They hurriedly ride to the dragon's lair. The sun is at its peak as the soldiers dismount and prepare to enter the cave. About half of them quickly form a circle around the cave to defend should the dragon emerge. The captain then says to the knight,
"Now, show me what you speak of if it be so."
"Apparently, you and the king do not believe of what I have done," states the knight. He then slowly dismounts and sadly says, "Follow me, and you shall see."
The knight, holding a torch, and the captain, and several soldiers, some also with torches, follow behind. It is obvious by the look on the soldier's faces that they are fearful of what lies ahead. They enter the cave and at first see nothing but darkness. They continue to follow, torches held high following the knight, into the second cavern entrance. They again see nothing until the knight turns his torch towards the stream. The soldiers, holding their torches, do the same and they are shocked to see what's beside them. There, right before them, lies the huge body of the dragon, bound, with two dark hollow pits on its face where once his eyes were. Blood still runs from their sockets down his cheeks into the water turning it a deep red. The sight of it is so frightening that three soldiers run out of the cave. The rest draw their swords and move back against the wall of the cave and remain silent. The captain orders them to remain.
"So, the king will be pleased that you have been truthful," states the captain.
Before the knight can reply, a deep groan can be heard from the dragon as he then speaks,
"Is that you, Reginald?"
"It is I," answers the captain as he draws his sword out of its scabbard and walks to the water's edge. He then enters and wades bravely to the side of the dragon.
"So, it seems you still believe that it was I who killed your father. No doubt you were told this by the one who had your father killed," states the dragon.
"You are wasting what little breath you have left, dragon," says the captain as he stabs the dragon's side with the tip of his sword. The dragon jerks in response to the pain but the vines hold tight.
"So, I guess what you do now is in revenge?"
"I am doing this to be sure that you are bound securely for the safety of my men and the knight," replies the captain.
He now jabs his sword into the dragon's wing. Again the dragon jerks in response to the pain but the vines do not give.
"Before the knight finishes me I must tell you of how your father died," says the dragon.
"I know how he died!" states the captain.
"You know only lies!" replies the dragon.
The captain now stabs the legs of the dragon and each time the dragon bolts and groans with pain but again the vines do not break.
The knight, not being able to see his friend being so abused, speaks up.
"Captain, why do you torture the dragon so? Do you not see he is well secured. Has he not endured enough agony?"
The captain ignores the knight and moves to the dragon's tail. He stares into the water and sees the rotted vines securing the dragon's tail and wonders whether they will hold. This reminds him back to when he found his father's body floating in the water near his favorite fishing spot. His body had two stab wounds in his back and he often wondered how could the dragon have done this for the dragon's teeth or claws would have left a much bigger wound. The punctures seemed like those caused by a dagger. He also noticed tracks of the dragon as well as boot prints of two men and his father's bare feet. The boot prints seemed to show a scuffle that took place with the dragon. At the time this happened he was but a child and he admired the king greatly, so, when the king told him that the dragon killed his father, he believed him beyond a doubt, but for several years now he has been unsure. The dragon continues,
"I was flying over a spot on a riverbank where your father and I frequently fished. I then saw your father fishing there. I circled above wishing that I could be a man again fishing with him. Out of the brush, I saw two of the king's men appear and stab your father in the back twice. They then threw him into the river. I quickly flew down and devoured the killers but I was too late to save your father. I have forever been sorry for not being quick enough."
Suddenly the captain realizes that the dragon may be telling the truth. All the things the dragon has just said makes sense. Have I been a fool? Was it the king's men who killed my father? Could I have been so deceived by the king? I do not know the truth, but I must obey the oath of loyalty that I pledged to the king. As he looks at the vines holding down the tail and sees that they are rotten and may be easily broken, he thinks, what am I to do? Several minutes pass as he just stares into the water. He now thinks of what he told the knight about obeying what your heart rules and ignoring your duties.
The knight wonders why the captain is taking so long at the dragon's tail. So what, if the captain sees the rotted vines? What does it matter now? If the dragon were to get loose now, what harm would he be with no eyes? he thinks.
The captain then slowly wades out of the stream and walks toward the knight.
The knight knows that the captain will now order him to slay the dragon and wonders if he has the courage to do this. He now feels that there is no escape. He knows what he must be forced to do next, and he thinks he cannot do it.
But what he thinks will happen next, does not. And what happens next is totally unexpected.
VOCÊ ESTÁ LENDO
Don't Kill My Love
FantasiaA 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.
