An amazing event
A goodly number of people from the Oaken Region had gathered in the Barony of Cleftlands for an annual celebration of summer. Little did we suspect what was in store.
For as evening approached, we saw in the sky what appeared to be a parti-colored cloud. As it came closer, we could hear and see flames from beneath it. Was it a dragon? I've told many tales of them, but never dreamed they could be real. The dragon, if that's what it was, appeared to be nothing more than a giant head. Attached to this head was a small wicker basket, large enough to hold a man.
When the creature alighted upon the very field on which a tourney had been held earlier that day, a man oddly dressed emerged from the basket. He must be a powerful wizard indeed to have harnessed the power of a dragon! He looked about in a bemused manner, as startled by us as we were by him.
I did not have the opportunity to speak with the wizard, for I and many other adults were occupied with keeping the fascinated children from getting too close. For aught we know, dragons eat children. But I later heard from those who did speak to him that he did not know where he was. The wizard rides the winds where they take him. Stranger still, he did not seem to know when he was. He inquired as to the year, and when asked which year he thought it was, he replied, "Um, 1588?" This is the year of our Lord thirteen hundred and seventy two! Either his brains had become addled in the sky or he had travelled through time itself, as it is said the Sidhe can! (With a wizard, both explanations are equally possible.)
The giant parti-colored head began to wobble drunkenly, and the wizard and marshalls shouted for all of us to get back. Suddenly, the dragon was on its side. The assembled throng looked about uneasily. What was happening?
A goodly number of the populace rushed the fallen beast. Surprised that so many would disobey the lawful order of a marshall, I ran forward as well, to learn what had caused such a thing. (It was my duty as a bard to discover the truth of the matter, so I could later report on it.) The marshalls were crying out, "The wizard needs our help to subdue the dragon! Everyone, grab hold!" So we formed a line the length of the field and grasped the dragon, which now resembled a gigantic snake to rival the Lambton Wyrm. The wizard ran an iron ring along the length of the creature, causing the air inside its skin to vanish. (So iron works on dragons as well as fairies? Good to know.) He then produced a magic bag, into which he stuffed the now-empty dragonskin, bidding us jump away as the bag reached us lest we be caught up in it ourselves. None of us were so captured (as far as I know), and the bag that contained that giant beast fit inside the basket.
During the excitement, a coach carrying the wizard's companions - who were as oddly dressed as he was (the woman wore trousers!) - arrived. Basket, bag, and dragon were all loaded into the coach. I didn't see the horses, but I assume they were taken away a safe distance while we were subduing the dragon.
It was truly an amazing event, and one which I shall not soon forget.
For as evening approached, we saw in the sky what appeared to be a parti-colored cloud. As it came closer, we could hear and see flames from beneath it. Was it a dragon? I've told many tales of them, but never dreamed they could be real. The dragon, if that's what it was, appeared to be nothing more than a giant head. Attached to this head was a small wicker basket, large enough to hold a man.
When the creature alighted upon the very field on which a tourney had been held earlier that day, a man oddly dressed emerged from the basket. He must be a powerful wizard indeed to have harnessed the power of a dragon! He looked about in a bemused manner, as startled by us as we were by him.
I did not have the opportunity to speak with the wizard, for I and many other adults were occupied with keeping the fascinated children from getting too close. For aught we know, dragons eat children. But I later heard from those who did speak to him that he did not know where he was. The wizard rides the winds where they take him. Stranger still, he did not seem to know when he was. He inquired as to the year, and when asked which year he thought it was, he replied, "Um, 1588?" This is the year of our Lord thirteen hundred and seventy two! Either his brains had become addled in the sky or he had travelled through time itself, as it is said the Sidhe can! (With a wizard, both explanations are equally possible.)
The giant parti-colored head began to wobble drunkenly, and the wizard and marshalls shouted for all of us to get back. Suddenly, the dragon was on its side. The assembled throng looked about uneasily. What was happening?
A goodly number of the populace rushed the fallen beast. Surprised that so many would disobey the lawful order of a marshall, I ran forward as well, to learn what had caused such a thing. (It was my duty as a bard to discover the truth of the matter, so I could later report on it.) The marshalls were crying out, "The wizard needs our help to subdue the dragon! Everyone, grab hold!" So we formed a line the length of the field and grasped the dragon, which now resembled a gigantic snake to rival the Lambton Wyrm. The wizard ran an iron ring along the length of the creature, causing the air inside its skin to vanish. (So iron works on dragons as well as fairies? Good to know.) He then produced a magic bag, into which he stuffed the now-empty dragonskin, bidding us jump away as the bag reached us lest we be caught up in it ourselves. None of us were so captured (as far as I know), and the bag that contained that giant beast fit inside the basket.
During the excitement, a coach carrying the wizard's companions - who were as oddly dressed as he was (the woman wore trousers!) - arrived. Basket, bag, and dragon were all loaded into the coach. I didn't see the horses, but I assume they were taken away a safe distance while we were subduing the dragon.
It was truly an amazing event, and one which I shall not soon forget.