Leadville Crucible (American Dragons Book 7) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Summary

  Shadow Alley Press Mailing List

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Books, Mailing List, and Reviews

  Books by Shadow Alley Press

  litRPG on Facebook

  GameLit and Harem Lit on Facebook

  Dedication

  Copyright

  About the Author

  About the Publisher

  Summary

  ON A WORLD SCOURED by demons, even dragons are prey.

  Gaia Alpha is safe under Steven’s rule. He’s secured his borders, made allies of the remaining Dragonsoul Primes, and retrieved Icharaam’s Gift, the fabled Holy Grail.

  But Steven’s war is bigger than one world. On Gaia Beta, the Battle World, Spider Finger and the Zothoric are gathering, and if they find a path to Steven’s home, everything he’s fought to save will be swallowed in the Great Devouring.

  It’s time to take the fight to the shadows on a road trip between universes. Only this time, it may be a battle too big for Steven to win.

  Disclaimer: Leadville Crucible (American Dragons Book 7) is a shoot-em-up, action adventure, urban fantasy novel which is not intended for readers under the age of 18. This novel contains swearing, violence, and a harem of beautiful shapeshifting women that the hero regularly sleeps with—and he does so gladly.

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  Chapter One

  STEVEN DROKHARIS COULDN’T shake the feeling. Walking across the plains of a dead Colorado, with his Escort behind him, he was having a very war movie moment. Or was it more Jurassic Park? That was probably closer to the truth.

  They were nine in all. Seven women walked behind him: Aria, Tessa, Mouse, Sabina, the Wayne twins, and Zoey. Uchiko was out running recon, armed with her kusarigama and the Hellstring.

  It was spring, but the grasses around them smelled of winter—dry and barren. Steven could already feel his lips getting chapped. The sagebrush had faded to white. Every blade of grass was brittle and yellow. Strange red clouds slashed through the washed-out blue sky. Rahaab had warned that when the Zothoric had destroyed his planet, the skies had bled. That was what he’d meant. Steven couldn’t imagine what color those red clouds would be when the sun finally set.

  Steven and his Escort had full packs and were armed to the teeth. They’d emerged from the Wolf Door in this world’s St. Vrain Aerie. Only the Wolf Door was intact. Both the Eagle and the Cat doors had been reduced to rubble. Most of the tower had been torn apart. The staircase was exposed in several sections, like the spinal column in a rotting corpse. This was Gaia Beta, the Battle World, a planet destroyed. They’d left Gaia Alpha in the morning, and it had seemed like morning on the Battle Planet. They’d been walking for hours.

  Their whole mission was one of reconnaissance and secrecy, so they decided to skirt the city, head east, and go around, to check out the smaller towns around Denver. Steven wanted to get to the airport, as it was a likely place to gather information about the Battle World.

  They didn’t know much about the enemy they faced. Or if anyone was left to fight them. It seemed not. Every farm, every ranch, was deserted.

  “There aren’t any planes,” Tessa said, breaking the silence.

  Steven looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

  Tessa looked at the sky. “It’s just... there are no contrails, no birds, no nothing. It’s just empty.”

  Steven nodded. They’d seen no signs of wildlife at all, not even by the South Platte River, which they followed. The cement bike path crumbled away. As unnerving as the silence, the Wayne sisters had gone quiet, a sure sign they were on a strange, alien world. Sweat covered their somber faces.

  Steven stopped when he came to the subdivision outside of Fort Lupton. A gated community, small trees were planted in front of the big houses, and yet both the trees and houses didn’t seem to be doing very well.

  Sabina had taken to humming the same song, over and over, as they walked. No one had mentioned it, yet it seemed odd to Steven. This was something new. Then again, that was one of the wonders of having so many women in his life. He was slowly learning their idiosyncrasies. And just when he figured he knew them well, someone would do something to surprise.

  Seeing the subdivision silenced Sabina.

  Pru cursed. “Dammit. No cars. Did you notice that? And no cars on the highway neither. So, Stevie, what kind of fucked-up place did you drag us to?” She wore a golden vambrace on her left arm. Chazzie wore the matching one on her right. Put together, the magical armlets let them do amazing things. And the Wayne sisters had already cornered the market on amazing.

  Steven unclipped the canteen on his belt and took a long drink. The Platte River water tasted good—as a Dragonsoul, he didn’t have to worry about bacteria. However, he had the idea that even the bacteria hadn’t weathered the destruction.

  Steven clipped his canteen back onto his belt. “Stevie? Am I Stevie? Damn, I don’t feel like a Stevie.”

  Chazzie sighed. “Yeah, Pru, show your new husband some respect.”

  Pru frowned. “Why, sis, it’s only a little ol’ pet name. Steven Drokharis, this is the worst honeymoon destination ever. I did not sign up for camping, and I think we’re gonna have to camp tonight. And not a Walmart in sight.”

  Mouse stepped forward, the Slayer Blade across her shoulder. Like the others, she wore fatigues with lots of pockets and a big pack full of food and supplies. The petite blonde looked cute under all her gear. “Uh, yeah, Steven, I’m thinking the five-star hotels in this world aren’t going to have their spas open. No spa days for us. It’s so sad.” She faked her voice breaking.

  Aria came around to stand in front of them all. Her Animus Daggers were deactivated, sheathed at her belt. Her hair was tied back in a black ponytail. Her face was stern, green eyes intense. “There will be no complaining. If I can go without hot water, you all can. Remember why we are here.”

  Chazzie racked the action on her Heckler & Koch 416—laser-targeted, extended clip, folding stock, and front grips. “No hot water? Fuck! Give me something to shoot. I’m pissed now.”

  Zoey’s fatigues didn’t fit her well, and she kept hitching up her pants. Her new golden necklace lay on her bronze skin. It was just one of the many magic items they’d pulled out of Icharaam’s Tomb under Duchain Hill in Dodge City. Which begged the question. Would this world have a similar place? What was the history of Gaia Beta?

  Zoey squinted. She’d been doing that a lot, and wincing. S
teven wasn’t sure why. She shook her head. “Chazzie, you guys are dragons. We can get hot water with your Inferno Exhalant.”

  Pru opened her mouth, and yeah, she was going to say something cutting. Instead she tilted her head. “You’re right, Zoey. We’ll have hot water. And I’m sure there’s soap somewhere. Like, ugh, from King Soopers. Which is gonna play hell on my skin. Grocery store soap? Sunshine? Dry air? This is hell. Guess I should’ve done more praying and less sinning.”

  “Can’t go against your nature for long, sister,” Chazzie said. Then to Zoey, “And thank you for your great idea.”

  It came across only about fifty percent smarmy.

  Zoey took it in stride.

  Steven liked that the Wayne twins were trying to get along. The last thing they needed was any unnecessary drama. All of them were stressed and anxious.

  Tessa bent and opened her book, The Zothoritrix. She balanced the slender tome on her knee. The cover was made of worn leather and the pages were vellum. It was bound with steel fibers. “Okay, so the Zothoric feed on Animus. It’s pretty clear that’s why the semiarid climate has become really fucking arid. Not sure why those clouds are red, but it can’t be good.”

  “What happened to the people?” Zoey asked.

  Sabina stood in her own fatigues, with her new cloak flung back from her shoulders, the cowl lying across her pack. She had her white cane, but she wasn’t using it, since her eyes glowed like emeralds. “There’s a lake, across the freeway, and some of the Zothoric are there. Feeding. There is Animus still there. And a strange thing. A hive, perhaps. An odd thing. They build it using secretions. They are feeding. And the skies will bleed before they blacken.”

  Tessa flipped through pages. “Wait. That was a quote I think. Some of this fucking book is written in like Shakespearean dragon script. It’s all like ‘thees’ and ‘thous’ and bullshit. ‘Wouldst thou kiss mine ass? Verily.’ Whatever.” She snapped the tome closed. “Okay, let me check something else.” She removed her phone from its holster on her leather satchel, which contained the Drokharis Grimoire as well as the topaz pen. “Uh, no cell service. Not a surprise there. However, I got my map app happening, though my GPS is fucked. I think Sabina means Barr Lake State Park. It’s not that far. We’ll have to cross I-76, though.”

  Steven glanced at his watch. They had about six hours until the sun set. “Okay, I don’t want to rush in to our first fight with the Zothoric, but I don’t like the idea of bedding down without getting an idea of what we might be facing. Tessa, any ideas on that?”

  She made a face. “Uh, does the word ‘Shaze’ mean anything to you?”

  He shook his head.

  “Oh, no? What about ‘Splacker’ or ‘Zalarfang’ or ‘Toufulkor’?” Tessa laughed. It was a wonderful sound that broke through the silent landscape. “See? So not only am I dealing with butt-hard dragon script, there’s all these other words thrown in. I did see one word I know, and it’s probably not good. Myriad. As in a large variety. As in a lot.”

  After long discussions among his Escort, they’d all agreed the strength of the Zothoric lay in their vast numbers. It was something that Tessa had read as well in The Zothoritrix. Along with the bloody sky thing, there were references to the Zothoric being as numerous as the shadows.

  Steven couldn’t help but feel excited as well as anxious. His entire career as a Dragonlord had led to this moment and the fight against the demons that had murdered the Alpheros.

  Chazzie let her big assault rifle fall into her hands. “As long as they aren’t bulletproof, we can kill ’em all,” Chazzie said.

  “And let God sort ’em out,” Pru finished.

  Tessa’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, I’m reminded of the overconfident space marines in the Aliens movie. Or any movie featuring overconfident space marines. It never ends well. We have got to be careful and gather information. Remember, these things took out a planet of Alpheros. So, yeah. Yay, team!” Her voice faded.

  Steven got them moving again, and they entered the silent subdivision, their gear clinking, their boots shuffling across the cement. Every little sound seemed to echo. The homes were intact while the lawns were all yellowed grass and dust. That dust had blown up to cover the windows. Again, only the dry smell of plants long dead greeted them.

  They chose a cul-de-sac where three silent homes clustered around a half-circle of asphalt. They dropped their packs on the lawn of the middle house.

  Steven secured some of the straps and checked his magic items. He’d taken the Angel Knife along with Carlo Bart Baxter’s rings and Icharaam’s Crown. While the others had figured out their treasures from Icharaam, the crown still hadn’t revealed its secret. They’d left Icharaam’s Orb back in their world with Tessa’s brother, since it was fueling that FleshForge spell keeping him healthy.

  Steven rose. A simple steel bracelet jangled on his wrist. Each of them had the bracelets, gifts from Tessa. She’d mixed Incanto magic with AnimusChain and added a bit of Defensio to the simple metal hoop. It would protect them from anyone trying to steal their Animus. After dealing with the Dragonknights, it had been her idea to create an item that would protect their cores. To top it all off, it would transform with Steven. They were one step closer to being able to shift without destroying their clothes.

  Tessa had brought a stack of silver dollars and extra bracelets she could enchant. If she could work wonders with Magica Incanto, Steven was curious to see what she could do with Enchantrix.

  Steven touched the stump where his left finger should be. He thought he’d try FleshForge to fix it, and yet, he hadn’t. He couldn’t shake the feeling that if he tried, he’d wind up with a long pinkie finger. Like Spider Finger. His enemy. It was strange.

  The Wayne twins came over to him. They stood with their rifles planted on their hips.

  “Okay, boss,” Pru said. “We think you should go in first, and then if shit hits the fan, we got your back. Oh, and take your sword.”

  Zoey stood on the lawn. “I should go first. I have armor,” she insisted.

  Chazzie and Pru glanced at each other. They didn’t say a word for a second. Then Chazzie smiled. “Okay, Z. We follow you.” Her polite words helped soften the rather harsh smile.

  “We’ll stay here,” Aria said. “To keep watch.”

  Tessa made a face. “Uh, no, I want to see a post-apocalyptic suburban house firsthand. It’s like so Walking Dead.”

  Mouse rolled her eyes. “Zombie shows can suck it.”

  Tessa went on. “We have Uchiko and Sabina. Come on, Aria and Mouse. Let’s go find terrible things we can kill.”

  Mouse laughed. “I’m in.”

  Aria conceded. “Very well. I’m not scared of zombies. I am, however, afraid of ghosts.”

  Steven didn’t say it, but the houses around them definitely seemed haunted.

  Chapter Two

  STEVEN PATTED SABINA on the back. She stood on the sidewalk with her eyes glowing. Uchiko was nowhere to be seen, but of course, she’d be watching.

  “I’ll be fine here,” Sabina said. “So far, I see no trouble around us. Unless the Zothoric can hide from our Divination magic? I could see their hive, their Cruxis, I think it’s called, but that is far away, at the lake. Maybe when they are close, they are invisible.”

  “Well, that’s a terrible thought.” Chazzie sighed.

  Zoey was at the door of the middle house first. “Come on, guys. Let’s get this over with. It’s kind of stressing me out.”

  Steven followed Zoey into the house with the twins behind him. He gripped Samael’s Lash, his bastard sword, with two hands.

  Dust covered everything in the living room: the sofa, the chairs, the carpet. Paintings hung on the wall next to off-colored rectangles where other pictures had been. A heavy, closed-in musty smell hung in the air. No one had been in the house for a long time it seemed.

  “Whatever happened here on planet shithole, folks certainly had some warning.” Pru pointed to the walls and to holes in the bookca
ses. “They grabbed the family pictures and the photo albums and packed them up. Betcha we find most of the canned food gone.”

  “Fridges are gonna smell to high heaven,” Chazzie complained.

  “Don’t think so, sis. I think all this happened a long time ago, and what’s left is rotted away. Let’s go into the kitchen to take a look.”

  Zoey sniffed and made a face. “Prudence is wrong. It smells. I can smell it from here. The fridge, the freezer, they left the food there, but it’s been sitting in rot a long time.”

  “Girlfriend has the bear sniffer,” Chazzie said, laughing a little.

  Steven followed the Morphling into the kitchen. He opened the refrigerator and there was green, certainly, but most of the food had moldered away into a fine coating. He checked the expiration on the milk: July 23 over two years prior.

  The freezer was as bad since electricity no longer worked. Two years had gone by. That gave them some information.

  Zoey opened a cabinet and pointed. “I can see circles where the cans would’ve been. Yes, someone packed up.”

  Chazzie went to the door that led to the garage. “Hey, I’ll open, you shoot the zombies on the other side.”

  Pru tilted her head. “I don’t think we can joke. I am not having a good time. However, they left the beds here, so, we do some laundry, and we got clean sheets. I can do pretty much anything if I have clean sheets.”

  Chazzie opened the door. Nothing jumped out at them. The garage was empty.

  “They took both cars and left the bikes,” Pru said. “I’m getting a definite evacuation feeling from this place.”

  Zoey insisted on going first up the stairs to the second floor. Steven followed. The fridge stink wouldn’t leave his nose, and how quiet it was, how dusty and dead, it didn’t feel right. Pru and Chazzie, guns ready, flanked him. They weren’t being any louder than usual, yet they seemed to make so much noise. It was that quiet.

  At the top, they split up. Steven and Zoey checked out the master bedroom while the twins searched the other rooms. They bed hadn’t been made. Again, more dust and nothingness. Books lay piled up at the side of the bed, romance novels, and the other side only had a lamp and dead clock radio.