Prince of Dragons

Chapter 22 - Lesser of two evils

A/N: I know, it's taken me almost a month to update and I'm very sorry. As I've explained in a message to my followers, I've been busy for a couple of days and on top of that, this past week the heat here in the Netherlands has prevented me from working in my attic. Now, however, I've finally finished the chapter and uploaded, so I hope you'll enjoy reading it!

Enorwin was lying on his side in bed, his eyes closed, when he heard the noise.

A loud roar pierced through the night, echoing against the castle walls. It was unlike any roar Enorwin had ever heard: it was a deep rumble like a lion's growl, yet it possessed the rhythm and cadence of a wolf howling at the moon. The sound entered his ears and reverberated in his body, sending a shiver down his spine. It was the most terrifying and horrendous sound ever to reach him and for a brief moment, he was numb with fear.

Slowly, the sound died down, continuing to echo and re-echo within the castle for a while. Enorwin found himself breathing heavily in shock, his eyes wide. What in the world could have caused such a dreadful sound?

He immediately knew the answer.

"Darfith," he whispered in the dark.

He turned over to lie on his back, staring at the ceiling, his mouth slightly opened, panting as though he had just run half a mile. He swallowed hard. This was the monster he would have to fight.

That beast had managed to let out a roar so loud that it could clearly be heard miles away. How big would it be, how strong, how dangerous, how deadly?

For the first time in his life, the thought of slaying a dragon did not excite him; much rather, it frightened him, chilled him to the bone.

He forced himself to calm down. Gradually, his breathing resumed its normal pace, and he turned over on his side once more. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, but somehow, his body forced him to open them again.

He rolled over many times, trying to make himself comfortable, but it didn't work. At some point, he decided to just get up again. For a while, he sat on the side of his bed, his head resting on his hands, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Then he heard a knocking at the door.

"Who is there?" the prince asked.

"Duke Hadufried," the duke called. "May I enter?"

"Er..." Enorwin stammered, "just... wait a moment. Your Grace." Where had his self-confidence, his courteousness gone all of a sudden?

He put on simple linen trousers, a white, cotton shirt and a pair of leather boots. Then he unlocked the door.

"Your Grace," he said. "My apologies... for... for taking so long."

Duke Hadufried, dressed in a nightgown, entered the room. His blonde hair was messy and his eyes looked tired.

"I was abruptly awoken," the duke said, "by a ferocious roar coming from the mountains. In fact, the entire castle is bright awake. There is chaos everywhere, and I do not want my castle to be in disorder. I am a duke and I require the trust of my people."

"Your Grace," Enorwin said, finally managing to sound a bit more confident again, "I understand your predicament, but I am unaware of any way in which I might be able to help."

"Oh, I think you are," the duke said, his lips curling in a smile. "I would say it is a bit too coincidental. You and your companions arrive at my castle with some secret assignment from your father. The same night, this mysterious growl is heard everywhere in the realm. A growl so loud and bizarre, that I am positive it was the sound of a dragon."