Georgius thumped the armor with his hands. “It’s a help. But my strongest protection is the full armor of God.”
“We’ll be with you,” Hazi said. “I’m very good with a dagger.”
Patrick said, “And I’m . . .” He stopped to think of what he was good at. He was stuck. He felt the rope on his shoulder. “I can tie some pretty good knots.”
“No, lads,” Georgius said. “You are both brave. But you can’t help with this task. I’ll speed ahead.”
Georgius looked at Hazi. “Return to your father,” he said. “Let him know that I am helping—with God’s strength. It may give him hope.”
“But we can help,” Patrick said.
Georgius put a hand on the boys’ shoulders. “Trust that I’ll do everything I can,” he said. Then he dashed out the door.
Patrick watched the courageous soldier depart on horseback. He felt heaviness in the pit of his stomach.
“We won’t be far behind him,” Hazi said. He pulled at Patrick’s arm.
The two boys stepped into the sunlight. They made their way along the wall of the building.
Hazi suddenly stopped when they came to a corner. He held up a hand.
“What’s wrong?” Patrick whispered.
Hazi backed up. “Prefect Lucius is coming!” he whispered.
The Beast
“How can you do this, Aazan?” Sabra cried. “My father has done only good for the village!”
Aazan ignored her. He tied Sabra to the thick wooden post. He gave the ropes a final tug. Then he said, “You may explain your father’s good deeds to the dragon. Perhaps the beast will spare you.”
Beth was tied to the other side of the post. She tugged against the ropes, but they held tight. She looked to her left. The mouth of a large cave looked back at her. To her right was the sea.
“Please let Beth go,” Sabra cried. “She isn’t from my family. She isn’t even from Silene.”
“Yet she fought for you,” Aazan said. “She attacked one of my men. She has been loyal to you in life. Perhaps she will be loyal to you in death.”
A small group of men behind Aazan chuckled.
Beth looked at Aazan and said, “How can you believe that this will satisfy the monster? That’s crazy!”
“We shall see,” Aazan said and then turned to his men. “We must return to the village before the moon rises.”
Sabra cried, “No, you can’t leave us to die!”
The men turned their backs on the girls and walked away. Beth watched the glow of their torches. They looked like angry, red eyes. Soon the torchlight could be seen only in the distance. And then, even the torches disappeared into the night.
Beth heard Sabra weeping quietly. Beth wanted to cry too but couldn’t. Her eyes went back to the mouth of the cave. “Is that where the dragon lives?” she asked.
“Yes,” Sabra said with a sniff.
“How do you know?” Beth asked. She hoped that somehow a mistake had been made. Maybe the dragon lived somewhere else and wouldn’t come to eat them.
“One of the villagers found monstrous tracks leading into the cave,” Sabra said.
Beth stared at the sandy ground near her feet. Then she looked around the base of the post. It wasn’t easy to tell what she was looking at. Not even the bright moonlight helped much.
She started to look away when she noticed something. There were shadowy marks in the dirt. Tracks, she thought. She squinted hard.
Each track was bigger than a man’s hand. A whole trail of them led away into a thatch of scraggly bushes. White fur clung to the bushes.
Could those be the dragon’s footprints? Beth wondered. But why were they leading away from the cave and not into it? They seemed small for a dragon’s clawlike feet. At least what she imagined they would look like.
“Why did you do it?” Sabra asked Beth in a small voice.
“Do what?” Beth asked.
“Why did you try to stop them?” Sabra said. “Why did you stand up for me?”
“It was wrong for the men to take you,” Beth said. “I couldn’t just stand by and—”
A roar rumbled in the distance. Beth froze.
“The beast!” Sabra cried. She struggled against the ropes.
The roar came again, now louder. Beth felt the vibrations through her entire body.
The two girls turned toward the cave.
The roar came again and then trailed off into a growl.
“Wait,” Beth said. “The roar isn’t coming from inside the cave. It’s from out there. See those bushes?”
The moonlight painted everything a spooky green color. A huge shadow moved slowly behind the branches and leaves.
Beth felt as if ice slivers were sliding down her back. She struggled against the ropes. Sabra also jerked at her ropes. Neither girl could get free.
Beth twisted her body. She hoped to find another way to loosen her bonds. Then something pricked her side. What if the beast was poking her with its claws? She twisted again.
Nothing was there.
Then she remembered. It was the nail file!
“Be still, Sabra,” Beth said.
“Be still!” Sabra cried. “How can I be still?”
“I have a file,” Beth said. “I’ll use it to fray the ropes.”
“Hurry!” Sabra cried.
Beth pushed against the ropes but couldn’t reach the metal file.
Another roar. This time it was loud and fierce. It seemed to silence every other sound in the night.
Beth looked up. The bushes parted. The shadow emerged. It now stood just a few yards away.
The beast had fur as thick as a grizzly bear’s. Huge claws stuck out from its four feet. But it had no wings.
It’s not a dragon, Beth thought. For a moment, her curiosity overcame her fear. This creature was some kind of gigantic cat. It was like a lion, but it was much bigger. Fanglike tusks hung down from its upper jaw.
That’s when Beth remembered something from school about saber-toothed tigers. But this creature didn’t have any stripes.
It growled again, and Beth’s fear came back. She struggled with the ropes again.
Sabra screamed.
The saber-toothed cat circled around them. It roared. The girls froze.
“Beth,” Sabra whispered. “Beth, the file.”
Beth squirmed and felt the file move against her hip. It slipped at an angle toward her tied hands. A little more, she thought.
The saber-toothed cat growled again in a deep and dangerous tone. Beth craned her neck to see what it was doing. It moved forward. Its nose was just inches away from Sabra’s chin. Sabra muffled a scream.
Beth could hear the huge cat sniffing. Then it padded around to her and did the same thing.
It was close. Beth could see the moonlight reflecting off the cat’s huge golden eyes.
Then the cat disappeared from view. Oh no! Beth thought. What’s it going to do?
“My help comes from the Lord,” Beth whispered.
“Where is it? What is it doing?” Sabra asked.
Suddenly the saber-toothed cat was in front of Beth again. It roared in her face. The beast opened its mouth wide. Its fangs were as long as her forearm. Beth thought the beast might swallow her whole.
The giant cat backed up and then dropped low to the ground.
Beth had seen her friend’s cat do the same thing—right before it pounced.
Beth closed her eyes and braced herself for whatever would happen. She thought of Patrick, her parents, her friends at school . . . and Rachel. But mostly she thought of Jesus. He promised Christians life after death.
Then suddenly, Beth heard a huge roar from somewhere behind her. The roar sounded like a jet engine and thunderclap all in one.
She opened her eyes. The cat’s eyes had moved to something beyond Beth. It backed away slowly from Beth and Sabra.
It’s scared, Beth thought. But of what?
The saber-toothed cat spun around and then darted into
the bushes.
“What is that?” Sabra asked, breathless. She looked toward the mouth of the cave.
Beth couldn’t speak. There was a loud thump followed by a thud. Beth turned to the cave entrance. It was black.
The sound is coming from in there, Beth thought.
Another loud thud. A crackling sound, too. Rocks broke free from the top of the cave. The rocks fell to the ground in a rain of dust.
Beth stared at the mouth of the cave.
Slowly, two large ovals appeared in the darkness. They were like two yellow embers. Black pupils slashed the middle of each oval. The eyes seemed to hang in a great shadow.
A low rumbling came from the cave. More rocks and dust fell. Next, there was a blast of air.
And Beth saw fire.
The Breakout
Patrick and Hazi hid behind some barrels. Patrick saw Lucius turn the corner. The prefect was with two soldiers.
“You should have seen the look on Georgius’s face,” Prefect Lucius said. “He couldn’t believe I let him go to Silene.”
The three men stopped walking. They shared a laugh.
The Romans now stood near Patrick and Hazi.
Patrick was afraid that one would see them.
“Why did you let him go?” one soldier asked. He had thick, dark eyebrows.
“It’s simple, Cato,” Lucius said. “Georgius believes in fables. First, it’s Christos . . . Now it’s dragons! He can die for them if he wants.”
“But Lucius,” Cato said, “there really is some giant beast. It’s killing animals in Silene.”
“Yes. I hope there is,” Lucius said. He laughed again.
“You hope?” the other soldier asked. “You want Georgius to die?”
Patrick leaned forward to see more clearly. The other soldier was tall and sweaty. Thin blond hair stuck out from under his helmet.
“I’m tired of him, Emil,” Lucius said. “His religion is hurting the Roman army. The religious men love their God more than they love Rome. Let the dragon have Georgius.”
Cato nodded. Then his bushy eyebrows rose. “What if Georgius kills the dragon? He’ll save the village and become a hero.”
“Then you’ll never be rid of him,” Emil said. “A dead hero will make Georgius’s religion more popular.”
Patrick saw Lucius’s face turn dark red. “Then we’ll put a new plan in place,” he said.
“What plan?” Emil asked.
“We’ll stop Georgius. We’ll march twenty soldiers to Silene,” Lucius said.
“Twenty? Why so many?” Cato asked.
“To capture the soldier who left his post,” Lucius said. “We’ll say he ran off to worship his God.”
Emil said, “But you gave him permission—”
Lucius scowled. “Georgius left his post,” he said. “He must be punished.”
“A very good plan,” Cato said.
“Go get the men,” Lucius said. “One way or the other, Georgius will die tonight.”
Hazi grabbed the horse’s reins. He leaned close to its ear. “Hurry, Coal!” he whispered. “We must warn Georgius!”
Patrick held on tight. Hazi pushed the horse to reckless speed. The ground was uneven in places. He prayed that he wouldn’t fall off.
They came near the village. Hazi shouted over his shoulder, “I think I see Georgius up ahead!”
Georgius’s horse was drinking from a bucket. Georgius was holding up one of the horse’s back legs. He appeared to be digging at the hoof with a knife.
The boys rode right up to the soldier.
Georgius turned toward them with his knife raised. He seemed ready to fight. But he lowered the blade when he saw the boys.
“What are you doing here?” Georgius asked.
“We overheard Lucius,” Patrick said. But he was too breathless to finish.
“He’s coming with twenty men,” Hazi said. “If the dragon doesn’t kill you, they will for deserting your post.”
Georgius looked thoughtful for a moment. Then he said, “This changes nothing. The girls must be saved.”
Georgius focused on the horse again. A moment later, he freed a sharp stone from its hoof.
“Where are the girls?” he asked Hazi.
Hazi’s mouth fell open. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never been to the dragon’s cave. My father wouldn’t tell me where it is. He was afraid I’d be curious and go.”
“Your father knows?” Georgius asked.
“Yes,” Hazi said.
Georgius climbed onto his horse. “Then take me to him. And hurry!”
The trip back to the cells felt endless. Patrick worried about Beth. They might not reach her in time.
Patrick, Hazi, and Georgius arrived at the jail. Hazi called to his father.
Tarek’s face appeared at the cell window. “You’ve come,” he said. “Thank you, Georgius.”
“Where are the girls?” Georgius asked. “Tell me how to get there.”
“I can only show you,” Tarek said. “But I’m locked in.”
Patrick suddenly had an idea. He slipped the rope off of his shoulder.
“Catch my rope,” Patrick said to Tarek. “And tie it to the bars in the window.” He tossed the coiled rope toward Tarek. The man caught it and pulled it into the cell.
Georgius said, “Good idea, Patrick. The horses can pull the bars out with your rope.”
Patrick blushed with pride. But then he frowned. I should have thought of this sooner, he thought. It would have saved time.
Soon Tarek had the rope tied to the window bars. He tossed both ends of the rope back to Patrick.
“Tie each rope end to a saddle,” Georgius said. “We’ll pull out the bars. But first let me loosen the mortar.”
Georgius stood on a crate so he could reach the window. He pulled a dagger out of his belt. He used the dagger’s blade to loosen the mortar around the window. Chunks of mortar fell to the ground with soft thuds.
While Georgius worked, Patrick and Hazi tied the rope ends to the saddles.
Patrick was afraid that someone would hear the scraping.
“What’s going on?” someone called from inside. “What’s that sound?”
“Hurry!” Tarek said. “A guard is coming!”
“Hazi, get on your horse!” Georgius cried.
Hazi climbed onto Coal.
Patrick moved away from the horses.
Georgius jumped off the crate. He raced to his horse. Then the soldier leaped into his saddle. “Now!” he shouted.
Both Hazi and Georgius spurred their horses. The horses suddenly moved away from the wall. The jerk tore the window bars out of the cell wall. And there was Tarek.
Hazi’s father climbed through the hole. He used the crate as a step and jumped to the ground. He climbed in front of Hazi onto Coal.
The merchant took the reins and dashed away.
Georgius grabbed Patrick’s arm. The soldier swung him onto his horse. They left the village of Silene in a cloud of dust.
Dragon’s Fire
A burst of flame shot out of the cave and hit the bushes. The bushes exploded.
The saber-toothed cat leaped from its hiding place. It gave a great roar and a cry. Fire licked its back and its hind legs.
The giant cat rolled on the ground for a moment. Then it struggled to its feet. A growl rumbled in its throat.
The saber-toothed cat arched its back and stared at the cave. It roared at the darkness.
There was a shuffling sound inside the cave. The saber-toothed cat backed up.
Beth tensed as the massive shadow lumbered out of the cave.
Sabra cried, “The file, Beth!”
Beth fumbled around to reach the file in her pocket.
Suddenly the moon slipped out from behind a cloud. The light poured onto the creature. It was coming out of the cave.
Beth couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Greens, purples, blues, golds, and silvers—all of these colors reflected off the beast’s s
kin.
Beth blinked. She couldn’t believe her eyes. It truly is a dragon, she thought.
It was twice the size of an elephant. But it was leaner and more muscular. Its tail and neck were long and thick. They swayed like huge tree branches.
The dragon’s head was long and diamond-shaped. Sharp teeth filled its narrow jaws. Its head looked like a cross between a horse’s head and an alligator’s.
Smoke trailed upward from its nostrils. Beth thought she saw sparks when its teeth rubbed together.
The dragon’s attention was on the saber-toothed cat. The dragon roared, and Beth felt the ground shake.
The saber-toothed cat snarled and backed up. It hissed once and scratched at the air with its massive paw.
Beth sucked in a gasp of air. The dragon was coming forward. It walked past the girls. Beth’s hand was shaking. But she finally got her fingers around the file. Thank you, Mr. Whittaker, she thought.
Beth grasped the file firmly. Then she started sawing the ropes.
The saber-toothed cat may have been frightened, but it didn’t give in. It sprang at the dragon’s neck.
The dragon swung its head like a hammer. The blow knocked the saber-toothed cat into the air. It hit the ground with a hard thud. Then it rolled to its feet.
The dragon snorted and shook its head. Then Beth saw three bloody streaks across the dragon’s snout. The saber-tooth had scored a hit.
The giant cat crouched for another strike.
Beth sawed at the ropes again. One strand was now thin. She yanked with all her might, and the strand lengthened. Suddenly, one of her hands slipped free. Then the other. She leaned over to cut at the rope around her legs.
The dragon opened its mouth wide and let out a loud cough. Once, twice . . . and then a burst of flames shot forward.
The saber-toothed cat screeched and scrambled out of the way. It ran as far as the water, and then it turned back.
Beth untied the last of the ropes from around her legs. She was finally free. She turned to Sabra and untied her friend’s ropes. Sabra was free in less than a minute.
The two girls ran for the only cover they could find: inside the cave. They squeezed behind a large rock.
Hunt for the Devil's Dragon Page 3