Yet Another Interlude:

The Tale of St George's Dragon

by St George's Dragon

It is early morning less than a week after the end of the Events in Strangers, in the Serpent Spire Mountains, on a Grassy plateau next to a small but spectacular waterfall which cascades down a rough cliff face. A grapple with rope attached flies up into the air and catches onto a rock out cropping. The rope is tugged at experimentally before going taut. After a few minutes the figure of Saint George's Dragon dressed in green Bavarian traditional dress and lederhosen complete with cap and feather. A line trails behind him to the bottom of the cliff. Pulling himself up onto the ledge he surveys the plateau.

"Finally, I have found the perfect site for Helgraf's Tomb." He exclaims. "All I have to do is remove all the rock that is not the tomb. Wow, it has Doric, Ionic and Corinthian arches. Better get to work this is going to be a big job."

Saint George's Dragon, pulls at the line attached to him, straining to pull up what is at the other end. At the end is a large sack and Helgraf's corpse. After gently laying Helgraf' corpse out, SG'sD rummages through the sack and removes a small hand pick. He walks over to the cliff face and carefully taps at it, a small sliver of stone falls to the ground.....

Time passes...

More time passes......

"There." SG'sD says with evident satisfaction as he strikes the wall of the chamber and another flake falls to the ground. He picks up this sliver of stone and puts it in his pocket. He now wears simple undyed brown robes. And surveys the room. Helgraf's corpse lies stretched out on an elevated shelf at one end in the clothes he died in (cleaned and stitched up). surrounded by water that flows down the wall behind it and flows around on either side into a small pool in front. The room is filled with the babbling of the water. Light enters through a hole in the roof and strikes the pool creating strange patterns on the walls. SG'sD views the scene with quite satisfaction.

He pulls a piece of parchment from one of his pockets and walks over to the corpse, placing the parchment on the bodies chest. Fidgeting somewhat nervously Saint George's Dragon addresses the corpse: "Well, if you should need to uh leave that will give you all the details on how to get out of here and avoid the death traps.....".

Saint George's Dragon than turns and crosses the chamber to the other end where the seams in the wall and the presence of a large iron key betray the presence of a door. SG'sD turns the key in the door pushing it open. He looks back wistfully for a moment and then continues exiting the chamber. He enters a long hallway flanked on either side by statues of fearsome dragons all carrying some wickedly bladed weapons. He turns and pushes the door shut behind him, the sound of mechanism whirring into place can be heard. He raises a finger and traces out an arcane symbol on the door (far less visible on this side with far thinner seams and no keyhole), as his finger traces a trail of blue light is emitted brightly flashing as the symbol is completed and then disappearing leaving the door blank and featureless granite.

"That should keep the tourists out... Now where were those trip wires...." SG'sD comments to himself.

He walks carefully down the hall and climbs a staircase at the end into the light. On the plateau stand three bards in traditional Britannic dress.

"So my fine singers of song, how goes the composition?" Saint George's addresses the two of the three.

One of the bards replies "My Draciad fast nears completion good sir. It begins:

'Wrath did Dracos Fated of the dying bring to cleanse Belfas of the unnumbered woes maddening'"

"Pah," another bard breaks in, "you always were a hack Nevil, my Helgrafied will win such fame that your piece of purple prose will be relegated to use as kindling. My homage to Helgraf begins:

'Magic and a dragon of these I sing.'"

"Leif you fool, why must you continue to ruin perfectly good paper with your scribblings..." The first bard retorts.

"Gentleman, calm yourself it seems things are going quite well. Your commissions will be paid in full." Saint George's interrupts. He then addresses himself to the third bard. "Now Charlie are you ready to play the dedication music."

"Sure guvner, s' easy. Why everyon' knows Stones. Cours' Fitzowen 'mself taught it to me when I was nipper." The third bard replied removing his lyre from his back and testing it experimentally with his fingers.

"Good." Saint George's Dragon turns back to survey the tomb.

The structure soars up several stories each progressively smaller before reaching a final plateau above which floats a cube positioned so that its bottom sides are at 45 degrees to the ground. Water falls from the ledge above bouncing of and flowing down the cube before trickling down specially prepared gutters in the tomb. The tomb itself is adorned with arches supporting archways, both simple and elaborately decorated. Murals depicting battles, monsters and scenes from the adventures involving Helgraf, Dracos and company cover many walls. Archways contain relief sculpture along a similar theme. Finally the structure his covered by a virtual menagerie of animals both real and mythical in statue. The whole thing merges into the back of the hollowed out cliff face. The light of the sun glitters and shines off the water flowing down the cube.

"How's that cube stay up anyway?" Charlie inquires.

"Art keeps it aloft..." Saint George's Dragon replies, but Charlie looks at him incredulously "Okay and a permanent levitation spell." He hastily adds.

"You sure you have enough statues on that thing?" Charlie asks sarcastically. "I like those two centaurs though." He grins pointing to two statues in intimate embrace.

"Well, uh.. I merely free the statues from their imprisonment, I can not control the final product. There were a great many imprisoned statues. Well Charlie I think it is time for you to play."

"Right oh!"

The bard plays the tune with a gusto that mixes well with his deep melodious voice. A tear appears at the corner of SG'sD eye as he stares at the tomb.

As the song ends he mutters "Goodbye," and turns away from the structure.

"I believe I promised you gentlemen a drink at the Blue Boar. Come on we want to get their before last call. Did I tell you about the time Helgraf and Dracos, haha...."


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