Page 3 of Guardian's Dilemma

I dismissed even the possibility. If he’d met a dragon, he’d be dead.

It was time to get some information. I had a usual spiel prepared for such occasions and I said, “I’m new to the area.”

I hadn’t even managed to finish my opening gambit when the man blurted, “It’s a beautiful village! Have you visited the river yet?”

“Not yet. But I’ll explore the area more soon.”

He gestured with his good hand at the assortment of pastries and cakes on the counter and asked, “Would you like something to take-away? On your explorations?”

I was certain the dragon was nearby, in the village, but I couldn’t tell how close it was or which direction it was in. There was something very near me interfering with my ability to detect traces of magic. It felt a little like standing in a void and the magic feelers I relied on felt numb.

It took me a second to work out what the man had said and replied, “Yes, that would be fine. What do you have?”

“The special is bree and cranberry today. It’s delicious. Shall I get you one of those and a pastry?”

“Yes, fine.”

I didn’t care what I ate; I hadn’t come in here for food anyway. I’d come in because there was magic in this café. It wasn’t coming from the man behind the counter; I was picking up a small amount of magic from the woman who looked like the plump man’s twin. The spells on the door could have come from her.

Beside her was a large, ugly man with a bald head and a glower that might have frightened me if I didn’t hunt actual dragons for my living.

There was something majorly wrong with him. I scanned the whole room, trying to work out what it was. No way was he a dragon. I didn’t care about other types of creatures. They weren’t evil the way dragons were. They didn’t hunt and kill for pleasure the way dragons did. The only reason I’d have to engage with any other creature at all is if they attacked me.

The large man looked like he might just do that.

But he wasn’t a dragon, so I mentally shrugged and my eyes went back to the witch woman. She wasn’t that powerful but her earring caught my attention. It was unusually difficult for me to make out, but I was sure there were strong spells inside it. Stronger than anyone in that room could conjure, for sure.

I asked, “Do you live in the village?”

“Yes.”

Her answer was short and breathless. Strange. She knew something.

I nodded. “Then perhaps I’ll see you around.”

As I paid – cash, so they couldn’t trace my name or any of my details – I tried to make sense of the different magics I could feel inside that place. Witch; dragon; small magic. It was too distorted for me to get a handle on it.

As long as they didn’t interfere with my duty, it wouldn’t be important.

Some witches had alliances with dragons, though. Not very many, of course, but a few outliers made deals and sold their souls for a bit of dragon power.

I left a large spell on the door, just in case. It would alert me if a dragon touched it, which meant no dragon could go in or out without me knowing. Then I’d be certain that the plump little witch was a dragon-sympathiser.

Before I moved on to the next shop, I went round the back of the café to where there was an alleyway leading to the backs of the businesses. I put the same spell over the back door and then proceeded to lay more along the alleyway. They covered the place like a delicate spider’s web strung from wall to wall. People could walk through it and not even know about it. If a dragon touched it, though…

I began to make my way along the high street, going in to every business and feeling my way around. I could still sense a dragon nearby but it was a faint sensation, irritatingly just out of reach.

???

I felt a low growl in the air around me, more a sensation of it vibrating against my skin than an actual sound. It was unmistakable.

The dragon was nearby, and it was in dragon form.

What were the chances that it had decided to shift into full scale form right now of its own accord? I’d guess almost none. It knew I was nearby.

Rushing out of the butcher’s shop at the end of the high street, I heard a loud, metallic clatter. The sound ricocheted off the old-fashioned stone walls that made up the entire village structure, and it took me a moment to pinpoint where the clatter came from.

Just as I did, I saw a large grey dragon take to the air and soar away.

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