The Bronze

Dragon

By J. C. Mathas

The Bronze Dragon

Illustrations by Celeste Thompson

Covers by Vis Monteros using a texture pattern by Patrick Hoesly

Copyright © 2013

Waterloo, Ontario

All rights reserved including those of translation. This book, or parts thereof, may not be

reproduced in any form without permission of the copyright owners.

Published in Canada By Brav’s Index

www.bravsindex.com

bravsindex@gmail.com

ISBN 978-0-9918564-0-4

Library and Archives

Canada Canadian ISBN Agency

395 Wellington, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N4

1-866-578-7777

E-mail: isbn@lac-bac.gc.ca

This Book Is Dedicated To

Veronica Hartman

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Chapter 1 -The Kingdom of Donn-

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Long ago, when myth was not yet legend, there lived a king whose kingdom extended

from the Great Barren Mountains to the immense Northern Sea and bordered on the lush

forest then known as Lossalwood. This king’s name was Oberon and his kingdom, the

mightiest of all kingdoms at that time, was that of Donn. Oberon was a good and wise

king who ruled his people with justice and majesty. Like so many of the kings in those

perilous days, Oberon spent much of his time defending his kingdom from both the greed

of neighbouring lords and the intrusions of foreign raiders. In these many struggles, he

had his two sons to aid him: Rheon, the elder and braver son, and Alasdair, the younger

who was renowned for wisdom. However, when there was peace in the land, the king

would return to his castle where it was his chief delight to spend the days with his

daughter, Adrianna.

Oberon tended to the many cares that came with a great kingdom but he cared

most of all for his beloved daughter. Even when the child had been but an infant, the king

would take Adrianna up on the stone walls and lift her onto his shoulders that she might

see the land and sea all around. Adrianna would gaze longingly beyond the battlements

yet she was seldom permitted to leave their safety. The king felt that even his own

kingdom was not safe enough for her, for in those times there were beasts and monsters

as well as evil men to fear.

It is said that as the princess aged her voice became as enchanting as her beauty.

Often, when the king’s mind was burdened with troubles, he could not sleep. At these

times, he would call Adrianna to sing to him, as her songs always eased his mind and

lulled him into a deep slumber. Since the queen had passed away, there was nothing that

gladdened the king’s heart more than the radiant smile and the sweet voice of his beloved

daughter.

As children, Rheon and Alasdair would play hide-and-seek with their younger

sister in the gardens, darting in and out of rows of ferns and lattices decorated with

morning-glories. In this way they merrily passed their childhood together in the

enormous castle. Yet they were not destined to always be together. The brothers had

separate lessons from those of their sister and while she learned her arts from the

governess, they learned theirs from the Lord Marshall of War. Adrianna was a ready

student and the governess was a wise woman who knew the ways of the earth, the grace

of song, and the Providence of God, and she imbued Adrianna with the knowledge of

these things. And the boys became men and Adrianna a young woman.

Now Rheon and Alasdair were to join their father and the men of Donn in battle.

As the years passed, there was hardly a summer when there was not a war and the

princess Adrianna was often left alone to manage the castle. And so it was ever thus that

this season brought with it war to the kingdom and solitude for the princess.

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Though there were many joys in the kingdom and many victories to celebrate,

there were also sorrows. It came to pass that as the trees once again began to blossom and

the days became longer, the season of war was once more upon the land. This year was to

be different from all those preceding, for news reached the castle that a promising

campaign in the North had turned to disaster and that many good and noble knights had

perished. When the king returned home that autumn he rode bent and haggard in the

saddle, overcome more by grief than by his wounds. From atop the high walls, Adrianna

saw her father approach, but she saw no sign of her brothers. The Lord Marshall of War

gave her the news – her brothers had fallen in battle.

Oberon grieved heavily for his sons and retired to his chamber, but not before

making an oath that he would never again lead his men into battle. And so it happened

that the defense of the lands was left to the Lord Marshall of War. The king was sorely

hurt in mind and body, but his daughter tended his wounds, consoled him with words of

Providence, and sang to him to allay his grief. In this way he began to regain some of his

strength and majesty. However, whenever the memory of his sons would cause him

distress, he sought Adrianna’s song to ease him into sleep until the following morning.

Several days passed in this way, and the days turned into weeks and the weeks turned

into months before the king’s spirit was refreshed.

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Chapter 2 -Grief Besieges the Land-

5

While the king had kept to the castle his enemies had become increasingly bold and the

Lord Marshall of War was so busy fighting off foreign invasions that he had little time

and few men left with which to hunt the perils of the land. Giants, trolls, and two-headed

ogres attacked outlying villages and harassed even walled cities. One day, the Lord of

Sanctogoarin arrived at the castle, his clothing singed black and his hands bleeding and

blistered. His town had been razed to the ground in broad daylight by a most vicious and

monstrous dragon. He feared that this dragon was none other than the great Bronze

Dragon itself.

Now the Bronze Dragon was the most feared dragon in the known world. It flew

with the wings of a giant bat, had the sleek body of a sea serpent, and spewed forth liquid

fire from its mouth. The Bronze Dragon was known to be attracted to chaos and

dissension and its presence was said to be an omen of great ruin: that it should now

appear and ravage Donn foretold the end of that great kingdom. The king knew that if his

kingdom was to last he would have to break his oath and go forth from the castle to hunt

down this mighty dragon; it was the only way to save the lands and people entrusted to

him.

That very day the king summoned the finest warriors throughout the kingdom to

the castle. From far and wide came brave knights – prestigious champions and famous

knights-errant. All were assembled and ready to do the king’s will.

Oberon called for his daughter. When she came to him, he looked upon her

lovingly and said: “My beautiful daughter, these many months you have been my

constant comfort while I remained laden with sorrow within these walls. I now realize

that the oath which I swore to keep me here was cowardly made. I must go forth now and

amend the evil that my self-pity has brought upon this once mighty kingdom; I must slay

the fearsome Bronze Dragon or drive it from these lands. But my soul is not yet as strong

as a king’s should be. Will you accompany me in this terrible quest? I fear that I will fail

if your courage and devotion are not there to strengthen me.”

Now Adrianna was not more than seventeen and had rarely left the castle in all

that time, but she gave no sign of worry or hesitation, rather she shone more radiantly

now that she had seen her father’s nobility rekindled, and so she answered, “My Father,

you need me more than your own sword, and if its blade of iron will not abandon you,

then how could my heart do so?” At this Oberon was filled with gladness and he smiled

upon his daughter. And so together and with the accompaniment of the royal guard they

set out for the town of Sanctogoarin, leaving the Lord Marshall of War to manage the

kingdom in their absence.

The journey was pleasant. The king recognized the splendor and beauty of the

land, for it was the most beautiful time of the year in that part of the world and the birds

were singing all about in the air and in the blossoming trees. Many brave knights came

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and joined them and their party grew to become a great multitude. This royal train was of

a very wondrous appearance in the spring’s morning light. The armour of the knights

glistened in the sun and their trappings were decorated with vibrant crimson, the royal

colour of Donn, giving them the appearance of a magnificent sunset on parade.

Now by and by, this gay, shining party came to a river, and there they came upon

an unexpected sight that struck fear deep into every man’s belly. For while the nearside

of this river enjoyed all the splendours of spring, across the water lay a barren wasteland.

Here were none of the journey’s tall trees, lush fields, and flowers, but only scarred rock

blanketed with ash and mountains scorched gray and white. All eyes were fixed upon the

horrible sight, but the king’s most of all. Oberon knew the blame was his and he spoke

thus within himself, “The curse of the king is ever that the land suffers with him.”

That night, they pitched their tents on the nearside of the river, fearing to cross

beyond into the blighted lands. The king’s soul was full of anguish, and, not wishing his

servants to be near, he said to the men about, “Go, and bring me my daughter.”

Thereupon his servants left in search of the princess, but they did not find Adrianna at her

tent, for she was by the river gazing out at the burnt and lifeless land beyond.

When they at last found her, they said to her, “Mi’lady, the king desires that you

would come to him.” And without answer, she immediately went to her father’s tent

where she found Oberon, his head in his hands, and in a great tumult of emotion. She

went over to him, and she tenderly kissed his brow.

The grief of the king then somewhat subsided and he asked, “Adrianna, sing to

me now as you have done before.” And at this she obediently began to sing, and her song

was thus:

Take rest, my heart; for strength comes in time.

Winter causes the earth to cower,

Though nature once again will flower.

Take heart, my heart; for love is not prepared.

Ill-will leaves nothing as to chance,

Though fancy can be caught at glance.

Take peace, my heart; for glory is not so dear.

Stars do dazzle with their light,

Though none may bear the sun’s true sight.

What is weakness yet I count it as dear?

What is mistrust yet I trust it there?

What is humble yet I stare?

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For though the world holds many shapes free,

That fall but rise; that darken but shine

Take heart, my heart; for one of them is thee.

And her voice was so like that of an angel that the knights who stood at the river

said among themselves, “Surely that is some fairy creature of the woods who

sings this sweet song that we might know there is yet hope that the dragon will be

slain and the land spared.” And their spirits were restored. Now the king also

began to hope.

When Adrianna had finished the last sweet note, Oberon looked up into

her eyes and said, “My dear child, my resolve has been restored. You have done

all that you could for me now. I will face this dragon and I will save the kingdom,

regardless of any peril to myself. However, I would not endanger you, my only

treasure, in this quest any longer. In the morning you will return to the castle.”

And though Adrianna thought to protest, she could tell by the determination in her

father’s eyes that it must be as he commanded.

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Chapter 3 -The King is Driven to Madness-

9

And so the following morning, while some of the knights struck down a tree for which

to ford the river, the king bade farewell to his daughter and ordered a group of his most

trusted knights of the royal guard to escort her back to the castle. Yet, while she was still

pausing for one final goodbye, a great shadow passed overhead. And when they looked

up there was not a cloud in the sky and those who stood there knew of nothing that could

have blocked the sun in such a manner; thereupon a great fear took hold of them all.

Just then, there was a terrible rush of wind and the air seemed to pull away from

the earth. The horses stamped beneath their riders and there was great confusion. All at

once a pillar of fire bore down upon them from above. The king and his knights raised

their shields to deflect the fiery blast. There was a cry from the princess and the men

immediately lowered their brazen shields and sought her. But they discovered that where

she had stood before, she was no longer; for she had been snatched up by the great talons

of the Bronze Dragon, and had been taken away into the sky. They could see the dragon,

already far in the distance, heading for the mountains with the princess within its grasp.

When this had happened, the king and his knights remained motionless as though

turned to stone. At last Oberon cried out in a great voice, “O, that such woe should be

mine! Certainly, God has abandoned me and my kingdom!” But even at this most

desperate moment the king would not abandon his resolve; turning to his knights, he

commanded, “While I live, it shall not be so! Come, we must after the beast!”

In an instant, he had mounted his horse and digging his heels into its flanks he

startled it into frenzy. In one leap the animal bounded across the river and raced out into

the desolate land beyond. The knights followed as best as they could, their steeds

struggling through the river, but it was not until the mid-afternoon that they caught up

with the king who had halted near the base of the mountains. When he turned to his men,

they noticed that his eyes were unnaturally bright and his voice distracted. “Brave

knights, disperse among the mountains and find the dragon’s lair! We must recover the

princess at all costs!” he ordered.

Not a man among them needed such a command, for all were eager to save the

princess and thereby assist the king in his great distress. And so these noble knights

searched diligently throughout the Great Barren Mountains. Alas, their efforts were

fruitless and after but a day and a night of searching many of them abandoned their

purpose. Thirst plagued their minds and weariness made their joints ache with every step.

The king himself was becoming increasingly distracted until his wits left him altogether;

he went about screaming with all the voice and strength he could muster. When the

remaining knights returned to their king, who was now stricken mad from grief, they

gave up their futile search and took to caring for Oberon in his unfortunate state, for they

said to one another: “It is better that we save the king than that we continue with this

search until both he and the princess perish in the wilderness of these mountains.” And so

10

taking up the king, they left the mountains and returned across the river and back to the

castle once more.

Now it chanced that the Lord Marshall of War was upon the battlements

surveying the land all about when he noticed their return. The knights were weary, their

armour sat slovenly upon them and beneath them their mounts were foaming from

exhaustion. Among the knights he recognized the person of the king, who was bound

hand and foot and tied to a horse led by a knight of the Royal Guard. The Marshall

immediately ordered that the drawbridge should be dropped and the gate opened and he

himself hastened down to meet the knights.

And when he met them he asked, “Knights of Donn, what is this shameful thing I

see? How has this befallen the king?”

And though they were ashamed, they answered truthfully and said, “My Lord,

while under our protection, the princess was taken by the great Bronze Dragon and the

king has been driven mad by her loss. We bound him in this manner so that he might do

no harm to himself. For a day and a night we searched among the mountains for the

dragon’s lair, but, alas, we feared for the safety of the king and thought the princess to

have already met her earthly end and so we returned with all haste.”

At this the Lord Marshall was greatly angered, and he answered them, “How is it

that none remain behind in the wasted lands to continue the search for the princess?” But

they had no answer for him and in their shame they could not even meet his eyes.

Thereupon, the Lord Marshall ordered that the king be immediately cared for and that

these knights should be given fresh horses.

And when the Marshall returned to them, he said, “You, who are considered to be

the finest knights in all of Donn, have failed to find this beast and to rescue the princess

from her plight. Therefore, I charge you to journey into all the lands about seeking out the

bravest knights and the greatest of warriors who will be able to succeed and redeem your

failure. Go now! And take no rest until heroes have been found who can defeat this

monster!”

So the knights of Donn set forth, traveling far and wide as heralds of this quest.

And in this manner, the plight of the king and of his daughter became known throughout

the entire kingdom and all hoped that these knights would find great adventurers who

would be able to discover the dragon and save the princess, if she still lived.

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Chapter 4 -Into the Dragon’s Lair-

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Now it must be told that when the princess found herself soaring through the air in the

grip of that mighty dragon, she swooned and became limp as if she were dead. But the

dragon held her fast and brought her to the mountain cave that was its lair. And this cave

was carved out of the ruins of Drachenfels, which had once been the great fortress of the

mountain people but which now lay in ruins. Presently, Princess Adrianna recovered her

senses and awoke. A foul stench of decay and venom hung in the air.

It was very dark. The cave was damp and cool save for a rank breeze of warm air

that seemed to rush over her every now and again. Suddenly there came a loud grinding

noise, such as that which a sword makes when drawn across a rock, and the pace of that

breeze was broken. Then one of the cavern walls seemed to move and the light of the

moon now shone through from that place and onto the cavern floor. This light sparkled

and played off the wall like so many shining diamonds and it revealed the massive

serpentine flank of the dragon. Adrianna knew then that the foul breeze was the breath of

that beast and what she had thought to be a cave wall was actually the dragon’s scaled

body. The great Bronze Dragon lay before her, and with its bulk it blocked the cavern

mouth and any chance of escape. The dragon’s eyes, accustomed to the dark, were fixed

upon the princess.

Never before in her life had the princess been in such great peril, and she knelt

upon the ground and began to pray for God to have mercy upon her

father and to forgive her all her sins before she died. And as she prayed, the monster crept

closer in the dark, its eyes like dancing fire in the pale moonlight while its shimmering

claws scratched against the cave floor. Then the princess chanced to fix her eyes upon

those of the dragon, and instantly she became mesmerized by them. And the beast, caught

in turn by her stare, slowed in its advance and seemed to become enthralled. And so the

princess, though gripped by fear, stared deeply into the eyes of the dragon, and the

dragon, for its part, stayed motionless, as if held captive by her gaze.

Then, as she stood before the dragon there in that dark and perilous place, she

thought to sing. And not knowing why or whether it would break the spell that seemed to

restrain the beast, she began to sing, softly and tremblingly at first and with an

overwhelming melancholy. But the dragon, which was truly a magnificent creature

though its natural disposition was given to chaos and dissension, now found great

pleasure in the misery and sorrow framed within the beauty of the princess’s song. And

so even though the mighty Bronze Dragon’s instinct would have had it devour the

princess, it took even greater delight in the sadness of her voice. By and by as she sang

the beast’s talons began to relax, and the burning slits of its eyes flickered open and shut.

And the dragon was so appeased by the princess’s sorrowful song that it fell into a deep

slumber.

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Seeing this, the princess took courage and rising from her knees, she began to

search for some way of escape. But the great monster’s body lay between her and the

only entrance to that cavern so that there was no way out. Thereupon, the princess fell to

weeping, and she remained so throughout that night while the knights searched for her in

vain.

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Chapter 5 -A Knight in Exile-

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The knight-messengers of Donn rode by way of many highways and byways at a furious

pace, stopping only to inquire from those they met upon the road whether any great

heroes of repute lived in those parts. And it chanced that even before nightfall of the first

day of his riding, one of these knight messengers, who had gone by way of Lossalwood,

happened upon a great host of armoured knights clad all in black who were hiding in a

thicket within the wood. Now the knight messenger of Donn knew by their black armour

and by the boar’s emblem upon their shields that this company of knights served one Sir

Koevern, so-called “The Boar”, who was a very wicked knight and a sworn enemy of the

King of Donn. But fortune would have it that these black knights did not recognize that

knight messenger of Donn; for he rode swiftly, without armour or insignia, and they

mistook him for one of their own scouts. Wherefore, one of these black knights hailed

him, saying “Knave! What do you think you are about, galloping so? Be still, lest our

ambush be discovered!” And fearing some mischief was afoot, the knight messenger

obeyed and was still.

There were fourscore and eight black knights concealed there and in their midst

was a knight of great stature, massive of frame, who bore a great kite shield of black and

wore a black helm from which protruded two mighty tusks, the prize of some wild boar.

He was that same Sir Koevern whose black knights were concealed in the thicket, beyond

which lay a clearing.

Across this clearing, which was quite wide, and much longer than those marked

for use at tournaments of jousting, again lay the forest. And from this emerged a dozen

mounted black knights who were being closely pursued by two-score crimson-clad

knights of Donn. And it appeared to those beholding the sight as if a great fire chased a

patch of night across that clearing, for it was the dying hours of the day and the setting

sun made the polished, red armour of Donn all the more resplendent, but the black

armour it made to appear as dull as coal. There arose a great cheer from the knights of

Donn, for they were nearly upon those black knights they pursued.

Then those knights of Sir Koevern, who were waiting in ambush, drew their

swords. And Sir Koevern himself raised a battle cry and all his knights answered him so

that the very trees shook with their voices. At this, the two-score knights of Donn drew

up their mounts, but the dozen black knights, who had craftily feigned this retreat so as to

lead the knights of Donn into that ambush, continued onward in safety. And the four

score and eight black knights charged out into the clearing to meet their forces and crush

the knights of Donn. And it seemed to that knight messenger that the crimson knights of

Donn would be overcome by that great sea of shadow; for Sir Koevern was revealed in

his wrath, and his semblance was all unnatural, and before him the two-score red knights

broke and made ready to flee before his onslaught.

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Now those dozen black knights who had feigned retreat did not turn aside but

continued with great haste as though they had indeed lost their reason or had been struck

blind, for they rode directly at the ambush of their companions. Sir Koevern, seeing that

they turned neither to the left nor to the right, but rode straight on, shouted to them,

saying, “Turn aside, fools! Else I shall drive myself against you!” But seeing that they

continued in their flight, Sir Koevern became enraged and signaled a charge against these

dozen cowardly black knights that his host might pass through them and set upon the

knights of Donn. And so Sir Koevern readied himself to do battle against his own

knights. Now those retreating black knights paid no heed to Sir Koevern’s command or

his threat, and lo, they formed a line to meet his charge.

And among those dozen black knights, there was one who rode a head taller than

the rest and who bore himself with particular nobility and prowess. This knight trained

his lance upon Sir Koevern that he might engage that evil knight. And Sir Koevern for his

part marked the challenge of this traitor knight and made ready so that their meeting was

as a clap of thunder upon that field. In their meeting the spear of Sir Koevern shivered

into many pieces against his opponent’s shield, but the spear of the unknown knight held

fast and passed through the great kite shield of Sir Koevern and struck him with such

force upon the shoulder that Sir Koevern was thrown from his horse and fell to the

ground in a daze.

Now it must be told that those dozen black knights who were feigning retreat

were indeed not knights of Sir Koevern, but rather knights of Donn who had defeated the

black knights and disguised themselves in their black armour. And the great knight who

had unseated Sir Koevern was one Sir Aeroc, the stepson of the Lord Marshall of War.

But seeing that Sir Koevern had been overthrown, all those knights of Donn, who were

disguised in the black armour, met the host of Sir Koevern and there was a great clash of

spears upon shields. And those crimson knights of Donn who had seemed to be retreating

now turned and encircled Sir Koevern’s forces.

And those dozen disguised knights of Donn caused great confusion within the

centre of the ambush since no distinction could be made between friend and foe.

Wherefore, the enemy struck at one another so that many hastened away from the field in

frustration, sore with wounds. And the army of Sir Koevern was without leadership, but

the army of Donn was led by that Sir Aeroc, who was a hunter and a warrior among men.

He fought so valiantly and with such skill that no one was his equal in feats of arms that

day, for he boldly cast aside his shield and wielded his sword with both hands, striking

both to the left and to the right very dolorous blows upon those whom he met.

Then it came to pass that the black knights, perceiving that all was lost became

desperate men, for the fighting raged hotly all around them and Sir Aeroc and his eleven

strong companions gave no sign of tiring. And Sir Koevern, who had hitherto lain in a

swoon as though dead, came again to his senses. Now he, seeing that his companions

17

were hard pressed and the battle lost, sought only to avenge himself upon that knight.

Finding among the fray a strong lance, “The Boar” set upon Sir Aeroc, who still sat

fighting atop his horse, and he ignobly wounded that good knight’s mount. And Sir Aeroc

would have been crushed beneath his horse as it fell had he not very skillfully voided his

saddle. Thereupon, Sir Koevern drew his sword and rushed upon him. But Sir Aeroc

recovered and with one deft movement he sidestepped the blow by which Sir Koevern

would have struck him down. And turning, Sir Aeroc hit Sir Koevern with the flat of his

sword with such force upon the back of “The Boar’s” knees that he toppled to the ground.

Thereupon, Sir Aeroc took hold of Sir Koevern’s great horned helm and,

wrenching it from his head, he grabbed the hair of that sorry knight in one hand and with

his other he lifted his sword so as to strike off that evil knight’s head, for he was greatly

angered that a knight should have become so shameless as to wound another knight’s

steed. But when Sir Koevern understood that he was to die, he besought mercy, saying,

“Sir Knight, I ask you to spare me!”

And Sir Aeroc answering said: “I will not spare you, for you are a most villainous

knight!”

Whereupon, Sir Koevern besought him again, saying, “Upon the honour of your

knighthood, I beg you, have mercy!”

Then said Sir Aeroc, “It is yet to be said that I have failed to honour anything

which has been asked upon my knighthood, therefore, I will spare you, but you must first

surrender yourself unto me.” And Sir Koevern answered that he would surrender himself

unto him.

And so Sir Aeroc stayed his hand and released Sir Koevern who rose to his feet

once more. Thereupon, Sir Koevern said, “What is it that you would have me do? For I

have tarnished my knighthood this day and you have brought me low in battle; there

remains no task too mean for my hands.”

To which Sir Aeroc made reply, “In exchange for your life, I place it upon you to

leave the lands of Donn, never to return. And as to your honour, that is yours to restore if

you can.”

Sir Koevern answered, “It shall be done as you have commanded.” And with that,

he and his remaining black knights departed from the field and from the kingdom of

Donn.

Now the knight messenger of Donn had remained in hiding all this time at the

clearing’s edge, but when he perceived that the fighting had ended and that victory had

been won by the knights of Donn, and all this due to the prowess of that one knight, Sir

Aeroc, he said within himself, “Surely, this knight is the greatest knight who has ever

lived! If anyone can save the princess, it must be he!” Whereupon, he left the wood and

came to that place where Sir Aeroc stood and hailed him, saying “Sir Knight, most surely

you are the greatest knight the world has ever seen, for Sir Koevern was deemed the most

18

terrible of villains! I bid you, upon your knighthood, that you undertake a great quest on

behalf of the King of Donn.”

Sir Aeroc made answer, saying, “Right gladly would I come to the assistance of

the king, for though I have been exiled to this forest of Lossalwood by my stepfather, the

Lord Marshall of War, the king is yet my liege lord and I am sworn to fight for him

before all other duties.”

And so it was that Sir Aeroc undertook the adventure of the Bronze Dragon and

the rescue of the king’s daughter.

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Chapter 6 -Signs in the Stars-

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Twilight had descended upon the land when another knight messenger of Donn reached

the white sands of the beach along the Northern Sea. This sea was treacherous, so much

so that none had ever crossed it and thus it acted as the northernmost border of all that

land, as though it were the very end of the world. Therefore, many scholars at that time

believed the world would have been flat, but that the sea beyond was so vast that it pulled

upon the edges of the earth, thus curving the land and the entire world into a giant globe.

Now as that knight messenger halted so as to decide upon his direction, he espied

upon the water a vessel approaching. And the appearance of that vessel was quite

extraordinary, for it had neither oars, nor sails, but seemed to be guided by the great sea

monster that was carved into its bow. As it emerged from the mist that stood over the

water, the knight messenger beheld the lone figure of a man standing in its prow. This

man wore a great hooded cloak that fell from his head even to his feet and which would

have concealed his form entirely had he not a leathern girdle fast about his waist. In one

hand he held a gnarled wooden staff and with the other he gripped the strap of the pack

upon his back.

Presently, that vessel ran aground upon the shore and its passenger alighted and

stood before the mounted knight messenger of Donn. Looking upon him, the knight

messenger saw that the man’s eyes gleamed very brightly and that his features seemed

familiar, as if he had seen him before, though not anywhere in particular. Now the

cloaked man was that stargazer, known by all but met by few, to whom people had given

the name “Riken Helenus”, which means “the Traveling Greek”, for he seemed to be

neither here nor there, but here and there all at the same instant. And the knight knew

well the strange stories of this same Riken, having heard them in the great hall of his lord,

the King of Donn. And he wished to speak some word, but no word could he speak, for

he found himself not knowing what to say.

So it was that Riken Helenus hailed the knight first, saying, “Greetings to thee,

knight messenger unto his majesty, the King of Donn! I have come to aid the king, for I

have read the stars and know of his sorrows and of the great peril that threatens his

kingdom!”

And the knight messenger admired that his purpose should be so known and,

finding his voice, he asked, “Good sir, would you please tell me whether you are that

Riken Helenus of whom all men speak?”

The cloaked man made answer, saying, “That is the name given me by the

peoples of these lands, and I shall answer to it. Now prithee, speak, how is it that a knight

messenger of Donn is waiting upon the shores of the Northern Sea? Hath the king then

become wise to the stars which foretold my coming?”

To which the knight made reply, “It was not by design that I found you this night.

I ride alone, as a herald unto the king, seeking the greatest men from all God-fearing

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lands who can find and slay the great Bronze Dragon, for it is said that the dragon augurs

ruin in its coming, and, if it be not slain, the kingdom shall be lost!”

The stargazer fixed his eyes even more intently upon the messenger, and in those

eyes lay great mysteries and the knowledge of many hidden and forgotten things. And

Riken Helenus gravely made answer, “Is the dragon then the danger that the king

perceives? Long have I watched the fell deeds of the Bronze Dragon in the agitated

heavens and seen its works disrupt the course of the stars! Alas that matters are not so

simple that we might put an end to the dragon race and be free of such terror. The dragon

is a scavenger of destruction, rending that which is already fouled. Nature speaks to us

through it – killing it is but to slay the messenger! Be not anxious for the dragon, it is the

lesser of evils at work here. Harken unto me; leave the old reptile alone! It waits to strike

according to the fulfillment of days. If the king stretches out his hand against the Bronze

Dragon, it will matter little, for the dragon minds him not. Mark these my words and

bring them to the king along with my blessing.”

And the knight messenger was taken aback by Riken’s speech and addressed him

again, saying, “What means these words, for they sound both ill and fair and yet full of

foreboding. Will you come to the aid of the Kingdom of Donn with your far sight? For

surely a man who can read the stars knows whether our venture may meet with success

and by whose hand the dragon may be slain! Consider well that if the princess be not

recovered the king shall be lost to madness and the Kingdom of Donn lost to ruin!”

“What sayst thou concerning the king?” Riken Helenus asked.

“That he is mad, made so by the loss of his daughter to the Bronze Dragon.”

And Riken Helenus was taken aback, “How is it that the stars did not tell me this?

For I have watched them most diligently.” And saying so, he turned his face to the sky

that he might read the first stars of that night. Riken Helenus gazed long before he turned

his face again to the earth. “It is as thou hast said, and it was hidden from me until this

night. The king is mad and the princess taken, but yet she lives. A mad king cannot

protect a land from evil; truly, I understand thy need.”

The knight messenger was glad, seeing that the stargazer was in accord and

spoke, saying, “Then tell me where I might find the champion who can slay this beast and

restore the princess to the kingdom?”

But Riken Helenus shook his head in answering, “This is a hard thing, for the

deeds of dragons cannot be foretold, but only read as they happen. I know not if the

Bronze Dragon shall be slain nor if there is any man given to do this. Yet I will come

unto the king and see this adventure through to its end.” And so the stargazer set out for

the castle of Donn.

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Chapter 7 -Stealing among the Ruins-

23

The night was old when a knight messenger of Donn arrived at the city of Lucerne at the

far Eastern border of the Kingdom of Donn. Lucerne was one of the great merchant

centres of the kingdom, and the knight messenger looked forward to a warm room and a

stable for his horse. But as he approached, he found the city walls dark. Entering the main

gate, he stopped, for the sight that greeted him was foreboding indeed. Lucerne was a

desolate, windswept ruin, empty of men. By and by, the knight messenger became aware

of great pieces of debris, giant stones and wooden beams, lying in heaps upon the

roadway. Live embers winked at him and small flames timidly peeked out from charred

crevices, the remnants of some great blaze. A cold fear gripped the knight’s hearts;

perhaps some terrible army or some great affliction had been there and laid waste to that

city and had put its inhabitants to the sword.

Then, suddenly, a man clad in a brown leathern jerkin with a bow upon his back

swaggered out from around one of these piles and approached the knight messenger. “So,

tell me, is it safe to suppose that you’re not from around here?”

The knight made reply, “Truly, good fellow, I am a knight messenger of Donn

sent throughout the land to…”

“Of course you aren’t,” said the man, interrupting. “Well, fortune is yours, for it

just so happens that I know a thing or two about these parts, and, as such, I deem it only

Christian to warn you that, although you’re welcome here, I do not think that you’ll find

the accommodations of this humble city entirely to your liking.”

But the knight messenger had been riding the whole day and was wearied and so

he addressed the man again, saying, “Pray tell me who you are and where the citizens of

Lucerne have gone; for you are the first person I have come upon since I came to this

city.”

And the fellow answered the knight quite readily, saying, “Well, I am a thief in

this city, here to make profit from the unhappy fortunes that have come upon it, and to

make the city rich in freedom though poor in gold. For you see, the mayor has made me

an offer, that if I can rid this city of its unsightly besieger, he will award me with no small

amount of ‘compensation’.”

“Nay, my good man,” replied the knight messenger, “there is no thievery in such

service as the delivering of a city from its peril.”

The thief laughed and patted the knight’s horse upon its flank. The knight

messenger laughed as well, so hard, in fact, that he did not perceive the thief removing

the purse from upon his hip. The thief laughed still harder, and said, “I like what you say,

my poor knight, and I would have you accompany me in all my knavery as my spoken

conscience! But it must also be said, in all truth, that I am a thief, for whereas an honest

man would be glad to undertake such a task for the sole purpose of seeing good people

delivered from harm, I seek only to deliver them from their gold, which, it must be said,

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is in great peril of being lost if I do not take it from them. So that is why I say that I am a

thief, for I can’t honestly call myself honest.”

Just then, the knight messenger became wary, for the ground beneath him

trembled in steady beats and he could hear the grinding crunch of stone upon stone. The

man with the leathern jerkin spoke quickly now, “Find cover, Sir Messenger, for here

comes the ugly brute and he seems to be in the very same bad humour in which I left

him!” And with that the thief scrambled up the wall of the city that he might keep watch

upon the road.

The knight messenger had scarcely concealed himself and his mount in a

darkened alley when the great brute came thundering down the main road. It was a giant

ogre of frightful shape, what with its enormous body, its double heads, and its misshapen

iron club, so much so that the knight, who beheld it from the shadows, had never been so

terrified in all his life.

Yet the thief not only stood on that wall in plain view of those two eyes shared

between two heads, but, placing his hands upon his hips, he called down to the ogre in a

loud voice, “There you are, knobby heads! I was beginning to miss our little exchanges!

So tell me, what grievance do you wish to address this time?” But the ogre made no

answer except to work itself up into a frenzy, one head staring up at the thief and the

other head studying the wall upon which the thief stood. Then it awkwardly took hold of

its giant iron-plated club and began to smash away at the wall’s great stone foundations.

Judging from the wreckage about the city, it seemed to the knight messenger that this

exchange had happened before.

“Lift with your knees! Tense your muscles and put your back into it!” called the

thief above the din. At that jest, the ogre began to pound at the wall even harder so that

the ring of metal upon stone became unbearable. And yet the bold thief shook his head

and called out once more, “You swing that club like you’re chopping wood! I’d mistake

you for a lumberjack, except that your axe is as dull as your wits! What’s this? Winded

already? Then let the other head give it a swing!”

Indeed, if it had not been for the thief’s constant pestering, the ogre would most

likely have given up long before, but at each fresh taunt, the beast would gather itself for

another swing. The thief now let fly a few arrows, sending them into the ogre’s toes and

all the while asking the ogre if he would not dance to the merry tune of his bow. Now,

though ogre toes are all callous and feel no more than a little sting, there is nothing that

makes them angrier than a good tempo.

And so, with its remaining force, the monster landed one final gargantuan hit

upon the wall and it began to collapse even while the thief still danced upon it. However,

the man was sure and fleet of foot, for in an instant he had sprung from his perch and

onto a building below. The ogre was not so sprightly and was now indeed quite

25

exhausted; thus, when the wall came crumbling down, the brute had not the strength to so

much as move itself out the way and was struck down by the falling stone.

When all this had occurred, the knight messenger of Donn emerged from his place

of hiding and the thief deftly hopped down into the street. Together they looked upon the

fresh pile of rubble. “Don’t fret about the ogre,” the thief said to the knight messenger,

“I’m sure that it will enjoy its stay here in Lucerne immensely. As for you though, you

won’t find anyone that you are looking for here. All the locals have fled to the nearby

fortress of Hogart for safety. You’ll come upon it at the base of those mountains.” And he

pointed still further East where white capped mountains stood against the sky.

But the knight messenger made reply, “Nay, I seek not one who might flee from

danger, rather I seek one who would confront such danger and overcome it, for surely, if

you could devise a way to defeat this monster, then surely you could devise a way to

defeat a dragon!” At this the thief crinkled his brow and made answer, “The ogre

defeated itself, for it is most likely the dumbest creature on God’s green Earth. Merry, I

think it won’t be long until there are none of them left to speak of. Dragons are a bit

above my mettle, I’m afraid. No, I would not dare hop about on walls and rooftops with

one of them chasing me; they fly you see.”

“But, Good Sir,” interrupted the knight messenger, “if there be one in all this land

who could find a way to rescue the princess then it is most assuredly you. It would be

right shameful for one with such wit as you possess to leave a lady in such peril.”

On this the thief thought much. “Consider this,” he replied after a pause, “triple

my usual payment and I will see what I can do about your princess. How’s that to your

liking?”

The knight messenger was very much unsettled that a price should be placed upon

the rescuing of a princess, especially that beautiful princess of Donn; he had never heard

of such a thing nor did he think it very chivalrous. But he accepted the offer in the name

of the king, whose knight and vassal he was, and hoped that this thief would have as

much skill with the dragon as he did with the ogre.

“Sir knight,” said the thief, “I believe that in all the excitement you’ve gone and

dropped your purse!” And lo, the knight messenger found his purse had indeed

disappeared, and he dismounted that he might find whether it lay somewhere in the road.

And as he looked, the thief leapt into his vacant saddle. “My! This is a fine mount you

have here!”

“So ‘tis!” replied the knight messenger distractedly, for he yet sought his purse

upon the ground, “for it is a horse from the stables of the king!”

And the thief made answer, “Then it should be returned to the king! But I wonder

if you would be so kind as to do me a good turn?”

“What would it be?” the knight messenger replied.

26

“Would you drop by Hogart and deliver a message to the mayor of Lucerne who

is there awaiting news concerning his heap of a city?”

“And what message is this?” the knight messenger questioned.

The thief grinned as he answered, “Tell him, that I seek his pardon for the mess,

but I think that if he should look under a certain section of southwest wall, he will find

some manner of satisfaction.”

“And whom should I say sent me?” asked the knight messenger.

“Tell him the good thief Dismas has sent you and that he may delay my payment

until my return. And since we will probably never meet again, here’s payment for the use

of your horse and I bid you, good day!” And Dismas tossed a purse of gold into the road

just as the knight messenger stood to bid him Godspeed. But he did not hail the thief, nor

did he utter a cry, so astonished was he, for the thief was already off, riding for Donn on

the knight messenger’s own horse and there in the road lay the missing purse.

27

Chapter 8 -A Bronze Morning-

28

As a child, the princess had learned many things from her governess. Chief among her

lessons was that a princess must always act well and show strength and patience in the

face of hardship, for the strength of the ruler gives confidence to the people. Yet, never in

her life had the princess seen a dragon, much less been in one’s lair. And this was no

common dragon, but the mighty Bronze Dragon of which horrible tales were told.

Despite her fear, the princess held fast to the teachings of the governess and her thoughts

turned to escape.

Now, she was not so helpless as one might think, for she could meet the dragon’s

stare and not quaver, and her voice and her songs were enough to turn the dragon from

any harm it might want to visit upon her. That night she lay awake, her gaze upon the rise

and fall of the dragon’s side. The metallic smell of its bronze scales was strong upon the

air, and she calmed herself lest fear cause her to do some foolish thing.

What was worst of all was that the Bronze Dragon kept watch of its lair as it slept,

for like many of its kind, the Bronze Dragon often opened its eyes in sleep. Every once

and again she caught the glint of one of the dragon’s slanted eyes keeping vigil upon its

prisoner.

When the sun arose the next morning, it came into that cave like a shimmer of

golden light. In that instant, though all of its being was created for destruction, the dragon

shone radiantly and the princess could not help but admire it; she understood then that

even the great and terrible Bronze Dragon gave its own beauty to the world. The beast

awoke and settled its reptilian stare upon her. And there was a hunger in that stare so that

the princess knew that she was in peril for her life. Yet she steadied her will and

remembering how her song had soothed the dragon the night before, she began to sing.

But now, instead of the mournful tune of yesterday, she sang that old song that she had

once sung in the gardens of the castle when she and her brothers were young:

In the morning, the sun shines smiling;

For blossoms dress the trees in white,

And robins early sing songs the while

As gentle breezes chase the night.

In the morning, the land becomes alive;

Dewdrops glisten, shadows collide,

And nature in a moment does revive

All that darkness sought to hide.

In the morning, the world awakes delight;

For the day brings all that eases

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Those who sleep softly through the night,

Waiting for those gentle breezes.

But the dragon did not give her leave to finish, for with a great snort of curling

fire it shook its head in disgust. Then, with the quick movements of its kind, it swung

away from her and leapt from the cave entrance, its giant wings flapping as it took flight

and its bronze scales all sparkling with the day’s early light. The princess was left

standing in the mouth of the cave, her hand shielding her eyes that she might watch the

dragon’s course through the sky. And when the beast was beyond her sight, she stood

amazed, for she was alone and had now a chance to escape. Or was it rather that the

cunning dragon wished some sport and was circling high above where only dragon eyes

could see the earth, waiting until she might escape that it might swoop down upon her?

But she thought not upon this and strode from the cave with brave steps, steadying herself

against the cave wall and glancing beyond its mouth that she might see what path lay

there.

A fearful sight greeted her, for the cave was in the side of a cliff face, part of what

was once the great outer wall of the fortress of Dranchenfels. Indeed, so far was she from

the ground that even the tallest tower in the castle of Donn could not compare. With

sorrow, the princess knew that there would be no escape for her this way. Carefully, she

left that dangerous ledge, and, in so doing, she glanced toward the back of the cave. What

a vision greeted her eyes, for there was a most tremendous thing! Heaped to the very roof

before her was laid a most wondrous mound of treasure both of gold and of precious

stones, and beyond that mound there was a trickling of water upon the cave wall. And,

being extremely thirsty, the princess clambered over the hoarded treasure of the Bronze

Dragon to quench her thirst.

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Chapter 9 -The Three Heroes-

31

The day passed by quickly and it was already dusk when the travelers began to arrive at

the castle of Donn. The first to cross the drawbridge was that same Riken, the stargazer,

whom the messenger had found upon the shores of the Northern Sea, or who had found

the messenger, depending upon one’s point of view. Next came Dismas, the thief, who

had slept in the saddle the whole way, for he was tired from his adventure with the ogre

and confident in the horse’s ability to find its way home.

At their coming the Lord Marshall arranged for great rejoicing and heartily

greeted each man while begging their pardon that the king could not greet them himself

on account of his grief. They were entertained in the great hall, and there was much food

and drink. With the feast there was music, and bards from far off lands and tumbling

fools and skillful players of the lute. And the entertainment wore long, for the Lord

Marshall waited lest any other adventurer should chance to arrive.

Then, as no more came, the Lord Marshall took the two adventurers aside and

spoke to them saying, “Heroes of Donn, for so you will be, I wish to have a final word

with you now before you set out on this most perilous quest. I would ask that when you

find this mighty dragon’s lair, that you at once mark the place, either by fire or by some

other sign, for I shall follow behind you a day’s journey with the army of Donn and if,

God forbid, you should chance to be slain in your adventure, at least we will be able to

find the place and so slay the great Bronze Dragon and avenge the king, his daughter, and

you heroes. And now I will leave you both that you might take your rest and so start fresh

on the morn.”

Riken listened to these things and nodded. “Lord Marshall,” said Riken, “it shall

be even as you say; yours is a sound plan. Although, if my companion here is in

agreement, I propose to set out even now as dusk falls, for the stars shall guide me as sure

as the sun.” And having spoken, he bowed his head and the Lord Marshall looked to the

thief.

Dismas looked from one man to the next and took a bite from an apple he had

taken from the feast. “For my part,” he said with his mouth full, “I have already caught

up on my sleep and am ready for the task at hand. But before we sally forth to mete out

vengeance or to be in need of avenging, there remains a pressing matter of no small

consequence.”

“Pray address it then!” said the Lord Marshall. The thief finished his apple and

twirled the core in-between his fingers. “It is merely a matter of settling payment, which

my esteemed companion here and I will be looking for upon my…our return.” To this

Riken said naught, save that he would await the other in the stable. The Lord Marshall

named a great sum, truly an amount more than worthy of the princess of so vast a

kingdom, and the thief seemed quite satisfied. And then taking supplies, he too departed

for the stables that he and the stargazer might set out that very night.

32

By the time they had set out, the first star was fresh in the night sky. The forest

seemed to thicken with the darkness but the starlight shone through and flickered off the

rippling creeks and gurgling streams, and in its light the way was revealed to the

stargazer.

After some time Riken stopped in the way and stared up at this star, now

surrounded by its fellows. And addressing no one in particular, he spoke, saying, “We are

no longer two, but three.” The thief marked these words as meaning that danger lay ahead

and, quick as a wink, he was off his horse and up the nearest tree and there with his bow,

he took up a ready position. Yet, the stargazer remained where he was, still looking up at

that star which had caught his eye.

There was then a rustle in the leaves about and a mounted knight came out onto

the road ahead of them.

“Good evening, Sir Knight,” bade the stargazer.

“Good evening, friend,” the knight said, making answer. “What errand finds you

alone in the road at this late hour?”

The knight was wonderful to behold in the starlight. His strapping frame sat tall in

the saddle and while one hand loosely held the reins, the other kept a lance with its point

to the sky. Horse and man were the very image of knightly discipline and chivalry. Riken

spoke now in a manner which hinted that there was a smile upon his face, “Perhaps, Sir

Knight, you did not mark my words just now, for indeed there are not two, but three of us

here.”

“And who is the third?” answered the knight, “for surely he be a rogue if he be

hidden.”

“A rogue he is!” cried the thief leaping down from the trees and startling the

knight’s horse. “And whether hidden or in plain sight, you would be hard pressed to ever

find a truer knave!” And the thief comforted the horse with his one hand while he

pinched the knight’s purse with the other.

“We are on the quest of the Bronze Dragon,” spoke Riken, “for it ravages this

land, and has taken the princess of Donn and so left her father the king in a grave illness

of mind.”

At this news the knight could not help but laugh, “Indeed, I have heard of this

quest! But look to yourselves and turn back, for you are not warriors who would strike

down a dragon. Your hair is gray with years, good father, and this rogue here has naught

but a bow…and my purse! Hye! Give that back, you blackguard!” And the thief, having

been discovered, returned the knight’s purse, though the knight thought that it hung

lighter upon his belt than before.

Riken continued, saying, “Thou art a warrior indeed, for the stars tell me so.

These have appeared just now and they speak of thy sword as being one of the few able

to slay the beast. Yet, for that, spurn not our company, for though thy arm is strong, thy

33

eyes have little knowledge in them of dragons. It is mine to find the dragon’s lair, for it is

by stars that dragons mark their path, and it is by stars that I shall discover the dragon and

its lair. And as a token of the truth of my words, I shall tell to thee thy name, revealed to

me by the stars. And so I hail thee, Sir Aeroc!”

The knight was astonished by this revelation and replied, saying: “Truly, it is even

as you say; for I am that Sir Aeroc, who has been exiled by the Lord Marshall, whom my

mother married after my birth father’s death. Thus, though I should seek to undertake this

adventure, I cannot upon peril of my life enter within the castle walls. I will join with you

and your companion.”

“Well, that’s plenty about you,” the thief said. “The starry-eyed chap here is

Riken, our resident astrologer and party entertainer. And I’m Dismas! And though the

fewer the men, the greater share of the earnings, I imagine it’s a good thing to have a

swordsman along who can tickle the dragon’s belly with a bit of steel!” And Dismas

smiled a sly kind of grin.

Riken spoke, “We are glad of thy company, Sir Aeroc. We will ride through this

night and, come daybreak, we will reach the river beyond which lies the ashen lands that

the dragon has wasted.”

“Know you the way, Seer? For I have not seen these lands since I was a boy,”

said Sir Aeroc.

“He better,” Dismas said flatly, “because I’ve been following his lead ever since

the castle…”

“Not by the sight of the sun, but by the heavens do I know this land, and know it

as well as any man living,” said Riken. “I see across the blasted lands to the mountains

whereupon some forgotten peak there is an old fortress or castle high that now lies in

ruins. Heard thou of such a place?”

The knight made answer, “Truly, there is such a place, for I remember hearing of

it in stories from my youth. It is the fortress city of Dranchenfels of which you speak –

the great capital of the mountain people.”

“Do men still live there?” inquired the thief.

The knight shook his head, “Nay, long have they been gone. It is a sad thing to

tell, for the people never left. Rather, they perished upon their mountain. It is said that

they amassed such great wealth from their delving and mining that every man thought

himself every other man’s equal. When they considered their riches, none thought it fit to

be ruled by any other. Thus they quarreled amongst themselves until a man from the

valley came among them. This man had nothing, for he had no wealth of his own, and

skillfully he made pretense not to care at all for such things as riches or gold. And so the

people deemed it fit to appoint him who wanted nothing as their ruler.

“As the story goes, on the day the people made him king, they held a great feast

of rejoicing. Then, during the night, through violence and mischief, the new ruler opened

34

the gates of the city to a band of his fellow rogues from the valley and, entering into the

city, they took both the wealth and the lives of those mountain people. Lastly, it is told

that those same murderous men, once they had gathered together all that treasure, fell

upon one another, and in their blindness and greed they cast each other in a tumult from

the walls of Dranchenfels. Some believe that the treasure remains there yet, though some

say it perished with them.”

When the knight had finished the telling of the tale of the mountain people, the

stargazer, who had been listening very intently, spoke, saying, “Friends, it is at

Dranchenfels where the Bronze Dragon keeps its lair. There is no greater chaos than that

which comes from the love of such treasure. Surely, if this treasure be as great as legend

tells, the dragon will have sniffed it out and taken it for its own.”

All throughout this talk of riches the thief had remained silent and apparently

disinterested, though he listened politely. And the knight spoke again, “But, wise Riken,

no one has yet been able to find the ruined fortress, for it is said the city is cursed and has

been hidden by faerie magic from the sight of men. We may never discover it. Perhaps it

would be wiser to lure out the dragon and hope that the princess might then escape?”

The stargazer cast a smile upon the knight, the kind of smile that a teacher gives a

student who is trying in his studies but has not yet grasped the lesson, and replied, “Heed

my words, Sir Aeroc, thou hast already forgotten that the dragon marks his way in the

stars and that I too can follow the stars to its lair. Thus it is the stars that will guide us to

Dranchenfels. To me, the sky tells of history, the present and of the future; the stars are a

map for all of time. All that would be was imprinted within the heavens at the very

creation of the universe by the all-knowing God. Follow me; thou shalt never know a

truer guide.”

And so, under Riken’s lead, they traveled through the night and arrived at the

river beyond which lay the desolate lands. The river, however, was too swift to ford.

Searching downstream, they discovered a fallen tree that would serve as a bridge. The

party dismounted and began to cross but neither Riken nor Dimas could coax their

mounts to set hoof on the tree.

“It's no use,” Dismas said. “The horses won't cross this way. We'll have to leave

them behind.”

“A knight does not so easily abandon his steed,” replied Sir Aeroc.

“Well then, walk backwards across,” replied Dismas. “That way the steed is

abandoning the knight.”

Dismas and Riken then left their horses and crossed. Sir Aeroc followed, leading

his steed by the bridle and speaking soft words. It appeared the steed would not abandon

his master either. And so the crossing was made in safety.

35

Chapter 10 -A Thief and his Gold-

36

Their way, which before had been softly bedded with fallen leaves and scattered

twigs, was now hard and cracked beneath their feet. The air was thick with dust and ash;

it seemed as if all around them was dead, and so it was, having been roasted and blighted

by the breath of the Bronze Dragon.

The way was not easy, for the roads of ancient days were lost beneath rubble, and

they had to pick their way along the boulder strewn slopes in the light of the moon.

“Look there!” Riken cried and the others followed his gaze. “That mountain is

where Drachenfels is entombed.”

“Did you need to pick the tallest mountain?” The thief sighed and turned to Sir

Aeroc. “I do not doubt your steed’s devotion, but I think you’re going to have to carry

him from this point on.”

Sir Aeroc made no reply. Dismounting, he took his sword and he slung his shield

upon his back, for he knew he would be the one to battle the Bronze Dragon. Then he

spoke quietly into his steed’s ear and off it went, back towards the river.

The mountain they were on became steeper and more difficult to climb. Dismas,

who was much more accustomed to such exercise, was charged with scaling the many

heights before the others and then, once having reached better ground, tossing a braided

rope down to his companions to assist them.

So it was that Dismas sometimes ended up far above the stargazer and the knight.

On one of these occasions Dismas supposed the way to be blocked, for above him the

cliff seemed to suddenly jut out, leaving him no way to ascend further. As he considered

his course, a blast of air hit him, nearly causing him to lose his grasp upon the rock. But

the thief caught himself and the wind passed. Searching diligently, Dismas saw that there

was a hole above him in the rock of the overhang.

It was dark, for the sun had not yet risen and the waning moon was hidden behind

the overhang. The thief could barely make out the holds and crevices he needed to climb

further. It was then that the wind struck him again, more violently this time and, knowing

he could not retain his hold, the thief leapt for the hole in the ledge above him and

catching its lip, he pulled himself through.

He crawled upward for some time before emerging into a sort of cavern, but he

could not be sure, for all before him was as black as the night itself. Finding a rocky pillar

near at hand, he secured the rope and let down the other end through the hole to his two

companions below.

He then set off to explore this cavern further. This proved very difficult, since it

was even darker there than it was outside; the faint echoes of his feet told him that he was

in a vast place. As he walked, the thief suddenly became aware of an overwhelming

metallic scent in the air. Dismas, with his hands outstretched before him in the dark,

stepped upon flat, round stones. Another step and his hands touched a cold, pebblelike

37

wall. As he moved his fingers along it, it shifted and there was the soft ring of metal on

metal. The thief smiled in the darkness, for this sound was sweet to his ears; it was the

sound of coins striking coins – many coins upon coins!

“Who’s there?” came a whisper in the darkness. The thief’s heart jumped within

him, for he well knew what treasure it was that he had found, even without being able to

see it. But the voice must be that of the princess!

Before he could reply, the cavern floor shook as a loud crash echoed deeply

through it and up the walls. The dragon had returned. The coins became as live things,

jittering and clinking, until the piles of gold were streaming avalanches that flooded the

cavern floor. It seemed as if the very walls were melting away; suddenly the smell of

decay and the stench of putrid oils filled the cavern.

“Your Highness, to me!” he called out. The princess was at his side even as he

began to dig away at the mound of golden pieces.

“The dragon has returned,” the princess cried, “and you fill your hands with gold?

Poor foolish man! Forget this dead metal and let us flee!”

“Nay, princess,” replied the thief, “I do not seek to save this gold, but to have this

gold save us! Now lie down!” The princess did not understand his words, but he helped

her to the cavern floor. Then the thief took great scooping armfuls of coinage from the

mound and cast it upon her and as he did so the coins from above began to pour down on

them until the mound collapsed and a shower of gold coin buried them both beneath it.

And not a moment too soon, for the dragon had caught the scent of the intruder

and it had heard the clanking of its gold and was now quite enraged. It let out a shriek

before pausing to draw in a great breath. Then it gave forth a blast of fire that entered the

cavern and filled it so that flames brimmed along the ceiling.

The princess felt the gold around her tremble; a rush of heat seeped between the

coins around her. As quickly as the fire had come, it was gone. The dragon shifted from

side to side, delighting in its display of destructive power, and then retreated deeper into

its cave to search for other interlopers.

Close by, the princess heard her rescuer speak, “Are you hurt, princess?” She tried

to answer, but to her surprise she was too shaken with fear to even manage a hoarse

whisper. Receiving no reply, the thief burst forth from where he lay hid beneath heaps of

gold-plated chests and precious stones and just as quickly he dug the princess free.

Then, without even taking the time to check how the princess fared, he took her

up into his arms and ran straight for the way he had come in and so straight into the

startled dragon. The Bronze Dragon was infuriated; it raised its open maw and released a

terrible cry. Yet the thief turned not aside but instead ran towards the dragon with the

princess in his arms. The dragon’s cry ended and there was a deafening silence as the

dragon reared back and drew in a deep breath, its throat and cheeks swelling as it sparked

its teeth and prepared to spew forth the venomous oils that fed its fire.

38

This pause was all the time the thief had. As the dragon released its fire the thief

dove beneath its jaw, executing a very fine somersault that any tumbler would admire.

The dragon was still venting its inferno when the thief and the princess emerged from

under its tail and came to where the thief had secured the rope.

“On my back and hold on tight!” The princess clung tight to him as the thief

descended into the darkness below. Down through the hole they passed and back out onto

the mountainside. Dawn was just beginning to break. Above them the dragon erupted into

a screeching roar and they heard it tear through its lair before a great gust of wind

signaled that it had taken flight in search of them.

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Chapter 11 -The View from Below-

40

Riken and Sir Aeroc stared up the mountainside at where they had last marked Dismas

ere he had disappeared from sight. “Truly, friend,” said Sir Aeroc to Riken, “the thief,

Dismas, is long in returning. He is much more suited to this task than we, especially in

this dark. We needs must rest – before long he will cast down the cord to assist us.”

Just then the braided rope was lowered to them and they knew that their

companion was safe, at least at that moment, but being greatly wearied and unsure in the

dark, they did not pursue the climb immediately.

So the two men took their rest and as they did so they noticed that a wind was

beginning to arise. Presently, even the stars’ dim light began to waver. The stargazer sat

up from where he had reclined and spoke, “The dragon is very close. May God protect

our friend!”

As he said these last words a shadow descended from the stars and down upon the

cliffs. Both the knight and the stargazer now lifted themselves to their feet and were

straining their eyes in the dark to discern the fate of their comrade in adventure.

“May the angels preserve him!” cried the knight. The stars wavered again, and

they marked how they rippled as something passed before them.

“It returns!” cried Riken, “It is the dragon! Dismas must be within its lair!” The

two strained their voices, crying out in warning to their friend above.

“What shall we do?” asked the knight.

The stargazer thought for a moment, “If we risk climbing, we might suffer what

the thief has managed to escape only by skill. Yet, if we remain here below, the dragon

shall surely find us and that will not end well.”

“In that case,” answered the knight, “I will up and risk what end Providence

deems fit to grant me; for I have vowed to undertake this quest and all its perils.”

The stargazer nodded approvingly, “Well said, Sir Knight, so it shall be with me,

just as you say.” And even as they confirmed their resolve, a bright fire appeared above,

and it lit the sky all around for the space of an instant. When it had passed, the two

companions stood still.

At last, the stargazer spoke, “Perhaps, Sir Knight, there yet remains another

option which we may be overlooking in our haste.”

“How I wish it!” replied Sir Aeroc, “I too seek another way of confronting this

dragon. Why had I but been able to bring my lance and lead my horse up these accursed

cliffs, then it would be an easy matter to put an end to this Bronze Beast! But, alas, I have

but the equipment that I have; I will climb for honour and in hopes of saving the

princess!”

“Nobly said,” answered the stargazer, “and I will do the same!” Yet, just then,

there was a second inferno from the cavern above. This time the fire seemed to be of an

unnatural kind, and it illuminated the whole cliff side and its craggy face. Then too did

41

that burst pass and the grayness return. Silently, the knight closed his eyes and, bracing

against the rock with both feet, he began to climb. Hand over hand and foot after foot he

climbed when of a sudden a deafening shriek filled the air. The next instant the rope

squirmed like a live thing in his hands. “By the Boar’s Head!” the knight exclaimed as he

lost his grip. He tumbled from the mountainside, and landed quite sorely upon his seat.

The rope slithered up the mountainside and disappeared. Riken was quickly at Sir

Aeroc’s side. “The dragon has been angered; Dismas must have disturbed its lair. Our

thief lives yet; the stars tell me so, but the dragon will be looking for him. We are not safe

here!”

“But what of the princess? We must go to her aid, and to that of Dismas as well!”

“They have escaped the dragon, for its wrath would not be so if otherwise.

Dismas is wise in the ways of concealment and stealth. We cannot help them here.”

“What do you see then old man? What do the fading stars tell you?”

Riken, looked to the heavens, his face silhouetted now by the strengthening traces

of dawn. “Battle will soon be joined!”

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Chapter 12 -Marshaling the Troops for Treason-

43

The castle of Donn was all astir before the night had ended. The Lord Marshall of War

had ordered the knights, men-at-arms, archers, and all fighting men in that part of the

kingdom to assemble outside the walls. He also ordered that nets, spears, and catapults be

made ready. Some three thousand men, all armed and ready to heed their Lord’s

commands, gathered in the field about. In the East, the rising sun shone crimson as The

Lord Marshall appeared among them on a resplendent charger and stirring their hearts to

battle he led them forth.

All through the early morning they marched until at last they came to that same

river where the princess had been stolen almost two days hence. Here the Lord Marshall

ordered that a great bridge should be constructed. In those last moments of darkness

before the rising sun had banished the shadows lurking among the mountains in the west,

a man-at-arms happened to espy a flash of fire far off in the distance, and, thinking that it

could be of some importance, he thought it well to report to the Lord Marshall of War

what had transpired.

Thus the Lord Marshall was alerted and he sought this sign upon the horizon and

indeed it appeared again in the distance upon a certain mountainside. And he had an

archer at hand mark well the place where that fire had appeared. And so, as soon as the

bridge was completed, the Lord Marshall ordered the army to make ready to cross the

river. And when they had crossed, the day had dawned and all could see clearly the

wasted land on which they now stood. And they were gripped with fear and with the

gravity of their danger.

It was then that the Lord Marshall spoke addressing the whole army saying,

“Behold the land on which we now stand. Behold what was once a lush and fertile place

is now not fit for cattle. How has this happened? I will tell you how. Too long now we

have suffered instead of thrived and it is not because of this dragon, no, it is because of

our king’s selfishness!”

At these words some men were silent and astonished, whilst others murmured

among themselves. And the Lord Marshall looking out over the army assembled before

him, continued to speak in a loud and confident tone, “Truly, men, it is for that selfish

grief, his selfish grief, that we now hunt the great Bronze Dragon; King Oberon’s grief is

the same reason that our princess is in peril and this land is laid waste. But hear me, brave

companions, who is he that now leads you into the very mouth of the dragon’s lair?

Where is the king when there is a scourge upon the land and danger to be confronted? He

is mad and safely away; and so he makes us mad as well, we who would follow a mad

king. See now what will come to our beloved kingdom if his rule is to continue. I tell you

now, dear friends, that I will slay this dragon; I will restore this land, I shall deliver all

from this evil and I shall end death and restore life again to our people. Then, having

44

done so, you men shall be able to decide for yourselves who should have rule of this

kingdom!”

And rearing horse, the Lord Marshall set out at a gallop towards the place where

the fire had been seen; for he believed that fire to be the signal that he had instructed the

adventurers to give upon finding the dragon. The army followed and quickened its pace.

The men all understood the words that the Lord Marshall had spoken and many had been

made glad to hear them. However, they were still unsure and so were eager to see his

words realized in action, and to witness his mettle in the face of so great a terror as the

Bronze Dragon.

From afar there arose a great noise that echoed throughout the mountains; it was

unmistakably the angry cry of the bronze-plated beast they sought. As the army

approached the mountains, it appeared in the sky above, shimmering like a golden kite in

the waxing day.

It circled with its bat-like wings around the cliffs with menacing purpose,

searching no doubt for those hapless adventurers whom the Lord Marshall had sent ahead

as bait. It was a horrifying creature to behold, and now and again in its fury it would

attack the mountain and gouge the rock with its talons and tear out chunks of stone. Yet

even as it set upon the mountain, its slanted eyes roved over the lands below and beheld

the approaching army; the knights in full armour, the archers with curved bows and full

quivers, and the men-at-arms carrying weapons, nets, and leading catapults which were

drawn by great armoured warhorses.

The Bronze Dragon shifted in the wind and made towards this new challenge. It

displayed an overwhelming eagerness to attack, a hateful desire that swelled within its

heated breast and which gave purpose to its love for chaos.

At the sight of its approach, the army of Donn arrayed itself for battle. The

catapults were made ready, the men secured boulders to the corners of the netting, the

knights took hold of their lances, and the archers put arrows to their strings. The Lord

Marshall stood at their head, fearless when in command, and he barked out orders and

rallied the spirits of the men. They were three thousand strong and well-equipped, but in

no manner were they prepared for the wrath of the Bronze Dragon.

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Chapter 13 -Dragon Attack-

46

Sir Aeroc and Riken marked that the dragon had ceased assaulting the mountain. They

saw in the distance the twinkling armour of an approaching army. “Tis the army of Donn

or I am a squire!” exclaimed Sir Aeroc.

A great noise filled the air. It was the shrill hissing cry of the dragon and it was

echoing all about. The mountain shook and the rocks shielding the two adventurers fell

away. Exposed on the cliffside, Sir Aeroc and Riken were easy prey to the flying beast,

had it any care for them. Speeding away upon the winds, the Bronze Dragon paid them

no heed; its vicious talents were now concentrated upon the army of Donn, which was

arrayed for its coming.

“It is my sword that can fell the dragon, is it not so, Riken?” asked Sir Aeroc.

“Aye, even as I told thee, Sir Aeroc.”

“Then I must speed myself to the battle, lest the army of Donn be laid low by the

Bronze Dragon. Yet how is this to be done? We have climbed far; it would take too long

for us descend.”

“Come,” said Riken. And the two men began to scramble down the mountainside,

Sir Aeroc’s mighty frame heaving and puffing in the effort. Riken leapt among the rocks

like a man ten years younger than he was and bid Sir Aeroc to follow. They soon came to

a stream that flowed down the mountainside. “By this route we may speedily come to the

battle, for this stream is the same that flows from here to the river that separates the lands

of Donn from those wasted by the Dragon.”

“A most excellent idea, wise man of the stars! Though I must leave my mail here

lest I drown; still I shall be banged about and sorely hurt in this water.”

“Not so! Aid me and together we will roll this fallen tree into the stream and by

holding fast to it we will in this manner be saved from harm.”

And so the two men with much effort rolled the fallen tree into the stream and

jumped upon it and held fast to its trunk. And they sped down the mountain through the

rapid and winding ways of the stream.

There below in the wasted lands three thousand men of war stood arrayed for

battle, but there was no army to charge against them, no great multitude of enemies, but

only the Bronze Dragon, its serpentine figure piercing the air and its glowing yellow eyes

intent upon them.

As the dragon neared, the Lord Marshall gave the order to blow the trumpet once;

at this the archers deftly drew their bows and took aim and with a second blast from the

trumpet, they let loose a volley upon the dragon. While their arrows were yet on their

way to their mark, the trained archers had already readied themselves for another volley.

Like a swarm of wasps the arrows closed in on the great Bronze Dragon. Some

missed their target or were taken by the wind, but a great many met its bronze scales full

47

on, for the dragon had made no effort to avoid them. Full well their iron points collided

with its scales and glanced off without piercing the dragon in the least.

Then the archers were dismayed; their dinted shafts showered down from the sky

where they had been stopped as though by a castle’s ramparts. There seemed no sense in

letting another volley go, but their trained hands and eyes repeated the motions upon the

next trumpet blast and they met with the same fruitless result.

Panic struck then, for the archers saw that they had no power and no way to

protect themselves from the beast. The trumpet sounded now in quick blasts and the

catapults released their missiles. Boulders were sent to knock the dragon from the sky

and great nets were flung into the air to ensnare it, but with lightning reflexes it darted

amongst these traps and set upon the army.

The dragon let out a shrill hiss and reared itself up in the air; there it paused but

for a moment before a pillar of fire bore down upon the army below. The archers fled as

sheets of flame rushed upon them.

The ranks scattered, the knights could not master their horses, and every soldier to

a man saw himself as doomed. Yet the inferno passed and the dragon took to circling

above, diving here and there around the edges at those who had broken ranks and taken to

flight.

But the Lord Marshall was a man of war and kept his courage. Rallying the men,

he had the catapults reloaded and ordered the mounted knights to lower their lances. The

dragon circled around once more and, gaining some height, it let a now familiar shrill

hiss. The Lord Marshall did not hesitate even for a moment but ordered the trumpets to

be sounded and the catapults to release the next salvo.

For the space of a heartbeat there was silence as the dragon reared up again in the

sky. But this time, before its deadly fire could be unleashed, a great boulder struck the

dragon full well in the belly. The bronze-laden beast folded over and lost the lift in its

wings. As the dragon tried to recover, there was another blast from the trumpets and

another salvo from the catapults was loosed.

This time the dragon was caught in cruel hooked nets and brought to the ground

by weighted stones. The dragon landed with a great crash before where the knights had

drawn up with their lances lowered. The Lord Marshall spurred his mount and led the

knights in a charge.

Tiny steel hooks held fast beneath the dragon’s scales and made it difficult for it

to even struggle; but its fiery eyes revealed no fear even in capture. Onward the knights

charged until they were but paces from the captured dragon. With a mighty crash of steel,

knight after knight broke his lance against the bronze hide of the dragon. Many were

thrown from their horses from the impact and lay still on the field while others rode

around the dragon searching for some point of weakness, some breach in its hide, but

48

there was none that could be found; the dragon’s scales were layers thick and were as

tough as they were resplendent.

It was then that Riken and Sir Aeroc’s watery ride came to an end, for the stream

reached the base of the mountain and joined with the river that divided the lush land of

Donn from the lands the dragon had laid waste. Clinging to the tree, they kicked at the

water, directing the tree into the shallows. Riken then assisted his companion and

together they struggled up the bank and emerged upon the charred shores of the wasted

lands at the rear of the army of Donn.

Riken then drew the knight’s sword and dried its blade in the folds of his cloak.

“It is time to do great deeds of valour and might that shall save many and return hope and

peace to men’s hearts. Through your victory others may again dream and not be afraid.”

Riken pressed the sword into the knight’s hand. “Go forth to do good and play well the

man. Have eyes for evil, and not for the dragon, lest thee be blinded and miss thy foe.”

“What means these words, good Riken?” asked Sir Aeroc. “If the dragon be not

my foe, what is?”

“Fell things are afoot and the time to reveal them has come. I shall strike first with

my tongue, and thy steel shall follow after. Ask no more questions, but come, timing is

everything.”

Then Sir Aeroc raised his sword and gripped Riken’s arm and they shook as if old

comrades. “Lead on then, Riken, for you have guided well and thy words are forged in

truth.” And the two men recovered their horses – the one Riken had left at the river and

Sir Aeroc’s having returned there – and these beasts, now eager to mix with the steeds of

the army, now tread upon the blasted lands. And so the two adventurers rode toward the

field of battle, there to meet what might befall them.

49

Chapter 14 -The End of Dragons-

50

Upon this last great failure to end the dragon’s life, the Lord Marshall and all his army

stood greatly amazed. It was then that Riken and Sir Aeroc emerged from behind the

army and Riken, hailing all in a loud voice, spoke: “Men of Donn, thou hast come thus

far with the promise that thou should see the death of The great Bronze Dragon, and I tell

thee that thou will indeed. But this end will not be wrought either by thy hands or by

those of the Lord Marshall of War who has led thee here. I have traveled far and wide

and I have witnessed the slaying of many dragons, slayings that were accomplished by

heroes, by armies, by engines of men but always by those who sought to end chaos and to

restore peace.

“Truly I say to thee that the Bronze Dragon is the last of its kind and the greatest

of all dragons; thus, even though thou hath the beast here, held down by weighted nets

and hooks, thou hast been unable to slay it. Now, and heed my words, I say to thee that it

lives yet because there is some treachery among thee!”

And without waiting for so much as an answer to his accusation, Riken rode to

where the dragon was bound and met its seething gaze. Then he addressed the dragon in a

solemn tone with these words: “Bronze worm of the earth, Fiery Lord of the skies; for the

fear of the heel and the might of the Morning Star, I bid thee now to listen and answer

unto me. What havoc has lured thee here?”

And the dragon, as though commanded by the words that Riken had recited, lifted

its weighty head from off the earth. Then, when its frame could make the net yield no

more, the dragon’s slit, black pupils peered at the Lord Marshall of War.

And when the Lord Marshall met the dragon’s accusing glare something within

him gave way to fury, and leaping from his horse, he took up his sword and rushed at the

dragon with his blade held high so as to strike down the beast. All the army of Donn

looked on as the Lord Marshall, having given into the frenzy brought on in him by the

dragon’s gaze, screamed out: “Cowardly old lizard! True enough! It was I who

summoned thee here; I who have slain the two princes of Donn; I who welcomed into

these lands the monsters of the earth and the enemies of the kingdom, so that this day I

might kill thee and be king! Now die as thou art meant to die!” and with a terrible blow

he bore his sword down upon the dragon’s neck.

But the dragon’s scales would not give way even under that great stroke, and the

sword of the Lord Marshall struck the netting against the dragon’s neck and with a

thunderous clash of steel, the blade cut through the netting and made a great opening in it

before shattering to pieces against the dragon’s bronze scales. And the dragon, seizing

upon its new freedom, thrust its mighty snout through that opening and seized the Lord

Marshall in its awful jaws.

Yet at that same instant, when Sir Aeroc had beheld that the blow of the Lord

Marshall had passed through the netting and still did not penetrate the bronze scales of

51

the dragon’s neck and when he understood that the dragon would now be able to pass its

head through that opening, Sir Aeroc drew his sword and leapt from his horse to the Lord

Marshall’s side.

As the dragon struggled to its feet with its prey clenched between its teeth, Sir

Aeroc perceived that the place beneath the Bronze Dragon’s jaw was not covered with

scales as the rest of its body was, for it was of leathern reptilian skin, so that the dragon

might have the flexibility to open wide its mouth.

And so taking his sword into both hands, Sir Aeroc drove its point into that soft

place beneath the dragon’s jaw and up until it entered into the dragon’s very brain. And

in a violent agony the Bronze Dragon lifted its head high, with the sword’s handle still

visible even to the soldiers who were witness to all these deeds. Life then stole out from

the dragon’s body, and its great frame became limp and crashed to the ground as though a

wave upon the shore.

When Sir Aeroc had beheld that the dragon was slain, he came to where his

stepfather lay and perceiving that he had died, Sir Aeroc ordered that his body should be

taken up and that the men should assemble. And all that time, even as they buried the

Lord Marshall, unceasing praise came from all the men of the army, and they sought to

proclaim Sir Aeroc as king. But after the burial, Sir Aeroc spoke before all those men of

Donn, for they already knew him for his fame as a defender of the kingdom and,

moreover, as he who defeated Sir Koevern and so they heeded his voice as he addressed

them, saying:

“Men of Donn, always have I been a loyal defender of our kingdom. Many among

you have heard of my deeds and know my quality and even now you bear witness that it

is I who have slain the great Bronze Dragon!”

At these words there arose a great cry of triumph from the men and they beat their

weapons upon their shields and shouted for joy. Yet Sir Aeroc bid them be silent, and he

continued, saying, “But what glory should these deeds have if they were done for myself?

None! For the very virtue of a great deed is that it is greater than the doer. Up until now I

have been an exile from my kingdom, I have failed to recover our beloved princess, and I

have lost my stepfather who died unrepentant of his treachery. Are these those things in

which you now find my glory?

“Nay, take not me for thy king, take not a doer of great deeds, but take for thy

king he who makes men’s deeds great. Though a king be mad he is a better king than we;

though a king be dead he is no less mighty. Our glory comes only in the service of

something greater than ourselves and I will serve the king though he hath not the wits to

bestow any reward. Friends, fellow soldiers of Donn, we must restore this kingdom, not

tear it down. We must remember that this land, this king, was there to guide us in our

youth and to lead us in those days of glory; shall all this greatness pass because we now

decide who shall be our ruler? Will we, in our mounting years, presume that we need not

52

respect the generation before us that had given us the youth that we enjoyed? Nay, say it

will not be so! Say that you will join me in service to our king and that together we will

restore this kingdom to its former glory; that we will give chase to all invaders and rid

these lands of every evil thing. Come, friends of Donn, come with me and together we

will restore what was for king and kingdom!”

And having finished from saying these things, there arouse at once a tremendous

uproar of joy from among the men of Donn; for though they would have willingly made

Sir Aeroc king, their hearts were gladdened by such a display of loyalty and honour and

they longed most of all for these virtues to return again to their kingdom.

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Chapter 15 -Escape through the Forest-

54

For a long while the thief and the princess stayed hidden within that cleft in the

mountain, for though the noise of the dragon had long been absent, they feared some

cunning trick of the dragon meant to lure them out of hiding. Dismas had drawn up the

rope so as to discourage his companions from following. But now they could not stay

hidden forever and cautiously the thief emerged to take a look around.

There was no sign of his companions or of the dragon, and even when the thief

boldly stood out in the open and shouted, still no dragon came. Thus, taking the princess,

together they began to descend the mountainside with great care.

As they neared the base of the mountain, the way became easier and the thief ran

ahead leaving the princess to follow after her rescuer who every now and again turned

and beckoned her to follow with greater haste. There was nothing else for her to do but to

keep up as best she could. Eventually she caught up to him at the base of the mountain

where he stood looking out over the lands that the dragon had laid waste.

When she came up to him, she noticed what it was that had drawn his attention,

for in the field by the river she could make out many tiny figures clad in crimson and

immediately she recognized them for the soldiers of Donn. Then her heart quickened for

she saw a dazzling shape in the midst of the crimson sea: it was the Bronze Dragon.

The thief took her by the arm as he spoke, “Princess, I fear that the Lord Marshall

has had ample occasion to slay the dragon.”

To which words the princess was greatly surprised and made answer, “Sir, what

cause do you have to fear such good news as that?”

“The news I fear,” replied the thief, “is that the Lord Marshall has used his victory

to have the army proclaim him as king and that he continues to care very little for your

life.”

“What words are these?” The princess was quite astonished.

“Princess,” replied the thief, “I’ve met Lord Marshall’s stepson and there is no

greater example of chivalry in this entire kingdom. One simply does not banish such a

valiant knight who protects the king so well unless one happens to think that said valiant

knight protects the king too well. We need to make ourselves scarce – come! Behind this

bend; follow me closely. If I am wrong about the Lord Marshall, well, then you’ll only

lose your entourage. But if I am right, then you could lose your life by revealing yourself

now.” The princess had no knowledge concerning the happenings of the past days and

found it difficult not to trust the man who had just saved her from her captivity. And so,

having bade the princess to follow, the thief continued to descend the mountain, taking

rough ways so that they might not be seen.

Finally, they reached the blasted lands and crossing them, came to the river. And

the thief found a shallow point they could ford and so they crossed back into the lush

lands of Donn. At the thief’s direction, they avoided the main road and cut through the

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forest. After some time trudging through this difficult terrain the princess tired and the

horse, as if feeling her fatigue, slowed to a walk. The thief often had to pause for her and

during these times he kept looking ahead, as if impatient. Finally, they came to a brook

and here stopped to drink, wash their faces and feet, and take some rest.

Refreshed, the princess spoke to the thief, “Good sir,” she began “I thank you

very much for the rescue, and I seek news, how fares my father? I left him in evil days;

was it he that led the army against the dragon?”

The thief looked up at the princess from where he was stooping by the stream to

wash his face. “M’lady,” he replied, “your Father? No. Rather I think it to be led by the

Lord Marshall who had decided to follow behind my companions and me, doubtless in

order to attempt some heroism upon our recent acquaintance – a certain fiery dragon – if I

remember the introductions correctly. A good lot of troops he has brought with him; all

we can do is hope that he has had the good sense to leave the treasurer behind.”

“The treasurer? And why must we hope that the treasurer is yet at the castle?”

asked the princess. She was by now sincerely confused, not only by her rescuer’s

unorthodox manner of conducting a rescue, but by his speech as well.

“Because, my good princess,” answered the thief, “it is to the treasurer that I am

to return you.”

“To the treasurer?” the princess replied completely dumbfounded. “But surely

you are mistaken. I barely even know the treasurer, and I have but few dealings with

him.”

“Ah, but you do, dear princess,” responded the thief, “and after today you shall be

extremely indebted to him; for it is he who will exchange his charge for my own.”

“Has my father promised you a reward then for my rescue?” inquired the princess

now catching on.

“No, but the Lord Marshall has made such a promise; yet he was too quick to

promise more than the kingdom could afford for your rescue. I don’t trust a man who

makes no pretense to have a care for his coffers even in the gravest of circumstances.

Thus, it is to the treasurer that we are headed as quickly as we may.”

The thief delivered these last words with a careless air that gave the impression

that he half expected the princess to understand that she should be traded in the manner of

merchandise. But if the princess was at all disturbed by this news, she did not show it;

instead she kept her composure and turned her face away from the thief. Looking to the

brook, she took pains to fix her appearance after so many days in captivity.

“Well, sir thief” she said after a time of silence, “all the same, you have rescued

me and not the dragon’s treasure and for that I am thankful. But I must warn you that as

of late my father’s fortunes have somewhat dwindled as you feared, and I only hope that

there is enough to make your troubles worthwhile.”

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At these words the thief remained motionless, his gaze fixed upon the distorted

reflection of himself that lay in the water before him. Then dipping his cupped hands into

the river he splashed the cool water upon his face.

Wiping himself dry, he spoke in bitter words to the princess, “Your majesty, the

days of chivalry have passed; to rescue a princess nowadays will get you a hot meal, a

place to rest for the night and the gratitude of a kingdom for a month, maybe two.” He

turned and looked into her eyes, “Chivalry is no longer respected and so how are men of

chivalry to provide for themselves in times when they are not heroes, when they are not

needed and not truly wanted?”

And looking upon her, he was aware that she was surpassingly fair and when she

replied her words were not angry but soft, “No, I cannot agree that the days of chivalry

are gone. Chivalry is in every man and woman who embraces its noble ways. Chivalry

remains so long as one person lives by the code of defending the weak from the strong, of

upholding what is right in the face of what is wrong, and of doing all for the glory of

God. I will always hold chivalry in my heart and so long as I live, it too will live.” And

having said these things, the princess set off into the forest in the direction of the castle.

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Chapter 16 -The Kingdom in the Balance-

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That night there was great rejoicing throughout the entire Kingdom of Donn. Sir Aeroc

and the army had returned, the dragon’s death had been announced, and upon hearing the

fate of the late Lord Marshall, the thief had returned the princess without scruple. The

entire kingdom, therefore, gathered at the castle to celebrate the occasion and to join in

the grand festivities.

Then, before all those assembled, the king was brought forth in great pomp and

majesty. The golden crown was upon his head and he wore the full royal regalia. The

people gave a great shout as soon as they caught sight of him. But as they looked on they

were soon reminded of the king’s madness; for he had not yet recovered his wits and he

cried and laughed almost at the same time and before that multitude he would break out

into fits and then curl up sobbing.

The merriment of the revelers began to falter and even the army that had so lately

sworn allegiance to their king was beginning to doubt. But just then, the princess

appeared and drew near to where the king lay sobbing, and her appearance was like that

of an angel; for she was dressed all in white and wore a diamond necklace about her neck

and a diadem upon her brow. Her slippers were inlaid with ivory, and her hair shone like

golden lace.

At the sight of her, the king’s sobs subsided and he lifted his arms towards her.

Gently, the princess brought her father to his feet and led him to the throne that had been

prepared for him. Before all who had gathered there, she helped her father to sit upon that

jeweled throne as she looked lovingly upon him the while. Then she began to sing. And

her song resounded throughout the castle walls and found melody with every flickering

flame, with every sighing breath, and it harmonized with the placid currents of the very

air.

Of all those who witnessed that song not one could remember the words thereof,

but only its beauty. When she had finished it was as if her voice had cleansed the air of

all that was evil and all eyes looked towards the king. Slowly, Oberon began to rise from

his throne and he was aware of himself and of his surroundings. Then, with a great shout

of joy, he embraced his daughter and all those who were about him. The castle was in a

uproar of joyous commotion. No one could believe their eyes; the king’s wits had been

restored!

Never before, nor ever after had there been so merry a night in all those lands.

Good cheer seemed to fill all men with each new beat of the heart and no one was

counted a stranger. Happily, the king was introduced to the champions responsible for

rescuing the princess, stopping the traitorous Lord Marshall, and slaying the dragon. And

so the herald announced them, each one in his turn: “This here, great Majesty, is Riken

Helenus, the stargazer; it was he who sought out the dragon’s lair and revealed the Lord

Marshall’s treachery.”

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Riken bowed low to the king and the king bowed in reply. “And here next, my

liege, is that infamous, or well-known it should be said, err...hero-thief, who, strange to

tell, rescued the princess and returned her to safety.” The thief bowed to the king and

caught a glance from the princess that was no doubt meant to be a comment on his

awkward presentation to her father. He returned to her a roguish grin.

“And lastly, thy Majesty” continued the herald, “is that famous Sir Aeroc, the

stepson of the Lord Marshall who has slain the dragon and rallied thy people to thee.”

And the king embraced the knight and Sir Aeroc embraced the King with tears of joy in

his eyes.

Then the king expressed his great gratitude to these men and to all his loyal

subjects and he addressed the whole kingdom saying, “People of Donn! Today is a great

day, a day that will be recorded in books, in legends, and in the memories of those who

shall live in this kingdom in the ages to come. For this great day we have these men here

to thank, but I also have another whom I wish to acknowledge and that is my daughter,

Adrianna, the object of my love and happiness. This night I wish to give something back

to her; I have been too selfish for too long. This night I announce a contest that only he

who is the greatest man in the kingdom might win!”

At this the crowd became silent and all lent their ears to the words of the king:

“Let whosoever can bring back to me by this hour a fortnight from now the greatest

treasure in all the world be declared the greatest man in all the kingdom; then to this man

will I grant my daughter’s hand in marriage and my kingdom upon my death. So let all

men know!”

And when the king had made this announcement, he turned to those three heroes

and smiled upon them. “In this contest I will grant to thee three the last places so that

thou may have the best chances of success. May God reward thee always for the service

thou hath rendered our kingdom this day and thou shalt always be welcome here at the

castle.” And so the three heroes were greatly celebrated and honoured that night and the

news of the king’s challenge spread to all ears far and wide.

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Chapter 17 -The Most Precious Thing in the World-

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For a fortnight, all the knights in the kingdom traveled far and wide searching for the

most precious thing that would reward them with the hand of Adrianna and the kingdom

upon her father’s death. Every man, that is, save for one, and that was Dismas the thief.

He stayed close to the castle, took his meals with the king and his daughter and the rest of

the court, and rested while all others traveled about. And he was welcome in the castle

because of his service to the king and his daughter.

The princess was resigned to her father’s will and she trusted that the best man for

her would win the contest; for the princess knew that her father was a wise king and that

he would judge the man as much as the precious thing which the man brought.

Reports soon drifted back to the castle of the deeds being done for the hand of the

princess. Many ancient quests that had been deemed impossible or too dangerous were

again taken up by would-be heroes and bands of determined men. Lost treasures were

being sought out and recovered, foreign lands were entered and their dangers brazenly

met and so many ships were upon the water and sailing into the unknown that a shortage

of boats and crews had come to pass. And the news grew more exciting each day and

rumours of fantastic treasures and epic battles poured in from every corner of the known

world and beyond. But not all the news was good, for not a few men perished in their

tasks and some had disappeared completely.

Finally the days of the quest were fulfilled and the men and knights of the realm

gathered to the castle, a great multitude from even foreign lands, all with objects and rare

things procured from far and dangerous places.

But the entire kingdom thought that the three champions that had rescued the

princess and slain the dragon, that being Sir Aeroc the knight, Riken Helenus the

stargazer and Dismas the thief, would bring the most wondrous things; yet many

suspected from the thief’s behaviour lately that he would not in fact even participate in

the contest.

That day, before the ceremony began, the princess was in her chambers and she

spoke to her lady in waiting, saying, “Lady, do you know of these three champions who

are said to be favoured to win?”

“Yes, princess” replied the lady, “that is, I know all the local gossip.”

“Please,” replied Adrianna, “tell it to me.”

“Well” the lady began, “there is mighty Sir Aeroc, who is said to be the most

noble and chivalrous of all knights. It is even said that he has never denied anyone

anything that has been asked of him upon his knighthood. Then there is the stargazer,

Riken, who is called “The Traveling Greek” because he is neither here nor there. People

say that he knows the secrets of the world, all those things that men do not even know

that they do not know. Lastly, there is the rogue, the thief Dismas of Sanctogoarin, as

they call him.”

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Here the princess interrupted the lady and asked “But how is this? I thought that

Sanctogoarin had been razed to the ground by the Bronze Dragon – why should they call

him that?”

“Because, my dear one,” replied the lady, “the thief is that Dismas of

Sanctogoarin, the son of the Lord of Sanctogoarin whose lands were destroyed when the

dragon set its fire to them. Dismas now wanders far and wide in search of adventure in

order to regain his wealth and so aid his impoverished people.”

“And,” interrupted the princess again, “rescue princesses for money no doubt?”

she smiled resignedly as she said it. “Not so,” replied the lady, “I hear that the king

offered him a handsome sum for the rescuing, but that he refused it, saying that even in

his need that he could not accept it.”

At this news the princess wondered greatly but said not a word, thinking within

herself, until a noise at the door disturbed her from her thoughts and she was summoned

to the court to begin witnessing the grand display that her suitors were about to begin.

One by one each man came forward with a tale of his boldness and daring at the

end of which was displayed that fabulous thing of which had been spoken that the king

might see that it was indeed the most precious thing in all the world.

And how many precious things were there, brought from many lands and distant

places. Spices from across the Sea, precious stones from the East, diamonds from the

North, gold from the South – all came before the king then. Even rare beasts were

presented. One haughty knight brought forth a milk white unicorn of Asia. Another great

lord presented a caged gryphon. Still others brought so many wondrous and various

things that it would fill whole volumes to tell; it was so much that the wealth of Donn in

that one day came to surpass what it had ever enjoyed hitherto and exceeded that ever

possessed by any other kingdom in time. And all the court marveled at such things as

were presented. But the princess did not, and she did not like any of the knights or their

gifts, and did not think it fit to be traded for them. And bidding leave of the king, she

retired to her chambers.

Evening came and at long last it was time for the three heroes to bring their gifts

before the king. The hall was astir with anticipation. First to come forth was Riken. To

the king he held out a simple vial. “In this vial” Riken explained, “I have retrieved a

piece of the heart of the great Bronze Dragon and I have traveled over the sea to the Lost

Islands where lies a stream that cures all things of deadly poison wherein I have dipped

the heart and cured it of the dragon’s venom. When thou shalt take of this vial, therefore,

thou shalt then be able to understand the song of the birds, the speech of the beasts, and

all of nature and its mysteries. This is what I present to thee, O great king, and truly it is

the most precious thing in the world, for it contains wisdom.” And the crowd murmured

its approval, for wisdom was indeed a rare and precious thing to give. And having

delivered the vial, Riken bowed and moved to the side.

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Then, Sir Aeroc approached the throne. In his arms he carried a great map which

he now spread upon the floor before the king. “To thee, mighty king, I present the

Kingdom of Donn. Throughout these days I have secured thy borders, slain the monsters,

and put to flight all invaders. Also those cities which have been damaged or overrun by

wild beasts are being rebuilt and restored. I bring to thee peace; this is what I present to

thee, O great King, and truly it is the most precious thing in the world, for it contains

happiness.” And the crowd shouted and called out in joy, for peace is a most delicate and

precious thing, and they liked this gift as well. And leaving the map there displayed

before the king, Sir Aeroc bowed and joined Riken to the side.

And the king looking about could nowhere find the third hero, the thief of

Sanctogoarin as he was now known. So it was thought he had not even come to attend the

ceremony or bothered to find any precious thing and his name was passed over.

Then, the king looked about the room at the various precious things, at the

treasures and fantastic beasts, at the vial of wisdom, and at the map, and with a weighty

sigh, he made ready to announce the victor.

Just then there was a great tumult about the entrance. Excited voices whispered

here and there and every neck was strained to get a better look at what was causing this

commotion. It was then that the thief strode into the room. He stood tall and noble now

and was arrayed in fine clothes, and couched in his confident smile was just a hint of his

knavish grin.

“Good King Oberon, Lords and Ladies and all good people of the realm of Donn,

I have come to present to you all the most precious thing in the world!” And the court

murmured greatly and was very keen to see yet another wonder, for they all reasoned that

a thief could surely bring something new and immensely valuable. And Dismas clapped

his hands and strode back to the door as many trumpets flourished.

And then what a sight met their eyes! For he led now by the hand none other than

the princess Adrianna herself, clad as she was in great splendour as for her wedding. And

it was so that Sir Dismas then spoke, “Good Sire, from beyond the forests of Lossalwood,

far past the Great Barren Mountains, and across the immense Northern Sea I wish to

present to you the most precious thing in the world! For in her I have found naught but

love for all, and all cannot but love her. Truly such love is the most precious thing in the

world!”

And bowing low, he then led the blushing princess forward. And the king looked

upon his daughter, whom he loved more than all the treasures of the world combined, and

he spoke so that all present might hear. “Sir Thief, three times you have stolen my

daughter. The first when you escaped with her from the dragon’s lair; the second when

you stole her from her chamber just now to bring her before us, and the third when you

stole her heart. For the last of these things do I now declare you the victor in this

challenge and the champion of this kingdom.”

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Then turning to his daughter with tender tears in his eyes, the king did ask her,

“Adrianna, to this good thief will you be wed?” Adrianna turned to where Dismas stood

beside her, and looking into his eyes she could not help but smile and say, “Truly yes,

Father, I will.” And all left the hall and entered into the church nearby and Lord Dismas

and Princess Adrianna were wed in the sight of God and men.

And so it was thus that the last of the dragons, the mighty Bronze Dragon, was

slain and the great Kingdom of Donn flourished once more, so much so that new and

beautiful beginnings were ever since given the name of “donn”. And the thief and the

princess kept chivalry in their hearts and were true to their love, and so it was that they

lived happily ever after.

The End

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