The town to which the hunter approached was not particularly large, but not so small, not so well-fortified, but not completely devoid of fortifications - near the gate, into which the hunter entered, the watchtower towered , at the sight of an unfamiliar horsewoman who measured her with a wary and attentive gaze and in a respectful voice asked for the fare. The inhabitants of Dark Earth region are used to not trust strangers, especially armed strangers - one of the wandering knights-robbers could easily be at the place of the hunter who would perceive the need to pay as a personal insult, would have fallen into the local tavern and demanded to feed and drink him a loan, promising to return then the debt, that is, never, and the locals would be lucky if this knight had not killed anyone, had not burned anything, and would have limited himself to one or two rape of local girls. However, the warrior handed the guardian a copper coin and asked where in this city you can eat and spend the night, and after hearing how to get to the local tavern, thanked the guard and moved in the indicated direction, followed by the views of the townspeople: from someone wary, from someone then suspicious, someone interested.

Reaching the tavern, which bore the title “Beauty and the Beast,” the hunter dismounted, threw a small coin to a local boy, telling him to feed her horse. Having ensured that her horse was upset, put in a stall and fed, the hunter entered, finally, at the door of the tavern, from which came the sounds of the violin. Now there were very few people in “The Beauty and the Beast”, including the owner and servants, and the two attracted the attention of the stranger. The first was a thin, long-haired boy who looked like a girl, playing some funny melody on a violin, but at the same time his face seemed detached and sad. When an unfamiliar warrior appeared, the young violinist turned to her, but did not stop playing and did not move. The second was a young man sitting at one of the tables - judging by the carved staff leaning on the table, he was a magician, and judging by the twisted horns on his head, membranous wings behind his back and small silver scales here and there on his skin, in his veins the blood of dragons was flowing - and at the same time, judging by the pointed ears and the elegant addition, there was a share of elven blood in it.

The half-elf half-dragon was slim, handsome and well-built - and, obviously, he was aware of this: his clothes, consisting of tight-fitting pants and a vest worn on a naked body and revealing more than hiding, emphasized his beauty. A tavern girl was sitting next to the semi-dragon, to whom he was inspiringly telling something — judging by the way she listened to him, something interesting (or maybe she was interested not in what he was telling, but in the handsome magician himself) —but having seen the hunter, the half-dragon interrupted his story and looked with interest at the one who had entered. Yielding to the fleeting desire to begin acquaintance with local inhabitants from this young magician, the hunter went to him.

- Good evening! - greeted her half-dragon with a smile. - You, I suppose, also not from here? My name is Sirat - and yours? What brought you to this region?

“Triana,” the hunter introduced herself. She, like her new acquaintance, had pointy ears, like half-elves, but Triana's physique was different from elegant slender elves, being the owner of round and elastic forms, as well as blond hair braided in two thick short braids. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Sirat.”Yes, I'm not from here - I was led by rumors that a dragon lives in these lands, more precisely, a dragon, - the hunter looked at the girl sitting next to the Sirat, expecting that she would confirm or deny her words, but she only looked back on the hunter, as it seemed with jealousy, that the warrior who had suddenly appeared seized the attention of a handsome half-dragon.

“So you are probably one of the monster hunters who defeat the monsters and rape them in order to gain their power?” - fun asked Sirat. “Are you going to rape the dragon here for her strength?”

“Well ... not without it,” answered Triana, even if embarrassed, then just a little bit - the monster hunter, who in fact defeated the monsters and raped them, was difficult to confuse with something. “But actually, I heard that the local dragon is demanding the most beautiful young men of the city and has already gathered a whole harem of them,” her words:

“Yes, it is true - our dragon every year demands the most beautiful young man for herself ... sometimes there are no suitable young men, and then she is given girls,” the girl said and immediately asked the hunter: “So you won't kill her?”

The hunter was a little surprised at this question, but answered:

- I don’t know if it will be in my power ... And what, would you like me to deliver you from her? Heavy, in sight, she levied you?

“Collapsing, yes, she overlaid,” the girl nodded. “Every week she demands sheep or goats for food, and even every year, as a young man ... My friend had a young man with whom she was in love, but he was given to our“ mistress ”, and since then she has did not see. That is, he is alive, but she cannot be seen with him - and other townspeople do not give, and the dragon is guarding him ...

- Alba! - interrupted the story of the girl loud shout host tavern. - The guest has complained to us, and you have hung your ears instead of feeding her! Excuse me, Albu, good lady, ”the host addressed Triana in a respectful voice.

- Oh sorry! - the girl jumped up from her seat, embarrassed. - What do you want? Today we have pea porridge and sauerkraut soup, roasted beans, smoked trout and sausage, beer, ale and cider ...

“Hmm ... Smoked trout with beans and ale,” chose Triana. Although the opportunity to eat fully fell to the hunter occasionally, the opportunity to replenish her wallet seemed to her even less, so she did not order a too-heavy dinner. Alba ran to the kitchen, and Triana turned to the half-dragon.

- And you, probably, one of those magicians that seduce monsters and through sex with them get their power? - she smiled at him just as he had recently smiled at her. “Are you going to insidiously seduce the dragon here for her strength?”

“Not without it,” replied Sirat, and laughed gaily, for the sorcerer, obviously, could confuse little too. “It seems that we will have to somehow determine in what order we will“ seduce ”her ... If I may, I will be the first — after the fight with you, this dragon may not be in shape to indulge in love with me.

“I don’t really care, but I agree,” Triana shrugged and smiled. He and Sirat were ready to continue the conversation when a voice came out next to them:

- Be healthy, the honorable lady! What owe your appearance in our lands?

Triana turned around - and saw a handsome old man with a graying beard with a wedge, leaning on a stick, in appearance, probably looking like an important person in this town. The hunter, having decided not to conceal anything, replied:

- Hello - I was led here by rumors that a dragon lives near the city, every year demanding the most beautiful young man. I would like to win one of her young men for myself - but it is unfair that this dragon has a whole harem, and someone has none. And who are you? And yes, sit down - it is not good for you to stand.

“Thank you,” the man took advantage of the invitation, sitting next to the hunter and her new acquaintance.- My name is Bruno Waldmann, I am the local elder. You, therefore, are not going to kill our mistress?

Triana said to herself that she was being asked this question a second time, and asked in response:

- And what, would you like to offer me money so that I would save you from your monster? - in this proposal, the hunter was primarily interested in money: she simply did not intend to risk herself.