The Dragon Duchess Attempts Diplomacy

	The sun was high in the bright blue sky, blazing in the cloudless heavens between the mountainous peaks speckled with snow. Trailing along the lush lower slopes of these mountains teeming with thick woods and extensive farm fields was none other than the windy valley kingdom. This land’s inhabitants enjoyed the fertile soil rolling between these great spires, and this agricultural strength was precisely the reason an immense wagon was making its way across the rocky trails surrounding it. The riders were from distant lands, travelling in hopes of establishing trade for their own developing nation. Sitting proud and perhaps more regal than she had any right to be in that rickety wagon was a mighty dragon. Yellow scales trailed along her long neck to her pear-shaped body, boasting titanic hips that endangered the structural integrity of the enchanted vehicle. She barely fit in most buildings with her grand stature, so it was probably fortunate she was unusually short for her species. Although the mention of her height relative to other dragons would be unwise to do so in her presence. Lifting her head to survey the lands before her, her mind processed potential methods to conquer the scenic vistas before her in the future. The only thing preventing her from acting on these plans was sitting beside her, steering the wagon.

	The other rider was in great contrast to the draconic passenger. Only known as “Sir Knight,” he was a human fully clad in iron armor. Barely exceeding the bountiful mounds of booty meat jiggling with every bump along the trail, few would have guessed he was the other representative of their growing kingdom. Even to this day few understood how such an inexperienced knight returned alive from his mission to slay an evil tyrant, that’s why they were astonished when he came back ashore with the dragon in question willingly onboard. Even more difficult for those that had sent him on his quest to decipher, was that they had apparently formed a relationship. The knight would simply explain he was too chivalrous to discuss such details, so few would ever learn how this union came to be. The concerned royalty around the globe were just happy to learn this armored individual had apparently talked her out of any plans to rule the surrounding kingdoms, instead taking a more peaceful approach. It was this shift in strategy that led them to where they were today, even if the so called dragon duchess was somewhat uneasy about this change.

	Craning her neck down to speak to the human she let out an annoyed huff, “I don’t know why you insist we ‘trade’ with them… We could easily TAKE what we want…” Having heard this type of argument more than a few times the helmed rider spoke up, “You know TAKING food doesn’t work well in the long-run, if we can’t grow anything on your soil it’s for the best we ship it from somewhere else.” Knowing she would still be pouting without having to look up he added, “And besides, if we went to war that would put you in danger,” resting his relatively small arm on her massive hip he continued, “and I wouldn’t want you getting hurt.” With a blush burning across her face the duchess indignantly shouted back, “I could take this whole kingdom of farmers BY MYSELF! Don’t EVER imply I’m weak like that again!” Still rocking the wagon with the force of her tirade about her prowess in battle, the knight could hardly restrain a laugh. “Oh you think somethings funny? I’ll give you something to laugh about!” Leaning slightly to the right the dragon lifted a tremendous cheek in the human’s direction before grunting lightly. What followed may have only lasted a few seconds, but the bass filled burst of draconic methane rattling the wooden boards underneath her was more than enough to send an average person flying. It was only his heavy armor that kept the man seated, helmet quickly swirling with her forceful release. When the inhuman eruption finished as quickly as it started, she gave an unfittingly dainty sigh before lowering herself back onto the seat. “You’re lucky I’m a merciful ruler, I could have blown you away if I had wanted to… damn rations” He may have been somewhat dazed by the thick humid fog slowly leaking from his armor, but the knight chose to remain quiet. Hidden by his visor, she couldn’t see the grin on his face. It was something he would never admit, but he had always held an affinity for her “punishments.” It might as well have been perfume to him, he just feared mentioning it would make things awkward. Or at the very least it would take away what fun she got out of bombarding him like that. The remainder of the journey would be in relative silence, gas cloud trailing behind them as they neared their destination.

	It wasn’t long before they spotted the large stone bricked castle sprouting out of the horizon. This was a smaller settlement on the edges of a peaceful kingdom, so generations of disuse had rendered the defensive structure coated in cracks and moss. Still, it remained the diplomatic center of this small town, which on its own grew more than enough sustenance to support their deal. Passing through the large wooden gates of the fortress, the duchess hoarsely whispered to her companion, “Just look at this place, the buttresses are practically collapsing… me and a dozen men alone could capture this place.” In response the knight snickered, “It would take a dozen men to just lift your buttresses.” Scowling in annoyance the towering dragon ensnared him in her thick tail and lifted him level with her face. “You are really pushing my buttons today, you know that?” she said, close enough for her warm breath to reach the knight. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you bu-“ her intimidating speech was cut short however as she restrained a cough. Regaining her composure she resumed in a slightly concerned voice, “Gods you still reek from earlier.” A bit subdued by the fact she had caused such a lingering odor, she loosened her hold and added, “If you took off that stupid armor more often this wouldn’t be an issue.” Plopping softly against the ground, unaware of any scent related issue, the knight piped up, “The armor stays on, you know that.” Hands on her hips as she dismounted the wagon she replied, “Well, then you’re going to have to air out a bit before we talk to anyone…” Moving a hand to her gut she continued with a wince, “I might have to ‘air out’ in a different way as well.” The bubbling gurgle that resounded from her gut caught the human’s attention, his helmet the only thing hiding the blatant interest spreading across his face. Before he could try to weasel his way into another “punishment,” a door slammed open from across the courtyard.

	“Ah, the royal customers have arrived!” eagerly shouted a thin beastfolk from the doorway. Clearing his throat to regain his waning focus the knight called out, “Yes, we’re very interested in making a deal both our lands can gain from!” Moving her neck to eye level with the greeter the bottom heavy dragon added, “And don’t even think about trying to swindle us.” Her statement was followed by the forceful slam of her club-like tail into the dirt of the courtyard, shaking the ground as the sound of rattling stone echoed from the castle. Seeing the skunk hybrid partially shrink back into the doorway in response the knight spoke up, “Sorry she’s just uh… excited to erm… do business with such a wonderful place like this?” Looking desperately back at his companion he pleaded, “Right?” However the dragon kept the scowl on her face, dark eyes locked on the frazzled figure. Walking casually into the doorway while pulling the nervous dealer in tow the human tried to calm him down, “She really is a nice woman once you get to know her…” But this was interrupted by a muffled cry from the courtyard, “I AM NOT!”

	It took a bit of looking, but the uneasy tradesman eventually found an entry large enough to accommodate the astounding width of his second customer, one once used to allow whole cavalries to pass though the now crumbling stronghold. Watching the otherwise smug lizard frustratedly wiggle her way into the interior, the trader suggested, “Perhaps we can dine before discussing terms?” Almost breaking the archway with her hips the dragon replied with a huff, “You owe us that much for making us come all the way down here.” The knight tried to ignore her comment and politely responded, “We would be delighted to eat with you.” Feeling he had made some kind of progress the beast man happily announced, “Splendid, then we shall dine in only a few minutes, for we have already made preparations.” Following his lead, the knight moved forward before glancing back at his fellow negotiator. She, unlike the others, was having some difficulty moving. She had to remain somewhat crouched to fit into the hallway. “I should just destroy this whole castle…” she muttered under her breath, fumbling across the smooth tiles. The human wordlessly grabbed her hand and pulled her forward before responding, “I’m sure you could, but could you please hold back from wrecking the place until we make this deal?” Gingerly she squeezed back on his hand while refusing to make eye contact with her little guide, “At least someone recognizes my strength around here.”

	Trekking through the winding corridors, it was only until the scent of some savory delicacy wafted past that the irritated duchess perked up. Moving faster now she called out to the representative ahead of them, “Just what have you prepared for us?” Whatever she was smelling, it was far more appetizing than the preserved vegetable rations they brought for the trip. Turning his head back the beastfolk responded, “Ah, just a bit of the local delicacies!” The knight simply shrugged his shoulders, unsure what that implied. With the opening of two massive doors, covered in faded patterns and worn baubles, a spacious dining hall opened before them. Aged tapestries and lengthy tables layered in dust were spread across the large space. Red carpets turned closer to pink with time lined the tiled floors. However, the rundown appearance was the last concern of the dragon squeezing through the doorway. She was overjoyed just to stretch her back under the heightened ceiling. Fluttering her tiny wings happily she spoke up, “Now where’s that food you promised?” A bit taken aback by her resumed full height their host replied, “Y-yes, any second now, I’m sure they heard the doors open!”

	As he finished speaking, the doors to the sides of the hall creaked open. A few cooks clad in aprons marched out, silver platters toting heaping helpings of dishes. While the waitstaff couldn’t help but look up in awe at the imposing duchess, she was preoccupied eying the trays of simmering bowls. Casseroles, soups, large flanks of meats, and a variety of drinks were toted out in waves. While the human knight found himself content with a single loaded dish, the duchess rubbed her hands in delight as two chefs lugged a large steaming pot in front of the towering diner. “Now what is this you made for me?” she questioned, watching the gargantuan cauldron shake a cloud of dust from the dining table. “I think you’ll like it,” he answered, “We call it musical fruit, it only grows in our valley.” Wasting no time, the visiting royalty took her seat, practically swallowing the throne meant for kings of old with her titanic rear. She paid the diminutive seat little mind as she lifted the lid and took a whiff of the mixture reminiscent of chili. “Does it smell goo-“ the knight stated, but was interrupted when she dug her head into the pot, her draconic hide making the scalding heat negligible. “I guess she likes it…” he weakly finished as his companion felt unobligated to utilize any silverware. Struggling to distract from her ravenous consumption the human piped up, “See, she uh… really does love your culture… we really don’t mean any harm.” Once again the dragon interjected, this time through a mouthful of musical fruit, “We mite meahn harm IF chou try to cheat ush!” Doing his best to pretend she hadn’t given yet another threat the knight whispered, “look, dragon culture is just… different…” However he underestimated her ears as she reared her head from the pot and swallowed loudly. “There is nothing wrong with the way I conduct myself, it’s these plebeians’ problem if they can’t handle it.”

	It may have taken a while to smooth things out, but with enough time and emptied platters the irate duchess was willing to talk business. Pushing his chair aside the trade representative got up and announced, “If you are feeling the need to iron out the trade details, I’ll go to my quarters and get the appropriate papers.” The thick lizard only gave him a dismissive wave as he left the her alone with the perpetually armored figured. Looking up at her in the soft light of the ancient chandeliers above, the knight caught the glint of something on her face. Sweat? It wasn’t that hot in here? She swiveled her head to make sure they were alone before her haughty expression fell. Craning her neck down close to her fellow diner she said in a hushed tone, “It was a REALLY bad idea eating that whole pot…” Unsure exactly what “musical fruit” was, the human responded, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Still puzzled she answered him in a strained voice. “This!” With a low groan she lifted herself slightly off the ground before a low roar rumbled from between her cheeks. The sheer force of leaking flatulence sending her bountiful backside shaking along the smaller items on the table. Only deepening in pitch and growing louder as the seconds ticked by, she clenched her fists and forced the outburst to a halt with a wince. “That’s the problem! I had indigestion before, but this, this is something much worse.” With her regal composure gone she groaned, “I’m going to explode at this rate…” Listening to her complaints the helmeted figure felt the warm breeze push past him.

	Expecting to cringe on whatever she was brewing, he felt shocked by the aroma drifting past his nose. It wasn’t that bad… maybe even good? It had a savory musk reminiscent of the meal they had just shared… something he found himself shamelessly enjoying. Tuning back into her worried rant, she realized he had been unfocused this entire time. “Hey come on, listen to me!” she spoke up, snapping her claws at him, “I swear, your head would be more useful as a cushion to muffle my ass than up in the clouds sometimes!” The knight caught himself from muttering an apology before an idea struck him. It would be risky, but he knew the reward would be worth it. Speaking louder now he remarked mischievously, “Look, don’t have a SHORT-temper about this.” Freezing in place her tone became far more menacing, “What did you just say?” Once again capturing the human with her tail he squeaked out, “I didn’t know you had such a SHORT-fuse.” Appalled by his choice in humor she continued, “Oh, I think you deserve the torture I’ve got stewing just for you.” Lowering him onto the seat she remarked, “I think I’m going to enjoy flattening your disrespectful little face like this.” Seeing the twin moons eclipse his view, the knight had a similar thought, “I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

	Feeling the weight nearly crush him, as well as the chair he was currently pinned against loudly creak in protest, he stayed focused on the heavenly rear parked on top of him. Knowing just how much the human would enjoy her well cushioned behind completely engulfing him she let out a haughty laugh. “Oh, dear, enjoy it while you can… because it’s about to get a whole lot wors-“ She was the one caught off guard this time, as the door swung open and the local negotiator came back with stacks of paperwork in his arms. Making a disproportionately high pitched “Eep!” she quickly straightened out her face and shifted her legs to hide the man she had entirely incased within her cheeks. “Ah, I have gotten all the papers ready for our trade deal…” the beast man started, “Did you by chance feel something underfoot? It almost felt like a tiny earthquake earlier.” Mind drifting back to the exponentially rising pressure in her stomach she forced a smile, “Uh no, nothing of the sort!” While the idea of ripping major ass sounded divine right now, she was more than aware that was a poor diplomatic technique. Even if she wouldn’t outright say it to her little companion, she knew this deal was actually important. Speaking of that little traitor, the man across the table spoke up, “Where did your uh… friend go?” The prospect of dealing with only this dragon didn’t comfort him. She replied with a sneer, “Oh, he’s busy with important royal duties. I assure you, his current job is very, very, verrrrrry important.” Following every “very,” she made sure to squeeze the little knight trapped underneath her, reminding him of his fate. The intention may have been terror, but the human’s excitement grew with every muffled word above him.

	Sliding the relevant documents around the table, the duchess titled her head abruptly, trying to hide her pained expression as a gas cramp tore through her. Looking back down however, it appeared the thin man was preoccupied reading off a list of tariffs before they began. Sensing an opportunity, she grinned at the thought of testing her new metal cushion. Focusing deeply, she relaxed her hold slightly, instantly ejecting a stream of searing flatus across the knight. The forceful jet stream was muffled to a slight purr outside the suit of armor and clenched cheeks restraining it. Going on for more than six seconds, she resumed her hold with a deep sigh. It felt blissful to empty even a fraction like that. Regaining her composure she looked back at the man explaining yet another tax code. She smiled wryly realizing he was none the wiser. “I really am a great strategist in any situation,” she mentally congratulated herself. Underneath her, the knight was sent directly into a stifling steamy atmosphere reminiscent of a sauna. Between the tight hold on her cheeks barely letting any of the overwhelming release dissipate, as well as his armor filling like a reverse scuba suit, his entire air supply had been replaced. In contrast to what she had planned above him, he was enjoying every minute of it. The lovely aroma sending him into a blissful stupor. The minutes ticking away far faster for him as the meeting continued. However time was going far slower for the monumental woman taking every strategic turn to stealthily lighten her seemingly endless supply of vapors.

	It was in this manner more than half an hour had gone by, with the occasional blame redirected to a moving chair or the creaking old buildings often made, and to her surprise she was still in the clear. The knight was in the far opposite from clear, instead enveloped in a thick fog, practically opaque with a yellow hue growing denser with time. Still, he couldn’t complain, the suspense before every blast above him was almost like a game. The steaming wind alternating between shaking his body and softly tickling his skin, he was deeply enjoying the unpredictability. His experience was perfectly complimented by the astounding lady perched on top of him. It didn’t matter if he was starting to sweat from the trapped heat, this was better than he ever could have hoped for. In fact, the time between each of her miniature earthquakes was only growing shorter. With the rate of her eruptions steadily picking up pace as the negotiations continued, it was clear to everyone but the oblivious tradesman that these “little” bombs she was dropping wouldn’t cut it for long. Holding back a bit of frustration at the slow proceedings she interjected, “So, we give you one shipment of uncut gems, and you keep our kingdom supplied for the next two years?” Shaken from his speech on proper accounting for exotic currencies he seemed offended by the simplicity of her statement, “Well, technically yes, but more accurately you are insured for exactly 725 days, and given 3% provisions in case of catastro-“ Curtly she interrupted him again, “So it sounds like we have things settled?” Feeling her stomach complain bitterly against her restraint she pushed a little harder this time, releasing a subwoofer of a bassy behemoth bubbling against her chair, hoping her makeshift muffler would hold out. This one however, was noticeably louder than those before it. The clanking of metal was apparent from beneath her after a few seconds, the expulsion leaving her so furiously the set of armor beneath her was rattling from the force. Even picking up on the noise, she couldn’t fight the pure feeling of relief, letting the ripper go on for nearly ten seconds before she came to her senses and cut the emission off. Flaring her nostrils as she breathed out contentedly, she noticed the beastman visibly alarmed. Was she caught? Feeling a bead of sweat trickle down her face she resumed eye contact, “Did…something catch your attention?”

	Pausing for a few moments the representative continued, “Did you hear that, it sounds like something might have broke…” Ignoring his concern she promptly suggested, “Perhaps its one of these rickety chandeliers, I’m sure it’s nothing important.” Looking up unsure he remarked, “Well, I did see the chandelier vibrate once or twice just during this meeting, and I’ve never seen it do something like that before.” Hiding the embarrassment blooming on her face she made the best out of the change in subject. “If you really think this old castle is unsafe, then perhaps we should finish our dealings now?” Anxiously the relatively diminutive official responded, “We could continue this somewhere else if this is an issue… it wouldn’t be that difficult…” Perhaps a bit louder than she should have the dragon intervened, “NO, just let me sign and we’ll – uh I’ll be on my way.” Unsure why she was so eager to be done, he figured with a huff he had probably bored her. “Okay, okay, just sign this.” Once he slid her the oversized paper, she rapidly scrawled her initials across the surface. “Here, are we done?” Seeing her now noticeably fidgeting in the chair he shakily replied, “Y-yes, you can leave now if you want.” Pausing for a moment, she estimated her internally ticking time bomb didn’t have long enough to meander through the tight corridors with him. This was only worsened when the ragged breathing underneath her reminded her with a shudder she couldn’t get up without revealing her prisoner. That would be even harder to explain. “I’m… tired… yes tired, now leave me to sit for a moment.” Considering why she would request this after rushing the paperwork, the beastman jumped when she bared her fangs slightly. “No problem, I-it’s no problem with me, take as long as you want.” And with that said he scurried out the door, not wanting to deal with the fury of an upset dragon.

	Tilting her head to listen for the frantic footsteps fading into the distance she breathed a sigh of relief. Momentarily distracted from her horrendous indigestion, she felt the movement underneath her. Oh, that wouldn’t do. Slightly lifting a cheek to expose the knight, as well as release a plume of her draconic aroma, she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. “Oh we’re not done here yet… you deserve more than that for your little comments earlier.” Pouting a little at the uncharacteristically insensitive comment from the normally considerate knight, she felt her raucous stomach churn angrily underneath her hands. Oh yeah, she could really let loose with that talkative salesman gone, and her victim deserved every bit of it. Biting her lip and leaning back, she gave up any control over her packed bowels. With a full lift of her tail, she let her shoulders slump as the geyser of yellow fog swiftly overtook the dining room. No longer trying to hide it, the silverware fell from the table as the deep choppy roar absolutely boomed out from her. Unrestrained her gas swiftly enveloped her half of the dining hall, sheer force swirling it around the room. Right at the source, the knight was overwhelmed by her sweet release. Enjoying the sensation perhaps too much, he lost any potential thoughts and just breathed deeply. Tongue lolling out of her opened mouth, the duchess rode out this eruption for longer than she could keep count. By the time she felt the outrageous blast naturally begin to putter out, she looked around to realize the hall was in shambles, tapestries crumpled on the ground and even the carpets flung around. Sighing deeply she could hear her stomach bubble like a cauldron, “Oh, I’ve still got more rolling around for you little knight…” Looking down to rub her bloated gut she felt something odd as she shifted her legs.

	It would appear the knight’s lower armor had shifted in the wake of her particularly powerful outburst. Only restrained by a thin layer of cloth was an already rapidly stiffening object, completely unnoticed by the blissfully oblivious owner. Puzzled for a second the duchess shifted her legs to confirm what she was feeling. “Oh my, he really must love my ass to be in the mood now of all times.” Lingering on the thought she was reminded just how often the knight had been teasing her recently. And more importantly, how she chose to retaliate. With some genuine surprise she came to her conclusion, “Looks like I’ve been the one outplayed recently…” Blushing a little she considered this could mean he hadn’t really meant to offend her. Straightening her face moments later she reminded herself, “I’m not a little lovesick whelp, I don’t care what any human thinks of me!” Looking down at the borderline comatose knight peaking out from underneath her she smiled mischievously. “Well, I know just how to test my little hypothesis about him… with a new kind of punishment…” Snaking her long serpentine neck down towards the victim caught between her thighs, she used her fangs to effortlessly tear through the stretched undergarments. When her prize sprang to full attention in the open air, she cooed softly, “Oh my, my, Sir Knight, you really are excited to be ‘punished,’ aren’t you?” Still in too deep a stupor to register his dick was fully exposed, he hardly responded. He wouldn’t remain dazed for long though, as she extended her reptilian tongue to delicately kiss the tip of his shaft. Gasping deeply the knight was suddenly jerked backed to reality, however this was his strategic mistake. Predicting his need for air after an exhalation like that, the master strategist above him utilized the opening to make her gaseous assault.

	Pinning him underneath her pear wine enhanced derriere, she gutturally grunted before forcing a megaton detonation of ass-shaking flatulence on her unprepared partner. His helmet was of little use, the directed blast of methane forced his hair back like he was caught in a wind tunnel. His nose, sinuses, throat, and lungs quickly flooded with her musical fruit enhanced emissions. Already far more than enough to overstimulate him, the haughty dragon doubled down on her attack, swirling her tongue up and around the base of his erection. Even a warrior of legend would be hard-pressed to resist such a coordinated maneuver. The duchess had an answer to if he really enjoyed this side of her, as he moaned underneath her, cock absolutely diamonds underneath her dual front war. Still expelling a draconic bout of her own gasses loosening her muscles with irresistible pleasure, she managed to keep her mind floating above the wave of oncoming ecstasy. Almost drunkenly giggling she decided to speak up, even if her words were overshadowed by the drawn-out anal eruption incapacitating her companion. “I might forgive you… if you can give me a little bit of ‘dessert.’” Stretching her winding neck she wholly engulfed his chivalrous member, ignoring the wriggling of his hips as she hastened her teasing tongue work with added suction. Completely lost in the euphoria, he bucked his hip feverishly as she continued to empty herself unabashedly. Her overactive guts were churning out gallons of heavy fumes, so when the endless blast would quiet down even slightly, it was immediately given renewed strength with a euphoric sigh from deep within her throat.

	As well as her trailing silky tongue, he could feel her moaning vibrate the soft walls around his shaft, both enraptured by the gastric devastation she was unleashing. Far past the limits of his training, the armored man felt his own fiery pressure stirring. He drew incredibly close to his oncoming climax incredibly fast, thrusting with wild abandon. Incapable of handling such a stimulating frenzy, he gave a final buck of his restrained hips before firing his load. One after another, he painted the inside of her mouth white as she gave no quarter, never halting her invasion around his twitching erection. Making sure to torturously overstimulate his member with every slow lick, she waited for him to finish before noisily swallowing the entire mess in one massive gulp. Having gotten her “dessert” she felt her unrelenting whirlwind reduce to a gentle hiss after more than forty seconds of unrestrained atmospheric warfare. She gave an exaggerated sigh, the pain was finally gone from her rumbling guts, and she had melted away any frustrations from the day. In between her relieved panting she muttered, “After much thought, I have decided to forgive your transgressions…” and with a contrastingly cute little squeaky toot she breathed a sigh of relief, “The royal ass forgives you as well.” Snickering despite the suddenly uncovered fetish he laughed, “Well I appreciate the forgiveness… from both of you.”

	They spent a few minutes collapsed and tangled into each other’s sweaty bodies, both feeling relieved of any recent burdens. Eventually the duchess rose to her feet to make sure the coast was clear, while the knight was too exhausted and steam pressed into the seat to get his weathered body up. Instead he settled for lifting his head to survey the damage. This wasn’t an easy task, his vision was obscured by the thick whirling vapors that had replaced any air in the chamber a long time ago. Squinting his eyes he could see everything had fallen off the long dining tables, the chandelier was now dangling by a wire, and even the massive throne he was flattened into seemed to be barely standing on its cracked stone legs. Breathing in the omnipresent reminder of her voluptuous behind, he caught the regal dragon returning with a wide smile. She swayed her hips side to side as she reported her findings, “It looks like what little staff they have are gone, and the pesky little trader doesn’t even sleep in this building.” Leaning closer over the fatigued man she brought her face close, “It appears we have the whole place to ourselves…” Looming over him she breathily whispered into his ear, “So let’s see which lasts longer, you… or this stupid castle…” Spotting a barrel of musical fruit raided from the nearby pantry clutched in her hands the Knight swallowed nervously. This would be a heroic test of strength indeed.

	There would be many stories spun as the rising sun illuminated the partially collapsed castle the next morning. The local statesman insisted it was age, but rumors spoke of roaring earthquakes and strange colored smoke the night prior. Regardless of whatever they believed, it was fortunate for all that a lucrative trade deal had been hammered out recently. A new fortress was needed anyway, and they had the resources to make it happen now. Strangely with most of their musical fruit sold off, similar reports of those mysterious events that had happened in that ancient castle began to surface in their customers’ own palace…