Chapter12

�We??� Kendra replied, puzzled. �Eeeep!� she exclaimed as she came down the stairs and saw the big orc-man and her brother, barely keeping the door closed. �Wait there, guys!!� She turned around and bounded back up the stairs.

�Sis? Sis?! SIS!!� Another blow to the door knocked Kendrik to his knees, but he bounced back up immediately. �This is not good��

�Yah� nub guda.� The bard was straining hard against the wooden door, muscles rippling and a twisted snarl on his lips. Suddenly, the two men heard a <<THOK>> ring out from above them. The dragon howled and the slamming against the door stopped.

�Ohhhhhhhh� Shhiiiiiit!!� Kendrik heard the dragon snort, inhale deeply, and exhale one hell of a fire blast as his sister came running down the stairs again. �I think I really pissed him off that time.� Her floppy hat was singed in the front and her face was a little blackened. They could hear the dragon snorting and pacing angrily out front, looking for the thing that poked it.

�Alright, orc boy � can you play that drum like you were before and calm it down?�

�Um� Gahrugh wuud try� but Gahrugh�s drum brokin�� The bard held up a burnt tatter of leather and wood that once served as his war drum. �Nub wurk enymoor.�

�Beautiful. Just friggin beautiful.� Kendrik threw his hands up in disgust.

�Mebbe dat dragun git bord and da tamur will leev.� Gahrugh peered out the small window.

�Doubt it. I just remembered who that was. Name is Jon Snow� powerful ass mage and tamer with a serious attitude. Used to hang out with him in Delucia� till I couldn�t resist the urge to help myself to some of his gold when he wasn�t looking�� Kendrik smirked.

�Yuu stole frum dat guy?! Toopid hummie! Now he want hiz dragin to chomp uz!�

�Well, hell! I was workin� on this great loot. Some noble�s kid from Delucia trying his luck at the City of the Dead drops cold at my feet, right? The from out of nowhere Jon shows up with his dragon and starts killing everything in sight, resurrects the little shit, and gets him his stuff back. I was pissed!�

�Um� great story Ken� but in case you forgot� there�s an angry dragon on my front lawn wanting our loot.� Kendra hated when Kendrik started off on one of his rants. Fortunately it was short-lived as the dragon resumed its assault on the front door, forcing Kendrik to cut his story off.

�Oh!! Hold on!� Kendra ran to an armoire at the back of the cabin. She rummaged around a bit and finally grabbed something. �Aha! Here it is!!� She held in her hands a drum. It was of poor quality, but it would serve their needs. �Here um� guy�� Kendra tossed the drum to the bard, who received it grinning wickedly.

�Dabu!!� he cried gleefully. He set into his calming rhythm, soothing all that could hear the tune, making them forget all about the battle. The trio peeked their heads out the door to see an infuriated Jon Snow screaming at his dragon.

�Devaney, kill!! I said kill!! Kill them all!!� The dragon was shaking its head, as if the tune was tangible and stuck in its ears. �In Por Ylem!� Jon cried, shooting a magic arrow into his pet�s side, hoping to snap it out of its reverie. �Get mad, damn you! Stupid ass dragon! I shoulda left you in that dungeon! Left you to get killed by some money hungry bard or another tamer with time on his hands!! Vas Flam!� Jon shot the dragon again, this time with a fireball.

�Next time he hits that dragon, orc boy� quit playing.� Kendrik had a wonderfully awful idea.

�Damn you!! Damn you to Hythloth! Gone all lazy on me, have you!! I ordered you to kill, and dammit, you�ll listen to me!! KILL!! An Mani!!�

�Now, orc boy� stop playing!� Gahrugh quit his drumming just as the spell zapped the confused pet. �Uh oh� that doesn�t look good�� Kendrik had an evil grin plastered all over his face.

The dragon�s head cleared and it felt the pain for the first time. It snarled and turned its head slowly towards its master. One could almost hear the gears grinding in Devaney�s head as it put two and two together. �Um� Devaney� K-k-kill them!!� Devaney merely snorted in response. It looked like Devaney decided it was better off without a master!!

Jon watched as his former pet inhaled deeply. He didn�t wait for the exhale� He kicked his nightmare hard in the side. �Go, Ness!!� The mare needed no further urging. They skimmed past the dragon just as it released the fire brewing in its belly, narrowly escaping the column of flame as the dragon turned its head to follow them. The dragon growled haltingly, almost as if it were speaking and just as Jon was nearly out of sight, they saw a bolt of lightning nearly strike him from his mount.

The trio burst into laughter as the dragon flew after its former master, casting spells one after another. �I give him till Minoc before he slows down...� Kendrik chuckled at the thought.

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