A Fight to the Death?

"Then you both die."

"Why don't you just kill us both anyway, rather than take the risk that the winner of our bout will go on to kill you?" Fred wanted to know.

"Because I'm bored, and this will entertain me. I judge the small risk to myself to be worth taking."

An idea occurred to Fred. If he and Astra were supposed to fight to the death, then the dragon would presumably have to supply them with reasonably potent weapons. If, instead of fighting each other, they took the dragon by surprise and attacked him instead, was there a chance that they could kill him?

"We'll do it," he said.

"Fred!" Astra objected. "I don't want to fight you. It would be nobler - more dignified - for us to accept that we both must die."

Of course Fred could not tell her his idea with the dragon present. "At least this way there's a small chance that the winner may be able to go on to defeat the dragon," he pointed out.

"Even the winner of our bout is likely to be in a bad way. There's no realistic chance of killing the dragon."

"Enough!" the dragon said, his patience running low. "You will fight."

Fred's and Astra's chains vanished, and swords materialised in their hands.

1. They found themselves dressed in full armour.
2. They each received a shield, but that was all.
3. "I've put a magical barrier around myself," the dragon told them, "just in case you were thinking of attacking me prematurely rather than fighting each other."

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