Chapter One
The village of Laketown existed as it had for centuries. Since it was both a thriving lumber and fishing center, with many fine craftsmen and artisans plying their trades, as well as a crossroads for trade both by land and by water between the great cities of the north and south, it was unassailed by either war or strife. The town grew and prospered until it covered most of the southern bank of the great lake named Duin, after the king of the age when it had first been discovered.
Life in Laketown was good.
And then the dragon came.
Reeves Minhollah was Captain of the Guard. He'd been promoted five years before when his predecessor had been accidentally slain during a wild boar hunt in the forest. Reeves took his job very seriously. Even if there wasn't much crime to speak of in Laketown, he and his men were always watching and alert. And not just in the town proper, but in the woods and fields surrounding as well.
No forest fire went unspotted. No packs of wild beasts or even wilder brigands or robbers went unhunted. In the century before large stone watch towers had been erected about the town, each manned by a small squad of runners, with at least one sharp eye constantly scanning the surroundings through a large telescope.
Not only did they alert the town to possible dangers, but they also announced the arrival of the fleets of ships and the long caravans of wagons that constantly came and went. Laketown now had the largest port of any city in the known world.
Even though as Captain he could have stayed in his well appointed office, drinking hot tea and shifting piles or papers here and there, Minhollah preferred to take at least three watches a week with his men like any other guardsman. Whether he was ensconced in a watch tower or riding patrol on horseback, the men always knew that their Captain was with them, working alongside them and caring both about the town and their welfare. In his five years as Captain Reeves had never had one of his guardsmen die while on duty and he planned on keeping that score until the day he retired.
On this particular night Reeves Minhollah was nearing the end of a shift in the central waterfront tower. It was his favorite, not only because it was close to both his home and his office but because it afforded him a wonderful view of the lake and the mountains on the other side. It was a view that the Captain never grew tired of.
The sun had just settled in the west and Reeves was sharing a last cup of tea with Andy MacMeel and Drayne Wrath. Young MacMeel was a fine redheaded lad whose ancestors had emigrated from the low hills in the north ages ago. He was turning into a fine guardsman and Reeves had high hopes for his career. Wrath was a dwarf from the Iron Mountains. Solid, steady and absolutely no nonsense. Pretty much like most dwarves. The Captain had requested both of them on this watch. Not only because he enjoyed their company, but because he was trying to decide whether to promote one or both of them to the rank of Sergeant. He wanted one more watch together before he made up his mind.
Minhollah was settled against the stone wall sipping his tea, listening Wrath tell a story he'd heard from some trader. Some new temple had popped up in one of the southern cities. Worshiping snakes or some such nonsense. Andy was leaning against the parapet watching the last rays of the sun glimmering off of the water.
Suddenly the young man blinked. He set his cup down on the stone, rubbed his eyes and blinked again. Leaning over, he set his eye to the lens of the telescope, his long nimble fingers adjusting the focus.
"Captain, sir..."
"Yes, Andy?"
"There's... something. Not exactly sure what I'm seeing, sir. There, sir." He pointed as the Captain rose to his feet. "Towards the Spire."
The Spire, as it was called was a tall thin pointed mountain some hundred leagues away or so. But it was so tall that its' point could be seen with the naked eye from Laketown on a clear day. Looking with his naked eyes, Reeves could just barely make out a small orange light near the tip of the mountain, as if someone had lighted a signal fire on that tiny peak.
"If that's a fire," thought the Captain "Then the whole peak must be ablaze!" He fitted his eye to the cool brass eyepiece of the telescope and brought it into focus. The picture jumped in his view, expanded a hundred times. His mouth fell open in consternation. The thing was moving back and forth across the top of the mountain as if circling it! What the devil?
Wraths stubby legs climbed the steps to the top of the wall and his eyes narrowed beneath craggy beetling brows. Those eyes, more suited to seeing in the dark than humans, tracked the fireball in the distance.
"What do you think it is, Captain?" Andy asked. Reeves shook his head and squinted into the eyepiece once more.
"Don't know, boy. A freak storm, perhaps. A burning tree, swept up by winds? Some sort of wizardry? It's nothing I have ever seen before." He felt a touch on the sleeve of his leather tunic and turned to see the face of the dwarf staring at him with a look of fear so uncharacteristic of the stoic guardsman that the Captain almost recoiled.
"I have seen this before, sir. Or heard tales from my sires, anyway. It's a dragon, Captain."
"And it's coming this way."
Chapter Two
Even if this was going to be the end of his men and his town that he loved and his own life, Captain Reeves Minhollah had never been more proud. The alarms had sounded out both fire and danger and his men had rallied and prepared like a crack military unit. His best archers lined the quayside while some of the auxiliary units tried their best to evacuate as many women and children into the woods as they could. The streets practically bristled with spears and pikes and axes as his men ran hither and thither, forming up wherever they thought they could defend the best.
Word had been sent out to abandon the towers, as they were too exposed to a flying beast. It could be seen with the unaided eye by now anyway as it drew closer and closer to the town. Lights and fires and torches had all been extinguished in a faint hope that the beast might pass by in the darkness without seeing them. But the fact that it was heading directly for the town made that a small hope indeed.
The Captain, his men, and the entire town clutched their weapons in the dark and waited, expecting any moment to be their last but ready to face it bravely in the defense of their homes.
As the huge monster cleared the northern edge of the lake it paused slightly in the air, those great wings tearing at the sky to keep it aloft and it sent out a bellowing roar that was so loud it made the water in the lake ripple in three foot waves that slapped against the wood and stone piers of Laketown. Stretching it's mighty head high, a stream of molten flame shot up into the sky, lighting up the countryside for a league around.
That light also gave them a good look at the monster itself. It was awe inspiring and frightening all at the same time. Lit by it's own flame, the thing was nearly a hundred yards long, from tip to tail, with a wingspan almost double that. They could all see rivulets of flaming saliva drip from the monsters jaws to fall steaming into the water below.
As they stood and quavered in fear and awe, the thing gave one more beat of its mighty wings and suddenly it was right in front of them, having crossed the entire width of the lake in a swoop! All around him in the flickering light Reeves could hear moans and cries of terror.
Spreading its wings wide, the dragons rear legs landed in the water near the quayside. Steam rose up all around it and waves lapped the shore again, making the men on the waterline beat a hasty retreat. The shallow water of the bay barely came up past the first joint of those tree trunk thick legs. Once again, that neck stretched up in the air, the great mouth opened and it trumpeted aloud, the sound making the very stones of the streets beneath their feet vibrate and shiver.
A hundred arrows lanced into the air, each one hoping for a soft spot in what appeared to be invulnerable scales and armor. Those great wings flapped with amazing speed, brushing all of the hoped for missiles away harmlessly.
That huge head, bigger than the Captains entire house, swooped down and the jaws opened. They all steeled themselves as best they could for certain death.
"STOP!!"
The roar was loud enough that it knocked the fifty closest men right onto their backs. Everyone else froze in place, their heads ringing from the noise. The jaws snapped shut and the head drew back slightly. Bright green eyes the size of shields looked at the assembled people in what appeared to be slight amusement at their effort to defend themselves.
In a slightly quieter voice, the beast spoke again.
"Bring me your king. I wish to parley."
Chapter Three
"King? We have no king! What could it want? We're all going to die, I just know it!" The quiet babble arose all around the Captain. Reeves knew that the Mayor, Brannon McCloud, was a shrewd businessman and an excellent host, but obviously not the man to be dealing with a dragon. He was also a self professed coward and was no doubt hiding in the woods with the women and children. The Mayor couldn't even kill a spider, let alone stay in the same room with one. That was, he said, the reason he had servants.
The tall captain took a deep breath and forced his body to relax itself as he slid his sword back into the scabbard with a loud snap. Similar sounds around him told him that his men were lowering their weapons. Looking to either side, Reeves saw Wrath and Andy still standing stoutly at his flanks. They looked at each other and nodded together. He turned and spoke to the rest of his men.
"Stay here. We will speak to the beast. Stay ready as best you can." He turned back and the three of them marched down the wide street to the quayside, looking up at the great beast crouched in the water and wondering why they were still alive.
"And who are you?" The head had bent down towards them, it's breath almost taking the wind from their lungs.
"I am Reeves Minhollah. Captain of the Guard. And who are you?"
That huge head jerked back a little, turning sideways to peer at them out of one eye. A small gout of flame licked against it's lips, then quickly disappeared. The jaws parted slightly and a deep rumbling chuckle echoed out from the beasts chest.
"I? Who am I? I am Grond Deucalious, Captain Reeves Minhollah. Grond Deucalious. Why? Have you heard of me?"
A little taken aback, the Captain shook his head.
"No, I have not."
"Mmmmm..." it came out as almost a growl.
"Pity. But no matter. There are places in this world, Reeves Minhollah, where people pray each night that I may never return. There are entire countries that lay barren and burned, where nothing will ever grow again because they displeased me. There are generations of people, Reeves Minhollah, who will not even speak my name in fear of my return." The head turned the other way, looking at them through the other eye, which squinted.
