Chapter 9

The hero descends into the darkness and finds exactly what you expect to be there

And so I headed to Garinham on the off chance someone there knew anything about keys, as they too had a locked door, and almost at once was besieged by the usual assortment of the Dragonlord's minions. As I completely expected this it was no problem, and slashed and stabbed my way across the countryside as I had many times before. Arriving there I saw the same people wandering around and asked them about the building at the north end of town.

"What building?" most said.

"That building," I would reply, pointing it out.

"Oh that place!" they would reply with a shrug. "Never thought about it."

Every single person in town acted like this was the first time they were seeing the place, and none claimed any knowledge of what was inside. Somehow I didn't find this as surprising as I once would have, back in the long forgotten ages past I called yesterday. I simply nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world a building they walked past day in and day out should be a total mystery to them and said my farewells. I considered banging on the door again just to see what would happen but standing there I decided that honestly? I didn't want to know if there was someone inside. What would it mean if there was? Talking to them would no doubt simply confuse me as in the case of the fairy water "shop" or annoy me… Like the case of the fairy water "shop." I had gold to earn, "levels" to raise, and clearly the town could take care of itself without my help so I was just going to get on with whatever I had in front of me. I left, wandering some distance south of there just to see what I could find, which turned out to be a dense forest, a small lake, and to the south east a mountain range. I stayed in the forest as long as I dared, then headed back to Brecconary.

What seemed like an eternity later I finished killing what I hoped was the last minion of the Dragonlord, and headed into town. My purse was, I wish I could say it was bulging but honestly it simply looked as it always did. I grew concerned and checked the thing over, and no, there was no hole in the bottom. I had kept careful track, in my possession should be enough gold to buy the sword and if I could sell my previous one back to the blacksmith, a night at the inn to rest and any supplies I might need so I could begin my journey to the swamp cave, should that prove to be my next destination. I had picked up and stored exactly fifteen hundred gold, but as I had once told the blacksmith, that much should require a huge chest to carry. I had no chest, just my small money pouch. There was a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach that somehow this was all for nothing, that maybe the Dragonlord's magic could reach into my pouch and take the gold away from me? Is that why the creatures around here seem endless? The gold just goes back to him and he makes more creatures with it? Has all this been for nothing?

But I knew it wasn't completely for nothing. Even if I had no gold to my name I felt stronger than ever, and had absorbed enough magic in the course of my three day blitz to now be able to cast several spells. I knew how to heal myself, cast a fireball like spell at my enemies, put them to sleep, create a ball of light that could illuminate dark places, and keep my enemies from using magic against me. I marched into the blacksmith's shop with more confidence than I felt, and he was waiting for me at the counter.

"Welcome," he said to me. "You're a man with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Ready to see what a real sword can do for you?"

"I am, if you've got one," I said, equally ready to play this game if that's what it was.

He laughed. "Good, good. Let's see the gold then." He brought out the sword he had showed me before, complete with scabbard.

Here goes nothing. I untied the pouch and made to dump it over.

"Hey, not on the counter, they'll go everywhere!" he protested. "Here, just let me." He grabbed it away from me and hefted it in his hand.

What is he doing? Can he really tell how many coins are in there by just hefting it? But again, how? Each one weighs something, and there's a lot of coins in there! Supposedly. They'll go all over, he said. That pouch can't hold that much gold… Can it?

He seemed satisfied, giving a nod. "Yeah, that's exactly right. Here, I'll give you a new pouch, save us both the trouble." He slid the sword and an empty pouch that looked about the same as mine across the counter, and held out a hand. "You'll want to sell your old sword back then?"

I was about to hand it over when a sudden thought struck me. This sword had served me well, and there was really no reason I couldn't forgo a shield and use two swords. Imagine it! A sword in each hand, essentially allowing me to attack twice per opportunity. Then I shook my head. I'm becoming as absurd as those people walking past a building every day and not wondering what it was. It would never work. Two swords, it's preposterous. Better to stick with the shield, and I do need a free hand to gesture with if I'm going to be using magic on a regular basis now. I would have to drop the other sword, but I can just stop gripping the… the… what do you call the thing on the shield that I hold? The grip? Stop gripping the grip? That can't be right. Besides, I don't want to have to go out again today to get more gold to stay at the inn and get supplies. I handed the sword over and he counted some of my own coins back to me. There are coins in there, no doubt about that. He pulled out a handful. What in the world is going on with that pouch?

"Wonderful doing business with you!" he told me when it was done. "Let me know when you want a better set of armor or a better shield!"

I have my eye on a very special set of armor, thank you very much, but a better shield wouldn't go amiss until I can prove myself to the shop owner and get the full set. "I will," I promised the man.

Feeling far better now that I had a real weapon to my name I stopped in to see the tool shop owner, and found him waiting at the counter as well. He handed me a new looking book with a grin. "Your very own copy," he told me. "Enjoy it."

"I'm sure I will. Does it contain any wisdom I should be aware of?"

"He makes some good points, brings up some things I hadn't thought of. You were right about the boat thing, he did suggest somehow using a waterwheel to propel a boat instead of using it to turn millstones. He also wondered why man couldn't fly like a bird, and he was right on about the progress we've made in the few hundred years since his death. Or should I say the lack of progress?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look around. Our houses are built no better than they were in his time. Blacksmithing hasn't changed. Most people don't know how to read or write. Our roads are still dirt, our roofs still thatch. Our ships are no faster, nor can they withstand storms any better by being of better construction. I could go on but you get the point."

"I suppose. Maybe if the land wasn't under constant siege by people trying to take it over, and making monsters run around everywhere, we might be in better shape today."

He nodded sadly. "You may have the right of it. They were dark times then, and they are dark times today. Still, I see you have your new sword. Let's see it then!"

I proudly drew it, holding it up for him to see.

"Yes, it does look good in your hand. You'll look the part of a true hero, once you've got some decent armor and shield at your side."

I felt a jolt of excitement and wondered if I had impressed the man enough to not need the token. That could go a long way for my further exploration of the land considering the length of the journey that was before me. "Do you mean you're giving me the armor?"

"Of course I am!" My spirits rose further, this was great news! "Right after you bring me the token. Didn't we discuss this?"

And there it was. They fell again, and I put the sword back. "Of course."

"You didn't think I was just going to hand it over right now?"

"No, no, we had a deal. The journal and the token, I remember." But you have to admit that's what it sounded like. Honestly, don't tease me like that. If I wasn't the hero of the world and a man of honor I would just take the stupid armor. I had my sword out, after all. But I'm no bandit, and he is a friend and has helped me tremendously, but he did take a bit of a risk there. If I wasn't who I said I was he could easily have been in danger, should I decide that was the right moment to rob him because I had tired of playing this little game. Doesn't my accepting this limitation despite really, really wanting that armor show I am who I say better than any ancient bit of metal?

"Exactly. What are you going to do about the keys situation?"

It took me a second to switch gears in my head. Wait, what are gears anyway, and why are they being switched? Where does that phrase come from? "What choice do I have but to head there? The world seems to be shoving me in that direction for some reason. The rumor about the princess, the whole door situation. There's not much left for me in this part of the world, present company excluded of course. I'm just concerned the journey will take too long for it to be worth it. I'm not even worried about those locked up people, they could think of something I'm sure if they really got desperate. No, I'm worried about me. Weeks on the road? I'd starve, unless there are game animals further out in the forests I'd be able to hunt. But I've seen no evidence of any around these parts."

He didn't seem concerned, and chuckled while shaking his head. "Is that what you're worried about? You'll be fine! You walked here from someplace, didn't you? How did you survive that? I've taken the liberty to create a pack for you." He lifted a travel sack from behind the counter. "Everything you should need, and at a good price as well!"

Wait, he's got a point. I did come from somewhere, but neither of the two villages nearby seemed familiar to me, nor did anyone greet me as though they knew me. I haven't thought about it since leaving the king with his initial gift but where exactly did I come from, and how did I survive without so much as a gold piece to my name. I realized the man was staring at me, giving the pack a little jerk as if to say "you want it? Huh? Huh? Do you? Do ya? Well? Well?." "How much?"

He told me, and I figured it was fine, I would have enough for one more stay at the inn. If I am leaving tomorrow it'll be constant battles across two continents, more than enough to refill my purse if only three days fighting around here got me the sword. "Sold."

With that he showed me various sections he had marked in the journal I might want to pay particular attention to, and wished me luck. "I hope I see you back here again," he said as I was leaving. "Make sure to see the king before you leave in the morning too. You'll want to tell him about the new sword you got."

"I suppose. I'll see you in a few months, I guess."

"Oh, I don't think it'll be as long as all that. See you later!"

I left, feeling that confusion I was becoming accustomed to once again rising within me. Of course it's going to be months. Look how far away it is. Come on.

The next morning I did go to see the king, who was pleased I was tracking down the rumor of his daughter's location and that I had a decent weapon at last. Not pleased enough to offer me any other resources, of course, but pleased all the same. (Not that he could, now being locked out of his own treasury which I decided might become a problem for him when it came time to pay his staff, but that was his problem) I headed east, as before every few steps coming into opposition with a minion of some kind. I had expected a fairly hard journey, but in truth it seemed to go as smoothly as it was possible for a journey to go. Yes, I was plagued by monsters at every step, but I ate when I was hungry, slept when the sun went down, and made my way towards the east coast. I expected to run out of food at any moment and kept my eyes open for any animal I could kill, but then realized this was foolish in the extreme. While monsters wanted my blood and rushed up to me to kill me, any natural animal would do the opposite. What was I supposed to do, chase them down on foot and cut them to pieces with my sword? I should have brought a bow and some arrows if I wanted to catch something to eat, but as the days passed the food in the sack held out so I made good time. In all honesty I couldn't tell you exactly how many days I traveled, almost as if it wasn't even important, hugging the coast so I didn't get lost. I passed a desert, then a swamp that seemed to drain my vitality, luckily I didn't have to spend long there. Then a forest and finally the plains that led to the bridge I would cross to get the swamp cave. I was more than halfway there! I headed over it, past another small wooded area, and again was confronted with a poison marsh I had to slog trough. The shop owner had included several herbs in my pack, and I made use of them, preferring to save my magical power for emergencies. The sword proved worth every coin I had paid, which was a good thing as even in the swamp monsters of all sorts saw fit to attack me. Are they immune to the poison here? Just taking a step here I feel my vitality draining, but here they are. And they don't seem weakened in the least. Doesn't seem fair. But finally I made it into the cave and headed down, knowing I would be passing under the water and to another continent on the other side.

With my ball of light at my shoulder I made my way through the cave, water dripping from the ceiling and pooling at my feet. I explored the place, just to say I had left no stone unturned, and that's when I ran smack into the green dragon.

I halted in my tracks as the dragon came into view. Yes, that's a dragon, I thought to myself. There can be no mistaking it. Look at that thing! No wonder they're so feared. I couldn't take a creature like that in a fair fight. And what's beyond it? Why is it here?

The beast was enormous, hardly fitting into the passageway it was squeezed into, and I couldn't help but stop and stare at the creature. It's really a dragon, I said to myself. Never thought I would actually see one. Green scales shimmered in the light of my spell, and I thought that perhaps I had lucked out. The beast seemed to be sleeping, curled up around itself so maybe, just maybe, if I slowly backed away I might actually survive this encounter. Smoke trickled from its nostrils, and of course I must mention the teeth, sharp and white, in a jaw that I'm sure could crunch through the meager armor I was wearing and get to the juicy flesh within with relative ease. Their ears twitched and an eye, an intelligent eye, snap open to look at me.

"Well, well, well," they singsonged. "What have we here?"

Ah, it can talk. Because of course it can. How am I going to get out of this? I can't fight that thing! Can I talk my way out of it? Seems like I better start trying, and fast. "Er, would you believe a traveling merchant that got lost?"

"With that sword in your hand?" they asked. "Not likely." They raised their head.

"Sword? Sword? Oh this sword!" I made a show of looking at it like I had never seen it before. I gave a forced laugh. "I do have one! Just a deterrent against, uh, bandits. Yes, bandits on the road, very dangerous, not to hurt, uh, people, such as yourself. Goodness no!"

"Oh, I think it is. Looking to make a name for yourself down here, is that it? Creep up on a poor, defenseless dragon in their sleep?"

Defenseless? In what world? "What? No. I'm just passing through to buy keys from Rimuldar. You can just go back to sleep, I don't mean to disturb you."

"What is a merchant buying keys for, anyway? Do you know..." they said conversationally as they got to their feet.

Don't look at the claws. Each one bigger than one of my fingers. I said don't look- you looked at the claws. Well done.

"...how boring it is to be down here all the time?"

"Then why stay, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Oh, you'd like to know, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, that's why I asked?" I mean I may as well keep them talking, right? Talking is not eating me for a snack.

"Huh." This seemed to bring them up short. "That's a good point. Well, you see this door here?" They pointed with their tail and yes, a door was in fact behind them. "I'm guarding it."

"What, down here?"

"Yes, down here. You know, where we are? Right now?" The dragon looked at me like "are you stupid?"

"You don't have to tell me," I started carefully, knowing a bit about dragon lore, "but it wouldn't be your hoard behind that door, would it?"

"Ha!" They said. "As if it would fit in this place. No, sadly I have been ordered away from guarding my hoard by my lord and master. He has told me guarding this door and what is beyond it is more important than my hoard."

"He didn't!" I said, shocked.

The dragon nodded seriously. "He did. Can you imagine the nerve of that guy?"

"And you have to follow his orders? Even when your hoard is involved?"

"Well, no, but have you seen him?"

"I haven't had the honor." Oh, good answer, that was a good one. Keep that up.

"He's not called the lord of all dragons for nothings. He's huge! Dragons get bigger the longer they live, I have no idea how long he's been alive. So no, I don't have to follow him because of any sort of compulsion but just because if I don't, he would probably eat me."

"He's that big?" I asked, my spirits sinking.

"He's that big," they agreed. "Twice my size at least."

I'm so dead. I thought he was a man, the king said he looked like a man when he first came, right? I thought "Dragonlord" was a title, because he was powerful enough to command dragons. But it turns out the tool shop owner was right, and he's an actual dragon himself? He's the literal lord of dragons on account of his age? He just used magic to turn himself into a man as a disguise? Super.

"Well, this has been pleasant, but I feel I should probably eat you now. Orders, and all that," the dragon sighed. "It has been some weeks since I saw anyone. It has been nice chatting, wouldn't mind some company for an hour or two but..."

"Wait, just wait!" I shouted, as the dragon advanced a step.

"What is it?"

"It's just, I can't get away anyway, right? Why not have a chat? If you're as bored as you say when will you next get the opportunity?"

They considered. "I suppose. Put that sword down so I know you're not trying to trick me."

"Of course!" I slid it back into the sheath and they sat down.

"What shall we talk about?"

"Let's play a game!" I suggested. "If I can guess what's behind the door, you have to grant me a boon."

"And by a boon you mean your life, is that it?"

"Maybe..." What else could you really offer me at this point?

"You know how terrible it would be if my master found out I hadn't eaten you?"

"Have you just now told me it's been weeks since you last saw anyone? How would he find out?"

"Magic, I guess? Oh very well, you'll never guess anyway so I agree. Just to make it sporting I'll allow you, oh, three guesses, and then I get to eat you."

"But if I guess right you don't eat me," I reminded them.

"Three wrong guesses and I get to eat you," they amended. "Boy you humans are picky. Place was better off before you all showed up."

Was it though? And are you really telling me you wouldn't have eaten me and been all like 'oh, I just said you could guess I didn't say a right guess meant anything, don't you remember?' Come on, I know the stories about these sort of games, the wording is everything."Okay, my first guess is something related to Erdrick. Something the Dragonlord doesn't want used against him, either the armor or the sword or both." Of course I have a pretty good idea of what is behind that door, but guessing it right off is no good. I have to make this dragon think it's going to win. This is about stalling, getting him to like me so he is hesitant to eat me.

"Wrong," they said. "Nothing to do with that guy. Guess again."

"Okay, my second guess is a monster he created using gold that even he can't control. He locked it down here in hopes it would never escape to challenge him."

The dragon laughed. "Not even close. Third guess!" They licked their lips and I noticed a little drool coming down.

"My third and final guess is the princess," I said, trying to hide any excitement I felt.

"Oh." Their face fell. "You guessed it. Darn it, I really was looking forward to eating you, too."

"She's really back there?" My excitement reversed as I thought about what the dragon had just told me, in its place I felt a deep sadness begin to grow inside me. I will have to be the one to tell the king his daughter was dead. I was really hoping I was wrong about this, but it seemed I wasn't. The how and why of the princess even being here would have to wait, it made no sense but reality is what it is, not what we wish it to be. I have to keep my tone light, I'm not out of danger yet. But if I play this right, maybe I can get out of it in one piece.

"Yup, marched in weeks ago, and I was told to guard her. Don't get any funny ideas now, I'll have you bitten in two way before you can get this door open."

"No, no," I waved him off. "There's no point. Weeks ago? She's undoubtedly dead by this time. I'll just be on my way." I got up and turned to go. "Nice talking with you. Have fun guarding a dead princess I guess?"

I didn't get three steps before the dragon's voice, now pitched with fear, called out to me. "Wait!"