What has happened?

         Jules is wincing as he is moving down the street to find the man who sent a bolt into his shoulder. Jules was aware of this happening thanks to the words of Marissa. He knew he was near the wharves but where he did not know, but he knew he would find him there.


         Oliva walked beside him as they began to move down the street. A lot of people stepped out of Jules path as he came down the street. The street was filled with people and horses. It was a busy street, It appeared that they should be careful perhaps there was more than one person trying to kill him.


         Jules walked forcefully toward the wharves after being stitched up. His shoulder was giving him greif the alcohol the surgeon gave him took away from it, but it still hurt. Oliva was moving with him as he moved, His sword was sheathed. He grit his teeth to try and forget about the injury done to him.


         The people there steered clear of them . The wharf was dirty with seagull poo, who circled the wharves above the people there. The people took no notice of the birds, their cawing brought attention to themselves. The wharves looked scarred by the weather that battered the region. Several ship were there moored to the wharves. People were doing their business, moving cargo from the ship or taking cargo to the ship.


         Oliva pointed out where the man had gone, when he arrived here. Jules headed toward the tavern, he opened the door. He saw a bruiser at the door, his right hand rested on a cudgel. His left hand at the moment was resting on a table, beside a stein of ale, he turned to see him enter.


         The bruiser said,"We don't allow your kind in here. I suggest you turn around and leave the place. Before I have to get physical with you." He turned to face the Jules. Jules swung his sword's scabbard into the man's groin, he went down in a heap.


         "Jules said,"You're saying..." Jules smiled at the others in the bar. A few of them were reaching for their weapons to put down this riot that Jules established. Oliva kicked the man on the floor in the guts.


         The man shot Jules with the bolt, lifted his head toward the doorway, where Jules and Oliva was. He drew up a dagger to throw at Jules. He lowered the dagger when he saw Oliva standing beside him.


         Oliva pointed at the man lowering the dagger and said,"That's him."


         The barkeep vaulted over the bar to arrive where Jules and Oliva were standing. He was a muscular man, His right eye was gone, there was a gaping hold in his face where the eye had been, the cheek had also been caved in. He lifted a blunderbus, its barrel pointing toward Jules, and said,"I think, you should go?"


         Oliva swung about catching the bar keep with her sword, leapt into the air. Knocked the blunderbus to the floor as it went off. Tore a huge hole in the floor. The man held the pistol leapt backwards as Oliva had come toward him with a raised fist. Drove it into his face, he staggered back, holding his jaw. Glared at her.


         The other people began to get to their feet, with their weapons drawn.


         "I think, we h'd better leave this joint,"


         "But we just arrived," Oliva said, as she looked the other, "I think, we should stay."


         That was when the people began to close the gap about Oliva and Jules. The people looked ill at ease. Their blades shone with the light from the candles. Jules began to back paddle out the door along with Oliva.


         Oliva said, "I thought we could stay there, until we had our discussion with the man in question."

         The crowd began to close the gap in a hurry. Their weapons looked well used. They looked as if they knew how to use them. The weapons began to close toward their bodies. They began to back away from the crowd.


         The two of them ran away from the bar, they did not know if they were going to see him after this encounter.


         Why he had tried to kill him, it made no sense. They had arrived a few days ago. No one knew them. They had done nothing to draw attention to them currently. They were pretty sure that there was no one who knew what they have been able to do this, maybe they had been sloppy in their arranging for the people of the kingdom where Marissa was now ruling over would be harassed and harmed by their activities.


         That could've brought this man to them.

####

         Queen Marissa sat on the bed, she was crying, The body of the Bishop had been removed from the room, but his blood covered a portion of the rug. There was blood from the soldiers who fought the dragon.

         She looked about recalling the dragon who attacked them. Spotting the scrotch marks of its flames, the blood stains of the bodies of those who had fallen. The mass of stains where the bishop had fallen, the priests gathered there, looking at the body that had been the bishop's own. Her body was wracked with pain from her memory of it happening an instant ago.

         She knew that they would have to do something. What should they do to protect themselves from this dragon whom they had killed twice. What was the cause of this happening. They did not know, that they had to blame their King for this to have happened here.

         The Queen was not aware of the danger that their King had put them in. They were fearful of what would happen since they killed it twice would it reappear again. They prayed it would not happen. But they did not know for sure of this happening to them

         The priests were there also they looked frightened. They were trembling with fear, they did not know what to see next. The dragon appeared twice would he appear again. They were did not knew and so they were scared.


         Sir Grey stepped back from where he had been standing, saw the priest who had walked toward him. He looked worried, he knew that Sir Grey told told him to come here. He thought that the BIshop was still here presently. However he did not see him. It did not make sense that he wasn't here.


         Sir Grey saw him approach he looked worried. Sir Grey began lift his hand to allow the priest to come, The priest stopped when he was in reaching distance to him. He inched back a bit. He said,"What has happened here?"


         "There was a dragon who did not die, he was a smoke dragon. The dragon took corporal form, he breathed fire bit a few of the soldiers. He also killed the bishop.' Sir Grey said as he closed his hand in anger.


         "God no. The bishop is dead!" the priest faltered as he looked about. Tears spilled from his eyes, he fell to the floor. His eyes closed as his head arrived on the floor.


         Sir Grey knelt down beside his body. he lifted his head onto his lap. Sir Grey stroked his cheek, he knew that he was in danger. He looked about the room to see if there was anything else to become alive. He did not see anything happening that caused him to worry. He knew he would have to broach the problem with the pope.


         The pope would be angry about any of this happening. The pope had made mention that he would not appreciate anything that this kingdom did to appease him. Sir Grey understood what he was saying, about the behavior of the city watch and the guards in the establishment. They have been attacking the priests in the castle and on their way here. Sir Grey would have to write a letter to the Pope to explain what had happened here.


         He grit his teeth, as he looked at the preists who have come here. They looked worried as did he. He was afraid of what they were doing when the woman pertending to be the queen, How could he have known this. Sir Grey was concerned.

####

         The King looked at his soldiers as they began to look for more of the enemy. They were afraid that the enemy could sneak up on them, the king was concerned about this matter. He felt stronger more alive. He slowly lifted himself from where he lay. His head was heavy with sleep, and everything is swimming about before his eyes. His hand held the staff, his hand began to grow tired. Sweat ran off his body, and he shook his head.


         His soldiers began to move toward where there was no threat to them or so they felt. They could not shake the feeling that they were being watched by someone or thing. Their hair on the back of their neck stiood on end.


         They were a ware of the danger they were in. They peered every way to see if there was anyone watching them. The fear had made their nerves stand on end.


         An arrow flew just passed the King's head. It brushed against his ear as he stood there. He toppled to the ground.


         The soldiers looked in that general direction of where the arrow had appeared from. They saw an archer lowering his bow, he was standing beside a bush, nearly as tall as he was. Talu lifted an wrrow from his quiver to point a bow in that direction. The archer having shot his bow dove into the brush to avoid being hit by an answering arrow. The arrow caught him before he dove catching him in the foot. He lay in the bush. Blood oozed from his ankle, where the arrow struck him.


         The King looked frightened as he looked at the area where the archer was.


         The soldiers began to head toward where the archer had been. The archer began to crawl away from the bush as he saw the soldiers begin to move toward the archer.


         When the soldiers arrived, they saw an archer crawling away from the bush. He looked worried as he moved away from the bush, there were soldiers watching them arrive. The soldiers leapt away from the bush, their swords were drawn. The soldiers glared at them. Charging toward them. The soldier leapt toward the encrounching soldiers.


         The soldiers were frightened, they did not expect to run into these soldiers. The soldiers were wearing breastplate, and skirts of leather. They looked battle weary. attacking the nearest ones first their swords flashed with sunlight as it struck the sword's edge.


         The combat was heavy, the swords did not strike the bodies of the soldiers. They were well versed in combat, their swords blocked every attempt made by the opposition. The archer was not frightened by their appearance.


         Another group of soldiers came around the bush. The soldiers there were surprised by their arrival. The soldiers leapt toward the soldiers who were being attacked on their right side.

         The troops began to move toward the escartment where they had first come to arrive there. They were concerned that they were presently free of any combatants. They looked about to see if anyone approached.


         They had to be careful walking with their king, they seemed ill at ease. The King was aware of what they were doing. He thought that they should be aware of what or who was the foe, since he was able to call the dragon into existance, they had better be careful. He looked at his staff which had a glowing feature about it, with he saw in the glowing section was a face of the dragon whom they had fought.


         He lowered his staff to the ground, he did this gingerly. He knew, that this dragon was powerful, it had been able to allow them to see it and attack them. The KIng did not know what he should do about the staff being coupled with the dragon. He remembered something in his youth about the staff he carried. It was deadly. He was concerned that they would not understand this havinng to happen.

         He recalled, that if there was a shadow dragon to appear here, and one would appear in his daughter's chamber as well. The dragon would attack them both. It was going to be very dangerous to them both, It would have the powers of a real dragon. If it was on his staff he would have to destroy it.


         This information was supplied to him by a mage.The mage looked at him rather cryptically as he gave him the information. He could not recall what he said for him to do with the staff. It was best that he should leave it alone. Be careful not to allow a single drioplet of his blood to fall on the staff. If this was to happen, it would reawaken, its strength would grow more substantally upon doing this.