“Is this a good idea?” Beth asked.
“We must think of a way to escape,” Sabra said. “And we can’t let those horrible creatures see us.”
They peeked out at the dragon and the saber-toothed cat. The cat was prowling back and forth in front of the dragon. It seemed to be looking for an opening to strike.
“Do you think the saber-tooth attacked the sheep . . . and your shepherd?” Beth asked.
Sabra nodded. “The claw marks around the post were too small to belong to the dragon.”
“And the tracks,” Beth said. “Those were paw prints. And the white fur in the bushes. The dragon was being blamed for the saber-tooth’s work.”
The dragon’s roar shook Beth and Sabra out of their conversation. The two creatures were watching each other.
“What do we do?” Beth asked.
“I see no way out,” Sabra said.
The saber-tooth leaped for a strike. The dragon countered with another blast of fire. Red and orange flames lit up the girls’ faces.
A strange whining sound came from behind them.
“Did you hear that?” Sabra asked. “It’s coming from deep in the cave.”
“Uh-huh,” Beth said and then swallowed hard. She looked back into the cave.
Shimmering light seemed to be coming from deep in the darkness.
“I see moonlight. I think there’s a back way out,” Beth said. She didn’t like the idea of going deeper into the cave. But it was their only way to get away from the beasts. She slowly moved into the darkness.
Sabra came up behind her.
They rounded a wide bend in the cave wall. Then they came to a huge chamber. Small fires were scattered around the room. The firelight reflected on the surface of a wide pool of water. Beth could smell seawater. “I think there’s a way out,” she said. “But we’ll have to swim across.”
“No,” Sabra said. “There could be an undertow. We could be dragged out to sea.”
Then Beth gasped and pointed. At the edge of the water was a small dragon. It lifted its head sleepily.
“A baby?” Sabra said.
The small dragon turned toward her voice. It blinked at the girls and whined again.
“The dragon was protecting its baby from the saber-tooth,” Beth said.
A bright flash from behind them made the two girls jump.
Heavy thumps echoed throughout the cave and shook the floor.
“The dragon!” Beth cried.
They flattened themselves against the cave wall. Beth found a crack in the wall to slide into. She pulled Sabra after her.
The mother dragon thundered into the chamber.
The baby dragon screeched. Its mother moved toward it and made a deep trilling sound.
Beth thought it sounded almost like a purr. The beasts pressed close to nuzzle each other.
“Time for us to go,” Beth whispered.
Sabra nodded.
The girls edged toward the cave opening. They’d made it only a short distance when the dragon roared.
Dust and small rocks fell from the ceiling.
Beth turned in time to see the mother dragon rushing toward them. It was snorting hot flames.
“Run!” Beth screamed.
Battle at the Cave
The moonlight was still bright overhead. Patrick sat behind Georgius on a gray, spotted horse. Georgius carefully guided his horse across the uneven ground.
Tarek and Hazi kept pace on the black mare, Coal.
“The place of sacrifice is just ahead,” Tarek called out.
They raced over the hill. And then the horses were reined to a stop. The four friends were near the wooden post. Georgius leaped from his horse and drew his sword. It glinted in the pale moonlight.
“There are tracks here!” he shouted. The Roman soldier knelt by the post and searched the ground.
Tarek and Hazi climbed off Coal. She suddenly reared up, whinnied, and then bolted away.
Tarek gave a shout. “The horse!”
Georgius’s horse suddenly jerked its head. It bucked Patrick off and galloped after the mare. Patrick hit the ground hard.
Patrick groaned. Horses always seemed to run away when trouble was near. At least they did in the movies.
“Should we chase them?” Tarek called.
“No,” Georgius replied. He looked up. His eyes were dark and serious. “There is fresh blood here.”
Patrick stood up. His chest tightened with worry. “Where are the girls?” he asked.
“My poor daughter,” Tarek cried. He bent low to the ground.
Hazi went to his father and put a hand on his shoulder.
A roar sounded from the mouth of the nearby cave. It sounded like a cannon blast.
Patrick stumbled backward. Hazi and Tarek moved toward him. Georgius stepped forward. He stabbed his spear into the ground. Then he lifted the shield from his back. He gave the shield to Tarek.
“Protect yourself,” Georgius said. He grabbed his sword. Then he faced the cave.
Slanted, golden orbs of light appeared in the darkness.
“Stay clear!” Georgius shouted.
Patrick, Tarek, and Hazi huddled together.
Tarek moved in front of the boys to protect them. He gently pushed them backward. Soon they were pressed against a large rock. Tarek held up the shield. The three watched, staring at the cave.
The dragon crept out of the darkness. Its scales glimmered many colors in the moonlight. It reared back on its tree-trunk hind legs and spread its wings wide.
The dragon seemed to triple in size. The wings looked strange to Patrick. They reminded Patrick of bat wings.
The dragon roared again. It snorted and sprayed flames high into the air.
Georgius stood in battle position. His sword and spear were held ready.
The dragon charged forward. It swiped at Georgius. The soldier knocked away its sharp claws with his spear.
But the dragon’s blow broke the spear. It also knocked Georgius off his feet. The soldier rolled to the ground. Then he leaped back to his feet again.
The dragon came at Georgius again with a roar. Georgius raised his sword and faked to one side. Then he jabbed at the dragon’s neck.
The beast dodged. But the blade sliced its cheek. Gleaming green and silver scales fell to the dirt.
The dragon spun violently. Its mighty tail whipped around. It slammed into Georgius. The soldier was thrown like a rag doll.
Georgius slammed against a rock wall. He collapsed on the ground.
The dragon turned toward the others.
Tarek held up the shield to cover the boys. “Be brave,” he said. His voice quavered.
The dragon moved forward. Its head lifted.
Then a shout came from behind the beast.
Georgius raised his sword. “You will not have victory over me!” he cried out. “I am a servant of God Most High! By His hand I will defeat you!”
The dragon swung around. It responded with a short burst of flame. Georgius moved toward the dragon, avoiding the fire.
Then Patrick heard shouts.
Two small shapes came out of the cave and moved into the moonlight.
“Beth . . . Sabra!” Patrick called out.
The Dragon’s Fate
The dragon turned its head toward the girls and roared. For the moment, it seemed to forget about Georgius.
That’s when the soldier acted. He rolled beneath the creature’s wing.
Beth gasped. Georgius would easily thrust the blade into the dragon’s belly. It would be a fatal stroke.
“No, wait!” Beth cried out.
“Don’t kill it!” Sabra shouted.
Georgius looked at the girls. He seemed confused. The dragon now seemed to notice that Georgius was beneath it. It began to move.
Georgius twisted his sword to strike.
“Please, Georgius!” Beth shouted. “The dragon is a mother! She’s protecting her baby!”
Georgius hesitated again. The dragon
leaped aside. Georgius lost his moment to attack. He scrambled to his feet.
The dragon backed away as if it had been cornered. The girls were on one side. Georgius stood in front. Tarek and the boys were on the other side. “Kill the beast before it kills again!” Tarek shouted.
Georgius raised his sword.
“It isn’t the killer, Father,” Sabra shouted. “There’s a great cat!”
“It’s a saber-toothed cat!” Beth yelled. “Bigger than a lion with teeth like swords!”
Georgius hesitated again.
The dragon seemed to be watching the exchange between the humans. It was as if it didn’t know which way to strike.
Georgius lowered the sword a few inches.
Beth cried out, “Georgius, she just wants to defend her home! Please, don’t kill her!”
“Move away from the cave!” Georgius shouted to the girls.
Beth moved first. She made her way along the rock wall toward Patrick and Hazi.
The dragon suddenly swept back its wing and came at Georgius.
“Look out!” Patrick shouted.
The blow from the dragon knocked Georgius backward, toward the sea. The soldier’s sword went flying.
The dragon roared and let out a burst of flame. Tarek rushed forward. He shouted wildly. He waved the shield and his arms around like a madman.
The dragon turned its attention to Tarek. That gave Georgius time to scramble for his sword. As he did, he shouted at Sabra, “Circle around to the boys. Get away from the cave!”
Georgius grabbed his sword again. He thrust his sword at the dragon. The dragon turned toward the Roman soldier.
Sabra reached the other children.
“There’s a crevice in the rock wall,” Beth said. “We can hide and watch from there.”
The four children positioned themselves in the crack. They watched Georgius and Tarek. The men distracted the dragon, first one way and then the other.
Georgius waved his sword wildly.
Tarek shook the shield and shouted again. The dragon backed away from them.
“They won’t kill her, will they?” Sabra asked.
Patrick said, “I think they’re trying to drive it back into the cave.”
“Look!” Hazi shouted.
The dragon was centered in the mouth of the cave.
Georgius shouted “Now!” and he charged with his sword. Tarek also lunged forward with the shield held high.
The dragon moved backward. She stumbled farther into the opening of the cave. Her head struck the cave’s ceiling. There came a terrible rumbling sound.
“Run!” Georgius shouted to Tarek. The two men scattered.
The roof of the cave began to crumble. Huge rocks came rolling down.
The dragon screeched. It withdrew farther into the darkness. More rocks fell. The ceiling of the cave collapsed. Dust dulled the moonlight.
The dragon and the cave vanished.
Lucius’s Lies
Beth and Patrick stood in front of a pile of stones. The entrance to the cave was gone.
Beth watched as Sabra and Hazi embraced their father. Sabra lightly touched his blackened clothes and wept.
Tarek hugged his daughter. Then he said, “Hopefully that will be the last of the dragon.”
Beth wondered if the cave really did have a way for the dragons to escape. There was the pool of water. Could the dragons swim out to sea? She had thought she saw moonlight in the back of the cave. She hoped there was really another opening.
Georgius sheathed his sword. Then he stepped up to the children. “Tell me about the great cat,” he said.
Sabra and Beth took turns explaining about the saber-toothed cat. Beth finished by saying, “The dragon came out and fought off the cat. The dragon saved our lives.”
“Where is this great cat now?” Tarek asked. He seemed nervous as he looked around.
The girls looked at each other. “We don’t know,” Sabra said. “But its prints are here.”
The five of them kept watch for the great cat. They dusted themselves off and checked for wounds.
“I thought for sure you’d been eaten,” Patrick whispered to Beth. He pulled a leaf out of her hair. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Beth smiled. “It was scary,” she said. “But I really don’t think the dragon would have done us any harm.”
Georgius held up his shield. It was scorched and bent. “I may have this mounted on a wall. To remember what happened here and give God the glory.”
Somewhere in the darkness, they heard a noise. It sounded like hooves thudding in the dirt. A moment later, two horses wandered into view.
“Cowards!” Tarek said to the horses.
Georgius’s gray horse wandered over to the soldier. It nudged Georgius with its nose as if to apologize. Georgius patted its head. “I forgive you.”
“We should return quickly to Silene,” Tarek said. “For safety. And to rejoice over our victory.”
Georgius helped Beth and Patrick up onto one horse. Tarek helped his children onto the other. The two men took the reins and walked in front of the animals. They moved away from the cave and the post. Everyone was glad to leave the scene of the terrible battle.
“There’s the traitor!” a voice suddenly cried out. It came from the crest of a hill.
“Oh no!” Patrick cried.
“What’s going on?” Beth asked.
“It’s Lucius,” Patrick said. “He’s here to kill Georgius.”
Soldiers on horseback thundered toward them. A few held flaming torches. They circled the weary group.
“Stop where you are!” Lucius commanded. He steered his horse toward Georgius.
“What is the meaning of this?” Tarek asked.
“Georgius, you are under arrest for treason!” Lucius said. He stayed on his horse and faced Georgius.
“Treason?” Georgius asked calmly. “On what grounds?”
“You left your post,” Lucius said. “You probably came to plan more smuggling with the merchant.”
“You know why I came here,” Georgius said. “You gave me permission to leave.”
“Lies!” Lucius snapped. “I forbade you to go. Emil and Cato will agree with me.”
Two soldiers rode forward.
One said, “Georgius turned his back on Rome and left the army.”
“Just so,” the other said. “Georgius is a traitor.”
“That’s not true!” Patrick called out.
Everyone turned toward Patrick.
“I overheard the prefect’s plan to get rid of Georgius!” Patrick said and pointed at Lucius.
“Mind your place, boy!” Lucius said. “I can still put you in the stocks.”
“I heard it too!” Hazi said. “I was there. I saw Prefect Lucius . . . and those other two.” He pointed to Cato and Emil.
Patrick said, “Lucius said he hoped the dragon would kill Georgius. And if it didn’t, he would have Georgius killed for treason.”
“More lies!” Lucius cried out.
“Patrick speaks the truth,” Hazi said. “We were behind the barrels. We heard these three men make their plans.”
A low wave of whispers and muttering went through the soldiers.
“It’s Roman law for Georgius to be given a trial,” Tarek said. “We will testify on his behalf. He’s a noble and honorable man. We’ll speak the truth on his behalf.”
“Silence!” Lucius shouted. “I am prefect! I command you to arrest Georgius!”
No one moved. The soldiers hesitated and looked at one another.
“Emil! Cato! Arrest him!” Lucius said.
Emil and Cato nudged their horses forward. They looked unsure.
“If there is a trial,” one said, “we would also have to testify.”
“There are harsh penalties for giving a false witness,” the other said.
The two soldiers looked at Lucius.
Even in the torchlight, Beth could see Lucius’s face turn bright red. “There will be no tri
al if he’s dead!” he shouted. He raised his sword, spurred his horse, and charged at Georgius.
Beth watched helplessly. Georgius didn’t have time to pull his sword from its sheath.
The Saber-tooth
“No!” Patrick shouted.
Georgius sidestepped Lucius’s attack.
Lucius and his horse rode past Georgius. He stopped on the slope next to the collapsed cave.
Georgius followed.
Lucius circled his horse around. The two men were now at a distance from the others. They faced each other in the pale moonlight. Patrick watched them nervously.
“You won’t draw your sword to protect yourself?” Lucius asked.
“I will not,” Georgius said. “My God will be my Protector.”
“Foolish man,” Lucius said. He lifted his sword again. Suddenly, his horse snorted and reared up. It backed up as if in a panic.
“Stop, you stupid animal!” Lucius cried out. He struggled to hold on to the reins.
“It senses something,” Patrick said to Beth.
So did Georgius. He drew his sword and looked around.
“Ha! You will fight me!” Lucius said.
“Watch out!” Georgius shouted.
There was a sudden growl. Then a shadow leaped from the cliff above Lucius.
Patrick couldn’t see clearly. One moment Prefect Lucius was about to charge at Georgius again. The next moment his saddle was empty. His riderless horse galloped past Georgius.
Beth screamed, “The saber-tooth!”
Patrick saw a huge barrel-shaped creature. It was all fur, muscle, and teeth. The beast raked its claws across Lucius’s shoulder. It tore the armor free.
Lucius screamed in pain. The soldiers’ horses began to buck. The soldiers held on to the reins to keep from being thrown off. Georgius’s horse moved back and forth unsteadily. Patrick took the reins and pulled them tight.
There was another growl, and Lucius screamed again.
Georgius threw himself forward. He thrust his sword in front of him. He reached down and grabbed Lucius’s sword with his other hand.
The creature turned toward Georgius and pounced. Georgius leaned aside and thrust both swords upward. One of the blades slashed along the cat’s side. The saber-tooth yowled as it rolled and then sprung to its feet.
Hunt for the Devil's Dragon Page 4