But I'm Just a Boy // phan

(23)

I fell asleep quickly, unaware of how tired I felt. Phil soon shook me awake, and we approached a cave.

"This is it." Chris said, examining the map, then looking up. I stretched and dismounted, drawing my sword. PJ and Chris followed me, and I glanced back to Phil.

"Don't get kidnapped while I'm gone." I said. He chuckled, touching his crown again.

"No promises. I am the king... after all..." He tried to joke, but his voice quavered. I gave him a soft smile, and flicked my eyes to Catherine, who was practically asleep in the saddle. Phil hopped off his own horse, and offered his hand to his queen. She looked at him terrified, then looked at me, her face set. My eyebrows came together, confused, but I continued into the cave.

Chris and PJ stood just behind me as I continued into the darkening cavern, and I squinted, trying to see where I was going. Soon, it was impossible to see at all, and we ran out hands along the wall, and then began to crawl, reaching out to feel rocks and puddles of dank smelling water.

"Look," PJ whispered from somewhere in the dark. I didn't need to see him point to know what he was talking about. A golden light was glowing at the end of the long tunnel we were in, and we stood up, making sure everyone was together, and made our way, stumbling over stalagmites and pebbles on our way.

I've never seen so much gold in the same place ever before. Jewels sparkled in piles taller than I was, crowns and mirrors and other golden things lying strewn all over the dusty, rocky ground. A hole in the ceiling let in a nice beam of sunlight making everything shine.

But that's not what grasped my attention so quickly when we entered the cavern.

A giant dragon slept, smoke drifting softly from its giant nostrils, its enormous claws grasping a suit of armour. Chris let out a strangled gasp, and I shot him a sharp glance. I held up my hand to them, and they seemed to understand that I meant for them to stay as I continued on soft feet, avoiding piles of gold and any other noise producing things. I finally got within a metre of the suit of armour. If I wasn't mistaken, that had to be-

The dragon snorted, and I lept back, landing in the middle of a large pile of golden plates, making the entire thing fall apart and clatter to the hard ground and against each other. Chris and PJ shouted, drawing their swords, as the dragon opened one large, glowing yellow eyes, examining me. I let out a inhuman sound that was very similar to a sheep's bleat, which, unfortunately, I understood was a dragon's favourite snack. I was the size of small dog to him, and he could swallow me in one bite. My heart pounded in my chest as he lethargically got up, both eyes open now and narrowed, aggravated.

It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea how to kill a dragon. In fact, I didn't even know they existed until five minutes ago, and the only stories I heard about them getting slayed were either by hundreds of fully trained men, or Saint Louise, who was favoured by the gods.

I didn't feel to favoured at the moment. And even if I was, the suit of armour that the dragon disregarded as he gazed at me would not console me whatsoever.

Because that armour was very, very familiar. That armour was painted in a thousand portraits, pictured in a thousand murals, recreated down to the small heart of red stone encrusted on the chest plate on every church's, castle's, and even some of the bigger houses' windows.

That armour belonged to none other than the amazing Louise the Great. This must be her secret tomb. This must be the place where she met her end. And this must be the dragon she came to slay.

PJ and Chris watched in horror, unsure of what to do as the dragon opened its enormous mouth and made to grab me with it.

"Run! Get Phil and get out!" I shouted to them, and closed my eyes tight as the dragon lunged at me. I accepted death. If it meant Phil could be safe. We found the tomb. Two more tasks until he would be free. I helped him as much as I could.

I felt a hand grab mine and pull me away at the last second, and a tooth pulled across my calf, ripping through the cloth that covered it and creating a deep gash. But the dragon's mouth only bit into a large pile of gold instead of me, and I looked up to my savior as it, confused, spit the plates out and ran its giant tongue along its now broken tooth. My calf stung- it must have been poisonous. Great.

"What the actual hell, Dan." Phil said, pulling me into a hug. He held on tight for a second, supporting me as my wound leaked blood. My vision was blurred. "You're just going to give up like that? And leave me alone?" The dragon picked its head up and looked to the two of us as I sputtered.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I need to talk to you, Dan. I have something I need to say." He pulled me away as a column of fire shot from the aggravated dragon's mouth.

"Get out of here. I don't want you to get hurt." I pushed him away and applied pressure to my wounded leg. I could stand- but for how long, I had no idea.

Phil backed away slowly, pressing his back against the wall, keeping his eyes on me. Chris and PJ ran to my side and Catherine to Phil's, and they clutched each other. My heart burned as I looked, but, as my two companions looked at me, their faces set and swords at the ready, Phil was pushed from my mind.

"Mary!" I shouted, my sword poised as the dragon drew ever nearer. I would not stand down. I would not shy away. "We found the stupid tomb. Now give us our next task!" The dragon lunged, its mouth wide, and the three of us stuck our swords straight up, aiming for the roof of its mouth.

As though it was turned to stone, the dragon suddenly stopped in midair, mere feet away from our swords. Mary swaggered around the beast, running her hands along its ruby-red hide. She looked a thousand years old.

"Did they wake you up, darling?" She mumbled, looking into the dragon's eyes. "That was rude of them."

"Mary." I spat. She looked up to me, annoyed.

"Oh, yes. Your next task." She flicked her hand, and Pj and Chris shot away from my side, colliding with stone wall next to Phil and Catherine. I now stood alone under the dragon's jaws. Mary examined me.

"Injured? Oh, poor thing." She pointed at me, her finger sparking slightly. Suddenly, my abdomen felt fine, and the wound on my leg closed slowly, the skin pulling together. I then put my full weight on it, and it felt perfect. Healed. In fact, it felt stronger than it ever had.

"What's your game, Mary?" I ask, lowing my sword to her. She smirked.

"Your next task." She put her hand back on the dragon, whose eyes were still and unblinking. "Slay it. Slay it, and your final task will be revealed."