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
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
