Prologue

The trolls laughed as they walked down the alley, proudly carrying their catch from their latest robbery. It was the dead of night on a work week, one of the few times the "City that never sleeps" was indeed quiet and still, the perfect time for a robbery, especially those of by the magical variety.

"Hold on a second fellas, this is getting heavy," one of the trolls grunted to the group, sighing as he dropped his sack and leaned back against the wall to catch his breath.

"Already Frank?" one of his comrades complained, chuckling as he dropped his load as well, "Jeez, you really gotta remember to bulk up those muscles instead of that belly on rotten chili fries." To this the rest of the group snickered, but they set their bags down too, all of them old and past their prime so that they had to rob humans in the first place.

"What'd we even get anyway? Some TVs, some old radios? Man, how are we even going to sell this old crap, Bobby, seems like we did the owner a favor by taking it in the first place!"

"Shut up! We'll figure it out all right! Damnit, we gotta get money somehow, we're in too deep with-" Suddenly Bobby noticed a shadow move across the wall, jumping for a second as he finally dropped his bag along with the others.

"Hey Bobby-"

"Shh! Shut up! I just-I just think I saw something move." Opening his sack and pulling out his club, he held his fingers to his lips as he moved carefully over to a nearby trash bin, growling as he swept it away with one swell swing. He was mildly surprised but relieved to find nothing there, not even a trace, feeling embarrassed as he turned to the group to laugh it off and save face.

Turning back, the club dropped from his hand as his mouth fell open, shocked at what his eyes couldn't believe.

All his friends were lying on the ground badly beaten and unconscious, having all been taken out without even making one sound.

"No-No!" Turning on his heels to run, he suddenly and inexplicably felt the wind pick up behind him, so stunned he couldn't even scream as he felt something from the darkness wrap tight around him like a snake, holding him tight in that spot as it brought itself behind him with a cool but bone chilling hiss.

"I wasn't behind the trashcan." Promptly turned fro to face his attacker, Bobby opened his mouth in a scream he never released as his mouth was shaking too much at the sight of who his attacker was, his whole body going pale like a sheet as they leaned in to interrogate him.

"Now, you're going to answer my questions, and then I might let you live, got it?" Bobby couldn't help but nod, his legs quaking so much he thought he'd never stand on his own again he was so afraid.

"Good. Very good. So tell me, where did you get this stuff? And more importantly, where can I find the one they call the American Dragon?"