Tales of Fire and Ruin

To Slay a Dragon

I smelled the copper tang of death before I saw a carcass. The trail of blood on the path started as nothing but a light spotting. A few feet further, it grew into a thick streak of reddish brown which led to the remains of a deer that was missing its body from the waist down. Sharp teeth had cleaved skin, fat, and bone, leaving the animal's entrails oozing freely into the snow. There was no stench of decay in the biting cold, but I still felt the urge to squeeze my nose shut while my guide, Endris, crouched to study the carcass. 

"The dragon's nest shouldn't be far now." Endris' braided dark hair slipped around the curve of his shoulder to his back as he turned to look at me. "The tracks are fresh, and the deer died no longer than a few hours ago."

"Ah, good," I said, nudging the half-eaten carcass with my boot. "If I ask the dragon nicely, you think it will make me a fire? I'm freezing."

Endris groaned as he rose to his feet. "We part ways now," he said. "Finally."

"Aw, I'll miss you too, Endris."

I looked up at the steep path ahead of me. It'd lead further up the mountains and to a dragon's nest, where I would have to face the beast alone. Such were the rules. Man versus dragon, with no interruptions and no help. Endris was only here to act as my guide through the mountain passages. 

The Serpentine Mountains could easily be mistaken for a serene place. Ice crystals growing on sheer cliffs sparkled in the sunlight. Pine trees reached higher than the queen's castle to the heavens, and at the summit, one could overlook valleys of green, stretching into the distance as far as the eye could see. Wind whistled along the slopes of looming mountains, eager to engulf trespassers and fling them off the crumbling paths. It was a long way down from here.  

For all his moodiness, I was still grateful I took Endris with me. Some refused to 'waste' the coin. Many of those people never returned, or so the innkeeper at the Last Stop had claimed. There was some ulterior motive there, given that she also received a share when she recommended guides like Endris to travellers. 

"This is your last chance to change your mind, Laurence," Endris said. "You don't need to do this. You can leave the beast in peace."

I turned to Endris. His dark brown eyes bored into mine, solemn and pleading. "You know, you keep saying that," I said. "But if you don't want people to slay dragons, consider stop guiding them up these mountains and finding them dragons."

Endris sighed. "You're right. I don't believe in these hunts. The beasts never leave this mountain. They keep to themselves, and we should offer them the same courtesy. But lofty morals do not put coin in my pocket. So, if you're certain of this..." Endris pointed at the path up ahead. "The wind is in your favour; it won't be able to smell you coming. You will have one surprise shot if you're quiet."

I tapped my chin. "I don't know, Endris. Being quiet is going to be a challenge."

"Right, I don't know what I was thinking. Maybe you can crack jokes until the dragon loses its will to live."

"Sounds good. I'll do that. Maybe the dragon does like my jokes and it will give me one of its teeth willingly."

Endris shot me a tight-lipped smile. "I know this is all fun to you, but a dragon is not a joke. Be careful and don't be long — I think commander Ytel may try to leave without you. He was muttering about wanting a quiet ride home last time I saw him."

"I'll try not to make the fight drag on. Get it? Drag on?"

"... I hope the dragon eats you." Endris ducked deeper into his leather coat and turned away from me.