Until someone . . . dies?
Conrad panted as he ran faster than ever, and he had good reason to. If a gargantuan, mammoth, colossal dragon was chasing you at full speed, you would run fast too. As he reached the cliff, Talonblaze was almost upon him. He reached his goal, and none too soon. He threw himself into the small tunnel in the side of the rock face that led nearly straight up. Conrad went over the rest of the plan mentally as he climbed. The next part of it called for him to find the small cave at the base of the cliff, and climb up the inside of it to meet Jeff at the top, and, hopefully, Arabella. While he was climbing, Jeff was supposed to be catching the dragon's eyes with the princess in the net. When the dragon tried to fly up to rip the princess out of the net, Conrad should already be at the top of the mountain and he and Jeff would both pull the princess up, and throw the bucket of sand into the dragon's eyes. The dragon should be so high up and would be so surprised that it would crash to its death. As Conrad climbed at a breakneck pace, he hoped that it would work. He could hear the dragon's take off, for a large whoosh of air and sand flew up the tunnel after him, and climbed all the faster for the top that was barely visible through the gloom of the small cave. As he neared the top, he thought that this plan would be easier than he first imagined. Then he got stuck. "Jeff, Jeff!" he called after a few seconds of frantic trying to get loose. "I'm stuck!" Jeff's face peered down and saw Conrad's dilemma. "Here, grab this." He lowered a part of the rope that had been left over from the net. Conrad grabbed it and could feel his twin's pull. After a few frantic seconds of feeling like he would be squeezed to a bloody pulp, all at once, he popped out of the hole, and landed on top of Jeff, who was still pulling at the time. Conrad scrambled to a standing position, and called to the mass and rope. "Come on Jeff. No time for playing," he said blithely as he pulled on an arm that was protruding out of the coils of rope. He succeeded in pulling his sibling out, and together they pulled Arabella over the edge of the rock face. So in the end, everyone had had his or her own rightful pull.
Sub-consciously, though, both Conrad and Jeff thought themselves invincible. They were after all, kings and sons of kings. Games like this had been played on a regular schedule at the castle, though maybe not with death on the line. Death was never even considered. This was all just another game to them, and the danger and the fear were the thrill of the hunt. That was about to change for them. The dragon appeared. He was silhouetted by the rising of the sun in a burst of orange and red. A huge wind was being whipped into life from the flapping of the monstrous wings as the brothers stared. Jeff broke the trance. "Now," yelled Jeff, and Conrad flung the sand into the oncoming dragon's eyes. Talonblaze immediately put his claws to his eyes in an attempt to clear them, a remarkably human gesture. The wind stopped with the great wings, and when Talonblaze realized what was going to happen, he swiped his tail across the gray rock ground, knocking Conrad off the cliff. As he fell, he heard the frenzied voices of Arabella and of Jeff, who, he thought, he would never see again. Never talk to Arabella any more, never beat Jeff at the sword again. He forgot about all of that. All he knew now was the falling form of the dragon, and then a solid thud. He heard the sound of thundering hoof-beats, as if hundreds of horses were coming at him. He felt faintly worried, and then the world plunged into darkness
Conrad panted as he ran faster than ever, and he had good reason to. If a gargantuan, mammoth, colossal dragon was chasing you at full speed, you would run fast too. As he reached the cliff, Talonblaze was almost upon him. He reached his goal, and none too soon. He threw himself into the small tunnel in the side of the rock face that led nearly straight up. Conrad went over the rest of the plan mentally as he climbed. The next part of it called for him to find the small cave at the base of the cliff, and climb up the inside of it to meet Jeff at the top, and, hopefully, Arabella. While he was climbing, Jeff was supposed to be catching the dragon's eyes with the princess in the net. When the dragon tried to fly up to rip the princess out of the net, Conrad should already be at the top of the mountain and he and Jeff would both pull the princess up, and throw the bucket of sand into the dragon's eyes. The dragon should be so high up and would be so surprised that it would crash to its death. As Conrad climbed at a breakneck pace, he hoped that it would work. He could hear the dragon's take off, for a large whoosh of air and sand flew up the tunnel after him, and climbed all the faster for the top that was barely visible through the gloom of the small cave. As he neared the top, he thought that this plan would be easier than he first imagined. Then he got stuck. "Jeff, Jeff!" he called after a few seconds of frantic trying to get loose. "I'm stuck!" Jeff's face peered down and saw Conrad's dilemma. "Here, grab this." He lowered a part of the rope that had been left over from the net. Conrad grabbed it and could feel his twin's pull. After a few frantic seconds of feeling like he would be squeezed to a bloody pulp, all at once, he popped out of the hole, and landed on top of Jeff, who was still pulling at the time. Conrad scrambled to a standing position, and called to the mass and rope. "Come on Jeff. No time for playing," he said blithely as he pulled on an arm that was protruding out of the coils of rope. He succeeded in pulling his sibling out, and together they pulled Arabella over the edge of the rock face. So in the end, everyone had had his or her own rightful pull.
Sub-consciously, though, both Conrad and Jeff thought themselves invincible. They were after all, kings and sons of kings. Games like this had been played on a regular schedule at the castle, though maybe not with death on the line. Death was never even considered. This was all just another game to them, and the danger and the fear were the thrill of the hunt. That was about to change for them. The dragon appeared. He was silhouetted by the rising of the sun in a burst of orange and red. A huge wind was being whipped into life from the flapping of the monstrous wings as the brothers stared. Jeff broke the trance. "Now," yelled Jeff, and Conrad flung the sand into the oncoming dragon's eyes. Talonblaze immediately put his claws to his eyes in an attempt to clear them, a remarkably human gesture. The wind stopped with the great wings, and when Talonblaze realized what was going to happen, he swiped his tail across the gray rock ground, knocking Conrad off the cliff. As he fell, he heard the frenzied voices of Arabella and of Jeff, who, he thought, he would never see again. Never talk to Arabella any more, never beat Jeff at the sword again. He forgot about all of that. All he knew now was the falling form of the dragon, and then a solid thud. He heard the sound of thundering hoof-beats, as if hundreds of horses were coming at him. He felt faintly worried, and then the world plunged into darkness