The Fall of Sir William
By: JeremyBrown
SciFi
The Fall of Sir William
³Yes, yes, come in, before the cold eats you up.² The old man opened the door of his log cabin to admit the renowned knight, Sir William.
Sir William was of a tall and proud stature, with shaggy black hair covering his scalp. He was dressed in sturdy travelersı clothes; woolen trousers, a heavy tunic of the same material, worn brown boots, and a military great coat. Unsurprisingly, a sword was strapped to his steel-studded belt, and a companion dagger from his right-hand side, opposite the sword.
The knightıs host, the historian Magnus, as old as the ancient lodging around him, was short and stout, with a long, flowing white beard, nearly reaching to his knees. Used to the cold northern climate where he lived, he found a simple double robe to provide sufficient warmth.
William brushed the snow off the shoulders of his coat, which he then hung on a peg near the door. His fur cap went on top, and, led by Magnus, he walked to the back of the small cabin, where a table was piled high with books and manuscripts of all types. Both took seats.
³So what is it today?² the historian inquired as soon as he was comfortable in an unpadded chair.
³I am looking for some information on the evil dragon that lives in the mountains. He has been lately terrorizing small villages, and the king of this realm is paying me a large sum of monetary coin to slay this beast.²
³Slay it, eh? Isnıt that a bit tough? This dragon once took out a whole platoon of infantry, with just one burst of flame. It probably would be smarter to attack the king himself.²
³I am loyal to my lord,² William proclaimed loudly, filling the dwelling with his bass voice. ³Never will I betray him, even if it means the sacrifice of my own life. Besides, I have already agreed to try.²
³So be it. The only advice I can give on this heroic quest of yours is to not, in any circumstance, get directly in front of this dragon. It would mean your ultimate death.²
³Then I shall be off.²
Sir William trekked for three weeks across the snow-covered mountains before reaching the town of Coppermine, where he stocked up on supplies and purchased for himself a new set of traveling gear, but he kept his trusty great coat, which he had had for twenty years. He also got himself the latest technological advance in weaponry, the breech-loading musket, along with a razor-sharp bayonet. He bought no steel armor, or armor of any type for that matter, for if he got hit, anywhere, by the dragon, he was dead, and it would restrict his excellent dexterity. He left his normal sword behind, trading it for a warhammer, which, in the end, would be used for the dirty work. In Coppermine he also rested for a few days to sleep off his recent traveling, and also stopped at the tavern once or twice.
William finally left Coppermine two fortnights after speaking with Magnus. Now came the final leg of the quest.
William mounted the top of the mountain trail, his feet and boots already soaked through from plodding through deep snow. He was in a miserable condition, but he had, finally, reached his objective.
He loaded his new musket, attached the bayonet, and moved down the trail into the dragonıs cave, immediately feeling the cold, damp atmosphere of the subterranean fastness of the beast he was about to battle.
He lit a torch heıd purchased along with the rest of his equipment. He surveyed the area illuminated by the torch. Nothing but small rocks. William moved on, looking around, musket always in one hand.
William did so for about twenty minutes, but found nothing, nothing. He_____umed heıd seen the whole cavern, but itıs size was so great, that of course he hadnıt. He began to give up hope, when he heard the sound of scales scraping on stone.
³What do you look for, knight?² a great booming voice said out of the darkness. ³With your gun and warhammer, it must be me, the mighty dragon who lives here.²
³What - I . . .,² William feebly attempted to figure out what was happening. He waved his torch around himself, and finally, the light fell upon the vast bulk of the dragon, spread around him. He gasped. Escape was impossible, but of course the brave Sir William had no such ideas. He placed the torch between his teeth and aimed his musket at one of the dragonıs eyes.
³I wouldnıt try that if I were you.² The dragon pulled back his lips to reveal his gleaming, foot-long teeth. ³Your weapon wouldnıt do squat against me. It would probably blow up in your face. And if your foolish king found out about your choice of arms, heıd send his best assassins against you. Yes, a gun is much more effective in combat than a sword, but a knight should choose a weapon thought of in the chivalrous sense.²
In despair, knowing that he was dead, William felt at his side for his trusty sword, the weapon heıd been depending on for so many years, but it was not there; instead he felt the cold head of his hammer, a weapon he had absolutely no combat experience with. He dropped the musket and fell to his knees, wishing for the sword, the knightly sword. But it was over. He had failed, failed his liege lord, his king. He was no knight. He was a scoundrel, a mercenary. The only reason he did this was for the money.
³Kill me,² he told the dragon quietly, and collapsed.
Age: 12
City: Kennewick
State or Province: Washington
Country: U S A
Email: d b r o w n @ 3 - c i t i e s . c o m