Astra Slays the Dragon

"Astra?" Sir Toby asked, "Princess Astra of Aqualaria?"

Astra turned to him, "Still as pathetic as ever, I see, Toby."

He got somewhat red, then asked, "What business brings you down here?"

"My mother recently became aware that the dragon has been a nuisance to Allaria, so she decided to buy peace with it's head. Your King is such a fool, I don't know what he wants with Aqualaria." She seperated the dead dragon's head from it's body with a stroke of her blade.

As she carried the bloody dragon head off, Fred stared at Sir Toby like he wanted to say something. Sir Toby looked at him, confused. Fred scratched a quick message into the dirt;

HOW
KNOW
SHIFTER

"Oh!" exclaimed Toby. "Wait!" he shouted, running after Astra. She stopped. "Astra, Fred wants to know how you could tell he was a dragon- shifter."

"Easy, some of the scale patterns and horns are different, but there is an even bigger giveaway. Do you notice the opposable thumbs?"

Sir Toby looked back at Fred, then at the dragon on the floor. "Interesting." he said, "Where did you learn that?"

"There is a clan of shifters in southern Aqualaria." Astra replied, much to Fred's shock, "Rather troublesome. They used to disappear for maybe a month or two, then reappear near the northern borders, refusing to say where they were. Actually, at first I thought Fred was one of them. There's only two clans left in Aqualaria as far as I know, and the other is unaccounted for. Is Fred Aqualarian?"

"No, he's Allarian." replied Toby, "His family is not aware they are shifters though. He just discovered today."

"Oh, that would explain why no one was aware of them. You wouldn't know a family of dragon-shifters if they always stayed human. I wonder how they forgot..." said Astra, but Toby wasn't listening. He was drifting off in thought.

What? thinks Toby, Now there is the possibility that the slaughter was not the fault of the D'Honaires. But they did bring the dragon upon us. . . But now the dragon's dead. And if what Fred tells me is true, they aren't aware they are shifters, so that was hardly their fault. Perhaps I may have to look into this a bit deeper."

"Hmmm, if peace is established," (which Sir Toby thought was likely), "I think it would be a worthy idea that Fred and I meet with these Aqualarian shifters."

"Very well, that could be arranged." said Astra.

As Astra left, Toby walked over to Fred and laid out another set of clothes for him. "Become human again and get dressed." he said,

1. "I won't tell your secret. . . yet."

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