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00:00Masterfully, Sir George guided Baird as the white stallion galloped along the natural
00:04paths of the grove, untrodden by human feet. At the sight of the rocky bluffs,
00:10the knight halted his charge and dismounted.
00:13To face this evil, I needs be bold as the lion, yet also clever as the fox.
00:17Then a shadow blocked the sunlight from above. Feeling Baird tense,
00:22Sir George grasped the reins to keep the horse from bolting, and pressed against the nearest tree.
00:28Sure enough, the dragon flew on great leathery wings above them.
00:32Sir George had heard tales of other dragons in Libya and the Holy Land,
00:36but none of the depictions of them in illuminated manuscripts did justice to what he saw.
00:41Unlike the brutish, dog-like beast he had expected, the dragon's body was long and
00:46slender as a snake's, and it seemed to glide through the sky as though swimming.
00:51In an instant, the shadow passed over them, and with a hideous roar it smashed into the
00:56waters of the pond. Its writhing sent great splashes of water into the sky like fine mist.
01:02Just as Maggie described, growled Sir George.
01:06Sir George felt Baird nuzzling him from behind with his snout, blowing a sharp puff of air.
01:12Not wanting to risk such a brave steed, Sir George secured Baird's reins to the
01:16horn of his saddle and pointed him toward Salinas.
01:19Home, Bayard.
01:21Still trembling from the scent of the nearby predator,
01:24Baird answered with an almost human, nay, of protest.
01:28But with a click of his tongue, Sir George clapped the stallion sharply across its flank.
01:33With a regretful whinny, Baird obeyed the order to retreat,
01:37trotting along the same path they had taken.
01:40Keeping himself at a distance of one hundred yards, Sir George examined the pond and cave mouth.
01:46If the maiden is still alive, she may be devoured at any moment.
01:50Girding his loins, Sir George held his sword and spear above his head and waded into the water.
01:56He found it only reached to his waist and climbed onto the slippery stone at the other side,
02:01peering around the rocky wall of the cave entrance.
02:05He nearly retched at the hot stink of brimstone and charred meat within.
02:09But most disturbing of all, wax candles lined the walls in hollow recesses,
02:14flickering with pink flames.
02:16Witchcraft! The red worm must have the intelligence of a man.
02:20He pulled away and pressed flat against the rocky cliffs as he caught sight of a shadow
02:24moving inside the cave, unmistakably the dragon's tail, retreating further into the depths.
02:30If it has recently gorged on a kill, it might be slumbering. I may never get a better chance.
02:36Unsure how narrow the cave could be, Sir George left his long spear resting against the cliffside
02:41and drew Ascalon from its sheath.
02:44Then, from far away, he heard the soft weeping of a maiden.
02:49The very walls of the cave seemed to tremble as her faltering cries echoed across them.
02:54Guessing that the dragon had retreated down a cavern to the left, Sir George crept silently,
03:00turning right at the first tunnel, marking the candles as he went.
03:04He knew that caves often hit nasty twists and turns,
03:07but the desperation of the woman's voice prompted him to act immediately.
03:11Even if the cave did turn out to be a dangerous labyrinth,
03:14he was confident the candles could act as guiding marks back to the exit.
03:18The woman's broken sobs built to a wail.
03:21Oh, I'll never get out of here. Never, never, never. I'm so alone. It's all my fault.
03:29I never should have left home, but what choice did I have?
03:33Steadily, the woman's voice grew clearer and closer,
03:35until Sir George was sure he was about to stumble on top of her as he explored the depths.
03:40He looked around to see if there was a way out of the dark corners of the chamber,
03:44where the candlelight did not reach.
03:47But alas, his hands found only a crack in the wall.
03:51Pressing his ear against it, he felt cool air from the other side,
03:55and was sure the damsel was resting her head against the other side.
03:59Sure enough, he caught sight of a shadowy head pressed against the cave wall on the
04:03opposite side of the crack, and a glimpse of what must have been red-gold hair catching
04:07The woman lowered her head and whispered in a surprisingly low, contralto voice,
04:11Sir George wondered if she was growing hoarse from her earlier screeches of despair.
04:16If any god or gods can hear me, whoever you may be, whatever homage you ask of me,
04:21won't you deliver me from this place?
04:23What am I to do? How can I ever atone for my sins?
04:27The penitence of the prayer moved Sir George.
04:30No longer caring if it would alert the dragon, he whispered through the crack in answer.
04:35Fear not, my lady. I have come to rescue you.
04:39Behind the paper-thin crack, Sir George glimpsed a pair of lovely almond-shaped eyes
04:43snapping open, flickering gold.
04:46Ayah! Who's there? Please don't hurt me.
04:50Sir George made the sign of the cross.
04:52No harm shall come to you, while I live. For I am Sir George of Cappadocia,
04:57knight of Camelot, friend of King Arthur, slave of Jesus Christus, and champion of the true faith.
05:03No, no, no. Are you stupid? This is a dragon's lair.
05:08You've got to get out of here, ah, before she comes back.
05:12It is too late. Anjeltwish has already returned from its hunt.
05:16I saw it creeping into the cave moments before I arrived.
05:19The woman gasped, clearly in sheer awe at this display of gallantry.
05:23And you followed it? Oy yoy yoy! Who follows a full-grown dragon into her lair?
05:29There was no choice. The villagers have heard the cries of women
05:32coming from the caves for months. Who knows how many innocent souls the beast has claimed already?
05:38Can you see it? Is it sleeping?
05:40He heard the woman's voice falter and the rustle of cloth,
05:43as though she was twisting around to examine her surroundings.
05:47Well, no, the dragon's not sleeping at the moment, but—
05:51She snapped her fingers.
05:52Oh! Ay dear! You wait there for the dragon to fall asleep.
05:57Then, I'll sneak away, and when I get to the mouth of the cave,
06:01I'll yell you a warning that the coast is clear, and then you can go,
06:04kill the dragon, or whatever it is you came here to do.
06:07Sir George shook his head. The poor girl was so frightened, she couldn't think straight.
06:12That won't work, my lady. Your shout would only alert the dragon.
06:17There was a pause. The sheer terror in the maiden's almond-shaped eyes would
06:21have been comic if it wasn't so pitiful.
06:23Oh, Shaogua? I'm such a melonhead.
06:27Okay, new plan. You run and get help.
06:31Once you see the dragon fly away, you'll know it's safe.
06:34Then you can come and, uh, get the treasure.
06:37Yeah. I'll keep it safe for you.
06:40Sir George pressed his lips against the stone,
06:42desperately praying for the girl to calm herself before she caught the attention of the monstrous
06:46dragon.
06:48I care nothing for treasure. I swear to you a most holy oath,
06:51on my word as a true knight, I shall allow no harm to come to you.
06:55If by spending my life, I may rescue you from this pit, I shall give it gladly.
07:00Oh, my. That's very sweet. Really it is, but I'm really not worth saving.
07:06I'm not a princess, or anything grand like that. Why don't you, Achoo?
07:11As the girl sneezed, Sir George felt a blast of hot air through the crack,
07:16and caught sight of a burst of flame. The dragon had spotted her.
07:20No. Get down, my lady. I am coming to help you. To the rescue.
07:26The maiden squeaked in protest, but as he charged down the cavern,
07:29her voice was quickly swallowed by the darkness.
07:32Oh, no. I'm quite fine, really. Can we talk about-
07:37Omni Vinci Amor!
07:38roared Sir George as he rounded the corner, ready to face the cornered dragon.
07:43He came face to face with a shadowy form, as lithe and swift as a hound,
07:47as large and strong as a bear, barreling towards him.
07:51A bloodstained claw reached for his chest. He thrust out with Ascalon,
07:56but the point glanced off the huge paw.
07:58With an ear-splitting screech, the dragon grasped the blade and twisted it with such force,
08:03Sir George was nearly thrown off balance. Then the beast thrust forward,
08:08gliding gracefully across his cuirass breastplate like a serpent,
08:12and easily slamming him against the cave wall, as if he were no more than a mouse.
08:17Sir George felt the wind knocked out of him as his cuirass buckled under the strain,
08:22and caught sight of what looked like a bloodstained bundle of rags dragging past him.
08:26The dragon had something clutched in its other claw. Surely it was the maiden.
08:32As the light of sunset spilled into the cave and framed the monster,
08:36Sir George became acutely aware that his prey was the true predator.
08:41It was not as large as he remembered when he saw it flying overhead,
08:44but its graceful, powerful build combined the strength of the lion with the fluidity of the
08:49python. Its flanks were like those of a wild mare, and its long, thrashing tail reminded him
08:55of the crocodiles of the Nile River. He knew that if he allowed the dragon to escape the cave
09:00and take flight, there could be no hope of rescuing the maiden. Instinctively, he clutched
09:06the dragon's tail tight to his chest, only to be dragged along behind it. With a crack,
09:12the tail flicked to the side and thrust him against the opposite wall, but still he held firm.
09:18Dimly, through the ringing in his ears, he could make out the sweet voice of the maiden ahead of
09:23him. Let go. Please, just let me go. There could be no mistake. The dragon must have bound her
09:30tightly in rags to carry her off and devour her. I will never let you go, my lady. Quick,
09:36take my hand, roared Sir George as he reached for the cloth and tugged it loose of the dragon's
09:41grasp. At that precise moment, the dragon attempted to take flight, using its forward
09:47momentum to dart across the shallow water of the pool. Sir George felt his body lurch upward,
09:53and the bundle broke free of the dragon's grasp. A half-eaten sow spilled from the bundle and
09:59splashed into the pool below them. Kya, squealed the dragon as the unexpected weight on her tail
10:05sent her twisting and crashing into the waters. The forward momentum carried her tail forward
10:11like a whip, and with a crack, Sir George was sent flying. There is nothing quite like finding
10:17a perfectly smooth, narrow stone and sending it skipping across the surface of a pristine pool.
10:24Nothing, that is, except for sending a fully armored Christian knight skipping across the
10:28surface of a pool using precisely the same laws of physics. After rolling to a stop along the
10:34rocky shore of the pond, Sir George spat out blood and arose shakily to his feet. He reached for
10:41Ascalon at his side and found it missing, and caught sight of his spear right where he left it,
10:45by the cave entrance on the other side of the pool.
10:49Maiden, where are you? His skull splitting,
10:52Sir George barely registered what happened next. The dragon arose from the pool, sopping wet,
10:59held up its claws, and spoke. Its voice was booming and husky, but also tremulous.
11:05I'm so sorry. You took me by surprise. Please don't hurt me.
11:10Forcing himself to his feet, Sir George felt the world spinning around him, and the ground seemed
11:15to spring up to slap against his face as he collapsed.
11:18Arg, where is the girl? What have you done with her, worm?
11:23The dragon shook itself dry like a dog, then sat resting on its haunches, looking pitiful.
11:29I, I didn't do anything with her. I am her.
11:32This time Sir George caught the sound of the voice more clearly.
11:36It was low-pitched for a woman's voice, but it was most certainly a woman's voice,
11:41just like the maiden in the cave.
11:43Sorcery. This is some devilish trick. Surrender the girl to me,
11:47dragon, and I'll grant you the mercy of a swift death.
11:50As he stumbled to his feet, Sir George was painfully aware that he was unarmed.
11:55Nevertheless, he was determined to die standing.
11:59To his surprise, the dragon flinched as he arose,
12:02and backed away toward the cave, arching her back like a cat.
12:06I don't have sorcery. My papa said I should never,
12:10ever play with bad magic, or he'd give me a good spanking.
12:17As she backed against the wall, her tail whipped reflexively,
12:21smashing against the opening of the cave.
12:24With a rumble, a few chunks of rock broke loose and tumbled to the ground,
12:28blocking half of the entrance.
12:30In horror, the dragon grasped her own tail before she started slapping her own head in frustration.
12:36No! Why must I be cursed with this clumsy, fat tail? I'm such a stupid melon.
12:42Maymay was right about me. I'll never be a good dragon.
12:46As he witnessed this emotional display, Sir George examined the beast in stunned silence.
12:52There was a golden collar around its neck. Its flesh was a rich red-pink,
12:56like a hibiscus flower, dotted with slightly darker scales along its back.
13:01Two small, white, curved horns angled backwards from its forehead.
13:07Below the horns it had pointed, frilled ears covered by the same reddish scales along the back.
13:12At the moment, its ears were drooping and dripping pathetically,
13:16creating the illusion that it had short, boyish hair.
13:20Though its muzzle was reptilian, it also had the noble,
13:23angular quality of a well-bred hunting hound.
13:27But most striking of all were the eyes, golden, almond-shaped, and all too human in their expression.
13:34The light of the body is the eye, he thought, remembering the Gospel of Matthew.
13:39If the eyes were evil, the whole body would be full of darkness.
13:43Yet, this creature did not have the evil eye. Her eyes were full of light.
13:47The woman in the cave?
13:49Frantic, the dragon looked back and forth from Sir George to the collapsing cave entrance.
13:55Please, you can take my treasure. I don't have much.
13:58They're just some coins and bells and buckles I've collected over the past few.
14:02Shaogua, the cave in. I can dig it out for you.
14:06I'm sure the rest of the cave is structurally sound, I hope.
14:10Stuttering and stammering, she lifted a rock the size of a man, easily twenty stone in weight,
14:16and tossed it into the pool, only for three more rocks to crumble and fill the gap it left.
14:21Sobbing and sniveling, she turned back to face Sir George and bowed low,
14:26her head nearly touching the surface of the water.
14:29Pa, please, take anything you want. Please, spare my life.
14:34I know that I'm a bad dragon, but I've tried not to hurt anyone.
14:38I promise to go away and be alone forever and not talk to anyone ever again.
14:42Unarmed, Sir George began to march toward the beast,
14:45each step sending a ripple through their reflections in the pool below.
14:50He saw her stiffen and raise her muzzle, her golden eyes watery.
14:54I, I surrender. Please, end it quickly.
14:58For the first time, he noticed that her pupils were cat-like,
15:01and remembered seeing them through the crack in the cave wall. There could be no doubt.
15:06Fear not. So long as you swear to do no harm to any man,
15:10woman, or child, then I will do you no harm.
15:13The dragon's mouth hung open, slack-jawed.
15:16When she didn't answer, Sir George barked,
15:19Do you swear?
15:20She flicked a forked tongue, looking nervous.
15:23But, I'm not supposed to swear.
15:25Baba would always wash my mouth out with soap if I ever swore in front of him.
15:29No-ho. Swear a vow.
15:32The dragon slurped her tongue back into her mouth, then bobbed her head.
15:36Dangala. A vow? That's easy.
15:40What was the vow again?
15:41You promise not to eat anybody, so long as I let you live?
15:44The dragon's lip trembled, her eyes like a whipped puppy's.
15:49Never eat anybody's? Thou starve.
15:51In a blind fury, St. George took a single step forward.
15:55Vile worm. How many innocent women and children have you consumed?
16:00Instantly, the dragon kowtowed so forcefully,
16:02she splashed her face into the water and spat,
16:05Phew. None. I've never eaten a woman or a child, or a man. I only eat sheep,
16:12ox, and pigs, though deer is nice when I can catch one, but it's so much easier to
16:17Then swear, worm, or your life is forfeit.
16:20Roared St. George, not sure if he believed her.
16:23The dragon covered her head with her claws.
16:26Ay-ya. I agree. By the dragon fire in my belly, I vow not to eat anybody's. Never again.
16:33Then she snapped her head up, looking like a cat expecting a treat.
16:38Wait, so you're, not, going to cut my heart out? But why?
16:43St. George glanced behind her, spotting his warspear still resting against the cave wall.
16:48If he could buy time, maybe he could sneak past her and reach it.
16:53But at the sight of the dragon's miserable golden eyes, he remembered his own vow of chivalry.
16:59Sigh, because I made a solemn oath to you in that cave. I gave you my word.
17:04Slowly, the dragon sat on her haunches again, raising her head.
17:08But when you said that, you didn't know I was a dragon. That vow shouldn't matter.
17:14Even seated, she was nearly at eye level with St. George.
17:18At six feet, St. George was considered a giant of a man in those olden days.
17:23He guessed that the dragon would easily stand seven feet tall if measured from head to toe,
17:28and twice that length if measured from nose to tail.
17:31St. George sighed as he pulled his spare rein for Baird's bridle free from inside his tunic.
17:37It matters, to me.
17:38The dragon eyed the leather cord curiously.
17:41Are you going to whip me with that?
17:43St. George shook his head.
17:45Originally, I expected the dragon to fight to the death when cornered.
17:49But I'd heard tales of evil, talking dragons, so my plan was to bring you to the village of
17:54Silene for judgment, assuming you surrendered. Even if you're telling me the truth, you still
18:00have much to answer for, dragon.
18:02The dragon started trembling.
18:04St. George was painfully aware that this beast could kill him easily, but without his weapons,
18:09his only hope was to bluff. Simply releasing this dangerous beast was unthinkable.
18:15Even if the dragon was innocent of any bloodshed, she was still dangerous.
18:20Won't the villagers kill me if you take me back?
18:22Looking closely at the dragon's collar, he noticed it had a hoop for a chain link,
18:27similar to those worn by bondservants as a mark of subservience.
18:31He held the bridle up slowly, letting the dragon see his intent.
18:36I'm not taking you back to the village, yet. First, you're going to tell me everything,
18:40from the beginning. We'll make camp in the grove tonight, and you're going to show me
18:44everything you have sealed away in that cave tomorrow morning.
18:47The dragon eyed the bridle.
18:50Are you going to kill me?
18:51Not if you're a good dragon. Now are you ready to surrender?
18:55The dragon's flanks tensed, her sinewy muscles rippling underneath her leathery,
18:59rose-colored hide. She reminded him of an eager horse, ready to charge.
19:06Finally, she grasped her own collar and craned her neck so that he could easily attach the chain.
19:12Yes, George of Cappadocia. By the law of dragonkind,
19:16I submit to your mercy, my master.
19:19End of chapter 1
19:21To Be Continued
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