Chapter 10: Priorities

Chapter 10: Priorities

‘Dragon!’ I hear the lookout shout.

It seems Stan did indeed receive my letter somehow. Or perhaps the dragon awoke purely on its own. A strong shock goes through everyone’s body every time the dragon flaps its enormous wings.

‘Lower the gates! Attack the beast!’ the third in command yells.

The drawbridge is quickly lowered and the catapults are readied. I found that dragon sleeping in its cave a long time ago, I believed leaving it alone was the best idea. At least it provides a good opportunity to escape. The townspeople rush in as the dragon comes closer and closer. My heart tells me to help them, but I know that if I do, I’ll be put to death nonetheless.

‘Aim for the stomach!’ I shout.

The third in command runs up to me and pushes me over, ‘I’m in charge here, you rascal! You will obey my command!’.

Right as I’m about to strangle him to death, the general comes running out of the catacombs.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ he shouts, then looks up and sees the dragon.

His jaw drops to the ground and it takes him a second to process the chaos. I climb onto some boxes and take off my helmet so everyone sees who I am.

‘My name is Shane Alvey! I have more experience with dragons than all of you combined! Trust me if I say shooting it in the stomach is the best option! Its chest is covered in heavy scales, catapults are useless against such armour’.

The general doesn’t waste a second and attacks me.

‘You killed the king!’ he shouts, ‘Now pay with your life!’.

‘Am I really your priority right now?!’ I ask as I dodge his attacks.

‘I promised to give my life for our king, even if he dies! Now you shall join him in the afterlife!’.

He eventually manages to get his sword stuck in a wall, giving me enough time to kick him in the face.

‘priorities, people’ I casually say as I point at the sky.

Everyone gets back in position and begins to fire towards the dragon.

‘Aim for the stomach. If given the chance, shoot for the eyes, tail and wings’ I suggest.

The dragon takes a huge boulder to the stomach and plummets down onto the burning village. All the soldiers cheer, but I know better. It takes him a moment, but the strong beast rises back up from the rubble. Someone else notices it, then another one, and another, until everyone’s silent. The dragon begins to walk, the run, then rush towards the castle, not even being slowed down by a house it rams to pieces.

Its wing has been impaled by a wooden beam, but that isn’t enough to disable it. The soldiers resume firing again. I hear footsteps behind me, so I turn around. I’m met halfway by a dagger being pushed in my side. It’s the old man, holding a small, bloody kitchen knife. He plunges it even deeper into my side, sending a shock of pain through my body. I elbow him in the face and break his neck, making sure he’s no longer a threat. My attention is diverted by the sound of the drawbridge being raised.

‘Keep it open’ I shout, ‘the bridge won’t slow that thing down, we still need that bridge open, in case we need to flee’.

The gatekeeper reluctantly lowers the drawbridge again, little does he know I’ll be using that to get out soon.

Another rock manages to hit the dragon, blinding its right eye. This, too, barely slows it down. Behind me the general is beginning to wake up. I can’t kill him. If I do, I’ll be killed where I stand. The dragon is close. This is my last chance. It’s now or never.

I run through over the drawbridge and away from the castle. I whistle as I run towards the woods. The dragon is partly blind, so it doesn’t notice me, not that it would care if it did. When the knights realize I’ve betrayed them, Toric comes into view. I quickly jump onto his back and ride away towards the cottage. Now is my chance to escape this place with Elizabeth. I grab some cloth from the pouch Toric is carrying to stop my bleeding. I do my best to bandage it, but it’s not my strong suit.

Behind me, the dragon crashes into the castle, killing most, if not all, of those inside. I made a choice, me or them, and I would make that same decision again if I had to. But was it the right decision? Does it matter?

Elizabeth embraces me with open arms as I arrive at the cottage, and I’m happy to see she’s alright. The baby is resting in her arms, seemingly unaware of what’s happening. Stan gets onto his own horse and Elizabeth climbs onto Toric. We slowly get moving, away from the town, towards another future. I look back at the burning village. The dragon’s looking straight at me, but seemingly doesn’t care. It has gained more territory and wealth, that’s all it wants. The towering monstrosity goes to sleep on top of the burning castle. All that remains of the village are embers and fire.

‘The sun is setting’ I say, ‘We should find a place to spend the night’.

I look down onto my baby in Elizabeth’s arms, and wonder what kind of father I will be.

The End