[ WP ] `` Take your dragon-repellent with you , they get more common around this time of year . ''

“ What about *dragons*? ” the woman asked. She carried her luggage in hand, which Berdot took as a good sign. The hardest customers to rope in are the ones who aren ’ t even sure they want to travel at all. Minstrels, wanderers, tourists… those types who never really seem to have a set plan in mind. But the ones who know their destination and are all ready to board the wagon… those ones are easy. 
 
 “ Don ’ t worry about that, Madam, ” Berdot reassured her. He patted the stout barrel on his left side. “ I ’ ll be applying the dragon repellent shortly. Guaran*teed* to work! ” 
 
 She leaned over the counter, and he lifted the lid for her benefit. A noxious smell escaped from the yellowish liquid. She made a disgusted face and covered her nose with her sleeve, but then reached for her purse. Berdot smiled and gladly took her coin, then gestured toward the waiting area where six other passengers sat waiting. “ We ’ ll be off as soon as the horses are fed and watered, ” he told her. 
 
 Once fares for every seat on the wagon had been booked, Berdot rolled the barrel out of his stall and began to splash cups of the stuff onto the wagon. The fumes from the repellent caused his visions to swim a bit, but he could still see the other caravan leaders glaring at him from their own stalls. Dragon season is a lean time for travelers, and they didn ’ t take too kindly to Berdot ’ s secret dragon repellent formula stealing all of their business. They studied him every time he poured the liquid all over his cart, trying to figure out how it worked. But they were none the wiser by the time he shouted “ All aboard! ” 
 
 The cart trundled out of the city gates and out onto the road. The hot summer sun beat down through the cloudless sky, but the horses didn ’ t seem to mind and they were making quite good time. Passengers in the wagon passed the time by chatting, reading, or just watching the rolling hills pass by. Summer travel was much more pleasant than driving through howling wind and a veritable wall of snow in the winter; it was only the threat of dragons that made the latter more popular. 
 
 They were about two hours out of the city before someone heard a faint roar in the distance. But the dragon ’ s call was unmistakable. “ Stay calm, ” Berdot told them. “ It won ’ t come for us. ” His reassurances did little to assuage the fears of passengers, particularly when the dragon alighted from the forest and soared through the sky overhead. Its wingspan was at least five times the size of the whole cart. 
 
 The horses, who didn ’ t understand the idea of ‘ dragon repellent ’ were spooked by the massive shadow. “ It will be all right! ” Berdot shouted to the passengers even as he jumped off the wagon and went to adjust the horses ’ straps. “ Just stay in your seats, please! ” 
 
 All eyes were focused on the dragon. It circled overhead, wheeling closer and closer with each pass. They could all see its massive golden eyes watching them intently. In the blink of an eye, it spread its wings wide and landed right over the cart, one giant talon on each side. It roared, spitting a gout of flame up into the sky. 
 
 “ It ’ s not working! ” the woman called, turning back to Berdot. “ Your repellent isn ’ t…. ” 
 
 Her voice trailed off as she realized that Berdot was climbing onto the back of one of the horses, and leading the reins of the other. And the horses were no longer strapped to the cart. “ *Repellent? * ” Berdot laughed at her as he made some quick adjustments to the saddle. “ Lady, how *thick* are you? Those were just some leftover chemicals from the tanner ’ s. ” 
 
 “ Where are you *going*?! ” she cried, seemingly unable to process his words. Or maybe she just didn ’ t want to admit that she ’ d been duped. “ What about the *dragon? * ” 
 
 The dragon picked the perfect time to lunge forward and seize one of the passengers in its jaws. It then threw its head back, tossed the man upwards, caught him in mid-air and swallowed him in one single gulp. 
 
 “ Give him a good meal for me! ” Berdot called back to the woman as he galloped off with the horses. Finding another cart would be easy, but he couldn ’ t restart his business in another city if he didn ’ t have the horses. 

