Felix approaches the great, crumbling castle, even his horse seeming to feel the danger in the air. He has heard the rumors of the fearsome dragon that has taken the abandoned fortress castle in the north, heard the tales of knights that dare attempt to steal its treasure and that barely come hobbling home. His grip tightens on the pommel of his blade as he approaches the tall, rusted gates at the edge of the castle’s courtyard.

He knows this is the way to prove, to his family and his people, that he is ready and worthy of the title of king; to slay the dragon, to free the lands from the dragon’s reign of terror. But as he sees the great beast, curled like a climbing vine around the tallest tower, he wavers. But his determination wins out.

He barely takes a step into the sprawling courtyard before the dragon’s eyes lock on him, and it takes flight from its perch with a rumbling roar, its wings beating the air as it circles its domain. It does not yet attack, but he knows he’ll have to think fast if it decides to; cover is sparse in the dusty path to the castle doors.

It’s a painstaking, tense process as Felix moves slowly toward the castle, always with one eye on the dragon, and he grows more uneasy the further he gets without retribution from the dragon. And his fears are founded; the moment his boot touches the first step, the dragon roars once more and dives sharply, landing meters in front of him, the ground shaking with the impact and sending Felix stumbling backward. Its throat glows with the fire it’s prepared to spew, and its wings are spread wide. However, though Felix nearly misses the details in his terror, he sees the key to the castle strung around its neck, as well as an…injury? A several of the massive scales on its shoulder seems to have been dislodged entirely.

Felix does the only thing he can think will save him in the face of this massive beast: his sword clatters on the stone steps, and he shouts up to the dragon.

“Wait!” he cries. “Let me speak, and give me mercy!”