Chapter 14: The legend returned

It was a couple of weeks after the tomb was finished that fleeing people reached the city. They spread rumors of a huge dragon attacking and burning farms in the north. From the reports we knew it was slowly heading towards the city. There were old legends of real fire breathing dragons that spread quickly. Since the city still had the recent memory of the dragon minor they were more than willing to believe the stories told.

The description of this new dragon was much larger than the other dragon. The first attack came two weeks later, the dragon flew low over the north wall and breathed flames that melted even the stones of the wall. It dropped into a marketplace and grabbed a large draft horse before leaping into the air and flying away. The city council did not wait and came to me.

The tavern was packed as I fed ground up food to little Sky. Flower was singing as she cleaned tables and Song was echoing her as she leaned against me watching her daughter eat. The room was silent as I joined the melody and continued to feed Sky who liked listening to music or singing. I glanced at the door when the council came in but continued singing.

As our voices drifted away the men and women began to talk. I wiped Sky’s mouth as the council walked towards me and lifted her out of the handmade chair one of the customers had made and given me. I gave her to Song before turning to the men as they stopped. I expected them as soon as I heard about the dragon attacking inside the city.

This time I asked for my tavern to be exempted from the city taxes. They did not even hesitate and agreed. After they left I went into the kitchen, Song turned from the stove and smiled, “They want you to kill the dragon.”

I nodded and she sighed, “We will be waiting.”

I went up to our room and took the last vial of the only poison I thought might work. I slipped my short swords on before leaving. I stopped at a weaponsmith and bought a couple of long spears. I went to the marketplace the dragon had taken the horse from and looked around. I stopped one of the guards, “This square needs to be cleared. The dragon will return here when it get hungry.”

The guard looked around before calling to another guard. I walked across the square to a farmer selling a large oxen and started bargaining for it. I was not surprised when everyone almost panicked and fled the square after the guards spread the word that the dragon would return. I cleared the center of the marketplace and staked the oxen out with food.

I applied the poison to the two spears and sat to wait. The day stretched out and then the night slipped upon us. The sun was just rising when there was a cry from the distant wall and someone began beating an alarm. I was right, the huge beast came over the wall and right back to the marketplace. It landed and snatched the oxen as I stood and threw the first spear.

It hit the dragon’s eye and it screamed as it went to its back legs. It breathed a huge stream of fire as it roared and I ran towards it as it turned and crouched. I jumped and landed on its tail behind it rear quarters as it leaped into the air. I held on as the dragon continued to roar and breath fire while climbing higher. I barely held onto the spear as I started crawling hand over hand up the back of the dragon.