"You don't have to leave with Sir Jose on his stupid crusade, Kit . You can stay with Martinez, "pleaded young Jim as Kitahria packed her gear tightly into her traveling case .

"I know , but I'm his squire, I belong at his side, "protested Kit with a sigh.

The short boy was a few years younger than the were fox, but she considered him one of her few true friends. The pair was the youngest in their small band, and they often found each other in each others company defending the rear or flanks, while the others were off leading the charge against monsters or demons. More often or not, the two still managed to get into trouble , but they were luckily well trained for it. Though she considered herself quite skilled in battle , Kit admitted that young Jim was quite gifted in combat as well.

"You aren't really his squire you know, at least not officially. You never went through the initiation rites or learned the traditions of his Order. You're just someone that Jose took under his wing after he freed you, " Jimmy pointed out.

Kit did not think badly of his slight, and she agreed with basically what he said. Though she wasn't Jose's squire, she owed the knight pretty much everything. He was the man that granted her life and freedom. Without him, she knew she would have either been slain due to her servitude under the demon Mogombo, or be thrown into some dark Grommish prison for her association with it. Even if she somehow evaded that fate, she was a stranger in this bizarre land, and would have probably fallen into banditry or worse to survive, till they hunted her down of course. Sir Jose took her in without question , and he treated her fairly, almost like a dysfunctional daughter. She never had family let alone a father , he was so unlike her former lord Mogombo that it inspired her to follow in the knight's path. She would not abandon him so lightly.


"You don't have to leave with that stupid Sir Jose to do battle with the dragon , Kit . You can leave with the rest of us with Sherriff Trent. We'll double around Essuria or whatever the next town is called and head to either Cauldron or the port of Sasserine. ", pleaded Maid as the rest of the small caravan began to turn from the city.

"It's folly to battle a full grown dragon in the open. They are bad enough in enclosed areas, but suicide to fight when it can fly. ", noted Sherriff Trent. " Their scales are almost impenetrable to arrows and crossbow bolts and they have innate resistance to magic. If you somehow bring a big enough force to challenge a dragon they will either use their flight to run away or attack your supplies and healers first with their mobility. Oh and let's not forget about their breath weapon, they can lay waste to ranks of archers with a single breath. ", added the Halfling grimly.

Kit knew the dangers, and nodded numbly as she raced after her lord. They were right. To confront the dragon would be both folly and stupid, but she would not abandon her lord. Under the service of the demon lord Mogombo she had faced death before , but it was normally for some trivial matter or to advance her master'power. This was different; she would face death with someone she respected. Despite her constant taunting of him, she would not abandon him so lightly.

"Keeta, I want you to guard the caravan. Sherriff Trent will probably need a hand keeping everyone safe. ", ordered Sir Jose as he rode down the path.

"Nah….I'm your squire , I should be at your side for this. ", quipped Kit as she skipped after him.

Jose frowned. "My squire eh? Then as my squire , you will do as I say. And I am ordered you to follow Sherriff Trent. ", commanded the knight.

Kit paused and considered his words. "Nah….I quit then. I'm not really your squire anyways. I didn't go through the proper initiations and learned all the traditions of your order anyways. ", she declared before skipping after him.

"Woof! ", barked Greenpaw in agreement.

Jose scowled but relented. "Okay, I guess its two on one here. I concede your right to be incinerated by dragon's fire, " laughed the knight but he swiftly fell silent.

A massive shadow fell over them, and Kit felt unimaginable terror fill her. She could only think of turning and fleeing, but Greenpaw shuffled next to her first. The young squire felt a wave of courage fill her as she stood in her lord's presence . The paladin was a bastion of bravery as he stared at the dragon overhead. The monster did not attack them, as it simply flew overhead in a wide arc. Kit felt a surge of her will power return as it left and she quickly scrambled up on some rocks to watch its flight.

From her new vantage point, she was surprised to see the walled town of Essuria so close to their position and watched as the dragon circled around its walls. She noted that the walls and the battlements had been charred and burned, along with large portions of the town , and guessed from some of the repairs the town had affected that this siege had been going on for a few weeks now. The dragon seemed to survey the damage it had inflicted previously as well, before landing in front of the town's battered gates.

"Return what is mine! ", roared the monster in an ear shattering screech. Even though she was roughly a half mile away , the scream sent a chill even into Kit's spine. The squire saw the dragon roar angrily at the gate in a less audible manner, before it unleashed a wave of fire into the structure. Arrows, ballistae bolts and even some bursts of magical energy were fired at it from the walls, but true to Sherriff Trent's prediction, the dragon fled into the air once again before it sustained any damage.

Kit noted that despite being besieged and battered the town was far from defenseless. Though blackened the walls were still thick, and with her keen vision she saw several fortified ballistae turrets , along with several mages or possibly wands at the townsfolk's' disposal . Despite this, the dragon had the distinct advantage and it would only be a matter of time till it tore the settlement down.

"Ah, I didn't believe Trent when he said it was Magda, but sure enough….there she is. The treacherous queen of flames herself, "noted Jose as he continued his march.

Kit's ears twitched at his comment, before sliding down towards him.

"You know this dragon?" She asked in disbelief.

Jose looked at her and frowned. "Your ears Keeta , " he said while pointing at his own head.

Kit snorted and shrank her ears as per his instructions. She instinctively changed them while attempting to listen in to the dragon's demands. "What about the dragon? Where did you meet it before?"

Jose shrugged. "Maybe a decade ago, when I was still a squire under Sir Rollo, we first encounter her and her mate. We tracked them down to their lair and killed the male, but Magda escaped, " explained the knight. "Actually she didn't escape. More accurately she left her …"husband"… to die. Crafty little bitch. "

Kit scratched her head. "Are you sure that's what happened? It sounds more like the male dragon sacrificed himself so she could safely flee. She doesn't sound treacherous to me, "she pondered.

Jose chuckled. "Well Keeta, I would agree with you except that's not what happened. Sir Rollo and I battled Torma, the male dragon , up and down its halls, till it retreated back to its treasure room. We followed it of course, and to our surprise Torma was bellowing in rage and betrayal when we cornered it. Seemed Magda left with their combine horde while he was battling us , which to a dragon is like chopping off a limb. If they wanted to escape, they could have both done so easily and with their belongings, but it seemed like old Magda wanted all the loot to herself. Torma of course was consumed by rage, but this gave my Lord a perfect opportunity to smite his foe. Remember fight smart, not angry …unless of course you're really really angry, " explained Jose calmly.

Kit nodded and continued to follow her own lord . The fact that Jose battled this very dragon before gave her hope in her own success. Surely her lord had a plan to vanquish this beast. "So …Jose, this dragon should be no problem for you right? You've already killed one , this one should be a piece of cake right? What's our best course of attack? " ,asked the young squire.

Jose shrugged, "Actually , of the pair, Magda was the more dangerous opponent, and we never had a chance to test our strength against hers. As for a plan….well I haven't really come up with any ideas yet. I'm welcome to suggestions though. ", admitted the knight as he continued his march towards the dragon and the town.

Kit gave her master a "are you stupid?" look, and wondered if it was still possible to run back to Trent and Maid.


Kitahria wasn't sure if Sir Jose was joking or not, but fell into a steady march behind her lord as he approached the besieged city. They were too far to charge, and even if they did she wasn't sure what that would accomplish. As they drew closer, she noticed his pace had quickened and she matched his speed accordingly. Even though she wasn't mounted, she was tireless and fairly fleet of foot. She could keep up with Greenpaw under most circumstances unless of course the massive dog was full out sprinting or charging.

As they approached Sir Jose signalled to her to take cover and be ready to follow his lead, and she responded accordingly by hiding behind a rock framed by several twisted trees. It was an innovative method of communicating on the battlefield used by Jose's countryman Martinez, and from Kit's estimation it was a combination of dwarven, heraldic, and military signs.

Kit wasn't sure what Jose's plan was or if he had any at all but unslung her short bow and nocked an arrow . She knew the pair of them were fairly lethal in melee situations, but were lacking in the missile department. Her weapon lacked the range of an elven or even a steppe warrior's bow, and she used it mainly because it was light and easy to carry. Her master had a heavy crossbow, which was fairly deadly if it hit, but it had a long reload time. While competent with its use , Jose was not an exceptional with his aim. The dragon on the other hand had numerous options available to it. It of course had its fiery breath, which seem to incinerate anything not made of stone. Kit noted that the town must have a good team of clerics to douse the fires or some other type of enchantment protecting it. Secondly the dragon had its own spells. Kit wasn't sure what spells it employed, but knew dragons were supposedly cunning and clever, it most likely had some sort of incantation to slay its foes from a distance. Finally if all else fails, a dragon can use its massive strength and its wings to drop boulders on its foes. Kit saw that several battlements had boulders on it, but also noted that few of the actual town structures were flattened by this method. Perhaps the dragon wanted to preserve some type of valuable treasure the townsfolk were hiding? As she watched Jose approach the burning town , she hoped his plan did not require the pair of them to exchange long range fire with the dragon's deadly arsenal at its disposal.

Jose gave no indication at his plan of attack as he approached. He simply tied his banner to his lance and rode confidently towards the town.

"Magda! Face me! ", he shouted defiantly. With or without her fox ears, Kit's ears were keen and her master's commanding voice carried fairly well through the mountains. The young squire wasn't sure if announcing your presence was a good idea and half expected a boulder to flatten her lord, but surprisingly the dragon circled once before landing before the knight.

"You! I know you! ", hissed the dragon with an even louder voice. From this distance Kit could see the full splendor of the dragon and the young squire admitted it was not what she had expected. It was big,much bigger than she realized. As big as a troop of elephants in her opinion. It had gleaming bring red scales that appeared almost if they were painted lacquer. From the statues and paintings of dragons that Kit had saw in Grom City, she thought it would have an oversized body and thin neck, but instead it's neck was thick and it had a lean muscular torso. The dragon's claws were curiously a bright enamel black , and she noted that the tales of them being sharp like spears was no exaggeration. Even as it landed and raked the rocky ground, Kit could see them rend the stone like a plow through dirt. It's tail was muscular as well, ending with a spade frill. Kit noted that there were sharp plates of armor attached to it, and noted to herself to watch out for its tail, if she ever had enough courage to engage it in melee. Finally , the young squire expected a reptilian head, similar to a snake's, but instead it seemed a mix between a crocodile and oddly enough a lion. Kit thought these creatures were wholly reptilian in nature, and was surprise at this distance to see it had a massive mane of golden red hair.

Sir Jose seemed to falter from the proximity of this beast, and Kit couldn't blame him. It was frightening enough at the distance she found herself watching it, she couldn't imagine how scary it would be to face the monster face to face.

"Mummbmmumbbmummm ", was all Kit heard being mumbled by her master.

"I do know you! You are Sir Rollo's whelp ! I do not know if I should thank you for ridding me of my useless mate, or devour you for daring to attack a dragon! ", laughed Magda.

"Mummmbmmmmbmmmm.", repeated Jose. She attempted to aim at the beast with her bow, but she was too scared to. She could see that Jose must have been under the same effect and she felt a deep fear for her master's and her own life.

"Speak up ! Stop mumbling worm! ", spat the dragon as it brought its head closer to peer at him.

Suddenly the paladin drew his sword, and in a second it was wreathed with holy fire. Without a word he swung it in a mighty arc and brought it crashing onto the dragon's head.

The dragon screamed a roar of pain that shook the mountains. It then recoiled back, lashing its tail in a wide defensive arc before it. Greenpaw hopped over the bulk of the tail , but was still struck by a glancing blow from the monstrous appendage. The large husky was thrown to the side but Jose nimbly hopped off it and landed on his feet.

Magda backed up and engulfed the paladin in a sheet of flame, before taking flight in a disjointed manner. Even though Jose brought up his shield in time, Kit expected her master to be a blackened skeleton in armor at that point, but amazingly the knight survived with only a few smouldering patches to his armor. Kit wasn't sure, but ironically she guessed he was employing some sort of fire resistance magical item given to him most likely from the baroness Stille. The dragon shrieked in frustration and pain, and Kit's sharp vision saw that one of Magda's eyes had been apparently maimed by Jose's holy strike.

Instinctively Kit fired her bow, and struck the dragon squarely in its muscular torso . Her shot of course bounced off harmlessly, but suddenly a volley of arrows and crossbow bolts began striking the dragon as well. Kit knew they were too far from the town for them to help them and wondered where the source of their aid was. She turned and saw Sherriff Trent, his outriders , the caravan guards, and Maid had returned and was lending what little help they could. Most of the arrows bounced off harmlessly like her own, but the young squire noted that a few crossbow bolts and some well-placed goblin arrows were drawing more dark blood from the beast. Not enough to hurt the monster significantly, but it was still a testament to the superior marksmanship of the Halflings and Maid.

Before the dragon was fully in flight, Jose ran towards the beast and managed to strike it deeply with a cut to its leg. The dragon kicked instinctively at its attacker , striking the knight and sending him flying from the blow.

Kit wasn't sure what the plan was at that point, but broke cover and ran towards the fallen Jose, while all the while firing haphazardly at her opponent with her bow. Her arrows mostly missed and the ones that did hit seem to have no effect on it, but the combined volley of missile fire being shot at the creature appeared to give the monster pause.

A cheer rose from the city as several ballista bolts were fired at the dragon as well. Due to the range they missed of course but it seemed to send panic into the dragon. Kit knew they were far from victorious, they merely forced the monster away. She could still imagine a scenario where the beast would use its maneuverability and speed to its advantage. A chill ran down her spine as she imagined Magda spitting flame onto Trent and the other archers, burning them all alive. Then it would be an easy matter to finish off Jose. Kit doubt her master would have another chance to strike at the beast from such close range again.

As the dragon flew higher and higher into the air , out of the effective range of even the mighty ballistae, a high shriek sounded from the mountains. Kit scanned for the source and saw what appeared to be a half dozen giant birds of prey descending on the dragon. The speed of their attack caught the dragon by surprise and the squire watched sharp talons and beaks slicing through even the dragon's hardened scales. Magda twisted and trashed in mid-air at its new attackers, and managed to slam one of the birds with its wings, and bite another's head off with its jaws. These new attackers did not seem fazed by the casualties they were taking and continued their attack on the dragon. Kit watched as one raked the dragon's back and even managed to peck and tear the dragon's leathery wings. The dragon roared in pain and frustration as it it grasped another one of the birds in its talons and crushed the life out of it.

Though Kit didn't notice it at first, she then saw the bird's body evaporating into a cloud of dust or perhaps leaves after it died. The young squire then understood they were some sort of summoning, and guessed that there was a spell caster in the area that also despised the dragon.

The combined effect of the birds, the possibility of a spell caster, Trent's reinforcements, and of course Jose's sight crippling blow was too much for the dragon. Kit guessed it was rarely challenged like this, and retreated instead of facing its foes. It soon soared erratically out of sight behind the mountains with a trio of eagles in pursuit.

Kit breathed a sigh of relief , the threat of the dragon was far from over, but they had won this battle. She saw Trent and his men cheer at the dragon's retreat, but focused her attention on her fallen master. She noticed that Greenpaw had recovered and was at his side. She feared the worse for him, but was relieved to find the knight struggling to his feet. Battered, bruised, bloodied, but most importantly alive.

"Wow , giant eagles appeared at the last moment out of nowhere to save the day. Who's gonna believe this tale? ", lamented the knight.

"That was your plan? Draw it close and take out its eye?" Asked Kit with a smile when she saw Jose was alright.

Jose dust himself off and then flexed his sword arm and hand. "Actually I didn't think it would get that close. When it did , I was hoping to take off its neck, but I didn't draw it in close enough." , he said with a shrug.

Sherriff Trent, his outriders, the caravan guards and of course Maid had at that point caught up to Kit and Jose. "Well done sir! I wasn't sure what one man could accomplish in the Western Freeholds, but you've shown me your merit and courage today. I apologize for ever doubting your battle prowess, "said the Halfling with a reverent bow.

Jose looked at them and scratched his head again. "Hey, I thought you guys were heading off to Cauldron or something. ", he finally said.

"We were, but we returned when we saw your squire stand at your side. We have our pride and we would be shamed if this slip of a girl stood against a dragon while we ran to save our skins, "explained the Sherriff.

Kit bristled at Trent calling him a slip of a girl, but guessed that was a fairly accurate description of her.

"We followed because we weren't going off by ourselves without an escort. ", added Maid with a wink.