Gerard Montpelier looked at the form standing before him, stretching his neck to see its top. The balloon was nearly three stories tall, festooned with rigging falling from the envelope, the body of the balloon, to the gondola. It stood out garishly against the soft green of the surrounding countryside…

“So,” the dragon said, glaring at the diminutive visitor, “what you’re saying is you won’t live up to your side of the bargain.”

“No, no, no, sir,” replied Jerric, a balding gentleman in the emissary regalia of the King of Adylonia, accentuating his denial with a…

by H. David Blalock

One can say it is the turn of a millennium: a millennium of generations, a millennium of thoughts, a millennium of despair.