The Unknown Beast of Slackridge

    

             I was a novice knight of Algantener, when a squire came to me with a letter engraved in gold, straight from the king. It read:

Sir Ardorso,

Our lands have been attacked by a beast that spews lava leaving a trail of ash in its wake. Our only warning was a smell of sulfur that curled our nostrils. I’ve sent out all my knights, but none have prevailed. Every time it attacks, a scorched, empty suit of armor is left behind. You, are our last hope. Luck to you good knight and know this; the beast’s weakness is…

            The second page of his letter was missing. I didn’t waste time asking the squire about it. I rushed to get my armor. As I pulled each piece out, I admired how the armor gleamed in the light as my brown hair and blue eyes reflected off the shiny metal. I slipped into my suit. Then I slipped the horse’s armor onto my white stallion, Shoroyal.

            The sun was rising over the horizon. As soon as light struck the fresh dew on the grass, I cried; “Onward, Shroyral, towards Slackridge and the beast that will soon be no more!” The horse reared back and gave a joyous whinny. Once his hooves hit the ground, we were off like a bolt of lightning.

            There is a legend about Slackridge. At the base of this volcano, a castle lies in ruins. There, it is said, a dragon used to protect the gate. The dragon, named Scarlentor, obeyed the man who freed him from the center of the volcano. This man was a criminal and a traitor named Garenta, also known as the Black Knight. He had the face of a demon with ash black skin and flaming red hair. The dragon built him a fortress with futuristic weapons powered by steam vents from the volcano’s core. The fortress was destroyed by the founder of our kingdom, the White Knight of Algantener. The beast I seek must be this dragon, Scarlentor. How the White Knight defeated Garenta is a mystery, but hopefully I will find the secret in the ruins.

            We reached the ruins as the sun set and the moon lit the sky with blue light. The smell of sulfur filled my nostrils. “We’re close,” I whispered. I dismounted and headed off into the chilling night. Ash gathered and covered my copper armor, turning it as black as pitch. I entered the only building. Sitting there on a throne was a figure that was supposed to have been dead for three hundred years.

            It was Garenta. Sneering he said, “You are their last resort? I’m disappointed. I thought the king would come himself. First I’ll deal with you. Scarlentor, kill this whelp.”

            I spun around to see the dragon staring me in the face. Then it looked towards Garenta and then back to me. That was when I realized, since I was covered in black ash, I looked like Garenta. I yelled, in a deep voice, “Go down to the core of the volcano and wait.”

            It worked! The beast went back down the tunnel. Suddenly I felt a sharp pain go through my chest. I looked down and saw the tip of a sword piercing the front of my armor.

            I felt hot breath on the back of my throat, “You may have tricked my pet, but now you shall die whilst I retrieve Scarlentor and destroy the kingdom.”

            “If this is so,” I gasped, “We’ll go together. Since I am dead…” I grabbed my sword and thrust it backwards through my chest catching the black knight as he leaned against me and pinning him there. “…then so are you!” As I pierced my own heart to break his, he screamed.

            The black sword in my chest turned to dust. My sight went blurry and the last thing I remembered was a flash of white light.

            When I awoke, I was in a bed surrounded by smiling wizards, doctors and even the king himself. I was alive and that’s what matters. But when I closed my eyes I heard,
 “Yes, you might live, but so do I.”