Read Online Lost mark 3 The Queen of Death: by Matt Forbeck - Free Book Online Page B

usually appears as a dwarf smith, you know.”
    "And as a brass dragon,” Monja had said.
    That had been enough for Kandler to order the ship to give the mountain a wide berth.
    From there, they’d steered clear of the mountains and kept over the burning sands of the Blade Desert, which followed the southwestern curve of the Endworld Mountains. This range stretched all the way to the ocean, and Kandler planned to follow it to its end.
    As Kandler gazed down at the desert floor below, he spied what had upset Sallah. Below them sat a windswept, sandy valley tucked up next to the mountains, and bones covered it from one end to the other.
    Even from as high up as the Phoenix scudded through the sky, Kandler could tell that these were bones. Scores of them stood as thick and tall as pine trees gathered as tight as a forest. He could pick out ribs, legs, arms, even wings. He spotted long, flat skulls too, some of which had to be as wide as a wagon and three times as long.
    "Those things could have swallowed a threehorn whole,” Monja said, as she and the others joined Kandler at the rail.
    Te’oma had the wheel, and when Kandler glanced back at her he saw her trying to crane her head high enough to see what all the commotion was about. He thought he saw her neck actually stretch a few inches.
    The halfling turned to Burch, her eyes wide with awe. "Is this . . . ? It has to be,” she said.
    The shifter nodded as he leaned far out over the gunwale. Kandler had to repress an urge to pull his friend back, even though he knew Burch could keep hold of the ship better than anyone. Instead he put an arm around Espre,
    who’d put her head and arms over the railing.
    "The Boneyard,” Burch said. "A dragon graveyard. Some say it's leftover from the Dragon-Elf War, but that’s mostly Valenar elves boasting over ale.”
    "They would peddle such lies,” Duro said gruffly. "Warmongers and glory hounds to a one.”
    Espre glared at Duro. W]jen the dwarf finally noticed, he blushed and said, "Or so I’ve heard.”
    "My people believe that dragons once ruled the entire world,” Monja said. "They once flew as thick through the skies of Khorvaire as a cloud of bats.” She spoke in hushed, reverent tones. "This is where their eldest came to end their days, to mix their bones among their own kind.”
    Kandler felt Espre shudder beside him. Sallah noticed too.
    "There are few such creatures in Khorvaire these days,” the lady knight said, a comforting hand on the young elf’s arm.
    "Nithkorrh was enough,” Espre said, her voice barely more than a whisper.
    Everyone else nodded.
    "Should we go down?” Xalt asked.
    Kandler and the others stared at the warforged in horror.
    "You never disturb a graveyard,” Monja said. "Ever.”
    "Why not?” Xalt sounded like all of his five years of age. Although he’d been made whole and full-grown, he’d not had nearly the world experiences of Kandler or even Espre, and he could be ignorant about the strangest things.
    Monja held her hands in front of her and spoke slowly, as if to a young child. "Because the living protect the dead. That’s especially true with the Boneyard. Those who disturb a dead dragon’s bones risk bringing down a living beast’s wrath.”
    "Isn’t that what we want?” Xalt asked. "A dragon to fight?”
    Burch snorted. "We don’t want just any random dragon to show up. We want the ones who want to toast our little girl here.”
    "Don’t they all?”
    "Do all warforged think the same?”
    Xalt inclined his head. "I see.” He looked to Kandler. "Then how will we find the right dragons when we reach Argonnessen?”
    Kandler scowled.
    "Yes,” Sallah said, her hands on her hips. "Tell us.”
    "I didn’t say it was a great plan,” he said before he walked away. "Just the best one we have.”

    Kandler spat over the gunwale. The others had left him alone since they’d passed over the Boneyard. Perhaps the thought of so many dead dragons had sobered them. The thought that