Shiny Crystal

Chapter 1

The bronze dragon descends upon the slums of New Casmara.
The sheer force of her wings brings dust and rubble to tear outward, ripping and pulling away the weak infrastructure of the surrounding market.
The ground shook marking her landing.
'Didn't have to make such a scene now did ya oak?,' he commented.
'Would you rather I land a days travel on foot from here?,' she then remarked.

 The dust slowly settled, revealing the massive beast, the man who rode her, and a growing crowd of observers. Curious, an old woman of influence had emerged to confront the uncanny visitors.
More dust had settled revealing colors over silhouettes.
An emerald brilliance climbed down the Dragon to address the elder. 'Good day madame,' he said nearing her with a smile. 'Skip the formalities Rider. What be your business in these parts of Casmara,' she replied.
'Quick to converse aren't ya now?,' he said with a smirk.
'Rider and Dragon haven't got a reason to come here unless calamity's coming,' she worried. 'She has a point you know,' Oak told her Rider.
'I assure you,' he told her, 'no calamity that I'm aware off is on its way here.'
'Then what business does one such as yourself have here?,' she said eagerly.
'We've travelled madame,' he began to approach her and laid his hand on her, 'crossing borders and oceans in search off...,' he paused with a smirk. 'Well, may we discuss that in a banquette if you please,' he politely asked her with etiquette of a cheeky child.
'So be it,' she reluctantly replied.
'OH!,' he alerted the woman, 'I need all boys of the age 10-11 from this locale to present themselves to me after we feast.'
The woman nodded in confusion but it was not her place to question the authority of a rider any more that she already had.

 The two then went their separate ways, the woman to make the following arrangements and the rider to boast to his companion, 'Did you see that Oak!?,' He said proudly, 'We may no longer have need to purchase provisions!'
Unimpressed by the actions of her Rider, Oak blew smoke from her nostrils aimed toward him, 'You had no need to take advantage of these People Roland,' She scolded, 'And now we must remain here longer than we must.'
'You're no fun you know that,' Roland replied.

 The elder had begun arranging the banquette, a table for 6 for the rider and others of influence from the area, a large wooden stage for the dragons meal, and enough mead and meat to feed both the rider and dragon.
Without regard for custom or culture, Roland sat and ate without prayer or thanks. Oak on the other hand was displeased with the animals corpses brought before her. Reluctantly she gutted them herself using one of her claws like carving knife. Noticing their fascination Roland explained, 'Some of the finer cooks I've met were Dragons,' he said, 'they've had fire much longer than man so it's to be expected they're far better at utilizing it.' 'How would you like it if someone dropped fox or a pheasant on your plate without preparing it first?,' he then asked sarcastically. 'I know what you're thinking Oak, these people don't have much to spare,'  he then told Oak, 'spare the stage and cook with your own flame.'
'Only if I won't have to work for my next meal Rol,' She replied showing teeth with the intent to smile. After she had cleaned the corpses of any part she found unpleasant, she took them one at a time in her jaw to have them cooked as she looked toward the sky. The latter was done to direct her fire away from anything surrounding them. 

'It seems I'll be here longer than I'd expected,' Roland then turned his attention to those on the table, 'my name is Roland, Rider. And as you can see that there is Oak, Dragon,' he said. Oak then took a moment from cooking to nod and growl, acknowledging their presence. The rest then stood introducing themselves accordingly, the most notable being the elderly woman, 'I am Shalla,' she said, 'I'm the Seyer of here, the 19th sector of New Casmara.'
'I cannot thank you enough See-er Shalla for arranging such an event with little time,' Roland flattered, 'I'm impressed that you'd raised venison this far from the range.'
'We have here fair trade amongst sectors, Ol' Smithy here  just happen to come by after working far north,' she said with praise to the bearded man to her left. 'Aye, there is no finer flesh than that you feed to a Rider,' the man then said before raising his cup of mead. But before a they could toast, Oak abruptly took a barrel of mead, 'Go on Rol,' she said, 'tell them.' He then raised his glass and cheerfully said, 'To 19th sector of New Casmara!,' raising his glass and putting the others at ease. They all toasted their acquaintanceship with Oak crushing the lid off the barrel and swallowing the contents whole. Seeing her in such a way put all the others at ease, even bystanders watching from a distance feared her a little less. 'When I think Dragon I imagine huge scaled beasts burning and pillaging land, taking our lives and livestock. Now here I am dining and drinking with one,' one of the seated men said, 'I'll never look at you all the same,' he then said playfully to Oak.
'Tell him he'll die if he now thinks all dragons to be like me,' She then said.
'She's quite the cheerful Dragon,' he said ignoring her remark, 'if you could hear what she had to say,' Roland then told the others, 'but she's thankful for the mead.'
'Now Rider. May I ask?,' Shalla said, 'What business do you have with one our boys?'