Oh, my litttle flashlight

True to her obviously great power, the witch did not let him off easily. Instead she demanded not one, but four stories as payment. Dante's brow lifted, but he did not argue. If he were truly a frog, would he really attempt to bargain with the one who held all the cards? He had to have an internal giggle though... she sure knew how to drive a hard deal. Surely he couldn't pass up the chance to be turned back into his former shape! "Alright then. Four tales." He had to think, however. What four stories to deliver to her. Unbeknownst to her, he truly would be telling tales of his princedom before the plateau, because in essence he had been. Heir to the devil, some may say, but a prince all the same.

"I guess it would make sense to start at the beginning, with my land's founding.[b]" He enjoyed this tale a lot. "[b]There was a lone wolf, his name Caius, who roamed the lands far in wide in search of a claim of his own. A seventh son, he had lived long in the shadow of his siblings, but he wished for the respect and deference that he knew he deserved. The life of a loner, however, is a hard thing for one not suited to it." He looked at her askance, for could relate, and wondered if Osprey would as well. "It was not long before Caius grew weary of his isolation, speaking only to the trees and the wind. It seemed there were none anywhere near who, like him, were seeking a new home."

"Now most know that, as the seventh born, he held the favor of the gods. Jupiter himself watched over his trials and saw that he was unhappy. This was back when the gods still loved to meddle in the affairs of mortals, so he decided to aid the young wolf in his search. The life of a deity could get rather dull in watching all the time." He said this knowingly, but couldn't help smiling.

"He could not appear in his true form, since that would give the wolf quite a fright. Instead he took the shape of a great eagle, known to be some of his favorite messengers. Caius was astounded when confronted with the great eagle, but he could not be mistaken in who had sent it, though he did not know it was Jupiter himself who spoke."

Imitating a god was difficult, but Dante figured he could be forgiven for butchering the voice. He was a puny frog, after all. "'Caius. The gods have seen what you seek, and they wish to help. But first you must do them a favor, to prove that you are worthy of founding a land of your own. To the west of here lies a dragon, one who has long terrorized the wilderness that lies beneath him. He scorns the gods and, in his pride, believes himself immortal. Slay him and you will find what you are looking for.'"

At this point he paused a moment. "Now Caius was obviously concerned. Him, slay a dragon? Impossible! Everyone knew that dragons were creatures of great strength and power. And while not all were evil in nature, those that were weren't something you sought out willingly. Unless, of course, you were the hero." It was a little funny how, in all the epics of his home, the hero was the only one who would dare run straight into trouble. Why wasn't it ever the simple soldier who managed to slay the monster?

"His loneliness was so great, though, that he felt he had nothing to lose. So west Caius went, until he stood at the edge of the forest where the dragon made his home. And, after gathering his courage, with a loud howl he announced his presence."

Here he looked at her. "It wasn't the dragon that answered the challenge, though. Any guesses as to what appeared instead?" This was a tale often told, but that didn't mean she knew it, as it was one he figured unique to his own homeland. Still, he thought he remembered her to be somewhat versed in Roman lore... she might be able to guess. Besides that, he had to keep her engaged if he was going to impress her into letting him go.