Strabo's Jewel- Chapter one: Challenge It was evening in Landover. Elongated shadows crawled over the badlands and fire springs, tinting the red landscape with purple and black. A figure made its way through the hissing, growling geysers that spurted fire and filled the air with a sulfurous reek. The man was young, barely out of his teens, tall, with sandy hair and tan skin. His pale blue eyes were hard and a heavy mace dangled from one hand. He was tired, but anger gave him strength. He had far to reach the badlands, to slay the dragon. Caught in a hazy half dream, Strabo moved restlessly, great yellowed claws grating on the rocky ground. The beast's keen senses informed him that someone had entered his territory, someone small and easily dealt with. The dragon lay still as a stone, eyes closed, as the human warily approached. Aaron nearly gagged, the stench of sulfur and rotting flesh was stronger than ever at the heart of the beast's domain. The young man readied his mace, expecting to see the hated dragon around the next corner, but his foe appeared to be absent from his home. Aaron leaned against a black rock, hot and curiously patterned. Mixed emotions assailed the man, disappointment that he had not found the dragon, giddy relief that he could leave his quest for another day and go home. Next to Aaron's head, Strabo's massive eye opened, blazing yellow against the crusted black scales. "Kindly remove your hand from my snout" the dragon rumbled. The man jumped backwards, gasping like a fish. The dragon's stout legs pushed him up off the ground, his maw opening to vent stream that scalded the Aaron's exposed flesh. "You humans are so arrogant", Strabo sighed. "For countless years, your kinds have sought me, looking to slay the very last dragon. None have survived. Short memories, ignorant mortals, you seem to forget that I am more powerful, and doubtlessly more intelligent than a simple human." Strabo closed his eyes and hissed. "I grow tired of it all. Speak then, what is your grief with me?" Aaron stammered "I m-muh." Strabo's patience was wearing thin, lowering his great horned head, he roared "SPEAK, human!" Aaron gulped, and met the beast's eyes. "Half my family's herds of cows and sheep were eaten by you this spring and summer, we have lost profit, the grass has died and gone brown from your fires, and the cows are now so stressed they have stopped producing milk. As a service to the farmers and Landover, I vow that I shall have your head as a trophy, and if I die, my brothers will come for you as well." Strabo threw back his head and bellowed with laughter "Every time a farmer has ill luck, they blame it on the dragon, or the fairies, or some force totally out of their control! Go home, little man, run away quickly." Interrupting the dragon's threat, Aaron whirled his mace above his head and delivered a blow to Strabo's foreleg. It left only the tiniest of wounds, but Strabo stared in amazement. "You show remarkable courage, human. It will be a shame to eat you, but I can think of no other way to be rid of you." A smoking jet of fire blasted into the air, accompanied by a man's tortured scream. Strabo's booming voice echoed through the fire springs. "Ugh, human flesh is always so bitter."

Chapter two:

Ben Holiday, King of Landover, sighed as he bent over a sheath of papers, quill pen scratching. "Abernathy, please read me those figures again." "Yes, sire." The scribe readjusted his reading glasses on his long nose "Fatalities and disappearances of humans in Landover proper, ending spring harvest. "Drowning: 9 victims, most less than five years of age. Homicide/suicide: 16 victims. Dragon related accidents: 2 victims." Enough for tonight, my friend, these reports are depressing." The soft coated wheaten