Cursed: The Legend of Sleeping Beauty

Chapter Thirty Seven - Rise of The Knights

Copyright Ⓒ 2019 by B. R. Bailey All Rights Reserved

Horrified, Arthur ducked behind the busted ballrooms interior wall, rushing to Briar Roses side. Feeling her neck, he caught a faint pulse.

Looking up, he stared between the two women, trying to figure out what had happened.

As Rumpelstiltskin rose, Arthur rolled to the side, hiding behind a large piece of the broken wall.

"Two sacrifices for the price of one," he murmured. "Almost worth losing my eyes for. Not that it matters. After I eat you, little princess, I'll have the power to make new eyes." 

Arthur sat behind the wall, looking between the two princesses in Rumpelstiltskin's claws. Which one was the real princess? 

Who was Rumpelstiltskin going to eat first? Which side was he going to turn his head?

Briar Rose had said that the Dragon had cornered her. Of course, it seemed that she too was a Dragon. Could he trust the word of a Dragon? 

She had saved his life and had left the book he gave her behind because she was ready to sacrifice herself to the Curse to keep bad people it the Royal Court from taking over, regardless of Galadriel's' decision about her heart.

That stupid decision and her letter explaining it were why he had rushed to Skyfort, breaking his way in through the front Gates with Excalibur. 

 So...Arthur dove to his right, where the long golden dress trailed, hiding behind it. Looking around the side, he watched as the violet Dragon turned his head towards Briar Rose. Sprinting forward with all of his strength, King Arthur drove Excalibur between Rumpelstiltskin's forelegs. 

Howling in pain, the head turned, slamming into Arthur. He flew backward, crashing through part of a shattered window, skidding across the courtyard.

The sound of clanging metal filled the air as Rumpelstiltskin tore Excalibur with his teeth, hurling it into the other side of the ballroom.

"Where are you?!" Rumpelstiltskin roared, sniffing the air. King Arthur rolled to his side, picking up a large rock that he threw, praying it would work this time. 

At the sound of rocks moving the Dragon blasted fire, setting part of the exterior stone wall aflame only fifteen feet from where King Arthur lay. Even as heat singed his skin, he refused to make a sound, knowing it could prove lethal. 

Lifting his head slightly, he studied the wound he had made, seeing seared blood around it. He realized that the Dragon could cauterize his wounds with the flames he shot from his mouth.

A Dragons mouth was weak just before an attack, which made it an ideal area to strike if you could aim well enough. He had known that and had decided to use the power of Excalibur to pierce the Dragons scales, aiming for the heart.

His aim had been a foot above the heart, a misjudgment due to the angle of Rumpelstiltskin's body.

Biting down on his hand to keep from shouting in frustration, Arthur looked around the area trying to figure out where Excalibur was.

The sound of rocks grating together made him duck and roll over, covering his head as Rumpelstiltskin spun around, smashing his tail through everything. Rocks pelted his back a moment before air blew over him, knocking him lower into the courtyard as the tail passed less than a foot over his body.

All around Rumpelstiltskin were broken walls, level to a state were Arthur had to crawl for cover.

The good news was that, with the major obstacles leveled and the day growing dark with the sun setting behind the scattered black clouds, he could see the glow of Excalibur.