Knight-Time Adventures: The tale of Sir Gabriel and Sir Jerry episode 1

Once upon a time there were two knights, Sir Gabriel and Sir Jerry. They were knights of honor, always willing to assist a town in distress.

One day they were riding on their horses through the countryside, enjoying the scenery and the gentle breeze that cooled off their heavy sets of armor. 

From over the next hill, they heard a ruckus. Several people were yelling and crying, their actual words unintelligible. They rode over to investigate.

What they found broke their very hearts. A town was in splinters. Every house was shattered, the wooden boards scattered across the square. People were injured and children were crying. Two young lad saw the gallant knights and ran up to them.

"Help us, Sir Knights! Help us!"

The knights looked at each other before responding. "What is it we can do for you?" asked Sir Gabriel.

The lads turned towards their broken town. "A dragon has come and destroyed our town. It's taken off with all our precious things, and left us with nothing we can use to restore our homes." Tears streamed down their faces as they recounted the terrible story.

Hearts filled with sorrow, and limbs moved to action, the knights pledged their services. Other townsfolk came over and, between them all, drew a map in the dirt that showed where the dragon was holed up with all their material wealth. 

Invigorated, the knights took to their steads and made their way over hill and dale to the cavern housing the wicked creature. Dismounting their faithful steeds, they walked cautiously up to the mouth of the cave. A terrible sound was coming from within its depths. It sounded as though the very rocks were crushing against the walls in a bid to escape from the terrible creature they housed.

Sir Gabriel began to enter the cave, but Sir Jerry stopped him with an outstretched arm. "Hold," he said quietly, "Would it not be prudent to have a light before we enter?"

Sir Gabriel agreed, and they pulled the supplies from their saddlebags and lit a torch to guide them through the cavern when their natural eyesight failed them.

The cavern quickly swallowed the daylight from outside the mouth, and plunged the gallant knights into a darkness borne of evil and cruelty. They slowly made their way deeper into the cavern, until they could clearly hear the rattling breath of the wicked creature. Even slower, barely moving at all, they searched around the sleeping beast and found the most terrible sight. The dragon was laying on top of all the gold the townspeople had possessed. There was no way to retrieve the splendor without waking the beast, a situation which would undoubtedly cause them to perish.

Using hand signals to avoid rousing the creature, they decided on a plan. They placed their torch carefully out of the way and each took up a position on either side of the dragons long neck. Swords upraised they nodded to each other. SWISH! THWACK! ROOOOOOAAA-

The agonized screech of the beast was cut short with a quick second swing from the gallant knights. Death came swiftly to the creature, to the relief of the two, as they never wished to keep a suffering creature alive in its misery.

With much exertion they pushed the carcass off the treasures and began to gather it all into whatever vessels they could find. After many trips back and forth from the depths of the cavern to their awaiting steeds, they finally loaded up all the wealth the wicked dragon had stolen.

Slowly, weighed down as they were, the duo made the trek back to the town. They arrived just as the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon, bathing them in its soft, rosy hues.

Cheers erupted as the townspeople saw their triumphant return. The knights return all the treasures to their proper owners and prepared to return to their haphazard journeyings, but the townspeople bade them to stay for the evening, to share in a feast celebrating their success. The knights obliged, and slept under the stars with full bellies and happy hearts.