“Just like you said it would.” Rachel said. “We need to leave, now. You were right, Phillip’s mob did nothing except further enrage it. If we don’t leave now, we’ll die when it burns the village.”
Leave? Run? Yes, that sounded nice. Go with Rachel and escape before the dragon came. He still had the gold from Ardose's failed plan, they could use it to build a life somewhere else.
Richard stopped just as he thought of the gold. This sounded exactly like Sir Ardose’s plan, and he would have none of it. “No, I can’t leave.” He said. “I'm the only defense this village has left, it’s my job to protect it.”
“But, Richard,” Rachel pleaded, “you’ve seen what these people think of you now. They all hate and blame you, why make yourself suffer anymore for their sake?”
Richard clenched his fists. He held his chin high as he glared up at the mountain, anticipation what was to come. “I am a squire, a knight in training. And a knight’s duty is to protect the people who serve under him. I’m not running away from this creature now.” He turned and raced off towards Sir Ardose’s old manor.
“Where are you going?” Rachel cried as she chased after him.
“The Armory!” Richard stated. “I have to prepare!”
***
The church bell rang from its tower as the dragon approached the village. The beats of her wings could be heard while she was still miles away, and her angry roars filled the air. She was not here simply to steal and run again; this was a deliberate attack.
Father Josef ran up and down the streets, knocking on doors and urging people out of their homes. “Come, come, quickly! To the church! Everyone will be safe there!”
The people followed the priest, mostly women and children, and went to the large stone and wood building. The bell rang, villagers crowded inside. Father Josef stood by the tall church doors and hurried people onward. “Are you sure we’ll be safe here, Father?” A young woman asked, her baby cried in her arms.
“Yes, of course, my child.” Father Josef assured her. “The dragon is a minion of the Devil, and this is the house of the Lord. God’s will be done, the dragon cannot harm us here.”
The woman ran inside. With no time left to search for refugees, Father Josef pulled the heavy doors shut. They closed with a powerful sound. The priest, along with the few remaining strong men, lifted a heavy beam across the doors to lock them.
Jade began her final descent towards the village. Not everyone had managed to make it to the church in time, and they began to run in fear at her approach.
As she flew over the wood houses, she unleashed a stream of fire upon them. They burst into flames, the wood splintered and cracked from the heat. People screamed in terror. Some were still in their houses when they were set ablaze. A child’s terrified wails were heard, people ran from their homes as they burned.
Jade flew back down for a second pass, another torrent of flames erupted from her jaws. This time she aimed not for the structures, but for the panicking people. They were engulfed in flames, their skin melted and flesh burned.
The dragon landed on one of the wooden buildings, its frame groaned and creaked from her weight. She heard the quiet whimpering and huddled murmurs of the humans hiding inside. She tore the roof apart with a few swipes of her powerful claws, the shingles flew away with each strike. Jade smashed her way inside, finding a woman and two children cowering together in a corner of the house. The children clutched to their mother’s side and she held their faces against her body, in a vain attempt to shield them from the dragon.
Jade snorted and hissed. She pulled her head back out of he house and took off into the air. But as she lifted off, she breathed another burst of fire upon the house. The humans inside shrieked in horror as their home burned down around them, trapping them inside and sealing their fate.
She flew over the village again. Smoke rose in great, black plumes as houses and buildings burned. People tried to run, but they had nowhere to go. Jade spotted one human, a tall man with a bald head and thick black beard, as he ran dead on away from the burning village. She swooped down low behind him and caught him in her claws. He cried out in fear as her talons sank into his flesh. She quieted his screams when her jaws snapped closed around his head, the skull crushed like an eggshell.
This was her revenge. The fury of a dragon had been unleashed, and she would not rest until every human in her path was dead.
***
Richard emerged from Ardose’s manor, a quiver of arrows strapped across his back and a strung bow in his hands. He’d taken one of Ardose’s old swords and belted it to his waist. Outside, he saw the devastation wrought on the village by the dragon. Almost every house he could see was covered in flames, the shrieks and cries of terror and death rose up from the inferno. If there was a Hell, this was it.
A flash of movement above caught his interest. He saw the shape of the dragon in the smoke, her powerful wings fluttered in the wind as she circled overhead for another attack.
He pulled an arrow from the quiver, locked it on the bowstring, and took aim. Just as the dragon swooped in low, he fired. The arrow flew through the air and struck its target, the metal point embedded in the dragon’s scaled chest. She roared in annoyance and pain.
The dragon twisted in the air as Richard fired another arrow. This one missed. He notched another into he bowstring and pulled back just as Jade flew down to attack him. He released, but the arrow deflected off one of the dragon’s horns.
She dive-bombed him, snapped her jaws at his face and racked her claws for his skin. Richard threw himself to the ground just as the dragon past over, her trail smashed into Ardose’s manor and sent splinters of wood flying everywhere.
Jade flew overhead again. While in the air, she reached under her wing with her jaws and yanked the arrow free, snapping it in two. She let it fall back to the ground, forgotten.
Jade turned back towards her attacker and stared him down. It was the same human as before, the one that had been her enemy ever since she came to this mountain. If anyone was to blame for this, it was him. She dove at him with all her might. Just as Richard got back to his feet and took another arrow, Jade swooped down over him. She struck him with her tail. He fell back to the snow, the bow flying from his hands.
Jade banked and landed next to him. As he tried to stand, she placed her front foot on his chest and forced him back down. Her talons scraped against the armor breastplate he wore, and slow cut through the metal. She glared down at him, her lips curled back and she snarled. He looked back up at her with the same fierce stare.
Richard clawed at the dragon’s foot, tried to force it away, but the creature was too strong. Even with the armor breastplate on, he could feel the monstrous strength of the beast. She hissed at him, her mouth opened and strings of saliva dripped down from her fangs. She was about to attack, and he knew it.
Out of the corner of his eye, Richard saw someone charging out of the inferno towards him and the dragon. Her bright red, wavy hair bounced behind her as she ran. It was Rachel! She carried the broken half of an arrow in her hand. “Rachel! Stop! What are you doing!?” He shouted, but his voice was drowned out by the roar of the fire.
Rachel ran right up to the dragon and thrust down with the sharp end of the arrow. It dug into Jade’s skin, pierced the flesh and drew blood. The dragon screeched in surprise. She jumped away, Rachel tore the arrow back and continued to stab her. “Leave him alone!” Rachel screamed. Each time she jabbed the metal point into the dragon, a jolt of pain scored through Jade’s body.
Jade took one swipe at her attacker. The dragon’s claws caught the girl and threw her to the ground. Three large diagonal slashes scoured her flesh.
Richard watched in horror. “Rachel! No!” He screamed. He jumped back to his feet and drew the sword at his waist. Just as he was about to charge the dragon, the bell from the church steeple rang again.
Both Richard and the dragon turned as they heard it. The people inside must be ringing it think
ing that the sound can drive the dragon away. It had the exact opposite effect. Jade left Richard and Rachel behind and charged for the church.
Chapter 22
F ather Josef stood at the podium and looked down at the people gathered in the chapel. Everyone held tightly together, gathered in the center of the church. They could hear the screams outside and saw the fire burning through the stained-glass windows. No one spoke a word, few dared to breathe.
“Everyone,” the priest said as he raised his hands, “let us remain calm. This is the house of God, we are safe here.”
“It’ll come for us!” Someone cried out in terror. “It’ll come and kill us!”
“You are mistaken. The forces of evil cannot enter this Holy domain.” Father Josef spoke. The ring of the church bell reverberated throughout the chapel. “That ringing is the power of God, and the Almighty will keep his faithful children safe.”
Suddenly, the heavy church doors shook. There was a powerful roar from the other side and they shook again. The wooden beam that kept them locked shuttered as the dragon slammed all her weight against the other side. A cry of terror arose from the villagers gathered inside, they ran from the doors, some even jumped over the pews on their way up to the podium where the priest stood.
There was a terrible snarling and raking sound as the dragon drug her claws against the doors. Deep gouges cut through the wood as her talons scratched at the old church doors. Jade grew ever more frustrated as she tore at the front of the church. But try as she might, the doors would not budge. She backed away from them and unleashed a burst of fire. The wood caught ablaze and started to burn.
Inside, the people coward away from the doors. The dragon had stopped trying to force them open, but now they could see and smell the smoke as it drifted in from the cracks. “It’s burning!” The frantic woman from before cried out. “It’s burning, we’re all going to die! It’s coming for us!”
“Be silent!” Father Josef raised his voice. He stepped around the people and stood before one of the windows, the one which depicted a valiant knight stabbing a dragon through the heart with a lance. “This image represents evil being struck down by the might of God.” He held out his hand to the stained-glass window. “I speak in the name of the Lord, and I’m telling you that no evil will harm us-”
The window shattered behind him as the dragon’s head burst through. She roared triumphantly as she crawled inside. A shriek of panic rose from the congregation when they witnessed the massive fire-breathing monster force her way through the shattered window.
They began to panic and run, Father Josef leapt off the pew and tried to make it for the door, but Jade’s powerful jaws clamped around his head and shook him violently. The bones in his neck snapped and he was hurled across the chapel.
People ran for the large church doors and tugged at them. Some tried to shove them open, anything to just escape the wrath of the dragon behind them. As soon as one man touched it, his hands burned from the fire on the other side.
Jade unleashed her fire breath, flames leapt from the podium and across pews. Villagers tried to run. One man picked up a chair and hurled it through a nearby window, but as he was climbing out, the dragon caught him by the legs and dragged him back in. His bones snapped and flesh ripped as Jade tore him apart with her claws.
***
Richard watched in stark horror from outside as the church became engulfed in flames. He saw the fires dancing through the windows both shattered and whole. He heard the terrified screams of the villagers trapped inside along with the vicious roars and growls of the dragon as it killed them.
The roof of the church began to crumble. Flames leapt out into the air as it collapsed in on itself. Smoke rose up into the sky and sparks burst out from the burning wood structure. Just then, the entire roof caved in. The church groaned and became unable to stand as explosion of flames erupted from the top. The walls collapsed in huge plumes of smoke. The terrified people inside fell silent.
All the strength drained from Richard’s legs. He dropped the sword to the ground and fell to his knees. He watched as the remains of the church burned away, the crackle of the fire all around him was the only thing he heard. He broke down and sobbed.
Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, a dragon’s roar came from the burning skeleton of what used to be a church. He watched as a pair of wings emerge from the smoke and beat the smoke away. The dragon rose up into the air surrounded by fire and death.
The dragon lifted above the flames, their dancing flickering red light cast her in a devilish red glow. She roared, splitting the air. Richard could only watch in horror at this devil made flesh.
Amidst the crackling flames and the roaring dragon, Richard missed another sound. The sound of a galloping horse. That is, until the horse came running right past him.
A man on horseback raced by at full gallop, his cape fluttered in the wind behind him. Richard blinked in astonishment as the horseman charged right up to the dragon. He held something in his hands, Richard soon recognized as a crossbow. Just as the rider approached the dragon, he fired a bolt which struck the beast in the chest.
Jade roared with anger at this new attacker. She breathed a stream of flames at him just as he turned the horse out of her range. The rider swiftly cocked the lever on the underside of the crossbow and fired again. The bolt struck the dragon in the left flank.
As Jade was about to prepare another attack, she caught a good look at the man on the horse. She noted his thick black hair, the beard which matched, and the crescent-shaped scar which covered half his face. She knew this human, she’d seen him before. This was the one who hunted her before, the man who forced her from her previous home.
Just as the rider locked his bow string in place and prepared to fire, Jade mustered her remaining strength. She took off with a powerful down stroke of her wings, leaving the village in burning rubble.
Chapter 23
R ichard watched as the dragon flew away, its form becoming more and more distant until it was just a dark shape against the clouds. It was gone. Once again, he had failed. He punched at the ground and cried out in frustration and regret. “Grahhh!” His teeth clenched, tears leaked from his eyes.
A clopping of hooves alerted him to the approaching horseman. The rider climbed down from his mount. “Are you the lord responsible for this land?” He asked.
Richard wiped the tears from his face and stood. “I guess you could call me that. In truth, I was his squire, but he is dead now. So that leaves only me.”
“A squire promoted to knight after his lord’s death. I see.” The man looked out at the burning village. He spotted Rachel laying in the snow. “We can discuss formalities later. First, you need to tend to that girl. And then work on containing this fire.”
Richard gasped. “Rachel!” He ran to her side and fell in the snow beside her. “Rachel, please! Say something.”
She groaned lightly as she shifted her head. She let out a gasp of pain when she tried to move her arm. Fresh blood seeped out of the gashes in her back.
“Oh, thank goodness. You’re alive.” Richard sobbed.
“She must be tended for immediately.” The man said as he stepped up behind Richard, his crossbow slung over his shoulder. “Do you have a healer in this village?”
“We did, but I do not know if she is still alive or not.” Richard responded.
The man nodded. “Take the girl there. Be careful when you carry her, she’s already suffered enough.”
Richard moved Rachel onto her back as gently as possible, still eliciting cried of agony from the girl as he did. It pained him each time he heard it, but he continued anyway. With her lying flat on her back, he slipped his arms under her leg and shoulders and carried her as swiftly and gingerly as he could to Helga’s house.
As bad as the damage to some of the village was, not everything had been attacked by the dragon. He found Helga’s home and most of that section to be still intact. After three strong kn
ocks on the door, the large woman opened it. “Is it over?” She asked as she peered out. “I heard the devastation, how bad is it?”
“Pretty bad.” Richard said. The smoke from the fires rose up to the sky behind him. “But right now, she needs your help.” He motioned to Rachel in his arms.
“Oh, my goodness. Come on, bring her inside.” Helga pulled the door all the way open. Richard followed her as she lead him to the secondary healing room with the straw mattress bed. He recognized it instantly as the room he was kept in. “Set her down on the bed. I’ll prepare some hot water and set her wounds, but I’m afraid you can’t stay.”
“She stayed to help me.” Richard protested. “Why can I not do the same for her?”
Helga hung a pot of water on the hook over her fireplace. “She is an unwed maiden. A man who is not her husband should not view her unclothed form. I can tend to her myself.”
“But… she and I…” Richard began. He did not know how to explain his feelings, nor did he have the time.
Rachel stirred in the bed. She reached one arm up and placed it on Richard’s cheek. She gave a tender smile before spoke. “We are wed, Helga.”
A look of shock came over Richard’s face. He found himself unable to speak, but Helga’s startle words said enough. “Wed?” The elder woman shouted. “How? When?”
“Before the dragon attacked.” Rachel’s voice was weak and strained, but she forced herself to continue. “We knew it was coming, and also knew we may not have time. So we asked Father Josef to marry us. We said the vows, spoke them from our hearts.”
Richard’s heart raced. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He cupped Rachel’s hand in his. His cheeks were wet with tears, he smiled with pure joy. These lies Rachel spoke were the most wonderful thing he’d heard in a long time. She wanted him to stay, and also wished to be his wife.
“Where is the good Father?” Helga demanded. “I must confirm this if it is true.”
The Last Stand of the Dragon Page 11