  Chapter Three


  Ty reached the northern part of the city closest to Ishantil. He had ditched the trunk, throwing dragon remnants into a makeshift sack created out of his cloak. He had even turned his jacket around, revealing the green inside layer that would be less noticeable, and wouldn’t make him appear to be one of the archaeologists. It wasn’t his normal clothing, and it would stand out somewhat in this part of the city, but not so much that he thought he would be chased.

  He had shaken his tail easily, but he was still determined to wander the section a little longer. He didn’t want to risk going back and having anyone find him until he was certain they had gone. Mostly because he didn’t want to run the risk of bringing anybody back toward his home.

  There was something else he could do. Now that he had gathered the dragon remnants—mostly bones, a collection of teeth, and one oblong-looking item that was not a dragon pearl, but also unfortunately not a dragon relic—he thought he could take a moment to visit with Maggie.

  It was growing dark, and the volcano glowed against the darkness, creating a halo around the peak—or the Flame, to hear the priests speak of it. It was why this place was hallowed to them. Ty had never seen it quite that way, though he did understand why the priests might view it as such. There was something impressive about seeing the glow of Ishantil against the night, almost as if the volcano wanted everyone to be aware of it, even in the darkness.

  He found Maggie’s wagons set up near the northern edge of the city. She had a line of people gathered around, mostly from this part of the city. All of them knew that Maggie would have items of value, for which she didn’t typically charge too much, after returning from her journeys. She was one of the few who managed to navigate from Carn to Lothinal, though she didn’t admit that to many people. Ty knew, but he wondered how many others did.

  He found the old woman near the head of the caravan, speaking to one of her burly wagon drivers. The heavily tattooed man glanced up, locking eyes with Ty for a moment, but looked away when Maggie tapped on his hand.

  “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Ty.” She glanced over to her wagon driver—also her protection, Ty decided—and waved her fingers. “Why don’t you get the caravan settled?”

  “Are you sure?” The man’s voice was deep and rough, with a slight accent that Ty didn’t recognize.

  “Oh, I have plenty of experience with Ty. He’s only here for a simple trade, I imagine.” She arched a brow at him, and he nodded.

  “Simple, I hope,” he said.

  Ishantil trembled, and Maggie glanced back. “Can’t say that I care much for that. We came through it, you know.”

  “You were in Lothinal?”

  She turned her attention back to him. Maggie was old, though she never really acted like it. As far as Ty knew, she’d been coming to Zarinth for decades. His mother had traded with her back when she had still been here, which was part of the reason Ty came to her. He trusted her. Merchants in Zarinth could be of questionable quality, and they often had their own motivations—usually greed. Maggie, on the other hand, was typically interested in ensuring a fair bargain for everyone. She also traveled extensively, so when she came to Zarinth, Ty knew she would have something interesting.

  It wasn’t only her goods that he cared about though.

  “Don’t tell me you started caring about where I travel.”

  “Not for the same reasons the king would care,” Ty said.

  She chuckled. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t.”

  She motioned for him to follow her and guided him behind the wagons, where there wasn’t the same level of activity. There wasn’t the same press of people moving close to the caravan looking for trade, nor were there merchants trying to make a bargain. Instead, there were a couple of small lanterns that glowed softly, one with a pale orange light that he knew had to be created by Dragon Touched, which left him wondering how she’d managed to get away with carrying it.

  “What do you know about the expedition?” Maggie asked.

  “Probably the same as you,” he said. She pulled out a stool and offered him one. He took a seat, thankful for the reprieve. He kept the cloak bundled up near him, worried about letting its contents spill out. “The king apparently found a massive haul of dragon remnants.”

  “Just remnants?”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced back, as if he could see the fenced-in area on the far side of the city. “Maybe something else, but I only saw remnants.”

  She pressed her lips together in a tight frown. “Unfortunate.”

  He knew she preferred relics, just as his mother had always chased them. “The remnants still have value.”

  “Maybe, but they’re not the same.” She looked up. “I’m not after them for the same reason as the king,” Maggie said, waving her hand, “but if I can find something of value, I can often move it for quite a bit more outside of this kingdom. It makes trade easier.”

  “I thought Lothinal liked dragon bones.”

  “Oh, they enjoy taking anything they can from the kingdom, but they don’t prize them quite as much as the kingdom does. No Dragon Touched there, as far as I know. It’s the sculptures they prize.”

  He snorted. “I think they just like thumbing their nose at the king.”

  “Many do,” Maggie said.

  “Have you heard anything?”

  She leaned forward, resting her arms on her legs and watching him for a long moment. “Not so much, unfortunately. I’ve been looking. What you offered me the last time I came through here has already been spent, which makes it difficult for me to keep digging. I have, of course, but information has a price, Ty.”

  The last time she’d come through here, he had made a separate trade. He did it each time she came. There was never a guarantee of return—that was part of the risk—but there weren’t many people he trusted to make trades like that to actually carry out his search on his behalf. Maggie was one.

  She had a reach far greater than Ty—contacts and people she knew.

  “Now, I am willing to keep working,” she went on, “but I wonder about the futility of doing so.” There was a surprising gentility to her voice. “My offer stands.”

  He ignored the comment. He’d heard it each time he came, from the very first time he’d gone to her. “It’s not futile. All I need is information about where they went. Somebody has to have seen them.”

  “We don’t even know if your parents went into the kingdom, to Lothinal, or possibly beyond,” Maggie said.

  He took a deep breath and glanced down at the collection of dragon bones. It was a long shot. He knew it. Still, there was the possibility that he might find something to explain where they had gone, and why they had abandoned him all those years ago. They wouldn’t have simply left him. Ty refused to believe that. There had to be a reason.

  “I’m going to keep looking as long as I can pay. And now I have plenty to offer you.”

  She glanced down to the cloak. “I can’t use bones,” she said. “We are heading into the kingdom, and the Dragon Touched can find them too easily.”

  “Even several bones?”

  She smiled tightly. “If I were heading in the other direction, it might be a different story, but I can’t draw the attention of the Dragon Touched. They have been paying far too much attention to me as it is, especially with the increased presence of Lothinal along the border.”

  “I hadn’t realized there was an increased presence.”

  “They’ve been trying to annex part of these lands for many years. The Tecal find where the border is uneasy, and the Dragon Touched keep it safe.” She shrugged. “What is a poor merchant to do?”

  Ty chuckled. “Poor?”

  “Perhaps not poor. Neutral?” She smiled again. “That might be more apt.”

  “I have a dragon claw,” he said.

  She regarded him a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not to help him. “Oh, Ty. I suppose I might be able to use that,” she said.

  He pulled it out and offered it t
o her. As he had said to the Dragon Touched, there were striations along its surface, and as she held up the light from her lantern, those striations reflected the light back as they caught it, casting some blurring of color. It looked quite lovely, though seemed less so after considering what the Dragon Touched could do with it.

  “You could trade this for more in the kingdom,” she said, setting it on her lap and looking over to Ty. “I’m sure our mutual friend would be able to negotiate quite the price for you.”

  Ty nodded. Bingham certainly could negotiate a good price for him, but it wasn’t always about money. Besides, he now had a collection of dragon bones that he might be able to trade with Bingham. “You know I just need something to use.”

  “I will see what I can uncover.” She held the claw, watching him. “You know you don’t have to stay here. A man like yourself would be useful. You could search with me. See the world. Isn’t that what young men want?”

  “I’m not ready,” he said.

  “You haven’t found anything in the city. You don’t know if there’s even going to be any way for you to find those answers. Why wouldn’t you want to leave?”

  Ty glanced toward the jungle. It appeared as a darkened smear against the night. Still, he could practically feel it out there, as if there was some energy within the jungle that pressed upon him, pushing him, warning him about what he needed to do. He had no idea what that was, but he knew he had to stay.

  “If I left, and they returned…”

  “How long has it been?” Maggie spoke softly.

  When he looked over to her, he saw concern in her eyes. He might pay her for her service, but she was something of a friend. “Not that long. Maybe five years.”

  Maggie clapped her hands together. “Five years. No information.”

  “That’s not entirely true. You had word of them about a year ago to the west of here.”

  “Rumors, nothing more than that,” she said. “And we don’t even know if those rumors are accurate. People want to talk when they’re getting paid. They want to earn more coin. Now, I do have experience in trying to suss out when someone is blowing smoke up my ass and when they have something to sell, but you have made it clear that you’re willing to pay even for rumors.”