Just an Average Knight

It was a dark and stormy night, filled with howling winds as the moon hid behind the dark rumbling clouds. I approach the castle, the home of a dreaded beast known to have killed thousands who dared to draw near. I can see the corpses, burned, mutilated, and gored. I shiver. I step forward.

I pass the stone gates, my armor giving away my presence. I'm on foot, a single sword in hand. I'm in the courtyard, all signs of fauna and herbs had long since been disintergrated by the breath of the beast. There's only one corpse here, the others had either been consumed in flame or stomach acids. I can hear the beast's breathing from here, yet I had not even entered the main hall. I shiver. I step forward.

The castle is in ruins, save for the tower that held the princess. My princess. I'm in the remains of the main hall, the tattered rugs and flags of the fallen king still remain. Deep gouges in the stone showed signs of being slashed by powerful claws. The beast's doing. My hand clenches around my sword, the beast had single handedly destroyed this kingdom. With its powerful talons, massive body, and fiery breath, it had brought the end to this kingdom alone. No knight could stand up to it. I gaze towards the throne, where the king once sat, but my eyes pass over it. I have more important matters to attend to, The Princess. My Princess. I can hear a grumble, the beast is near. I shiver. I step forward.

I enter the gardens. I approach the massive tower in the center that holds her, the princess. My Princess. I can see it. The beast. It slumbers at the foot of the tower, curled around it with the head blocking the entrance. A dragon. It blocked the way between me and her, it is my duty to remove obstacles, so I must slay it. I shiver. I step forward.

The dragon wakes, its amber eyes dialate and contract as it smells my human flesh. It lifts its mighty head, staring directly at me as it stood. I study the dragon, its wounded. A gash across the eye, half blind. A scar of a deep wound on its chest, a long gash across its back, burn marks on its scales and a gash along its neck. It must have fought with a formidable foe recently. I formulate a plan. I shiver. I step forward.

The dragon roars, I can hear the cries of the princess in the tower. I must win. For her. The dragon starts with a breath of fire, I roll out of the way to safety. I need it to get closer to me, or I need to get closer to it. Either way, we need to be close. I rush forward, my trusty sword in hand. The dragon tries to blast me with more fire, but i'm too quick. I run out of its good eye's vision, i'm near its foreleg now, undeneath it. It's trying to look for me, having no idea that i'm underneath it. I take my sword and hack at its leg a bit, it roars and raises its leg. I go to the other, hack at that one. Its forced onto two legs. Its still trying to find the small fry. I'm behind it now, keeping to its blind side. I'm climbing its back, it roared in rage, twisting its long neck to look at me, its having trouble doing so though, the neck wound bothering it. I shiver as its eyes bore into my sould. I rush forward.

The dragon's scales are slippery, but I manage to reach the old wound on its side. I stab my sword into it, reopening the wound. The dragon screams and tries to shake me off. I grab onto its spine, and prevent myself from being flung off. The shaking only makes the old wound worse, as it opens up more. The dragon stops, this time trying to swat me off using its tail. I move up along the back of the dragon, nearly falling off. The armor protects my skin from being scraped by the scales. I dig my sword into the old neck wound of the dragon, it gives another scream that's strangled slightly. I'm finally flung off. The dragon glares at me with hatred, I shiver. I charge forward.

The beast roars and tries to breath fire onto me, but the fire somehow erupts a bit from the neckwound and caused the dragon to scream in pain. I'm not experienced with the biology of a dragon, so it was sheer luck that I managed to keep it from using its flames. The monster tries to snap at me, I dodge it. I drive my sword deep into the dragon's lower chest, before pulling it out. The dragon cries out, and attempts to grab me with its wounded hand. I jab at it, causing the hand to recoil. I slash into its stomach, the dragon seems to be having just about enough of this, however its movements are becoming slower. It's weakening. It gives another roar and rushes at me with its head, wanting to snap at me with its own teeth. I shiver. I push forward.

The dragon's teeth, I can see it. However, I jump, the dragon did not seem to expect that. I'm on its snout now, running up the bridge of its nose. I can see myself in the reflection of its fearful eye, sword raised and rushing forth as I stab into it. The dragon roars and tries to throw me off. I hang onto my sword for my dear princess. The dragon finally stops to try and use its hands. I withdraw my sword from the bleeding eye. I climb up onto the crown of the dragon, narrowly avoiding the swipe of its claw. I raise my sword and stab downward. The sword rushes deep into the soft spot of the dragon's scales, digging deep into the skin and colliding with its brain. The Dragon Shivers. The Dragon Falls.

The rain has stopped, the dragon is dead. I release my sword, the dragons blood paints my armor. The danger is done, now all that's left is to claim my princess. I step off of the dragon, looking up at the tower from the inside. I'm soaked in blood and water, but I take off my blood coated armor and I climb the merciless flight of stairs. Each step echoed in the tower, the spiraling stairs were climbed. I reached the dark and warm room. There's a small fire for warmth. She's crying. I shiver. I step forward.

She's shaking in fear, I brush my shaking hand across her bangs. She looks up at me, and smiles. A smile cracks across my own face, she jumps into my arms. Her small body standing on the tip toe of the bed to reach around my shoulders. I hug her, and she hugs me.

I may be the luckiest man alive.

And even though I may not be a king anymore, she is still a princess.

My Princess.