The Soldiers Vs. The Dragon

We had to leave the horses behind. Halfway up the mountain they could smell dragon droppings and animal remains. Not much farther along, the captain and I could smell those same things. Hawkwood was silent. He was sure if the horses and us could smell the dragon, the beast could hear us. As I was only lieutenant to this great leader, I wisely said nothing to him on our way to the dragon's lair.

When we reached the lair near the top of the mountain, we heard a slow and, dare I say, nasal kind of rumble. Hope filled my heart at the realization that we'd soon be facing a sleeping dragon. I presumed the creature would be easier to kill, but I couldn't be entirely sure as the captain and I had never faced a dragon in this manner. Usually we had our mercenaries, the Red Company, with us. The only real advice I can give to aspiring dragon-slayers is this: You have a better chance of surviving if the dragon has more targets to swoop upon during battle.

Captain Hawkwood entered the cave with shield and spear ready. He was silently skirting in at the edge so he could sneak along the wall of the cave. With a simple gesture he ordered me to the other side. I obeyed, clenching my spear and imitating the captain's stealthiness. I would have sorely admitted the captain was much quieter than I, and I was sure he was smug about it. Fortunately that was a fact neither of us could dwell on for long. As we walked away from the sunlight pouring in through the entrance of the cave our eyes adjusted to the deepening darkness. We could make out the form of the dragon ahead. Its bed was a large pile of treasure fit for three kings, though I doubt any king would want the entirety of the treasure. Mixed in with the coins and gems and precious stones were skulls of animals and humans. I was sure I saw bones there large enough to belong to rival dragons. A man has his ideas of treasure, and a dragon has its own ideas.

The captain motioned for me to take up position on one side of the dragon's head while he moved for the other side. He added gestures indicating we were to take out the beast's eyes first. In order to reach the dragon's eyes with our spears we had to climb the steep sides of the treasure pile. Now the reputations of both our sneaking skills were in jeopardy. The dragon's rumbling snores were, quite possibly, the loudest things I have ever heard. Yet I couldn't help feeling the captain and I were about to bring all the dragons in the world down on our heads. I blamed the skulls and bones. The coins and gems by themselves would have pleasantly chinked. Gold and bones make a horrible racket when scraped together.

The captain found his footing before I did. When I found my footing, I raised my shield and prepared my spear for a strike. I peeked over at Hawkwood for his signal. His lips told me one, and the dragon snored. His lips told me two, and the dragon snored. His lips told me three, and the dragon didn't snore. I looked up and around the edge of my shield. The dragon's eye was open. The lens showed my reflection; my face white with fear. I could feel my bones petrifying, my limbs refusing to move. What kept me from fainting was a cry of challenge. It was from Hawkwood, who was brave enough to look into Death's eye and refuse to yield. That man thrust his spear forward and pierced the dragon's eye. Cries of triumph and pain washed over me, melting the terror from my bones. I plunged my own spear forward, but the dragon's head was thrashing so much the spear point broke on the creature's scaly jawline.

The dragon snapped the captain's spear in two with a claw. The captain then found himself encircled by the dragon's tail and flung across the cave. I drew my sword and clambered up the treasure. The beast was quick, though, and with a simple snap of its head it knocked me to the cavern floor. It pounced like a cat, bringing its large teeth down on me. Reflex and the will to survive raised my shield and caught the creature's teeth. The dragon lifted its head. With my arm still in the straps, I was pulled into the air with my shield. The dragon shook my shield and pulled my arm from its socket. I managed to turn myself and sneak my sword into the beast's mouth. I don't know what I hit, but it was cut enough that the dragon dropped me back to the floor. Captain Hawkwood was back now, but the dragon didn't realize this. The captain had snuck close, now he leaped on to the dragon's neck. Using the horns along the neck, Hawkwood pulled himself to the dragon's head. The dragon reached at the captain with its claws. Hawkwood's armor was pierced, but in one motion he drew his sword and stabbed it into the creature's already wounded eye. The dragon released him and the captain fell to the floor beside me. He was awake, but did not move.

With the captain's sword protruding from its eyesocket, the dragon looked more menacing than ever. I painfully pulled my injured arm from my shield and got to my feet. The dragon and I exchanged challenging glances before it screamed and extended its neck to once and for all sink its teeth into me. Using the last strength in my sword arm, I flung my blade toward the dragon's open mouth. I was never a good thrower, and throwing a sword is not easy because that is not the weapon's intended use. So it must have been a miracle the way my sword sailed in a straight line past the creature's teeth and tongue and went into its throat. Silence came from the sudden choke that cut off both the dragon's scream and air supply. It reeled to the side, its now lifeless head landing a dozen yards from the captain and me. I sat down hard.

"Next time, Captain, we'll bring the Red Company when fighting a dragon."
"Agreed, Lieutenant," said the captain. He managed to sit up, holding his sides.
"At least I won that bet. Your share of that treasure is mine. But what do we do now? After we heal up, do we have another job to do?"
"There's a village twenty miles from here with a dragon problem. It's supposedly larger than this one. And breathes fire."
I paused. Then, "I'll bet you my share of the treasure we can take it alone."
"You're on, Lieutenant."