"The Dragon´s Sword (updated: 02/21/02)" by Karen Jean Baker

      Darkness--ever present and all encompassing--surrounded me. Oppressive and weighty, it enclosed me and cut off any view of the gaudy, opulent, yet primitive stone environment. My thoughts turned outward, to memories of better times. As always the thought of the bright, molten, brilliant sunlight beating down on my beautiful, bare body excited and enthralled me. Indeed, it was almost always on my mind those years-except, of course, when the thought of the exquisite feeling of the heavy, crimson, metallic liquid pumping and sliding down my sheer, sharp sides invaded like the rising tide and left no room for anything else. Ahh, yes, that was something I did miss… warm blood flowing and pouring in superb blossoms down my keen edges.
      When was it that I ended up in this cold, dark hoard, lit only when the spontaneous bursts of frightening sulfurous flames--the equivalent of a human's gas--erupted from the shiny-scaled beast's belly? It must have been… ohh, so long ago… things were so muddy and indistinct. All that I really remembered clearly was the rush of battle heat, the strong--and exciting--grip on my hilt, the rampaging war cries that ripped from warriors' throats, and the roaring of wounded renegades, which was slowly replaced by the last remnant's dying groans.
      Rousing me from my stupor, my rather long unused ears--as sharp as the rest of me--were suddenly blasted with raucous shouts of insults and challenges that send a flush of remembrance and excitement through me. Someone was coming to confront the walking furnace!
      My Hades-spawned captor roused itself and peered, annoyed, through the small peephole near the entrance. What it saw enraged or interested it enough to cause it to begin to heave and bellow. Soon it had worked up enough pressure to blow out a particularly weak side of its cave--this was the standard way it created an entrance for anything (or to greet anything) that could not fly.
      Happily, this weak point in the wall happened to be directly in front of me. It succeeded not only in giving the would--be conquerors an eyeful of the scaly--one's truly magnificent hoard, but also in presenting me with front row seats to the ensuing fight--and a fight there would be! As I looked into the lovely, blinding sunlight that I had so dearly missed, my eyes were greeted with an awesome sight. A man--as powerfully built as a bear--was leading a large group of warriors, all sheathed in gleaming armor and carrying fearsome looking weapons.
      The large body of men stopped many yards away from the new cave entrance, while their leader--the bear-man--stepped forward. The entire host continued to scream taunts and threats until the dragon stepped into the light, revealing its dark, shiny, tightly-scaled, coiled body. At that even the hardiest of men in the host turned a rather pale shade of green. Yet the older--he was now close enough to see in more detail--man did not flinch at all. He calmly stood his ground, as though he was not facing his fate.
      Everything in me cheered on this hero, proud of his bravery, courage, and strength in the face of such powerful evil. Even as I thought this, he rushed at the huge dragon, striking it a mighty blow with his sword. Oh, lucky sword, to be wielded in battle by such a quick, fearless, gallant warrior! The dragon roared with mad laughter-the blow had just glanced off its mighty hide.
      The coiled dragon sprung upon the brave bear; the shining stranger and the dragon wrestled mightily. In the distance, the fighter's demoralized men turned tail and ran. When I saw this, I was filled with a boiling rage-those cowardly incompetents! The bastards had no sense of honest loyalty. They had pledged their aid, and then given in at the least sign of difficulty. Their parents would have covered their heads in shame.
      And yet--look!--there was still one left, and the youth was advancing slowly toward the fighting couple, trying to find an entrance to aid his liege-lord. That was more like it! This lad obviously knew the meaning of love, courage, and sincere loyalty to your pledged king and war-leader!
      As the younger one entered the fight, he tried his best to aid--or at least not hinder--his older, more experienced mentor. He was able to distract, slow down, and even score a few hits on the dragon, but the elder was still taking the brunt of the attack.
      The third time the dragon charged him, it manages to gore the man in the throat. Just then the young one charged in and thrust at the dragon from below. The war-leader visibly forced all of his remaining life-energy into this final chance at killing his foe--with all that was left in him he drove his long-bladed dagger into the beast's belly. The force of this final strike cut the dragon in two! Oh, such a glorious display of strength and determination!
      The dragon, my old captor, was dead and defeated. Its final fate now lay on the ground, obviously in his last hours. The young one sat by his struggling elder, valiantly fighting off tears, and trying in vain to clean and heal the frightful throat wound. The man--he looked less like a bear now--stopped him, laid a bloodstained hand on the youth's shoulder, and began to speak.
      "Young Wiglaf, you have proved yourself today to be fit to rule after me." Before Wiglaf could protest, he cut him off with an imperious gesture. "It has always been my great sorrow to have no heir to pass my weaponry on to. Did you know that the Great Thanshur of the Battle of Urgandu once fought with this dagger which I carried today? Well, he did! I entrust it now into your care, for it has served me well today and in the past.
      "My sword I also give to you--though we both know how it did fail me when I battled against Grendel's mother-that demoness of the deep!"
      Here, the old man faltered, coughed painfully, and took a shuddering breath. In a much more subdued voice he continued, "My end is near--no, do not weep for me! I have had a good and glorious life. Listen well, and heed my final wishes. The treasures of the fire dragon I desire that you distribute to all my loyal, faithful subjects, the Geats-never before was there such a magnificent, fighting people! I truly love them. I also desire that you build my funeral pyre and final resting-place near the sea, upon which I spent some of my happiest hours. Also, build a large tower there, to guide the honest fishermen from that day forward!" As he finished, it looked like he was about to continue, when suddenly his eyes went wide, he took a gasping breathe as if to begin to cough again, and then the momentous warrior died.
      Time past. How much, I do not know. I was busy, as was the nation, with mourning the passing of such a remarkable man, leader, and king. When next I was aware of my surroundings, I watched them burn the body of the man, Beowulf (I had since overheard his name). It was a very somber, touching ceremony. Then, they began to bury him. I got to see the preparations very well, because for some reason, I and my old bedmates from the dragon's cave were stacked right next to the diggers.
      The burial mound was almost ready. They had already moved some things in. My mind lost interest in it all, and began to wonder what sort of man I would be given to--I hoped he would be a man like Beowulf! Maybe I might even be gifted to that boy, Wiglaf. I turned over the possible options in my head rather slowly--I thought I had all the time in the world. But then, suddenly, I was grabbed and hauled away rather unceremoniously. My mind was dazed as I was taken into the mound. I wondered what in the world was going on as a stone was slowly rolled to cover the entrance of the mound. Suddenly, I knew they were not going to obey Beowulf's final words, but intended to bury me with him!
      No! No, I couldn't bear being locked up in the dark again! No, please, no! I tried my best to scream or make any sort of noise to stop the men, but it was too late. They were piling dirt against the opening that was plugged with the stone. I was alone, again, in the dark.