Around the time the heat became unbearable, which was around twelve noon, John knew that something was wrong. he could feel the eyes piercing the back of his skull.
They were all being watched, he knew, but when he looked around, there was nothing between the boulders and caves that were littered all throughout the canyon.
Things were quiet, far too quiet. He looked at his companions, and saw that they were just as uneasy.
Suddenly, Marty shouted from the front of the caravan, "We got hostiles ahead!''
John dashed forward, stopping next to Marty, and he saw that there were indeed suspicious looking beings in the way. They were kobolds, small lizard creatures.
There were four of them, armed with spears and barred the way.The caravans halted, and the four companions jumped to actions.
Just as the got themselves ready, the kobolds uttered a shriek and charged. The first one jabbed his spear at John, who blocked it with his shield. The dragon then charged forward like a raging bull with his shield, hitting the kobold so hard that he flew backwards, doing a flip in the air and hitting the ground with a loud thud.
The second tried the same with Marty, but the he only flicked his paw and the kobold's cloak caught fire, making him shriek and frantically try to put it out. This gave Marty ample chance to hit him with his walking stick, sending him tumbling to the ground, his cloak still on fire.
The third slashed at Tabitha with his sword, but the vixen danced out of his reach and delivered a roundhouse kick that knocked out a tooth and sent him rolling across the dirt.
Seeing his companions fall, the fourth abandoned his attempt to attack Cassy and retreated, shouting in his language.
John stood triumphantly amongst his companions and shouted, "Yeah, you better run! Go back to whatever dank hole you came from!"
But the group's victory was short lived, for there came more shrieks from the canyon, and more kobolds appeared. This time there were a lot more.
Kobolds were weak creatures, but in large groups, they were furious and formidable fighters.
The group was dismayed, but got themselves braced for what might be their last fight. Just as the kobolds were heading in for the kill, they heard a roar that echoed down the canyon.
It came from something large and powerful, and that was exactly what dropped from the sky, landing amongst the kobolds.
From the black scales that covered parts of his brown, human-ish skin (such as his arms, torso and lower half of his body), to dragon-like features (such as wings, horns, muzzle and tail), it wasn't hard to figure out that this being was but one thing: a dragon-human hybrid.
This surprised the group, for such beings were usually ugly, deformed brutes, hated by humans and real dragons, but this one was surprisingly handsome, standing even taller than John himself, who already stood seven feet tall, intelligence clearly twinkling in his bright blue eyes.
But like John, he was also pretty fat, sporting a large, round gut, but his arms and chest were bulging with muscle.
He smiled at the outnumbered heroes and spoke, his voice deep, intimidating, but his speech sounded like an educated and rational person, "Since you are clearly outnumbered, I suggest that you give your belongings in the caravans freely. I swear upon my name that none of us would harm a single soul in your company. It will be such a shame to see you all come to such a bloody and violent end."
John growled, smoke coming out of his nostrils, and he shouted, "Over my dead body."
The hybrid sighed. "You know what, let's make a deal," he said, "One of you can take me on in single combat. If you lose, I get everything in the caravans and kill the drivers for good measure. If you win, I'll leave you to pass through with all your treasures and lives. How does that sound?"
John grit his teeth. He promised to get these caravans safely to the nearest town, and he wasn't going back on his word.
But his companions were thinking otherwise. "I think we should give up," said Marty, "I mean, look around you. We are outnumbered ten to one."
"Coward!" snapped John, "I can take this hybrid and all of his wannabe reptiles all by myself!"
"That's your stubbornness and pride talking," said Cassy.
"Yeah," Tabitha cut in, "I mean, even if you took this guy on one on one, he'll beat you to a bloody pulp. Look at him! He twice your size and stronger than you. Are you honestly gonna risk your life and others just to satisfy your ego?''
John glared back at the hybrid, who flexed his impressive chest in response. He bit his lower lip, realizing he was face with a big decisions.
If he surrendered, the caravans will be robbed and his group will not receive a single dime for the work, most likely getting fired as well.
But if he took on the hybrid in single combat and lost, not only will the caravans be robbed but innocent lives will be harmed.
Both options were a lose lose situation, but the latter offered at least some chance.
What did John decide to do?
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