Facing the Dragon
When the dragon rose up, I fought desperately to beat it. It was enormous and certainly more than even a well-trained, well-armed fighter couldn’t defeat. All of those fairy tales about knight’s killing ancient dragons were just fairy tales. Dragons are simply too massive to be scratched by a large man on horse.
The dragon swiped at me with its claws and snapped at me with its teeth. It breathed fire. Its thunderous roar threatened to bring down the cave around us. Fortunately, my T-Rex senses and dodgeability kept me out of harm’s way for the most part. I could see the dragon’s moves as he made them, and I could narrowly avoid the attacks as long as I paid attention to what was going on in that moment. A single lapse in attention could result in scratches, deep wounds and worse.
I must have been good enough to catch the Dragon's interest. For all of its power and ferocity, the look on its face reminded me of my cat when she had caught a mouse. The dragon wasn’t trying to kill me; it was playing. It was seeing just how long I could last and what kind of struggle I could put up. It was testing me.
This was a game I couldn’t win. I had to change the rules. I had to stop competing. The lash of the tail filled the air above me as I ducked under. That was my chance. I threw my sword down, stood tall and stretched my arms akimbo. The dragon’s claw swiped at me. The teeth gnashed in my ear. I stood steadfast. I could not control the dragon, but I could control my own fear and my reactions to the dragon.
The deep sound that came from the throat made it hard to discern the words. “You are now worthy, warrior. Go forth with your new knowledge. May it serve you well for it is a price above rubies and gold.”
I still am not sure how anything happened that led up to my victory. It may be all a dream, but for now, I revel in that dream. When the dragon arises again, I will have to find the lesson that he is looking to teach me. Hopefully, I will be able to do so more quickly this time.
The dragon swiped at me with its claws and snapped at me with its teeth. It breathed fire. Its thunderous roar threatened to bring down the cave around us. Fortunately, my T-Rex senses and dodgeability kept me out of harm’s way for the most part. I could see the dragon’s moves as he made them, and I could narrowly avoid the attacks as long as I paid attention to what was going on in that moment. A single lapse in attention could result in scratches, deep wounds and worse.
I must have been good enough to catch the Dragon's interest. For all of its power and ferocity, the look on its face reminded me of my cat when she had caught a mouse. The dragon wasn’t trying to kill me; it was playing. It was seeing just how long I could last and what kind of struggle I could put up. It was testing me.
This was a game I couldn’t win. I had to change the rules. I had to stop competing. The lash of the tail filled the air above me as I ducked under. That was my chance. I threw my sword down, stood tall and stretched my arms akimbo. The dragon’s claw swiped at me. The teeth gnashed in my ear. I stood steadfast. I could not control the dragon, but I could control my own fear and my reactions to the dragon.
The deep sound that came from the throat made it hard to discern the words. “You are now worthy, warrior. Go forth with your new knowledge. May it serve you well for it is a price above rubies and gold.”
I still am not sure how anything happened that led up to my victory. It may be all a dream, but for now, I revel in that dream. When the dragon arises again, I will have to find the lesson that he is looking to teach me. Hopefully, I will be able to do so more quickly this time.