Saving Rose

Chapter 7

Staring at the dragon before her, Rose wondered if she'd gone mad. She was woefully unprepared to face such a dangerous creature. Sure, she and Eric had bandied swords about in the wee hours of the morning when the rest of the world was asleep. But Eric possessed none of the dexterity or strength of a dragon. She had bested him easily in their sparring matches, pinning him to the floor with a sweep of her leg or with a wrap of her wrist.

But the dragon that stood before her would not be so easily defeated. It seemed to smile at her, its rows upon rows of teeth glittering as it cracked its lips apart. Too late she realized what was happening. As its maw spread wide, great orange and yellow flames licked out from between its teeth. Within seconds the flames had melded together, twisting in upon themselves to form a great ball of fire. With a thundering scream, the dragon dropped low to the ground, and spat the ball of fire from its mouth.

Even from the distance between her and the dragon, Rose could feel the heat of the fireball as it sizzled along her skin. It felt like the noonday sun unabated by clouds, and it burned just as bright. The fireball swept through the remaining soldiers, knocking them from their feet with such force that their bodies pummelled into the dirt and lay there, wisps of smoke curling from inside the chinks in their armor.

Then, Rose stood alone. Sucking back a deep, steadying breath, she reached down to the ground and grabbed up an abandoned breastplate and helmet. They were heavy, so heavy that she felt her feet sink into the earth several inches as she placed the armor over her shoulders, and she struggled to walk beneath the weight of it. But for the first time in her life, she felt like the soldier she had always wanted to be.

"Are you still in there Andrew?" she shouted, the sound of her voice echoing inside the helmet.

"I'm here," his muffled voice replied. It was then that she noticed the shape of a hand pushing on the dragon's stomach from the inside. The dragon roared, then promptly belched, and out of its mouth the Prince's crown tumbled.

"Just hold on," Rose shouted again, even as the dragon fixed its golden stare on her. "I'm coming."

Mouth set in a resolute line, Rose lifted the sword in her hands and marched forward. The helmet blocked much of her sight. Through the thin sliver in front of her eyes, she could see the front of the dragon and nothing else. So, she was caught completely by surprise when the dragon's magnificent tail came gliding towards her, knocking her soundly from her feet and onto her back.

The Princess landed with a grunt, gasping for breath as the air was forced from her lungs. Rolling over onto her side, she gulped down the air as the ground beneath her began to vibrate. The dragon shook the earth with every step it took, and Rose knew that time was running out. She tried vainly to struggle to her feet, tried to rise even to her knees so that she might push herself up from there. But the weight of the armor held her against the earth, and she wriggled inside of it, desperate to be free. Panic clawed at her throat, and in a moment of unbridled fear, she shirked free of the armor that held her.

Scrambling to her feet, Rose gathered up the sword once more, this time unencumbered by the heavy breastplate and helm. She could see clearly at last, and relished the freedom she had now that the armor was gone. As the dragon charged toward her, Rose readied herself for the fight of her life.

Crouching low, she let out a wild, feral cry. Racing forward, the point of her sword dragging through the dirt, she faced her enemy with all the courage she could muster. But before she could reach the dragon, it flapped its mighty wings. A sharp gust of wind bowled her over, and she tumbled backwards in a strange sort of somersault.

When at last she finished rolling, she lay back, her vision swimming, ears ringing. Rose tried to get her bearings. She clawed the earth looking for her sword, and forced herself to a sitting position despite the sudden wave of nausea it left her with. To her surprise, the dragon stood there before her, a wicked grin on its face, mouth opening as if to gobble her whole. She looked about for anything that could save her, panicked by one singular thought.

Her sword was nowhere in sight.