Astra Dragon Makes Her Stage Debut

Fred cautiously taps the smoky yellow block around the statue of the princess with the pommel of his sword. The pommel maks a dull 'thunk' sound against the hard, gem-like substance. Fred tries to move the figurine to examine it, but its base seems to be stuck fast to the niche. A rustling sound on stage districts him. He spins around, his sword ready to defend himself.

On the stage is the same dragon that he and Checkers fought earlier. She is oblivious to her new surroundings, being absorbed in contemplating a rock and two coins. Short plumes of fire flare from her mouth at every fourth breath, with each plume being just a bit longer than the previous one. Astra eventually stops this, apparently satisfied with the results, and starts blowing smoke rings.

"Astra?" Fred says, tenatively.

Astra looks up, as if only partly aroused from a trance. She is slowly becoming aware of her new environment, and the lavishly decorated ampitheater.

"Fred, is that you?" she replies, in a powerful, rolling alto voice

"Yes," Fred answers, with just a trace of concern. Astra Dragon appears to be much stronger and more sure of herself than she was when he left to look for a potion, and he hopes that she can keep any newly- acquired draconian instincts in check.

Astra soaks in the ambiance of the Ampitheater for a moment, apparently enjoying it as much as Fred, and then asks Fred three questions.

"Where am I? Is Checkers here? Did you do anything to bring me here, or did I do that on my own?"

"My dear lady," Fred replied, with more confidence than he felt, "you are in an Ampitheater somewhere to the southeast of Belboz's chamber, which has been transformed all out of recognition. I have not seen Checkers, except perhaps in this little statue here. Excellent portrayal, don't you think? I do not know how you got here, but I tapped this statue of a princess with the pommel of my sword, and you are now here."

Astra seems somewhat disappointed at the last piece of news. Fred notes that she must be trying to work magic. Astra flies off the stage and toward Fred, in order to look at the little statues herself. She seems a little sad as she looks at the portrayal of the warrior princess trapped in the yellow block, much as she is trapped in the body of a dragon. Astra sends a thin plume of flame toward the statue, as if hoping to melt the block, but the yellow substance and the statue are unaffected.

"That was how I looked."

"Well, Princess, there is enough enchantment in this place that I would think that it can be fixed so that you look that way again. We just have to find it. I have not been able to budge the statue, however. What have you been doing? You look almost healed."

"Such as a dragon can heal. I felt myself slipping away until Checkers gave me these two coins and the artifact from her people to guard. I do not know whether it had anything to do with it, but the pain has gone away, and I no longer feel hungry. I have been practicing little things that dragons can do, like controlling how I generate fire. I seem to be learning that quickly. Checkers was going to teach me some flying technique later - if we could get her here, this would be a much better room to do it in, with all the space. I am hoping that if I practice enough in the ways of the dragon, some reflex will be triggered that will allow me to transform and get out of this place. At least this is a much nicer room than where I was."

1. Fred taps the statue of the Glider, to see if she will be summoned in the same manner as Astra.
2. Astra tries to dislodge her statue from the niche, using her draconian strength.

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