Dragon Point Rock 2-3

As the knight disappeared into the distance in a cloud of soot and dust, it took all but a moment for the squire to decide to follow him. He waited for a couple of minutes by a putting on his armour; chain mail over boiled leather, a short sword, bow with a quiver full of arrows and a simple wooden shield.
He mounted his horse and put his heels into its side and the beast reared and galloped in the direction the knight had gone, passing the mass of charred bodies being tended to by the peasant he had spoken to moments earlier. In the distance, he could see the plume of dust the knight’s charging destrier.
He followed till the sun was high in the sky, but none of its warmth seem to reach him as he relentlessly pursued his knight. There appeared to be a chill in the air that the squire could not shake. Clouds were gathering in the sky as they headed further and further east.
When they reached a rocky outcrop, the squire saw that the knight had stopped and dismounted. The squire copied and tied his horse to a small tree behind a large boulder. He fastened his helmet and lashed the shield to his left arm. He climbed the loose rock around the bolder and peered over the top. Bellow him, he saw a massive clearing in the side of the mountain. Loose rocks of varying sizes strewn the floor of the pit. At the far end of which there was a large black hole in the side of the mountain the size of a house. The stony pit floor was littered with the remains of bones, some animal, but mostly human. Some of the corpses had the remains of tattered clothes and armour clinging to the fleshless frames. Some skeletal hands were still gripping swords, axes and shields, all of which were blackened with soot. The squire saw the knight advance slowly from the entrance looking tiny in the large excavated space. The squire readied an arrow on the bow and waited. Below him the knight was looking around being as quiet as possible. Then, a terrible roar came blasting out of the black cave and knocked the knight off his feet. The squire lifted the bow and pulled the arrow back against the string. The wood of the bow and the hemp of the string creaked as he held it ready, pointing at the cave entrance. Another roar came from the cave as the knight tried to regain his feet. A huge head appeared at the edge of the darkness in the cave followed by a second and a third. Three dragon heads, all looking with black eyes directly at the knight, exposed in the open. The middle head opened it’s jaws and spat a ball of fire towards the knight. The inferno fell short as the knight ran for the cover of one of the boulders.
The squire closed one eye and pulled the last inch of the string back. Looking down the length of the shaft, he aimed at the eye of the middle dragon head. Releasing the arrow, the bow twanged and propelled its cargo down and away. The arrow flew straight and true and struck the dragon’s eye which caused an eruption of pain from the beast.
The knight looked up in astonishment at the rock face. He could see a small figure pull out another arrow from a hidden quiver and shoot a second arrow at the dragon’s other eye. The beast yet again screamed in pain. Now the middle head was blind, but the other two heads were glowering at the knight behind his rock. The head on the left snarled and spat ice at the rock the knight was kneeling behind. The blast of ice turned the rock a snowy blue. From his lofty perch, the squire saw the knight roll out from behind the rock, shield and sword in hand and charged the dragon. He hid behind the shield and swung his sword wildly. The blade connected with the neck of one of the heads, opening a small wound. The injured beast snapped at the knight, closing round the shield. The dragon threw its head from side to side, sending the knight crashing into some rocks.
The squire aimed his third arrow at the dragon and released. The arrow flew through the air. The dragon saw it coming and shot a blast of ice at the arrow mid-flight. It froze instantly and fell harmless to the ground at the dragon’s claws. The squire shuffled to his right levelling another arrow and shot his fourth shot. The dragon, paying attention to dazed knight didn’t see the arrow come and it sliced into its neck and caused the beast to spin round quickly, knocking the knight with its tail.
The knight reached for his knife and plunged it deep into the thigh of the dragon. The dragon turned and the third head shot a blast of acid at the knight, who collapsed to the floor.

From his lofty perch, the squire saw the knight stagger back and slump against a rock. His suit of armour seemed empty as it fell to the ground, hitting the stone with a noisy thud. The dragon screamed once more at the knight and turned to the hillside. When it saw nothing but dark clouds, it turned round and stumbled back into its cave.
The dark clouds opened and rain came thrashing down on the squire who was already climbing back down the hill to his horse. He ran to the quarry entrance and over to where the knight had fallen. A green ooze covered the armour and had already eaten away at the magnificent Minotaur on the breast plate. The heavy rain was already washing away the acid so the squire lifted the visor of the bull helmet. Beneath, the knight’s face was badly burned and reddening.
-“Who is that?” asked the knight in a horse voice.
-“It is I, Sir Cantrell, your squire.”
-“So. It was you firing those arrows. Good shot lad. Sadly, it appears I was too proud to listen to you. We should have sought reinforcements. And now, I shall pay the highest price for my pride: my life.”
-“No M’Lord, you will survive! You may not see again, but your armour saved you. Now rest, I will take care of this dragon.” Said the squire, trying to sound as brave as he could.
-“No lad, it is folly to go in alone! Look what happened to me!”
-“The beast is nearly slain M’Lord. One head is blind and a second has a critical neck wound.”
The squire rested the knight with his back against a rock so his helmet did not fill with rain water. As he got up, the knight’s gauntlet reached up and held him by the elbow.
-“Take my sword, it is special tempered steel of Astaendra and will cut through the dragon like it were silk.” He picked up the sword, blade first and held it out to the squire. “Also take the dragon shield. It will protect you against the beats’ fire, frost and acid.”
-“Aye M’Lord. I shall return presently.”
The squire took the Astaendran steel sword and the dragon scale shield and walked nervously towards the cave entrance.
The rain was bouncing off all the discarded armour from former knights, ringing the metal like waring bells. As he stepped over the threshold of the cave entrance, a shuddering roar blasted him backwards back into the open of the quarry. The beasts’ three heads reemerged and roared again at him. The middle head, still blinded by his arrows reared its head, opened its jaw and spat fire at him. The ball of fire hit the ground several feet to his left, pulverising the earth into a black crystal plate. The squire seized the shield and hid beneath it as the right head blew a blizzard of ice at him. The blast hit the shield and froze the ground that was around him. The squire leapt out from behind the shield, slammed it into the face of the right head, an icicle scratching its snout and thrust the sword towards the beast’s chest. His blow was slightly short, and just cut the animal, which reared in anger, claws gouging at the dragon shield.
The squire took a step forward and thrust again at the chest of the dragon. This time, the cut was deeper and drew a gush of blood. One of the heads circled round and shot a blast of acid him. He quickly jumped back behind the cover of his shield as the blast splashed against it, spraying acid everywhere. The squire took the blade of the sword, wiped it along the shield front in the gooey acid. The blade started to sizzle and smoulder so he thrust it again deep into the chest of the beast. The blade lodged solidly into dragon bone. The squire, hearing the cries of pain from the dragon ran for cover followed by blasts of ice and flame to his left and right. He dived behind a rock and curled up into a ball beneath the dragon shield.
The dragon was still screaming in pain and rearing onto its hind legs. It tried to flap it’s wings but the injuries it had sustained were too much and it fell back to the ground, hitting with a loud thump and a final growl.
When the beast had been quiet for several moments, the squire lifted the dragon shield off him and peered over the rock. The beast lay with all 4 remaining eyes closed, green blood pooling under it’s belly, mixing with the rain. The squire approached cautiously, his own sword in hand, shield raised. He stopped short of the beast and poked it with the tip of his sword. The beast did not flinch nor make a sound.
The squire circled the dragon and found the Astaendran steel sword still lodged in its chest. He heaved on the dragon bone hilt and pulled it free. The acid he had wiped off the shield had reduced the perfect edges of the sword to viscous curls and barbs. More green blood pumped from the animals chest now the wound had been opened.
The squire took the newly liberated sword, swung at the neck of the first head and cut through the flesh as if it were silk.

The journey back was long and slow because the squire had to guide the cart he had taken from the village through several deep ruts in the compacted earth road. The cart had the three severed heads of the dragon and the injured knight who was in a lot of pain, but stable enough to travel.
It took them two days to reach the inn they had slept in on the first night. This time, the squire and the knight slept inside in the same room. He fed the knight his evening and morning meal and helped him back in to the cart the next day. They had hidden the dragon heads in the back of the inn. The final leg of the journey took them till the next evening. They had to stay outside the city walls as the gates were closed by the time they reached the outer wall.
The next morning, once the gates opened, they passed through and made way to the castle gates.
-“What do you want here?” asked a guard on the gate.
-“I am here with Sir Cantrell who has returned from his quest set by the king.” The squire answered.
The guard looked at the squire, the old man sitting next to him and the large rough blanket thrown over the back of the cart. He took one look at his colleague and they both laughed. “Sure kid, and I’m the princess!” Both guards laughed again.
-“This is Sir Cantrell, the Dragonslayer. We have slain the hydra in the West and have returned to show the king,” the squire answered. “I must see him now” he insisted.
Both guards laughed again and stepped forward. “Listen kid, you are very humorous, but you are no squire, and that,” the guard pointed at the knight, lying in the back of cart “Is no… Dragonslayer.” He said mockingly.
The knight, listening to the commotion climbed down from the cart, and felt his way to the front.
-“I am Sir Cantrell, and you are obstructing a knight on a quest given to him by your king!” said the knight weekly. He pulled out a scroll with a green wax seal of a Minotaur and showed it to the guard. The guard took it with a smile on his face which quickly went when he read the scroll. He stood to attention and ushered his colleague to open the gate. The knight fumbled his way back to the back of the cart and climbed in next to the severed dragon heads.
The cart lurched forward and through the portcullis. As they trundled through the courtyard, the cobbles shook the blanket off and fell to the floor. The three dragon heads were laid bare. A piercing scream from a passing milkmaid startled the squire and the horse whinnied loudly. Guards approached from all angles to investigate the noise. The guards asked the squire to explain himself and was dragged off the cart and frogmarched to the main hall. The knight was helped down by a maid and also taken to the great hall.
The great hall was full with the court and their attenders. They all turned their head with a start as the doors were flung open and the squire was pushed through. He was marched down the aisle and placed in front of the king.
-“Explain the meaning of this interruption at once!” The king demanded.
-“Pardon Your Grace, but this boy was found in the courtyard causing a disturbance. He has a cart full of grotesque heads.”
-“Is this the truth, boy?” asked a knight sitting to the right of the king.
-“Aye, My Lord, Your Grace, I am the squire of Sir Cantrell who you sent to slay the dragon in the West. We have returned with proof that the beast is dead.”
-“Is that so? Then where is Sir Cantrell? Why as he not returned to me himself?” The king asked.
-“I am here, Your Grace!” a voice boomed from the back of the hall. The knight had been lead in by the maid and was standing with his Astaendran sword in hand. His burnt eyes had been covered with a rap of linen.
-“Sir Cantrell,” the king said hesitantly. “What happened to you?”
-“I attacked the dragon as you asked, however, it was a hydra,” there was a collective gasp from the crowd in the hall. “It was a tougher foe than I had thought. If it were not for my squire here, who managed to injure the dragon and then slain it with this sword” he held up his sword. “I was left blinded by the dragon and unable to finish this task. It is my squire, young Robert Drayton, who is your hero.”
The king looked at the knight, then at the squire, then back at the knight. Then he belly laughed and cheered.
“Robert Drayton, you have my thanks and the thanks of everyone in this kingdom. You Shall be rewarded forth with. Sir Cantrell, may I borrow your sword?”
Sir Cantrell took the sword and held it out blindly to the king. A servant approached and took the sword from him and gave it to the king.
“Robert Drayton: kneel,” the king said in a booming voice. He unsheathed the sword with a sing of steel. He tapped the squire on each shoulder. “Now rise, Sir Drayton, The Knight-Aide.