St George’s (Sabra’s) Story.

It was hot. George hated the heat. Especially when he was wearing a metal suit of armor that was heating up and cooking him from the inside, he really really hated the heat.

‘That merchant had better not have been lying,’ he muttered under his breath. He had been told that there was a city nearby and that he could get provisions there. Hopefully, they had lots of water.

Sweat went down his brow but he dared not wipe it since the last time he attempted he ended up burning his forehead with his red-hot gauntlet.

Three days. Three god damned days he rode across this desert. If he saw one more vulture he was going to shoot it down with his crossbow and eat it.

His horse’s hooves clipped and clopped against the dry, cracked ground as they traveled within the canyon. He’d let his steed stop every now and then to chomp down on what little plant life there was.

Finally, on the horizon, in between the two canyon walls, he could see something in the distance. Was that it? Was that the city?

He kicked his horse’s sides to make the beast run faster as their destination was nearby.

*

It was surprisingly cool. She noted. She honestly expected the dragon’s cave to be filled with fire and brimstone to make itself at home. But no, the cave was damp and had a cool breeze going through it.

Sabra guessed that there might be another exit to the cave that must be why there was a current going through it. But if there was one, it must be small because she couldn’t find it.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by a large snort. Scowling she turned to look at her captor, lying on its belly, wings folded up and green scaly tail wrapped around Sabra.

She knew she had to get out of there. But it was risky. She was unarmed, so she couldn’t defend herself and she was wearing an elegant dress which made running a pain.

She could just rip it when the time came.

Yet what worried her was her captor’s attitude. Apart from wrapping its tail around her, it didn’t seem to have taken any precautions to keep her from leaving. It was even sleeping.

Perhaps it was so confident that she wouldn’t be able to escape that it allowed itself to relax?

Either that or it was phenomenally stupid.

She then raised an eyebrow as she noticed a shield and a large metallic club.

*

Finally a chance! Thought George to himself as he and his steed galloped across the fields. Going to that city had definitely paid off, after getting all the supplies he needed he heard from a hermit about how a Princess had been taken by a dragon and that

the King would offer her hand to whoever could rescue her.

He had missed this sort of chance dozens of times. He had entered a new kingdom and discovered that there was a damsel in distress and then he’d decide to save said damsel only to discover that she had already been rescued by another knight.

But this time he was the only knight around and this time the damsel was a princess which made her worth far more than any of the other damsels. It pays to be patient.

Off course, he’d made sure that she was a beautiful princess…or at least not ugly or overweight. His horse wouldn’t be able to take the weight.

Now, this was George’s time.

‘Waaait for meee Princeeeeess!’

*

She was tired of waiting. If she had any chance to escape it was now. So what if she failed and got eaten? She’d get eaten if she did nothing.

Carefully she wriggled her way out of the tail’s grip, being as delicate as possible so as to not rouse the scaly beast. Not long afterward she was finally free from the grip.

As quietly as possible, she ripped the bottom of her dress. Now she could move her legs freely.

Casting off her shoes, she made her way to the shield and club. Feeling the cold hard stone beneath her feet, she reached the weapons.

She hefted up the shield first, holding it in her left arm, and then picked up the metallic club. They were heavy, but she was a lot stronger than she looked.

Once she had a good grasp of her new tools, she started to make her way to the exit of the cave as quietly as possible. Sneaking past the sleeping dragon.

The sound of droplets of water and the creature’s snoring was all that filled the cave.

Echoing and somehow not waking the beast.

She got closer and closer to the exit, passing by the long neck of the dragon. She could see the daylight brighter now, she could nearly feel its warmth carried by the breeze as it passed through the cave, washing over her.

Her nose started to itch.

*

First, he’ll go for the throat. That should surely take the beast down. Failing that he’ll pierce its belly with his lance, gutting the beast.

He’ll chop off its head just for good measure and take it back with him as a trophy to the king with the Princess in his arms.

And once he marries the princess, he’ll be in line for the throne (at least that’s how he thought it works), and he’d have his own kingdom.

Oh he was so close he could taste the fine wine from the banquet they’ll have in his honor.

*

She tried to hold it back. She really did. She covered her mouth and tried to force her body to stop, but it was so overwhelming. She could feel it building up, more and more until…

'Achooo!’

It echoed throughout the cave.

Achoo. Achoo. Achoo.

Sabra froze. She dared not move a muscle. Did that wake it up? Was that enough to wake it up?

It was most likely only a few seconds, maybe twenty, but it felt like at least half an hour before she relaxed. It didn’t seem to wake up. She kept on walking quietly to the exit, she was so close.

A loud groan made her blood freeze. It echoed within the cave making her feel trapped by the sound itself.

Slowly, very slowly, she turned around to look at her hopefully sleeping captor.

What she saw were two yellow eyes boring into her. The dragon blinked as it observed her and its tail writhed as if checking to make sure there was nothing there.

The beast let out a deep growl, bearing its sharp, almost dagger like, fangs at her.

Sabra, lifted the shield the protect herself and tightened her hold on the club.

This seemed to anger the reptile even more as it opened its mouth wide. Sabra could see a small light emanating at the back of its throat and it was growing larger.

Not sure what to do, she did the first thing that came to her. She lifted her club as high as she could and with all the strength she could muster brought it down on the beast’s snout, snapping its jaw shut, just before the flame burst out.

The creature made a wheezing, coughing sound as the white-hot flames got caught within its mouth. Flames escaping from the side of its jaw.

The creature writhed in pain and shook its head, groaning.

This was her chance. As fast as she could, she sprinted to the exit of the cave.

She didn’t look back as she heard that beast give out an angry roar and she ran faster as she felt the ground shake from the dragon’s stomps.

Soon enough she was outside the cave with the dragon close behind. Keeping her shield close to herself, she turned to face the dragon as it whipped its tail towards her.

The impact sent her flying to the side, landing amongst some rock at the bottom of the cliff face that the cave was part of. Her world spun for a moment, but her shield kept her from getting too hurt.

She didn’t have much time though as the dragon swung its tail at her again. She ducked avoiding it and it hit the side of the cliff shaking the ground itself and boulders at the top.

Sabra noticed said boulders and came up with an idea. ‘This is my only chance.’

*

‘Behold Princess your knight has…What. The. Hell?’

There was a princess. There was a dragon. But this was not what he was promised.

The princess stood there holding a bent shield and a club in her hands. Next to her, buried under a pile of rubble and boulders was the green scaly form of the dragon he had been told about, its blood spreading across the ground.

But this was supposed to be finally his chance.

He gripped his lance tightly before he threw it to the ground startling the princess who only now just noticed him.

‘To hell with this crap! I’m getting a drink.’

And he rode back to the city. Forgetting about the princess.