In the Hands of the Dragon

"Truly it is." Lord Fred had often heard of the warrior women of Aqualaria in songs and stories. His family had some dealings with their merchants as they lived near the Kingdom's southern borders. But he'd never expected to see their princess. Her skin was well-tanned and her hair was a bright and shining red. The singlet fit her lean and athletic body well. If anything, the songs had not done justice to her beauty. "What brings to this dismal place?"

"The same thing as you, I expect. I came to slay the Dragon." She then told him of her journey here from the city of Themiscyra, how the map she'd brought from her mother Heliastra's expedition to these caves proved outdated and useless (Fred nodded in recognition), how she had gotten thoroughly loss and run across many strange death traps and monsters.

"My story's shorter than yours," said Fred, "but much the same." He then told her of his encounter with the weird volcano controls and his battle with the Dragon. His relief at seeing another human being overcame his still-lingering shame over his defeat, and he told her of his hard-fought battle and how he wandered dazedly through the caves after escaping it.

She did not sneer or laugh, as he had half-feared she would, but simply nodded. "I'm amazed you survived that battle. You must be a great warrior indeed, which is good, for one great warrior alone is not enough to slay this beast but perhaps two may. We knew that this dragon could not be harmed by swords from its earlier attack on our country. I came here with poison-tipped arrows enchanted to pierce its hide. They were taken from me, of course."

"Why do you think this dragon let us live? What does it want with us?"

"To hold us for ransom, most likely," said Astra. "I am the heir to the throne, and you are the heir to one of your kingdom's most powerful duchies. Assuming that it is the dragon who holds us captive. And I may well be wrong, for the purposes of dragons are strange and hidden."

"Indeed they are." Neither of them knew how the third man had entered the room. He was very tall, far taller than any human being Fred had ever seen. His features were sharp and there was a faint odor of smoke about him.

"You're a lot more talkative than when I saw you last, Dragon," said Fred. Remembering what had happened last, he fought down the urge to strangle the beast.

"Indeed. I noticed you were wondering for what I kept you here. I heard every word you said, by the way. I would never be so foolish as to leave anything under the bed. At any rate, I have no need to hold you for ransom, since once I slay all your lands' greatest warriors I can simply swoop in and take all your wealth for my hoard. But I need a favor that only the two of you can provide me."

"I'd rather die than give you any aid, monster!" snarled Fred. But Astra put her hand on his shoulder and raised her eyebrows at him, as if warning him to hold back. Fred at first wondered what she could possibly be thinking but then remembered that she was a princess, born to the court as well as to the battlefield. He remembered the diplomatic negotiations that he had sat in on. The Dragon wanted something from them, and that meant that they held some power.

"I'm rather inclined to agree with Fred," said Astra. "You've given us very little reason to help you. You've ravaged our lands, killed our friends and family, and locked us up in the caves. Is there a reason you think we'd help you? Just what do you have to offer us?"

"I also saved your lives," said the Dragon. "But if you help me...

1. "You'll be saving both your lands, and mine as well, from sure destruction."
2. "I will give you power beyond your wildest dreams. Together you will rule the world!" Fred was about to tell the Dragon just where he could stick that offer, but Astra warned him to keep silent.
3. "Your brother is alive, Lord Frederigo. And I know just where to find him."

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