title: Knight Meets Dragon aliases: [] tags: [FA] author: [Buizel_Licks_You] id: [48394055] date: 星期五, 十一月 4日 2022, 12:44:31 凌晨 modified: 星期五, 十一月 4日 2022, 1:10:16 凌晨
[TOC]
Knight Meets Dragon
Author: Buizel_Licks_You Source: Knight Meets Dragon
Series: Next
It had been a humid morning. That’s what Ashton had been repeating over and over in his head as he waited anxiously beyond the ornately carved door that led to what he hoped would be the start of a profitable career.
It hadn’t been easy to reallocate the funds for travel, nor to acquire the finest arms and armor. Ashton had double-checked every strap, every pouch, and even the little sections he had glossed over initially to make sure that everything was in place. One might take a glance at the passing human and assume he was a rich noble’s offspring with such a set, but to the trained eye, one could easily discern that neither the armor nor the sword and shield had seen any use beyond the smith’s anvil.
Ashton inhaled heavily, hoping this new life as a mercenary would start off right. He had given up too much to quit now.
Quietly lifting the visor of the helmet, Ashton continued to wait, before becoming startled as the ornate door swung open, nearly toppling him backward in the process. By a sliver of luck did he plant his hand on the wall behind him, and within moments the startled newfound merc had quickly stabilized his footing, then stood up straight with the elegance of a drunken swan.
Ashton stood awkwardly as he watched two elderly looking badgers rush right by him; a grumbling peasant couple by the looks of their rags. A brief side eye from the husband made the human cautious, but the two continued to shuffle away. A brief tapping against the ornate doorframe grabbed Ashton’s attention, causing the human’s visor to drop down with an audible clank as he turned to look.
A bulky looking man, with more beard than actual face, poked his head out and stared directly at him. Ashton could feel his judgmental gaze scan every inch, before he pointed a long and weathered looking spear directly in his direction.
“The Mayor will see you now,” he spat with a predictable gruffness, his gaze softening somewhat as he seemed to discern Ashton once more. “And for shite’s sake, mind your manners. The last two weren’t exactly hospitable.”
Ashton nodded quickly, taking one last shaky breath as he calmly walked past the man and into the room.
The humidity that had permeated through the building seemed to lessen somewhat once Ashton entered the room. Extravagant furniture laid scattered around with very little sense or purpose. Candles along the walls were lit, despite the late morning sun peering in through the windows.
Ashton counted four moderately armed guards within the room, with the bearded human standing adjacent to another one next to the door. The other two guards were rougher looking coyotes, their fur bristling the moment Ashton entered the room. They stood next to a large table, awkwardly adjusting their spears in their hands as they did their best to keep their gazes forward.
On the opposite end of the table, sitting in a chair that was twice as tall as the occupant within it, sat a plump, finely dressed, and exceedingly tired looking wombat. Ashton waited at the edge of the table, trying his best to make himself known without directly having to make any noise, but the wombat seemed to be oblivious to his presence.
Ashton was about to start tapping on the table, but decided against it just as the wombat finally looked up with a blink.
“Oh, thanks the Lords. A human,” the wombat spoke, his voice small and squeaky despite his hefty and apparently masculine demeanor. “If I have to deal with anymore of the townsfolk today, I’ll shave my fur and start selling it to the markets.”
He began tapping the table with his fingers, his expression looking unsure. “Or rather…I’d take up drinking all the wine in the cellar. More so than I already have…”
The wombat shook his head as he slid off the chair and onto the floor. Ashton waited a few moments as the mayor circled around the table and began to glance up at his newfound guest. “Your armor is custom made. From the capital, yes?”
Ashton nodded, speaking softly whilst trying not to sound shaky. “That’s right.”
“Fascinating. I haven’t received much news about Dundesborg these last few days, but I recognize the armorcraft anywhere. It’s been too long since I last made a visit,” the wombat murmured with a smile, before dropping said smile immediately as he spoke up again. “Was your journey to our humble town eventful in any way? It’s not often a knight of Dundesborg goes out traveling, let alone to visit a town. Most generally pass by to visit the fort past the clearing.”
Ashton hesitated, then shook his head slowly. “Nothing of note. The roads were clear, with the exception of a few overturned merchant carts.”
“Ah. Yes, that,” the mayor replied as if he were spitting out a bad taste in his mouth. “Bandits have taken residence in the forests outside of town. They have been bold as of late, and reports from the few scouts I’ve sent out have gathered that they are more organized than the average group of ruffians.”
The wombat’s eyes glistened hopefully as he looked back up at Ashton. “I don’t suppose that’s why you’re here, is it? Did my request for aid finally make it to the capital’s notice boards?”
“Yes…and no,” Ashton responded, trying to look professional by crossing his arms. “I am here to offer my services to this town’s bandit problem. I found out about it from the villagers.”
The mayor’s face twisted somewhat, as if he had just swallowed an entire lemon. “Hmm. A knight turned mercenary, then. How odd…regardless, if you’re looking for employment, then you’re in luck. I could use some assistance in routing the bandits away. However…”
The wombat walked over to a large chest, with the lid being draped over with some embroidered curtain that had been discarded atop of it. “I should warn you that there have been no reports on the total number of bandits out there. And seeing as you are just one human, I don’t have high hopes for your chances. That being said…” the mayor murmured, turning around on his heel with a smug smile adorned on his fuzzy face. “The merchants here are willing to pay a tidy sum, so let me offer you the contract, with an addendum.”
Ashton was glad that his visor had fallen in the hallway earlier, for it hid the brief look of skepticism he shot at the wombat. He quickly found his voice, maintaining a more neutral tone. “I’m listening.”
“I’ll offer you five hundred gold pieces if you can find a way to drive off the bandits in whatever way you see fit, plus an extra one hundred for any that you manage to slay,” the wombat announced, pretending to examine the back of one of his hands. “Considering that you’re a knight, that is far above the average bounty I would offer to any common mercenary. On top of that, I have far more patience and expectations for humans than I do for other beastmen. Easier to work with these days.”
Ashton noticed the two coyote guards grip their spears a little bit tighter before they looked down, unsure whether they were biting their tongues or looking ashamed at the comment. Whoever this wombat was, he certainly kept everybody on a short leash, metaphorically speaking. Ashton wondered momentarily if coming here for his very first contract was a good idea after all, but was shaken from his internal musings when the wombat extended his arm.
“Do you agree to these terms? I do hope you aren’t a haggler.”
Ashton stared down at the wombat. “I am not. But I would prefer the contract in writing.”
There was a brief pause, before both the wombat’s arm and smile dropped simultaneously. “Ah. Perhaps I should have anticipated that. Yes, yes, I should still have something for signing…”
Ashton felt his heart pounding as he watched the wombat mayor shoo aside his coyote guards. He was surprised such a simple request had been met with such minute hostility. It was certainly different than how things had ran in the capital.
Ashton quickly shook his head. It was a learning experience. This was his first contract, and his big break into life as a mercenary. Little things such as how a contract was sealed would have to be discovered in the town or city he took a job from. Armor and weapon maintenance would also be paramount when out in the field. Finances, strategy, and negotiating were all part of his strengths, and today would be the day he added onto that.
It wasn’t until Ashton found himself back on the road, and was examining one of the merchant’s carts that the reality of this line of work began to really set in. He had made his way back to where he had seen the overturned merchant carts on his way into the town. Besides the obvious signs of a struggle and minor damages to the carts, Ashton had discovered parts of the contents of the carts themselves, as well as the somewhat hidden corpses of the beastmen merchants covered up messily in the bushes.
Ashton had not even seen combat yet, let alone many bodies. The bandits that had attacked these beastmen…were effectively lethal. Ashton inhaled sharply, trying to keep himself from losing his lunch. Turning his head away from the carnage, he quickly walked off in the direction of what he assumed were poorly hidden footprints leading to and away from the carts.
It was difficult to tell if these were made by the scouts the mayor had sent, or actually belonged to the bandits. There was a combination of heavy boots and a flurry of beastmen prints, so it also didn’t narrow down just what kind of group this was, nor did it help on how many there were in the group as a whole.
Ashton followed the tracks into the forest beyond the road, losing track of time and direction as his surroundings were filled with nothing but branches, leaves, and the odd clearing. Over time, the human began to quickly regret taking such a tricky job. Even if he were to discover any sign of the bandits, there would still be the issue of having to deal with them. To drive them off effectively would take a plan beyond whatever stratagems Ashton had studied, and if he was discovered at any point during the setup, the bandits surely had enough numbers that could quickly surround and enslave him right on the spot, or worse.
“Should have stayed in the capital…” Ashton repeated worryingly under his breath. “Should have stayed in the capital. Should have stayed in the fucking capital.”
He stopped walking in a clearing, for once being able to see the sky above him. Large bushes encroached from the ground that rivaled Ashton’s height. The human glanced up, having to squint slightly as the sun’s rays peered through his helmet’s visor. He had been out and about for a few hours, with his tracking through the forest beginning to eat away at the day. The afternoon heat was beginning to make him sweat, and with no clues to show for it. Ashton had been chasing small leads in a hope that he would run into a small campsite, with maybe one or two bandits.
Alas, the only odd things out in this forest had been the lack of wind and the odd thumping sounds. Ashton had hoped the thumping sounds would lead him closer, but they had ceased a few minutes ago.
Ashton had no choice but to admit that he was now lost.
“Well, that’s just great,” he murmured irritably. “Should probably just call this off and find my way back. Could probably start tracking again from the site of the attack, but…what am I supposed to do about the actual bandits?”
Ashton was so transfixed about his plan that he didn’t feel the distant rumble that shook through the trees. “Nothing about fighting teachers and training dummies prepares you for something that actually fights back, let alone how unpredictable a single beastman can be,” Ashton continued to mumble. “Lords above, why did I ever decide to-”
Another rumble. This time it was noticeable enough that Ashton flinched. Was it an earthquake?
Then another rumble came. And another one after that. Far too rhythmic, and more importantly, far too frequent to be an earthquake. These tremors were being caused by something else, and they were definitely getting stronger.
Ashton instinctively drew his sword from its scabbard, and got into a basic defensive stance. The shield on his arm shook slightly as he tried to calm his nerves. Whatever he was about to encounter, it would certainly be beyond what he trained for. Even though he was well-armed and armored, what good would the sword do to whatever was creating these tremors?
The next tremor shook the ground with such force that it made Ashton lose his balance. The human yelped, tumbling onto his back as he lost his footing, appearing as clumsy as a child in an oversized suit of armor.
Ashton swore under his breath, feeling another ominous tremor shake underneath him as he wobbled back onto one knee, then back onto both feet. Double-checking to make sure that nothing of importance had fallen off during his tumble, the newly-made and inexperienced mercenary caught the faint glimpse of something temporarily blocking the sun, before the afternoon’s rays peered back through the top of his visor.
Ashton looked up…and suddenly wished that he hadn’t.
Above him stood something straight out of a fairy tale, or rather, what would be considered one if Ashton had not already heard rumors about it. A dragoness of massive size, roughly over a hundred feet, maybe close to one hundred and fifty feet tall from Ashton’s point of view, towered above like a gargantuan sentry. Armor thicker than most palisades covered her upper body, capping off at an equally large lower cuirass that covered her midsection, with black colored linen underneath that hugged her frame and arms. Gauntlets ran down from her elbows to her hands with as much iron as one could give a militia to one of the nearby towns. Running down her thighs were equally large cuisses, covering the length of finely toned legs until they stopped around paws larger than a peasant’s hut. Ashton could barely see the length of claws on said paws that were nearly as large as he was, causing the mercenary to gulp.
Ashton craned his neck backward, seeing the huge dragoness peering around, before noticing the set of horns atop her head, blanketed by long and notably wavy dark brown hair. Dark blue skin that wasn’t blocked out by armor or the black undershirt seemed to shine brightly in the sun, and a red cape covered the back of her armor with an unexpected elegance that one might mistake her for an enlarged knight. An equally massive, swishing tail swung behind her and into the air, pelting trees and the ground alike almost idly.
To cap it all off, hanging low in her left hand was a monstrously large halberd, its axe head large enough that it rivaled the height of the mayor’s house back in town. Comparative to her, it was likely the appropriate size to any normal halberd; but to somebody like Ashton, it may have been large and sharp enough to potentially cleave apart entire armies within minutes.
Ashton had heard the rumors of such a gigantic being taking all of the freelance work around the kingdom, but he didn’t know whether or not there was any truth to them. He had only heard the titles: The Mountain. The Dragoness Demon. The Gremarian Halberdier. This simple contract of finding and driving away some bandits had taken a unique turn, as he found himself being loomed over by this massive dragon lady, whose head scanned the surrounding area silently in the afternoon sun.
If there was to be a fight for any reason, he doubted that he would even pierce the titanic dragoness’s hide with his relatively tiny sword. It would be better to lay down his arms now and avoid being squashed into the ground. Rumors had also suggested that many other mercenary groups had met their end to this enormous dragoness, for money and glory alike. Not many survived such an encounter, and most afterward elected to stay out of her way.
And yet here he was, standing directly below her, feeling like an ant below the impending giant. Ashton struggled to come up with a plan of action, for none of his strategic training prepared him for an encounter with an infamous hundred or so foot tall dragoness. Should he call out to make sure she saw him before it was too late? Would she even hear such a thing from way up there?
Ashton tried to build up the courage to at least try and speak out, but his voice stammered as he began to look down. Something caught the eye of the human mercenary, and for once he wished he had kept his neck craned upward.
This dragoness was not wearing any pants.
Such a strange lack of modesty caught Ashton completely by surprise, and he quickly glanced downward to avoid looking like a pervert. Whatever he had planned on saying, it died in his throat as he tried to get the image out of his head.
No sooner did he stare down at the ground for several seconds did the ground suddenly get blanketed in shade. Ashton felt his heart stop as he heard the sounds of the armor above him begin to shift. The mercenary started to shiver, before getting startled from his scared stupor by a curious voice from above.
“Knight Ashton?”
Ashton paused, but eventually looked up after being prompted by two fingers tapping the ground next to him. Despite being run-of-the-mill in terms of height in comparison to other humans, Ashton felt incredibly tiny as he gazed upwards at two incredibly green eyes, adorned to the dragoness’s neutral expression as she had lowered herself into a crouch.
Ashton barely managed to sputter out an answer. “Wh…huh?”
“You are Knight Ashton, yes?” the dragoness repeated again, her voice booming through the air. She quickly brushed some of her hair out of her eyes, and for a moment Ashton found himself awe-struck at how a gigantic being could manage to look astoundingly pretty, yet also incredibly terrifying. “The rodent mayor from town mentioned that you were the one who initially accepted this contract.”
Ashton was somewhat taken aback for several reasons. Most primarily, that this dragoness was aware of the contract that he alone had accepted. And at the same time, the way her voice sounded; it was hard to describe how unexpectedly soft, yet tensely firm her voice was. On top of all of that, she had a distinct accent that was undeniably foreign. Ashton had never heard anything like it in his time in the kingdom, but assumed it was just the way they sounded in Gremaria. Not many in the kingdom knew how the dragons out there really sounded in the common tongue.
Ashton nodded quietly. “Y-yes. I…that’s me.”
“You are a little…meek to be a knight,” the dragon lady replied bluntly. “I do hope you are not planning on turning that sword on me.”
Ashton looked down at the sword still held in his hand, and quickly sheathed it back into its scabbard. “N-no. That was not my intent…!”
“Good. You are already smarter than the average mercenary,” she replied with a smug smile. “I was expecting you to arrive earlier, but no matter. I have already found the bandit’s camp.”
Ashton’s visor blocked the sight of him blinking, and for a moment he wondered if the dragoness could sense such an action, before slowly focusing on what was being said to him. “…come again?”
The human staggered backward as he watched the dragoness lower her left hand onto the ground, the gauntlet itself indenting dirt and grass as it opened up. “Hop on. And do not make me say it twice.”
Ashton’s query fell away in favor of obeying the gigantic being capable of crushing him between two fingers. The human scrambled onto the gauntlet, settling himself near the center as he began to question if this was really a good idea. He barely had time to register a thought when the entire world seemed to fall away. Ashton fell onto his side as he watched the ground get farther away, and there was a momentary fear that he might fall, before he remembered he was settled in the gauntlet of an incredibly big dragon lady.
As sudden as the rush of vertigo came, it promptly disappeared, leaving Ashton now staring directly at the dragoness’s face. “Their temporary camp was not far. If you kept heading in the same direction you were going for another five or so minutes, you would have discovered it,” she spoke simply, startling Ashton as she began to use her tail to swipe away at some trees. Forestry splintered in a shower of wood as the dragon’s tail plowed through them, revealing a small clearing. Granted, that clearing was now even more spacious than before, and a half dozen campfires could now be seen from Ashton’s vantage point.
“I already found this place before you arrived. I figured if you were to turn up, it would be here,” the dragoness spoke again, pointing the hilt of her halberd towards the west. “Their main camp is that way. They already know of my arrival, but it will not matter.”
Ashton shook his head, still trying to gauge just how he got into this situation. “W-well, that’s…good. But…are you saying that-”
“Was it not obvious? I added myself to the contract,” the dragoness replied bluntly, her eyes squinting to show her slight annoyance. “Even though you signed it by yourself, I was able to…persuade the rodent mayor to give you some assistance. One hundred gold per bandit is quite a lot in this part of your kingdom. I would be a fool to not take part in it.”
The dragoness began to walk westward, her fingers curling upward to prevent any wind from buffeting Ashton from his still somewhat precarious position. “Listen carefully. The bandits are numerous, but that is nothing new to me. I will be placing you somewhere outside the area so you will not get caught underneath. Wait until I signal to you that the battle is over,” the immense dragon explained, turning her head back down at Ashton. “Can you do that?”
Ashton felt conflicted. On one hand, this was his contract, and only now did he find out that a renowned and gigantic mercenary had tacked her name onto it to get a piece of the profit. To add insult to injury, he wouldn’t even get a chance to fight against a live enemy if he followed this plan, and the human doubted any bandit would survive the encounter for him to get any firsthand battle experience.
And yet, on the other hand…Ashton was smart enough to realize that he was in no position to argue, let alone turn down help. He had been stressing this battle before she showed up, after all. The mercenary nodded. “I…I understand!”
“Good,” the dragoness said with a serious frown. “Stay out of my way, and we will both get paid, little knight.”
To call what happened at the bandit’s main camp a slaughter…would have been an understatement. It had taken no time at all for them to arrive at the bandit’s main camp, which was a hastily built collection of tents, hovels, and other run-down housing protected by decrepit looking trees and a few wooden walls. Despite the bandit’s having the advantage of knowing such an immense dragon was coming, it would prove ineffective when said dragon was many, many times taller than the rest of them.
Ashton had been discarded onto the ground half a mile from the camp itself, and subsequently got to witness just how scary the rumors were about this titanic dragon mercenary. The fastest of beastmen or human would not even measure a single one of her strides, nor be able to react in time to any of her movements. Those that did not dodge any of her incoming stomps either met their end from a lash of her mighty tail, got crushed into mulch underneath her fisted gauntlet, or even more terrifyingly, had to watch the staggeringly huge halberd descend upon them like a meteor. Such attacks beyond the stomps were not even really needed, but they were certainly effective nonetheless.
The effect was instantaneous. Most of the bandits lay slain, with a few smarter ones managing the scatter to the wilds. Ashton felt his knees tremble as the battle was started and decided within minutes. It didn’t matter what kind of weaponry the bandit’s managed to have; nothing would have even reached past her ankles, let alone pierced or slashed her hide.
Ashton inhaled sharply. Maybe it was better this way, to avoid such a gruesome battle. With an equally sharp exhale, the mercenary drew his sword and waited. Half a minute passed before he heard a loud whistle, startling any remaining flocks of birds in a several mile radius. Ashton hurriedly jogged over towards the now waiting dragoness, trying his best not to look around at the carnage that surrounded him.
She was standing at her full, intimidating height, and was scraping away bits of blood and…other parts that made Ashton’s stomach churn. The human stopped near the center of the now ruined camp, hoping she wouldn’t mistake him as another threat…before seeing her turn her head down towards him.
It nearly floored Ashton to see this enormous being, one that was filled with an unfathomable fury in the battle moments ago…now look at him with the same neutral expression from their first meeting.
She raised an eyebrow. “Surprised you stuck around,” she murmured quietly. “I was expecting to head back on my own.”
Ashton sheathed his sword, sensing no immediate danger…probably because most of the danger was already beyond dead at this point. “You were…incredibly thorough. Were there…any survivors?”
“A few,” she stated with a shrug, turning back to cleaning her halberd. “Might chase them later.”
“Is that…necessary?”
The dragoness shrugged. “Free gold.“
Ashton nodded quietly, not wanting to tread on the topic much further. “I’ll…er…go about collecting…whatever I can to use as proof, then.”
She nodded in kind, resting the head of her halberd against her shoulder. She wandered off into the rest of the forest without a word, kicking down and swiping aside some of the older trees as she did so. Ashton watched her tail make short work of anything she had initially missed, before looking down at the ground out of respect, as he almost got an eyeful of the massive ass below it. Was it merely a distraction tactic? Was there a cultural reason? The more Ashton thought about why the dragoness was half naked, the more embarrassed he became. It would be better if he focused back on the task at hand.
He began going around the ruined bandit’s camp, steering away from the paw prints left all over the place in favor of more elevated ground. There were plenty of bodies within each of those craters, but getting out of them would prove to be a challenge if the knight chose to climb down. It would still have to be done, of course.
Ashton sorted through the remains of several destroyed tents, finding bits and pieces of what he assumed were parts of the merchant’s cargo: a collection of ruined food, equipment, building materials, and other sundries. Ashton couldn’t piece together what the bandits would have needed with all of it, but assumed there might not have been a reason at all.
Ashton turned over the corpse of a rather pudgy boar, and was about to get to the grittier part of getting proof, when he caught something hanging from the beastman’s leather chest piece. It appeared to be some sort of insignia, but the human could not make out what it could be, save for the black coloring.
Ashton shrugged. It might be worth something as proof, if nothing else. He cut it off from the leather, before looking back to the deceased boar with a sigh. “Let’s get this over with…”
It took him an hour to finish all of the gathering that he had to do, and he sat on a rock near the middle of the ruined camp. The hot afternoon sun flared down on him with relentless heat, and for a moment Ashton considered removing his helmet to try and alleviate himself of the sweat that was pouring down his face, before deciding against it. He glanced down at the tattered sack he had used to gather the “proof” of each slain bandit, his mind racing at the realization of just how big of a payout this would be, even if he didn’t have to do much.
There was a small part of Ashton’s brain that kept prodding him to leave, and try to return to the mayor to claim the payment for himself…but he decided against it. Not only would it seem implausible for one human to have accomplished such a task, but Ashton was not keen on potentially making the gigantic dragoness as an enemy. And no sooner did he push such thoughts from his mind, the familiar sounds of distant rumbling shook Ashton to his core.
The human gulped as he watched her approach, with her current angle slowly beginning to block his view of the sun. Ashton waved his arms in the air, hoping such a conspicuous action would at least grab her attention, which bore fruit when the dragoness started to slow her walking speed as she drew closer.
Ashton was blanketed in a welcoming shade, for once not feeling the uncaring heat of the sun as he was loomed over once again by the dragoness’s crouching form.
“You stayed. I was not expecting that,” she murmured with a blink.
Ashton fidgeted with the sack, trying a rope around the top as he stared down at the ground. “W-well, I just wanted to make sure you received your due! You did most of the work, after all!”
“Hmph. I always do,” she sneered, leaning her head down slightly. “And you would not have liked what I would do if you tried to cheat me.”
Ashton’s heart skipped a beat as he tried to not envision what she meant by that.
The sound of her halberd’s hilt pounding the ground nearby shook him from his scared state of mind, before hearing her booming voice speak up again. “The bag you’re carrying…is that our proof?”
Ashton nodded quickly, as he had become accustomed to at this point. “Yes.”
“Heads?”
Ashton shook his head. “Fingers.”
“Hmm…smart. More numerous and easier to carry…” the dragoness muttered with approval. “How many?”
“Uh…forty-nine,” Ashton answered, withholding the information about how that was only from the bodies that he could actually find, or weren’t too badly obliterated. “So…with the five hundred gold pieces as the base reward…the total would be five thousand and four hundred gold pieces. Unless…you found any of the bandits you were chasing?”
The dragoness snarled. “…no. They were more slippery than ratmen.”
“Ah. W-well, then…I suppose all that’s left to do is report back to the mayor,” Ashton spoke plainly.
The little mercenary found himself gulping as the dragoness grinned confidently. “Good. That smug rodent will be paying a lot more than he probably thought for this.”
Ashton steeled himself as he prepared to spit out the question he had been wanting to ask. “S-speaking of which, miss…how do we plan on splitting the…um…profit?”
The dragoness’s smile vanished instantly, and for a moment a feeling of dread washed over Ashton like a tidal wave before she spoke up again.
“There is no need to call me a…‘miss’,” she spoke with an unexpected calmness, before brushing aside some of her hair. “As for the profit…seventy-thirty split. You get thirty percent.”
Ashton was almost taken aback by the response. Even though he was hoping to get an even split, thirty percent of the total profit would still be one thousand, six hundred and twenty gold pieces. That was roughly an eighth of what he had spent on all of his gear…
“That sounds good!” Ashton agreed, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. “I’m…I’m grateful for your generosity.”
“As you should be. That is better than my usual rate,” the gigantic dragoness replied with a dismissive wave. “Consider it your reward for being a good little knight.”
Ashton took a step backwards as he watched the dragon’s gigantic gauntlet descend again, landing right next to him with a cloud of dust. Needing no repeated instructions, Ashton climbed on, but stumbled once again as the dragoness raised herself back to her full height. Ashton landed face first onto the palm of the gauntlet, causing an audible clash between both sets of armor. Slightly dazed from his embarrassing fall, Ashton clutched at his head, the sounds of the armor ringing in his ears…as well as giggling.
Ashton looked up, catching the faintest glimpse of the dragoness smiling, before it quickly disappeared and was replaced by her normally neutral expression.
“…let’s get paid,” she said loudly, turning her gaze and direction back towards the town.
Ashton stood before the same ornately carved door in the mayor’s home. He had hoped he would be able to stand in this position and announce a successful completion of the contract…what he hadn’t anticipated was how he would be going about doing that, nor that the contract would be completed the exact same day it was signed.
Ashton knocked on the door, and was promptly greeted by the bulky, bearded guard. One look at the guard’s expression told Ashton just how scared he was, and holding up the tattered sack probably didn’t help matters, either.
“I’m here to see the mayor,” Ashton spoke calmly, casting a gaze up towards the ceiling before looking back down at the guard. “Contract’s done.”
The guard peered back into the room, before staring back at the mercenary with a frantic whisper.
“Is…is it still out there?”
Ashton almost felt bad for the guard. “She is. She’s standing right above us,” Ashton corrected quietly, pointing a finger up at the roof. “She’ll leave as soon as she’s paid, so…”
The guard hurriedly opened the door, and Ashton stepped inside for the second time today. The other guards sat against one of the walls, clutching their weapons so tightly that one would think they were under attack by ghosts. The wombat mayor stood in front of his table, looking like he was the most composed from a distance, but as the mercenary drew closer he could tell that even he was trying not to panic.
“Ah! The knight turned mercenary returns!” the mayor exclaimed, his head occasionally glancing up at the ceiling even as he talked with his guest. “I…must say I wasn’t expecting you back…er, so soon!”
Ashton frowned, but let the comment slide. He held up the tattered sack with one hand, and set it down on the ground. “Job’s done. I don’t think any of those bandits will be terrorizing your merchants for a while. The proof is…well, in there. Do you want me to open it and count how many fingers there are, or…?”
“No thank you! I will…take you at your word,” the mayor grumbled out, placing their hands together. “What exactly do I owe you?”
“Fifty-four hundred pieces.”
“That much?!” the wombat exclaimed, resembling an angry ball of fur for a moment, before calming down just as quickly as Ashton shrugged and silently pointed up at the ceiling. With a pitiful sigh, he hobbled over to the chest, and lifted up the lid, revealing a nearly full cache of tightly bound sacks. Each one had a number written on it, ranging from smaller bags having a ten, to some larger bags near the bottom that had five hundred, and many larger ones below those.
The wombat pulled out a smaller bag and shook it, with the familiar sounds of gold coins jingling amongst each other. “It’s all there…just pick out only what you’re owed, if you’d be so kind.”
Ashton nodded, taking a quick step toward the chest. No sooner did he take his second step, an explosion of wood and stone rang through the air, slamming down from the roof. Ashton instinctively dived off to the side, narrowly avoiding getting caught underneath some of the rubble once he did. Everybody within the mayor’s home looked up once the immediate danger had passed, revealing a large and circular hole in the roof, with the hilt of a familiar halberd being the culprit.
Ashton’s confidence drained almost instantly as he watched the sunlight disappear immediately from the newfound skylight, and was filled with the green glow of the dragoness’s eye peering into the building. She must have had to lean down pretty far to even get into that position.
Ashton’s thoughts were interrupted as the eye stared directly at the comparatively little human, and her voice shook the building’s foundations, as well as the occupants within it. “What is taking so long in there?”
Ashton quickly stood back to his feet, fidgeting with his hands as he did so. “I’m…uh…I’m just getting the gold now!”
“Is it in the chest over there, next to the mayor?”
Ashton peered back over to the chest, and at the formerly irritable wombat that was curled up next to it, a look of bonafide fear planted beneath his fur. “Y-yes. The gold is in bags,” he said affirmatively.
Her eye squinted at the chest. “Open one of the bags and count what is inside.”
Ashton froze, then obediently walked back to the chest, and opened one of the smaller bags with the number fifty upon it. He flipped the bag upside down, watching its contents drop onto the floor, which thankfully turned out to actually be gold pieces. The merc quietly counted every coin, partially wondering if the mayor would be petty or stingy enough to try and pull such a trick, but was relieved to discover the bag had the correct total amount.
Ashton gave the eye up above a shaky thumbs up. “I-it’s all there!”
“Hmph. Good. I would have hated to pick fur out of my teeth,” she said ominously, before moving her eye away from the hole, while still retaining eye contact with Ashton as she drew back. “Collect our due and meet me outside of town.”
Ashton could only watch in simultaneous awe and terror as she turned around and began to walk northward out of town, her steps shaking the ground to a cacophony of the panicked screams of the townsfolk.
Ashton sweated nervously as he looked back to the chest, and tried to hide that fear from both the guards and the equally horrified wombat, still cowering next to the chest as he rocked himself back and forth like a fuzzy child. The merc pulled out a large bag, then began to realize just how many of these large bags of gold would be needed.
Ashton rubbed the back of his head. “I’m…going to need to borrow a small cart for this.”
The sight of a lone human pulling a small cart would have looked amusing to any passerby, but thankfully the roads leading out of town had been properly cleared out in the wake of a giant dragon lady. Ashton huffed and panted as he pulled the cart filled with bags across the dirt road, the sound of its gold occupants making enough audible noise that if the bandits weren’t already slain several miles away, they might have tried to rob him instead.
Ashton eventually found himself nearing the titanic dragoness, who was sitting patiently where the road split, with the remains of the directional signpost laying in a pile of splinters underneath her thigh. She was adjusting something on her side, but Ashton could not see what it was. He stopped several feet from the massive wall that was the exposed part of her left thigh, with the remainder being covered up by the cuisse close by.
She hadn’t made any sign that showed that she noticed the human standing next to her. Ashton hesitated, and slowly raised his hand, before finally pressing it onto the dragoness’s thigh. There was a surprising softness to it, but it also had a firm, muscly resistance.
Ashton repeated the action, this time using both hands as well as using a little bit of extra force. It felt more like the human was trying to push over a cupboard that was nailed to the floor than getting a giant’s attention.
“Ahem.”
Ashton froze, hearing the single utterance coming from up above. He glanced up, barely able to see the dragoness gazing down at him, with his hands still planted directly against her thigh.
“You did not have to do any of that,” she said while raising an eyebrow. “I was already aware that you arrived.”
Ashton pulled his hands back, immediately placing them at his sides whilst he hoped that the heavy blush on his face wasn’t noticeable through his helmet’s visor. He barely managed to stammer out a response. “M-my apologies!”
Much to Ashton’s continuing embarrassment, the dragoness merely smiled, and her expression turned teasing. “Meek as you are, you managed to get two handfuls. You are starting to become brave, little knight.”
She looked over at the cart. “Is that all of our gold?”
Ashton headed back over to the cart, thankful to take his mind off of the previous conversation. “This is all of it, yes! I’ve even organized it to split our share!”
“Have you now?” she responded. “In that case, would you mind depositing what I am owed?”
She gave Ashton no time to react before she effortlessly scooped him and the cart onto her palm. After a brief reunion with vertigo, the mercenary found himself halfway up the dragon’s lower cuirass, and was staring at a hidden pouch between the two straps. It was almost impossible to notice from the ground level, and it surprised Ashton even more when he realized just how large of a pouch it actually was. It could have fitted a few dozen humans and maybe even a couple of larger beastmen in there at the same time.
Gazing down into the pouch, Ashton found himself staring at what seemed to be surprisingly large pile of gold pieces. There had to have been at least ten, or maybe twenty thousand in there, if the human had to guess. How many contract’s worth was in there? Was it blood money, or more honest mercenary work? Several questions spun through Ashton’s mind, but he quickly ignored them in favor of what he had to do.
Ashton carried each bag from the cart, one by one, that was the dragoness’s fee. He watched as each gold piece tumbled far below into the chasm of leather, and landed amidst their golden kin.
As Ashton finished depositing the remainder of the seventy percent into the pouch, a worried thought crept up into his brain. He stood back near the cart, trying his best not to look about as worried as he felt.
“Did…did you want me to count your share as I deposited it?” Ashton asked. “I…I didn’t mean to-”
“Calm yourself, Ashton,” she quickly cut him off, and yet her voice remained calm. “I daresay you are smart enough to know not to cheat me, even though we have only met today. And I have no reason to mistrust you. If you say that you have deposited my share, then I will believe you.”
Ashton felt light headed as he found himself being being moved away from the pouch, and out in front of the dragoness. Her enormity was already apparent, but as the mercenary stood within the palm of her gauntlet, he couldn’t help but feel in awe for what seemed like the umpteenth time today.
“T-thank you again for your help today, m-”
Ashton managed to catch the word right before it left his mouth, but a realization came to mind. Inhaling quietly, he spoke up again. “I apologize if this sounds…rather nosy of me. But while you know of my name…I am afraid I do not know yours,” Ashton said.
The dragoness frowned, yet her expression seemed to be a mix of defensive and intrigued. “Would it matter if you knew? For all you know, this may be our last meeting.”
“Even if it were to be, I would like to know the name of somebody as…fascinating as you are,” Ashton started, before quickly backpedaling upon realizing how odd he sounded. “T-that did not come out as well as I had hoped. I…merely do not wish to call you ‘miss’ again, seeing as you do not prefer the title. And I would not wish to call you by any of the titles that the kingdom’s inhabitants know you as.”
“That would be preferable,” the giant dragon lady chuckled, but her laugh quickly trailed off as she seemed to be deep in thought. “My name…is not one that I have thought about since I left Gremaria. Instead, I will tell you what it roughly translates to in your tongue. It is what I call myself down here, and I will allow you to know it.”
Ashton watched as she leaned down towards him, her voice clinging to the air around him as if the earth itself waited on baited breath.
“My name is Frigid,” she spoke seriously. “I am a dragon of Gremaria. Despite that, I am a mercenary in your lands, for reasons that are my own.”
Ashton bowed his head, trying to come up with something equally simple but imposing. “I thank you. And, as you likely already know…I am Knight Ashton, a mercenary from the capital city of Dundesborg. And I…”
Ashton scoffed, for once feeling both relieved and embarrassed. “…I am way out of my league. But that is my own problem to deal with. I had better leave so that I may continue this path that I have chosen for myself…”
Ashton turned over to the cart, only now beginning to realize a problem that had just arisen. “…once I overcome how I’m supposed to carry all of this gold around. I can’t just use this rickety old cart…”
“I have to say, you have an unusual tendency to overthink things,” Frigid responded with a smirk. “Are all knights like that, or is it just you?”
Ashton frowned as he fidgeted his fingers. “I…I didn’t mean to start boring you with my ramblings.”
“I am far from bored,” Frigid consoled. “But you are correct. You should figure out where to store that gold of yours.”
Ashton let out a weary, defeated sigh. “I suppose I’ll just have to find to have my own pouch, just…like…”
A thought crept into Ashton’s mind, cutting himself off mid-sentence. While he normally would immediately dismiss it for sounding so far-fetched…there was also something dangerously intriguing about this one.
Ashton stared back at Frigid, his helmet partially reflecting the subtle light of her green eyes bearing down at him. It was such a huge risk, and yet…
Ashton took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
“I…don’t suppose you would be open to the idea of…adding another pouch for my own gold?”
The human watched as Frigid seemed to process the question. Her facial expression changed from one of content, to concerned…and then to completely confused. A single word boomed from her throat. “…what?”
“What I mean to say is…I would like to propose that I…tag along with you on your journey?” Ashton began, feeling as if his heart were about to abandon his chest and jump ship. “I know that you are a very capable mercenary, and you definitely wouldn’t have need of somebody like me. But I feel as if I could learn so much from somebody of your caliber, and…”
Ashton stomped his foot, feeling metal loudly clang against metal as he tried to hide his frustration at how poetic and corny that sounded. “Godsdammit, I can’t even get what I want to say right!”
Frigid’s gaze seemed to be looking directly into the mercenary atop her palm as she tried to understand the human’s request. “You…want me to bring you along with me?”
“I know it sounds stupid!” Ashton acknowledged, lowering his voice as he bowed his head in apology. “But…yes.”
“I work alone,” Frigid answered. “You were…unexpectedly helpful today, I will admit, but-”
“Then I will strive to meet whatever standards you have for me! I will not just let you do all of the fighting when we’re doing a contract! I’ll take a smaller split if that’s what will do!”
“Hold on,” Frigid hissed, her demeanor becoming annoyed before it devolved into a worrying one. “I…why are you so intent on this? You have heard the titles others have given me. Why would you want to tie yourself closer to that?”
Ashton inhaled and exhaled several times, feeling his nerves return to a more normal state. “I apologize for that outburst. I suppose more than anything else in regards to the mercenary life, I wish to simply understand…you?”
Ashton muttered another curse for uttering such a trite explanation, and spoke up quickly to try and correct it. “I know we have only just met, but I wish to understand and support you as Frigid; not as the Dragoness Demon or The Mountain. Does that…make sense?”
Frigid blinked several times before scoffing loudly. “It sounds like you do not know what you are asking to get yourself into,” she said bluntly, but then quietly exhaled through her nose. “But…”
She brought her hand upward until the staggered knight upon it was face to relative face with her. “Your sappy, oddly touching words have convinced me enough to take you along. But I want you to remember a few things once we start working together.”
She set her halberd down, and used her now free hand to raise a finger for each point she made. “Firstly, we will always share the profits the same way when you negotiate with any contract. I get seventy percent.”
A second finger came up. “Secondly, you will listen to what I say when it comes to any battle we end up in. Do not be a hero.”
Another finger, but this time with a smug smirk. “Thirdly, you have to avoid saying any of those tired clichés that you just spouted. I tolerate you, Ashton, but I will eat you if you go on about it again.”
She lowered her hand as her smirk devolved into a more serious expression. “And finally, you won’t have a gold pouch like mine…at least, not initially. I have my own finances that I have to go through, first and foremost. You will be on your own with where to store it until then. Understand?”
Ashton nodded after each instruction, feeling like a child being taught basic human decency back at the capital. “I do.”
“Good. In the meantime, you can throw your share inside with the rest of the gold. Keep them in the bags so you know which ones are yours.”
Another rapid descent as Frigid lowered her hand back to the pouch along her side, but this time Ashton did not stumble. It did not register what a monumental decision he had just made until he dropped the last bag into the pouch. He had originally believed he was going to start his journey as a mercenary alone, and to have his tale written down across the land as some reliable and legendary figure.
And yet here he was, about to join up with a gigantic dragon woman that could easily step over the highest castle walls all across the kingdom. One that had already proved herself as reliable and legendary, if a bit intimidating. Ashton exhaled, feeling his breath reflect back at him as it bounced against parts of his helmet.
“It’s done!”
The familiar shift of metal and cloth shook around him as he found himself being lifted up, then even higher than that as Frigid began to stand. Ashton was blanketed in shade as her head blocked out the mid-afternoon sun, her attention focusing on the human that stood awkwardly in her palm.
“Before we set off, I have a question of my own to ask,” she said. “Is it customary for mercenary alliances down here to have a….custom, when they join together?”
Ashton blinked, already confused as to where this conversation was going. “Um…I think so. Sometimes it’s a motto or a battle cry, but most of the ones I’ve heard about do something simpler, like a handshake or an initiation.”
“I am familiar with the mottos. They quickly turn into…what is your word…eulogies?” Frigid snickered ominously, causing Ashton to go pale as he remembered how many mercenary groups have likely met their end to his new partner. “I suppose it would be more fitting for you to go through an…‘initiation,’ whatever that may be. You will have to explain that to me.”
“I…I suppose that’s fair, seeing as I’m the one joining you,” Ashton said affirmatively, shirking back a bit as he watched Frigid smile.
“Good. Until then, we should be off,” she said with a nod. “I have to say, it will be odd to travel with company.”
Ashton tilted his head. “Would you prefer if I walked alongside you?”
A strong gust nearly knocked Ashton backward as Frigid exhaled through her nose. “Nonsense. I walk much faster than you, and I certainly don’t want to risk crushing you underneath me,” she answered, her tail flicking behind her to add an extra bit of flair to her statement. “I will carry you. Stay near the center of my hand and don’t try to look over the edge to see the view. I do not want to make a habit of catching you because of human curiosity.”
Ashton nodded obediently, like he had so many times already today. “Understood, mi- I mean…Frigid!”
The giant blue dragoness seemed to pause upon hearing her name be directed at her, as if it were a word as foreign as the land that she came from. She quickly shifted to her normal neutral expression. “Very good. Do you know the directions to any nearby towns? One that is more…hospitable than the one we were just in.”
Ashton’s train of thought went back to the signpost that Frigid had reduced to smithereens, before finally shaking his head. “I don’t. It would be best if we simply follow one of the roads and figure out where some more lucrative work is. I’ll have to buy a map.”
Frigid shrugged. “That much is obvious. Perhaps one of the more populated cities on the coast would be a good place to start,” she murmured. “Stay close, little knight.”
Lifting up her halberd so that the head rested against her shoulder, she turned onto one of the dirt roads, and began to walk. Ashton gripped onto the gauntlet below him, his heart beating with subdued excitement. Somehow, the trials ahead in his mercenary career didn’t look as daunting as it did earlier this morning.
Because Ashton’s newfound ally was even more daunting. The human layered in freshly made armor would strive to pull his weight alongside the most intimidating mercenary in all of the kingdom.
Their bond could only deepen from here.
And thus, knight met dragon.