Andromeda

"Hail to thee, Dragonslayer," she said in a distinguished yet melodious voice. "I am Andromeda, and I too have come here to battle the Dragon. I am honored to meet you."

Fred was a little puzzled by her patterns of speech. She seemed to speak Allarian very fluently, but her diction seemed very archaic, like something in one of the ancient books Fred had to read in the comprehensive education that was necessary for all Dragonslayers. He remembered vaguely that it was once a custom for Dragonslayers to address each other by the familiar you form, as she had him. "I am honored to meet you... I mean thee as well. I am the Lord Frederigo D'Honaire of Suffex. Where are.. art thou from?"

"I come from the ancient empire of Atlantis beneath the waves," she answered proudly. "Forgive me if my speech seems archaic to thine ears. Knowledge of the Allarian ways and tongue was given me by magic, but it has been many years since our people have had need of yours."

Atlantis! Fred would have not been surprised to find almost anything in these caves, but this was truly amazing. He knew of Atlantis only as a legend spoken in the chronicles of Allaria's ancient history. All people knew was that there had once been a great civilization which had underwent a terrible disaster and sank under the ocean. Some said that a remnant of Atlanteans had survived, and a few chronicles even said that their ambassadors had come to visit Allaria in the reign of Audagar, when people still worshipped the Blood Gods. Some said that Atlantis was an enlightened nation which perished as a result of a failed scientific experiment. Others said that it was a nation of bloodthirsty conquerors which was destroyed by the Gods as punishment He didn't know what to make of this woman, but she seemed more trustworthy than Belboz somehow. "What brings thee too these caves?" asked Fred.

"There are dragons beneath the sea as well--what your folk once called Leviathans, whether you still do or not I know not. They have menaced my people for centuries upon centuries, and the battles we fought with them and their minions have been long and hard. One of these, the dark N'Zauurshau, Master of the Whirlpools, has allied with your dragon Minestus, in hopes to conquor both the earth and the seas. N'Zauurshau's minions enter these tunnels through an underground current which runs from these stygian caves to the undersea volcano near N'Zauurshau's hold, and it is through there that my allies and I entered, using magic to make ourselves seem as the minions of the Leviathan. But we were found out and imprisoned here far apart in the caves. I was imprisoned here, so close to water and yet so far. I can survive out of water, but I needs must drink more of it than those who live on the earth to survive. Now perhaps thou shalt tell something of thine errand?"

Fred went on to tell her how he had been sent to slay the Dragon who'd been ravaging Allaria, how he came across Belboz and gained his aid in his quest, and how they'd found her here. He didn't tell her yet about Belboz's mysterious request for the eyes of the Dragon--he would do so later, at a time when Belboz was not around.

"I have a request of thee," she said once Fred had finished telling his story. "My weapons and armor were robbed of me by Minestus. I do not know about the Dragonslayers among your people, but among mine most carried an additional sword should harm come to the first. If you have a spare sword, I should like to use it. I am a good hand with a blade and could be a great boon to you rather than a burden if I had one."

1. Fred does have an extra sword.
2. Fred does not have an extra sword.

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