As they stood watching, the billowing in the fog began to move, coming slowly closer to where they stood. Dale waited until it was about ten feet away then drew his blaster and fired a short burst into the road just ahead of it. It stopped moving suddenly.
"Now is that really necessary," a raspy voice asked. "Very un-neighborly of you I must say."
"You're the one that's invisible," Dale replied. "You want to talk instead of fight, how about showing yourself."
"So jumpy, these youngsters," the voice mused. "Very well, but call your youngling back first, he's making me nervous."
"Kheri," Dale directed over his shoulder. "Step back out on the road."
Kheri moved back out of the trees cautiously, his eyes fixed on the spot where Dale had fired.
"Well now," the voice said again, "that's a little better."

There was a wavering in the air and slowly a long, snaky head became visible. The body followed a few moments afterward and they found themselves looking at what could only be a dragon. It stretched its wings then swung its head slowly around, regarding all of them one by one.
"Now what might you be doing out here all alone," it wondered aloud, and turned its attention back to Dale. "You don't look much like knights on errantry."
"We're not," Dale responded. "We're trying to find the road to Villenspell."
"Villenspell," it repeated thoughtfully. "You most certainly won't get there on this road. This road leads to the swamp."
"Do you know what road we need then?" Dale asked.