Chapter 10

The hero finds a way to deal with the dragon

"Yes?" I asked lightly, not turning around. "You're not reneging on your word now are you?" I put my hand on my sword again as though willing to draw it at any second.

"I don't care about that," the dragon protested. "What did you mean she's probably dead?"

"Oh, that!" I slowly turned, a look of concern on my face. "You did say she was brought here weeks ago?"

"Yes, must be, I mean I don't know exactly how long but it's been a while."

Right, no clocks down here. Do dragons even know how to tell time? I mean they're smart enough to talk, they could probably understand the concept. "And you said it's been that same amount of time since you saw anyone, right? She was actually the last person you probably saw in that case, right?"

"Yes, so?"

"So no one has brought her any food or drink in that time. I don't know how it is for dragons but we humans have to eat and drink on a regular basis. Like, three times a day. We die if we don't."

"You're kidding! Trying to trick me!"

I shook my head. "No, it's just the truth."

"You can't just go into a hibernation state if food is scarce? It's how we guard our hoards for weeks at a time without leaving. Then we'll just hunt something large and be set again. I mean I knew dragons were superior to humans but to think you needed to eat three times a day?"

Of course you believe yourself superior. I think I'm superior to you, don't I? Weaker, maybe. Smaller, for sure. But not inferior. "Three meals of varying size, yes. You really didn't know? Odd, you would think the Dragonlord would have mentioned something like that about the prisoner. Maybe he just though you capable enough he didn't have to mention it."

"Where would I get food for a human? I don't even know what you eat. Rats?"

I shuddered. "No, not rats. I don't know, but he trusted you to figure that out, didn't he? Man, he's going to be angry when he comes to collect her again, don't you think?"

"Furious," the dragon agreed, sounding agitated. They spun and pounded on the door. "Hey, you in there! You still alive? Answer me!"

"I'm telling you, she's dead." And there wasn't a thing I could do about it. She was kidnapped far before I even arrived.

"You're just trying to get me to open the door!"

"I'm not. Like I said, I don't have any keys anyway. Do you?"

"Keys? Of course I don't have any keys, where would I put keys?"

Where do you put your hoard? "You could stick it under a scale couldn't you?"

"No, don't be stupid. Hey! Answer me!" More pounding.

I waited.

Finally the dragon gave up and slumped over. They moaned. "What am I going to do? He'll kill me for sure. She did talk to me in the beginning, but then stopped. I thought she was just annoyed but I suppose that could have been when she died, huh?"

No, you think? But I was diplomatic enough not to say this, I was still in deadly danger, after all. Perhaps a bit more flattery? "There's really no way you could open the door?" I asked gently. "I mean the size of you, your strength and power! Tear it down, let's make completely sure." There's a small chance she's just too weak to answer. It's a long shot, but if I can get this dragon to panic enough, maybe I can rescue her after all. Near death or not, the king will want to know what happened to her. "We can always have a new door put up." How did this door get down here in the first place? Someone carried a door into this cave and set it up here? That doesn't make sense, who would do that?

"Yes, yes of course!" the dragon agreed. They gathered themselves and launched a mighty attack against the door with his claws. The sound of the claws bouncing off reverberated through the cave and he staggered back. "Impossible, it's just a wooden door. You are trying to make a fool of me!"

I held up my hands. "Upon my honor, I'm just standing here. I've done nothing, you've had an eye on me the entire time I've been here. Have I cast any spells?"

"No," they reluctantly agreed. They went back to pounding on the door, trying to smash it down, then reared back and blew fire at it.

Oh yeah, I would be dead, trying to kill something like this. And the king wants me to fight a dragon even bigger than this one? Hate to break it to you but the kingdom is screwed. Maybe I could poison him or something…

The dragon regarded the door, which remained unscratched. "Maybe the Dragonlord put a spell on the door? This is crazy, it's just wood. I can knock over trees like nobody's business. There's no way a simple door could resist me."

"I've recently been made aware that may not be the case," I informed the dragon. It explains why the townspeople were laughing at my ax idea. If a dragon can't take a door down, what's an ax going to do? But why should it be that way? There should be nothing special about putting some wood together, calling it a door, and suddenly being unable to scratch it. Which begs the question, why don't I have a carpenter make me a door, and then carry that around as a shield? If it can stand up to what this dragon just did to it, it can stand up to anything. "That's why I was heading to buy keys. Someone at the castle locked a door and the king used his last one earlier, thinking he could buy more at any time, but now because the person that sells keys is beyond the door, they're stuck."

The dragon stared at me for a moment and started laughing uproariously. There was a bit of mania in it, and the dragon's tail slapped the ground. "The so called king locked himself out of a section of his own castle?" they managed.

He didn't do it directly but I suppose it's close enough and besides, why would I want to contradict this dragon? "Yes."

"And now he can't buy keys, because he doesn't have a key to open the door to see the man to buy keys?"

"That's right."

"HA hahahahahahah! Oh that's priceless. Humans are so stupid!"

I can't even disagree, confound it all. But you didn't have to say it like that, did you?

"See," they went on, "this is what happens when you don't have dragons as advisors anymore. He locked himself out of his own castle. Oh, that's just too funny."

It is, in a way, but it's not that funny. I mean come on! And are they saying dragons were advisors at one time? To kings?

Finally the dragon's laughter died down, and they turned somber again. "Seriously though, what are we going to do? She could be dying in there!"

Oh it's 'we' now, is it? "I can bring a key back with me, I mean I don't know how much they cost but I've made some gold on the way here. I'll probably make more, the minions of the Dragonlord should be on the southern continent as well."

"No doubt, but how long is that going to take?"

"Days, for sure. Weeks at most to get there and then back here."

"Weeks?" the dragon moaned. "Fires that be this is a mess I've gotten myself into."

You know something? This is actually working. I mean she's either dead or she's not, there's nothing I can do about that at the moment. Until I know for sure, one might almost say she was both dead and alive, at the same time. There must be some sort of deep truth about the world hidden there but now isn't the time to go into it. Unless someone is getting into that cell with magic she's definitely dead. But I think I might make it out of here alive. Time to 'turn the screws' a bit more, if that's what you would say in a situation like this. "Maybe he wants her dead, and you're just going to take the blame for it," I suggested, tapping a finger on my chin.

"Oh no. Oh no!" The dragon started spinning in place, muttering to itself. "Did I not bow to him deeply enough one time? Did I say a bad thing about him and it got back to him somehow? Why does he hate me? Oh, it's just like him to do something like this, destroy me indirectly before slashing me to pieces with his own claws. And I've just been asleep down here, thinking how great it was that he trusted me with this. I've been such a fool!"

Yes, far superior, in many ways. "Shouldn't I be on my way? The faster I get going the sooner I can get back here."

"Just wait, wait, let me think!"

"Okay," I raised my hands in surrender. "Take your time, no rush." Yes, think it over. The only way you can tell for sure is to let me go and get a key. You can't walk into town and… Well, I suppose you could you're an enormous dragon. You can do what you want. But would someone sell you one? Then come back here and let me open the door, allowing me and her at least the possibility of escape.

"There's no help for it. You'll have to ride me," the dragon decided, coming to a stop again and looking down at me.

"Exactly, I'll just be on my way and- what did you say?"

"I don't like it either, but you're just not very fast. I mean, if anyone saw me, riding a human around like I was some sort of, of, of horse? That would be the end of my reputation forever!"

And what about me? If a person saw me they would think I was in league with the Dragonlord. Riding a dragon, has that ever been done before? "Are you sure that's the only way?" I asked nervously.

"Of course I'm sure. Here," they bent over. "Get on my back, and hold onto my horns. We'll make good time, it's that city to the south, right? Not a problem."

"Back. Sure." I thought furiously, but there seemed no way around it. And it would solve my problems. No monsters would attack me while riding a dragon, that's for sure. I hated to not collect the gold I normally would have but the life of the princess was the main priority at this time. If we could actually save her by getting there and back more quickly, could I refuse this dragon's help? I climbed up on the dragon and gripped the horns, both of them facing back so it wasn't too uncomfortable.

"Ready?"

"I guess- ya!"

The dragon took off running, twisting around the walls of the underground cave as quickly as they could, and burst outside into the open air again. Which I hastily tried not breathing, as it was more of that poisonous swamp I had made my way through on the other side. Once past it though the dragon really went all out, charging across the plains at what I estimated would be at least five times my top speed. And this was a charge. I was forced to creep along because every five steps I had a minion of some kind to deal with. The dragon didn't care about any of that, simply tearing a straight line path to the south as much as they were able. Small trees and rocks were simply ignored, smashed aside like they didn't even matter, and once we were out of the hills and into the forest they dodged larger trees without much more difficulty. So it was more like ten times, as I wasn't able to move like this. The speed and power of the beast again made me believe I would probably have no chance against them, and watching the countryside fly by was admittedly rather exhilarating. It wasn't the most comfortable of seats, but the dragon's scales and my holding on to their horns kept me in place as they ran. Monsters scrambled out of our way, gaping at us as we zipped past them, and I wondered how soon it would get back to the Dragonlord that a human was seen riding a dragon. But then again maybe it never will, because who wants to come to the Dragonlord with such a claim, but have nothing to back that claim up with? I mean if more than one monster told the same story I suppose it could be believed, but what monster would go first? And of course it seems like only certain ones can talk in the first place…

The city of Rimuldar came into view as the dragon scrambled up the side of a mountain, yelling back at me that this was a short cut and to hang on. "There's a mountain pass here," they yelled, "we clear this one section and it'll save us an hour or two going around the whole range."

It seemed they were right, for a dragon that admittedly spent most of their time guarding their hoard (and lately a princess) they knew a lot about the surrounding countryside. Their claws gave them the grip they needed, and we rose high into the air along the mountain path, and then back down the other side. I was able to see that the city was indeed smack dab in the center of a large lake, with a strip of land leading to it from the east. But the dragon didn't head in that direction when we reached the plains again, surging forward towards the lake.

"Is this right?" I called to them.

"Don't worry, dragons are at home in the water! This will be faster."

I could do little but trust them, unless I wanted to fling myself off and hope I survived the impact. But the dragon was as good as their word, plunging into the water and swimming like a serpent toward the town. They finally stopped, breathing hard, and let me climb off their back at the edge of the town.

"I'll cool off a bit, go get some keys and get back here," they told me.

"Right," I told them, flopping off their back like a fish. My legs burned, which was weird as I didn't think I had been using them, but scrambled up the rest of the way towards the town. I could have sworn the dragon was trying not to laugh as I floundered around trying to work feeling back into them, but I didn't look back to be sure.

The town was fairly large and standing at the edge of it was a young man, so I approached him. He seemed quite confused (rightly) that I wasn't entering the town from the east but it didn't seem to bother him that much as he announced without hesitation as soon as I got near "I am Orwick, and I am waiting for my girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you, Orwick," I replied. "That's great, just great, totally a priority in these dark times. However, some of us have urgent business here. Where can I find keys?"

"Keys?"

"Keys, yes. I wish to buy some, and I've heard your town can accommodate me."

"Keys?" they repeated. Wait, have I stumbled upon the village idiot? Then I chided myself. These were not the thoughts of a worthy hero, champion to all people, were they? No, they were not. I must have patience and understanding, compassion and- "You're not some kind of thief, are you? I mean wanting to unlock doors? That seems pretty shady if you ask me."

Ah, they just didn't know if they should tell me, being a stranger and all. I get it. "I have my reasons. Can you tell me if this town sells them?" Because it would be just my luck that they didn't, or just ran out or something.

"Sure." He directed me to enter the town and look for a certain building, and I thanked him and made my way there. Entering the shop I saw a man behind a heavily fortified desk, surrounded by stone.

Does he need that much protection? These walls must be a meter thick, is he expecting to be robbed at any- oh, maybe he is.

"What can I do for you?" the man asked.

"I'd like to buy keys, hopefully this is the right place?"

"It is. I sell all manner of the one type of magical key that exists in the world. And nothing else. How many would you like?"

Nothing else? Do you do such a brisk trade in keys that you can afford to only sell them? How much are these things, can I even afford one? I guess if you're the only source of them but there are no other towns on this continent- never mind that for now. "As many as I can buy. How much?"

"No discount for buying more than one. They're fifty three gold apiece."

That wasn't so bad, considering what my sword cost. I counted out as much gold as I could, figuring I didn't want to make my way all the way back here and it was better to have one too many than one too few. I figured I could buy more at the castle and maybe cheaper than this with the king at my side but wondered if saving a few gold was worth the risk? I decided it wasn't and started my way out of town again. I passed an inn and as I still had a few coins to my name had an idea and made a slight detour into the place.

"Greetings, stranger," said the woman behind the counter. "Welcome to Rimuldar. What can I get you?"

"How much for a recently slaughtered pig, or a whole turkey, something like that?"

She took a step back, eyeing my sword and perhaps thinking I was some kind of crazy person. Which had I not been myself may have seemed the case, which just goes to show you. I had been rather hasty in my thoughts with ye old Orwick, hadn't I? "You want to eat a whole pig? How long have you been on the road, exactly? I can cook you up anything you would like, make no mistake."

"It's a long story, and I'm sort of in a hurry. It has to be to go. I don't mean to be rude, but can you accommodate me or not? I need to get going again."

"I suppose," she answered slowly. "Not exactly the most common thing in the world, to have a stranger come in and want a whole hog right off the bat. I suppose if you're just stopping in… You don't want any vegetables or anything like that?"

"No, just the meat. As much meat as..." I spilled the remaining coins I had onto the counter. "...this will buy me."

She looked it over, considering. "How about a side of beef?"

"That would be perfect!"

"Just a minute. Pa!" she shouted up some stairs.

"Yeah?" I heard a voice shout back down.

"Go get me a side of beef from the basement."

"What? Now?"

"Yes now, I'm asking aren't I?"

"Hold yer horses then." He stomped down the stairs and around the corner, out of sight.

"Mind telling me what this is all about while we wait?" she asked.

How to sum it all up in one sentence? Ah! "Would you believe it's all part of a plot to rescue the princess?"

She shook her head. "No I wouldn't. Who are you, anyway?" I gave her my name, making no mention of my supposed ancestry. She would just want proof I couldn't provide anyway. "And this meat somehow factors into your grand plan?"

"Let's just say it's a thank you to someone who went out of their way to help me recently."

"Meat? A whole hank of meat?"

"Yes. It will directly lead to the princess." I stopped myself before I said "if she's still alive."

"Well, lots of crazy people in the world I expect. Look at us, my family runs an inn at a time when nobody goes anywhere because of the Dragonlord. What sense does that make, if you really think about it?"

"I'm sure business will pick up again soon," I told her, suppressing a giggle.

She glanced at my sword again. "Just who are you?"

I was saved from answering by the man stomping up the stairs again, hefting a slab of meat secured with a rope. "Where am I putting this then?" he asked.

"This man just bought it, hand it to him," the woman told him.

"What in the world?" But he did as instructed, and I was surprised to find I could handle it quite easily, and hefted it onto one shoulder. The two stared at me, seemingly as surprised as I was, and I shrugged. I guess all the fighting I've been doing lately has paid off?

"I've been raising my levels," I told them, as if that explained everything, and walked out trying not to outright laugh at the blank looks on their faces.