The Beast Beneath

I was inspired by my dad who wrote a short story that got published last year. He got diagnosed with MS after being sick all last year.

• Fantasy
• Religion
• Spirituality & New Age
• Action and Adventure

								
Dragons. Why did it always have to be dragons? A week ago the king of Iluzion Lurra, Thomas Fitzgerald, announced the kidnapping of his daughter. We were all shocked and the kingdom had been in a brief state of turmoil. Brief. Then outrage. Especially when word came out that a beastly dragon was behind it. So our king ordered all knights, and not just any knights but the bravest in the land, to assemble at his castle. Which is where I come in. I, the brave lord of Gwerrier Vale. I lived over ninety leagues away and made the long journey to speak with our beloved king.
I arrived at castle Iluzion late at night. The large dark-stone castle stood like a pillar against the warm starry night. I left my horse in the royal stables which were almost packed to the brim with animals and hay and strode up to the famous castle.
 I lost my way as soon as I took a few turns inside, the floor was lavished with multi-colored rugs and the cold walls were adorned with tapestries of fantastical beasts. I wandered around the maze-like halls a while until I heard a commotion coming from the next corner. I carefully peered around the wall, worried I wasn't supposed to be here, and found guards posted at doors leading into the king's meeting hall. Thank God! Hope I’m not late. I mumbled a quick greeting to the guards and stepped inside the next room. What I saw took my breath away. 
A long pearly white stone table sat in the middle of the room and shiny gold pots filled with exotic plants inhabited every corner. Ripped paintings of various battle scenes hung about the smooth stone walls and a beautiful crystal chandelier shone above from a ceiling several feet high. A few treasures were messily scattered about the floor. The room looked like someone had been on a rampage but hadn't had enough time to clean up.
The king sat in his chair at the end of the table looking tired and very distraught. His brown hair was disheveled and his pale green eyes shadowed. He wore a navy blue robe with an elegant, red-furred cape and a bright gold crown bejeweled with rubies. Knights in their silver armor crowded the table talking loudly over each other. I walked in unnoticed and sat down watching the cacophony. 
“King Fitzgerald, is it true what we’ve heard about your daughter being abducted?” I asked. The authority in my voice quieted the others and the king peered at me with a fire burning in his eyes. The room stilled.
“Yes, why else would I call you all here? And why would the whole kingdom think my daughter was stolen? Who are you?”
“My name is Jeremiah Paxton. My intention is not to offend you, Your Majesty Just to be enlightened on the situation.”
The room visibly relaxed. The king seems to be very touchy. Maybe I should stay quiet for a while.
King Fitzgerald stood to address his small army of knights. 
“Last week my only child and heir to the throne, Anastasia, was kidnapped by a hideous dragon. We found evidence of a dragon outside the castle when it arrived at night for my daughter. I must admit she could be dead by now but I must be sure before this kingdom can go on. I need you-” at this point, he opened his arms as if embracing all of us. “-to go after the foul creature and get Anastasia back if possible-” here he grimaced and dropped his arms. “I will not make any of you go but I do ask that you think of the kingdom when you make your decision.”  He left out a door behind his chair and as soon as he left the others started making excuses and boasting about past triumphs. Soon only a few still sat at the table. We all stared at each other daring one another to leave. No one did.
There are hardly a handful of us left! barely enough to fight a dragon!
I stood up looking at the other four through my gray eyes. 
“Is it just us? We’re the only ones brave enough to go on a mission for the princess no less!” I exclaimed.
A clean-cut young man with curly red hair and a bright grin, who couldn't have seen a day's battle, jumped up and walked over shaking my tanned hand with excitement. “Lord Orvyn Godwin at your service! And as I see it Lord Jeremiah we, the ones who choose to go on this dangerous quest to save the fair maiden, will attain more than the cowards who refused! Not to mention few can say they've vanquished a dragon!” He bubbled friendly. 
I immediately liked this man. He reminded me of childhood friends. The other three knights were Lord Crispin Langley,  Lord Bard Underwood, and Lord Lothar Kendrick, Lothar and Crispin were cousins. All three formidable comrades and I must admit since the day we met and started our journey we have all grown to be close friends.
In the week since that meeting, we’ve been following the path of the dragon over hot sandy deserts. We passed through dunes and barren lifeless valleys. The road so far had been mostly uneventful except for two hostile drifters, thankfully. 
About an hour ago we made camp in a shallow pit in a vast woodland. Evening had come and we sat on the lush light blue-green grass around a bright campfire. We listened intently to one another’s stories about previous quests and roasted some of our meaty rations. Owls, and crickets joined in the noise in a kind of relaxing hum. 
Lord Lothar stared into the fire and after the laughter died away, lifted his silvery blonde head and peered into each of our eyes with brotherly fondness. 
“I’ve been thinking lately about our journey. What we have gotten ourselves into is madness. Most of us have families to get back to. Lord Crispin has six children waiting for him and Lord Bard has a pregnant wife. We are most certainly going to die on this quest and what will happen to those we’ve left behind? I don’t want to leave my wife like that. I think those with a family waiting for them should feel no shame leaving and returning if they so choose.” 
“I knew what I signed up for when I joined you all. If I die it will be a death I can be proud of, dying to save another. I will stay.” Lord Bard responded solemnly. I could feel the bond between us strengthen even more. The rest of us nodded our heads in agreement and stared into the fire in silence. Later we retired for the night in our makeshift beds from supplies we'd packed on our horses.
I tossed and turned for some time before falling asleep gazing at the bright white stars hanging above and the moon casting a soft light on my exhausted body. 
I awoke to yelling and jumped up immediately. It took a minute to comprehend the remnants of our camp scattered around our small clearing. Everywhere bandits were attacking. I saw a tall skinny man in basically rags with a knife fighting Orvyn. I rose , snatched my favorite silver sword, and swung it at the ugly man. Bandits. Why are these more hostile than normal? They usually attack for gold and silver or their sick enjoyment but these seem ready to shred me! After Orvyn and I swung at him in unison he jumped unnaturally high, and threw a knife at my arm. I tried to swing to the side as fast as I could but it swiped my elbow. My arm stung and blood dripped from an open wound onto the already red ground. Orvyn kicked the Drifter in the chest leaving him wheezing. I turned my head to find the others and noticed Bard on the ground unconscious and Crispin impaling one of the crude fighters. Suddenly I felt sparks run through me and my head throbbed. I fell. My sight was blurry. I've been hit! Orvyn was still fighting a few feet away and was blindly swinging his sword, enraged. Stars twinkled above my head. Where are the others? My last thought.

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