They stood at the mouth of the Stonefang tunnels, the morning wind cold against their faces. Kaelen cracked his neck, rolled his massive shoulders, and grinned down at Jason with those yellow teeth.
"Ready, little meat?"
Jason tightened the strap on his borrowed cuirass. "As I'll ever be."
That was all the invitation Kaelen needed.
The reptile charged into the darkness like a madman—no hesitation, no caution, no plan. His twin axes were already in his hands, gleaming faintly in the torchlight that lined the tunnel walls.
His claws scraped against the stone floor as he ran, his tail thrashing behind him.
Jason stared after him. "Is he always like this?"
Helga sighed. "Yes."
Then she jumped.
The dwarf launched herself onto Kaelen's back, her thick legs wrapping around his waist, one hand gripping his scales, the other raising her warhammer high. She rode him like a horse—a very angry, very scaly horse that was sprinting toward unknown danger.
