Sir Dudley Tinklebutton and the Dragon's Lair by T.J. Lantz

Author:T.J. Lantz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: preteen, sword, magic, arthurian, humor, dragons, knight
Publisher: T.J. Lantz
Published: 2016-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

“I’ll take that as a yes, you crazy horse!”

As they reached the opening, Svenson stopped. He was clearly too large to get in.

“Hmmm,” Sir Dudley thought aloud. “There must be another opening near the top for the beast to get in and out of.”

Sir Dudley took one last look back. Though he could no longer hear them clearly, the crowd was still boisterous. Murray, struggling to run while carrying Dudley’s extra suits of armor, remained a few minutes away at best. As the crowd watched his every move, Dudley realized he would have to finish this task alone.

“Wait here, Svenson. If I’m not back in five minutes I expect you to find a way to come in and save me. Understood?”

The stallion neighed in agreement.

Sir Dudley drew his large diamond-shaped shield, painted with the symbol of the Coalition: a heart engulfed in flame and pierced through the top with double sword blades. He held the heavy metal object in front of him, trying to cover as much of his body as he could as he slowly entered the hill. In his right hand, his sword wavered slightly in anticipation. He readied to stab anything that moved, made a sound, or smelled funny- preferably before it knew he was there.

The Dragon’s home was unlike anything Sir Dudley had ever seen before. Spacious hallways, intricately carved from scorched earth, wound into the heart of the hill. It appeared that the Dragon used his own fiery breath as an architectural tool. Sir Dudley shivered at the thought of the rock melting beneath the intense heat of the Dragon’s fire.

Sir Dudley continued down the hall, the natural light dimming with each slow, meticulous step. He tried to take a deep breath to calm his nerves, but the faint smell of sulfur and charred flesh seeped into his nostrils. He clenched his mouth shut and swallowed quickly to avoid vomiting. He wanted to turn and run, but with the crowd waiting for him it simply wasn’t an option. He just had to make sure he was very, very quiet.

As he continued down the cavern, the walls began to widen, allowing him to stand up to his full height. His confidence began to return. He was a knight of the Coalition of the Burning Heart after all. He trained for years to find and slay enemies of humanity, especially Dragons. He could accomplish this. He would return a true hero.

“ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.”

The sound of the thunderous snoring shook both the cavern and Sir Dudley’s burgeoning confidence. He turned quickly to run, but stopped himself.

They are all waiting outside for me. If I run, I’ll be humiliated. No! I must go on. I must slay the slumbering Dragon with honor and bravery!

He turned and continued down the path, tiptoeing as much as his metal boots would allow, careful to stop as each slight jingle echoed off the ash-covered stone. Finally, he reached the end of the hallway, as the scorched walls began to radiate a more noticeable warmth, like the smoldering remains of a coal fire.

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