Seven Knights Against Fáfnir - Finishing Blow
Part Six of The Seven Knights of Princess Snow White
Hi!
This is Part Six 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 Five: Seven Knights Against Fáfnir - Continuing Assault. Or, you can start from the beginning at Part One: Caliburn.
Last time, the Band of Seven continued their assault against the dragon Fáfnir. However, things are looking dark, with four of the knights missing or injured…
Part Six: Seven Knights Against Fáfnir - Finishing Blow
Fáfnir reached for the sword in its chest.
But, the cursed sword Dáinsleif had already disappeared and returned to its owner to whom it was bound.
The dragon growled, "Curious, but no matter."
Above us, the morning sun continued its arc.
I looked over at Galatine, who shook his head.
"Not yet," he said, "but soon."
It was hard to believe that noon still hadn't arrived.
Behind us, an injured Durandal joined us, struggling to ready his sword.
"Joyeuse...," I could hear him say quietly, as he looked at the ruins of the watchtower that his partner had been in.
Exhausted, the three of us readied ourselves.
Wearily, Fáfnir snarled, "No, I've had enough..."
"You will no longer hold me in this empty city," it said, "I shall find those disgusting humans and eradicate them!"
Once more, it began to beat its mighty wings, threatening to take to the skies.
Grunting and forcing my tired body to move, I began my charge, "Come! We can't let it-"
From behind, someone grabbed my shoulder to stop me.
It was Galatine.
"It's noon," he said.
Then, he stepped in front of me, to face Fáfnir.
Bringing his sword in front of him, the blade alighted in orange flames.
"How unfortunate for you," he said to the dragon, "that you decided to come at my strongest!"
Then, with a brief burst of white, the flames of Galatine's sword became blue.
Even from behind him, I could feel the heat of the sword.
"What?!" Fáfnir said, as it struggled to fly.
Fighting through its injuries and exhaustion, the dragon finally managed to lift itself off the ground.
"No matter," Fáfnir said, through pained breaths, "the heat of your flames won't matter if they can't reach me!"
Slowly, the dragon began to fly higher and higher, with each beat of its mighty wings sending strong winds at us.
It was all I could do to not get knocked over.
Galatine pulled his sword back.
Then, with a determined yell, he swung his blade...
And as he did so, the flames of his sword became a giant blue blade of fire!
"What?!" Fáfnir yelled, as the blade reached into the sky, looming over even it.
The sword swung towards the dragon.
"No!" it yelled.
Then, Galatine's great sword came down upon it.
Fáfnir roared in pain as the blade of blue fires sliced through its body, setting the dragon ablaze.
And in one fell swoop, the dragon was sent crashing into the ground, dragged down from the skies by Galatine's fiery blade.
***
The debris from the buildings that had been crushed and destroyed by the dragon's impact began to settle.
Galatine's giant blade of blue flames, which had blazed along the ground from him to where Fáfnir had landed, began to disperse into embers.
With his mana and his energy spent, Galatine began to collapse.
I rushed over and caught him.
He grunted.
Gently, I lowered him to the ground.
"Go, Caliburn," he said to me, through tired breaths, "make sure that the deed is done!"
I hesitated, but...
"Yes, you're right," I said.
I looked up at Durandal, "Can you still fight?"
He nodded, "I think so."
And so, leaving Galatine behind, the two of us hurried to where the dragon had landed.
***
Carefully, we approached Fáfnir.
To our dismay, the dragon had already gotten up.
Noticing us, it turned towards me and Durandal.
A giant gash of burnt flesh run down from its left shoulder to its chest. Its wings, which had been badly burnt, had large holes dotting their tattered webbing. And all over its body were the cuts and wounds that we had dealt to it throughout our battle.
"Dwarfs," it said to us, through laborious breaths, "I am beginning to find you to be as disgusting as the humans and this obscene city!"
It swung its tail, destroying several houses to its side.
Quickly, Durandal and I readied our swords.
It swung its tail to its other side, destroying several more houses.
"Even if I die," it said, as it began to approach us, "I will-"
"Enough!" a voice yelled out.
Suddenly, Gram appeared and landed on top of Fáfnir's back, seemingly having jumped from a nearby roof.
Then, with a cry of anger, Gram swung their giant sword into the dragon's neck!
Fáfnir gargled in pain.
"You?!" the dragon cried out in surprise.
It slammed a front claw onto its neck, hoping to crush Gram.
But Gram had already jumped off the dragon's back.
Landing in front of us, Gram yelled, "Caliburn, Durandal! I'm going for the wound that Dáinsleif left behind!"
Then, without waiting, Gram jumped.
Would their enchanted strength allow them to reach the looming dragon's chest?
Gram's hand reached the wound, and I let out a breath of relief.
Then, after finding a foothold to secure themself, Gram drove their giant blade into the dragon's wound with a determined yell.
Fáfnir roared in pain as Gram started to pull their sword down, trying to cut the wound wider.
"Durandal!" I yelled, directing him to Fáfnir's front claw that was still on the ground.
"Aye!" he yelled, as he charged at the claw.
And before Fáfnir could lift that claw off the ground, Durandal stabbed hard into it - piercing through and skewering into the ground below.
The dragon screeched, trying to lift its trapped claw off the ground, but Durandal held strong.
Meanwhile, I readied my sword in a thrusting position, and began to activate Caliburn's magic.
Gram yelled, and I watched as they pulled their giant blade down - cutting through the dragon's flesh and scales, widening the wound on the dragon's chest.
Fáfnir roared in pain.
"You insolent pest!" it yelled, as it swung its other front claw at Gram.
"No, you won't!" I yelled, as I thrust my sword at the claw.
A torrent of water burst from Caliburn and struck Fáfnir's claw, knocking it away from Gram.
Then, with another yell and a final pull, Gram sliced through what they could of the dragon's chest, causing Fáfnir to roar in pain once more.
The wound was now nearly as large as Gram was, perhaps even larger.
Gram dropped their bloody sword and reached deep into that wound.
Then, having found what they were looking for, they began to pull.
Fáfnir screeched in pain as Gram started to pull something out from its chest.
It was a pulsing organ...
It was Fáfnir's heart!
Gram continued pulling, as hard as they could.
Then, with a final yell and all of their strength, Gram pulled the organ free from its arteries and ripped out the dragon's heart!
Thank you for reading! If you’ve enjoyed my work, please consider liking, sharing, subscribing, and/or buying me a tea - it really helps! Thank you!
Part Seven will be out on June 5th at 9AM EST!