Chapter Six (Dragon!)
"Oh, boy, Oh, boy, I can not wait to finally meet a real live princess." Jason grinned before looking at Donkey. "Much less get the chances of a lifetime to actually see, smell, and feel the true terror of an actual flying fire-breathing dragon."
Donkey completely dropped his smile and what remains of his confidence after hearing the last part that came out of Jason's mouth. Once taking in the scary view of the Dragon's Keep and the hot boiling lava that literally surrounds the place, Donkey is starting to have some real extreme second thoughts about going forward with the whole 'Noble Quest' idea. Now as for the strange ogre father and human moor son duo they had the complete opposite of what Donkey is feeling. For Shrek, he basically wants to go save the princess and both get his and his son's swamp back and return the fairytale creatures back to their land from once they came. As for Jason, he was all too excited to go inside and be able to fulfill one of his lifetime dreams of being in a place where he once read about the place.
A short minute ago, Donkey could have sworn that Jason was a bit hesitant and a bit worried about going through with this. But it all came to a fast end due to having his mindset on both meeting and getting to know the famous or infamous Princess Fiona. Which by the way no one has any idea what type of royalty category status, Fiona is in. Donkey asked Jason about the princess which in return had no clue as to what type of royalty level she is or who her mother and father is. Heck, Jason never knew that the unknown famous princess who has been locked up in the castle in the highest room of the tallest tower, let alone be guarded by an unstoppable and undefeated meat-eating dragon for all those years have an actual name.
Once they approached the bridge, Donkey examined the walking path that leads to the ruined castle and noticed some things. For one, he noticed that the bridge has lost its sturdiness over the years of knights and horses running down the bridge. Second, the bridge itself is decaying and rotting for so long, and tell that you can see small holes through the steps. And third, it is over hot boiling lava of all things.
"Uhhh, guys?. I have a little confession to make." Donkey spoke with good volume and got their attention.
Both Shrek and Jason stopped attempting to step onto the bridge to look back at Donkey.
"Such as?." Jason looked at Donkey with little worry.
"Umm, I do not have layers," said Donkey, getting off his chest.
"So?." Shrek raised his brow. "What about it, Donkey?."
"Meaning that I'm too fragile at the moment," explained Donkey as he walked a bit closer towards the two.
"Of course not Donkey," said Shrek, understanding what the ignoring-talking mammal is trying to say. But now he wants to know the reason. "Your kind does not have layers or sleeves."
"Yeah, and if there was a donkey that has layers and sleeves then he or she needs to be studied, in case of an unknown upcoming new illness of horrific skin disease." pointed Jason, who too is understanding what his family pet member means but just want to tease him in the process.
Donkey looked right back at both Shrek and Jason with seriousness in his voice and face. "You guys know what I mean."
"Oh, come on Donkey, don't tell us that you are afraid of highs?." asked Shrek, hoping that it is not the case.
"If so, I do have a book that has good suggestions on how to overcome certain fears that mess with your head. Of course, I only have the first volume of it. The bookstore in the village back at home told me the second volume is not available, due to thinking that no one is going to buy a copy and so why invest in wasting money in ordering a couple?. Well, jokes on them I will say." said Jason, being helpful.
"Nice fun little information, Jason," said Shrek, being a little bit sarcased to his son.
Jason nodded. "It was a suggestion and not a solution, Dad."
"Well, thanks anyway, Jason. But highs are not my issue." Donkey looked down with fear written all over his face. "It is walking on a beyond-safe bridge over a non-stop hot boiling lava."
"Mmmm, good point, Donkey." Jason looked at the lava. "But if the bridge was still sturdy and safe to walk, let alone no lava underneath, then this would not be one fantastic adventure to experience or bother sharing it with anyone now would it not?."
Donkey looked back at Jason. "Your mind is not wrapped too tight, Jason. This must be the cause of breathing in too much carbon dioxide."
"Well, Well, it looks like this ignoring-talking donkey is smart enough to use big smart vocabulary words," said Shrek, being honest as he guided Donkey to the first step of the bridge. "Which is why need to hurry this up before all three of us start having low brain activity."
"Right and Princess Fiona is not getting any younger. So can we go now?." said Jason, eager to go inside the ruined castle.
"Alright, Alright, we go. Ya, two just promise me you guys are not going to let me on this bridge all by myself," said Donkey, feeling his knees beginning to shake.
"Do not worry, Donkey. Me and Jason will be with you every step of the way," said Shrek, comforting the mammal.
Donkey looked at Shrek with worry. "Really?."
"Really, Really," Shrek spoke with a look of sincere facial expression.
Donkey looked at Jason. "For Real, For Real?."
"Uhh, yeah, for real, for real," said Jason, trying to understand what the repeating words were.
"Ok." Donkey nodded before looking forward. "Yeah, I can do this. Just like walking on a gingerbread bridge over a cherry mixed with chocolate pool."
"Look, Donkey just keep walking straight and do not look down by any means. Trust me," said Shrek, motioning the mammal to keep walking.
"Yeah, and think about saving the princess," added Jason, looking up at the castle.
"Right, Right." Donkey walked forward while repeating everything that is said to them.
The process of it is in fact positive even though it was a little bit annoying to Shrek, while Jason was too into the mindset of reaching the castle. Donkey was doing so well until they reached halfway on the bridge. Which he put too much weight on the step with his left hoof and the piece of the bridge had fallen into the lava. As a result, caused Donkey looked right straight down at the melting lava and instantly had an extreme panic facial expression.
"Shrek?. Jason?. I am looking down and I am not liking what I'm seeing." spoke a scared Donkey, before screaming in terror and turning right around. "I can not do this. I am not taking another step forward!."
"Oh, you are halfway there." pointed Shrek.
Jason leans to the side to have his face seen with an upset look. "Come on, Donkey, we are wasting the time of night here."
"I'm sorry Jason, but I will rather be back on the other side of the bridge where it is safe than fall to my doom and be a barbecue," said Donkey.
"Alright, we have no time for this. You can stay back over there while I and Jason go in," said Shrek, walking forward.
Jason followed his Dad and caused the bridge to wobble and shake in the process. This caused Donkey to panic further.
"Will you two stop?!." spoke Donkey.
"Stop what?." asked Jason, as he and his father stopped moving.
"Stop doing what you two are doing to the bridge," said Donkey.
Shrek turned to Jason and shared the same sneaky facial expression. The father and son duo has an idea to get Donkey over to the other end of the bridge.
Shrek looked back at Donkey with sincerity. "Oh, we're sorry. Do you mean this?."
Shrek wobbled the bridge as Donkey became frightened. "Yes, that!. Please stop."
"But what if I like doing it?." Jason grinned and wobbled the bridge.
"No, stop!." yelled Donkey.
Shrek and Jason nodded. "So yes?." Shrek and Jason look at each other and then look back at Donkey with happiness. "Alright then!."
With that said, the two started wobbling and shaking the bridge without care as Donkey started panicking, and saying he is going to die in the process. Little did the mammal knows that he is backward walking to the other half of the bridge and reaching the ground of the ruined castle. Donkey lifted his ears up after covering his eyes before opening his eyelids and noticed he was on the solid ground of the castle.
"Oh," said Donkey in amazement.
Shrek smiled at his ignoring animal before patting him on the top of his head. "That will do, Donkey. That will do."
Jason stepped forward and rubbed Donkey's head and smiled big. "Sorry to scare you and give you bad anxiety, Donkey. But look on the positive side. We made it to the other side."
Once done he walked past Donkey and rejoin his father as they headed to the entrance. Donkey looked back at the bridge and smiled at himself for actually crossing it and turned around to rejoin his family.
"Cool. So where is this fire-breathing pain-in-the-neck anyway?." asked Donkey.
"Inside, waiting for us to rescue her," answered Shrek, with an amused chuckle.
Donkey rolled his eyes. "I was talking about the dragon, Shrek."
Jason chuckled. "Well, based upon the lifestyle and behavior of a princess. They might be a fire-breathing pain in the neck. How much money did any one of you guys bet that Princess Fiona has bad breath due to not having any toothpaste."
"I'm all in," said Shrek, looking at his son. "She probably has one bad yuck mouth teeth."
Jason laughed at this. "Oh, I hope not."
Donkey rolled his eyes as he continued following the two inside the ruined castle. Upon entering they walked a few levels of the castle with absolute quietness. Not wanting to give away the element of surprise as they did not want to jinx themselves. But Donkey was making it difficult as he kept talking to himself and them. It is indeed getting annoying for Shrek and Jason. They told him to be quiet but it only encouraged Donkey to keep on talking. Which as result caused him to crash into a pile of skeleton remains of a few knights.
"Man, this dragon is very messy after eating its victims. Man, talking about eating every last bit of your meat," said Jason, taking the time to look at the remains and skeleton parts of the fallen knights.
Seeing them made Jason a tad bit uneasy. Shrek was too irritated to notice Jason's facial expression as he was too focused on a sacred Donkey. "Donkey?. Two words. Shut Up."
Shrek started taking the helmet off of Donkey's head and planning on using it to cover his face when both fighting the undefeated and unstoppable dragon and saving the princess. "You and Jason go find Princess Fiona and get her out of her imprisonment. While I go take care of the dragon."
"Sounds good, Dad. Sounds good. Come on, Donkey we just need to find the upper stairs to the highest room of the tallest tower." Informed Jason, as he lead the way forward.
Donkey nodded while watching Shrek head the other way. "Cool. Let us go get the princess."
Due to the lack and zero knowledge of how the castle is built let alone which way is which, both Jason and Donkey were going in the wrong direction as they were going to meet another other than Princess Fiona. The two approached the big huge double doors and opened the single.
"I'll handle the stairs. I'll find those stairs. I'll whip their butt too. Those stairs won't know which way they're going." spoke Donkey, being confident when walking inside.
"You do not say." Jason eyed the dark room while having a feeling that this does lead to the princess let alone the other thing. "Why do I feel like something is in here with us."
Donkey did not pay attention to anything Jason said as he was too full of himself as he keep on talking. "We're gonna take drastic steps. Kick it to the curb. Don't mess with us, steps. Heck, we are the stair masters. I've mastered the stairs during my time as a laborer on a small farm, I know what I am talking about, Jason. I wish I had a step right here, Jason. Because I'd step all over it without regret."
Jason eyed Donkey once he stepped up to a ruined platform. He is about to respond to what he said until two things that stopped him. One was a close low growl and the other was a huge eye that opened up. The eye is reptilian and had its eye on both Donkey and Jason with anger. Jason looked in full shock and utter fear as the thing looked very angry. Jason pointed at the thing and tried to say it to Donkey but was too choked up. Donkey looked at Jason confused but then turn to face what he is pointing at, but noticed that there was no wall but an eye and know who it is and not liking it not one bit.
Meanwhile, Shrek found himself outside where the roof was supposed to be as he walked and found the tower that Donkey and Jason were supposed to reach.
"Huh, well, now at least we know where the princess is." Shrek raised a brow in confusion as this was too easy to find but the main question remains. "But where is the..."
"Dragon!." screamed Jason and Donkey, before running for their lives as the dragon moved and blew hot fire at them.
The two ran as fast as they could as they heard a huge crash noise, followed by heavy stomping and roaring. Jason had dared himself to look back and see the dragon in all of its terror.
"Ah, that creature is so not like the one in the book, Donkey!." yelled Jason.
"That is because no one has dared to step foot in my keep. Or lived to draw out how I looked. That is because they do want to be part of my meal."
Jason had a confused facial expression. He heard a woman behind him but there is no woman. "Donkey are you hearing a woman by any chance?. Because I certainly do."
"A woman?." Donkey jumped over a half-brick wall. "What woman?!."
"Wait. You can understand what I'm saying?. That means...hey, wait stop, kid."
Jason can hear the voice of a woman again and have yet to know who is saying this. "Where are you?!. And can you please help us?!."
"Let's just say I got your back, kid. Both you and that donkey of yours."
Jason looked back to face the dragon and can not believe where the voice is coming from. He was so distracted that he had no idea that his father had pulled him and Donkey out of the way from the incoming fire.
"Come back here, Kid!. I just want to talk to you!. Please!."
Jason can still the voice of the woman and found the face of it and can not believe it at all. From one thing lead to another, Jason watched his Dad fight the dragon but failed once he grabbed the tail. The dragon used its tail and wagged him back and forth until he lifted him up in the air.
"Dad!." Jason yelled when watching his father fly and crashed into the roof of the tower.
The dragon looked in his direction. "There you are!."
"Oh, boy." Jason ran to where Donkey is, but that failed sadly.
The dragon chased the two and blew fire into the short tower to block them from using it to escape. The dragon used its tail to wack one-half of the walkway bridge which Jason and Donkey stopped from reaching the open entrance and then run back but the other half got destroyed. Both the two were shaking in fear as the dragon rose up with a face of terror.
The dragon got close and sniffed Jason good and strong and pulled back and change her face to happy. "You are indeed a Dragon Whisperer!. Just my luck, I have a new and only best friend!."
"Dragon Whisperer?." Jason looked confused. "I heard about those kinds of special people. There...There...There."
Jason comprehended why he can understand the female dragon as it felt like a ton of bricks. To make it official the dragon blew a smoke that said plain and simple, 'BFF.' With just that, Jason completely passes out and left poor Donkey to be all alone with a dragon who just happens to be a female. But with a fast-thinking mind and based on what Jason meant by hearing a woman, let alone seeing how feminine the dragon's face look. As for Shrek, he hit the floor unconscious with no idea where he currently is as the impact had knocked him out cold.
However, a very dressed woman woke up from her sleep once hearing a hard crash and saw the knight hit the ground. She looked shocked but soon came overjoyed by seeing this. The person is none other than the unknown royal status Princess Fiona.
"I am finally about to get out of this crappy dump of a Dragon's Keep!." said Fiona, before getting out of her bed in pure utter joy.
