The Legacy of Arthur

Part 6

"Run!" I shouted to Wes, while turning to run in the direction of the blacksmith's forge. I felt and heard the impact of the dragon against the ground, nearly losing my balance as the courtyard shook. Several things happened at once, with the first being the instant return of sky, stars, and a brilliant half-moon that helped to brighten the courtyard.

Second was a tinny little voice yelling. "I told you!" It was followed by a maniacal cackle.

I felt an intense heat against my back, and spun behind one of the stables walls as a pillar of cohesive flame shot past and turned one of the carts to cinder. I risked a peek and saw that the dragon had landed squarely in the center of the seal, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Wes had taken refuge within the dining hall. I could see him looking out from around the door frame, his face showing clear concern and more than a touch of fear.

The dragon writhed and gnashed as it turned its long, sinuous neck in search of prey. Wings outstretched, it leaped from the ground and flapped, gaining altitude. I stayed out of sight, sneaking into the blacksmith's forge. With my left arm out of commission, I had no chance of using any of the strewn about weapons properly. Instead, I found a large kite shield and hefted it onto my right arm. With great effort, I was able to secure the arm bands around my forearm and raise the protective metal above my head.

I could hear the whistling sound of a large object hurtling toward the ground and dove for the exit. The building behind me splintered with the impact of the dragon, imploding as the creature momentarily lost its balance, causing debris to fly wildly in every direction. I ran in the direction of the dining hall, but with my eyes locked over my shoulder at the uncoordinated dragon, I failed to notice a large shard of the seal on the ground in front of me.

I found myself suddenly weightless as I tripped over the shard and came to a stop on my back in the dirt. A spout of flame shot into the air as the dragon righted itself and shook off the remains of the forge building. The force of its escape whipped me around and I fell to my knees, planting the shield into the ground in front of me just in time. Another burst of incinerating flame surrounded me, singing my hair and tearing the breath from my lungs. Only the small protection offered by the shield kept me alive.

I stood again and stumbled backward, holding the shield up to the dragon, fully expecting to feel the sudden crushing weight of a scaled talon descending, but the attack never came. I realized that a new noise had joined the roaring of the dragon and the flapping of leather wings. A mechanical buzz was growing closer, drawing my eyes up to the sky. A pair of biplanes was approaching, no doubt attracted by the fireworks shooting from the dragon every few seconds.

The first plane came in for a low pass, banking over the castle, close enough for me to see the wide eyes and frantic gestures of the gunner in the front seat. The dragon lashed out, teeth snapping just behind the tail of the plane which shot out in front. The second came in a moment later, a rattling staccato burst of gunfire erupting from just behind the propeller. The heavy machine gun rounds traced a line along the dragon's side, tossing it back and over while still failing to pierce the creature's thick hide.

The serpent bellowed and roared. The second plane wasn't as lucky as the first. A stream of flames caught one wing and instantly incinerated it. The slow speed that the plane had adopted for their strafing run served as a life saver, as it careened to an undignified but ultimately non-lethal crash landing at the far end of the courtyard.

The dragon was intent on finishing the kill, however, and streaked off in the direction of the downed plane. I took off after, having no plan beyond saving the two men that had distracted the creature from devouring me. The sound of a rifle firing behind me was dull in comparison to the heavy guns of the plane, but the Wes's aim was excellent. The round hit the dragon in the side of the head, again failing to cause any true damage, but easily tearing its attention away from the wrecked flying machine. I could see the dazed pilot stumble free and drop to the ground, but the gunner remained motionless in the front seat.