Chapter the Seventh

The sun did wax ruby, and turn the firmament garnet with the setting of the solar cycle. Dusk stretched forth her violet airfoils 'round the atmospheric levels and bring them into a serene twilight, where reality bends and all things become possible. Where pixies flight from pollard to banyan, and insects dart across the luminescent chanterelles was this place and the witching hour was its time.

Forsooth did the noble hero and his maiden N'ahtsi the Fair, who is called also A'ryah, Tel'nuviel'la, and Ma'ry'sû and other such names of equal beauty, come upon the citadel of the dragons themselves. A great cavern was their hall, filled with milliards of effervescent stones of varying precious value. Topazes, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, quartzes, ambers, mithrils, and bangledooks and swartobblins there were all they. Thus they filled the cavern with a luminescent liquid light, an aura of fluorescence and aureole.

And saw they at once, the mighty King of Dragons in his very dragonage, the puissant Dragnortoth, son of Karra'leth, cousin of Gtyw, son of Eggslap who slew the elven-king X'k'x in the seventh year of Queen Lala of Nador!

"Salutations to ye all," quoth the dragon, "nevermore shall our lands be in peril by the traitorous Darph Vadir, Lord of Umbrage and Shadow! For here is come the armipotent prophesied Dragon Rider to deliver these territories within the continent of Gravbor into the paws of Dragonkin once more!"

And both the epic hero and the comely maiden were awed at his words. Eragreen's hand began to quake, and he did spontaneously burst forth in song, the nigh-best canticle that was e'er heard in those parts since Fradstuck the Bard did die in the eighteenth year of King Quoxix of Gumbria. And it was as this:

'Twas an ancient Druggmiffin

That did tangle with the N'olfordifin

'I the Seventh Song of Runda'zac

Did sing he.

Aye, Aye! Sang he

Of lost love and trips o'er the sea

For the first Gruf'zaxcarin

Did say it.