Fire and Courage

His sword glistened in the morning sunlight. He inspected his shield, blackened and scorched. He tried to block out the carnage strewn about him. The night had taken its toll with little to show in return. His comrades fallen, he alone remained to face the dragon.

A plume of fire spit into the air beyond the hill the knight hid behind; the morning’s glow seemed dim in comparison. Gathering his courage, the knight pulled the visor of his helm back down over his eyes. He tightened his grip on shield and sword as he charged the top of the hill, a battle cry roaring from his smoke filled throat. The great black dragon turned to face the sound, its massive claws cutting deep furrows into the earth. A thunderous roar shook the ground and smoke billowed from the dragon’s flared nostrils. Its gaping maw let loose a pillar of fire, scorching earth and air as it flew toward the knight. The knight crouched down behind his shield. Fire curled around its edges as the mighty blast hit. The intense heat soaked through the shield like water on a shirt. The carefully forged metal began to melt around the knight’s gauntleted hand. Just as the knight thought he could stand no more, the dragon’s fiery assault broke off. The knight pried his now useless shield from his arm and tossed the melted remains to the ground.

The dragon lifted its head high into the air as if preparing to unleash another molten breath. Instead, its massive wings unfurled from its back and began to beat, clearing the area of morning fog and battle smoke. The unrelenting blasts of air brought the knight to his knees. The dragon lifted from the ground, its wings blocking out the sun itself. The dragon flew towards the knight, pulling up at the last second to bring its lethal tail sweeping down onto him. The knight attempted to dodge, but was not quick enough. The scaled tail caught his torso and hurled him across the charred field. The breath left his lungs as the knight hit the ground. His head bounced, sending his helm flying. Above he could see the onyx beast circling around for another pass. The knight struggled to his feet, desperately trying to get his breath. He spotted a nearby rock and stumbled toward its cover. He felt the dragon breath burning around him as he ducked behind the rock, barely a moment before the fiery attack struck the ground. He glanced down at his battered armor. The tail attack had left it bent and broken. His movement would be too hampered if he left it on. The broken joints allowed the armor to slip off easily. The knight secured his sword into a sheath on his back and stepped out from the rock, prepared for his final stand.

The dragon belched a ball of fire up into the clouds and began another deathly swoop towards the knight. The knight set his feet and stood his ground. There was no turning back now. He was all that stood between this destructive beast and the town in the valley below. The dragon picked up speed as it made its descent. It began to bring its tail around for another swipe. The knight was ready. As the tail swept across the ground the knight leapt into the air. He reached out and grabbed hold as the tail crashed down where he had stood. The dragon flew into the sky, the knight using every ounce of strength to hold on. Slowly the knight began crawling up the dragon’s body, using its massive black scales as hand and footholds. Meanwhile the dragon dove and spun in the air, trying to dislodge its attacker. The knight continued his journey; hand over hand he made it to the dragon’s shoulders. He reached underneath and got a firm grip on a scale at the front of the dragon’s neck. The knight let the rest of his body fall, leaving him dangling high in the air between the dragon’s front legs. With his free hand, the knight pulled his sword from its sheath. He swung his body towards the dragon’s chest, his sword’s razor edge gleaming as the knight plunged it between the dragon’s scales, into its heart. A deafening scream pierced the air as the dragon cried out in anger and pain. Its wings stopped their motion and the dragon began plummeting to the ground far below. The knight held on, twisting his sword into the dragon as they fell. A cloud of dirt exploded into the air when the dragon finally hit the ground.

The knight gazed across the battlefield to the fallen beast as it took its final, dying breath. The knight smiled, oblivious to his own battered and broken body. The dragon had fallen; he had saved the town. The knight closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to take him.