It was a rainy Spring day, and the air was humid and moist. I was walking down a muddy dirt road through the rain, wearing filthy old clothes I had gotten at the last village. They were baggy and ancient, patched together in many places, and worst of all they smelled almost identical to a barn. I wasn’t very fond of them, to say the least, but they were all I had at the moment. My new choice in career had left me quite penniless, and without Master Lei to shelter me, I was now forced to roam about the land on my own. I couldn’t help but feel a little discouraged as I shuffled through the muck, water collecting in my hat and mud clinging to my oversized pants as they drug on the ground. But Master Lei had given me hope, and I knew on the inside that this would all pay off later. Soon I’d be living the life- slaying monsters, rescuing damsels in distress… that sort of thing. I’d be famous all around the world, my name bathed with fame and gold. Or at least that’s what I was hoping for.

At the moment, I was still stuck here, out in the rain without shelter. My foot caught in the mud, and I suddenly tripped and fell face-first into the mess. I lifted my head slowly and spat the wet earth from my mouth, grumbling angrily as I did it. I pulled myself up and wiped my face off. My clothes were caked in mud now, but at the rate it was raining now, it would probably wash off in a few minutes. I dumped the water from my hat into my mouth, then put it back on and resumed my journey. The villagers had given me directions to a town on the road ahead which might be able to supply me with some tools of the trade. I certainly hoped so.

I slowed to a stop, beginning to make something out ahead. It looked like a sign. I took a few steps forward and took a closer look, and much to my relief, it was indeed a sign, marked “Glendyle” and pointing straight ahead.

“Thank goodness,” I sighed. “I’m getting close.”

I plopped down on the side of the road, laying down in the grass, causing moisture to ooze out from the ground around me. I put down my hammer, let the rain hit my face, and relaxed. I had been walking for so long, and being so close, I decided now would be a nice opportunity to rest. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the sounds of nature… the falling rain, the chirping crickets, the occasional bird call. Even though I was soaked from head to toe and covered in mud, I was enjoying myself a little. Then I heard a rustling from across the road. I opened one eye warily, squinting to see what was going on. I got an eyeful of my visitors, and my heart sank. It was a trio of goblin thieves. They carried rusty daggers and bags of clearly stolen loot, and at the moment were eyeing me as I lay on the side of the road.

“Aha! Look what Grakk finds!” One of the goblins shouted gleefully.

“Grakk?! No! Jumbo see him first!” The second goblin protested.

“Quit whining. We all find him same time, so all get even share!” Piped in the third goblin.

“What he got Ballu? Gold? Pearls?” Grakk pried. His mouth began to water. “Maybe mutton!”

“Mmmm, Jumbo like mutton!” Jumbo proclaimed, smacking his lips. The three goblins drew closer… there was no way to avoid conflict now. I flung my eyes open and leapt up from the mud, lifting my hammer into the air menacingly. The goblins jumped back in surprise and unsheathed their daggers.

“Get back! I’m warning you!” I shouted.

“Haha! Silly human! We no scared of you!” Taunted Ballu. “Give us money and we no have to hurt you!”

“I don’t have any money.” I growled.

“No money?!” Ballu shrieked, furious.

“What about some mutton, uh?” Asked Jumbo dopily. Ballu elbowed him in the ribs.

“If you no have money, we no have patience!” Ballu snarled. “We kill you and sell your weapon for gold!”

I gulped, but hid my fear. Three on one was hardly fair. But it was all I could do. I strengthened my grip on the hammer’s handle and stood my ground.

“If you try to lay as much as one finger on me, I’ll knock you clear into Tartarus!” I snarled. The goblin known as Grakk grinned, took four steps forward, and daintily placed his index finger on my chest and pushed me back.

“What you gonna do, hammer man?” He challenged gleefully.

“This.” I replied nonchalantly, slamming the hammer into Grakk’s head. There was a crack as the hammer collided with his cranium and threw him down to the ground in a splash of mud. Ballu and Jumbo howled with rage and charged forward, leaping onto me and knocking me to the ground. I managed to swing my hammer once before it was pinned down by Ballu, landing a strong blow to Jumbo’s flank. He fell to the ground, moaning in pain and grasping his side. Ballu cursed at him in goblin-tongue as he struggled to hold me down. I was bigger and stronger than he was, and it seemed that he knew this too, because he quickly brought the struggle to and end by placing his dagger under my chin.

“Ballu gonna carve you up like a pumpkin!” He cackled, narrowing his eyes and glaring at me with hatred. I grimaced, closing my eyes and looking away. A moment passed. I swallowed, afraid to look again. But nothing was happening… I had to look. I opened my eyes and looked upon Ballu. He stood completely still, his glance distant and his mouth agape. Before I could think to ask what was going on, I felt his full weight fall onto me. I grunted and shoved his limp body away from me. As I got up, I could see a feathered arrow lodged deep in his back. I slowly turned towards the edge of the forest. Standing in the rain was a young man, perhaps my age, holding a wooden bow in his hands and a quiver of arrows on his back. He viewed me with what seemed like mild curiosity.

“What is your name, stranger?” He asked.

“I-I am Christopher Drakesbane… and you, sir, have just saved my life. I am forever in your debt!” I said appreciatively.

“I have no need for your eternal debt,” The man said with a chuckle. “But I appreciate the sentiment.”

“And what, may I ask, is your name good sir?” I asked.

“I am Yol Wurmsbane.” He replied.

“Then today is a terrible day for drakes and wurms alike.” I announced, smiling faintly.

“And goblins too, it would seem...” Yol said, looking at the three goblins lying on the ground.

“What brings you here?” I ask, putting my hammer behind my back and strapping it down.

“I am merely a lone traveler who arrived at the right place at the right time.” He said with a smile.

“I’ll say!” I laughed, looking down at the arrow in Ballu’s back. Yol stepped closer and extended his hand.

“Sir Drakesbane, I believe we are both in very similar situations. We are both heavily armed nomads with a great distaste for goblins,” Yol said. “And if I am not mistaken, we are both heading in the direction of Glendyle. I propose that the two of us join forces.”

“I whole-heartedly agree!” I said, shaking his hand firmly. “But I must confess, Yol… I haven’t a penny to my name, and I doubt I’ll be able to fetch much by selling these rags. Unless you are rich and have not yet let me know, I’m afraid neither one of us has much business in Glendyle…” Yol laughed.

“Haven’t a penny to your name?” Yol chuckled, bending down to the goblin corpses. He took their three bags of loot, lifted them up in the air, and shook them. The metallic jingle they produced confirmed that they were full of gold. “Well, I believe the two of us have just stumbled upon a nice little sum of money.”

“What? We can’t use that money, Yol, it’s stolen!” I pleaded.

“Aye, the goblins stole it from someone, and now we’re stealing it back! What goes around comes around, right?” Yol said, examining the contents of the bags. “Besides, it’s not like we could return the gold to it’s proper owner. If we took this to town and gave it up, every poor man within a mile radius would be claiming it was his.”

“I suppose you’re right.” I sighed. “But I still don’t like it one bit.”

“Ha, you don’t have to like it, you just have to spend it!” Yol said, patting me on the back and laughing.

Yol and I headed down the muddy road together, conversing with each other as the rain began to let up. It was nice having someone to talk to- the peasants in the villages I visited now and again never had anything interesting to say. All they ever talked about was milking cows and stealing corn from each others fields. Yol, though, was a much more interesting fellow. He had apparently once been a member in a league of assassins, but was thrown out and left to the mercy of trolls. He told fabulous stories of raids on goblin encampments, the sabotage of goblin war machines, and my personal favorite, the time he arm wrestled with an Orc in Hades.

It wasn’t long before we reached Glendyle. It was a pleasant town, though not a large one, and the sweet smell of fruit drifted in from nearby orchards. Up ahead was a small building with a tile roof and a smoldering chimney, from which I could hear a blacksmith hammering away.

“That must be the forgery,” Yol said, observing the billowing smoke. “Perhaps the blacksmith there forges armor as well as weapon craft?”

“I certainly hope so.” I said, taking off my ridiculous stitched-up hat. The rain had stopped now, and the sun was beginning to peak through the dark gray clouds above.

We walked into the forgery, as the door was wide open and the blacksmith had finished whatever he was working on. He looked up from his work, a metal sword still glowing with molten heat, and grinned at us. Beneath his bushy mustache, we could see that he was missing several teeth, and that the ones he did have were yellow and slightly crooked.

“What can I do for you fine gentleman?” He asked in a loud, merry voice.

“We are looking for some armor, if you have any?” I ventured, looking around at the various weapons and trinkets he had hanging from the wall.

“But of course!” The blacksmith beamed. “I have some of the finest armor in all of Gargantau! Forger it all myself, I did!”

“Excellent! Let’s see what you’ve got.” Yol said, rubbing his hands together. The blacksmith motioned for us to follow him as he hobbled behind a counter and began searching through his inventory.

“Is there anything in particular you boys are looking for? Leather? Iron? I might have some steel sets in here, too.”

“Iron or steel sounds good.” Yol answered, looking over the blacksmith’s shoulder curiously. The blacksmith suddenly rose up, holding with him a set of armor with great pride. It had a chain mail undercoat, and was reinforced by a steel breastplate and gauntlets.

“This one’s a beauty! Lightweight, and with plenty of mobility. But it’s strong too- great protection. I’ve seen pieces like this,” He said, knocking on the breastplate. “shatter the end of a lance. Very durable. I believe this one is just your size.”

“I’ll take it!” Yol said, pleased. “How much?”

“Fifty gold pieces.” The blacksmith said, crossing his arms.

“Fair enough.” Yol said, reaching into the bags and counting out fifty coins. “There you are.”

“Good, good… now lets see what I have for you!” The blacksmith said, brushing stale bread crumbs from his mustache as he looked at me. He hunkered down under his shelf again and started shifting through things hastily, resulting in a lot of banging and crashing.

“Hmmm… I have a few interesting things in here. Since you’re buying armor, I’m assuming you’re expecting to enter combat of some sort… anything in particular you’re looking to counter?” The blacksmith asked.

“Well, not exactly… but if you have anything… fireproof… then I would most certainly be interested.” I said, folding my arms. The blacksmith looked up at me, grinning from ear to ear.

“An aspiring dragon slayer, eh? Haha! Good luck, lad, you’ll need it!” He laughed, grabbing another set of armor. “Here’s something right up your alley. Comes with a helmet if you’re willin’ to pay extra.”

The blacksmith lifted the armor up for my to view it. It was dark red, and was made of what looked at first to be chain mail. A closer look proved that they were, in fact, some sort of scales woven together. It had spiked vambraces, made of a metal I did not recognize. It had a small chest piece in the front, held on by leather straps, and fashioned an elaborate symbol of some sort on.

“This here is made from the scales of a Lopheor drake,” The blacksmith boasted. “Had em’ imported all the way from Tartarus. I’ll admit, it won’t protect ya from physical blows as well as that steel piece your friend got, but as long as you’re wearing it, no dragon breath will ever cause ya any trouble.”

“And the helmet?” I asked. I had a feeling this was going to an expensive set.

The blacksmith pulled the helmet up and set it on the counter. It was also metal, but had some sort of crimson crest grafted onto it’s top. I assumed it was the crest of a Lopheor.

“This set will cost ya fifty four gold pieces. Sixty with the helmet.” The blacksmith said, nodding his head. I cringed. I knew it was going to be expensive.

“Would you be willing to haggle? I’ll give you these clothes if you’ll go down to fifty coins.” I said.

“For those rags? Ha! Fifty five, and that’s my limit.” He said, crossing his arms sternly.

“Very well. Fifty five gold pieces and my clothing.” I said, giving him the coins and removing the dirty old rags. He took them and handed me the armor.

“You boys can get boots and a pair of pants there by the door. They’re on me.” The blacksmith said, walking back to his forge.

“Wow, really? That’s awful nice of you!” I said as I put on the armor. “What for?”

“Stole em from the Taylor!” He bellowed, bursting into laughter and slapping his knee. We laughed with him, not entirely sure if he was joking or not, and took the boots and pants and left.

“There now, don’t you feel like a whole new man?” Yol said, beaming at his shiny new steel armor.

“Definitely. This sure beats traipsing around in muddy rags all day.” I said, sliding on the helmet. It fit nicely. We began to walk back to the path leading away from the village when we heard a loud roar. I skidded to a halt, reaching for my hammer.

“What was that?!” I asked, alarmed.

“Oh boy!” Yol said, excited. “Was that what I think it was?”

“I don’t know…” I paused, confused. “What?”

Another roar sounded nearby.

“Aha! It sure is!” Yol said, turning around and hurrying back into town. “No more traveling on foot for us!”

“Huh?” I stammered. “What are you talking about? What is it?”

Yol did not answer, but continued to grin and march towards a nearby hut. Out in back of the hut was a large fenced in enclosure. The smell of fruit was more faint here, masked by animal odors. Whatever Yol was interested in roared again, this time close enough that I could hear it’s footsteps as it paced about.

“Hello?” Yol called, peering into the hut. “Is anyone home?”

As Yol tried to find the hut’s inhabitant, I began to advance towards the fence. What was making that noise? I didn’t see anything out in the field… but I could see a stable farther out, and there were large piles of feces scattered about in the grass. I spotted a gnawed bone on the ground nearby, and began to question Yol’s judgment.

“I wouldn’t get too close if I were you.” Said a gruff voice from behind me. I spun around to see a tall man with gray hair and a scarred face glaring at me. He wore a green and red poncho, which was slightly dirty and had a few holes in it. This was clearly the owner of the hut, and of whatever lived here.

“Oh… sorry.” I said, backing up. Yol came around the corner, delighted.

“Ah, good evening! My friend and I were looking for-” Yol started, but was cut off by the man.

“I know what you’re looking for. I’ve been raisin’ em for thirty years.” The man said. “The name’s Jacob.”

“So… Jacob… exactly what is it you raise here?” I asked uncomfortably. “I’m afraid I’m not as familiar with this as my friend here.”

“Which explains your leanin’ over the fence…” Jacob grumbled, eyeing me warily. “This is a Nairu ranch, son. I find em’ as hatchlings, raise em’ up, breed em’, and sell em’.”

“We’ll be able to get around much faster now, Chris.” Yol said. “Nairu make excellent mounts. They’re quick as lightning!”

“And just as fierce!” Jacob warned. “I want you two to be careful in here. Keep your arms by your sides and don’t make any sudden movements. Most of em’ don’t take kindly to strangers.”

Jacob opened the gate to the fence and let us in. He closed and locked it behind us, and motioned for us to follow closer. We walked through the grass, avoiding piles of feces as we went. I felt pretty tense walking out in the open in the territory of these unknown creatures… I still hadn’t a clue as to what a Nairu was. All I knew so was that they’re mean, they roar, and they hatch from eggs. I hoped Yol knew what he was talking about.

“In here.” Jacob said, pointing to the stable. “They’re in their pens right now. It was feeding time just a few minutes ago, so they ought to be pretty calm. Still, I’d keep my fingers in my pockets if I were you two.”

“I still don’t know what a Nairu is!” I whispered to Yol impatiently.

“You’ll see,” Yol answered quietly. “You’ll see.”

Jacob flung the stable doors open, and a gust of foul smells greeted our nostrils. It smelled like the old clothes the villagers had given me, but stronger. There was suddenly a chorus of shrieks and bellows, the Nairu, whatever they were, were apparently excited by their visitors. Yol stepped in after him, and I followed hesitantly. We passed several of the beasts pens, which had plaques with inscribed names hanging over them. The pen’s walls were tall, though, and the Nairu must’ve been laying down. They were vocalizing a lot, but must not have been excited enough to want to get up. I could have sworn I heard a few of them snoring.

“I got all sorts of Nairu here. You lookin’ for any certain species?” Jacob asked, looking around the stable.

“Not in particular. We just need two steeds to get around with. ” Yol murmured, lifting a bag of gold. The other two were now empty.

“How much ya got in there?” Jacob asked, scratching his chin. Yol opened the bag and counted it.

“Eighty gold pieces.” He answered.

“Eighty, huh? Alright.” Jacob said. “I could sell ya a Horned and a Fire… or a Fire and an Imperial… or a Horned and an Imperial. What’ll it be?”

Having no idea what a Nairu was, let alone what each species was like, I merely shrugged and looked to Yol. He scratched his head, thought it over briefly, and handed the bag to Jacob.

“An Imperial for me, and a Fire for my friend.” He decided.

“Very well then! Right over here. You- the foolish one. I’ve got a beautiful Fire over here. His name’s Talon.” Jacob said, grabbing me by the arm and leading me over to a nearby pen. “TALON! TALON! HERE BOY, COME HERE! I GOT SOMEBODY HERE WHO WANTS TO MEET YA!”

I gulped and took a step closer. I could hear claws scrambling against the wooden floor as the Nairu got up and approached on the other side. Jacob, still giving me a disapproving look, pulled the pen’s door wide open. My eyes grew wide. It stepped forward into the light, and I gasped. It was majestic… but as expected, very intimidating. It stood several feet higher than me, and watched me through orange cat-like eyes. It was sleek and muscular, covered in red scales with black spots. Sharp teeth stuck out from it’s closed mouth, and it’s fingers and toes were equipped with great claws. I could see why he was named Talon. It had a long tail, which it held parallel to the ground, and was wagging back and forth like a gigantic dog. It lowered it’s head and sniffed my face. I froze.

“No sudden movements…” Jacob whispered behind me. I stood completely still.

Talon tilted his head curiously and made a deep rumbling sound. He sniffed me again, looked me straight in the eye, and much to my surprise, licked my face. Feeling a little safer, I reached out and gentle stroked it’s snout with my hand.

“Heh… he’s not so bad.” I said as Talon lifted his head and allowed me to scratch his chin. “He’s like a big friendly dog. Wouldn’t want to get on his bad side, though.”

“You’ve got that right.” Jacob snarled. “He’d make mincemeat out of you in a heartbeat. But you’re lucky. I’ve trained him up real good, you won’t get any trouble from him.”

As I got to know Talon, Jacob opened the pen to Yol’s new companion. His Nairu was called Hercules, and was what Jacob called an Imperial Nairu. I soon saw why. Hercules was even bigger than Talon- perhaps twice Talon’s length. Yol approached him confidently and allowed Hercules to sniff him out, as Talon had to me.

“I’m sad to see em’ go.” Jacob confessed, leaning against a wall. “But it eases my mind to know that they’re in good hands. Unless you’ve got any questions for me, you can leave now if you wish. Like I said, they just ate, so they should be plenty docile. Now is a good time to get on their good side and mount em’ for the first time.”

“Very well. Thank you for your help, Sir Jacob.” Yol said. I thanked him as well, and we led our steeds out of the stable and through the pen. Jacob showed us where to pick up our saddles, and after learning a few basic commands, we managed to mount our Nairu. They did not buck or protest, but remained calm and inquisitive. They weren’t so scary once you got to know them. We rode Talon and Hercules out of the town, holding the reigns carefully and getting used to the saddles. It was a lot like riding a horse, really. I kind of enjoyed it.

“So, what do we feed these things?” I asked Yol, examining the fangs on Hercules.

“Meat.” Yol answered.

“What kind of meat?” I asked.

“Fresh meat. Doesn’t matter what kind.” Yol replied with a shrug.

“Do you think those goblins had any cohorts lurking around here?” I asked, looking around.

“Oh, don’t worry. If there are, I don’t think they’ll give these people any trouble. They probably know better by now.” Yol said reassuringly.

“No, I didn’t mean it like that.” I said. “I just thought Talon and Hercules might like a little snack!”