Sir Vordle and The Not So Typical Dragon

Mr. Ettings rushed towards the throne room, eager to alert King Soloman. He ran past guards, too slow to stop him. “Halt!” They cried, chasing after him. He crashed through the old carved golden throne room doors, filled with unspoken stories, told by sculptures trapped in the metal. 

The king looked at the man sternly, “What’s wrong, citizen? Who are you?” He asked simply. 

“My lord, ple-, please, a dragon. I saw a dragon. My name is Mr. Ettings. Up on Mt. Eesrek. I don’t know where my boy is. He’s a curious one. I think he went to look at it, please, you have to save him!” 

King Soloman put his hands up in a ‘halt’ gesture, ordering his guards to let the man be. 

“A dragon, you say? Large?” King Soloman questioned.

“Yes sir. Very large. Huge in fact. Please, you have to help me!” The man pleaded.

“Of course, of course, we can’t have a rampant dragon running amok. Captain Trevalier, fetch me Lord Vordle, he shall handle this dragon issue. General Antilles, you protect this man, get him back home safely, and see if you can’t help locate his boy in the meantime. And someone find time that damned jester! He’s late again!” King Soloman ordered his guardsmen. 

“Right away M’lord.”

“As you command, Sire, come, Mr. Ettings, let’s get you home.” 

“Thank you, Sire, I appreciate your quick response,” Mr. Ettings declared as he was escorted out of the throne room. 

X

A coin purse clanked on the counter above Reginald. He poked his head up to see the customer. “Ahh, Lord Vordle, the usual, sir?” 

“Please, Reginald,” Lord Vordle said, counting out two silver coins and handing them to Reginald. “How are things this morn’?” He asked. 

“Quite good, already the fair share of customers for the hour as you can see,” Reginald stated, gesturing to the patrons filling up the tables. “Uh oh, here comes trouble,” Reginald said, looking at Captain Trevalier, who just walked through the front door. 

“He’s a good man, maybe he just wants a drink,” Vordle said jokingly. 

“Doubt it, but maybe, judging by the direction he’s walkin’,” Reginald responded. Captain Trevalier locked his gaze on Vordle and strode for him. 

“Lord Vordle, a word please,” Captain Trevalier asked, waving him away from the bar. Vordle took his drink, but left his purse on the bar counter and approached the guard.

“Captain? Something wrong?” Vordle questioned. 

“Yes, King Soloman has requested you, someone saw a dragon, he wants you to handle the issue. Vordle smiled at the news and slammed his drink home. 

“A real adventure! It’s been some time!” Vordle exclaimed. “Reggie, if you’d be so kind as to get me another round, my purse is just there,” he said, pointing to it. 

“You got it, Vordle, comin’ right up.”

Vordle turned back to the guard captain, “Let me finish up here, and I will be right behind you.”

“Please do hurry, the king is very testy at the moment as his jester is nowhere to be found,” Captain Trevalier stated, before leaving. 

Vordle skipped back to the bar, from being both elated, and buzzed. “Did you hear that Reg? A dragon is about,” he said. 

“Yeah, I heard, you better be careful, ya hear, you’re my best customer,” Reginald said, ending with a hearty laugh. “In seriousness though, do be safe, my friend,” he finished.

“Of course,” Vordle stated. He finished his second drink promptly and headed for the door. “Take care, Reg, I’ll be back before you know it.” Vordle exited the inn and unhitched his horse. “A real adventure today, girlie, are you excited, I know I am,” Vordle said to his horse, brushing her mane with his hand.

They galloped through the city, reaching the gates of the castle. Captain Trevalier sat outside, awaiting their arrival. “Please, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to King Soloman, your horse will be accommodated in the meantime,” he said.

Vordle complied, handing the reins over to a different guardsmen who led her to a nice, ornate hitching post. 

He was led through the grand hallways of the castle, to the throne room doors. Two guards opened the doors, and King Soloman sprung at the motion of the door. “Lord Vordle, it is about time! A dragon is on the loose! You must help, Mr. Ettings may have lost his son-“

“Slow down, Sire, start from the beginning,” Vordle said, attempting to calm the King.

“Sorry, a little on edge today. Apologies. There is a dragon up on Mt. Eesrek, a civilian reported earlier this morning. I’ve had some guardsmen confirm it, it has circled above the mountain a few times, but not gone far from it. I would like you to look into the matter and dispose of the beast,” King Soloman said calmly. 

“As you command, my leige, it will be done,” Vordle told him, “Let me get my equipment and I will set out at once, Sire,” he finished. 

King Soloman nodded in acknowledgment and then sat back down. He shouted, “Find me a damned Jester while you’re at it!” As Vordle walked out of the throne room. 

Vordle was on a mission. He set his sights on his home and he and his horse made quick pace there. He gathered his belongings, his pack, filled with various sets of pitons, hooks and latches, used for climbing, and twenty five feet of rope, along with other various adventuring gear. His sword, shield, and armor came next. He donned them as fast as he could and set out towards the Eastern City Gate, the closest to Mt. Eesrek. 

The fresh spring air was welcoming, beckoning Vordle towards the treacherous climb that lay ahead of him. The ride was long,and filled with fields once teeming with fauna. They’d known to  hide away at the sight of a dragon.  They approached the cold mountain. His horse knew to slow down when they reached the base of the mountain. Vordle saw no dragon overheard, but continued cautiously. He knew his horse would not run unless something terrifying happened, so he let her roam free at the base. She gleefully ate some grass.

He drilled his first piton into the jagged stone, and began the climb of a lifetime. Mt. Eesrek was one of the tallest in the land, surpassing even the heights of Mt. Hullofn and the tallest buildings in the city of Sentinel. Vordle was a seasoned climber, but it still took him almost three hours to scale the side of the mountain and reach a cave opening on the side. 

A cool breeze drifted from inside the opening. Vordle took his first step and his foot sank into ankle high water that splashed and sploshed  as he moved further in. The water was stagnant, it had no sense of direction other than that which Vordle kicked it. The natural light from the sun faded fast, and was all but nothing with just a few paces in. 

Vordle pulled a torch from his pack, and lit it with his flint and steel. It revealed jagged stone walls, thirty feet wide, big enough for a dragon to crawl through. The passageway continued down, and to the left, into the unknown. The cavern was caked in a sort of slime, oozing down from all sides, having gravity to do most of the work to bring it to the floor. 

The only sounds Vordle heard for some time, was water dripping from stalactites splashing into the puddles below them. 

Vordle kept his pace, hoping he was not too late to find the lost boy. When he heard child laughter, he knew he was on the right track. “Hello? Who’s there? I’m a friend of Mr. Ettings, your father, you can come out!” Vordle naively shouted. 

A deep, gravelly voice began, “Oh, look, Marty, a brave knight, come to end our fun…” trailing off. 

“No! Here to save you!” Vordle corrected. He made his way into a large open cavern, in which he saw the beast he came to slay, but it was doing something he would’ve never expected. The boy was dressed in ‘armor’ the size of a child, and wielding a large lance and shield. 

The beast and the son of Mr. Ettings were enacting..something. “What is going on here!” He asked, rushing to aid the child, who shrugged off his advances. 

“What are you doing mister? We’re playing! I don't want to go home!” Marty pleaded.

“This is a dangerous beast, boy, I must get you to safety!” Vordle retorted, grabbing the boy.   

“Danger? I’ve been here for hours, he hasn’t done a thing!” Marty said.

The beast’s booming voice echoed throughout the entirety of the cave system, “He doesn’t understand me, Marty, don’t bother, these knight types are all the same,” It said. 

Vordle was taken aback by the dragon’s leisurely composure. His curiosity peaked, so he prompted it, “Try me, dragon.” 

“I have no desire to place harm upon this child, in fact, just the opposite. I love performing, Marty here has given me a chance to hone my acting skills. You see, he gets to play as the knight who ‘slays’ the dragon and I get to brush up on my skills for playing dead. My intentions are pure, I assure you, just ask Marty,” the dragon explained to Vordle with a chuckle. 

“That true, Marty?” Sir Vordle addressed him sternly. 

“Sure is, mister, like I said, I’ve been here for a few hours,” Marty reiterated. 

Vordle was at a loss for words, unsure of what to do, until he remembered what his king had also asked of him on his way out. His eyes grew big, he had the opportunity of a lifetime on his hands. He sensed an overwhelming truth from the dragon. He’d never seen one take pride in anything really, and the determined nature of the beast only proved it further.

“Marty, your father is worried sick, would you come back please, just to show him you’re alright, and I can explain everything to him?” Vordle asked him. 

“I guess,” Marty responded, “What about him?” He asked, pointing to the scaly dragon who was sitting like a cat. 

“If you wouldn’t mind waiting here, I have a proposition for my king that would benefit us all,” Vordle explained. 

“I think I know what you may have in mind, my dear knight, I must apologize for my earlier comment, as I see, not all knight types are the same,” The dragon cooed. It huffed and set its head down on the stony floor. “I shall be here, come and find me when you return.” 

“Come, Marty, let’s get you home safe,” Vordle said to him, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the cavern. Marty showed him the route he had taken to reach the cavern, and they descended much faster, with an actual path to walk on. 

Vordle’s horse wasn’t used to the added weight of a child on her back, but she made great time back to the castle, dropping Vordle right at the gates he was at earlier.

The same guardsmen who were working the door were there. “Back already, Sir Vordle? Must’ve been some dragon,” one of them said, sarcastically.  

“You could say that again, for sure,” Vordle said with a laugh. “I need to see the king, it is urgent, would you please take me to him? And please, find Mr. Ettings, this is his boy,” he told them as they were led inside.

“Right this way, Sir, and yes, I will go retrieve Mr. Ettings, your father will be here soon, don’t worry!” He said to the boy, although the boy wasn’t scared at all.

The throne room doors swung open, “Ahh, Vordle, I knew I made the right decision, back already, with the boy in hand, amazing work,” The king said exuberantly. 

“About that, Sire, I would like  to talk to you, I believe I have a solution to your  jester problem,” Vordle said, smiling.

The king’s face lit up, “Who did you find? Two jobs in one? Overachiever if I do say so myself.”

“I think we should speak in private, Sire.” The guardsmen escorted  Marty to his father and The king took Vordle into his private chambers and he regaled the King with the tale of the not so typical dragon. 

“You trust this beast?” The king asked. 

“Yes, Sire,” Vordle stated.

“Well then, Let’s see this show!” 

X

“WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HELP US WELCOME, SIR MARTY, THE DRAGONSLAYER! The crowd boomed, watching as Marty and the dragon played out their dramatic battle, one which they would get to repeat for years to come.