by Sophie Park
“What?”
“With the trolls gone, it’s a nice place. You’re a hero, you could do anything you wanted and they would only help.”
“I told you before, I’m not leaving you.” Mira was quiet for a moment. “It sounds nice, but no. Not now. Maybe not ever. If I walked through the square, I would always remember this was where I first killed someone.”
“I… I’m sorry.”
“I know. It’s not your fault.” Mira had that faraway look again, then she turned to Sandra with nothing but concern in her eyes. “It was your first time too, wasn’t it?”
“What?”
“When you collapsed…”
“Right. Of course you’d notice.” Sandra smiled, cheered to have such a good friend. “Mine too.”
They both stared at the fountain in silence, remembering the night before when the mayor stood on it and talked about sacrificing Mira to flesh-eating trolls.
“The trolls were right.”
“What?”
“Oh, nothing. Just… a conversation I had with them.”
“You had a conversation?” Mira had a strange look on her face.
“I was trying to distract them while I escaped.”
“Ah.”
“Anyway, I accused them of being cannibals because they wanted to eat me, and they disagreed.”
“They were going to eat you!?” Mira looked shocked.
“They’re trolls.” Sandra shrugged. “I would have been surprised if they wanted anything else.”
“Oh… oh! Did you know that when you went out?”
“Yes.”
“Sandra…” Mira shook her head.
“I didn’t go out intending to get caught.”
“But you went out for me!”
“Maybe it was your idea, but you were right.” Sandra shrugged. “Anyway, it’s done. I lived. No worries.”
“No worries…”
“Anyway, they were right. It is different. Killing them… nothing. Just monsters. Killing those mercs?” Sandra considered the night before. It came back unbidden in flashes: a sword here, a scream there. She blocked it out. “I can still hear them screaming.”
“Me too.”
They stopped talking to stare at the fountain, considering the events of the night. They were both changed because of it. For the better? Time would tell.
They spent the rest of the time in light conversation, discussing the goods that Mira obtained the night before and checking their equipment. This was the last friendly stop before the dragon’s cave and they needed to be ready now. Sandra had packed a number of extra weapons from the dead mercs, and insisted on giving Mira a short sword.
“I don’t know how to use it!”
“The pointy end goes in the other guy.”
“Yes, thanks. Awesome. I would have gotten that wrong without your help.”
“I’m very helpful.”
“Really, though? I’ve got the crossbow.”
“Not helpful when someone is in your face.”
“Okay. You’ll show me how to use it?”
Sandra considered the request. Her fighting style was what got them into trouble in the first place. It was not really appropriate to do that kind of aggressive training going into the danger that they were heading for. Bruises and broken bones healed, but not in a week.
“We’ll go over the basics.”
“Later you’ll teach me how to punch princes?
“Yeah. Later. Cheeky.”
“You love it.”
Within the hour they’d covered everything had, considered everything they needed, and were waiting for the last of the civilian patrols to report back. Most of them returned with nothing to report, the patrol from the rich part of town was taking the longest. After nearly getting lost in the mayor’s mansion a few times, Sandra didn’t blame them.
Finally, the last of the patrols were back. They’d found nothing. Sandra once again confronted the general goods manager and his daughter.
“You’re confident you looked everywhere?”
“As confident as I can be.” He shrugged. “There are a lot of hiding places in a city.”
“I can’t stay…”
“We know. If there’s one or two left, we’ll handle them. We have some fighters around, just none…”
“As lethal as me?”
“I was going to say good.”
“But you were thinking the other one.”
“Yes. Okay.” He put a hand on his forehead. “What you did in the square? We’re all very grateful for it, but we also had to clean it up.” He paused. “Don’t get me wrong! We’re grateful! It’s just…”
“I understand. We’re leaving now. Hopefully, we won’t see you again, but if the prince comes back this way please try not to blame him for your hardships.”
“The prince?” The man looked confused now. “Why would he come here?”
“It’s the only way from the Riprocks to the capital.” Sandra nodded toward the distant mountains. They were barely dots on the horizon in the capital, but now they were closer. Much closer.
“I… oh right, the dragon. My daughter told me about that. I thought you were kidding!”
“Why?”
“It’s… a dragon! Who in their right mind would try and kill something like that?”
Sandra stared at him.
“I just called you crazy, didn’t I?”
Sandra nodded.
“Look…”
“It’s okay.” Sandra smiled and clapped the man on the back. While she was busy having fun with him, part of her was sad that he was so pathetically afraid of her. She was supposed to be one of the good guys. “I appreciate the supplies and the celebration in our honor.”
“Well, we appreciate… our lives.” He laughed. “You say you don’t want to come back but you’re welcome any time.”
“Thank-you. Take care of yourselves.”
Sandra clapped the man on the shoulder, then hugged his daughter. Mira did the same, then they mounted up and headed out of town toward the mountains.
*
Under most circumstances, Stabheart Spire was not a unique mountain. It was not the tallest in the Riprock range, and it was not the most rugged. It had only a single mine to speak of, and the city at its base was of middling size. Sandra had heard of great dwarven metropolises underneath he mountains, where thousands of artisans toiled on works more incredible than anything the sun had ever touched. Stabheart Town was not one of those.
Stabheart Spire’s only distinction was being home to a dragon.
Sandra and Mira left Annie and Lightning at a stable in the town below. There was a path up the side of the mountain, to the top where the only known entrance to the dragon’s lair was, but it was too dangerous in the last half for horses. Without the extra speed, they did not make the peak the first night. They camped in a shallow cave which looked like it had been used for that purpose before.
“Ick. Who was here?” Mira swept a mess of long-mummified garbage out of the cave floor and over the side of the mountain.
“Probably another adventurer.”
“Ick. Slobs!”
“Well, they obviously didn’t have as awesome a squire as you.”
“I’ll say!” Mira stuck out her tongue when she found a discarded pair of underwear, and threw those over the side of the mountain too. “I wonder what happened to them?”
“Eaten. Probably.”
“Maybe burned.”
“Dismembered.”
“Dropped off the mountain.”
“We can still turn back.” Sandra contemplated the fire pit, which was the only salvageable part of the long-forgotten camp.
“No.”
“No. You’re right. I thought I’d throw it out there just in case.”
“We couldn’t respect ourselves if we came this far and then… just left.” Mira stirred the long-dead coals in the fire pit, then set about building a fire. They were warned there was no firewood
this high up, so they’d packed some kindling and firewood up the mountain with them. Mira left the entire load in the cave; either they would need it when they came back down or they wouldn’t. Either way, no point in lugging it up the mountain.
“I know. I’m just…”
“Having second thoughts?”
“Not in so many words. I just wonder if this is going to end well.”
“Not for the dragon!”
“Gods, I hope so.”
“Come on, you gonna help?”
“Right. Yes.” Sandra helped Mira build the fire, then set about chopping vegetables they’d purchased in Stabheart Town. While she’d been teaching Mira how to use that sword, Mira was teaching her how to cook and do all of the things which made surviving in the wilderness bearable, like forage and trap.
There was nothing to forage or trap up here, so they had to rely on purchased supplies. It was a long time since they’d had real beef which wasn’t cured to the consistency of leather, so they both relished and enjoyed the meal. Sandra tried not to think about the fact that it might very well be their last. They huddled together that night for warmth against the chill mountain winds which whipped across the mountain and into their cave.
It was almost evening the next day when they reached the summit of the mountain. To Sandra’s surprise, the top was not a craggy peak like a normal mountain but a nearly flat piece of rock. There was a slight slope on one side which ended with a square block that looked like an altar, and across from it on the other side was a hole. That hole was, apparently, the only entrance to the dragon’s lair and what they would have to enter to infiltrate the creature’s hoard and make off with the prince. Sandra briefly considered getting in, getting the prince and getting out, then realized that was not the best plan. In the best case the dragon would hunt them down and they’d have to fight it on a battleground of its choosing. In the worst case, it would fly straight to the castle and start destroying things in a rage.
So, they’d have to find the dragon and kill it.
Easy.
Sandra hoped they could get down into the lair to do that. She didn’t particularly relish the thought of a pitched battle on the exposed mountaintop. The weather was deceptively calm, they knew from the night before that soon the winds would pick up and then it might not even be possible to stand straight up against its power.
To the hole. Good thing they brought a lot of rope.
“Okay. I think if we fasten this to that outcropping over there, we should be able to get down safely.” Sandra made a loose loop with the rope and tossed it over a craggy bit of rock at the top of the path, a few feet down from the flat top of the mountain.
“You think?” Mira considered the rope skeptically.
“I’ll go first, since I’ve got all this extra metal. If it holds me, you should be fine.”
“You’re not really inspiring confidence.” Mira went over to the loop of rope and turned Sandra’s loose tie into a real knot. She gave it a couple of experimental tugs to test the strength. “Have you done this before?”
“No. You?”
“No.”
“Great.” Sandra got out a second rope and a couple of harnesses they’d purchased from town. With Mira’s help she attached the second rope to a different outcrop, then hooked it up through a pulley. They would climb down the first rope, which was knotted every couple of feet to improve grip, but in case of slipping the second rope would keep them from plummeting to their death.
At least, that was the theory.
Sandra got into her harness, checked the fastenings, then helped Mira with hers. After five minutes of tightening buckles, checking and rechecking fastenings and generally obsessing over the flimsy piece of equipment which would be the only thing between them and death, Sandra nodded.
“No time like the present.”
“Right.” Mira gave each harness one last test tug, then nodded.
Sandra approached the hole to the dragon’s lair and peered over the side. She couldn’t see the bottom, not even the bottom of the rope. Darkness swallowed it up over a hundred feet down. Could she really climb that far? At least she had the harness.
Swallowing her fear, Sandra gripped the knotted climbing rope and gave it another test tug. No slipping, no cracking of rock.
“Aren’t you two cute?” A male voice, dark and rich and full of danger, cut through the tense silence preceding Sandra’s descent. Both women jumped and turned in the direction of the sound.
Standing on the altar was a richly dressed man with handsome features. His eyes sparkled in the fading daylight, and his clothes seemed to shimmer as he moved. He wore a thick trench coat of red leather, almost black sometimes and almost crimson others, and under it he had garments which could only be made of fine silk. Belted at his hip was a sword in a jeweled scabbard, and his hand rested lazily on the hilt. Dangerously. He moved like a warrior as he stepped down from the altar, confidence oozing from every shift of his muscles and every step of his booted feet.
Sandra had her sword out and pointed at him before he finished the question.
“Harnesses? Pulleys? You’re really prepared for this.” The man grinned. It was not a pleasant expression. “Where is your backup, hmm? Who else is here to claim my prize from me?”
“Your prize… you’re the dragon?” Sandra put the pieces together, even though they didn’t quite fit. The dragon was a thirty foot long lizard, not a snarky nobleman.
“Bingo! Yes. Thank-you. I am Daro, the dragon who has taken your prince.” The man bowed obsequiously after introducing himself. “M’lady…?”
“Sandra… this is Mira.”
“Hi.” Mira waved shyly with one hand, clutching the crossbow in the other. While the dragon was busy talking they both removed their harnesses and stood ready.
“Wait.” Sandra interrupted before the dragon could continue. “Daro? Really?”
“What?” He looked taken aback.
“I mean… what’s your last name? N-something?”
“Ooh, Daro N. Sneaky.” Mira giggled. “I think it’s Norbauer.”
“I got it. You’re Daro G. Notadragon!”
“What are you two talking about?” Daro looked angry and confused at the same time.
“Your name. It would be like someone naming me Humanetta.” Sandra had her shield out now, but was having fun with this and couldn’t help laughing.
“Daro S. Scaleyface.” Mira grinned.
“Ah ha. Daro B. Princecapturer?”
“Look, you two should tremble before me!” Daro approached a step and struck an intimidating pose. Lightning crackled loudly in the clouds around the mountaintop. “Compared to you, I am like a god!”
“Actually, you’re more like a petty bandit.” Sandra shrugged. “But who’s counting?”
“Listen. Are you two the only ones who came?” Daro opted for changing the subject.
“Yeah.”
“Looks like.”
“Really?” The dragon’s face fell. “A warrior and her squire are all that came to rescue the prince?”
“They were scared.”
“You were pretty scary.” Mira nodded solemnly in agreement.
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. Setting the courtyard on fire was a nice touch.” Sandra considered it. Now that she was saying it, she realized she was right. If Daro's intention was to draw a rescue force out to his mountain he’d been going about the entire thing wrong. “I think the captain soiled himself.”
“Snrrgh.” Mira choked on some laughter. “Really?”
“I was standing right beside him when we were talking with the queen. I think so.”
“Well. This is disappointing.” Daro deflated, looking weary. “I was hoping for a grand battle with a force of grizzled royal guards intent on rescuing their prince.”
“And you got me instead.” Sandra shrugged. “You could just call the whole thing off and let him go?”
“I should have asked for more money.�
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“You really should have. You know, if your intention was this big battle you’re talking about.” Sandra was skeptical. The dragon had gone through all of this just to have a big fight with a bunch of guards? He could have done that back at the castle.
“Anyway, I guess I’ll kill you two now.” He looked downcast.
“Yeah. That’s a shame. Why don’t you just let the prince go and we can forget the whole thing?”
“No, I don’t think so. You came all the way out here, after all.”
“It’s really not a problem.”
“Tell you what? I’ll give you a fighting chance and stay in this form for the fight. Okay?”
“Generous.”
“I thought so.”
“Mira, get back off the mountain.”
“I’m going to kill her, too.” With a flourish, Daro drew his sword. After the jeweled scabbard, it was unimpressively plain. It glowed faintly, about the same amount as Sandra’s sword, which also seemed off. She appreciated the magic hers had, but a creature like a dragon should have much more powerful artifacts lying around. Well, she’d take it. If she won because he was too cocky, it didn’t matter. She still won.
“I can help!” Mira considered the path down, then considered the two warriors squaring off on the mountain.
“I know, hon. Just try to take cover, you don’t want to be collateral.”
“Oh… oh! Sure, right!” Mira retreated until she could only just see over the top of the mountain, and sighted her crossbow at the dragon. “Like this?”
“Yeah, that’s good.”
“You’re just delaying the inevitable.” Daro danced forward. His feet moved fluidly, but Sandra could pick out the forms as he came. He likely didn’t spend a lot of time fighting in human form, so he fell back on training from long ago. She hoped that her experience in battle would give her the edge over his speed.
“Ready?” Sandra ignored his taunts and fell into a counter-rhythm to his footwork. She kept the shield up and between the two of them, hoping it would provide some protection. From the way he moved he looked not only fast, but strong too. She didn’t know what he’d done to look human, but he seemed to have kept the strength of his dragon form.
That could be a problem.
*
