Page 65 of Bewitched

“Hmmmm.”

Rhys headed for the door, still holding the dagger, just trying to frighten the irritating pest.

“Not my favorite, but thanks anyway.” Elric was gone in a flash. Rhys closed the door after him, putting his dagger away.

“Well, now that we’ve gotten rid of him, what do you all think he meant by that?” asked Rhys.

“It’s my guess that he really likes pazzleberries, but didn’t want you skewering him, so he pretended not to,” replied Zann.

“Not that,” said Rhys. “I’m talking about the message from the gods. It sounds like something really bad is going to happen to Medea. I don’t like this.”

“I don’t think we will have any influence over the decision of the gods,” said Rapunzel. “We will have to wait to see what happens before we can try to help Medea. In the meantime, what is our plan for capturing the dragon?”

“I bet you miss your husband and baby,” said Rhys.

“I do,” Rapunzel admitted. “Every minute away from them feels like eternity.”

“What is like to have a baby?” asked Rhys, curious to know now that he was a new father. “Do you like it?”

“Yes, I love it. So does Marco. My little boy Zane likes to ride the dragon with his father, even though I’m against it.”

“Zane is a good name. It sounds a lot like Zann.” Zann smiled proudly.

“Speaking of dragons, I’d like to know the answer as to how we’ll capture it, as well,” said Darium. “After all, that beast is going to start getting really hungry soon.”

“Well, mayhap I can try to wrangle it. Then we can throw some ropes around it to keep it from flying,” suggested Rhys.

“Nay, ropes will never hold a dragon,” said Rapunzel. “It would have to be something like enchanted chains instead.”

“Is that something you can do, Rapunzel?” asked Darium.

“I could try, I suppose,” she answered. “Although I’ve never attempted it before.”

“We’re desperate,” said Rhys. “We’ll take all the help we can get.”

“Then to catch it, we’ll have to fool it somehow,” suggested Zann. “Something like what Medea did by shapeshifting into the Dragon Lord.”

“Nope. Shapeshifting into Marco won’t work anymore,” said Rapunzel. “Dragons remember. If they’re fooled once, they are sure not to be fooled again by the same means. I cannot believe the dragon didn’t realize Medea wasn’t its Dragon Lord to begin with, since there is a definite connection between the dragon and Marco. Medea’s powers must be getting stronger to pull off something like that. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she had help.”

“Help? From who?” asked Darium. “I don’t believe anyone of Mura would help her do something like that.”

“Nay, they wouldn’t,” agreed Rhys.

“I wish I knew the answer to that, but I don’t,” said Rapunzel. “I know Medea’s mother, Hecuba is dead, but I swear some of the things Medea does are what I would expect from that evil witch instead.”

“Mayhap we can lure the dragon to us using some kind of bait,” suggested Darium.

“Like what?” asked Rhys.

“Food?” said Zann. “Or mayhap a female dragon?”

“Those are both good ideas, but I think I know something that dragons are attracted to even more than food,” said Rapunzel. “Marco just told me this recently.”

“What’s that?” asked Talia.

“Marco said most dragons are vain and attracted to reflections of themselves.”

“Like their reflection on the water?” asked Zann. “Little good that will do us.”