Word of the Week Story: Dragon
Saint, George and the Dragon
The Knight sat frozen on his warhorse, a gift given him by the King of the land to aid him in his holy quest. The air was as frozen spikes, driven into his lungs every time he took a breath. The thin leather he wore as padding under his armor was not enough to keep the cold from sneaking in and numbing his body. The warhorse shook its head, the action sending frozen froth soaring through the air. A light jingle accompanied the movement as loose metal struck metal. But it did nothing to make the Knight warmer.
"And so," droned the King, "this Brave Knight has vowed to steal back our precious Princess from the Dragon. He has vowed to slay the Dragon, so that the foul beast will torment us no more!"
The King, dressed in furs and heavy cloth, had been speaking for nigh on an hour, paying no mind to his frozen audience. The Knight tried not to fidget, to bear the cold, reminding himself that Dragons are of a firebreathing sort and soon he would be wishing for a cold like this.
"On this day," continued the King, "the Knight of legend shall journey onward! Fueled by passion and love, and the prize of the Princess in marriage."
The Knight smiled. Finally, a prize worth fighting for. It was fairly awkward, not generally being able to find a fair maiden who would bed him. But a captive Princess who had no choice.....? He would dance, if it would not upset the warhorse and interrupt the King so graciously handing his daughter away in marriage.
The King mumbled something regarding the good will of the gods and of the saints and the people cheered, if not for their Princess being rescued, then for the King finishing his oration.
The Knight wheeled the warhorse with a practiced hand and galloped up the mountain, rather thoughtless of the horse, whilst waving his lance about in a knightly way. He found it rather stupid that such a people would continue to live at a base of a mountain where a dragon resided, but people would do such things for convenience he supposed and continued to ride. The warhorse, of its own volition, slowed to a walk once out of sight of the townspeople and began a casual amble up the mountain, regardless of the Knight's urging to the contrary.
"Stupid horse. No wonder they couldn't wait to get rid of him." The Knight grumbled to himself. The horse flicked an ear back but made no change in pace.
The wind began to howl about the mountainside as Knight and steed ascended the rocky path, finding the easiest way through the chinks in the armor, to nip at the Knight even more. The warhorse seemed to hoard his heat from the Knight, insulated in his thick winter coat. The Knight sat frozen upon the horse, trying to return circulation to his limbs as hour after hour they climbed. After what seemed like days, they reached the cave of the dragon, on top of the mountain, as is always the case with dragons. The warhorse stopped, several meters from the cave entrance.
"Princess! I am here to rescue you! Do not fear! I shall slay this dragon and take you as my wife!"
"No thanks!" A feminine voice called from inside the cave. A rumbling issued from within the gloom and a dragons head emerged.
"Silly Knight. You shall not take the Princess today. I will kill you."
"Foul beast!" Cried the Knight, attempting to dismount and having quite a bit of difficulty in the heavy armor. "I have braved the cold, a King's long speech, and a very bumpy ride up this mountain to slay you and take the Princess back to be my wife."
"Oh, yes, hmmm," thrummed the dragon, "The King can be a bit verbose I suppose."
Being unable to dismount the Knight contented himself with drawing his sword, having previously dropped his lance on the ground. "Prepare to meet your doom, Dragon!"
The Knight gave a hefty kick to the warhorse, who, instead of rearing heroically and charging forward, just stood in place and stomped a foot with impatience. The Knight was left instead to look rather ridiculous holding a sword aloft in the air yet being nowhere near his foe.
"DOOM!" The Knight attempted the battlecry again, kicking the horse even harder, and even managing and un-Knightly 'cluck' of encouragement. He remained in one place.
"I suppose that means I'll just have to eat you now, Knight." The dragon rumbled, resigned. "I do so detest the crunchy exterior."
The warhorse gave an enthusiastic buck, tossing the unprepared Knight toward the Dragon, who caught the surprised man in his mouth and swallowed him whole. The Dragon belched, a long black trail of smoke emanating from his mouth and the armor returned, acid etched and empty.
"Armor gives me indigestion, it never fails," grumbled the dragon as he returned into the cave, the warhorse following docilely after.
"I'm truly sorry, Dragon. But if you just gave me the chance I could get their armor off before you eat them," the princess replied, "Now are you going to move the next piece or not?"
The dragon peered down at the chess board resting on a flat boulder. "Ah, my move. Knight to E6, if you will, George."
"Of course, Dragon," replied the Princess with a giggle.
The warhorse whickered in a muffled sort of manner.
"What was that, Saint?" Princess George looked up from the game, "Oh sorry, dear. I forgot."
She moved toward the warhorse and quickly removed the saddle and bridle. Saint let out a yawn, shaking his entire body.
"Ye gods. Why must those ingrateful servants always forget to warm that bit before sticking it in my mouth? I swear, if I had opposable thumbs..." he threatened.
"You'd stick a bit in their mouths and see how they liked it." George and the Dragon intoned in unison.
"I'm just saying. What's the betting pool up to this time?"
"I think Daddy is going to get another Knight to come. You and I just need to ride back down to the village for a few days, restock on supplies, renew the faith in our Saint, the warhorse. He always brings his Princess back, safe and sound from the dragon's lair."
George grinned at the Dragon and Saint before turning her attention back to the chess board and moving a piece.
"Checkmate!"
This was actually written over a year ago but it is my only self contained story with a dragon and just barely squicks by the word limit....
Comments and critiques are more than welcome!
And I had a hard time deciding on an appropriate icon to use... but I think this one fits best...
The Knight sat frozen on his warhorse, a gift given him by the King of the land to aid him in his holy quest. The air was as frozen spikes, driven into his lungs every time he took a breath. The thin leather he wore as padding under his armor was not enough to keep the cold from sneaking in and numbing his body. The warhorse shook its head, the action sending frozen froth soaring through the air. A light jingle accompanied the movement as loose metal struck metal. But it did nothing to make the Knight warmer.
"And so," droned the King, "this Brave Knight has vowed to steal back our precious Princess from the Dragon. He has vowed to slay the Dragon, so that the foul beast will torment us no more!"
The King, dressed in furs and heavy cloth, had been speaking for nigh on an hour, paying no mind to his frozen audience. The Knight tried not to fidget, to bear the cold, reminding himself that Dragons are of a firebreathing sort and soon he would be wishing for a cold like this.
"On this day," continued the King, "the Knight of legend shall journey onward! Fueled by passion and love, and the prize of the Princess in marriage."
The Knight smiled. Finally, a prize worth fighting for. It was fairly awkward, not generally being able to find a fair maiden who would bed him. But a captive Princess who had no choice.....? He would dance, if it would not upset the warhorse and interrupt the King so graciously handing his daughter away in marriage.
The King mumbled something regarding the good will of the gods and of the saints and the people cheered, if not for their Princess being rescued, then for the King finishing his oration.
The Knight wheeled the warhorse with a practiced hand and galloped up the mountain, rather thoughtless of the horse, whilst waving his lance about in a knightly way. He found it rather stupid that such a people would continue to live at a base of a mountain where a dragon resided, but people would do such things for convenience he supposed and continued to ride. The warhorse, of its own volition, slowed to a walk once out of sight of the townspeople and began a casual amble up the mountain, regardless of the Knight's urging to the contrary.
"Stupid horse. No wonder they couldn't wait to get rid of him." The Knight grumbled to himself. The horse flicked an ear back but made no change in pace.
The wind began to howl about the mountainside as Knight and steed ascended the rocky path, finding the easiest way through the chinks in the armor, to nip at the Knight even more. The warhorse seemed to hoard his heat from the Knight, insulated in his thick winter coat. The Knight sat frozen upon the horse, trying to return circulation to his limbs as hour after hour they climbed. After what seemed like days, they reached the cave of the dragon, on top of the mountain, as is always the case with dragons. The warhorse stopped, several meters from the cave entrance.
"Princess! I am here to rescue you! Do not fear! I shall slay this dragon and take you as my wife!"
"No thanks!" A feminine voice called from inside the cave. A rumbling issued from within the gloom and a dragons head emerged.
"Silly Knight. You shall not take the Princess today. I will kill you."
"Foul beast!" Cried the Knight, attempting to dismount and having quite a bit of difficulty in the heavy armor. "I have braved the cold, a King's long speech, and a very bumpy ride up this mountain to slay you and take the Princess back to be my wife."
"Oh, yes, hmmm," thrummed the dragon, "The King can be a bit verbose I suppose."
Being unable to dismount the Knight contented himself with drawing his sword, having previously dropped his lance on the ground. "Prepare to meet your doom, Dragon!"
The Knight gave a hefty kick to the warhorse, who, instead of rearing heroically and charging forward, just stood in place and stomped a foot with impatience. The Knight was left instead to look rather ridiculous holding a sword aloft in the air yet being nowhere near his foe.
"DOOM!" The Knight attempted the battlecry again, kicking the horse even harder, and even managing and un-Knightly 'cluck' of encouragement. He remained in one place.
"I suppose that means I'll just have to eat you now, Knight." The dragon rumbled, resigned. "I do so detest the crunchy exterior."
The warhorse gave an enthusiastic buck, tossing the unprepared Knight toward the Dragon, who caught the surprised man in his mouth and swallowed him whole. The Dragon belched, a long black trail of smoke emanating from his mouth and the armor returned, acid etched and empty.
"Armor gives me indigestion, it never fails," grumbled the dragon as he returned into the cave, the warhorse following docilely after.
"I'm truly sorry, Dragon. But if you just gave me the chance I could get their armor off before you eat them," the princess replied, "Now are you going to move the next piece or not?"
The dragon peered down at the chess board resting on a flat boulder. "Ah, my move. Knight to E6, if you will, George."
"Of course, Dragon," replied the Princess with a giggle.
The warhorse whickered in a muffled sort of manner.
"What was that, Saint?" Princess George looked up from the game, "Oh sorry, dear. I forgot."
She moved toward the warhorse and quickly removed the saddle and bridle. Saint let out a yawn, shaking his entire body.
"Ye gods. Why must those ingrateful servants always forget to warm that bit before sticking it in my mouth? I swear, if I had opposable thumbs..." he threatened.
"You'd stick a bit in their mouths and see how they liked it." George and the Dragon intoned in unison.
"I'm just saying. What's the betting pool up to this time?"
"I think Daddy is going to get another Knight to come. You and I just need to ride back down to the village for a few days, restock on supplies, renew the faith in our Saint, the warhorse. He always brings his Princess back, safe and sound from the dragon's lair."
George grinned at the Dragon and Saint before turning her attention back to the chess board and moving a piece.
"Checkmate!"
This was actually written over a year ago but it is my only self contained story with a dragon and just barely squicks by the word limit....
Comments and critiques are more than welcome!
And I had a hard time deciding on an appropriate icon to use... but I think this one fits best...