A Hearty Meal

After getting over the shock of being disoriented, and finding himself in another place where Belboz's chamber should be, Fred notices several other more subtle changes. There caves do not seem quite so damp, nor does the air smell musty or foul. He feels a very slight, but steady, draught of warm, dry air. In Belboz's chamber there was a great light. Here, there is steady illumination from above, but how? He can see the ribs of a vaulted ceiling, and that was another difference. Instead of being rough, as it was before, the surface of the ceiling is smooth, and the ribs of the vault glitter.

Fred can choose one of three doors. The one in the middle, marked 'Entrance to the Ampitheater', appeals to him. 'Arsenel' has a connotation of danger, and the 'Hostel' on his map sounded more dangerous, if it were indeed the Realm of Sleep. "I should have gotten Checkers' map before I left. It is not doing her any good", Fred thinks. Fred prods the door, and it more easily than Fred expects. The surprises continue. The area is not an ampitheater at all - it looks more like a small marketplace. Three benches line each side of the smooth walls, each behind a brick booths. Fred inhales all sorts of savory smells - the yeasty smell of fresh loaves of bread, the smoky smell of beef and poultry, and the smell of freshly harvested vegatables. In another booth he sees orderly displays of linen, silk, and wool. On display are also lacework and little bits of jewelry made of precious metal. There is everything that one would expect in a busy little market - except people.

Fred waits for someone to appear. After ten minutes, the smell of the bakery attracts him. He methodically walks, with the aid of his crutch, over to the bread lying in the center booth on the right. There is a warm loaf of white bread. Fred places a copper piece on the table, and grabs the loaf. (A copper penny seemed to be a reasonable price to Fred, and there is no sign telling him how much it should cost.) The thought that there may be a trap does cross his mind, but the smell of the loaf is too tempting after nothing but wallhugger meat for the last two days. He takes a bite - and finds that it is delicious. He consumes half of it, and packs the other half for Checkers. He wonders what to do about Astra - dragons probably require a lot a food. "I have to find Astra first," Fred thinks. Fred wanders to the end of the marketplace, through a great arch. As he passes through, his eyes widen and he inhales deeply. This is the Ampitheater, and it is the most lush and stunning structure that he had ever seen.

Checkers is worried. Fred has not returned from getting the healing potions, and Astra is getting worse. Despite what Fred said, she is not a healer, and certainly not a large animal veterinarian. Astra's injuries should not be life-threatening, but Astra is complaining about being hungry, and is becoming dull and lethargic. For a few seconds, she wonders whether Astra is going to eat her, but Astra reassures her that it did not feel like that sort of hunger, but she has trouble defining what sort of hunger it is.

Checkers suggests, "There might be some food in the chamber of the great light, or perhaps in depths of the caves. Maybe I can find some mushrooms."

"I would not advise it," Astra projects. "There are mushrooms down there, but Belboz placed a spell on them just before we fought. Your recitation broke that spell. I am feeling weak, and I am afraid that I cannot defend myself. The thought of dying a dragon sickens me. The thought of dying alone makes it worse. Please do not go."

"You aren't going to die, your majesty."

"My lady is the phrase, Checkers, if you want to use the formal form of address. I am not a queen." Astra appreciated the gesture, though. Having someone around that treated her like a princess instead of a dragon lifted her spirits a little.

"She is a lot more powerful than I am," Checkers thinks. "But she is as bewildered as I am." Checkers agrees to stay. She looks in her pouch, hoping for some idea to help the sick dragon. Astra looks down while Checkers is examining its contents and asks, "What are those shiny things?"

"These? They are guilders, my lady, the currency of my homeland." Checkers removes the two silver coins from her pouch, and places them before Astra for examination.

Astra is fascinated by the coins. They are of a design that she has never seen before. She is absorbed in the details - there is a figure of a male Glider on the front of the coin. He is holding a spear and has the body of a large boar in front of him, with the legend Dilimi II, Boarslayer. Astra flips the coin over, and there is the scene of a mountain range, but it is unlike any she has ever seen. It appears that someone is looking down on the mountains from a great height. Then this suddenly makes sense to her. "That must be what they look like in the air, when these harpies fly," she thinks. Astra was not a miser, and the coins were useless to her here, but for some reason that she could not explain, she not only enjoyed them greatly, but was hoping Checkers would not ask for them back.

"Checkers, I have never seen these coins before. May I have them?"

The coins are of little use to Checkers in this cave. "If they cheer Astra, then they can be put to no better use," she reasons. "Sure, Astra, help yourself. Is this the first time that you have seen a guilder?"

"Yes," replied Astra, continuing to scrutinize the coins for no apparent reason. She says lays her head on top of them, guarding them protectively until she slowly falls peacefully asleep.

"This is very strange. She was complaining of pain, hunger, and fatigue until I gave her the coins, and then she started feeling better. They certainly are not enchanted, or I would have had better luck," thought Checkers, with regret. "But the coins seemed to help. I do not have any more coins - just a few odd items and the obsidian point of my spear. Dragons always seem to be piling up useless treasure. Maybe it is not as useful to the dragon as it appears; I have never been in a position to find out." Checkers thinks up an experiment. "I indirectly hurt her, so it would only be fair if I could help her by a proper arrangement of the facts."

Astra wakes after a short nap. She was still woozy and weak. Checkers speaks up, "My lady, can you do me a favour, if I may be so bold?"

"If it is within my declining power, I shall."

"I have an especially valuable artifact that I have carried with me from the Territory of the Red Dolomite League. I would hate to lose it. With your strength, I think that you can guard it against hazards that I cannot." Checkers reaches into her pouch and pulls out an undistinguished piece of rock. "This is the great spearpoint, Placebo. It is made of pure red obsidian from Lightning Mountain. Placebo is irreplacable. Outside the caves, I could guard it, but down here, and especially as I have no weapon, I cannot. Would you be able to guard it for me, my lady?"

"In excess of 100,000 guilders."

"I will guard it for you, and not let it out of my power." Astra eagerly accepts Placebo, and places it alongside the two guilders as part of her horde. Astra gazes at the spearpoint. It is of a rock that she had never seen in Aqualaria or in her travels. And the workmanship! Astra can easily see how this was no ordinary spearpoint. She feels as if a pressure pushing against her scales was being lightened. The pain is starting to ease.

A few hours later, Astra can move comfortably. Her ribs appear to be well on their way to healing, and the pain is gone. "I am glad that worked," Checkers thinks to herself. "I hate to deceive, but I really did not tell any lies. My spear has been far more valuable than 100,000 guilders would have been to me over the last few years. The trick is to get anyone else to pay me that; I could pick up a similar spearpoint for half a guilder at any market." She also thinks to herself, "It is fortunate that Astra cannot read my mind, or else 'Placebo' might not have the healing effect that it appears to be having."

1. Fred enters the ampitheater

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