All for what? So Barius could prove himself? So his heroism would outshine that of his brothers? Was this the kind of hero all the songs celebrated? Barius’s glory had come, not from his own courage and valor, but from the blood and sweat of the rest of the party. Ryslind’s magic, Riana’s nimble fingers, Darnak’s strength of arm, and even Jig’s blind, stubborn luck. Yet Barius would be the one about whom songs were sung. He would be the one who found the Rod of Creation, the one responsible for slaying the great dragon Straum, the one who discovered five thousand years’ worth of treasure and claimed it for his own.

They stopped to rest in the shiny room before leaving the tunnels. Jig stared at the designs, losing himself in memories. Little more than a week had passed since he came to this room, clumsily trying to spy on the adventurers. Here he had lied to Barius, which had saved Jig’s life but cost the life of his captain, which Jig considered to be a double blessing. Here they had debated whether or not to take Jig along, or to kill him and save themselves the effort. What would happen to him now?

“What are you going to do to me?” Riana asked. Apparently her mind had wandered the same trail as Jig’s.

“I will permit you to assist us in retrieving the rest of the treasure,” Barius said generously. “Afterward you will be turned over to the proper authorities. You are still a criminal, after all. Fret not, for I am certain they will take your cooperation into consideration.”

Riana nodded glumly, as though she had expected nothing more. Jig, on the other hand, was stunned. After all this, they would throw her into prison?

“That’s not fair! She helped us,” he protested. “She picked the lock on the Necromancer’s door. She showed me the javelins I used to try to kill Straum.”

He shouldn’t have brought that up. The prince whirled on him at the mention of how Jig, not Barius, had fought the dragon. “The old worm was weak and tired, and I would have killed him myself had you not interfered. As for that lock, if you will recall, she nearly died in the attempt.”

Jig started to argue, then thought better of it. No dragonchild would stop Barius from killing him this time. He looked at Darnak, but the dwarf only shook his head and looked away.