Callistus

"The dragon approaches! Make ready!"

Fred and Exotica stared at each other. Minestus was alive? Had Elaine deceived them all along? Luc gaped at Fred, dropping the sword and clothes he had recently bought. "My Lord, I thought you said you had slain Minestus?" he asked, nonplussed.

"I didn't say it." muttered Fred as he pulled on his robe and gave Exotica a slightly irritated look. The princess simply shook her head in disbelief. Fred bent down and picked up his new sword, testing its weight and grip. It felt strange in his hand, like wearing someone else's arm, but it would have to do. "Get dressed quickly and stay in here, princess." said Fred, tossing the purchased garments to Exotica. "Luc, come with me...."

"You can forget that, Frederigo!" cried Exotica as she leapt out of bed and forced Luc to suddenly become very interested in the opposite corner of the room. "I'm not getting trapped in a burning inn while you prance about in a dirty robe that looks like it would protect against less damage than these clothes that I have now put on so you can turn around now Luc! We go together from now on."

Fred groaned inwardly as he strode towards the door. "Fine! Stay behind me, though!"

The scene that greeted Fred, Luc and Exotica as they opened the front door of the inn was one of utter chaos. Although the sun had long since bowed out to allow night's entrance, everyone in Pellgar was awake, clothed, running around outside and screaming in terror. Mismatched groups of armed guards ran this way and that with flaming torches in hand, eyes scanning the sky for any movement. The sounds of arrows being fired echoed all around them. They saw in the distance a shop window being broken into by a gang of opportunistic urchins. And yes, every so often, they could hear the mighty swoop of a dragon's wings high above.

"This way!" called Fred, charging through the frantic crowds towards the nearest watchtower. The three of them barged past many guards as they ascended the stairs to the top of the tower, but none challenged their presence - they were pre-occupied with arguing with each other. Fred grabbed one of the younger soldiers and turned him around. "A knight of Allaria asks you, boy: Where is your superior officer?" demanded Fred.

The young man could not have been more than seventeen. He looked pale and frightened. No doubt he had heard the terrible stories of Minestus's power and fury. "I s-saw Sergeant Jam-Jameson h-h-head across the eastern b-b-battlem-ments not m-m-more than a m-moment ago, s-s-sir!" he stammered weakly, gesturing towards the long stretch of battlements along their left. Without another word, Fred released the boy and headed along the tall parapet that formed the stone shell of Pellgar, Luc and Exotica following close behind. As they ran, the twang of loosed arrows and the shouts of archers sounded all around them. For a moment there was a flurry of activity, and as Fred looked over the parapet to the horizon, he caught a glimpse of their enemy gliding through the night air. It could not be Minestus. Minestus was not the colour of living shadow, did not have a solitary curved horn sprouting from his forehead, and was certainly not as large as this monster was. Heart racing, Fred finally caught up to a heavyset soldier in brightly polished armour, issuing stern orders to two messengers. The trio reached the man as the two messengers scampered away down a nearby ladder.

"Sergeant Jam Jameson?" asked Fred breathlessly. Luc winced a little. Exotica's palm headed towards her face. The man spun around and glared at Fred. He was large, almost seven feet tall, with a flushed, weathered complexion and stoic features.

"What did you just call me, wizard?" he demanded, chewing intermittently on an unidentified substance and eyeing Fred up and down.

"Sergeant, I am a knight of Allaria. My name is Frederigo D'Honaire. What's the situation, here?"

"D'Honaire......I've heard of you." growled Jameson. "You were the chump sent to kill the thing that's dancing over our heads as we speak, if I'm not mistaken."

Everyone except Jameson then ducked as the dragon made another pass, coming just feet away from the city walls and sending a gust of wind from its wings that buffeted some of the smaller guards into the floor.

"Tell me, how goes the fearless dragonslaying, D'Honaire?" drawled Jameson.

"Damn it, man, this is no time for sarcasm!" roared Fred, rising to his full height and meeting Jameson's contemptuous leer. "That is not Minestus up there! You're dealing with something completely different, and you need all the help you can get. How much damage have we incurred to the town thus far? What of casualties?"

Just then, Jameson noticed Exotica standing by Fred's side, his eyes widening. Instantly his disdainful demeanor melted away and he genuflected awkwardly in his armour. "Your highness!" he gasped, averting his gaze to the ground. "Welcome to Pell.....no, I mean.....it, it is this soldier's honour to be in your presence, please allow me to...."

"Answer the knight's questions, Sergeant Jameson!" snapped Exotica impatiently, tugging at the clothes Luc had bought her. It was becoming increasingly apparent to her that they were a full size too small.

"Yes, your highness." replied Jameson, heaving himself to his feet and regaining his composure. He turned back to face Fred. "It's the strangest damn thing......pardon my language, your highness......that creature has been flying around for several minutes now. I've seen it in the glow of the moon; make no mistake, those claws will tear apart my best men in full battle raiment. Arrows do nothing, it's like throwing twigs at a block of diamond. But you want to know who it's killed? No one. What it's destroyed? Nothing. It's just buzzing around like a damn wasp at a picnic. It hasn't attacked, thank the powers, but it's certainly not going away. I think.......I get the strangest feeling it's looking for something."

And, as if on cue, the entire battlement around them shuddered violently and flung them all to the floor as the colossal black beast descended sharply and landed on a nearby wall tower, nearly crushing it flat with its weight and sending chunks of stone sailing past Fred, Exotica, Luc and Jameson. Each fighting their own personal fear, the group staggered to their feet and turned as one to face the monster. It's giant, piercing eyes glanced around for a moment, then fixed sharply on the four of them.

In a booming, husky voice anchored by unknowable age and wisdom, Callistus spoke:

"There you are! You know, I would have been quicker if you all didn't insist on running around and changing places like in that game. What is it called? The game with the cups, you must know it. Is it called Cups? You put the ball in one of the cups. Or was it another smaller cup? It was a long time ago, even for me......"

1. Callistus continued rambling about cups.
2. "Now, men, attack!" roared Jameson, rousing the nearby troops.
3. Fred attempted to get a word in edgeways.
4. Meanwhile......

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