There waits an angry dragon in a cave, not far in the forest but high above the castle that is surrounded by a village. The dragon can easily see all who come and go. If he wishes, he could easily devour any, but fear not, he only devours those who try to destroy him. There is one in particular whom he would not spare given even the slightest chance and that is the evil king, who, with the help of his sorcerer, stole his beloved one and changed this now dragon from a mortal into this hideous beast. The spell, however, was not completed, as the sorcerer was killed by the dragon he had just created before finishing the spell. The man, now a dragon, thinks, if only I had not accepted the request of the king for me and my betrothed to come to his castle and receive a wedding gift. Before I realized what was happening the spell had begun. The king, however, was left, unfortunately for him, with certain handicaps, one of which is he cannot leave the confines of his castle. If he does so, the dragon could destroy him, and the dragon would be turned back into the man he once was. The dragon watches the castle carefully but to no avail. So, he waits, hoping that one day the king will make the mistake that will set free this man trapped in the body of a beast and return him to his beloved one.
As he watches from above, he sees yet another of many men who have come to present themselves to the king, as many have tried and all have failed, but they still come. He observes carefully and sees someone who is a bit unusual. This one, he thinks, is different. He seems to be an experienced knight, for he has many banners that are unfolded to impress the king and all who see him approach. He moves more slowly than the others. Perhaps he is too old to put up a good fight and perhaps this is why he seems different. This may be an easy kill or maybe this one will be the one to win and put an end to my misery and finally give me peace. We shall see, he thinks. Oh, when will this all end? When, if ever, will I see my loved one? Is she still alive and does she still think of me as I do of her? As long as there is hope I will not give up. So, the dragon waits.
As the knight rides through the village he notices that the people look away from him. This is indeed strange, he thinks. I am always greeted joyfully, for all know that I come to do a good deed. So, why am I not greeted the same here? He rides up to the gate of the castle wall. A dark figure from the shadows behind the enclosed gate moves forward. The gatekeeper stares through the bars.
"Who are you and what business have you here?" he asks.
"I am Sir Anthony. I have come to slay the dragon that terrifies this village. I have heard that the king will pay handsomely to anyone who can do this brave feat," replies the knight.
"Another one!" grumbles the gatekeeper. "Very well, wait here."
He then moves back into the darkness where the knight can no longer see him. The knight hears the mumbling of words in the background but cannot comprehend what is being said and then hears the clopping of horse hooves riding swiftly away toward the castle's entrance. The knight thinks, perhaps this man can answer some questions I have, however, he certainly isn't very friendly. The knight then moves closer to the gate and asks,
"Oh, gatekeeper?"
"What is it?" the gatekeeper answers.
Have many men come here to slay the dragon?" asks the knight. There is a short silence.
"Many!" answers the gatekeeper.
"And has the dragon killed many of the villagers and farmers?" There is an even longer silence. Then the gatekeeper answers,
"None!"
"What?" says the knight. "But I have heard that the dragon is vicious and has killed many!"
"You are annoying me with your inquiries!" yells the keeper. "It is best that you pose your questions to the king. Talk to me no more!"
The knight, in surprise, backs away abruptly, stares at the gate for a moment, and wonders why the gatekeeper has acted this way. He then slowly turns and moves his horse into the shade of a nearby tree. He then sits down on a large rock and waits. He hangs his head and ponders, what an unfriendly fellow. I feel that something is amiss here. After waiting for some time he hears the clopping of horse hooves returning from the castle entrance behind the gate. The gate then slowly opens and he is told by the gatekeeper to mount his horse and follow a young escort, who is mounted, to the castle entrance.
He then does as he has been told and follows the young escort to the castle entrance. As they approach he notices many guards armed and ready for battle. This castle is well fortified, he thinks. He crosses a moat and as they near the huge metal castle gate the escort dismounts and walks to a small opening in the gate. He speaks into it for several minutes. As he returns to his horse to remount he turns to the knight and says,
"Please wait here," Sir Knight.
The knight thinks, perhaps, this boy has a looser tongue than the gatekeeper.
"He quickly asks",
Oh boy, has the dragon attacked anyone lately?"
"It is not permitted to talk of the dragon," the boy answers. "It is a bad omen. Good day, Sir Knight."
With this, he rides away. The knight then dismounts and again waits and contemplates what may happen next. . The knight thinks this is all so strange. I do not have a good feeling about any of this. I have fought many battles, won many victories and I have never thought of failure but I am not sure about this venture. Perhaps I am too old to continue this lifestyle. Perhaps it is time to stop, but what do I have to return to, only my banners, my horse, and my reputation? I have no wife, no children, or any family to return to. After all, I am well over fifty years of age. So what do I have, nothing! Perhaps this quest will be my last. I only hope that the king will answer my questions about the dragon and perhaps clear my mind of these uncertainties. With these last thoughts, the door groans loudly while it slowly opens to give entrance to the castle. He is then greeted by two officers and a stable boy.
YOU ARE READING
Don't Kill My Love
FantasyA man is deeply in love with a beautiful woman, but a jealous king won't allow their marriage because he wants her for himself. The king plots a devilish scheme to turn the man into a dragon and use him as his pet.
