Entrance to the Dragons' Den. [https://i.imgur.com/dUIh7QO.jpeg]

It was easy for me to escape from the dragon’s servants into the frightening unknown. Just close your eyes, imagine a forest village with Ulia or Nyx’s hut, and find yourself in a new place. But then I would have to look for a new guide and correct another ridiculous situation. I met Tarnis and didn’t want to let him go. My little furry friend had disappeared to an unknown location, and I felt lost without his presence. In addition, we must not forget about Yurion — the two brothers imprisoned in the body of a centaur who is waiting for release. I couldn’t just leave my acquaintances and friends to their fate. I will save myself, there can be no doubt about that. But what will happen to my friends?

An unpleasant salesman from Yellow Gables approached me. Squinting his eyes, he peered into my face, as if looking for answers to unasked questions. He was not yet sure that it was I who bought the giant from him.

With a slight, almost imperceptible movement of his hand, he gave the signal to the Servus to take me into a tight ring. The dragon’s servants would not have long negotiations with me. They understood that without a battle, they could not capture me. Therefore, obeying a wordless command, all the Servus took out their swords and approached me.

I pushed Tarnis outside the ring of armed soldiers and drew my sword. Raising my left hand and pointing it at the nearest Servus, I prepared to turn on the flamethrower. I already imagined a powerful, scorching jet of flame clearing the area of these walking “weeds,” and whispered the first letters of the spell.

But something heavy slumped on the back of my head, and the world plunged into darkness. Consciousness left me, and I collapsed to the ground, deprived of strength and the ability to protect my friends.

“It’s vile to attack from behind. I’ve hit no one in the back. My head hurts so bad. Now I’d like to take a headache pill and free my hands.”

They carried me in some kind of cart, tied hand and foot. I heard the voices of the servus, the creaking of dry wheels, the tramp of many feet. I was very thirsty and would like to visit the washroom. Turning my head, a little, I saw Tarnis walking next to the cart. Noticing that I had come to life, he smiled and asked,

“Are you okay?”

“How can I be okay?” — I answered in an offended voice to the man whom I ransomed from captivity, but he did not even think of using the freedom given to him.

“Don’t be angry. I couldn’t leave you. Especially after I found out who you are.”

“So who am I?” — I felt funny for a second.

“You are Oris, the Dragon Slayer! Am I right?”

“Which kind of Slayer am I?! In this situation, I don’t look like a Slayer.”

Tarnis stops and looks at me with a serious expression on his face. His voice sounds confident and firm.

“Don’t judge yourself too. You are young, ardent, and inexperienced. Legends always talk about great battles and glorious victories but mention those moments when even the strongest heroes were captured. This does not detract from your merits and strength. You fought with people and creatures, you received the title. For young men of your age, this is more than a high reward. Your courage and skills helped save countless lives.

But even the most powerful warriors sometimes fall into traps and face betrayal. This is not an indicator of your weakness, but a reminder that we are all human, and sometimes fate tests our strength. Your strength lies not only in your ability to defeat your enemies but also in your ability to rise after defeat.

Now you are bound and captivated, but this is temporary. The true power of a Dragon Slayer is not to never fall, but to rise and fight again every time. I believe in you. And soon everyone who is now rejoicing at your capture will understand that they have made a huge mistake.”

Something soft tickled my nose. Touche! The little prankster sat on my back and took my flask of water out of my bag. Two more softer and more tender ones joined his small paws. These paws, belonging to a female creature, removed the straw from my face and wiped my eyes with a damp cloth.

Fluffy introduced me to his girlfriend.

“Her name is Tina. She agreed to travel with me. Forgive me, I let you down at the most crucial moment. We saw off Tina’s sisters.”

Together they gave me water to drink and helped me turn over onto my back and take a semi-lying, more comfortable position. I looked back. Our cart rolled in the middle of a huge herd of horned animals similar to our cows. The herd was guarded by armed servus, stupidly marching in step with the melancholy animals led to be devoured by the dragon. The cart in which I was transported was fastened to one of these animals.

Tarnis, walking next to the cart, was calm and balanced.

“Where are they taking me?”– I asked the conductor.

“I'm not sure of my assumptions, but judging by the conversations of the henchmen in the Lair. You will be tried and, most likely, executed,” he answered without changing his tone.

“You speak so calmly as if the question of my life and death does not concern you at all,” I said bitterly.

Tarnis looked at me with a slight smile, his eyes sparkling with sincerity.

“You did not understand me, Oris. I am calm, not because I am indifferent to your fate, but because I believe in you. You are not just a warrior, you are a symbol of hope for many. Your strength is not in avoiding danger but in the ability to overcome it. I know how you fought, and I know that you are able to escape from any trap.”

“How do you know who told you? We met for the first time at the fair, and if I hadn’t seen my friends in the cage, then the likelihood of meeting you and getting to know you would have been reduced to zero.”

He paused, then continued, his voice becoming more serious.

“It could have happened, as you say. And yet, fate would have brought us together, anyway. You ask, how do I know your exploits? Your little furry friend told me about them. I envy you a little. You make both true friends and strong enemies with enviable ease. The dragon's servants are only taking you to the Lair because they are afraid of you. They think that by eliminating you, they will be able to get rid of the threat forever. I’m here because I know you will find a way to get out. And when this happens, I will be ready to help you. Besides, I am driven by curiosity. I want to know where the Lair is located. And if I know a lot about dragons, then the location, The lair is still unknown to me.”

Of course, here is the continuation of your story with the dialogue and information that Tarnis tells:

I looked at Tarnis. His confidence was infectious. Even though the situation seemed hopeless, his faith in me gave me strength. In addition, he clearly knew the habits of dragons. Not every sane person is capable of heading to the nest of a dragon family, knowing that you can be devoured there.

“What do you know about dragons? Or is it classified information?”–I asked.

Tarnis looked at me with a slight grin.

“I am ready to share my knowledge with anyone who can listen. By the way, this is why I was arrested. Remember the most basic rule — a dragon can only be killed by another dragon! Perhaps you will find a refutation of my speculations and find an opportunity to destroy the family in another way.”

He paused, then continued:

“I wandered around the country a lot, trying to find out what dragons like and what they don’t. They all, without exception, love to eat. They feed mainly on cattle, clean meat, and cooked over fires. Furthermore, they rarely eat people, only in exceptional cases.”

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I listened carefully, trying to remember every detail.

“The armor of dragons is very strong and cannot be attacked by conventional weapons. There is only one weak spot, it is on the dragon’s withers. But getting to this place is almost impossible. Dragons are very mobile, they can fly, crawl, swim, and run. They are incredibly strong.”

I thought about his words. This information could be key.

“The birth of a dragon comes from an egg, but who lays the eggs, I do not know. However, in the family of Pyronax, there is his younger brother Cryonax and his uncle Vulgaris.”

“Vulgaris?” — I asked again.

“Yes, Vulgaris. He is old and wise, he has lived for many centuries. They say that he knows all the secrets of dragons. If anyone knows the way to destroy a dragon, it is he. But getting to him is an almost impossible task.”

I nodded, realizing the seriousness of the upcoming test. But now I had information, and perhaps hope.

“Thank you, Tarnis. Your knowledge can save us. I’m being taken to the Lair. Who lives there?”

“I don’t know, and I can’t even guess.” — Tarnis smiled. — “I dreamed of being in the Lair and now my dream is close to fulfillment. Perhaps, having seen the family nest from the inside, I can update my data on the vulnerability of the dragon family.”

“You want to get inside the nest!? This is pure madness. If I don’t know how I can get out of the Lair, then there’s no question of you. What will you achieve?”

“You’re right. I won’t argue with you. I’m doing a crazy thing. Perhaps I’ll die with you. But now I’m thinking about something different. How and with what can I kill these creatures?”

“No one knows this. Neither Nyx nor Oceania.”

“Have you met Nyx?”- Tarnis expressed surprise.” He was stunned by the news he heard. “Your friend’s appearance is connected to the appearance of dragons in this country,” Tarnis said, surprising me.

“Can you call a friend a man who pulled me out of the world I knew?”

I told Tarnis the story of my appearance in Orkvalia. Touche and his girlfriend Tina sat nearby and listened to my story. This narrative was no different from the real story. I did not go into details about our world, saying that I am a stranger from a distant land. If the story explained nothing to my pet, his girlfriend’s reaction looked humorous and funny.

Tina, listening to my story, sometimes gasped and covered her tiny mouth with no less tiny paws.

When I talked about the creation of the Kara-Koru birds, disbelief appeared in her gaze. She believed that only beings of a higher order could create beautiful birds.

I couldn’t forget Tarnis’s words that the appearance of dragons was connected with the appearance of Nyx. Maybe dragons are his friends and he doesn’t share something with them? Let’s say — power over the country. Having eliminated the dragons, I will allow Nyx to rule the country as he pleases. I still don't understand what kind of wizard Nyx is. What is he afraid of and who is he hiding from? He told me about dragons, but only a little. Until now, he has not shown himself and has not helped me. Why?

I looked at Touche, who was sitting next to Tina and purring something in her ear. I don’t know how much time has passed since the death of his former passion Mina, but judging by the cheerful look of the fluffy, the time of mourning has expired.

“How will Yurion cope with our long absence?” I asked a question to my little friend.

Touche, without ceasing to tickle Tina, replied,

“Yurion and the cart follow us, only at a distance so as not to attract attention.”

His answer calmed me down a little, but I had new questions.

“Who harnessed the centaur?”

Touche stopped and looked at me:

“The cart rolls on its own and feels abandoned.”

I grinned, imagining the cart, which, like a living creature, follows us, feeling its loneliness. This added to the usualness of our situation, but it also strengthened the confidence that we were not alone. I wonder what spell the old sorcerer used to make the two-wheeled cart roll after the people?

Tarnis, noticing our communication, came closer.

“Is there something wrong?” — he asked.

“There is a very unusual character in our company — a Centaur - a combination of man and horse. His name is Yurion. Before entering the city, we left the centaur in the forest. We hid the cart there. And now Touche says that Yurion and the cart are following us at a distance,”–I explained. “Touche assures us that everything is under control.”

“Are you kidding me?”

“No. As soon as we have the opportunity, we will introduce you.”

“With the cart too?!” — Tarnis couldn't contain his laughter.

“If the cart does not refuse a pleasant acquaintance."

The little fluffies burst into uncontrollable laughter. I laughed and Tarnis laughed. The bulls accompanying us also smiled.

When the fun died down, I asked Tarnis in a serious voice,

“How did you get into our escort? And how do you think you will get out of this situation?”

“Nothing complicated. I don’t know whether you remember, but before you pushed me away from you, you thrust your bag of money into my hand. Looking into the bag, I realized that I had become a rich man. Giving the caravan guard a couple of coins and saying that I am a healer was easy for me. Servus are stupid creatures. I said that your life is in danger and I will take upon myself the responsibility of looking after you until they bring you to the Lair. The dragon's servants agreed to my terms. And before entering the dragon’s nest, I can say goodbye to everyone, but I won’t do this for reasons known to you.”

The cart rolled for an entire week. We were all, without exception, covered in a thick layer of dust. Even fluffies who never tire of combing and tidying up their fur. Many horned animals, taken from people to feed dragons, died of hunger and thirst. All the bulls, without exception, lost weight and lost their former luster. Only the dragon's servants guarding the herd, having butchered the dead animals and devoured all the meat, became fat right before our eyes.

Our company was saved from thirst by my priceless flask with an endless supply of water. We drank very carefully, mostly at night, so as not to attract the attention of the servus. The golden shackles hanging on my arms and legs wore away the skin to wounds, every movement brought me unbearable torment. Tush to feed your girlfriend went in search of some berries or roots. The little fluffies, unlike me and Tarnis, did not eat meat.

Tarnis told how he met the blacksmith Maleus. The blacksmith and the traveler were united by their hatred of dragons. Tarnis shared with Maleus a crumb of knowledge about the vulnerability of the dragon family, the blacksmith promised in turn to forge a sword from metal that would pierce the dragon like a hot knife through butter.

“What metal?” — I almost jumped. I thought I heard some comforting news. But Tarnis cooled my ardor:

“The blacksmith said that the sword would be made from the metal that was brought to him, and it would be able to kill the dragon.”

I had no choice but to tell Tarnis what actions Nyx and I had taken. How an iron meteorite was pulled from near-planetary orbit and its trace was lost.

“It fell somewhere in the mountains, not far from the village where the blacksmith Maleus lives. As soon as I get to the village, I will find a piece of heavenly iron from which the blacksmith will make a deadly sword. By the way, we are approaching the mountains. Are you familiar with this area?“

Tarnis looked around and shook his head.

“The country is large, and I only recently set out on a journey. I don’t know where we are. I think that when we arrive at the Lair, I will find out everything.”