Story Two:
Soaring dragons, twisted orcs, this is a tale from Feronia, in fact, the tale of the last battle of the greatest knight of Feronia, Sir Cecis the Black. Sir Cecis was known for many feats of heroism, but his greatest feats, and those that granted him the title “the Black,” were his many victories over the dragons that once plagued our kingdom, victories that would often leave his armor seared darker than the darkest of nights.
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“Sire,” said Manuel “the scouts report that the dragon’s lair is just up ahead.” Cecis looked towards the lair for a moment, “Manuel, are they sure it’s Ailtere?” “Yes sire, Ailtere has been seen near the entrance, but our scouts have used the utmost caution and don’t thing that he is aware of our approach.” Cecis was worried though, Ailtere was a dragon straight out of the legends of Feronia’s far past and was a destroyer of all that stood against him. All that stood against him, that is, until all of the magicians in the kingdom banded together to place a single spell of unimaginable power upon him, a spell to make him sleep for millennia.
“Manuel, have the scouts pull back to the main lines, we will hit him all together, move the archers around to the flanks and have the lancers ready to charge as soon as the dragon exits his lair.” “Yes sire,” Manuel responded “I will do so at once.”
Cecis watched Manuel’s back as he ran towards the scouts, “good kid,” he said to himself, “one day he will make a great knight.” Suddenly, with a beating wings and roaring flame, Ailtere burst forth from his lair, Manuel’s sudden movements having attracted his attention. “MANUEL, GET DOWN!” roared Cecis, but for Manuel, it was too late, Ailtere released a jet of flame that washed over Manuel and then he played his flame across many of the hidden positions of the scouts spread around the entrance to his lair, for he was an old and wise dragon and this was by no means the first time his lair had been attacked by men.
“MANUEL! MEN, ATTACK THIS FOUL BEAST!” Cecil shouted to the gathered army and with that they surged forth, charging for the dragon with as much speed as their horses could manage, the archers began to fire arrows at the dragon, but many of the arrows simply bounced off of the dragons hard scales.
Cecis charged forth, aiming to get close enough to the dragon to plunge his sword, Fire-Killer, deep within its heart before it could kill too many of his men. Unfortunately for Cecis, Ailtere spotted the knight and brought his tail around, crippling Cecis’ horse and spilling the knight onto the ground. Looking up, all Cecis could see was the shadow of the great dragon, blotting out the sun, and shading all in despair. Cecis attempted to regain his feet, but almost as soon as he began to stand, the dragon brought forth its clawed leg and rent his armor, and his spirit, from his body.