A dragonslayers tale

Vitile gave Fastonar a quick grin. “I found the trackers, both agreed upon joining us, and I did find two others too, they have some experience hunting dreklugnins and both have fought in several battles against the red creek orcs”

Fastonar smiled, a wide and relieved grin. “Excellent, who are they?”

Vitile crossed her arms across her chest. “Dwarves, tough as stone and probably a very good addition to the group. Their names are Dabin and Rhuk.”

Phraan lifted his head. “Rhuk? That is a name from the Dabhak dwarves yes?”

She nodded. “Any problems with that?”

Phraan shook his head vigorously. “Nope, they are fierce, just a wee bit odd at times”

Vitile made a wry grin and Fastonar rolled his eyes. “As long as said dwarf is able to swing an axe I don’t care how odd he might be”

Vitile leaned against the wall. “The trackers are of my tribe, their names are Taurin and Thiana, I trust them with my life. Both are very experienced”

Kapha nodded slowly. “Elven trackers, cannot find any better than that. Are we good to go then?”

Fastonar shook his head. “Not quite yet, the king has promised us some extra hands, I guess he has some criminals locked away in some dungeon who would rather volunteer than face the hangman. They may be useful”

Shaluun just shook his head but Dhokay made a grimace. “As bait then, I cannot see that convicts would be useful for anything else than that”

Phraan had to snicker, he guessed that the idea of being pardoned in exchange for serving the group could be tempting but the poor bastards wouldn’t know what they were getting themselves into. Fastonar cleaned his fingernails with his dagger, sometimes his manners were a bit affected by his life in barracks and army tents. “When do the trackers and the two dwarves arrive?”

Vitile smiled again, she did look eager. “Tomorrow morning, I told them all to get horses and ponies. We cannot wait for them to shop tomorrow”

Fastonar nodded. “We are to meet the king’s primary counsellor tomorrow too, after noon. He is to give is a quick briefing and we are to pick up the gear I have ordered. Worry not, I have asked for just top quality and we all know that there aren’t that many dragon slayers left so the king won’t spare the expenses this time”

Phraan nodded, he remembered when he started hunting dragons, they had been many back then, at least twenty groups and in the beginning they had to make it with just what they had. Understandably the death toll had been insane back then and as the number of people brave enough to hunt the beasts did dwindle the king and his men realized that they had to give the hunters a helping hand financially. Phraan had to grin when he thought of all the insane errors people had made back then, the first and most spectacular one was using ordinary armor. Many a knight came to the northern territories wearing the same armor they would use on the battle field or in tournaments and most of it was solid plate armor and very well made too. Phraan remembered many of them, cocky young men with a lot of self-confidence and a feeling of being invincible. He had seen many of them getting literally cooked inside of their armor and he knew that the military academy trained knights for battle but not for dragon hunting. Armor was good against the species of dragons which couldn’t spew fire but some of them spewed ice or even acid instead and then you had another problem. A knight in armor, frozen stiff was just a tasty snack for a hungry dragon, a roasted one was too when he thought of it.

“You have used the same lists as before I recon?”

Fastonar nodded. “Yes, but I have added some stuff I missed back in the old days”

Kapha frowned. “Not to interrupt but a healer? Do we have a healer?”

Fastonar sighed. “Not yet, but I asked the king for one, he has got to have some extra healers don’t you think?”

Vitile cringed. “Oh Fastonar, there are few healers these days, the old powers are slowly seeping away, most these days can barely heal a blister on their own.”

Fastonar rolled his eyes and shrugged. “I know alright? But we do need one so I just hope the king sends us one of those who still has the power”

Kapha snorted. “Wouldn’t bet on it”

Dhokay grinned. “Oh, do you remember that young one we got right at the end? The one with the braid and the pox marks? He knew only two healing spells, one against toothache and one used to heal trench foot!”

Phraan had to laugh. “Oh yes, he pissed himself the first time he saw a dragon, and passed out”

Vitile giggled. “And it was a dead one too, a very small greyback. Oh I remember, he was useless”

Kapha raised an eyebrow. “No he was not, what if someone had caught a toothache? Then he would be very useful indeed”

Phraan remembered that the healer in question had died barely a week after he joined them, he got trampled by a spooked horse and bye bye to him. Phraan hadn’t exactly missed the fellow for he was a sad example of the fact that good people had been almost impossible to find back then. Nobody wanted to hunt dragons after the first few years for everybody knew that the chance of surviving was slim to say the least.

Phraan stared at the group, he felt slightly proud. Their group had been the one with the greatest success and they had lost only three group members in ten years. That was almost unbelievable and it spoke volumes of their skills. Fastonar went over and patted Phraan on the back. “And I did find our boss yesterday, working as a smith just like before. But worry not my friends, with Phraan back at the helm we are gonna clear the north of this plague in no time!”

Phraan felt himself blush once more, he had been the leader, that was right. He had been a soldier before he became a dragon slayer, and before that a smith. It had been the war against the orcs of the north east which had lead him onto the path towards dragon hunting, he had never been a very violent person before and he had been terrified when he first had to fight. As a half elf he was large and strong enough to fight even a mountain orc and the king’s men had recruited everybody they thought of as possible fighters. He had been recruited as the first in his village and the trainers had discovered that he had a very uncanny ability, one which set him apart from the others. He seemed to know exactly how to deliver the most lethal blow possible and he was so fast and unpredictable beating him soon became almost impossible. Before long he was among the elite warriors who were sent ahead of the armies to clear the path and he got a name for himself. He didn’t like to kill, but that in turn made him so much more efficient. He never got carried away in the heat of battle, never went too far just to satisfy the need for a thrill and thus he managed to think strategically and attack with almost surgical precision no matter what.

They said that he fought with a complete lack of passion, as if he was a gardener cutting down weeds, doing a rather boring chore. And yet it had been a lethal ballet, a veritable dance of swift steel and spilled blood. He had barely even gotten wounded and when the war ended and the dragons became a problem the king promptly sent him to the territories to fight them. There he discovered that his gift was just as useful against dragons and his old nickname resurfaced. The orcs had called him Thalak-bhar which meant death’s lover, they believed that he was blessed by the death Gods to be able to do that much damage alone. Now he became death for so many dragons and other beasts and he did find some pride in it. He would steer the others like a general commands his troops and make sure that they attacked at just the right moment, at the right target. Without his gift the job would have been almost impossible for the dragons were very different and some could be much stronger than others.

Fastonar waved at the keeper of the tavern. “Get us some wine and a good meal, the king does pay. And a room for my friend here”

The tall and somewhat fat man just nodded and ran off and Fastonar sat down. “I have made sure that we have many carriages, plenty of supplies and the best weapons available too. This time around we do know what we may need”

Vitile nodded. “That is good, the king haven’t managed to find any other slayers?”

Fastonar shook his head. “Nope, not even one!”

Dhokay tilted his head, the elegantly bowed horns did shine in the lamp light. “But I remember several?”

Fastonar nodded and put his feet up on a bench, he stretched his legs and yawned. “Yes but remember, it is a lifetime ago. Some were ordinary humans and died of old age or disease decades ago while others have perished due to other reasons. We are the only professionals left but heed my words, we are gonna meet some amateurs for sure, that is pretty darn guaranteed”

Phraan and Kapha both cringed visibly and Vitile spat. Dhokay almost sneered. “That will be nothing but a waste of lives, if the problem is as bad as they say it is. Amateurs have no business trying to hunt dragons, they will perish”

Phraan sighed and the host came with some jugs of ale and wine while a barmaid carried cups and glasses. “Of course they will, but we do remember what happened the last time right? Being a dragon slayer was what every poor sod wanted, and I cannot count how many graves the wanderers had to dig. And it lasted for several years, before they realized that yes, people do really die when hunting dragons.”

Vitile took a deep breath. “Do not let us worry before we have a reason to, tonight I suggest that we celebrate this reunion, and have a good time.”

Kapha lifted his cup and smiled. “Hear, hear! Now that is a sound suggestion!”

Phraan filled his glass with wine and found that it was a good one, he hadn’t had really good wine for a long time and drank slowly to really savor the taste. Of course he didn’t get drunk, to get anyone of elven blood drunk you would need something so strong it would be toxic to all other races but he could get tipsy if he drank a lot fast and as the food was brought forth and the atmosphere got more and more relaxed he realized that he had missed this. The camaraderie and the trust, the feeling of being among equals. He just hoped that the king had gotten them what they needed.

As the evening ended he found himself singing along with the others and the songs were almost forgotten by everybody else but they were typical drinking songs and not at all decent. Kapha ended up with one of the servants sitting on his knees and the poor man did look rather shocked. Fastonar disappeared upstairs with one of the bar maids and Dhokay sat by the fireplace and recited poems to someone only he saw. Vitile was grinning and she was a bit tipsy too, her eyes were shining. She sat down next to Phraan and smiled. “I have missed you, I didn’t think I would ever say this but I have.”

Phraan had to look back at her. “I have missed you too, heck, I have missed you all”

Vitile giggled. “Even Kapha?”

Phraan nodded solemnly” Even Kapha yes”

Vitile leaned back and closed her eyes, an expression of melancholic longing on her face. “I know he can be a bit much at times but he is good as gold”

Phraan grinned. “I know, he hasn’t changed. He still thinks he can tempt me into bedding him”

Vitile almost snorted wine. “And?”

Phraan sent her a wicked grin. “It will never happen, not that I have anything against his preferences but he isn’t my type”

Vitile leaned closer in, her face a bit flushed. “No, for your type is more like…?”

He smiled. “You for an example”

She licked her lips. “Care to find out if we are a match?”

He felt his heart beating faster. “Oh but I do know we are a match, I don’t think that has changed”

She pouted. “Don’t be so sure of that, many years have passed by”

He breathed in her scent and knew that she was trying to talk him into bedding her, what the heck, why not? It had been decades since the last time he had been in bed with anyone except his own right hand and he and Vitile had in fact been lovers many times. As a matter of fact he had almost popped the great question back in the old days. He got up and sent her an inviting grin. “Then let’s find out shall we?”

She too got onto her feet and let a hand slide up the inside of his thigh, very suggestively. He had to moan, the mere idea of her had already made him react and his pants had become uncomfortably tight. She grabbed him by his braid and almost dragged him with her upstairs.

When Phraan woke up the next morning it was with a bit of a headache and he felt rather confused until he remembered the last days. Vitile slept by his side, nude as the day she was born and her long hair had escaped the braid and covered her rather well. He had to stare at her, she was a nice view to wake up to and he grinned and knew they had to get up. They had spent the time well last night and both had fallen asleep both sated and exhausted. He had needed this, he felt as if he now was able to throw away the blacksmith and become the warrior once more. He shook her gently and Vitile grunted and opened one hazel eye, she didn’t appear to be too happy about the situation, she swore softly. “Damn it Phraan, why can’t we stay in bed a little longer?”

He smacked her across the ass. “You know why, but if it is any comfort I can tell you that I too would wish to stay in bed today. “

She almost growled and got up, pulled her clothes back on and braided her hair quickly. She was humming while she did it so her mood wasn’t all that bad in spite of it all. Phraan felt famished and thirsty and he almost ran down to the dining hall where Fastonar and Dhokay already were having a breakfast consisting of mostly bacon. Fastonar skewered a huge piece on his knife and stared at it with a sigh. “I think we’d better enjoy this while we can, there won’t be much food like this when we are out there”

Phraan sat down and the cook placed a huge plate in front of him, covered with bacon and eggs. The half elf rolled his eyes and sighed, he wouldn’t be able to eat very much of it, this cook obviously believed that elves ate half a pig in one sitting. The thin ale he was given in a huge mug was a whole different matter and he emptied the whole mug in one go, he was truly thirsty. Fastonar chuckled. “You look as if she almost drained you completely last night”

Phraan just blushed and saw that Fastonar too looked slightly disheveled. Dhokay threw his head backwards and laughed. “You both look as if you have had a really good tumble, well, good for you. The bath is ready by the way, you ought to scrub yourselves rather well, you reek!”

Fastonar just grimaced and sighed and Phraan blushed. But Dhokay was right, they ought to look good when they were to meet the king’s counsellor. Phraan managed to eat most of the food and Vitile who entered the hall yawning so widely you could count her teeth took the rest. She too was thirsty and did look a bit sweaty. They both visited the bath and it felt good getting clean again, Phraan combed and braided his hair back and then they got their stuff and by now the trackers and the two dwarves had arrived. Phraan was very pleased with what he saw, the two trackers wore almost the same clothes as Vitile and they were both dark blond with soft brown eyes and a slender body. Both carried a bow and long knives and they moved with the fleeting elegance of the wood elves. He had no doubt that these two could become valuable for sure. The two dwarves stood there and looked a bit cranky, both carried twin axes and there was no doubt about their skills for they wore visible tattoos telling of their skills in battle but Phraan did notice that they refused to look at each other. They were of different tribes, Dabin were of the Boithan tribe which meant that he was a bit taller and more elegant than Rhuk, and he wore very elaborate braids and clothing. Rhuk on the other hand did look rather uncouth and his clothes and armor did look like something he had pulled out of a garbage pile somewhere. Phraan knew that the Dhabak dwarves had a very different culture from the Boithan dwarves and it could spell trouble, he just hoped that there wouldn’t be any hostility between the two of them. Both clans were known as capable fighters and the Dhabak dwarves in special were known for their tenacity and their stubbornness. They refused to back down even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Vitile greeted her friends with a sort of shrill sound Phraan knew the forest elves used to express joy and both answered in the same manner, it made his ears hurt a bit. Fastonar stared at the two dwarves. “So, you have volunteered for this, dragon slaying is no easy dance, it may be your last fight”

Both dwarves just bowed their heads and Dabin smiled, the elaborate pattern of braids told Phraan that this dwarf was someone of importance and status. “We fear naught, and we wish to serve”

Fastonar stared at Rhuk, looking at the two dwarves was like comparing a huge sleek and well-groomed hound with a shaggy looking shepherd. “And you agree on this Rhuk?”

Rhuk raised a fist and bumped it against his chest, the leather armor creaked. “I do, I wish for honor”

Shaluun had entered the hall and he wore better clothes today, he looked a bit more civilized but the wild expression upon his face was giving away his nature. The mountain elves were known for being savages and Phraan had seen this many times, Shaluun was a very dangerous being. Fastonar clapped once. “Alright then, we are all ready? Good, then let’s go. I don’t think the good Sir Aphalber likes to wait”

Phraan walked behind Fastonar out of the door and the group found their way towards the palace. The two dwarves looked very calm and collected but the two trackers were obviously not accustomed to the things they saw there and were wide eyed and in obvious awe. The palace was a huge area and they entered through one of the side gates. The counsellor had agreed upon meeting them within the area of the palace where supplies were brought in and it was the least posh part of the huge complex of buildings. There were several thick walls separating the palace area and they were heavily guarded and could be used as a last line of defense in case of an attack. The palace was like a city of its own and Phraan saw that little had changed since he was there the last time.

They entered a huge open yard and he had to raise an eyebrow, several carriages were ready with good horses ready to go, and there was a herd of riding horses there as well, and some huge stocky mules. Fastonar almost purred, he was grinning from one ear to the other. “Like I said, the king spares no expenses this time. His father tried to do that and see how far that got him in the end”

The carriages were filled with equipment, tents, food, weapons, clothing, all sorts of equipment, medicine, armors and even wine. Phraan started to feel optimistic, if only ever so slightly.

A very tall but extremely thin man walked out of the shades towards them, he did look as if he was trying to suck the last little drop of juice out of a very sour lemon and he wore a robe made from exquisite silk and some pants Phraan guessed was made from genuine Rhuk’sal leather, the huge herbivores which lived in and by the rivers to the far south were rare and their hide became the most expensive leather there is, as smooth and silky as a baby’s bottom. This man was wealthy and he loved to show it off too, Phraan could see it very well. The well-groomed and braided hair was adorned with at least two combs with real rubies in them and he carried a small writing board which had to be made from the heart wood of Goldflower trees. Fastonar bowed his head politely and the man clicked with his tongue and didn’t look too impressed by what he saw. “So, this is the king’s new dragon slayers? You look like a travelling menagerie!”

Rhuk almost growled and Dhokay whispered something to the dwarf which made him snicker and turn slightly red in the face. Fastonar managed to smile and he did look rather calm but Phraan knew him and the sudden dark glimpse within his eyes told the half elf that this counsellor had insulted Fastonar by insulting the group, and you didn’t do that unpunished! “Sir Aphalber, I can assure you, the king won’t find finer warriors anywhere within the five regions.”

Aphalber just snorted and stared at Vitile with obvious disdain, the forest elf pretended to ignore the glare but she made a gesture behind her back and the two others saw it and turned red. It was very obscene, the forest elves had a sort of sign language which was extremely elaborate and they used it when they couldn’t risk making any sort of noise, it could of course also be used to communicate when they didn’t want others to understand what they were saying. “The king has spent good money on this…project of his. Our good lord Ropherto is way too naïve for his own good, this dragon problem is just a minor nuisance and hardly worth spending even a handful of gold over.”

Phraan felt his head starting to feel hot, and Fastonar sent him a warning glance, they didn’t need an explosion now. The warrior just smiled very sweetly. “Oh, I think our dear king is very wise, and he is thinking ahead instead of lagging behind the whole time, the way his father did. When old Vhandar finally reacted the last time dragons came down from the mountains an entire region was laid to waste before anybody even tried to stop it.”

Aphalber sneered. “Oh nonsense, it cannot have been that bad, what are a few dragons to a fully armed unit of knights?”

Dhokay smiled, the sharp teeth were shining and the golden eyes were flaring. “I will tell you what a dragon is to a knight, a blowtorch! Imagine the armor as a kettle and the knight as the stew within that kettle and the dragon as a very impatient cook!”

Aphalber just stared, slightly shaken out of balance by this outburst. “A knight of from our king’s guard would surely not fail in such a manner”

Shaluun shook his head. “Know what, we saw many knights back in the old days, hundreds of them if I don’t recall it wrong and I don’t. Fires are bad, frost too but guess what is worse? Acid! Some species of dragons spew acid and it makes you melt you see, both you and the armor you are wearing. The man and the metal merge, and we have seen men survive for hours with most of their bodies dissolved. The screams are amazing, you will never forget it once you have heard it.”

Aphalber swallowed and Dhokay shook his head slowly. “I remember one fellow in special, big guy, one of Vhandar’s best knights. He had won every tournament you can name and several battles too. They believed that he was invincible, blessed by the gods. He died the first evening after he arrived at the camp, tried to attack a greyback all by himself and the beast got him good. There wasn’t even enough left of him to bury the remains properly. Instead of a coffin they used a hat box”

Aphalber was slightly green. “You are jesting for sure”

Phraan shook his head. “Nope, a dragon can transform a living breathing man to ashes or mosh in less time than it would take you to walk from here to that fountain over there.”

The counsellor still looked as if he believed that they were lying and Fastonar went over to the nearest wagon and pulled the tarp aside. He stared into it and smiled. “Wonderful, just what I wanted.”

He pulled out a roll of rope and Phraan let out a small shout of excitement, it was just the right kind and he could see that they had many hundreds of rolls like that. Aphalber groaned. “Do you have any idea of how much that rope over there costs? Five gold coins for each roll! And you ordered two hundred!”

Fastonar nodded with a wide and very devilish grin. “Exactly, you need a lot of rope when you are to restrain a dragon”

The counsellor rolled his eyes. “But why the most expensive rope there is? Why not the type they use for the warships? They are strong and even better, cheap!”

Vitile had put on her cutest expression but her eyes were shooting fire. “Because they are made from hemp and what does hemp do when it comes into contact with flames? It burns!”

Kapha had been silent until then, now he crossed his arms across his chest. “So rope made from the same leather you have in those fancy breeches of yours is the only type good enough, it is elastic enough to give without snapping and a dragon cannot burn through it as fast as if it was hemp, it takes several minutes”

Aphalber rolled his eyes. “Alright, fine, you need expensive rope but what about all this other stuff, specially forged weapons, camping equipment, and horses! The horses were more than two gold shillings each! You can buy a herd of ordinary nags for just one gold coin”

Fastonar went over and put a hand onto the counsellor’s shoulder, the man almost toppled over. “Wanna know why we need horses which have been trained and broken for hunting?”

Aphalber scoffed. “You are gonna tell me for sure!”

Fastonar did look like a patient old teacher scolding a rowdy kid. “Because ordinary horses do freak out when they feel the scent of a dragon, horses bought for the hunt has to be brave, obedient and most of all strong and able to turn on a dime even with a man in full armor on his back”

Aphalber stared down at the elegantly laid mosaic tiles covering the yard, he was a bit red and probably still angry. The idea of the king spending money on this instead of raising his salary had to be a real blow to his ego. “Ah the armor, you asked for twenty suits of leather armor, that too cost a small fortune, why not the standard army type? Isn’t it good enough?”

Shaluun smiled slowly. “If you want to be cooked alive it is brilliant. Don’t try to understand the list human, you cannot! You are no warrior and certainly not a slayer so keep you pie hole shut and let the real men here do their job”

Aphalber just gaped and Dhokay laughed hoarsely, he was almost shaking with mirth. Vitile put out her tongue. “Do you hear? He regards even me and Thiana here as more manly than you!”

The counsellor was beet red by now and stuttering and Fastonar petted his back once more. “Easy there, such thin and spindly people are more prone to sudden heart failure than their shorter counterparts. Their veins burst more easily. We asked for a healer? And a mage?”

Aphalber was opening and closing his mouth like a fish on dry land, it did look hilarious and the two dwarves had a peculiar expression on their faces. Phraan knew a few words of the secret language the dwarven clans used and if Aphalber had heard what the two called him he would have suffered from immediate spontaneous combustion out of sheer shame. The man managed to get himself back under control but he was shaking all over. “We had no mage but the king did assign a healer to this…group!”

Fastonar smiled and tightened the grip he had on the counsellor’s shoulder, the man became rather pale right away. “Brilliant, we are to leave immediately so where is he?”

Aphalber squeaked. “He is waiting in the hall by the stable, let go of me!”¨

Fastonar did release the grip and the man let out a huge sigh of relief. He then scurried off as if his feet were on fire and Phraan almost growled. “You shouldn’t happen to know where his chambers are located, I sense that there is a whole swarm of sewer rats dying to find a cozy new home!”

Fastonar giggled. “No, but the idea is brilliant though, but rather than sewer rats, which are such cute and useful creatures after all I would rather suggest a pack of dreklugnins”

Phraan had to laugh. “Oh Fastonar, that would harm other people, we don’t want that now do we. The palace is a beautiful place and it would be too bad if they have to evacuate it”

Shaluun had taken a short jog to the hall the counsellor mentioned and he returned with a man in tow behind him, the guy was short with a bit of a belly and long thin and unkempt hair. He wore a healers robe but it was so dirty it looked more brown than white and the guy was a bit cross eyed and was waddling from one side to the other. “I found him, but he is as drunk as a skunk and he smells like a liquor store”

Fastonar made a grimace. “Oh dear, well, we’ll have to accept him, we cannot wait for another healer to be available and maybe he is good for something whence he dries up”

Vitile made a nasty grimace. “Like that will ever happen, believe me, this guy is useless. I can smell it, he has been drinking hard for years”

Phraan scowled. “Didn’t the king promise us some convicts too?”

Fastonar snapped his fingers. “Oh yes, darn, where can they be? Oh yes, I know, follow me”

He jogged off and they looked at each other and shrugged. Shaluun lifted the drunk healer into the nearest wagon and the man just fell asleep right away. They ran after Fastonar who held a rather brisk pace and he stopped in front of a wide gate Phraan hadn’t seen before. It was well guarded and Fastonar did salute the officer who seemed to be in charge there. “Greetings, we are the king’s new dragon slayers and we have been promised some extra men, convicts I have been told?”

The officer smiled, he did look as if he was a decent person and he bowed politely. “Yes, that is correct, I was told this morning. By Aphalber no less, that man would eat horseshit if he was told it would make him shit gold”

Fastonar had to laugh and the others chuckled too. The officer opened the gate. “We have them ready for you, all have been prepared and they won’t try to escape. If they do they will simply die, it is a very useful spell for sure”

Phraan had heard of it, a sort of magic that enabled you to take complete control over others, it was not very well thought off and rarely in use but at times it was handy. Nobody would use it against someone who didn’t deserve it though, it was unethical and most people would protest if you suggested such a course of action. Fastonar scratched his arm and looked very relaxed. “How many are there and what have they done?”

The officer pulled a note from his pocket and opened it. “There are three of them, one is convicted of fraud and another of arson and the third of accidental murder.”

Fastonar made a grimace. “Sounds like a classy gang.”

The officer nodded and grinned and he gestured towards some soldiers who stood nearby. “My men will go get them, they have been prepared like I said but do not trust them for even a moment.”

Fastonar sighed, “We won’t, believe me.”

The soldiers disappeared through a narrow and very solid door and were gone for some minutes. The dungeon had to be underneath this entire area and Phraan guessed that it was the less comfortable parts of it which housed their new workers. Even the dungeons had a system of classes, the best parts weren’t that much different from a good room at an inn, just with a door you couldn’t get through. The worst were rather hideous and filled with rats and other nasty creatures. The soldiers came back and dragged three chained men behind them. Phraan scowled at them, the first man was of average height and he did look like a smart person. His clothes were good and he seemed to have some class. The brown eyes were keen and he held his chin up high, even when chained. The officer nodded towards him. “He is known as Peter, son of Charloy, he is convicted of fraud and also of forgery. He made false coins but wasn’t very good at it.”

Phraan tilted his head, forgery required a least some skill and the man was probably in his late twenties and healthy. He could be useful for sure. The tattoo which showed that he was spellbound was visible on his forehead and only when his four year service was over would it vanish and take the spell with it. The next man was short and stocky and a bit fat, his face was red and his features uneven and the skin dirty and scarred. His clothes did stink and the sort of swimming expression within his eyes told them all that this person was a drunkard. The officer stared at him and his expression was one of contempt. “His name is Oham and he got drunk when he was supposed to watch the mill he worked at. One of the workers got stuck in the mechanism and got crushed because this moron here was too goddamn inebriated to pull the right lever.”

Fastonar looked at the man with a dark expression within his eyes, Phraan knew that Fastonar hated people who fail to do their duty more than anything else. Getting drunk was something he never would allow himself to become when he had things to do, Phraan knew that Fastonar would be all over this man like a hungry wolf. The soldiers brought the last man forth, he was rather young and he had long unkempt blond hair and he did look more or less insane. He was struggling against the chains and his clothes told Phraan that he probably belonged to the fetcher’s guild. “This piece of shit lit his master’s house on fire, to be able to take his place afterwards. The entire family died, three adults and five children. He should have been hung but the king is too soft at times, and the royal healer believes that the man is mad. “

Phraan stared at the young man who bared his teeth and looked like a mad animal. “What is his name?”

The officer stared at his note. “His name is apparently Aiolo but nobody knows if that is his real name. He had been an apprentice for just two months when he did this terrible deed, they ought to have burned him too”

Fastonar smiled, an almost friendly grin. “Oh but he still has the opportunity to burn for sure, I think we will send him first when we encounter dragons, since he already is accustomed to flames I mean”

Aiolo just rolled his eyes and swore and Phraan knew that this one could bring them trouble for sure. The officer let the soldiers remove the chains and the three rubbed their wrists and looked far from impressed by what they saw. Fastonar stared at them. “You have volunteered so know this, you will most likely die and should you survive for four years it will be four years of hard work and constant danger. Of course you will be free if you make it that far but until then you are mine! Do you understand? Try to escape and the spell will kill you, disobey and I will have your hide and do not for a single second believe that I won’t whip the skin off your backs with a grin on my face and a song on my lips”

All three just stared at the ground and a soldier came carrying some folded clothing. “From now on this is what you are to wear. You are slaves now, so you have got to look the part!”

He pulled a tunic and a pair of breeches from the pile, both were made from a very cheap fabric which was roughly woven and thick and the color was hideous, the most disgusting tone of mustard yellow Phraan had ever laid eyes upon. It looked like the color of really nasty diarrhea. All three just glared at the clothes and the soldiers smiled, the officer did look very pleased. “Get the rags on guys, no point in waiting. From now on you are dragon slayers, or shall I rather say, potential dragon snacks”

Fastonar had to snicker and Phraan hid a wry grin too, he had his serious doubt about the usefulness of these three but who knows, they could perhaps do at least some good. All three pulled on the new clothing, Oham was too fat and the tunic a wee bit too small so he looked like a badly stuffed sausage, he was glaring at them and looked genuinely pissed off but he didn’t say anything. Phraan had already evaluated them, Peter was smart and not a violent person, he was probably the only one who would cooperate freely. Oham was most likely to try to sneak his way out of any work they tried to make him do, and if there was booze nearby he would try to get drunk no matter the punishment. Aiolo was the type to try an escape, even if it would kill him, he wouldn’t last long for sure. Phraan sighed, he was glad they had gotten the trackers and the two dwarves, but they could still use a mage. Fastonar crossed his arms across his wide chest. “Right lads, let’s go. It is a long journey and the dragons aren’t waiting for us so move your asses”

The three men started to walk, very reluctantly and Phraan walked over to Dhokay and Shaluun. “Don’t let Aiolo get anywhere near a weapon, that guy is desperate enough to do very stupid things.”

Dhokay had a dark expression within his eyes and his teeth were almost bared. “I know, he is gonna be dragon fodder for sure, I can smell the madness within him.”

They walked briskly back to the wagons and the horses and Phraan sent a page for his belongings and his horse. He felt a sting of excitement in spite of it all, he hadn’t left the village for many years and for sure there would be changes. He was eager to see what new things he would see and he realized that he was looking forward to a challenge too. Fastonar patted him on his back as the page returned with Drake in tow behind him. “We’ll get back into it soon enough, once a dragon slayer, always a dragon slayer”

Phraan got in the saddle and the others stared at Drake with wide eyes, the stallion snorted and pawed at the ground and Phraan reined him in with steady hands. “You are right, I have missed it, at least some parts of it.”

Vitile got onto the back of her own horse, a very lithe dun mare. Like most forest elves she rode without a tack and controlled the animal only with her weight and voice. “We’ll get rid of the rust in no time, it will be like the good old days once more”

Phraan smiled and turned Drake around. “Yes, just like the good old days”