The Will to Kill a Dragon

Chapter 2D - A Stranger Child

It was late during a perfect, pitch-black night, with dawn not too far away. It was also Ambrose's birthday - something Ambrose himself had almost completely forgotten. The boy prepared what he'd take with him through The Corridor. Most importantly, he needed a torch to get him through the darkened area. 

The boy had this covered - his parents had recently restocked their home with a small ration of animal fats. Antonio also kept a few sticks ready in case he needed to make a torch or required some other tool in his daily life. Ambrose would start a  campfire, light the torch, and navigate his way through The Corridor. It was only an hours walk in the dark anyway. 

But the real problem didn't seem to be The Corridor; what Ambrose had to deal with to escape Dartchester was Dragon's Land. The cold, harsh atmosphere. The prospect of encountering a real dragon. Anyone would think a man mad for venturing through such a dangerous wilderness, let alone a twelve-year-old boy. 

For the latter point, Ambrose decided to steal his father's Katana (the same one Antonio took to save Rosemary, but didn't use). It had been mounted on the living room wall, belt still attached, and was just begging to be taken away with Ambrose. 

Against the cold Ambrose took his mother's jacket to wear over his usual clothes. This was the same fur coat Rosemary had brought with her when she ran away and had been handed down to Ambrose during a frosty period. The coat had been worn down through ageing but was still comfortable to wear. 

Lastly, Ambrose had been given on his tenth birthday a leather backpack from Ibrahim. Ambrose tended to use the bag to collect his ink materials, but for the journey, he had packed fruits and vegetables and even some meat. 

He was ready. Ambrose adorned his mother's jacket and took up his father's blade. He was currently standing at the mouth of The Corridor, where Antonio had begun his search alone for Rosemary. He equipped his grandfather's backpack, and went to light his animal fat torch, but came to a halt. 

A strange sensation ran over Ambrose's body. It wasn't so much a paralysing feeling, but one which made Ambrose hesitate. Ambrose was willing to lay down his current life in the name of adventure; he was not afraid. 

But for one moment, Ambrose considered how his mother, how his father, and even how Eliana would feel at his departure. These people loved Ambrose and would lay down their lives for him. Ambrose attempted to shake off his hesitation. There was no stopping Ambrose from running away...

...But couldn't he have left a note to let them know he'd be okay?

Ambrose hadn't thought of leaving a note behind because he had been so busy preparing for the adventure. It seemed the right thing to do, however writing one now meant going back to his parents' house, and he didn't want to wake them. That would mean never being able to escape Dartchester. But didn't Ambrose have a responsibility towards those that loved him? 

The boy felt very guilty as he lit his makeshift torch and tried not to think of crying faces. 

It was an unpleasant journey through The Corridor for Ambrose, and Ambrose was already considering going back. He looked over his shoulder every few minutes to still see the entrance in the distance. As Ambrose climbed many boulders and rocks, navigated ridiculously steep slopes and leapt over several uneven mounds, something else was writhing in the wind. A shrill howling in the air. And for some reason, this howling was the most painful part of venturing through The Corridor, despite Ambrose tripping over the passage's obstacles as his father had done. 

The fog began to make itself apparent, but oddly there was little to no snow present. Dragon's Land was not freezing, but it wasn't warm either - it looked like a foggy Autumn forest. The ground, rather than being littered with frost, was covered with leaves. Traversing the area wasn't painful, but was actually a pleasant, walk-in-the-night experience.

Ambrose then remembered the divine barrier. He had not been stopped by any magical force. What was going on? Knowing he wouldn't be able to get to the bottom of it, Ambrose accepted the situation for what it was. Ambrose looked back to The Corridor entrance one more time. Because there was so much fog, Ambrose could no longer see where he had come from. The wind's shrieks began to fade away, and all that was left was a peaceful rustling of trees. Ambrose cocked his head forward and began to wander. 

The adventurer expected to find the redwood tree where the fabled Ambrosia resided, but instead, Ambrose found a hill with a path going up it. Curious, thought the boy, could this be the way to civilisation? The writer contemplated the next scene, realising that he could now make absolutely anything happen. Ambrose plodded his way up the slope, the sun rising to mark a new day.  

**TO BE CONTINUED** 

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Authors Notes 

Anyone ever listened to the banana album? Personally I'm a huge fan of Venus in Furs.... so much so I put the song on loop as I wrote this whole chapter.............