A Bard's Story: Here There Be Dragons

Chapter Three

The following morning finds Leyha, Kehdem, Oren, and Geri bundling up to make the trek into town. It's not exactly long, but with the fresh snow that's accumulated, it's not the clearest path, either. Geri passes around wooden snow shoes. Leyha's convinced that it's some kind of trick until her first couple steps don't fall through the snow. While each step is just as much work as if she weren't wearing them, they make much better time going over the snow rather than through it. The sun has just reached its shallow winter peak when they reach the center of town.

Although they see a handful of people about the town, everyone stays as far away as they reasonably can. Leyha comments on it as they're headed for the town center and the stone statue that burned. "It's my father's fault," Geri tells her quietly. "Semben wasn't exactly the most neighborly mage. That's why Laila and I live so far out from town. He wasn't quite asked to leave, but..." He shrugs. "They don't trust mages, and I doubt the Protector's presence has made them particularly thrilled about strangers."

Presently, Oren calls them all to a halt. "So, this is where the statue was," he says. He points to a snowy mound. "I guess that's all that's left."

Kehdem frowns. He casts a couple of spells that Leyha doesn't recognize, although her understanding of Elvish gets her pretty far. He's trying to figure out what spell was cast, but the results, apparently, are not what he expected.

"So?" Leyha asks. "Have you figured out the spell?"

"So, ah... The only thing I can tell you is that there wasn't any magic involved," Kehdem admits.

"That's impossible," Geri says. He digs around under the snow a bit, and pulls up a handful of gravel. "Stone doesn't just spontaneously crumble like this."

"How would you know?" Leyha asks.

"I'm a Rock mage," he says haughtily. "I should hope I'd know."

"I should say that there was no magery involved," Kehdem says. The other three turn to look at him. "So, I suppose it's possible..." He casts another quick spell, only a mild alteration of one of his earlier ones. "No sorcery, either."

"Which leaves what?" Oren asks.

Kehdem shrugs. "Dwarven runecraft, I guess," he says.

"Or dragons," Geri points out.

Kehdem rolls his eyes. "Yes, fine, it could be—"

He's interrupted by a loud, unnatural screeching. At first it is high and faint, but it quickly becomes loud and deep enough to feel. The group turns, almost in unison, to where the sound appears to be coming from — back towards the center of town, but also high in the air.

Oren lets out a sudden exclamation, somewhere between excitement and terror. He turns to Geri, who's grinning at him, and unnecessarily labels the creature diving through the sky. "Dragon!" he shouts. Geri grabs his hand, and yanks Oren with him as he dashes towards the nearest source of cover. Leyha and Kehdem are right behind them. A giddy look passes through the group of exhilarated faces, and Leyha sighs.

"Alright, fine. We'll stay to fight the dragon," she says.

"Are you telling me that was a dragon?" someone says from deeper in the lean-to they're sheltered under. Oren sighs loudly. Of all the people to see the dragon with us... he thinks.

"Hello, Terin," he says. "Yes, that's a dragon."

"And you would know, wouldn't you?" Terin says with a laugh. "You and Geri and all your dragon-spotting."

"Hello, Terin," Geri says, if only to see the way Terin's eyes go wide when he realizes that the mage is in town. "Yes, it's a dragon."

"Then we'd better hope that the Protector was sending away for the Holy Order," Terin says.