The Legend of George

“The Lord Christ has truly blessed us this day”, George screamed as he faced the Dragon. Fatima approached the huge reptile, it's claws scratching at the sand between them. The stench of Carob trees encircled the clearing, as Canus whispered to another of the four Romans following behind “When did we reach the gates of hell.” Beyond the clearing, the town’s torches were being lit.

Fatima, looking up from the patterns scratched into the sand by the Dragon, spoke “It is truly honourable to meet with you again, Lord Chadon”, as she bowed.

Canus spoke, “Indeed George, we have been blessed to have found the child alive”.

George turned his gaze away from the Dragon, noticing the infant. “Oh, of course. That too. But what wonders of the Lord’s great work!” as George turned back to the dragon. “Not since Atilius Regulus slaughtered such a beast at Carthage, have Roman eyes b-“

The dragon’s roar shook the Carob trees, Fatima turning to disapprove of George’s comment, grateful he’d fallen silent. They’d ridden most of the day, and the constant talk of his Christ had grown old by the late morning.

The child saw Fatima, and wide eyed and screaming with joy, ran toward her, jumping into Fatima’s arms. They hugged, sobbing.

“Your faith in this creature’s existence...it matches my faith in the Christ...”

The Romans, other than Canus, rolled their eyes in unison. The dragon scratched some patterns in the sand. Fatima pointed to an edge of the clearing, “there’s water, for men and horses just there...”

“You...seem to be talking with...it?”, George questioned.

“Her name is Chadon”, Fatima snapped.

“Oh, a female? How does one tell?”

Fatima laughed, and the Dragon made an indecipherable noise. Muted laughter came from the Romans. “No penis I’m guessing”, the man at the rear said, before adding “...sir”, at George’s angry gaze. The laughter was short lived.

Two mornings before, George and his men had ridden into Silene, another day long ride from Tripolitana. The walls of the city looked to be crumbling from the distance, visible above the sparse tree line of the Lolob forest. Following a nearby flume of smoke, a local man was trying to burn a large bag of clay tiles. George commanded him to show him the tiles, small, with the same symbol carved into hundreds of them. George asked what the symbol meant. The local confessed he couldn’t read.

The city banner was half-way flying, the Silenite saying the King’s daughter had been taken by The Dragon. He spoke of how honourable the King was, to have allowed this sacrifice. It showed the people of Seline he was a man of his word, allowing his own daughter to be part of the lottery, and then accepting the result.

Canus pocketed a dozen of the tiles. George and his men rode on to Silene, without another word to the Silenite.



“Surely, Christ will return before it finishes a sentence...” George was yet to call the dragon by name, huffing as she scratched symbols into the sand, Fatima relaying their meaning to George.

“She doesn’t understand why they abandoned a child in her forest. Two men, she thinks Silenites, ran away without the child when they saw Chadon. As if they didn’t believe her existence before.”



They must have been the babbling madmen George encountered when he entered the gates of Seline, these two morns past. The governor in Tripolitana had warned George the locals had bizarre customs. George had been ordered to protect Silene. King Hamid claimed he’d lost his city guard to a Dragon; a Dragon that spewed venom and pestilence. Governor Justinian told the story with amusement, adding that but for the iron pits on the territories edge, it would share the fate of Carthage. He’d never been, making no secret he would never travel beyond Tripolitana and Leptis Magna.

George knew the Romans didn’t need more iron, having an oversupply from the Eastern mines. Progressing through the Roman soldier ranks, he had learnt much about power and Roman tactics. They wanted to starve the iron away from the Garamantes, whose territory begun less than a day’s ride from Silene. Every Roman incursion thus far had been repelled.

An audience with the King, Queen, and the Priest of the Zeus’ Temple had not been inspiring. The priest, Heredus, did not hide his contempt, staring at the cross around George’s neck, as if the stench of flowering Carob was within the room. He shared his joy at his last visit to Rome, his highlight witnessing the Christians killed by beasts in the Colosseum. The Queen’s bruised face remained silent, looking at king the way Heredus regarded George’s cross. George tried to hide his distaste at Hamid’s size, and obvious gluttony. He hadn’t bothered to clear the many wine skins, and pewter goblets, which would not be out of place in a peasant’s home in Byzantium. Having dined there with governors, he did not express enthusiasm for Hamid’s trinkets, adorning the room.

“I have prayed. and the Lord has answered. I will return your daughter, after I slay this dragon.”

Heredus laughed, looking down his nose at George. The King reached for a goblet, sipping. “It is a sad loss for the people of Silene”, the King said, looking away from George, toward the Queen. “But your work is to protect the people in this city. This Dragon killed my entire City guard. This strange agreement with the Romans, they pay me to not mine the Iron pits, and vowed to protect my people.”

George gazed at the silent Queen. Her lips were quivering, with something that grief would not explain. He knew loss. He knew hate.

“The biggest threat to your people appears to be The Dragon, sir.” Biting his lip as he addressed the King.

The King stared blankly. “OK, my Roman protector. You slay this dragon, return the child, I will gladly follow this God of yours, and sing Hallelujah along with the strange villages to the East. I know your custom. You can Baptise me in the Aquifers when you return with my daughter.”

George nodded to Hamid, as the priest turned to The King. “What? Thi-“

The King lifted a dirty gauntlet, and the priest went silent, staring at the King. George turned silently to leave, when the Queen cleared her throat.

“I thank you George of Lydda, for your intentions”, her voice quavering. Hamid and the Priest moved their gaze to her, as she stuttered on. “You must speak with the First Lady, Fatima. You are the last hope for Silene.”

“Oh, by Zeus’ beard”, the King threw his gaze to the ceiling. “Fatima is a storyteller for the children. Silly, Garamantes stories. Take her with you, George!”



The dragon scratched further patterns into the sand, as George watched, wondering when to act.



Fatima and George had spoken on the ride. Every moon, thousands of clay tiles, each with the name of a Silenite, were dropped into a cauldron. The Priest would draw one, and the "winner" taken to the Dragon, as a sacrifice, the next day. To show he was a fair man, Hamid had announced his family, nobles, and officials, were included in the lottery.

George motioned to Canus, who took the clay tiles out of his saddle bag. Fatima’s eyes grew wide, watering. “They say Annika!” Where, when...”

Canus explained the man the day they went to Silene. “The day after the lottery...” cursed Fatima.

George took his helmet off. “Then, why would Hamid make his own child...”

“Annika is not the King’s daughter”.

George remained silent, waving at Fatima to continue.

“That...Boar of a man. Demands a son, and yet, drinks so much Roman wine. Violent pig! The Queen had taken solace with the Captain of the City Guard...”

George reflected that the City Guard were dead too. “Ordered to attack Chadon. They were found shriveled, poisoned, days later by the Berbers.”

George grunted in disappointment. He didn’t want to admit he’d underestimated the King.

George asked Fatima to relay a question. Why did she kill the City Guard? Surely this wasn’t necessary.

Fatima returned, after Chadon's claws made patterns in the sand, “Chadon did not kill them. Let me add, the high priest, he has some powerful magic. The Guard ate a feast at his temple the morning they left. The poison and pestilence...the Temple claimed the properties of the city Guard. The King asked for Roman soldiers to replace them.”

Fatima interpreting Chadon’s patterns in the sand, said “We have no interest in the affairs of man and woman. We will only be found when we want to be”

"There's more?", George thought aloud.

“Chadon has seen the might of your Empire. She fears the day will come, the land will be filled with Man. Dragon and man will then fight for water, for food, for land...”

George held up his hand, shaking his head. “Fear not of conflict. Christ’s return is imminent, and those who have chosen He as Lord, will awake in the heavenly kingdom, leaving the earth to-“...

Chadon coughed, interrupting George, scratching furiously at the ground.

“She has heard all this before. Chadon wonders why men are always obsessed with the end of the world. Enjoy the moment, Man has always said ‘the end is nigh’...”

“Because, this is the final empire, and you will see, in the days to come. Surely a sign, meeting with this Dragon. John of Patmos, said, it starts with a dragon...”

Fatima continued to speak while the Dragon scratched. “Empires come and go, rise and fall. The Romans are not the first, and they certainly will not be the last. Only the names of their Gods change.”

George tightened his gaze at Fatima. “Are these the dragon’s words, or your own?”

Fatima explained her family and caste had been communicating with the dragon for generations, her wisdom venerated by the Garamantes. Chadon could feed herself, without need for sacrifice.

“So, this creature is...ancient? Old as the Nephilim? This could render everything Rome, and Christendom, stands for, as mere stories. Nonsense!”

Fatima smiled, seeing George was understanding the wisdom of Chadon. “How great it is that we made this meeting. I thank you sir. Keeping an open mind to ancient wisdom.”

George looked deeply into Fatima’s eyes, “An open mind, yes. We must pray”.

Fatima held Annika to her shoulder, the tired child drifting to sleep. Chadon made further patterns in the sand.

Fatima looked up to see the four Romans surrounding the Dragon, firelight flickering from their bronze-headed spears. Chadon's claws stopped scratching as it looked up. Four long spears thrust into the neck of the huge creature, as it struggled to lift her head higher, one man lifted off his feet, as George gave orders. “Hold steady Romans, keep its head high as we planned, or...”

Shaking her long neck, one Roman fell as his spear broke. Chadon lowered her head toward the man holding the half remaining spear. He collapsed, as George thrust his spear in Chadon's neck. The four men struggled, holding Chadon’s head steady. George inched closer, his left arm finding his sword, which reached into Chadon's heart. The dragon fell with a muted roar. Fatima screamed in horror, Annika awoke, crying.

“What...what have you done?” Wide eyed, she covered Annika’s eyes.

“The work of the Lord, Fatima.” George preached. "This...abomination, of which, you believe every word, it does not belong in the kingdom to come,” he scoffed, turning to drive his sword into Chadon again.

“The wisdom of a heretic lizard.” George mocked.

“But...we...trusted you...the Romans, to save the kingdom from...”

“All promises in Christ’s name are honoured. Silene will indeed be saved. What a glorious day for Rome! For Christendom!”

“Your beliefs, is not truth and integrity amongst them!”

“The Lord is truthful and Integral. He instructs us to be as shrewd as the serpent, for we are sheep amongst wolves...”

Canus, trying to pull his spear from Chadon’s neck, whispered to George, “...and be innocent as doves...”

"Be silent Canus. That makes no sense.” He turned to Fatima.

“You see this day what Christ can accomplish. Will you accept him as Lord and Saviour?”

“What? NO! You planned this all along! What other deceptions are to be thrust upon us by your God? You’ve destroyed eons of wisdom from this earth!”

“Knowledge, wisdom, comes from the Lord. Not...serpents scratching in the sand! Some cried about the Library of Alexandria when I was a child. I wish I was present for its destruction as well. Mere distractions from the one true path.”

Fatima fled, Annika in her arms, toward the Garamantes village. She almost made it to the edge of the clearing.



Entering the walls of Silene, George and the three Romans felt victorious. Children followed behind the horses, chattering and clapping. Chadon’s body paraded on a cart, shared with the dead Roman soldier, drew gasps of wonder from the Silenites. Silent as they took in the sight, they cheered as George, with Annika, nursed by him, came into view.

The King rubbed his eyes when he saw the party enter the gates of the city, reaching for a goblet. The Silenites cheered, shouting "the end of the lottery!"

George smiled toward the wide eyes of the King, waiting for him to speak. “Umm...” he looked at the people, clapping and dancing at the return of the Princess. Her mother, the Queen, ran and took the child, kissing George’s hand and weeping.

When they had a chance to speak, George, addressed the King and Heredus as if they were children. “If Rome finds out the truth, you will...”

The King waved a defeated hand. “...Yes yes...we will be as Carthage. Every Roman threat is the same”

Hamid surprised George with a wry smile. “I understand the benefits of your...God. You will baptise me in His name. From that day, Silene will be a Christian Kingdom. Goodbye Heredus”, Hamid looking toward the High Priest...”There seems no purpose here for you now. This is a Christian kingdom. It appears from now, I can do what it is I want to do...cajole, blackmail, but all for the glory of Christ!”

Cerebus took a breath, turning away from Hamid. “Rome will get word of this, George. I know you people have little fear in your little...end of the world death cult. It's like you all wish to die. I will see Rome grants your wish before too long."

“The Lord is returning soon, and none of this will matter!" Asserted George.

"We will see", Heredus said walking to his chamber, to ready for a day's ride to Tripolitana.

The King added “For slaying a dragon, rescuing my daughter, you will be remembered through the ages, there will be songs, you will be venerated...”

George shook his head as he eyed King Hamid as a poor servant. "Did you not listen to what I just said?”. George and Hamid looked out at the hundreds of citizens, coming forward asking to be baptised. George grinned, knowing in his heart, the Day was approaching.