Knight for Hire

A sword hung from the knight’s waist. He wore a brilliant suit of armor. With a mallet in hand, the knight nailed a sheet of parchment in the center of the town’s notice board.

Knight For Hire

Ogre Eviction- 200 Gold Pieces 

Werewolf Taming- 100 Gold Pieces 

Bridge De-Trolling-  100 Gold Pieces 

Dragon Slaying- 500 Gold Pieces 

Contact Sir Ronald The Brave

No one took notice of him. The town’s folk went about their business. They’ll read it later, he thought as he mounted his noble steed. Noble might not be entirely accurate. The horse was a bit on the smaller side. But that was fine because so was the knight. He gave one last glance around and rode back out of town. 

Sir Ronald the Brave approached a cave a few leagues from town. Still not drawing his weapon, Ronald causally crept into the cave, enticed by the glow of firelight. Peering over a boulder, he spotted a giant green monster. The dragon filled most of the cave. With razor-sharp claws and enormous wings folded to its back, the beast was attending a slab of meat roasting over the fire. 

“Ronald, you’re back.” the dragon greeted. “Come on in, my boy. Did you hang our advertisement?” “Yes, I did,” replied the knight. Ronald entered the warm and cozy body of the cave, dropping his armor and weapons along the way. “Ronald, what have I told you about leaving a mess?” “Sorry Drake.” was the young knight’s sheepish answer, hanging his knightly gear on some rather nifty hooks his dragon friend provided. Without his protective suit, Ronald looked like the stereotypical nerdy eighteen-year-old. He was bespectacled and somewhat scrawny. He had the muscular build of someone who lifted only a few weights. Ronald sat in front of the cooking fire and helped himself to a plate of perfectly cooked venison and wild mushrooms. “Thank you for dinner, Drake.” The dragon beamed. Not much made the monstrous lizard happier than providing for his young friend. 

Drake found Ronald sixteen years ago after a band of highwaymen attacked and looted his parent's caravan. The only things left by the bandits were a few chickens and a sniffling and stumbling dark-haired little boy. Not one to let a free meal go to waste, Drake scooped up the mismatched brood and hurried away. There was something about the grime covered two-year-old that fascinated the dragon. Firstly, the snot-nosed tot didn’t seem afraid of the beast. Second, Drake never turned down the chance to learn. Dragons of today are not like dragons of yore. Drake was sophisticated and scholarly. He would prefer to study the stars or read a good book of poetry than burn a village to the ground. The problem of what to do with a toddler became a scientific study. Could a dragon raise a human child just as well, if not better than its parents would have? All these years later, the dragon was proud of the boy. Ronald had grown into a well mannered and intellectual yet somewhat messy young man. Thanks to the dragon’s tutelage, Ronald had a brilliant scientific and scholarly mind. The two analyzed the scientific breakthroughs of the day. They read and discussed all the great works of literature. They also wrote plays to perform for the shadows on the cave walls. Drake thought of Ronald as his own son. 

Due to his unique education and no family name, the kingdom’s universities were reluctant to take on Ronald as a student. And with the boy a bit undersized, no castle’s forces wanted him as a squire. Unwilling to slay dragons, Ronald was uncomfortable being employed by anyone who still practiced the barbaric tradition. In order to earn a living, the pair devised a plan. Portraying himself as a freelance knight, Ronald would rid the villages of their scourge, with Drake’s help, of course. If no monstrous trouble endangered the villages, Drake could provide a dragon scare. After a fierce battle, Ronald would appear victorious. The brave knight would collect his bounty, and the two would vanish with none the wiser. 

The next day, looking much like a stout knight, Ronald rode back into the village to see if his services were needed. Ronald checked into the local inn. A few days away from his constant companion and in the company of other humans helped the boy adjust to a future amongst real people. This was a quiet village. Far enough away from the nearest castle, they were not affected by the hustle and bustle of the kingdom’s suburb life. The land was mainly comprised of crop and grazing fields. There were no bridges with trolls. The hills and caves have been ogre free for over a decade, and the only werebeast was a werecat who happened to be the town’s rat catcher. Ronald figured he would have to call on his friend’s services to provide income. A flyover by Drake, igniting a tree or two usually did the trick. The monstrous aerial show was never intended to cause harm. No livestock or agriculture was ever harmed in the display. After a week of perusing the bookstore, eating towny food, and flirting with Lidia, the innkeeper’s clever but somewhat awkward daughter, Ronald signaled to his partner that it was time to put on a show. 

The performance was always the same. Drake would start out soaring high overhead. With large, lazy circles, the dragon would slowly get closer to the village. After a few hours of the menacing flyovers, Drake would roar his fierce dragon cries. By this time, he usually had the villagers’ attention. Then, as a grand show of force, Drake would ignite a tree in town. He chose a stately oak near the inn for his pyrotechnic display. The tree exploded from a well-placed fireball. Oak leaves and acorns showered the villagers, and Drake flew off to get ready. As predicted, the town’s mayor agreed with Sir Ronald the Brave’s terms to rid their lands of the threat of dragons. The bold knight, armed with sword and lance mounted on his somewhat noble steed and rode off to find the beast. 

“Nice show!” Ronald exclaimed, “It took only a minute for the mayor to find and hire me after your attack.” Hiding in their cave, Drake and Ronald went through one last dress rehearsal of their choreographed dragon-slaying performance. “I’ll let them know tonight that I have found your lair. Tomorrow morning I’ll be back for our showdown.” “You better make it noon.” replied Drake, “I still have to pack for our upcoming journey.” Now armed with his theatrical weaponry, Ronald hurried back to the village. “See you tomorrow, Drake.” called the knight as he galloped away. 

Ronald returned to town to inform the mayor that he had located the dragon. “Tomorrow, I will confront the monster. Its lair is no more than two leagues away. If I set out in the morning, I’ll be there by noon.” The mayor, not wanting to give up the ransom money without proof and excited for a show, let the knight know that he would be joining him. Many other villagers were also keen on witnessing a display of the knight’s abilities and made plans to attend the fight. To Ronald’s delight, the innkeeper and his family were included. “Tomorrow, our young protector shall ensure the safety of our village!” announced the mayor. “But tonight we party!” And party they did. In the years that Ronald and Drake have used this Knight for Hire routine, this was the wildest sendoff bash ever thrown. But as in all good things, this too ended, but not before a good luck peck on the cheek from Lidia. Ronald had difficulty sleeping that night, still buzzing with excitement from the kiss and his upcoming performance. 

The next morning, Ronald, a bit worn out from the festivities, rode out to Drake’s cave. The mayor and several cartfuls of villagers followed close behind. As the large crowd found a safe place to watch, the brave knight, fully armored and atop his steed, approached the mouth of the cave. In a booming theatrical voice Ronald called out to his friend. “Hey, dragon! You have threatened the village long enough! Come out and prepare to meet your end!” At this, a large fireball exploded at the mouth of the cave. The audience of villagers “OOhed” and AAhed, and Ronald’s horse reared up dramatically. Drake emerged. His scales were gleaming from a fresh coat of scale polish. Some villagers pointed, some hid, and someone screamed. Armed with his lance, Sir Ronald the Brave charged into battle. A well-placed swing of Drake’s tail separated the rider from his mount, and the horse galloped away to safety. The knight landed with a well-padded thud and airbag cushioning protecting him. Ronald was rather proud of the safety features he designed for his armor. 

Getting to his feet, the crowd cheered as Ronald drew his sword. “Let’s make this look good.” whispered Drake. The two combatants advanced. Blade met claw, and sparks flew. Drake had attached flints to the underside of his claws to add special effects. Knight and dragon circled each other. They exchanged thrusts and parries. Each attack was perfectly timed and well-rehearsed. Ronald was getting ready for the grand finale. “Oooh, Ronald,” Lidia sang out and blew a kiss. Turning red, the knight stumbled on his approach. Tripping over a rock, his spring-loaded sword slipped out of his hand and bounced off a nearby tree. At the same time, a pouch of fake blood on the dragon’s underside popped and let out a red geyser. “What is going on!” shouted the mayor.

The audience felt angry and betrayed. There was also the matter of a dragon to take care of. The villagers grabbed what they could, arming themselves with sticks and stones. Yelling loudly, they began to charge. Ronald got to his feet and jumped between the angry mob and his best friend. “Wait! Please don’t kill him. This dragon is my friend.” the embarrassed knight shouted. Everyone froze. Ronald took off his helmet and addressed the mob. “I am sorry I lied to you. I want to introduce you to my dragon. This is Drake. Say ‘hello’ Drake.” The dragon bowed a deep and regal bow to the stunned audience. Still holding their attention, Ronald continued. “I was orphaned as a child, and it was Drake who raised me.”

Ronald told his whole sad story of being left with only the chickens. He told of Drake’s patience and understanding. He went on to talk about his education in the sciences, literature, and theater under the dragon’s guidance. Ronald spoke of love and praise for his mentor and friend. His speech ended with, “I am truly sorry we deceived you. If you let us go in peace, I promise to repay you for your kindness and my stay at your inn.” Not a single eye was without tears, Drake’s included. The mayor stood silently for a minute, looking between the dragon and the young knight. Finally, he cleared his throat and addressed everyone. “As mayor, I am always looking to make our town a better place. When opportunity knocks, I answer. And today, I think we have a great opportunity for everyone here. I want to hire both of you to perform your act. Of course, we’ll need to build seating, and we can sell refreshments.” The performing combatants quickly agreed.

The town celebrated, and Roland and Drake were welcomed with open arms. Plans were drawn up for stadium seating around the cave. Two bits for open seating and four for the box seats above the mouth. Two refreshment tents were constructed to sell ale and turkey legs. Eventually, the innkeeper invented the deep-fried breaded sausage on a stick, and a third tent went up. The town sent notices all over the kingdom advertising seven weekly performances. Every evening, Wednesday through Sunday, with matinee showings over the weekends. Lidia was soon added to the act as the damsel in distress. The town’s mayor also contracted with Drake as potential security if any threatening creature should show up. None ever did. 

Everyone lived happily ever after. Lidia and Ronald soon got married. Eventually, they decided to settle down and have kids. When Drake got too old for the performance schedule, the town hired new performers to continue the shows. Ronald and Lidia took over the inn when the innkeeper and his wife retired and moved to the next-door cottage. Missing the role of mentor and teacher, Drake founded an academy that focused on the sciences, and theater, open to humans and dragons. Ronald and Drake still met regularly to discuss and debate everything from science to the arts.