The Dragon Slayer

The note

"Home sweet home." I said sarcastically, as I entered our 'house'. I you could even call it that. Ever since our parents died, I have had to take care of Sam and myself. That also meant finding a home, since we couldn't live in our old house anymore, ever since...

Well we couldn't live in our ok d house anymore so I looked around town for a home for me and Sam. At the time I was only ten years old and Sam was six. He was small and innocent, and didn't understand what was going on. I told him we needed to leave because mom and dad told us to. I was searching around town for days until I found an old abandoned stable. Big enough for the both of us and shabby enough to look like no one lived there. We became right at home.

"You know," Sam started saying, "I used to think this place was gross, but it starts to grow on you."

"No, that's just the moss and fungus s growing on you." I said flatly. We both burst into laughter. Every time we tried to stop laughing we starting laughing even harder. I don't even remember laughing that hard before in my life.

"That - was - too - funny." Sam choked out.

"I - know!" I agreed, clutching the stick in my side. Then I saw it. I small note at the very back of they barn pinned to the wooden support beam. 'You are unauthorised to live here and therefore are trespassing on Gladvarian property. Either pay your mandatory taxes or vacate the premises immediately. You have one month.'

I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach, with all the earlier happiness sucked out of me. The Gladvarian government had found us. How did they find out we lived here? How did they -

"What's wrong?" asked Sam, a trace of a smile still left on his face. I shook my head and handed him the note." As he read it his smile became a look of pure fear. "What do we do?" he asked me.

"I - I don't know." I said truthfully. This was the first time I didn't know what to do. I've always had some sort of plan but this was so unexpected - I just don't know what to do.

"The tax is 400 relids." I said, "How are we going to pay for that? The blacksmith barely pays me enough for food." The blacksmith is the man I work for. I am his apprentice, or rather servant, the way he treats me. But I could never save up enough money to pay the tax in just one month, we would starve to death long before that.

"Maybe you could ask him for a raise?" Sam joked.

I shook my head.

"Maybe I could get a job?" he started, but I cut him off.

"No way," I said, "I won't let you do that. If only there were a way to get all that money in one month." I thought aloud.

"We could.... ste-"

"No way!" I yelled, "If we got caught, we'd be in even more trouble. Maybe... I've got it!"

"Oh no. No way am I letting you do that." said Sam, catching on to my idea." You'd be killed."

"Just here me out Sam. Please. If I actually manage to slay the dragon, we would have more than enough relids to pay the tax! Maybe we coold even buy a new house! Wouldn't that be great?" I exclaimed.

"Well, the big migration is starting up soon. That would be the ideal time to do it." said Sam.

"So you agree with me?" I asked him skeptically. Sam was never a fan of dragon slaying, and I was surprised to see he had taken a sudden interest.

"I didn't say that," He said, "I'm just thinking aloud here."

"Yea okay kiddo." I laughed, "C'mon, lets have some dinner."