Slay

SLAY

Written by H. Heron

Inspired by Life

Chapter 1: The Knight of Swords

There weren’t always dragons in the valley. But the gold that lives in the hearts of certain men do lure the monsters into bay. A strong undertow could overthrow, but stronger tides are unpredictable, just as the will of man. When the stubborn ego of man stands in the way of hoarded treasures, they will be met by the fire of the beast. The greatest stories of our lives may sound like fiction to those who have never lived it. Remember this, the fairy tells tales imitating the truth and do not underestimate them. While they may be whimsical, airy, and small in stature, the fairy is armed with incredible magic and mind tricks. Fairy tales have been enchanted so that their true meaning teaches and inspires throughout time. Like fairies, fairy tales are immortal.

Have you ever seen a fairy? If you haven’t, I’m not surprised, we tend to hide from peering eyes. I tend to be a little shy, I admit, but really try to picture it. Imagine you were looking up at a chaotic giant. A human being who looks as big as building. It was a sight to terrify, especially before I learned to fly. I do try to try, but I don’t have a voice that can yell that high. It is frustrating when I want you to hear, but my speak sounds like a weak whisper in your ear. Hear Ye! Hear Me! I will shout. When you do hear my whispered words, you can’t even see me anyway, since your head with eyes are faced away. Therefore, I spare my voice and prefer to write my words out by choice. Hearing my thoughts written down is really the better way. The better way for you to truly hear, what a fairy has to say. So even if you have never seen me, you can now say that you have heard me. I like to rhyme, as you can tell, I apologize for nothing since that’s just how I talk and how fairies like me tend to think. I got excited, but I promise my story will be written properly and neat. Only since I know humans will understand me better when my words are less flowery and straighter. Now as us fairies like to say, “may new wings carry on ”. I am the fairy of light, and this is the tale of Jim and The Dragon. The Siege of the Denlum Valley Hill dwelling and the Battle of Crowns.

Alone right now, sits a man staring injustice in its deadpanned face. He stands before his trial. A smile remains, despite the pain and suffering from the wounds inflicted by the beast. Burned battered and scared, he is planning to carry on. He is shining his armor and sharpening his swords preparing for battle, but he knows his true weapons are his clever mind and brave heart. He knew his long time spent basking in the good weather of life had to come to an end. Therefore, he has chosen to embrace this overdue storm instead of cursing its wrath. He is letting the rain pour over his tortured soul and the earth, watching it fill the sea with new lessons and water new growing gardens. He has decided to take the role of a knight on the path of this tormenting journey. Since the rules of a knight state that he must protect those who cannot protect themselves, he carries on. He carries on because he must protect his daughter and he must protect himself only for her. Knighthood also comes with upholding values such as patience. He is practicing patience in solitude now, as he crafts his tools of warfare against the dragon and the tilted crown.

Most of his worldly possessions and livelihood have been destroyed or damaged from the beasts’ flames. His daughter tormented and his loving feline familiar now dead. The beast’s flames took his savings, personal treasures, and coins. They also stole his books, magic wands, herbs, and medicine robbing him of his spirituality. This was all because of the greed and ego of beasts. The young maiden Angel wonders if the dragon is truly a monster. If the dragon can look the face of a child in the eye and be able to answer why? Maybe that would be the test. If the dragon is a monster and the king does nothing, the knight must fight the injustice alone. The laws of this kingdom have only harmed more than they have protected. The crown likes to forget that they are not written in stone and the King, and his court don’t even follow their own. Laws of the land are not commandments from gods. Times change. Harm is weighed. When should a dragon be slayed? This is the classic tale which finds out if the knight will slay the dragon.

There once was a fisherman named Jim who practiced medicine. He was an intriguing and eccentric fellow, who before encountering the dragon enjoyed the pleasures of life. Jim was a mature man who had lived through the years never aging in spirit. His face was full of character, with eyes that were a window into a soul filled with kindness. He had a powerful presence, a bright white aura, and a big smile which sometimes gave you a glimpse of the mischievous and fun-loving young boy within. Jim never went without because he had always been a giver. He was also a successful and clever merchant besides being a fisher. He thought and did things differently than most other folk and was always able to come up with new and creative ways sell his fish. This made Jim a wealthy man in both heart and earthly resources.

Over time, Jim was able to save his coins and buy an impressive and beautiful stone house. The house was nestled on a humble parcel of land surrounded by golden farmland which overlooked the expanse of the Fourth Sea. He lived in this house for many years. On his land he also tended to an orchard. Like Jim, the roots grew deep over time and the orchard’s trees bared the sweet fruit of fine wine. Surprisingly their branches held strong despite the weight of the Spirit Chariees, a type of rosy, red apple which only grows in temperate sunny weather of the region. In his youth Jim had left home to study alchemy in a neighbouring kingdom. His interest in botany and his knowledge of transmutation allowed him to make the orchard thrive and become a brewer of delicious fruit wine. Jim was also undoubtably a quick-witted scholar who was a deep well of knowledge. Jim liked to host people and threw many great parties. Guests would travel to visit him from all around the kingdom. He had been on so many adventures in his life, he could entertain people for hours with his stories. If you didn’t know him well, you may think he was making things up. But after a while you became a believer. Like the great blue whale of the sea, Jim was an enigma. He certainly carried with him the air of mysticism. Some folk called him a healer, a warlock or even a prophet. There were even whispers of some who had seen him fly. Alas, Jim would laugh at these rumors and remind people that he was just a normal man, not to be worshiped or regarded as anything but.

Jim had married a woman and together they had a lovely young daughter named Elenore. After many years, Jim found out that he had married someone who was more wicked than women. She literally turned out to be a witch. Not the good kind either. They ended their marriage and Jim decided to sell his home. While Elenore and her mother had found a small place to live within the kingdom’s town walls. Jim looked far and wide for a new home of his own. He enjoyed living closer to nature and further away from the castle. He looked far and wide but could not find something suitable. One day he received a letter which was too good to be true. There was a place where Jim could stay temporarily until he could get back on his feet. Jim decided to meet with the baron who owned the land and the dwelling. The Baron was a stoutly and shifty looking man with eyes made of cold fire, but Jim was desperate and signed his soul away before he even realized. Jim and the Baron shook hands over a verbal deal sealed by enchantment. He thought it was a great deal a top of the hill of the Dunlum valley overlooking a quaint countryside village. The only thing was that the Baron was still using the land beside the house for his digging machines. The Baron was obsessed with mining gold and the hill was known for its riches beneath. The townsfolk had tried not to allow the mining, but the baron was able to pay the king handsomely to get his way. Jim moved in and over time even became close with the baron. They shared good laughs over ale and wine. The Baron complained about his wife who also turned out to be a witch and how she drank too much brew. They bonded over this. Time had passed, and his daughter had moved in too. Then came the demand. The Baron was no man after all.