Reunion of the Seven
Part Three of The Seven Knights of Princess Snow White
Hi!
This is Part Three of The Seven Knights of Princess Snow White - a seven-part story in The Red Riding Hood Saga!
If you missed it, here is Part Two: Afternoon Tea! Or, you can start from the beginning at Part One: Caliburn!
Last time, Caliburn was made aware of the dragon Fáfnir and its flight towards the capital. The Band of Seven, having been fractured since the supposed death of their dear Princess Snow White, make their way back to the castle, where Caliburn is waiting for them…
Part Three: Reunion of the Seven
Sir Galatine was the first to return.
"Lady Caliburn!" he greeted me with a huge smile, "It's been a while!"
"Yes, it has," I said, smiling back as we clasped arms, "Not since that incident with the Snow Queen, I believe."
"Ha!" he said, "Yes, that was quite the adventure!"
Out of the seven in the Band, I had known Galatine the longest.
Gifted from a fairy a sword whose magic and name would become his own, Sir Galatine wielded a sword that could be set aflame - a fire which would burn the hottest at noon.
"So," he asked, the conversation taking on a more solemn tone, "what's this I hear about a dragon?"
"Yes, about that," I said, "Your summons back to the capital surely mentioned the dragon that's making its way here?"
He nodded, "Any information about it? Do we know its plans and goals?"
"Only from what the scouts have been able to gather from the survivors and other witness reports," I said.
"From what we know," I began, "the dragon first appeared around a week or so ago, attacking villages on the outskirts of the kingdom."
"From the path of destruction that it's been wreaking," I continued, "it seems to be making its way towards the capital here."
"On its way, it's been attacking any cities, towns, and even small villages that it comes across, seemingly only intent on destroying."
"So, even though it can fly," Galatine asked, "it hasn't gotten here yet because it's purposely stopping just to destroy and kill?"
I nodded, "Yes, that and it seems to need to rest after destroying a settlement, often flying away to find a place to do so."
"Then why have I been called back here?!" Sir Galatine asked, angrily, "We should be out there fighting this dragon!"
I held up my hand, trying to quell his anger as I explained, "The king consulted with the strategists and tacticians of the court - given how powerful the dragon is, they came up with a plan to gather us, the Band of Seven, at the capital here to face the dragon together."
"What?!" Galatine roared.
"I know," I said, feeling the pain in my own voice, "but as painful as it is to just let this dragon attack anything that it comes across on its way here, attacking it separately and without a plan would greatly lessen our chances of victory!"
Moments passed as Galatine breathed heavily, letting his anger fade.
"For now," I said, when it seemed that Galatine's temper had cooled enough, "other knights and aid have been sent to help evacuate any settlements along the dragon's predicted path here."
Galatine nodded, begrudgingly, "Alright, so what? We just wait? Wait until the others get here? Wait until the dragon gets here?"
Sadly, I nodded back, "Yes."
***
As the dragon's shadow crept ever closer to the capital, the others of the Band of Seven would return over the next few weeks.
Sir Ascalon was the next to arrive.
He had gained his fame from slaying a red dragon that had been terrorizing a village and its group of farmsteads in the countryside.
Braving the red dragon's fires, he managed to kill it in a grand battle that broke his lightly enchanted sword.
Reforging his sword with the scales of the slain red dragon, he and his sword gained their new name and the magic to summon a shadow of the red dragon itself.
Sir Joyeuse and Sir Durandal would arrive soon after.
Inseparable partners for as long as I have known them, they travelled together while fulfilling their knightly duties.
Unlike the rest of us who had gained our swords and names from external sources, their swords were part of their own innate magicks.
A beautiful sword with a golden hilt, Joyeuse could shine a light so bright that it is said to be able to blind entire armies.
Meanwhile, Durandal was a sword of such sturdiness and sharpness that it could never break and could cut through anything with ease - I have seen it cut through trees and boulders alike! The only things that could resist its cuts were magical in nature, such as other magic swords and... dragons.
Sir Dáinsleif was the sixth member of the Seven to return.
Unlike the rest of us whose swords were gifts, Dáinsleif's sword was a curse.
As he once told us, he had killed a fairy's lover.
He had let his temper get the better of him over some petty argument, and had committed his sin before discovering the lover's innocence.
In grief and anguish, the fairy cursed Dáinsleif - his sword would be bound to him for life, and drawing it would mean someone's death before it could be sheathed again.
In other words, he was cursed to kill whenever he drew his sword, and the temptation to do so would never leave his side for the rest of his life.
"I would go on to kill many when my temper got the better of me," he had said to me, "many of whom were evildoers... but also many of whom were simply unlucky enough to have crossed paths with me."
"The people of my homeland began to curse my very existence - deservedly so," he continued, "and so I had to flee."
"I've learned to control my temper, and to only draw my sword when absolutely necessary," he said, "And now I'm here - hoping to atone for my sins."
Thus, he has kept his sword sheathed, and I've never seen him draw it.
As for the final member of the Seven...
Little did we know, that as we awaited them, they would have an encounter with the dragon itself.
***
Knight Gram was the last to return.
They were the strongest and sturdiest of us Seven - not just in physicality, but also because a mage that they had helped once had gifted them a light enchantment.
This light enchantment had given Gram a strength and durability beyond us, and it was this strength that allowed them to efficiently wield their sword of the same name - a giant sword without anything magical about it, but a giant sword nonetheless.
I walked into the chamber where Gram was resting.
The castlekeeper who had led me here bowed and said, "Lady Caliburn is here to see you, sir."
"Er," the castlekeeper looked at Gram in a panic, "ma'am? My deepest apologies-"
Gram interrupted the castlekeeper with a grunt, as they sat up on the bed, "Both are fine."
"Y-Yes, sir," the castlekeeper bowed again, before hastily backing out of the room, "If you'll excuse me..."
Unlike many of our kin who had found ourselves living amongst the humans, Gram did not conform with either of the two genders that so many humans found themselves in. They had tried to do so in the past, but had found that they were most comfortable not strictly being one or the other - same as some humans.
As the castlekeeper closed the doors behind me, I walked over to the bed.
"Lady Caliburn," they greeted me, wearily.
I smiled in relief that my friend seemed to be doing well, if tired, "Welcome back, Knight Gram."
I turned to the doctor who had been tending to Gram, "How are they, doctor?"
The doctor stood up, "They're healing well."
"I suspect that enchantment of yours probably saved you from certain death, though," the doctor said to Gram, while packing up, "So, please, take care of yourself and rest. I will be back over the next few days to check on you."
Gram nodded, "Thank you, doctor."
"Yes, thank you," I repeated as the doctor left the room.
I sat down next to the bed.
There was a moment of silence before I asked, "I heard that you had a run-in with the dragon?"
Gram scoffed, "Yes, and what a mistake that was."
"But," they looked at me, "you and I both know that I couldn't just abandon the townsfolk to it."
Solemnly, I nodded, "Yes."
"It was devastating," they said, "I only managed to survive because a mage had shielded me from the dragon at the last moment - and now that mage is dead..."
"... I'm sorry," I said.
They shook their head in regret, "An old couple helped me get back here."
"Even after losing everything," they continued, "they still helped me get back here - so that I could join the rest of you in killing that damn dragon!"
Gram grunted from a sudden pain, their outburst having caused their injuries to flare up.
Gently, I placed a hand on Gram's shoulder, hoping to provide some comfort while we waited for the pain to subside.
"It calls itself Fáfnir," Gram said, after they had recomposed themself.
"The dragon?" I asked.
"Yes," they replied.
"It... It can speak?" I asked, incredulous.
Gram nodded, "It would appear so."
I was stunned - this was the first instance that a dragon had ever shown sapience.
"I still remember the hate and disgust in its eyes as it attacked," Gram said, "It called humans 'disgusting' and this civilization 'unnatural'."
"I don't know how I managed to escape, as injured as I was," they said, "but I remember it calling after me, telling me to, 'Tell your ruler that I am coming.'"
Gram breathed heavily, remembering the horrors that they had faced.
I placed a hand on their shoulder again, and looked them in the eyes.
"Gram," I said, sternly - hoping to snap them out of it.
Gram's eyes focused on to mine.
And for a moment, all we did was breathe.
Calmer now, Gram slumped back down into their bed.
"Thank you, Caliburn," they said.
I nodded and gave them a small smile, "Please, get some rest, Gram."
"I'll let the others know what you've told me," I said, "and we'll come up with a plan of attack."
Gram nodded, and I took my leave so that my fellow knight could get some rest.
As I walked down the hallway, I gripped the hilt of my sword, worried.
According to the scouts, we had around a week until Fáfnir made its way here to the capital.
The Band of Seven was now reunited - but, would we be enough?
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Part Four will be out on May 15th at 9AM EST!