A man stood in his way.
The Dragon stopped. His eyes slitted as he regarded the figure standing before him. The man stood in the middle of the road, his head bowed, his cloak swept back over his shoulders, a drawn sword in his hands. The blade gleamed red in the light of the Dragon’s eyes. Fresh blood stained its edge.
The Dragon’s tail twitched at the end. “Do I know you?” he asked, turning his great head to peer at the man more clearly with one eye. “You seem familiar.”
“We have met,” Prince Aethelbald said.
The Dragon drew back with a hiss at the sound of the voice. His eyes swirled with churning fire, and he revealed every fang in a snarl. Then he looked again and laughed.
“You!” he cried, his eyes narrowing to two red slits. “What are you made up as? Look at you, pathetic creature, a little man-beast! Never thought I’d see the day that you, my Enemy, would reduce yourself to such a state. You, who walk where mortals cannot; you, who bound me to the Gold Stone. Why, I could snap you up in a mouthful and still be hungry for dessert!” Tongues of fire licked between his teeth.
Aethelbald raised his bowed head, and his eyes met those of the Dragon without flinching or fear. “You cannot kill me, Death-in-Life, Destroyer of Dreams and Devourer. I know you for what you are, and none of your fires will touch me.”
The Dragon licked his lips. “So said all your little knights before I swallowed them! I have no intention of returning to that prison. I am stronger now than I once was, and you . . . Ha! You are nothing but a man!” He smiled. “Besides,” he said, “I have something you covet, do I not? Something you prize that you will never own, Prince of Farthestshore!”
He lowered his head, his hot breath beating down upon the Prince. “I have taken her already, my Enemy. I have taken and twisted her, burned her in my flames. And you, you will never see her again.”
“You are wrong, Death-in-Life,” the Prince said. He stepped to one side. Behind him stood a girl dressed in a simple white robe. She did not look at the Dragon but kept her gaze fixed on Aethelbald’s face. Her eyes were serene, without a trace of fire.
“Daughter!” the Dragon snarled. “My daughter, my sister! You cannot live without your fire, and I still hold your heart!”
Though her breath came a little faster, Una did not answer but kept her gaze on the Prince.
Aethelbald spoke instead. “I have given her my heart. She no longer needs your fire to live. But I have come now to claim her heart from you. It is mine now by right!”
The Dragon’s crest flared up, and fire rimmed his eyes. “You’ll have to kill me, then, man!”
He opened his mouth, and flame burst forth. Aethelbald grabbed Una and dragged her out of the way behind a pile of rubble. The Dragon snaked down the road and climbed onto the pile, looking down on them from above. More fire poured from his mouth, and Aethelbald only just pulled the princess from its path. The rock behind them melted.
“Stay close to me,” Aethelbald whispered, clutching her hand. Pulling her behind him, he ran back up the path and through the broken gate into the east courtyard. The shadows were deep on this side of the palace, and it was difficult to discern which dark shapes were piles of rocks and which were soldiers of Shippening.
Aethelbald, drawing the princess along, leapt behind a pile of rocks crumbled from the broken wall. They ducked their heads as the Dragon, his eyes streaked with fire, entered the courtyard.
The Prince let go of Una’s hand.
“Aethelbald!” she cried, reaching for him.
“Don’t be afraid, Una,” he said, his voice strangely quiet. “Look.” He took her chin in his hand and pointed her head to her left. She saw her father and brother chained to the base of a broken statue, coughing as dragon fumes rolled into the courtyard.
“Come out, coward!” the Dragon bellowed, flames leaping from his mouth.
Soldiers cried out, and some slipped from cracks in the wall and fled down Goldstone Hill. Flames spread about the courtyard, catching anything that could yet burn.
“Your father and brother will be killed in this fire,” Aethelbald said. “You must set them free. I will lead the monster away.” He gazed into her eyes a moment, then suddenly drew her close and kissed her, even as the air boiled and the heavens roared.
When he pulled back, he gently touched her cheek. “I will come for you. No matter what happens, I will come for you. Now go!”
He adjusted his grip on his sword and gathered himself to climb over the pile of rubble, grabbing the rocks with his left hand and pulling himself out from behind them. He leapt onto the top, a clear target.