Dragon Tale by A Little Boy

There weren't always dragons in the Valley. But there were, and they were dangerous. They weren’t all like the ones living by the river, not like the ones that ate meat, but they were all-powerful and had sharp teeth.

But sometimes some of them didn't eat, and then there would be a fight. It wasn't easy to kill one, especially since they could use magic to protect themselves from most weapons. Sometimes it was too much for even heroes to handle. So, if a dragon got away or hurt someone, it was up to the Heroes who lived in this village to help.

A lot of people were afraid to go near the Valley, fearing what it might mean for those who lived there. They were too big, they breathed fire and spit acid. Sometimes they fight, some of those fights went on for days, and when it was over, all that was left were burnt bodies and a few dragons with empty stomachs.

It wasn't until a month after the battle that someone spotted one again. It was late at night when everyone else had gone to bed, and he'd stayed awake just as long. It had been raining, and he heard something. He listened, and then he saw movement, a shadow moving around. And then he saw the dragon. It was bigger than him, far bigger than him and it looked hungry. A dragon-like this one wouldn't eat anything unless it was starving and had no other choice.

He crept towards the monster carefully, keeping low. If he ran out now, the dragon would surely notice and get him. He had to do everything by stealth, not only for himself but for others. This one was going to kill him. He knew that. And still, he had a chance to escape. He reached the edge of the cliff and stopped. There were no trees here, just the ground, which made him feel vulnerable.

It could easily kill him if he wasn't careful.

He knew he couldn't let himself get eaten now. The best way to stop a dragon is to kill it. If you can't kill a dragon, you'll never get out alive. He couldn't do anything, so he took out his bow and arrows and crept toward the creature. Then suddenly, he stopped. What was he doing? Why was he taking out his bow and arrows?

Why should he care about killing this thing?

And yet… he did. He cared, and that scared him more than anything else ever had before. This was going to cost him everything. All the things he valued in life, everything he worked hard for. Even his friends. If this thing kills him, what will happen to them?

Maybe he should leave, run home, and call the Hero Guild. No! He shook his head. That wasn't an option anymore. He needed to fight back, needed to put his skills to work. This dragon would end him if he didn't. So he pulled out his arrow and shot. It hit the dragon's leg, and it howled in pain. It turned around and roared at him. He felt fear shoot through him but ignored it. He was too stubborn to give up. He drew another arrow and fired it at its face. It hit the eye, and it roared again. It lowered its head and snapped at him. Then it came charging, and he ran.

He heard it roaring behind him, the sounds of the beast chasing after him. His feet pounded on the ground, his breath came fast and heavy. He had never run so fast in his whole life. The sound of the creature getting closer grew louder. Suddenly he tripped, falling onto the ground. Pain flared across his body, and the world swirled around him.

He blinked rapidly several times. Everything was blurry, dark spots dancing along the edges of his vision. He stood up quickly and kept running. He was almost free. He saw an opening ahead, and he sprinted forward. He reached the ledge and jumped off it. For a moment, he stood there panting, looking back over his shoulder.

The beast hadn't followed him. Instead, it was facing the mountain.

Almost immediately, he ran out in search of help. He tried to outrun the dragon. Then, without warning, it grabbed him and threw him into the air. He screamed but it sounded muffled to his ears. Everything seemed to slow down. He was falling. Everything was happening so slowly that he wondered why nothing was happening faster. Was it because he was slowing down, getting weaker? Or maybe…

No! He couldn't think like that. He had to keep fighting, not give up.

His hands touched the ground before he realized what happened. He groaned and pushed himself up, ignoring the pounding in his head, the burning in his arms, and the throbbing pain in his legs.

"Get up," a voice said sternly. He opened his eyes and looked up. A man stood in front of him, holding his arm out to pull him up.

He took the hand and allowed himself to be pulled up.

Then the man said, the dragon has been taken care of. You're safe.

Safe? How could he possibly be safe? He didn't understand what was happening, but he accepted it gratefully nonetheless.

"Thank you," he mumbled.

Don't mention it. I'm glad I was able to help.

And today I tell my dragon story...