Illuminated only by the light of the full moon shining above, Chanyeol gently urged his horse down the winding dirt road towards the cluster of torchlight in the distance. It was the guild town he sought, the one he had traveled many days and nights away from his lord to find; as he gazed upon it, eyes narrowed, he could not help but be mildly impressed. It was a sprawling mass on the horizon, a hodge-podge of multicolored tents and wooden structures that stood as tall as giants with great flags waving in the wind. The size of the guild town rivaled some of the industrial cities in Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s homeland. The young knight had never expected to find such a place here, in the wilds of Jang-mii’s small nation. Eager to proceed with his mission, he kicked the horse lightly in the sides to urge it into a steady trot. Soon the massive city dominated his vision, and despite the dark of night, the hum of conversation and commerce danced in his ears.

As he passed through the gate of the city, flanked on either side by two humble guards bearing leather armor and crude spears, Chanyeol slowed his horse to a stop and swung out of the saddle, preferring to lead his horse by the reins until he found a suitable inn. The late hour seemed not to scare these folk, as the streets were crowded with a great many people: traders selling their wares, minstrels singing their songs, harlots propositioning passersby. They shuffled back and forth, giving only as much room for Chanyeol to pass with his horse before reforming the buzzing throng. So noisy, he thought with slight distaste. It was not far, however, before he found what he was looking for, and quickly paid for a room and a stable before descending back into the madness of the city. Strolling down the dirt road with his hand resting on his sword, his eyes sharp, and his ears alert, he merely watched and listened for any clue to the beast his lord was so desperately hunting.

He passed a blacksmith’s shop, radiating intense heat as the rhythmic beats of a hammer pounding steel sang in the air. He walked by a tailor shop, where pretty gowns fit for a princess decorated the storefront window and a few young maidens loitered about, dreaming of knights in shining armor and balls that would never come. He investigated pub after pub, crammed full with a menagerie of mercenaries, singers, dancers, vagabonds, and knights drank the night away. He heard tales of great battles of old and skirmishes recently fought, he heard rumors of great lords and ladies getting married and having affairs and making alliances, he heard boasts of slaying great beasts; yet not a whisper did he hear of the elusive dragon prowling in the dark forests of the wilds. As time crept on, Chanyeol became increasingly frustrated and was considering returning to the inn when a hushed voice caught his attention.

“They say Lord Baekhyun, Princess Jang-mii’s husband-to-be, is on a hunt for the dragon,” uttered a worried man, drinking with his companion in the corner of the pub. Edging closer, Chanyeol bent all his senses on the conversation, hoping to glean something useful. “Rumor has it he completely destroyed a ranching town because they were ‘assisting the enemy,’ as he called it.” The man took a long drink of his ale. “I don’t like it, not one bit. Princess Jang-mii gone and her fiancé wreaking havoc on the realm.”

“Be careful what you say,” his friend warned. “Talk like that can be treasonous with a lad like him.”

“I ain’t afraid of no lordling whelp,” the other barked defensively. Chanyeol’s hand tightened on the hilt of his blade, eager to wrench it free of its scabbard and drive it right between the drunk man’s eyes. Trembling with rage at the insult of his lord, he forced himself to remain calm and continue to listen to the exchange. The other man threw up his arms in exasperation at his companion.

“Fine, do what you want. When they have you strung up in a tree for the crows to pick at, remember I tried to warn you,” he sighed. “Regardless, I just hope he keeps his manhunt far away from here. If he should find out about Lord Xiumin, it would be most terrible…” At the last comment, Chanyeol’s lips curled into a smile. Now there’s an interesting tidbit. Perhaps the leader of this merry band of traders and craftsmen? I will have to pay him a visit, he decided, exiting the pub and walking back out into the cool air of the night. He made his way to the center of the guild town, finding that the crowd gradually thinned out. The business tents and crafts shops gave way to brick-and-mortar residential buildings, darkened as their residents slept. Torches burned low, giving Chanyeol just enough light to make out the silhouette of the small castle situated in the plaza beyond. It was a pathetically tiny thing, holding no candle to Baekhyun’s glorious palace, or even the princess’ modest abode; yet a castle it was, designed for the man who styled himself a lord. Amused, Chanyeol strolled right up to the gate and was promptly halted by the guard.

“Halt! Who goes there?” he demanded. Unlike the modest guards at the gate, this one wore genuine armor, likely fashioned by some smith or another in the city; yet it still paled in comparison to Chanyeol’s gilded red armor emblazoned with the standard of his lord, the prancing wolf. Still smirking, Chanyeol regarded the guard evenly.

“I am here on behalf of Lord Baekhyun Byun, fiancé of your current princess,” he announced politely. “I seek audience with your lord. I understand the hour is late, but this business is urgent and cannot wait. My lord is most disturbed by his betrothed’s abduction and seeks any information on the whereabouts of her kidnapper, the dragon.” He could see that the guard was unsettled, and he averted his gaze as he searched his feeble mind for an excuse.

“The hour is indeed late, ser. Lord Xiumin has retired. Perhaps you can return in the morning to seek audience?” he suggested, but Chanyeol knew better. As soon as the knight disappeared around the corner, the guard would rush a message to this Lord Xiumin, and his lips would be sealed tighter than a king’s crypt. No, you will not evade me. I cannot disappoint Lord Baekhyun, he asserted silently. His patience thinning, Chanyeol smiled tersely.

“That will not do. Time grows short; every hour the princess remains in the beast’s treacherous claws, the more harm can be done to her. I must leave as soon as I am able to report to Lord Baekhyun. I will not leave here without speaking to your lord,” he insisted, making a show of resting his hand on his sword. The guard swallowed nervously, staring fearfully at the bastard sword hanging from Chanyeol’s side. Then, with a voice squeaky with fear, he ordered the gate to be open.

“I will send someone to wake Lord Xiumin and announce your presence,” the guard began, but Chanyeol shouldered past him and stalked through the gate, right up the palace steps. A squire, likely the messenger, breathlessly met him at the great wooden doors in a nervous fluster, but was silenced when Chanyeol harshly ordered him to take him to the self-proclaimed lord. Guided by the anxious boy, the knight entered the castle and was led directly to the throne room. Despite the short amount of time, the lord was already there waiting for him, dressed elegantly in a blue doublet embroidered with what must have been the sigil of his ‘house,’ a depiction of the North Star. He was tapping his foot on the stone floor, and thinly veiling his foul mood as he sat atop a crude throne made of stone inlaid with silver.

“Leave us,” the lord demanded, waving a hand to dismiss the squire. As the boy disappeared into the shadows, Chanyeol bowed politely.

“Greetings, Lord Xiumin. I am Chanyeol, and am here on behalf of Lord Baekhyun,” he introduced himself. If he keeps glaring at me like that I’m like to take one of his eyes out, he thought crossly, struggling to maintain his composure under the ill-tempered looks the false lord was giving him.

“Yes, indeed. I am curious to know what matter is so urgent that you saw fit to wake me,” he smiled tensely, tapping his fingers on the arm of his throne. As Chanyeol’s mouth twitched in annoyance, he reminded himself that beheading the lord was most likely not the best course of action at the current time. Patience. Just get what you need out of him and be on your way. I’ll make sure Lord Baekhyun razes it to the ground later.

“Yes. As I am sure you have heard, my lord is one a desperate search for his beloved. I was dispatched to investigate this city, as we were told you have information on the whereabouts of the dragon that abducted her. If you would be so kind, lord, any clues you can offer would hasten the search and bring the princess safely home. You would be generously rewarded, of course,” he explained with as much propriety as he could muster. Groveling before the claimless man was setting his teeth on edge, but in order to successfully complete the mission his lord entrusted him with, he swallowed his pride and acted the part. If the lord was shaken, he did well not to show it.

“I am afraid you have been misinformed. I have no dealings with this dragon. He is the patron god of our lands, yes, but I have never laid eyes on the beast. It has little interest in a town that trades in the goods of men,” Xiumin responded with icy authority. While a lesser man would have bowed his head and cowered, Chanyeol only smiled with equal terseness and continued to stare levelly at the lord.

“Oh, I beg to differ. You see, this town is frequented by travelers of all sorts, and with them they bring a great deal of news from all corners of the realm. I find it very hard to believe that rumors of the beast have not reached your ears,” he refuted. A frown began to deepen Xiumin’s face, and out of the corners of his eyes Chanyeol saw two armored guards approaching on either side of him.

“If it is rumors you seek, go talk to the travelers, then,” Xiumin snapped crossly. Chanyeol smiled, seeing that his persistence was unnerving the man. The lord rose from his throne, meaning to return to his quarters and dismiss the knight; in a flash, Chanyeol had his sword drawn and had ascended half the steps of the throne, pointing the tip of his blade at Xiumin’s chest.

“Where are you going, my lord? Our conversation is not yet finished,” he growled with a small smile. Xiumin balked, backing against the stone throne as Chanyeol jabbed him in the chest; his face was paling with fear. A true lord would show no fear in front of an enemy, Chanyeol thought in disgust. The guards cried out in anger and came rushing at him from either side, swords drawn. Shoving the quivering lord into the throne and muttering, “Stay there, or I’ll cut off your lordly feet,” he whirled on his attackers, his cloak swishing about his feet. One of them reached him sooner than the other, bringing down a sword towards Chanyeol’s head. The knight parried the blow, kicking the knight in his exposed chest and sending him stumbling back. The other made to attack his back, but Chanyeol dropped below, kicking the man’s feet out from under him.

In a flurry of dancing steel and swishing cloak, the knight moved between them easily, deflecting their blows and fending them off. It was pitiful, really, how clumsy the two guards were, and he tired of playing with them quickly. In two swift movements, on was writhing on the floor with his throat slit open while the other was screaming in pain, holding the bleeding stump where his arm used to be. Chanyeol smirked and turned back to the lord, pointing the bloody sword at the tip of Xiumin’s throat. “Now. Will you tell me of this dragon, or will I have to cut off your fingers one by one?” he asked darkly, throwing his cloak behind his back to reveal the sharp dagger hanging at his side.

The lord stared hard at the blade, trembling like a child. Chanyeol found that with each passing second his disgust with the pathetic man grew. “You pitiful excuse for a lord,” he snapped, backhanding the man savagely when he refused to answer. The force of the blow sent Xiumin over the side of his throne, and he landed in an ungraceful heap on the stone floor. As Chanyeol was rounding the stone seat, abruptly Xiumin regained his footing and was leaping at him with a sword he had drawn from a scabbard hidden beneath the folds of his cloak. Chanyeol leaped back seconds before the blade took of the top half of his head, and he felt a burning sensation on the bridge of his nose. He rubbed the bridge of his nose to find that it was sliced open, and blood ran down his face. He grinned; the lord had lost all trace of fear, and was glaring at him with a savagery that rivaled Baekhyun’s thunderous rage. “It was an act,” he realized with a surprising level of glee. “You played the part well, my lord. I pinned you for a craven,” he laughed.

“I may not be of noble birth, but I know the blade as well as any knight and know the court as well as any lord,” Xiumin growled as he fell into a fighting stance. “I will give you no quarter, whether you are Baekhyun’s knight or not. You came into my hall, violated my house and slayed my men. You will pay with your life.”

“We’ll see about that,” Chanyeol mused, and the two of them sprang at one another. Steel clashed, throwing sparks in the torchlit hall. Again and again their blades collided as they moved across the floor, feet gliding in a deadly dance. Swirling around each other in a vicious storm and attacking without mercy, it wasn’t long before the blows began to fall. The tip of Xiumin’s sword grazed his shoulder, while his bastard sword glanced over the lord’s upper thigh. The side of Chanyeol’s left shoulder was ripped open, while his blade sliced through Xiumin’s forearm like butter. Soon they were panting with effort and dripping blood from a dozen wounds, but still they remain locked in combat, sliding through the thick red blood leaking from the bodies of the slain guardsmen. I underestimated him, Chanyeol thought as he was forced back up the steps of the throne room, hard-pressed to fend off Xiumin’s attacks. He played me like a fool, and I will suffer for it with my life if I do not defeat him! Irritated, Chanyeol climbed the rest of the steps, evading Xiumin’s blade. The lord’s sword bounced off of the stone steps, throwing sparks across the floor; meanwhile, Chanyeol climbed onto the throne, gaining the high ground. They fell on each other once more, blocking and attacking viciously, until finally Chanyeol saw an opening and sent the lord’s blade skittering across the floor. Triumphant, he forced Xiumin down onto his knees, sword at his throat. “Who’s the lord now?” he grinned as he panted.

“You will regret this,” Xiumin warned.

“Will I?” Chanyeol mused as he plopped down in the throne, still threatening the lord with the tip of his blade. “I rather like this chair. Simple, but it has some authority to it,” he smirked as he the silver inlay with the tip of his finger. “Now, I will only ask you once more. The dragon’s lair- where is it?” he growled, jabbing the tip of the sword against the man’s soft flesh. A trickle of blood began to run down his neck, staining his doublet purple. Xiumin glared at him, then finally sighed heavily and sank down in defeat.

“In the mountains north of here, in the range that divides the continent. At the base of the highest peak, there is a great crevice that divides the mountain near in two. That is where the dragon resides,” he answered quietly. Chanyeol smiled, pleased to receive such a straightforward answer.

“See? If you had said so from the beginning, all of this mess could have been avoided,” he said cheerfully as he stood from the throne, sheathing his blade and walking over to Xiumin’s discarded sword. “I like this. I think I’ll keep it,” he mused as he walked over to the lord and wrenched the scabbard from his waist. Suffering the embarrassment proudly, the lord just watched with an icy glare as Chanyeol attached his newly claimed weapon beside his bastard sword.

“You are not going to kill me?” he asked suspiciously as Chanyeol began his descent down the steps.

“When Baekhyun becomes king of this country, he’ll have need of such a capable fighter as you,” the knight mused as he stepped over the bodies of the guards. “However, I will be sending word to place a squadron of knights here to occupy the city, to make sure you don’t do anything rash like send messengers to the king,” he mused over his shoulder as he stopped at the door. “I would suggest you behave yourself like a good little lord, else you may find yourself at the business end of Lord Baekhyun’s blade- and he is not as generous as I,” he snickered as he kicked the door open, waltzing down the castle steps. A platoon of guards was there to meet him, shouting angrily, but Chanyeol kept right on walking.

“Let him be!” called the lord wearily, and reluctantly, the guard backed off. Dozens of eyes were on Chanyeol as he strolled casually towards the gate, humming one of the minstrels’ tunes he heard while investigating the city. As he came to the gate, he whirled on his feet and bowed lowly. “Lord Baekhyun thanks you for your service. I will ensure that a proper reward is delivered to you,” he smirked. He then rose, his heel, and disappeared back into the night, his cloak billowing behind him as he walked.

And now, to slay this dragon I’ve heard so much about.