“Dead.” Richard said. “Died in the church. The dragon killed him.”
Helga threw her arms up in the air. “Well, isn’t that just convenient! Fine! Stay if you wish, I don’t care.”
“He cannot.” The crossbowman stepped into the room, his frame taking up much of the doorway. Everyone turned to look at him. “Squire, as I do not yet know your name, you are the current leader of this village. You must organize what survivors there are and work to douse the flames that still burn, or else you will have no village or newlywed wife.”
Richard gave a look of sorrow. He knew this mercenary spoke the truth, but it pained him to have to leave Rachel’s side, especially after everything she’d done for him. He planted a light kiss on her forehead. “I will return. I love you.”
“As do I.” She said.
“Yes, now please leave me to my work.” Helga hurried him out the door and closed it behind him.
***
Vince watched as Richard departed. “Master Vince!” A voice called. He turned and saw his apprentice, Rennec, ride up to him with his horse and cart. “You saw it?”
“Yes, Rennec,” he said as he faced the boy, “and it’s the one. The one we’ve been tracking.” He looked back over the devastation the dragon wrought upon this village. “Take the horses and stable them. I need to talk with this squire boy.”
***
Once outside, Richard looked out over the burning village. In the sky above, clouds moved in and snow fell down upon the flames. It was a long process, but Richard found what few able bodied men he could and got them to work digging trenches around the burning structures. Taking the same shovels, they also threw snow from the ground upon the flames which hissed and popped as the frozen water smothered them. It was well after sunset when the fire was finally completely contained.
Richard led the survivors to the Roaring Lion tavern, the largest building which still stood. The bartender, Abel, set about getting as much food, drink, and blankets as he could for everyone.
He rested at the bar counter, his fingers pressed against his forehead. He sighed, exhausted. His whole body ached. A crossbow landed with a clunk on the counter next to and he jumped in startlement.
The man from before, the one with the scar over his face who scared off the dragon, propped himself against the counter, his arms folded over his chest. “What is you name, young man?” He asked.
Richard sat up straight, he held a fist to his mouth and cleared his throat. “Richard.”
“Richard, then.” The man said. “My name’s Vince, dragon slayer. You say you were a squire. What happened to your lord?”
“It’s a long story.”
“We have time. If I’m to help you with this dragon problem, I need to know as much as I can.” Vince said.
Richard scoffed. He rolled his eyes and looked over the small number of people in the tavern. “We’ve lost everything. Half of the village is ash, more than half of the people who lived here are dead. What can you do?”
“I can slay the dragon.” Vince replied. “I am a dragon slayer. I’ve been one most of my life, it’s what I do.” He motioned to the necklace adorned in stark white dragons teeth he wore. “This is my trophy display. Each one of these I took from a different dragon.”
“Well, congratulations.” Richard set his clenched fist on the bar counter. “You’ve bragged a little, now it’s my turn. This morning I set out with my lord, Sir Ardose, and a dragon slayer he hired named Cain to kill the beast.” Richard proceeded to tell the dragon slayer about Ardose’s plan to fleece the people of their gold and run away while the dragon burned them, how he was forced to kill the knight in self defense, how the townsfolk turned on him and beat him half to death before locking him in a closet, how they formed a mob and ascended the mountain only to unleash the fury of the dragon and get themselves killed as well as bring the monster back to the village and burn it to the ground.
Upon finishing his recount, Richard pounded his fist on the counter. “Abel!” He shouted. “Bring me an ale. I need a drink.” He took the pint when it was brought to him and drank half of it at once.
Vince gave a shrug. “Sounds like you had an eventful day.”
“I have.” He took another swig of ale before setting the glass back down. “Now, tell me, what exactly do you know about dragons? You say you’ve hunted them most of your life, what have you learned form all that?”
“I’ve learned a few things.” Vince spoke. “I know that females are larger and more dangerous than the males, especially when they have hatchlings. I’ll tell you one thing: I’ve never seen a dragon do this before.”
Richard looked up, he eyes the dragon slayer with confusion. “What do you mean? Don’t dragons destroy things all the time? Towns and villages burned to the ground, virginal maidens sacrificed to placate the monster? Hoarding gold and riches?”
“Don’t listen to mistrals. I know your recent experience my cloud your judgment, but dragons are just animals like any other. They care only about food, a cave to sleep in, and raising chicks.” Vince said. “Now, they are not unintelligent, and they do not hunt humans for food. So I do not know why this one has chosen to attack you like this.”
The door swung open and a young boy entered. He had curly red hair and a freckle dotted face. “Master Vince,” he said, “I’ve stabled the horses and our supplies.”
“Good work, Rennec.” Vince pushed himself away from the counter. “We’ll rest for the night and then set out in the morning.” He turned back to Richard. “You said you’ve been to the dragon’s cave, yes?”
“I have.”
Vince gave a nod. “Good. Then you can lead me there in the morning.”
“You can guarantee that dragon will be dead?” Richard asked.
“I can.” Vince said. He took up his crossbow and stepped out of the Roaring Lion.
Chapter 24
J ade retreated to her mountain cave, the injuries in her ribs and flank stung in the cold air. Blood still oozed, but it had begun to clot now. Her flight back to the mountain had been laboriously long because of how much fire she used back at the village. Her internal supply of heat and flame was now almost extinguished, and would not be replenished anytime soon. She touched down outside the cave opening and walked inside.
That human, the one on the horse with that crossbow weapon, he was the one that attacked her in her previous home. What was he doing here? Had they tracked her all the way out here? She didn’t care, she hated him just the same. She hated all humans.
She would return to the village and finish what she started. She would destroy the buildings, burn them to the ground and kill everyone who lived there. They would suffer for the death of her daughter, and the extermination and persecution of her race.
But her rampage would have to wait. She had used up much of her strength and her body was exhausted. She ached all over, and her hibernation was set to begin. Winter was upon her and the deep sleep beckoned.
Jade traveled deeper into the cave until she came upon the body of her daughter. The blood that once flowed though the hatchling’s veins now lay in a frozen puddle on the ice. She pressed her snout against the hatchling’s frost encrusted body, nuzzling it. This small display of affection was all she could give to her offspring now.
She laid down next to her daughter, her eyelids grew heavier than usual. Her breathing slowed to almost nothing as her heart rate dropped to only a few beats a minute. Her body entered into a state of suspended animation.
Jade would remain in this state for the next three and a half months, surviving off the energy reserves stored in her body. It would allow her to survive the winter, but it also shut off her internal heat source. And with it already depleted, she would neither be able to fly or breath fire upon awakening.
***
Richard approached Helga’s house the next morning. Just as he came to the door, it swung open and the older, heavyset woman stepped outside. “Richard.” she said, “Interesting you
came by now. Come to visit your new bride?”
“I was, actually.” He said. Her sudden appearance had startled him. “Where are you off to?”
“There are more people injured in this village than Rachel, and I’m the only person to tend to them.” Helga said as she pulled her coat tighter around her body. “Sure, I might get some help from that bartender friend of yours, but aside from him I am on my own. You need not worry, Rachel is fine. She’s recovering comfortably inside. Just don’t visit for too long.” Helga headed off for the tavern, leaving Richard behind.
He reached for the door, but stopped. He was anxious to see her, but how was he to approach Rachel now? Did she really want them to be wed? Did he really want that? He knew the answer, at least on his side, was yes. So, before he could stop himself again, he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Richard found Rachel on the straw mattress in Helga’s guest room. The large thick quilts were pulled up to her chin. She was wide awake, staring out the window by the bed with her fiery hair flung about across the pillow. She turned as soon as she heard the door open. Her face lit up when she saw Richard enter.
“You’re back.” She said, delighted. She pulled her arm out from under the blankets and held her hand out to him.
“Yes, I am.” He crouched down on the floor beside the bed and rested his hands over hers. “But I’m not staying for too long. I’m setting out for the dragon’s lair again today. I’m leading Vince and his apprentice to it.”
Rachel tilted her head at the name. “Who’s Vince?” She asked.
“Oh, that’s right.” Richard sheepishly said. He let out a small chuckle. “He’s a dragon slayer with a substantial record, he’s the one that drove it away yesterday.”
“And you’re going to take him to it?” Rachel’s lower lip stuck out. “Must you?”
“I know where it is. I can take them to the cave and let them handle it from there.” He said, running his fingertips over her arm. “It’ll finally be over, Rachel. The dragon will die today, and then, if you would like, we can make our marriage official.”
“Isn’t it already? Helga believes us to be married.”
“But no ceremony was performed. Father Josef never actually wed us.” Richard stated. “I know you wished me to stay with you yesterday because you were afraid, but we are not truly man and wife.”
“We could be.” With her one hand clasped in Richard’s palms, she peeked the fingers of her other hand above the quilt and slowly pushed it down. As the blanket slid past her shoulders, Richard saw they were bare. “All we need to do is consummate.”
He stared at the stunning pale skin as Rachel steadily slipped herself free of the smothering blankets. His face turned bright red. “Is that what you really want?” He asked as he turned away from her exposed skin to gaze into her emerald green eyes.
Her face was also flushed red. “Yes.” She answered in a quiet, almost whispered voice. Her heart raced, her whole body felt warmer than she’d ever known before.
Richard stood. He dropped her hand and walked back to the door. Rachel’s heart fell. She was sure he was about to leave her. Then he closed the door, set a chair propped up against it, and returned to her bedside. And in that moment, as he came back to her with a warm smile on his face, she never felt happier in her life.
***
Vince had been impatiently waiting by the edge of the village for over thirty minutes by the time Richard finally appeared. The young squire boy rode up on his horse with an almost stupid grin on his face. “You’re late.” Vince stated. He sat astride his own stallion and his apprentice, Rennec, rode next to him on a smaller, younger gelding. “I trust you had time to say your good-byes.”
“I did.” Richard said. “But I do intend to come back from this.”
“As do I. Don’t we always,” Vince traced a finger along the crescent scar over his face. “But it is not a certainty. Did you bring a sword?”
“Yes,” Richard patted the scabbard belted to his waist. It was one or Ardose’s older swords, Lion’s Fang had been taken by Phillip just before his own ill fated attempt at dragon slaying and was now, most likely, lost forever.
Vince gave a sharp nod. “Good.” He had a sword as well, along with his crossbow. All three of them, Vince, Rennec, and Richard were dressed for battle, wearing their best armor and adorned with weapons. “Then, let us depart.” He tugged on the reins of the horse and they rode off towards the mountain.
Chapter 25
E ach step he took brought them closer to the cave. Vince rode up ahead of them, with Richard and Rennec riding a few yards behind. Richard moved his horse to walk right beside Rennec as he leaned over to talk. “You’re his apprentice, right?”
“For a few years now, yes.” Rennec replied. “Someday I hope to be a dragon slayer at least half as good as my master.”
“Then maybe you can tell me something.” Richard lowered his voice to a whisper. “That scar on his face, how did he get it?”
Rennec bit his lip. His eyes fell to his hands which gripped the reins. “He doesn’t like to share that story. He’ll point out the scar to people, but he doesn’t often say how it came to be.”
“But you know, right?”
Rennec nodded in response. “He’s told me before. You cannot let him know I told you, understand?”
“Clearly.” Richard said.
“Okay.” Rennec took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “When he was a child, Vince used to live on a farm with his family; his father, mother, and two brothers.
“When he was nine years old he heard a commotion out in the barn and went to investigate. Inside he found a dragon, a young male he would realize later, had killed one of the cows and was eating it.
“Vince was scared by the beast, as you could expect a nine-year-old to be. He screamed and it startled the dragon. It turned on him. He grabbed a nearby pitchfork to defend himself, but the dragon slashed at him and its claw caught his left cheek. It nearly took his whole face off.
“Young Master Vince cried out in pain, and this alerted his family back in the house. Their arrival frightened the dragon even more who then set everything on fire.
“The whole farm burned that night, all the animals died in the fire as they could not escape their stables. Vince had run out into the fields, and that action saved his life as the dragon attacked his family and killed them all. He looked back over the roaring fire to see the dragon taking off, and he swore vengeance against it.
“Now an orphan, Vince was forced to begging for food just to survive. That is until he met a traveling vagabond. This man, whose name I'm sure my master has mentioned before but I cannot remember, was a dragon slayer. He noted the injury to Vince’s face, and after learning how he came to have it, decided to take the boy in and teach him the trade. Much later, Vince would enact his revenge on that very dragon that burned his family.”
Richard listened with undivided vigor as Rennec concluded his story. He looked up at the mercenary ahead of him with a renewed sense of respect. “Last night at the tavern,” he said, “Vince did not come off as having a deep resentment of dragons. Not like I would expect for a man of that history.”
“That’s because during his time hunting them, he’s learned more.” Rennec explained. “He knows that they are just animals that follow instinct the same as any other. They do not attack out of a malevolent desire to harm, usually they are just hungry or afraid.”
“And what about what this one did to my village?”
Rennec gave a shrug. “I cannot say. I am still an apprentice. The best explanation I can give is that this is an anomaly, nothing more.”
Vince held up his hand to single Richard and Rennec to stop. Ahead of them, scattered all about in the melted and then refrozen snow, lay corpses. Most were burnt, charred black. Others were covered in frost. Richard stared, open mouthed and shocked at the sight. “I take it this was your mob.” Vince stated as he climbed down from his horse.
�
�I… suppose so.” Richard also dismounted. He was horrified at the sight. Many of these people he had known and lived with his whole life.
Just above the scattered bodies, the mouth of a cave opened up from the face of the mountain. “And that,” Vince said with a point of his hand, “is the dragon’s cave?”
“Yes.” Richard replied.
“Good. Rennec!” Vince called to his apprentice. The young boy ran up to his master’s side as Vince handed the reins to him. “Tie off the horses someplace safe, then come right back.”
“Yes, sir.” Rennec said as he lead he horses away.
Vince slung he crossbow off his back and gripped it in both hands. He loaded the bottom compartment chamber with bolts. “Are you ready?” He motioned to Richard.
“Yes.” Richard drew his sword from the sheath.
“Good.” Vince said. “Rennec, torch, please.”
“Yes, sir.” Rennec stepped up in front of the dragon slayer with a wooden torch in his hand. He took one piece of flint and one of iron, struck them together, and set the end of the torch ablaze.
“Then let’s finish this.” Together, the three stepped into the cave.
***
Jade slept in the depths of her cave. All movement had ceased except for the very occasional rise and fall of her chest. Her hibernation had commenced, but her sleep was still light. The sounds of footsteps and the smell of burning wood awoke her from hibernation. She knew what was here. The humans had come for her again. And the scent of one was most familiar, she recognized it as the same one that had attacked her so many times before. She loathed him the most.
Her lips curled and she snarled. A deep, rumbling hiss from her throat that escaped through her needle-sharp teeth. Jade stood and shook out the stiffness in her muscles. Then, with very deliberate movements, she advanced towards the human invaders.
She would not run again, she was tired of running, tired of hiding. Now, she was going to stand her ground and fight for her right to live. This was to be the last stand of the dragon.
The Last Stand of the Dragon Page 12
