Night of the Hats

  In The Blood by Alex Irvine in Beneath Ceaseless Skies Dragons have valuable items, but often eat them. Due to the caustic, awful properties of dragon shit most people avoid it despite the possibilities. But there is a particular group, nomadic, following where dragons go, to where they’re fought. They’re outcasts, but merchants will always deal with them, if only at the back door. Usually people leave them alone. Uncle Ongret has many tales, of how they began their time amongst the dragon shit, of their relationship with crows, of how he was drenched in dragon blood, making him immune to blade or fire. And he teaches our narrator after the death of their parents – they tend to die young in this group, dragon shit being dangerous stuff. And they get on until the hetman decides that whatever riches they find are his. But there’s more to the relationship between dragons and those who dig through their shit. The narrator follows their uncle Ongret’s lead until it’s cut shor...