Book One, Chapter Five, �Tea With a Dragon�

Zytsi the Khuzdul is comfortably sprawled on an enormous pile of gold and gems, the noble Khuzdul Princess Riyan is comfortably enthroned on gold and gems, similarly Daniel the Bard, Estalyn the Elf, Three Feathers the Equani, Aruth the Driver, Ganymede the Cleric, Balatar the Fish and Sergeant Kruel are seated on magnificent heaps of dragon�s hoard, the noble Erana and all round hero Martyn Yanyez De Barbudo dismisses it all as mere trinkets, as he sips his tea. Giles the Trainee Hero hides outside and Frost�s head went to try to talk him inside. The tea is very nice and the roast mutton is excellent. We spend a comfortable night here.

Zytsi promised to come back to tell the rest of the tale. Estalyn asked the Dragon her age. �Never ask a lady her age.�

We are near the summit of mount Anegif (7,400 ft tall). The Dragon apologises to Giles the Trainee Hero for scaring him. Martyn orders Giles to come up. Giles counts all the stairs up.� 4018 stairs. We spend 3 days here.

Set off on 15th Savor from the top of Mount Anegif, following the Deret River. Pass Irigu (where the mines are) in a few days time. Shipping ore and silver down river on rafts to Serian. Its raining, what a surprise, heavily after 3 hours. Zytsi puts his hat on� a stick.

16th Hail, but only its only snow when we set off. Towards evening find a large pool which is head of River Deret, according to Khuzdul Princess.

Zytsi jumps into pool. Estalyn and Daniel rescue him, but he didn�t want to be and could breath water. Had to tie him up. Came to senses and fainted when he realised what he did. We came and dried our cloths. Zytsi has a quiet word with Ganymede, but he�s all right - he says. Zytsi tells Martyn, who says he�ll get better, eventually.

17th next day Zytsi wakes up wet - must have been a wet dream.

Note: Pool has a reputation for being haunted by a lovesick female ghost. People dive in never to be seen again, alive at least. Float to surface 2 to 3 days later - drowned. Did Zytsi fall in love? PS pool apparently bottomless.

It�s not raining! We follow river. That night Zytsi insists he is watched. Nothing happens.

18th It�s misty. Midday we hear a pack of dogs barking and a man shouting. Someone says �There they are�. The elf climbs a tree because dogs can�t climb. Two figures hove into view running, the fugitives. �Mine slaves� says Martyn 20 yards away. �Stop the fugitives� says Martyn, 15 yards away they go right and parallel us. Martyn throws a spear, Giles chases them and brings the spear back.

Dogs follow scent. Man in leather armour, rough looking. 6 stop and 2 or 3 go with dogs. 6 chat to Martyn and go off. Frost is not being seen.

19th Still raining. 3 o�clock see smoke arising from below. We skirt past the camp. We realise that Frost is missing. Haven�t seen him since last night.

22nd Savor. Serian. Manor house. Smarten ourselves up. Fortified manor house with wall. Late afternoon. Master Sir Brian in charge. Martyn sees him. We get ordinary rooms as his men. Separate rooms. Estalyn has a bath. Women before (if required) and after (if required). Giles and Aruth have one before, Balatar has 2 before. Large quantities of food and drink. Martyn, Estalyn and the Khuzdul are above the salt. Giles and Daniel have a woman afterwards. Song from Bard. Flowers in the rooms. Beware of the flowers �cos they�re going to get you, yeah. We wake up in chains and naked.

Note: 2 step poison. Part 1 in wine with meal which everybody else drinks, no worries. Step 2 flower scent. Bye, bye.

They take the Princess off the chain and we go to the mine in chains. Note: They don�t know she�s a Princess, but Khuzdul women with chest like she�s got must be important. PS we�re not supposed to know about the mine, or tell anyone. Four days to mine. Aruth K.O.ed. 1st night Martyn tries to talk guard into letting us go.

24th 2nd night he tries again, different shift.

25th 3rd night ditto. Kruel beats a guard up and Martyn talks us free. 3 other guards free us. The rest of the guards die. Our 3 guards help us plan the raid and draw us a plan of manor. They don�t wake up (broken necks, oops), Aruth did it before they went to sleep.

Estalyn can�t cope with the concept of slavery. And told us several times in the future as well.

Garath, Paladin of Agrik, will be the main enemy. 40 - 50 mercenaries and money bags man. Party kits out with dagger, sword, spears, crossbow, shield, chain armour. We walk for 2 days (27th arrive).

Agrik is the �Lord of the Four Horsemen, Master of the V�hir, Immortal Warlord of Balgashang, Breeder of Plague, Squalor and Decay, The Reasonless Reaper, Tyrant of the Foul Chamber, He Who Knows the Ten Thousand Ways.� Or in other words he�s an all round nasty piece of work, an Evil War God ((Is there any other kind of War God?)).

Kruel goes in first to find the Princess, to protect her. Half an hour earlier. Aruth, Zytsi and Balatar sneak in (sorry bravely assault) up and over the wall. Balatar goes first with rope. Aruth and Zytsi down other side in a flash. In, kill a few guards, apparently. Balatar was poisoned; others carry out chest with gear. Martyn�s sword, demon bits boxes, are missing.

Dagger, sword, crossbow, 2 rings, cloak, lock pick tools. We go in. Stabilise Balatar. Leave Ganymede with him. Go to kill Garath. Pick lock, bolted, knock. Paladin war. Nothing happens. Then.......

Martyn throws spear, misses and Garath�s hand glows with fire �Oh shit�. Martyn and Garath chat and start again. Garath throws spear at Martyn, it hurts, �Charge�. Zytsi hits him, that hurts. He parried. Giles using the sword we found in chest (if he knows the gear it must be good). He then hits Giles, that hurts. Aruth hits him. Garath bursts into flames. Giles limped away. He parried Zytsi. But Aruth knock him down. He isn�t immune to his own fire.

Martyn gets up and hits him with a spear. Estalyn rushes in with sword from Giles and staggers out. Martyn uses Giles� sword �Die foul spawn of Agrik� and kills him by striking in the eyes. He really did say it and he did it.

Get boxes, and sword, Martyn�s armour. Zytsi takes Garath�s head.

Go to kill the moneybags, can�t find Princess in the 1st dungeon. Moneybags is hurt, by she-devil - now in dungeon. The Nutter is after her. The physician and helper co-operate with us.

Martyn hits the physician, who runs for door. Giles hits him, Zytsi as well into the lounge. The girl screams, Zytsi hits her and kills her. Giles kills the physician, sorry paralysed from the neck down. My mistake Martyn kills him.

Zytsi cuts the moneybags head off.

Zytsi goes and gets Kruel and Riyana and her chest. Then we attack the trap on the storeroom and get the rest of our gear. Balatar�s sword and crossbow (invisible when worn). Not the sword that the paladin of Agrik didn�t want to be hit by.

Escape from house.

Drive off horse, steal a wagon. Leave.