[Well here we are. Another chapter. This has taken me too long to post. I know there is still some polishing that needs to be done to this chapter, so feel free to help me brush it up a little bit. Nevertheless; I hope you enjoy reading. Don't forget to follow my socials on my link tree if you enjoy my writing!]

Naphtali woke a few hours after dawn, feeling awake and refreshed. His dreams had been odd; but he was just thankful that he hadn't had another nightmare. Naphtali yawned loudly as he wandered out into the kitchen. Eva, Gaius and Laelia had already finished eating and were sipping the last dregs of their teacups when Naphtali walked in. They were dressed nicely, though Eva somewhat casually. Naphtali wasn't surprised that Laelia and Gaius were leaving the house, they had told him so only the day before, but he hadn't expected Eva to be going.

"I've a patient to see darling. She needs me and unfortunately it can't wait," Eva kissed him on the forehead, "please, try not to get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Naphtali smirked.

"And we'd best get going too. Keep an eye on Korah for us," his aunt Laelia planted another kiss on Naphtali's forehead. The three of them slipped out the door and then the house was empty, apart from the two young boys.

Korah woke up a short time afterwards, hardly surprised to find that all the adults had left. Naphtali made them both breakfast and then took Korah into his room to finish showing off his sword collection. There was so much Korah hadn't seen the night before. Naphtali had spent countless hours of his free time carving swords out of wood; so much so that Eva thought he would make a good carpenter. But it was his love for weapons that convinced her he'd also make a good blacksmith. Really what Naphtali craved was adventure.

Korah held a long wooden sword that curved to one side.

"Interesting. Looks like the kind of swords the city guards carry?" Korah inquired.

"Exactly. And this one," Naphtali held out another sword – it was a little thicker at the end than it was at the hilt, and it was long, but not long enough to be considered a longsword.

"This is a replica of the Dragon Slayer's swords. They're hard to get right, though. I've never really gotten close enough to a Dragon Slayer to see their swords; and I've never seen a Dragon Slayer with their sword out before. This really is just a guess from the stories I've heard."

"You really do love those Dragon Slayers. Don't you."

Naphtali shrugged his shoulders.

"Not as much anymore."

"You still do!" Korah retorted poking his tongue out childishly.

"I don't."

"You do."

"I do not. Anyway, do you want to try them out with me, or not?" Naphtali asked.

"You've never practised with them?" Korah raised an eyebrow.

"I've never had anyone to practise with. Except for you of course, when you last visited."

"You've carved out about a hundred more swords since then. Let's break them in shall we!" Korah exclaimed.

They moved out into the street in front of Naphtali's place. It was a smoothed-over sandstone road; although a little narrow, it was usually empty – which made it perfect for playing. Korah held his sword out, swinging it around skilfully, and imitating several well-practised strokes.

Naphtali gawked.

"Where did you learn to swing a sword like that?"

"My father taught me. Don't you know that bandits commonly raid to roads on Alesia; and I have to be able to defend myself if we get into trouble."

"Is that so? Why don't you show me exactly what you've learnt then."

Korah smiled and held the wooden toy in front of him, pointing it directly at Naphtali who stood opposite, watching carefully. Naphtali stepped forward, spinning his sword, trying to mimic Korah's last move, but instead he fumbled, and it slipped out of his hands. He caught it by its hilt before it hit the ground and pulled it back up posing a fighting stance. Korah wasn't fooled.

Korah approached, swinging downward, and Naphtali, acting on pure instinct, jumped backwards, avoiding the attack. Korah didn't give him any room to move: without hesitation he jumped forward, slashing sideways; Naphtali pulled his sword up just in time to block the blow, and the two swords collided with a loud clack.

"Eek! That was close," Naphtali gasped.

"These swords are pretty well balanced," Korah said, backing away then stabbing forward, Naphtali twirled around, almost tripping, but thankfully regained his footing at the last second and avoided Korah's attack.

"Well, I am a blacksmith," Naphtali said, still on the edge of his toes.

"Apprentice blacksmith is what I've heard," Korah teased as he swung his wooden sword sideways. Naphtali trudged back, the attack flew past him, though he felt his boots tangle as he did so, and he tumbled backward falling hard on his bottom. Naphtali gasped, rolled over and jumped back up, standing steadily on two feet and ignoring the pain from his bruised bottom and lower back. Naphtali jumped forward and swung his sword down swiftly upon Korah, but much to his disappointment, it was met with Korah's steady block. Naphtali recoiled and tried again, smashing his sword down even harder; but Korah flicked his sword upwards and parried away the oncoming blow.

Naphtali jumped back and watched Korah carefully as he readied himself for his next attack. For most folk, the opponent he now faced was an inferior child, the son of a mundane trader, but for Naphtali he was an opponent that surpassed him in skill. He knew that compared to some, Korah was nothing special; but even so, the way Korah moved, the way he handled his sword, the way he timed his blocks and sword swings, it all just seemed well practised. Korah broke Naphtali's thoughts and dashed up to Naphtali, whipping his sword in a sideways arc. Naphtali pulled his sword up to block the oncoming attack, but underestimated the power behind it; the two swords whacked together, Naphtali's grip loosened, and his weapon flew out of his hands and across the street, clattering on the ground. Korah pointed his wooden sword directly at him.

"In the name of the King, I, Korah the Great, impart justice unto thee," Korah said in a deep voice.

"Wait, I thought I was the hero?"

"No, you're not, you lost! The villain always loses."

"Very well then..." Naphtali began to play along "but please, good sir, have mercy on me. I promise I'll give up my evil ways, and return everything I stole."

"You deserve to die. Consider this a warning. If I ever catch you terrorising my city again, it shall be the end for you!"

"Secret surprise, exploding potion!" Naphtali yelled, taking an imaginary vial from his pocket and throwing it down to the ground. "And now that explodes and kills you. But I escape."

"Not a chance. I'm wearing heat-proof armour. You die from the explosion, but I survive."

"No way!" Naphtali remarked.

"Yes!" Korah argued.

"Fine. We both die then."

"Whatever."

And that was the way for a while. The two of them continued sparring well into the day. They only put down their swords after many bruises had been drawn up along their arms and a few on their legs and thighs.

"So... what do you want to do now?" Korah asked when the sun had almost reached its peak.

"Would you like me to show you around? I know all the fun places!"

Korah nodded enthusiastically.

Naphtali collected the wooden swords, and put them both back up on display in his room. He was almost glad to see that the two swords now stood out from the others, battered, dented and scratched among the others that gleamed with unmarked polish. Naphtali pranced back out onto the street with Korah on his tail and continued down one of the side streets.

For the next few hours the two boys roamed Aldun. Naphtali showed Korah around the southern and eastern parts of town, and they gallivanted past the empty stalls and closed shops. Naphtali saw quite a few people whom he knew, including one of his aunt's friends, an old lady, who offered them some luxurious sweet treats made especially for the ferrae. There was a lot of singing and dancing in the public square to celebrate the ferae, the feast day of Aldun. After they'd seen the festivities, Naphtali took Korah to a small street that led them up to a hill where the urban buildings gave way to green grass, and trees that grew both short, wide and tall. In summer this was where Naphtali would often go and collect ripe pomegranates; and though the fruit had all but fallen with the coming winter, Naphtali was able to scavenge a single pomegranate which they split in half and ate while gazing down at the spectacular view of Aldun which the hill beheld. They were high enough to see most of the main roads, and the public forum and the large statues around it.

They spent an hour watching the city before they made their back to the streets; and it was a little later in the afternoon when they found themselves running down an alley in the quieter parts of Aldun with Korah ahead and Naphtali close behind. They had decided to go to the canals that ran along some of the smaller streets; Korah had seen them from the hill and though Naphtali didn't think they were anything special, he obliged to take Korah there anyway.

The two boys sped off through the city with the sandstone buildings of Aldun high above them on either side, casting long shadows across the street. They were running down an empty alley way, it was narrow and snaked around with the occasional sharp turn. Korah was ahead, running as fast as he could. Naphtali was close behind. The street was quiet apart from the crunching sounds that their feet made as they ran along. As they ran, Korah turned behind him to get a glimpse of Naphtali who was trying hard to catch up and take the lead. Korah smirked, but when he turned around he realised that the street had been curving slightly to the left, and suddenly there was a figure in front of him. Korah tried to stop, but he was going too fast. With his hands out, he stumbled forward waving them about in an awkward frenzy, and just as it seemed he was about to crash and knock the person down, the figure effortlessly spun to the side, avoiding Korah completely. Korah stumbled, lost his footing and fell on the ground where the mysterious figure had been standing only seconds ago.

Naphtali closed in soon after, but unlike Korah, he was able to get a better view, and examine this stranger more thoroughly. He was a young boy with white robes, he had a sword in a sheath by his side, and a bow and quiver strung on his back. His cowl hung loosely down from his shoulders, so Naphtali could make out the boy's blond hair that spiked up of its own accord. The boy was a Dragon Slayer and clearly an apprentice – he looked no older than Naphtali. There was only one apprentice at the Aldun guild, Naphtali knew this only too well from listening to the bards; it was unmistakably Brekka. Naphtali's stomach lurched and he felt the urge to look away, but almost at the same time he tripped over Korah and fell to the ground. When he peered back up, the boy, Brekka, was gone.

"That was a close one," Korah huffed.

"I know. Let's get out of here."

"Was...was he a Dragon Slayer?" Korah asked. The two of them still lay motionless in a heap on the ground.

Naphtali remained silent.

"Hey, Tali, get off me, will you?" Korah pushed Naphtali and rolled out from underneath him.

Naphtali sat upright and gazed out over the empty alleyway, looking for some sign of the Dragon Slayer. But there was none.

"Let's get going."

The sun was slowly setting as they continued to wander the streets; the midday festivities of the ferae were starting to die down as the people retired for afternoon food, or a siesta. But more festivities would take their place later on that night, and they would continue until the early morning of the next day. Naphtali and Korah walked side by side down the street, two young boys with more energy than the day could possibly take from them. But the night was coming. And it could yet take some more of their energy.

As they passed by the market square, Naphtali noticed a wooden board with several loose pieces of parchment nailed into the corners. He approached it eagerly.

"I wonder if there are any good bards performing somewhere close-by," Naphtali said to Korah, "it would be a fun night if I could take you to hear one of my favourite stories. And they might have some really good performances for the ferrae."

"We have a lot of bards passing through Livia. But I suppose I haven't heard any of your local ones. Maybe they have some untold tales or songs."

Naphtali was busy scouring the board.

"That bard is no good," he said to himself running his finger down the leaflet, "I don't like him either. Ouch, I think I splintered my finger!" Naphtali yelped and pulled his finger back caressing it in his other hand. He looked up, and at that moment one of the pamphlets caught his attention. Unlike the other flyers, which were written in fancy calligraphy, and decorated with pictures, and had borders and all other kinds of flowery decorations with the intention to quickly draw the eye, this one was simple. It had the outline of nine ladies standing in different poses. The top of the pamphlet read: The Muses. The bottom read: The Rusty Dagger Tavern. Dusk. Three days after The Waning.

"That's tonight. At the Rusty Dagger Tavern. The Muses are visiting the Rusty Dagger Tavern?"

Naphtali was stuck for words.

"The Muses" Korah gasped "really? Here? No way!"

Naphtali knew that if The Muses were in the area, they would definitely be playing at more than one inn before they moved on. And it was very likely that they were playing outside of the city to avoid clashing with the feasts of the ferae. But Korah wasn't staying for long; and Naphtali would have preferred not to go on his own. Naphtali turned and looked Korah in the eye. Naphtali could tell from the excited look on Korah's face that Korah was thinking exactly the same thing.

"Let's go then!" Korah exclaimed with a face as bright as the afternoon sun.

Naphtali hung his head.

"I don't think we can. The Rusty Dagger Tavern doesn't usually charge for entry, but if The Muses are playing, they'll probably be charging a fortune."

Korah scratched his chin, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a gold unic.

"Do you think this will cover us?"

"Where did you get that?" Naphtali remarked with wide eyes.

"It's my savings. All of it for the past year. You know I work with my mother and father. They pay me a little bit. Over time it accumulates. I didn't know what I was going to use it for. But I've always wanted to see The Muses. I hadn't heard that they were travelling to these parts, but you know what they say, nobody knows where The Muses will appear. They go where the wind takes them. Wherever seems fitting. It just seems fitting."

"I'll pay you back. When you next come to visit; I'll have the money ready for you."

"It's okay. You don't have to."

Naphtali jumped on Korah, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you," Naphtali yelped.

Korah pushed him away.

"Where is it? The Rusty Dagger Tavern?" Korah asked.

"It's out of Aldun, but not far. It might take us twenty minutes on horseback," Naphtali looked up in thought, "If they're starting at dusk then we won't have a chance of making it back before the city gates close; we'll just have to camp out for the night."

"Well then, shouldn't we start preparing?"

Naphtali turned and ran down the street towards his home, though it could almost have been mistaken for a delightful skip. Korah pranced along behind him equally delighted.

It was late in the afternoon when they finally returned to Naphtali's home.

"Do you think it's true, what they say? That The Muses are gods in human form."

"Not at all," Naphtali laughed, "but I've heard they're exceptionally good. One of the best troupes you could possibly listen to in Alesia."

The dining room was quiet and empty, and long shadows had made their home on the floor, and in the corners and on the walls. He had hoped his aunt at least would be home; Naphtali knew he might get into trouble if he left without permission. Part of him was hesitant about going now that he knew he would be stowing away, but he had already resolved to go, and so he found a jar of ink, a quill and a spare piece of parchment; then began drafting a note to leave on the dining room table.

Dear Aunt Eva,

The Muses are playing at an inn just outside the city. Korah and I are going to see them. You know how much I've heard about them. I've always wanted to see them perform, and I want to take Korah out for a fun night. I'm not sure if we'll be back before the city gates close, but we have plenty of food and it's looking to be a clear night.

Naphtali.

Naphtali placed the note onto the table, and quickly packed up the ink and quill. Naphtali only had one travel mattress, but it was big enough for the two of them to share. He also packed some nuts, raisins, dried meat and bread into a small travel bag; grabbed a fresh piece of flint, and although he doubted he would need it, he took a small bow along with some arrows, just in case they decided to do some hunting, or maybe they could use it for sport in the morning. Then they went to the stables to fetch Saul.

The sun was still a quarter of the way above the horizon when they walked through the city gates; plenty of time to spare before The Muses started playing. The path they trod on was wide and the city gates were tall, they towered high above them, with several guards loitering around and a few people, travellers and traders, wandering in and out of the city. The roads were not overly crowded but there was a bit more hustle and bustle when they got closer to the Rusty Dagger Tavern. It was a small, shabby little building, with a second storey and a small glade around the front. Naphtali's guess was that the inn would already be full; and his suspicions were confirmed when he checked with the bartender.

"Let's find a spot to camp before it gets dark, then we can backtrack without too much trouble," Naphtali suggested. They rode Saul through the green pasture; adjacent to the road at first but when they realised how many people were actually camping on the wayside, they veered off into the open fields. Naphtali knew that these fields would be difficult to navigate at night, but Korah suggested that they just head directly north and navigate using the constellations.

They scouted the plains, searching for a spot where they'd be covered from the prying eyes of thieves. The trees in the fields were mostly spread apart, only occasionally forming in small clusters, and even then, they were still dispersed thinly. Though luckily they were able to find a dense bunch of trees upon a small hill. The trees were thick enough to provide cover, and there was a small pool of water conveniently off to the side – though it may have been naturally formed, it was most likely a man-made crevice; they probably weren't the first people to camp out in this area. Surprising. Naphtali knew that most people didn't camp away from roads or cities.

Naphtali found a cosy spot behind a few shrubs where he placed most of their belongings, their sleeping rolls and travel bags. They probably wouldn't have anywhere to keep it at the inn, as they wouldn't be getting a room. On the extremely odd chance that someone happened to stumble upon this spot before they returned, Naphtali had made sure that everything was well out of sight. Besides, their belongings weren't extraordinarily valuable; except for maybe the travel mattress.

Before they went back to The Rusty Dagger Tavern, Naphtali set some rabbit traps using a spare rope from his saddle bag. He hadn't remembered much about what his father had taught him when he was a child, but one thing that had stuck with him was how to tie knots, setup ropes and assemble traps. It didn't take long, and it only added to the excitement. The prospect of roasting fresh meat over the fire and singing hearty songs under the night sky was more appealing than the thought of dried meat and nuts.

The inn was a lot busier when they finally returned. People were wandering along the roads towards old building, the stables were full, and many horses had been tied up on the rails outside. Twilight was quickly approaching, and so the oil lanterns had already been lit, a light glow protruded from the open windows blending in with the fading sunlight of the afternoon. It was accompanied by an unsynchronized bustle of voices that was audible even from outside where Naphtali and Korah now stood, some distance away. A small cobblestone path led up to the front door, where a tall man stood, and a line of people in front of him waiting to get in.

Naphtali led Saul about a quarter of a mile down the road, letting him graze and wander freely among some shrubs and trees that formed a small glade. The horse was special, Naphtali knew, he wasn't easily spooked, he wouldn't stray, and he would return to Naphtali on command. It was unlikely that anyone would be able to steal him; Saul didn't let anyone in the saddle except Naphtali, and those who Naphtali allowed. And so, Naphtali left the horse on his own, and the two of them, Naphtali and Korah, hurried along to join the que at the front of the Rusty Dagger Tavern.

The que moved forward quite quickly and only a short time later the two of them were facing the man at the door. He wasn't well dressed, or anything like that, but he did have an air of formality about him.

"The Muses are playing tonight, so it's fifteen marks to get in. Each." The man didn't sound overly enthusiastic, he almost seemed disappointed.

Korah pulled out a gold unic from his pocket and handed it to the man.

"For both of us," Korah said and walked through the door.

"And don't worry," Naphtali piped in, "I bet later on the que will die down, and you'll be able to sneak in and watch them play."

Naphtali detected the slightest hint of a smile appear upon the man's face before he joined Korah inside the tavern.

The tavern was as crowded as they had expected it to be; maybe even a little more so. Lanterns hung from chains on the roof, and a fire roared in the hearth upon the wall. Towards the back end of the tavern there were several chairs and tables where some people sat drinking mead and spiced mulled wine; though a few people were dining on bread and stew. There was also a bar that ran along the side of the back end, two bartenders were busy handing out drinks and taking coins. At the front there was a small stage, an old bard had already begun entertaining the tipsy, but not yet drunk crowd. He strummed skilfully upon a lute and sung about a famous Dragon Slayer named Torin. In the corner there was a small staircase that spiralled up and led to a railed platform with more seating that overlooked the stage below. Several people hung over the railings, singing along to the bard's song. There was no way they were getting seats up there.

"I'll get us some drinks," Naphtali said slapping Korah on the back. It was the least he could do after Korah had paid the entry fee. He pushed through the crowd to get to the bar and even after that he had to wait quite a while longer until the bartender gave him any kind of attention.

"What'll it be?"

"Wine. Two mugs."
The bartender turned and began mixing a small pot of wine with some sparkling water.

"Three pebbles," the bartender said as he placed the two mugs down in front of Naphtali. Naphtali handed over the bronze coins, took the mugs and returned back to Korah in front of the stage. The bard was now singing a new song about an Alesian warrior who had ventured to the distant land of Mannheim in search of a warlord who had killed his wife and family. In the end the warrior, who was called Cassius, got his revenge, but was no happier for it. Naphtali and Korah sipped at the wine as they enjoyed the rest of the bard's performance. When the bard finished, a younger lady took the stage playing beautiful notes on her harp. Her voice was lovely, and she sung so gracefully that the crowd seemed to be put into a joyful trance as they watched and listened. But Naphtali knew this was only the warm up. No other bard or troupe could compare to The Muses.

"It can't be long now," Korah said to Naphtali. And it wasn't long. The lady played her harp for about twenty minutes, after which there was a short break. Many in the crowd used the lull to get a few more drinks. But it wasn't long before they came.

A loud voice rang out over the crowd as a man took to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, The Muses!"

The crowd burst into applause as the nine young ladies began to walk gracefully toward the stage, one at the front, and the rest of them in pairs.

The Muses stood upon the stage, all nine of them, with dark curls and olive skin that fell down around their shoulders. Their dresses fluttered about them with a non-existent breeze, and the applause and cheering that had erupted through the tavern softened until nothing could be heard but the crackle of the fire in the hearth. This was what everyone had come to see, this was what they were looking forward to. Naphtali gaped. They definitely weren't gods, but it was plausible to see how men could mistake them for deity. The troupe hadn't even begun to sing yet; and already both Naphtali and Korah were awestruck. Not only because of their beauty, but because of the way they moved, the way they commanded the crowd to attention. The forefront one, Thalia, stepped in front of her sisters and took centre stage. She opened her mouth, and set a voice upon them that was both gentle and powerful, a voice that was both soft and strong. As soon as she had begun to speak, a spell was cast over the crowd, a spell that Naphtali supposed was as enticing as the voice of the mermaids who lived in the seas, and even more enticing than the voices of the nymphs of the rivers.

"We sing of a man who sailed over seas,

Of a man who carried arms across the land,

And by him many captives were set free,

For much peace was sewed by his hand,"

And then the other eight sisters joined in.

"But those of evil deeds he smote,

With a fearsome blade he fought,

And the muses don't forget,

The justice that he sought,

For we sing of mighty Agenor,

The Dragon Slayer of old,

Who rid the land from evil,

And protected all her fold,

Many beasts you slew,

And many lives you saved,

But there is no tale like,

The gold-haired rescued maid,

That day was dark and gloomy,

The dragons closing in,

And all her hope seemed lost,

Her heart was thick and grim,

Clad in white you were,

Your robes billowed with the wind,

That girl had not expected,

Fate to grant her such a thing,

For you swooped in,

Moving in like lightening,

Gracefully cutting, sweeping, slashing,

Captivating, frightening,

And in a moment,

That day was saved,

A joyful maiden,

A Dragon Slayer brave,

But there are many of your deeds,

Too many to be told,

For you are mighty Agenor,

Dagon Slayer of old."

The crowd stood gaping for a while before the spell wore off and the crowd suddenly lost control and burst into another round applause. Naphtali found himself cheering at the top of his lungs. And Korah was clapping and jumping high into the air bumping carelessly into the shoulders of those around him. Excitement ran rampant through the inn.

It was close to midnight when they got back to their camp upon the hill. The moon was half eclipsed, the stars were shining, and so it had been quite easy for Naphtali to navigate upon Saul through silver glowing fields.

Their camp spot was cosy, but it was quite cool. And they hadn't eaten much. The night had been ecstatic, better than he could have ever hoped; and to add to it all, Naphtali found that two rabbits had been caught in the traps he had set earlier. They hung lifeless in the snares he had set. Naphtali drained the blood from the rabbits and began prepared them for roasting. He found a few broken wayward branches and carved them to a point so that they could skewer the carcasses of the rabbits. However, Korah was struggling to get to get the fire going.

"Nearly had it," Korah muttered under his breath. Sparks flew wildly as Korah casually struck the flint with a piece of steel.

Naphtali sat up.

"Here, let me have a go," he said, reaching out to take the flint from Korah.

Korah laughed and pulled backward. "Only if you can take it from me."

Naphtali smiled and moved to grab Korah's hand, but Korah nimbly jumped onto his feet and danced around the pile of sticks.

"Oh humble Naphtali, if only you had the speed and strength of mighty Aginor," Korah teased, still on a high from the night.

"Or the speed and strength of Kallias," Naphtali said as he leapt up and pounced on Korah, grasping him with both hands. Korah let the flint and striker slip out of his grip and the two wrestled playfully on the soft grass, laughing and rolling around. Eventually they found themselves laying back, breathing heavily and looking up at the clear night sky.

"But seriously," Korah said, "we should really get this fire going. I'm starving."

It wasn't hard to find the flint and striker from where it had fallen on the grass. Although the moon wasn't full, it shone light plenty enough for them to see; they wouldn't have even bothered lighting a fire if they hadn't had game to roast, for it was neither dark nor cold.

Korah continued his effort to ignite a flame, striking the flint showering the kindling with wave after wave of sparks. Korah was smart, athletic and well spoken. But he had to admit to himself, his survival skills were lacking. Naphtali was only slightly better. But he did have an idea that might turn their luck. He pulled out a small golden dagger from a sheath tied to the inside of his boot, and held it out for Korah to take.

"Use that," Naphtali said. "It may work better."

Korah raised an eyebrow.

"That isn't real gold, is it?"

"Of course not. The colour is just from an expensive dye. The dagger itself is made of fortentine ore!

"Fortentine ore? That dagger must be worth a lot of money?"

Korah took the dagger and examined it carefully before proceeding to scrape the flint with the sharp blade. It produced a fresh wave of sparks which bathed the kindling and burnt out. On the second attempt, one of the sparks caught and thrived, flaring up brightly.

"Fan it before it goes out!" Naphtali jerked forward, shielding the newly birthed flame with fatherly protection.

Several minutes later, the fire was big enough and bright enough to illuminate their whole campsite. Naphtali skewered the two rabbits they'd caught, and in no time at all, had impaled them on the pikes he'd carved earlier. After wiping his golden blade clean in the grass, he balanced the skewers on two thick sticks on either side of the fire so that the rabbits were two feet above the flame.

Then Naphtali let out a deep breath and sat back admiring his handywork. Korah had gone to wash his hands in the pool off to the side, so Naphtali fiddled with his dagger impatiently. The firelight glinted off its blade, and Naphtali stared down into its reflection. His mind began to drift off. The memories the weapon held were both dear and horrid. Piercing deep into him, they surrounded him until they were so clear and vivid that he felt like he was reliving his childhood. He could smell the black smoke, entangled in his lungs, and hear the blasting roar of the dragon in front of him. It all should have felt as vague as a distant dream, yet he could remember it like yesterday. One thing he couldn't forget, and probably never would, was his father's last words to him, "don't lose that. Not ever."

The fire crackled loudly, bringing him back to the world he was in.

He looked up; Korah was watching him from the other side of the camp.

"Are you okay Naphtali?" Korah asked.

Naphtali shook his head. "I'm fine," he muttered.

"Really?" Korah said, poking the coals of the fire with a stick, "tonight was so much fun; you were still so ecstatic just a few minutes ago. What's gotten you so down?"

Naphtali leaned back and grinned, fixing himself back to his usual composure. "Nothing. It's fine. I'm fine. Honestly."

Korah sat still. "So, what's with that dagger anyway? It feels odd to hold. Where did you get it?" Korah asked.

Naphtali gave the dagger a final stare before sliding it back into the sheath on side of his boot.

"It was my father's," Naphtali said. "He gave it to me."

"Oh... Sorry... I didn't know."

Naphtali waved it off. "It's alright."

"It must be precious to you, then?"

Naphtali shifted, adjusting his position to get more comfortable. "It is precious, I suppose, but sometimes I wonder if I'd rather just forget about it."

Naphtali fell back, with his hands behind his head and looked up glades of the trees and the few stars that managed to outshine the moon. The clouds that were about seemed to wander through the night, in a fast, ghostly, and lonesome manner. Silence settled over their campsite. Korah couldn't tell if Naphtali was dwelling on the matter of the dagger, or trying to forget it. Suddenly Naphtali's stomach grumbled loudly, Korah grinned and Naphtali couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

"I'm starving!" Naphtali exclaimed when he had clamed down.

"Me too!" Korah agreed.

Naphtali sat up. When he had been preparing and skewering the rabbits earlier, they'd been a light pink colour, but now they were a charred brown, had crisped on the outside; and their aroma was beginning to fill the campsite. Drops of fat dribbled down the meat, sizzling as they fell into the hot coals.

Naphtali approached the campfire; taking the wooden pike that they had impaled the rabbits on and stabbing it into the ground next to the fire. He pulled out his dagger, and took hold of the rabbit with the intention of cutting up the meat, but he shrieked and pulled his hand back.

"Ouuuuch! That's hot!" Naphtali jumped around, flailing his hand.

"You idiot," Korah laughed.

Naphtali ran over and plunged his hand into the pool of cold water close by, gasping a sigh of slight relief.

"How bad is it?" Korah asked.

Naphtali held up his hand. There was a light red mark that ran around the side of his palm. Korah Laughed. Naphtali gritted his teeth and began patrolling the steaming rabbits eagerly, with a growling stomach and drooling mouth.

"Should we try to return early tomorrow?" Korah asked trying to take Naphtali's mind off his stomach.

"Probably," Naphtali replied "the earlier the – "

Naphtali stopped mid-sentence with his mouth wide agape.

"Naphtali?"

Naphtali looked past Korah at the trees and the shrubs behind him. For a moment they had seemed to move in an odd way; yet the night was quiet and ordinary. Naphtali stared for a moment longer before he dismissed it as nothing.

"Are you okay?" Korah asked.

"I'm fine!" Naphtali said with a bright smile. "What was I saying before? That's right; the earlier we get back the better. Aunt Eva might be mad if we're out all day, but it should be okay if we get back at a reasonable time."

For a moment Naphtali had forgotten how hungry he was. But then he caught another whiff of the cooking rabbits and his mouth began to water. He turned and stared at the rabbits with lustful eyes. A slight grin formed at the edge of Korah's lips; and he chuckled lightly.

"You can't help yourself, can you. Give them a little bit longer," Korah suggested.

Naphtali longed to protest, but he felt his burnt hand throbbing and knew it was wiser to concede. They waited in silence, and time seemed to pass dismally slow. Naphtali hated how time was always going against his wishes; when he was having fun it passed quickly, but when he was bored it passed slowly. He looked back up at the rabbits. Steam leached off the carcasses and rose up until it entangled with the fresh air and disappeared. The fat dribbled down onto the grass reflecting the burning firelight. Food seemed to be all he could think about; well that was until he heard a light cracking sound, like twigs breaking under pressure and then leaves rustling under feet.

Naphtali felt his heart leapt and then suddenly food was the last thing on his mind.

"Korah, did you hear that?"

"No, I didn't."

Naphtali heard the sound again, a louder crack – this time like a small branch snapping in half, and then a flicker of green. Naphtali scanned the outer growth of the trees and what came next made him freeze with terror. His heart almost stopped, and he struggled to breathe, he could barely manage to let squeaky gasps from his throat when he opened his mouth to speak. All he could do was lift his arm and point at the bushes in front of them. Korah narrowed his gaze, he looked relaxed and jovial, but his expression quickly changed to one of fear and panic as he began to comprehend what was before him. From within the darkness, two yellow eyes glowed brightly, and then a green scaly snout emerged into the light, along with a large lizard jaw and sharp bared teeth.

Naphtali managed to utter one word.

"Dragon."

And for a moment Naphtali met the yellow eyes of the giant lizard, and in them he could see the flames of Celosia flaring in their glassy reflection. They twisted up around the walls of the huts, spreading all the way to the grass of the fields and up into the branches of the trees of the forests. Within that split second he was reliving the horrid memory of his childhood. But little did Naphtali know that they weren't the only set of eyes staring him down. There was another, unseen, ghost of a person, who pried curiously from the thick growth on the side of the hill.

The mysterious man watched, ready to act on a moment's notice, less than a moment in fact, it wouldn't even take him a second. There were two boys; one had fallen over and taken a knock to the head. Nothing serious. The other boy was frozen and unmoving as a wild green dragon stared him down; no different to many grown men he'd seen face these creatures – even some of the land's trained warriors cowered before them. So it was only to be expected that a mere child would be stricken with terror. The shadowy figure grasped the hilt of his sword firmly, in preparation to intercede and save the two boys, but something suddenly made him stop. One of the boys moved, he reached down to his boot and drew a weapon, a gold tinted dagger. The shadowy figure still held his sword hilt firmly, ready to intervene before things got messy, but restrained himself for the moment, for he was curious to see how this situation would play out.

The dragon advanced slowly. Naphtali waved his dagger in front of him. Korah rolled about, still barely conscious, but the movement caught the dragon's eye; and suddenly the dragon's attention shifted from Naphtali to Korah. An easy feed, for the prey was already immobilised. 'No' Naphtali thought. The dragon slithered away from Naphtali towards Korah, who was now stumbling about with glazed eyes, in a dream-like state. The dragon bared its teeth. The unseen figure in the shadows took a step forward, but Naphtali made another move, another move that would again stay the shadow's hand.

In the moments leading up to this point, Naphtali had been terrified, unable to move and barely able to even quiver. He could taste death all around him like a black cloud that had sunken too low from the sky and was now content to settle and fill him with despair. It was so thick that he could barely breath, and it seemed to tighten and constrict with every passing second. He felt the loss of loved ones, the destruction of his home and the passing of a life he would never live. He was held in bonds, imprisoned in ice cold chains; but as the dragon turned to face Korah, Naphtali suddenly realised that there was yet more to lose. He tried to move, but the bonds holding him in place only seemed to tighten. His heart was beating hard against his chest, sweat began dripping down his face. And then, for a single moment, Korah turned around and he was able to see the face of his cousin, of his friend. A thousand memories flew through his mind, of the good times that they'd had together, when they'd laughed and played and gotten into trouble. And then he imagined what it would be like to return to Aldun without him; to never see him again. And suddenly, like a ray of light breaking into a room of complete darkness, the chains shattered and the fog of despair lifted. He was able to move again.

Naphtali bent down, grabbed a large stone that had been nestled in and amongst then green blades of grass and pelted it at the dragon. It bounced harmlessly off the dragon's hide, but Naphtali threw two more smaller stones in quick succession that did equally as little harm. He then dashed towards the dragon with his dagger out in front of him and a hero's heart within him; but the dragon turned and snarled and he immediately lost his courage and stopped in his tacks. The large, scaley fire-breathing lizard seemed to have a change of heart and began slithering towards him. Naphtali yelped and ran the other way. At least he had drawn its attention away from Korah.

Naphtali scrambled across the hill, leapt over a small boulder and then dared to glance backwards for a mere second. The dragon had caught up to him. He dove forward as it snapped at him, its teeth missing his ancles only by inches.

"Wah!" Naphtali squealed.

He flew forward, rolled, and was on his feet again for a split second before the laces on his boots snagged a wayward twig on one of the pikes he had carved earlier, and he stumbled over and crashed back down onto the soft grass beside the small fire they'd kindled to cook the rabbits.

Naphtali cursed and rolled onto his side and began to flail his leg about. The pike flew free from the laces on his boot and rolled over onto the deep red coals of the fire. Tongues of flame began to lick over the soft wood and suddenly it had become new fuel for flame.

He moved to push himself up, but it was too late. The dragon was upon him; it looked down at him with its neck arched and its fangs bared. The dragon stretched out its long talons and dug them into the dirt on either side of Naphtali's torso, its eyes glowing with a deathly twinkle, not even bothered by the flames of the campfire burning so close to its scaley legs. Yellow sparks were flying from the dragon's nose as it began edging its bared fangs closer toward Naphtali's neck. Knowing how dire his situation was, Naphtali reached out and grasped the burning pike from the fire beside the dragon. He grit his teeth as the flames seared his palm, and although the pain was excruciating, the adrenaline coursing through his body helped him to ignore it. The dragon's jaw was so close now that he could feel its breath on his chest and the tingle of the sparks on his chest. And just as the dragon was about to bite into him, Naphtali picked up the burning pike and pressed the coals into the dragon's eyes. He threw the log behind him as the dragon whipped its head back and let out ghastly screech. Naphtali was able to slip out from under the dragon and into the surrounding shrubbery.

The trees cast dark shadows around him. Naphtali could hear the dragon roaring and wailing and there were flashes of light as the dragon spurt flames around the campsite in frustration. Naphtali darted in and out of the trees until he found Saul. The horse was frightened and cautious; most horses would have sped off by now, but Saul was a unique and loyal horse. Naphtali jumped up into Saul's saddle wasting no time. He pulled on the horse's reins, edging him around to the side of the hill, and readied himself to nudge Saul in the side; a light tap with his heel, a small brush of his toes, a gentle prod. That was all he needed. The horse was merely waiting for Naphtali to give him a signal to carry them both to safety. But he didn't. In the commotion of the chaos, Naphtali had forgotten that he'd been drawing the dragon's attention on purpose; there was someone he was trying to protect. His cousin.

Naphtali slid back onto the ground.

"I'll catch up with you later," Naphtali said to his horse.

Naphtali slapped Saul in the side. The horse seemed almost hesitant to leave, but galloped off into the night anyway. And then he was alone in the fields of Ventus, with the light of the fire glowing from behind the trees and a ferocious dragon waiting to devour him.

A light wind blew through and brushed against his skin. There was something that still spoke to Naphtali, a voice that told him to stop, turn and run. He could still get away if he did, and disappear into the night. But there was another voice that spoke to him even louder. A second voice that reminded him how helpless he'd been when Celosia had been destroyed; how little control he'd had over his parent's deaths, and the destruction of his village. But now he had control. He could change things. Naphtali ran into the clearing as quickly as he could.

A wave of heat washed over him and the area around him was as bright as day. The fire had spread up and over many of the tree trunks and the clearing was beginning to fill with smoke. The large green dragon was about fifteen yards away from him; its teeth were bare, its eyes were shut, and it sniffed the ground clearly trying to smell him out. Naphtali wasn't a scholar, nor had he done any extensive research on reptiles, but he knew enough about dragons to know that they had an extremely acute sense of smell; in fact it was said that a dragon relied on scent for hunting their prey almost more than sight. By all appearances, Naphtali had blinded the dragon when he'd hit it with the flaming log earlier. But that by no means meant he was safe.

Naphtali squinted his eyes, and gazed around through the thin layer of smoke that obscured his sight, usurping every moment and wasting no time; Korah was nowhere to be seen. The dragon prowled in small circles, slowly edging closer to him. Naphtali darted around giving the dragon a wide berth and trying to keep a sane amount of distance between himself and the reptile. But there was only so far that Naphtali could move. The flames had begun to sweep up onto the grass and were slowly moving towards him. He had little space to move.

Naphtali looked for a way forward, but at that moment the dragon snapped around, its snout pointed at him. Naphtali gasped as his heart doubled in speed, the dragon lurched forward and Naphtali dove to the side just as the dragon snapped at him. The dragon was by no means as accurate as it had been, but its assault was still coming too close for him to feel any sense of security. In a desperate attempt to evade the dragon, Naphtali ran to the nearest tree, jumped up and grasped the lowest branch which stuck out just above his head. Without realising what kind of trap he was setting up for himself, he scaled the tree pulling up from branch to branch until he had climbed high enough to see the sparkling faerie lights, and torches of Aldun far off in the distance.

Only then did he look around. The dragon circled the base of the tree sniffing vigorously, and snapping its jaws at the air above. Beyond that the campfire they had ignited earlier still burnt on, though most of the flames that threatened to turn the campsite to ash, had been the dragon's doing – spurting out bursts of flames in a fit of uncontrolled rage. But Korah was nowhere to be seen. The dragon was occupied patrolling the tree trunk below him, and Naphtali felt a sense of security with the distance separating them; so he took his time looking around. But as hard as he looked, he could not see anything that resembled his cousin. A part of him wondered if he'd been too late; if the dragon had already gotten to Korah in the moments that he'd run off to Saul. But he knew if that were the case there would be at least some remains. A dead body. Blood smears. A burning corpse. As it was, there was nothing.

A few moments passed before Naphtali felt the tree shake violently. He almost lost his footing and fell backwards into the air, which would have been a sudden and unexpected death indeed. But Naphtali caught hold of a branch and steadied himself at the last moment. The tree shook again a second later, though Naphtali had tightened his hold and managed to keep his balance. He looked down, the dragon had begun slamming itself against the tree trunk, either in an attempt knock him out, or to knock the tree down. Naphtali couldn't tell which. But he guessed that the dragon had sensed his presence and wasn't confident flying blind. It probably didn't burn him either, for then he would hardly make for a good meal.

Naphtali quickly unstrapped the bow from his back, knocked an arrow, aimed and shot. The arrow flew wide and hit the burning grass beside the dragon. Naphtali shot three more times. Two arrows hit the dragon; but the dragon was not deterred. Instead it charged into the tree again with two arrows sticking out of its hide. Naphtali felt the branches around him shake, and his bow slipped out from his hands and fell to the ground far, far below.

"This is it!" Naphtali shrieked with wide eyes, "I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead."

The smoke thickened as the fires around the clearing spread and began to lick up over the trunk of the tree he was in, and the trees around him. Naphtali hoped that the dragon might at least have been put off by this; frightened by the heat, or at least a little hesitant. But it seemed persistent and continued to charge through the flames chaotically, bashing into the tree with the thick of its hide. With a fire slowly edging its way towards him, and a ferocious dragon down below, death seemed to loom over him with impending doom. Naphtali turned around and looked off into the distant night. Aldun still sparkled with blue and red faery light, and watch torches slowly moved back and forth as the guards patrolled the city walls. Time seemed to slow down as he stared out his beautiful city in what seemed like his final moments. And yet the serenity of the night flared up his courage and resolve not to give up. He turned back around to face the brightly clearing assessing all of his options. He considered jumping down, but it was likely he'd break a leg then get burnt and then torn in half. The tree shook again as the dragon continued to batter against the trunk. He could climb down and jump from a safe distance. That would save him a broken leg, but it still wouldn't take care of the burning and tearing problem. Another shake reverberated through the tree trunks. He could wait the dragon out. Maybe the fire would die down and the dragon would cut its losses. The dragon slammed into the tree again, every branch shook and this time a deathly cracking sound followed as the tree split apart at its base. There was only one option. Naphtali readied himself to jump out of the tree.

Naphtali searched for a spot below him where he'd have the best chance of landing without hurting himself too much. But before Naphtali could commit to jumping, the tree lurched forward with a sudden jolt. Naphtali felt his foot slip back, and his body fly forward; and then he was falling through the air with the ground rushing towards him at an alarming speed.

For two seconds everything was spinning; his arms and legs dangled helplessly, and air rushing around him. Naphtali caught flashes of light and dark as the world turned and his mind contemplated his last moments. He'd failed his cousin. His aunt would have bear the guilt and remorse of his death. She'd probably blame herself. But just as he was about to hit the ground, he felt two arms catch him and lower to slow the momentum of his fall, and then lay him softly on the grass of the hill. For a moment, in his daze, he'd seen a shadow of a person, but then he was alone, and when he found his bearings, he'd noticed that he was someway away from their camping spot. But the dragon was emerging out from the burning shrubbery, its nose pointed directly at him, easily sensing his presence. The dragon opened its jaw wide, and its throat began to overflow with a bright light. Naphtali guessed it had given up on the whole not trying to burn its meal. Naphtali flinched back as he prepared himself for an onslaught of flames. But it didn't come. Instead blood suddenly splurged out of the dragon from several cuts drawn up its side and head. Then the dragon dropped dead. Lifeless. Something had killed it – someone, a shadow of life, too quick for Naphtali to have made out who, or what it was. And now it was gone. Naphtali turned around; a lonesome figure stood on the side of the hill, in front of the glowing moon. It held its sword out, and its robes blew in the wind.

"You're persistent. I'll give you that, kid," it called.

Naphtali knew now what it was – or rather, who it was. It was a Dragon Slayer.