Knights of the Platinum Dragon: A D&D Story

Chapter 16: Knightly Hospitality

Chateau Toussaint was a few hours away from the site of their battle with the chimera, and by the time the party came to see it, the sun was hanging lower and lower in the west. It was late afternoon for certain.

The 'chateau' – which was the Milisevran word for 'castle' - consisted of a keep that had pale blue tiled steeples on each of the four towers at its corners, along with a bailey that was ringed by a stone wall studded with battlements. All of it was cut from white stone, and while there were signs of age in the chipped walls and faded tiles, the banner of Sir Romain's family flapped proudly from the battlements – a silver knight on a rearing white charger against a scarlet field, just as resplendent as Romain himself before he charged down the chimera.

Logan and the others had been unable to refuse the young knight's offer of a place to stay, and while the castle was nothing special, it stood proud and stalwart beside one of the verdant forests that dotted the rolling countryside. And there was honour in that, to be sure.

Besides, Logan had no land to call his own. So he hardly had any right to disparage such an achievement.

The Galehaut knight walked down the sandy countryside trail with Romain at his side and the rest of the party following behind them. All the while they walked, the creaking and rattling of cart wheels filled their ears as the wagon, pulled by Romain's charger, hauled the chimera's corpse back with them. Aside from Stalk, who jumped in at one point to extract some of the dragon head's poison, and Finnan, who Arabella kept having to pull out of the wagon as he tried to climb in and play with the corpse, everyone kept their distance, for the dying monster was already starting to reek.

Romain had borrowed a wagon from a nearby farmer's hut, paying for the use of it out of his own pocket, and as they passed under the gatehouse and into the bailey with its thatched-roofed homes and businesses encircling an open field of bare, hard-trodden earth, the craftsmen and their families all hurried to see the dead creature.

Almost immediately upon his arrival, Romain received cheers, whistles, rounds of applause and shouts of praise for slaying the beast. However, much to his surprise, Logan watched as Romain raised his hands, calling for silence and calm.

"Forgive me, countrymen, but I cannot claim the credit for slaying the beast that has long plagued our lands and destroyed our livestock..." he said to the crowd of onlookers in their woollen clothing, dyed in red, green and brown. "The true heroes of today where these fine guests I bring here with me – Sir Logan of House Galehaut, Lady Arabella of House Moonflower, Ren Revanorin, Stalk, Technus and Finnan Greatsurge!" he declared proudly as he turned to the others and held out a hand in their direction. "They not only helped lay low the monster, but they also saved my life, and for that they are forever welcome here!"

Logan then saw the entire crowd turn his way, and his heartbeat sped up in his chest as the cheers and applause was directed at him and the others. Smiling, he punched his fist into the air, and as the crowd's cheers grew louder, his smile widened and he felt relief shoot through him from head to heel.

The fist pump was the only thing he could think of to do, and he was internally overjoyed that he hadn't made a complete fool of himself at a time when he was representing his family...

Meanwhile, behind him, Arabella and Ren both blushed and gave small, shy waves, Stalk and Finnan stood proudly with their hands on their hips, and Technus didn't even bat an eye, continuing to repair his ripped-open torso.

After they were done cheering, the people of Chateau Toussaint then began to cluster around the dead chimera, their children especially eager to get up close by weaving between the adults and avoiding the grasping hands of their parents trying to stop them. Even as flies buzzed around it, they gawked at its motionless form, especially at its multiple monstrous heads. Logan found himself smiling at their exuberance, and just next to him, Romain was doing much the same.