In The Midst Of It

In The Midst Of It

“Confused?”

Sir James wheeled his warhorse, Sheild, toward the booming voice. He saw nothing but a yawning cave opening.

“Who speaks to me?” he roared, beating his shield with his lance.

A scaly nose poked from the center of the opening.

“I fear you’ve come to slay a dragon. When will you have done with such nonsense?”

“Nonsense? Dragons are fearsome destroyers. They leave people and property in flaming ruin. They must be stopped!”

“You mean to stop all of them? We are many.”

Sir James, although taken aback by such debate from a nose, roared again.

“Show yourself, varlet!”

The nose was soon followed by fiery yellow eyes, fearsome teeth and a long neck.

“What thrill do you get from killing, knight?”

“Thrill? It is no thrill, but my duty.”

“So, you are led to such slaughter by a king? I thought ones such as you were a free man.”

The knight dismounted, tied his horse well away from the cave opening. Still fully armed, he approached the head.

“I wish to see the whole of you, monster!”

“If you insist, so be it!”

Slowly the body of the dragon revealed itself. Long and skinny, it looked far from formidable.

Sir James began to laugh uproariously right in the beast’s face.

“I have been sick but can still best you!”

As quick as lightning, the creature wound itself around the knight tightly and began to squeeze.

“Plead for mercy!”

“Never!”

The pressure of the squeeze became tighter with each refusal the knight gave to the command to beg for mercy.

The dragon weakened and released him.

“I will spare you, beast as I cannot slay you for lack of strength,” said the man.

His horse came to him and the knight rode off alone.