Reddit Stories 2019

Knightly Duties

The Kingdom of Amalor was like any other of fairy tales. The nation was wealthy and powerful with strong trade that stretched well beyond its borders. There was a king and a queen, both old in wisdom but youthful in appearance, and their three children. The crown prince was the sort of golden blonde narcissist expected in such a royal family, and his brother, the youngest, was an eager swordsman whose skill did not quite match his recklessness. Their sister, the princess, was the traditional sort, with long hair and feminine crafts, and insisted that she did not sneak out of the castle at night to act as a vigilante, despite the rumors.

Amalor was a picture-perfect kingdom with no major problems, save one. A dragon sat perched on the highest tower of the castle for the past thirty years.

The dragon's scales were red like fire or blood, depending on the light, and its many sharp teeth shone like swords. Its claws dug into the tower, which forced deep cracks in the stone. It's tail hung so low that any walking down the road would have to step around it or find another route. Not that anyone dare walk near the dragon's roost for fear that they'd be burned or eaten or quite possibly burned then eaten. Dragons were terrifying creatures.

The issue of the dragon was a major thorn in the side of Amalor's economy. The palace was all but abandoned of sensible people, and the city soon after. Foreign trade was halted as no nation was willing to trade with on that harbored a dragon. Amalor's population diminished as citizens fled from the castle-perched beast. Even the royal family was forced to relocate to their vacation home on an island south of the kingdom.

After a few years, it became clear the problem wouldn't go away on its own.

Knights were the kind of folk drawn to glory and death, typically a gory glorious death, and the promise of defeating a dragon that had been terrorizing Amalor for years was the sort of holy grail that brought them in droves. Slaying a dragon was a rare and glorious feat, worthy of any knight. And so they came to Amalor, all with the intention to save the kingdom.

None succeeded. They dragon was too far up to reach.

Then Ridley arrived.

Ridley was not much of a knight. He came from a poor town in a kingdom far away. His armor was mismatched and unpolished. Instead of shining in the light, it was dull. His muscles did not bulge as he flexed. In fact he seemed to struggle to walk in his armor. He wore glasses over his eyes instead of a helmet around his head.

Still, like all the knights before him, he marched through the castle gates and stared up at the mighty red beast. The dragon regarded him curiously, tracking his movement with one eye. The bones of the dragons snacks littered the castle courtyard. For a moment, the knight and the dragon just stared at each other, neither saying anything.

"Are you the dragon terrorizing Alamor?" the knight asked. His voice lacked the bass and confidence of his predecessors. If one heard his voice and nothing else, she'd assume he was far younger than reality.

"I wouldn't say terrorizing," the dragon mused. "But I have been here a while, yes."

"Would you mind moving?"

The dragon shuffled uncomfortably. One of its claws move from the window it clung to and it briefly wobbled. Flapping its wings and curling its tail around the tower, the dragon shook its head. "No, I don't think I shall."

"Oh." Again, the two were silent for a moment. "You've been up there a while. Aren't you tired?"

"Dragons only need to sleep once a century. I am fine." The dragon paused, swishing its tail. "I will admit my arm is a little sore now."

"May I ask a personal question?"

"I suppose."

"Do you need help getting down?"

A range of emotion ran across the dragon's face, but it finally offered a sheepish nod and an embarrassed whimper. "Yes, please. If you don't mind."

"Certainly," Ridley replied. As the dragon descended, the knight called out ledges for his claws. Progress as slow, as every time the dragon glanced down, he let out a gasp and wrapped his tail around the tower. But soon enough, all four legs were on the ground, and the courtyard became a lot more crowded with both the dragon and the knight in it.

Again, awkward silence filled the air. With the dragon on the ground, Ridley was reminded of just how large it was. The dragon was acutely aware of the sword on the knight's hip, and though he did not seem like the strongest knight, a sword was a sword.

"Thank you," the dragon said quietly.

"No worries," Ridley replied. "May I ask why you didn't come down on your own? Or simply fly away?"

"So long as you don't repeat it," the dragon replied. Ridley was unsure if he was joking, but decided to agree that he wouldn't. "The truth of the matter is, I am afraid of heights. I didn't mean to stay on top of the tower, but I got too far up to come down. I know it's silly for a dragon to be afraid of heights, but here I am."

"I understand," Ridley replied. "I became a knight because my father wanted to be one, but I'm actually afraid of crowds and horse-riding and getting hurt. And insects. And I get nervous around princesses."

Instead of laughing, the dragon nodded. "I imagine that you will want to avoid the celebration, now that I am off the roof. Perhaps we could leave together? I would not mind having someone help me down from future towers"

"Yes," Ridley said without hesitation. "Where are you heading to next?"

"Somewhere low, perhaps underground."

"That sounds nice."

With a newfound friendship, the pair left the castle courtyard and Alamor. Years later, rumors of the mysterious knight would spread through the kingdom. The story would change with time, with the fight becoming greater and more spectacular. Many would claim the saw the knight leap from building to building, chasing after the flying beast and dodging fire. Dragons told the story of a mighty dragon who ravaged a kingdom for thirty years before defeating the strongest knight they could find.

And those that knew the truth were content to keep it secret as they retired to a lake by a cave at the base of the mountain, away from heights, crowds, and glory seeking knights.