It’s a small crevasse.
There is almost an altar before it.
It’s rusted for years upon years of standing here.
The wind whips around the mythical nexus quite strangely.
It never really passes into this crevasse.
This is where they said there are dragons though.
I tighten my waistcoat. Get a firm grip on the buckler.
My heart’s racing. It’s no really fear either.
I really don’t know what lies beyond this crack in the world.
It’s exhilirating really. I’ve never seen a real actual dragon.
I don’t think one has ever seen me either.
I take my first step in…
and tumble way way down.
I smack on stone. A purplish/Amber stone floor.
Not very adventurous on my part. I stand up to dust myself off.
It’s a cavern alright. It has light within it though.
I don’t even need to strike a torch.
Light is reflecting off of everywhere. The roof. The floor.
There are fine tooth diamond-like stalactites on the ground.
They have a silvery sheen.
It looks like it reflects light to the other walls of the cave.
It’s a bit fascinating. The way the sunlight bounces around.
I pat myself down. All the tools are still there.
Dusts. A cleaver. My skinning knife. A couple of caltrops.
I catch my breath. Exhale a bit.
I hear a louder exhale. Now some shuffling.
My eyes are darting everywhere. Nothing around me.
It’s coming from behind a large earthen wall.
That must be the dragon. My heart beats a bit faster.
I’m not scared though. I’m just alert.
I quickly hit the wall. It’s jagged. Ugh.
Something pricks into my shoulder but I don’t move.
I stood there for a good five minutes.
The situation is real. I am in a Dragon’s den.
One can hear me and once it finds its way around that wall..
it’s going to find me.
Got to get the drop on it first.
Got to see what I’m up against at the very least.
I slowly sidle along the wall.. reaching the corner.
I turn my head around to see.
Gold.
Gold like a pure morning sunrise.
It’s practically a figure of nobility.
The refracting light almost brings attention to it naturally.
I notice it’s sinewy body.
The skin on it.. it looks latticed. It looks thick.
It reminds me of a bull’s thick skin.
It looks double, if not triple striated though.
Bulls have fat paunching that leather.
This thing… It looks majestic.
It meets eyes with me.
Oh gods. This uncertainty, not fear, is palpable.
I quickly get around the wall.
It’s smarter than that though.
I can hear the ground rattling a bit.
The echo of it’s steps makes me feel like things might quake.
It’s coming closer.
Snap decision making.
I undo one of the binding strings of these makeshift caltrops.
I’m running it to one of the stalactites.
The hulk turns the corner.
It sees me now. It can notice the small trickle of blood.
It’s eyes thin. I’ve read they are intelligent creatures.
It bellows a roar I’ve never heard before.
Rocks jostle around me. It’s screaming right past me though.
I’m still standing here. Still waiting for it to get hungry.
Waiting for that …
It banks forward.
The trops catch it’s first set of legs. Bound.
I see it thrash at them. It’s breathing fire now.
It’s golden majesty has turned into a mythical terror.
Fire careens off the edges of both walls.
It snarls its breath. I can’t get close yet.
It keeps a concentrated flame forward almost directly at me.
This buckler is now ablaze and I’m sweating in Hell.
For a moment I’m completely frightened holding this targe up.
I am resigning to my fear. It’s consuming. I could just run.
It’s bound now. I could probably climb the rope out.
The crevasse is still pretty close.
I look the sunlight creeping in. Bouncing around.
No. This is precisely the moment I came here for.
The blaze is still coming.
I fumble for a bag of dust with my other hand.
I throw it in the air as a distraction.
Thank the gods he took it.
The pillar of flame shifts for a moment.
This is my chance if there ever was one.
I tumble forward to it.
An arc of flame seems to pass overhead.
Whatever the distraction did. It bought me a little time.
I am at it’s side now but it’s still whipping flames.
It’s trying to intimidate me with it’s roar and this fire.
I did that to him though. He’s scared of me.
Of what I’m about to do.
More resolute, now I’m doing comparative anatomy on the fly.
Surely it’s just like a large bull.. just got to..
I plunge my dirk into what I thought was the underbelly.
It’s between the legs. It inserts. It’s in there.
This hide is incredibly thick though.
I try to retract the blade. It’s stuck.
The beast is agitated now and he whips his tail at me.
The sheer force can’t be perceived by the shield.
I smack into that jagged wall.
It hurts a lot. I have double-vision.
I stand myself up nigh staggering the entire way up.
It sends another vorpal of flame towards me.
I’m quickly spinning and the flame completely illuminates.
The jagged wall is full of stalactites.
Every color of the spectrum bleeds out of this wall.
The fire scores up and down it. Not on me though.
It’s feet are still bound. Thank the gods.
The dagger is protruding from it’s side.
I didn’t even notice how much blood is gushing out.
It has a weird contrast to the golden hide. So red.
I don’t have my blade though.
That’s the other part of the realization.
Going to have to improvise this one.
I quickly fumble for one of the loose caltrop strings.
It’s jowels are jutting open when it breathes flames.
I have to get it to close it’s mouth.
I hop step in front of it. A masochist surely.
I have to be close enough to throw it at the right moment.
I skip to my left and the breath comes to my right.
Phht!
It goes up and winds around the golden beast’s maw.
It’s keeping it tight enough. The thing is trying it’s
best to simply snap it’s jaws open. It’s not letting it though.
It still has control of it’s back hind legs and it’s tail.
They’ll both still end my days right here.
I fumble around again at my person.
Different kinds of dusts. Darts. A broken half tipped spear.
The broken spear is meant for floor traps but … maybe..?
There isn’t much time for rationale.
That bound mouth is going to shoot open and this place
could easily turn into an inferno.
I have to be quick.
I’m lunging and thrusting. The weight of the spear is light.
The point isn’t as dull as the blade. Nor barbed.
The point enters in and out fluidly. Red starts to cover.
I’m going all out. I am a madman at this moment.
This is pure desperation. I am loving it though.
I feel alive. I can feel every bone and muscle in my arms.
Every thrust comes back with a gaining want to do it again.
I’m felling this beast.
Or so I think.
It snaps off both sets of caltrops.
I quickly leap back. So many times.
It thrashes around in it’s blood.
I’m no longer afraid though.
I’m yelling at this beast.
I’m calling upon the fire.
It rumbles towards to me quick.
I sprint at it.
It calls back it’s breath and just as it’s about to exhale.
Just as the fire is about to consume me.
Just as my days are ending.
A beautiful slide.
One slide that I’ll never forget.
The force of determination propels the spearhead up.
I must’ve hit an artery.
I am drenched in it’s blood.
It lets out a piercing scream. Something demonic even.
The last line of defense.
It’s going to fall on me.
I quickly scoot back. The shadow of it is coming.
I might not scoot.. back… far… eno…
I cover my eyes.
THUMP.
CRASH.
I can hear something.
Twitching.
The claws grating on the ground.
I’m still alive.
I breathe in deep. Enough air is not enough.
I’m looking at the mirrored ceiling of this cavern.
I did it. I felled a dragon. A golden dragon.
A mythical beast. What I had never seen.
I came here to simply witness the dragon.
I gutted it.
It’s bravery and majesty aren’t forgotten though.
I slowly approach the beast.
I slowly walk to the belly of the beast.
It lets out it’s dying plume of flame. Not at me.
It’s accepted defeat. Death is all it can see now.
I simply stare in amazement at it.
The red and yellow swirl in front of me.
The razorspine on the leather is so lustrous.
I remove my blade finally and begin to carve out chunks.
This dragon died for me to learn something about myself.
I will not let it have died in vain.
I will etch it’s memory into mine.
Somehow this thick leather ought to be useful for something.
I look back up to the crevasse.
The sunlight entering in.
The sheen and reflection of the caverns.
Maybe this is where I belong.