Here be dragons.

The bells tolled, a lot longer than they did usually. Shatters were slammed, doors bolted, and footsteps sounded as people rushed into the recesses of their homes. Even the guards had to pile themselves deep inside their guard house.

James saw all this from the corner of his vision even as he flew through the city at the fastest speed he could muster. His hope lay in ambushing the dragon before it reached the town.

'Dragons give off an aura of majesty. To stand too near their shadow could lead to one's untimely demise...'

The book he'd read before he'd traveled Southwards. He could only hope his contingencies were enough to save him. Even his flight power was unstable. If even the least bit of the dragon's majesty leaked through his defenses, he'd plummet to his death. He only hoped the dragon was in a communicating mood.

********

"Hey!" Talon yelled from the second floor landing of the inn. "The kid's not in his room. I went to pick his plates and he wasn't there!"

Talia didn't so much as react. She just ran her fingers along the edges of her mug. He promised he'd come back. That he'd not try to fight the dragon at all, but what if it tried to attack him instead?

Hansworth across from her just stared at the shocked Talon, then went back to sharpening his blade. The kids were playing a game of thumb war, although the girl with her much bigger thumb was proving to be superior.

"You do like that sword, don't you Hansworth?"

The boy stared up at her. "Of course. The young master gave it to me."

"Hmm..." she took another huge gulp.

What was wrong with her tonight? She didn't usually drink this much. Was she feeling a little jealous of Hansworth? 'He's never given me anything.' She wanted to pout.

A snort. "What? You two not going to go rushing off to save him from his idiocy?" Jonas asked in mocking tones.

Three pairs of eyes oriented on him.

"The young master is not an idiot!"

Talia wasn't one of the three chorusing voices. For one thing, she'd didn't like calling him young master. For another, she wasn't sure he wasn't an idiot.

**************

The dragon reacted to the fly buzzing toward it at high speed. James yelled. He swirved wildly, and his stomach lurched to the left even as the plume of dragon breath just barely missed him.

The sulfurous stench and debilitating heat were inescapable though. James wanted, no, needed to think of a new strategy. Too bad everything he thought of just fell short.

The dragon was already turning. With its size, it was the less agile flyer, so he had that at least. Now that he was so close to it, he could hear something bubbling up inside it, like a boiling liquid or something of the sort.

What the hell did dragon fire have to do with boiling liquids? Jason had asked this same question when he'd battled the day dragon in the novel. But Jason was equipped for that sort of thing.

James couldn't use his divine gifts, because even just using flight was taxing his already fragile health. His fire spells would do no good against a being immune to fire. That left only one choice, and James started to chant even while he started to fly a loop around the dragon's head which must have annoyed it.

It's head swivelled from left to right, and it tried to open its mouth on a number of occasions, but then James would zip away. It growled low, throaty, and the vibrations of liquid in its throat lent the threat of impending doom more gravity.

James didn't even bat an eye. He knew his job, and he was going to accomplish it. When his spell function was finished, he stopped his disgraceful dance routine, instead pausing in mid air to stare into one of his foe's gigantic eyes.

The dragon's mouth flew open, and flame roared to life. James knew it was a waste of time, but sent his own wild fire, in its raw form, racing towards the dragon's fire. The resulting collision wasn't enough to deflect the dragon's breath. It only slowed the stronger fire by a heartbeat, but that was all the caster needed.

Even if his spell was weak in comparison, the collision had caused a minor explosion. The dragon's eyes were drawn to where the two fires had met. When the fires went out, there was no fly for the dragon to fry.

The dragon snorted, turned around, and prepared to return to its journey. James sighed, loud and long.

The dragon startled, and started to wave it's head around in a bid to find him. Then it revolved, once, twice, like a dog chasing its own tail.

"You're going to be so dizzy, you'll crush to the ground in a couple moments."

The dragon snorted as it stopped its search, chose a spot in the air to watch, and opened its mouth one more time.

James couldn't hear the bubbling as the gigantic lizard opened its mouth, and somehow he knew the dragon had changed its mind

"So the humans decided to send a hero?" came a great rumbling voice, and even though James wasn't next to it, he could feel it's voice box vibrate. "Though this hero is a great coward who likes to run and disorient his opponents."

James couldn't avoid the snort that escaped his throat.

"Do you think that taunt was enough to take me out of my hiding? You really must have a low opinion of human intelligence."

It's shoulders bobbed up and down. James was sure it was a shrug.

"It's worked on all the heroes I've fought before."

James thought of what he knew about Jason from his time reading the novel, and yes, the punk would definitely have stepped up to meet the beast head on after those taunts. Yet James knew the only reason Jason was able to drive the beast off before was because it refused to change forms, only fighting him in this less agile and less magically savvy form.

"I am no hero. I only came before you today to speak."

"Oh? So you represent the people of this town?"

"Not really. I'm here on private business."

"And what may that business be? And how could I be of assistance?"

"It's probably the same reason you've come here as well. The only problem is that you can't see a way of achieving your goal without a number if casualties, so you're hoping these baleful visits will convince the townsfolk to move out before you make your attack."

"At least you're a well informed insect. Won't you tell me your name so I know where the black mage I'm about to kill came from."

As expected even in this lousy form the creature had managed to track his dark magic signature. It was no matter though. He'd never expected the strategy to work for that long. He let the spell fall away.

"I just have one question before all that: why now? Why are you only coming for it now?"

The dragon turned its head to regard him with a raised brow.

"So you are aware of the stories then?"

"Of the small black dragon that went berserk and was killed from somewhere around here? Yes I'm aware."

The dragon's snort worked, and another sign of surprise registered on its face.

"And you even have one of those divine gifts with you? So you do know alot then? Perhaps killing you will be a necessity then."

James frowned, his heartbeat turned frantic, and his sweat glands worked.

"Why would my having a divine gift be cause for my death?"

"Because you're the one trying to influence my dead comrades. Even in their death, you power seekers will not let them be!"

James reeled back from the absolute venom in the dragon's tone.

"Wait! I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

Silence hugged them for a moment, and the dragon studied it's enemy, and James studied his newest death in one eye. Finally, the dragon sniffed the air with a great wiff through its nose.

"Hmm, what you say is truth? You really do not know how your divine gifts, as you mortals are wont to call them, came into being."

"And you're going to tell me?"

"First tell me your name, and what you intend to do with my brethren."

"My name is James. And I intend to do nothing but free your brethren. I hope doing so might foster a kind of friendship between us."

"You intend to ride upon my back, human?"

"What?!" James cried, and he was not just pretending to be horrified. "Me ride upon the back of Solas, the oldest dragon on the continent, and perhaps the world?"

The dragon snorted. "So you know who I am? Yet you're hiding the truth of your identity. You know one name, and one such as common as that will never suffice in tracking you down."

"I don't plan to betray you, great dragon. Tell me where I may find it, and tomorrow night we'll discuss your leaving this place."

"And if you don't meet me here tomorrow night, I'll destroy the town. And every human settlement around, and go further into your beloved kingdom until they surrender your existence."

"I swear on my soul."

Long moments passed, and the dragon only stared at him. Finally, it rumbled.

"Very well."

After he'd received the directions he'd come for, the dragon flew away, and he returned to his room through the open window. The night was still barely started, but he was too weary to do anything but fall straight into his sheets and sleep like the dead.