Dragon Treasure by SJ Sanders

Chapter 7

Tania didn’t spend much time as she would have liked admiring the elegant cuts of glass. Once she filed away the image, she proceeded on, picking her way down the hallway, stopping every now and then to investigate one door or another that led to plain rooms designed for some manner of work or study. They were thick with lingering smoke, and the numerous diagrams etched over the slate floors and walls indicated that the studies being undertaken in the monastery were of a more arcane nature.

But then again, Tarachna was the goddess of sorcery. It made sense that those who served her possessed knowledge on such arts.

She moved on from the rooms, satisfied with her cursory glance. The black walls with their chalked script were fascinating but uniform. While she didn’t doubt that there would be a wealth of other intriguing things about the rooms, it was clear that none of them contained the entrance she sought. On a schedule and with no time for diversions, she continued until she reached a set of stairs trimmed in sapphire and sporting an ornately carved banister that descended to the next level. There was a soft glow to it that confused her at first until she descended further.

It didn’t take her long to discover its source. the unexpected artificial light of the lamps left glowing almost blinded her when she reached the bottom of the staircase. Blinking through the tears welling up in her eyes, she allowed herself a moment for her vision to adjust to reveal the thick carpeting beneath her feet and great tapestries and portraits that lined the walls. Her eyebrows rose at the wealth all around her. Most monasteries had a certain amount of comfort and beauty to them, unless they were an order that emphasized pleasing gods who rejected such things, but this amount of opulence was shocking.

The doors on this level were more numerous, each made of high-quality wood, unlike the utilitarian doors the floor above. They were also distinguished by small brass name plates that marked out the individuals, or in some cases couples. She was on the residential level where the monks and nuns were roomed. She was pretty sure that those with families lived on the rear side wings tucked up close to the mountain where she had seen what had appeared to be small apartment balconies lining the monastery. There were few gods who demanded celibacy, and so most monasteries seemed to run similar to this way, with everyone clustered on the same floor. For this reason, she was certain that the entrance to the Dragon’s Keep would not be there either.

Slipping down the corridor, she listened for any disturbance. With the late hour, she heard little in her passing with the exception of the occasional snore that was loud enough to penetrate into the hall. There was thankfully no guard stationed on that floor, and so she made it to the next set of stairs in record time.

These were trimmed in silver, and the banister had scrollwork done on it that included stylized gusts and crystalline flakes of ice and snow. The wood of the banister was of such a pale grain that it seemed almost sacrilegious to place her dirty hand on it or set foot on the trim of the stairs. If she were a particularly devout person, anyway. As it happened, she wasn’t, although it did pain her artistic heart when she descended and couldn’t avoid leaving dark smudges.

Grimacing at the stains, she turned her mind back to the problem at hand. The main floor was just ahead. Although tours came through them, the inner cell was where much of the worship done away from the eyes of the public took place. Some monasteries even had a subterranean level where they had vaults and crypts. She wondered into which category this one fell.

Regardless, the entrance had to be somewhere on the main level or perhaps even just below it. Wherever it was, she reasoned that it obviously wouldn’t be anywhere near the main flow of traffic but still be close enough to be accessible to the guard and priests. Perhaps even made a part of the rituals prescribed in the monastery, since the lore of the dragon seemed to be important.

Tania snapped to a halt, her eyes falling on the guard at the foot of the stairs. She had expected that, but it didn’t stop the moue of displeasure from pulling at her mouth as she studied him. Tall and thickly built for a human, he stood stiffly, alert, his hands clasped around the sword held at rest in front of him. At his hip was a pistol, but that posed little danger as she knew it would be used sparingly. Bullets were expensive and produced by few to whom the trade of crafting them was passed down to. No, his sword was the true threat, and with that chosen weapon, he was doubtlessly accomplished with it and could sever her from her life force quickly if she tried to get by.

She should have known she wouldn’t be so lucky to get a spear hugger. Spears could be deadly enough too, but their reach wasn’t as wide even if it extended further. Tania found them easier to avoid in combat.

Damn her luck.

Her cheeks puffed out with the frustrated breath that threatened to break through and she shook her head. She couldn’t risk getting close to him. That meant she had to take him out now from where she was at. She patted the pouch at her side and scowled at the back of the guard’s head. She hated to waste what few projectiles she had on a solo target—especially not a sleep bomb, which literally cost her an arm and leg of a particular nasty little beast to acquire from the witch she knew—but there was no helping it.

Damn it!

Craning her neck, she glanced down the corridor one way and then the other, assuring herself that he was currently all alone. Her eyes snapped back to him when he shifted his weight from one foot to another and a hand came up to smother a yawn.

Shoving her hand deep into the pouch hanging from her belt, she held her breath and slipped her fingers into an oiled and reinforced airtight leather case. It took only a little fumbling before she pulled out a tightly wrapped bundle. Carefully lifting the sleep bomb, she held it delicately between her thumb and fingertips and took aim. With one quick motion, she lobbed it, taking care not to breathe in the fumes when the bomb burst at contact with the back of the guard’s armor.

A cloud of pink powder exploded around him at the same moment he drew in a startled gasp from the impact. The powder was as effective as the witch promised. He had no time to raise the alarm before he succumbed to its effects. He gurgled, his cry choking off as he wheezed. He stumbled in front of her, his hands clawing at his throat as he coughed in a desperate attempt to expel the powder. The sound of his big body hitting the stone floor was the only other noise that followed, the crash dampened by the rug at the base of the stairs. She stared down at his collapsed body dispassionately for a moment before hopping down to his side.

With nimble fingers, she checked his pulse first—relieved to find it strong—and then made quick work of searching him, her lungs painfully protesting despite the rigorous training they had over the years for just this purpose. Pocketing an ornate key and any gold she came across, Tania dragged the guard’s heavy ass around the stairs to shove him in the utility closet just beneath them.

The moment she shut the door, separating herself from his dust-contaminated body, she took a large gulping breath, filling her lungs… and smiled. Tania patted the two remain bombs on her pouch as she examined the corridor. If she wasn’t mistaken, the scriptorium and library were to the left, which left the chapel room where the rites were solemnly held for the goddess to her right.

Turning right, she ran for the chapel, her hand lingering close to her pouch. Despite the clergy being in bed at the late hour, there would be a heavy guard there to protect the house of the goddess and the sacristy room just behind it where the vestments and various implements of ritual were kept along with the wealth of the monastery. A sleep bomb would take them out with no further commotion alerting the guards outside and stationed elsewhere within the monastery.

Although her fingers itched to explore that forbidden room, she wasn’t so foolish as to rob directly from the gods. It wasn’t that she believed that the gods would curse her—she wasn’t so sure that they would even care about coin so long as sacrifices and offerings continued. No, it was more the worshippers wanting her head on a pike that kept her in line. People put up with a lot as long as it didn’t potentially affront the gods. It was a sort of unspoken agreement that she could live with. It was bad enough that, depending on where the entrance to the cave was at, that she might end up doing a little desecrating. She wasn’t adding theft to it.

Besides, one sleep bomb would only keep the guard out for so long, and she couldn’t afford to expend another when it might be needed for her escape.

Tania was nearly to the main hall when the sound of approaching footsteps and the murmur of voices talking quietly reached her ears.

A patrol. Of course there would be a patrol through the main corridors. She had hoped that the guards were a bit less vigilant than that, since it wasn’t uncommon for night guards to play a little loose with the rules. As this was clearly not the case, it seemed that Derek’s sentiments regarding the honor of being chosen for the temple guard were both shared by the guards stationed here and not exaggerated.

Cursing under her breath, Tania pushed her way into the nearest room, heat immediately bathing her back as she turned and held the door open just a crack. The voices got louder and sweat trickled down her back. Why, in the name of blessed gods and ravenous demons, was it so fucking hot?

Daring a quick look around, she nearly groaned and bit her lip to prevent the sound from emerging. Hot pools of water filled the room with a damp steam, and a sign nearby politely asked guests to fully disrobe before enjoying Tarachna’s hot mineral springs of healing. She blinked at the sign and then the water. This was something she hadn’t heard of during her investigation. It sure as hell would have been a lot more valuable to know than the twenty-two holy corridors, each with their own sacred guard, that Derek had waxed poetic about. She would have come up with the donation to the monastery to soak in the springs and thaw the ice from her bones.

Well, shit, she huffed to herself. If I ever run into his sorry ass in a dark alley, I’ll be sure to “thank him.” Fucking twit. As if healing hot springs wouldn’t be a selling point to a spiritual tourist.

Lips pressed into a thin line, she shook her head and peeled her eyes from the inviting sight of the warm water to peek through the cracked opening. The heavy footsteps came closer, and within moments, two guards stepped into view. The lantern held between them flared brightly in her vision, making her wince as she squinted her tearing eyes.

“I’m telling you, I think I heard something,” the cleanshaven guard whispered to his companion at his side. “It came from down here.”

The other guard rolled his eyes and drew to a stop just outside of Tania’s hiding place, bringing a fresh prickle of sweat break out over her skin.

“And I think you are imagining things, Casius,” he grumbled as he took advantage of the pause to stretch out his back, his armor clattering lightly with his movement. “Theo is stationed down here. If he had heard anything, he would have investigated and alerted us immediately.”

“Maybe, but I still don’t like it,” Casius replied. “We should check with him, just to be certain.”

His companion scoffed. “I can’t wait to see how he will take that. Well, come on, then. It’s not every day I get to see a new guard get his ass handed to him. It must be my birthday or something. Don’t be surprised if it takes some looking before we find him if he is patrolling his sector. Gods know there are dozens of rooms down here.”

“What do you mean ‘get my ass handed to me?’ What is that supposed to mean?”

They started forward again, Casius frowning as he quickened his pace to keep up with the other guard’s longer stride and peppering him with questions about exactly how he was going to get his ass handed to him and why. All of which were ignored by the senior guard.

Pulling the door open wider, Tania peered out after them, the light of their lantern the only thing visible from around the corner. She licked her lips thoughtfully. She needed to find this entrance to the Dragon’s Keep and fast. Sooner or later, they were going to find where she stashed their friend and then there would be hell to pay.

Slipping back out into the hall, Tania continued to the chapel, her skin feeling tight and prickling with the tension that gripped her. She drew to a stop when she came to the junction of the main walkway leading into the chapel from the front entrance. Massive stained-glass windows that welcomed worshipers with scenes of the blessings of the goddess and her remarkable powers allowed moonlight to stream in.

Just in front of the chapel doors, a pair of guards stood alert. Tania watched and waited, her eyes skimming over them and the chapel entrance. She needed to take down more than just these guards because there would be others within.

An authoritative voice called out from within the chapel, and the guards stiffened and exchanged a glance before reluctantly turning from their post and ducking inside. It was like a gift from the goddess herself to Tania. Not one to waste a blessing, she slinked after them, taking position in the exact place they left to peer inside. Her eyes widened in shock.

A young woman stood in the middle of the chapel trembling, an elder priest whom she recognized as the high cleric scowling at the guards from where he stood just in front of her. There were several more guards just behind him, one standing slightly at the fore with his arms crossed. He stood out...something different with his armor but not significant enough to keep her attention as her eyes scuttled over to a younger priest standing just off to the side of the elder, doubt plain on his face.

“Are you certain this necessary?” he whispered, earning him a glare of reproach from the elder.

“Of course I am certain. The signs point to it. Did you not feel that earlier?” the elder growled.

“The earthquake?” Surprisingly delicate eyebrows on a man arched.

The head priest scoffed and shook his head. “That was no earthquake. It was a summoning from one of the goddess’s monsters. Something has roused it from its slumber. As the goddess favors women, it only makes sense to send one of her own nuns to see to whatever the goddess desires.”

Tania gaped, her expression no doubt not far from the incredulous look that crossed the younger man’s face. He couldn’t be serious!

“If you are sure, Father Dephery, then I will do my best,” the nun whispered, her head bowing.

The high cleric’s expression turned kindly as he looked down upon her. Lifting a weathered hand, he cupped her chin and lifted her head, his fingertips stroking her cheek. “I am pleased and honored by your faith, as shall be the goddess. Do not worry, my dear. You will bring the blessings of Tarachna to our humble monastery and to the city itself. She will keep you safe.”

“Yes. I believe it must truly be my destiny to do so,” the nun murmured, a distinct sound of pleasure in her voice. “I will be happy to undertake this journey. When I return with the blessings of the goddess, our monastery will be honored.”

“Then you will be the most honored woman in all of Tarachna Kalithia,” he agreed.

Tania couldn’t believe what she was hearing or seeing. Were they mad? A serene smile curved the nun’s lips as she leaned her cheek into his touch. Father Dephery gave her cheek a one last pat before turning away to face the guards.

His voice rose, startling Tania. “Well, what are you waiting for? You know your sacred duty, and now I am calling you to it. Open the gate!”

Aghast, she watched as the guards spun around and headed as a singular unit toward the back of the chapel. They’re all nuts! They were going to dump the poor woman into a mage boobytrapped cave. And the nun wasn’t even going to pitch a fit over it. She was honored! The only one looking skeptical was the younger priest, and it was clear he lacked any authority within the monastery.

It was probably why the high cleric chose him to assist. She slipped her fingers into her pouch and popped open the container holding the sleep bombs. The bomb would take everyone in the room out until after sunrise, if she wasn’t mistaken. She doubted they would try anything after sunrise. Hopefully, it would give the younger priest an opportunity to alert the rest of the clergy as to what the high cleric had planned and put a stop to the nonsense when there was no obvious fallout from having whatever crazy rite this was interrupted.

A loud, grating sound drew Tania’s attention back to the rear of the chapel, her eyes sharpening as she squinted. With the lamps lit in the room, her vision adjusted so that she was able to see everything in the low lighting in sharp relief. The heavy tapestry at the back, one depicting the goddess entwined with pale serpents as she held aloft a bowl brimming with the waters of her blessings, was pulled aside to reveal an iron door fitted into a chasm.

The door’s locking mechanism had six locks, and the six guards who were assembled withdrew a key tucked beneath their armor. The keys slid in together and as one the guards turned them. The clicks rang out, and Tania stepped inside just as the door swung open, her arm uplifting with a sleep bomb.

A guard turned, her eyes widening as she spotted Tania and her mouth fell open. It all happened all at once. The guard’s chest heaved to shout a warning at the same moment that Tania, drawing in a deep breath, tossed the sleep bomb into the center of the room. An alarm sounded throughout the monastery as it impacted, almost making her stumble as she raced forward, but she regained her balance as she darted for the gate.

The guard she knocked out must have been found, but it didn’t matter now—nothing was going to stop her. She would have to find a different way out of the cave, but as of this moment, it was hers!

Keeping her lips firmly pressed together, she smiled as she watched in satisfaction as everyone’s eyes rolled back amid the smoke and they dropped one by one around her. Her feet echoed on the polished marble floors, accented by the thuds of guards and clergy falling to the floor in slumber. As she neared the gate, a guard attempted to grab her coat, but even he stumbled and fell without gaining traction just as she slid through and was encompassed by the darkness of the cave as she plunged at top speed into its depths.

The cave lit up silver in the dark and distantly she heard the shout of guards, but even they faded quickly until she was surrounded by the silence of the cave system.

Just ahead, her treasure waited…