Giron's Crucible

Giron’s Crucible

Chris Kruckenberg

         Sir Maxwell of Guen tentatively approached what he knew to be the dragon's nest.  Having been led through the smoldering wastes of the Agrovinian countryside just one day earlier, he knew what kinds of powers this dragon possessed.  His bright, silver armor glistened in the noon sun, and his long, blonde hair blew with the wind, dancing about him as he advanced through the pristine woodlands that surrounded the well known dragon's lair.  With his youthful strength and magical sword, Sir Maxwell had slain many beasts throughout many kingdoms: precisely why he had been chosen to do this job and not some other run-of-the-mill swordsman.
         
As he walked among the trees, he found it hard to believe a giant, fire-breathing dragon would inhabit the area.  The trees within the sanctuary looked as though they hadn't been touched in ages, with wildlife teeming all around them.  Life grew freely in these woods, as the mass of undergrowth Sir Maxwell waded through could attest.  It seemed that with every step he took further in, he had to work harder to move forward.

         Feeling something scurry across his foot, Sir Maxwell quickly glanced downward, only to find his feet were not visible.  The creature had passed, but still, he needed to be wary.  Supposedly great dangers lay in wait within these woods, as natural traps for anyone foolish enough to enter.  Sunlight filtered through the treetops, making all around him seem as if a verdant garden.  Stopping for a moment beside a mossy tree, Sir Maxwell realized he had not done battle in quite some time.

         Not contemplating the thought any further, he continued on, deeper into the woods.  Now he had advanced close enough to make out a massive indentation in the mountain ahead of him.  This was supposedly the lair of the mighty dragon, Giron, that had been plaguing the Agrovinian countryside for years, and Sir Maxwell had been called upon to defeat it.

         As Sir Maxwell drew closer to the mountain, the vibrant life that had characterized the forest dimmed slightly, with the mass of trees and underbrush fading into the rocky landscape that made up the side of the mountain.  Sir Maxwell found himself still glancing around and taking in the scenery as he trudged across the rough terrain, his eyes absorbing as much of the natural beauty as he could.  For even the rocky mountainside contained life in the form of small animals and various plants Sir Maxwell had not seen before.

         Before he knew it, he stood immediately before the dark entrance of Giron’s lair, a massive void that seemed to swallow all light and life that came within reach.  This was the moment Sir Maxwell had traveled all this way for, and he was determined not to fail.  Taking a single step into the darkness, Sir Maxwell began his descent into the dragon’s lair, his footsteps echoing throughout the cavern’s walls.

         “Giron!  Show yourself!  I have come to end your reign of terror!”  Sir Maxwell shouted to whoever might hear him.  “Do not be a coward!  I am Sir Maxwell of-“

         A deep, booming laughter roared from further inside the cave.  “Ah, another one, eh?  Please come in a little further, I’ve been waiting for them to send another…”

         Upon hearing the voice, Sir Maxwell knew for certain this dragon was quite the formidable foe.  The strength of the sound suggested that it was far larger than any beast Sir Maxwell had faced, causing the proud warrior to hesitate slightly before moving forward.

         As he advanced, he could hear the large beast’s nostrils flaring, breathing heavily in the darkness, while a stench gradually filled the air.  No more did the fresh smells and sounds of the natural beauty outside sooth Sir Maxwell’s senses—he now felt like he was walking into a graveyard.

         Out of nowhere, the dragon’s voice boomed again.  “Stop where you stand and advance not one step further!  I will give you one chance to turn and take your leave of this place!”

         Before Sir Maxwell could reply, a titanic plume of flames rose into the darkness, lighting everything in the large chamber.  His eyes caught a glimpse of the source of the necrotic smell when he set eyes on the multitudes of armored corpses impaled on large wooden spikes surrounding the large, red beast before him.  Each still wore the vestiges of the horrified expressions they must have had on their faces just before meeting their certain deaths.  As the flames dimmed, the darkness quickly returned.

         “Now, Sir Maxwell, what say you to my offer of escape?”  The dragon roared forth, its voice shaking Sir Maxwell’s body to his bones.  “Does it not look more attractive than the fate of those who came before you?”

         Sir Maxwell was startled by what he had just witnessed, but he understood he could not back down.  “No, dragon, I cannot allow you to live on, knowing what vile treachery you’ve perpetrated on the fine people of Agrovinia!”

         Giron burst into laughter.  “The fine people of Agrovinia, you say?  Are these the same people that hired you to come and slay me, just like these other corpses?  I doubt you took on this job for free, knowing the risks involved.”

         Sir Maxwell stepped forward, his hand going to his sword, still sheathed at his hip.  “I am offended that you would even suggest-“

         “But you took the money, just like the rest of them.”  The dragon’s voice again filled the dark chamber.  Sir Maxwell was stunned by the power of the dragon’s words.  “That makes you more of a mercenary than a heroic knight, does it not?  Such fine words though, I’m sure they fed you plenty of deceit before sending you here to do their work for them.”

         Maxwell kept his hands on his sword.  For a moment, they trembled slightly.  “I may have agreed to take their money, but not before I had completed my task!  I’ve seen what you’ve done to the countryside!  You’ve taken-“

         “Ah yes, the countryside!  I’m sure that was the first thing they showed you!”  Interrupted the dragon; its voice again stunning Maxwell into silence.  “The desolate countryside that was supposedly razed by me and only me!  The desolate countryside that was burnt to the very ground, and now looks so barren that the farmers can only grow a fraction of what they were able to before my coming!  Yes, I’ve seen the land of which you speak as well, though I am not responsible for its current state.”

         “Lies, beast!” Yelled back Maxwell, now ready to leap at the beast with all his might.

         “No, gullible brat, not lies!”  Giron quickly retorted, the strength of its voice literally paralyzing Maxwell’s movements once more.  “The king that hired you has bled this land dry!  Truly, did those lands which you saw scream at the pain of flaming death, or did they scream out to you with the pain of a land devoured by a greedy overseer?  For years, the king has asked so much of his farmers, and they have delivered.  What you saw was the price of this.”

         Maxwell eased his grip slightly.  Truly, the lands he saw had been decimated by something other than flame.  “Then what of the buildings, the farms themselves?  The cities as well, overuse of the land could never have caused that kind of destruction!  Only a beast of your strength could have done that!”

         The dragon scoffed sharply.  “Please, a warrior like you should know well enough that not only beings like myself can cause damage on that scale.  Then again, you may never have seen real war before, only the trifling pointlessness of mercenary work like this.  You have never seen an actual battle before, have you, Maxwell?”

         Maxwell quivered slightly.  “Fine, it is true I have not seen a field of combat, but that does not make what I say ring any less true!  Account for the destruction left in your wake, beast!”

         “Again, you only need look at those who hired you to find your answers.”  Giron replied.  “Has the king of this land not gathered a mighty army to do battle with other nations?  Does war not engulf this land on a daily basis?  No, I imagine you were only shown the portions of Agrovinia that were somewhat safe.  It is true that I do possess the power to destroy great cities, but I can guarantee that the destruction which you saw was on far too small a scale to be made by me.”

         The dragon’s breath again erupted in a giant roar that leapt towards the ceiling of the cavern, illuminating all within the massive chamber once more.  Maxwell looked around again, this time noticing that each of the impaled corpses held firearms and other gruesome weapons of war; each one’s armor looked more stained than he remembered.  Glancing at his own armor, he also noticed more grime and dullness than he recalled.  As the flames faded, Maxwell drew his sword, casting a soft blue glow into the darkening chamber, although it did not reveal much more than was already known to him.

         “Foul beast, I know you are against all that is good in this world!”  Exclaimed Maxwell, his voice teetering on the edge of wavering itself; his hands shook as he clutched his sword like he would a crutch.  “There is nothing that could change my mind on this, dragon!  With this sword, I shall vanquish you!”

         “Did you not see the grove of life outside my lair, Maxwell?”  Giron asked in a curious tone.  “I maintain it in its most natural form, with no intrusion by humanity.  I can tell by your reactions here that you did see its beauty and splendor.  You know firsthand the lies you were told, yet you bury them away.  Why?  Is it not better to be bathed in the light of truth than continue to walk this Earth covered in the stench of lies?”

         Maxwell had noticed a disturbing lack of obstacles on his way to this so-called “Demon Lord”.  Maybe the dragon was right…

         Maxwell re-sheathed his glowing blade.  “Fine then, beast, I’ll parlay with you.  Even if the stench of death that permeates this lair taints my nostrils, I will tolerate it for now.  Answer me this, dragon, if not to protect their kingdom, why would they hire me to come and kill you?  There must be some reason for me to slay you, or else my quest here would be for naught.”

         Once more, the dragon belched flames high into the cavern, lighting the entire area a third time.  This time, Maxwell saw possibly the most majestic being he had ever laid eyes on before.  The massive, bright red, scaled creature in front of him sat much like a cat, with its reptilian claws sitting under its enormous frame.  Its scales glinted in the firelight, their reflections dancing on the caverns walls.  The sight seemed to last far longer than the moment Maxwell experienced, but the awe of what he had just seen stunned him.  Once the darkness retook the cavern, Giron, the mighty red dragon, spoke again.

         “Maxwell, do you not see the depth of my knowledge?  Of my power?”  He roared.  “I have been alive for far longer than this kingdom has existed, and will continue to live long after it has fallen.  I am a power those men which hired you shall never reign over.  It is this fact that drives them to conquer me, to destroy me.

         “First they sent merchants to try and purchase my power—in order to obtain my loyalty they were willing to pay any price.  Next, they sent settlers to conquer my lands from me—in order to force me to cooperate with them, they wished to take that which I held dear.  After that, they sent an army, the remnants of which you see before you—in order to force me into submission, they sought to use the most violent of means.  Now they send lone assassins to murder me.  They have given up hope of obtaining my power for themselves and now seek to eliminate that which threatens them.  You, Maxwell, are just the latest in a long line of intermediaries sent to me.”

         Maxwell crossed his tired arms.  There was too much this dragon knew for all of it to be a lie.  Maxwell had never thought of himself as a murderer, but as a righteous warrior who crusaded to help those in need.  Yet, if even a portion of what he had heard here was true, then…

         “Fine, dragon, I accede.  You have convinced me of the falsity of my purpose here.”  Maxwell announced.  “Yet, without this goal, what other should I have in its place?  How can I possibly redeem myself in my own eyes?”

         “Your eyes?” Giron scoffed.  “Use them.”

         The short answer caught Maxwell off guard.  He stood contemplating this for a few moments and then nodded to himself.  He turned to walk from the cave, moving along exactly the same route he used to enter the lair.  Now, however, the deathly stench he experienced upon entering the cavern was replaced instead with the smell of the evening dew settling in outside.  Maxwell moved to the exit far quicker than he had found his way into the cave’s depths.

         Upon leaving the cavern and reentering the world under the dusk sky, he looked at his armor once more.  It was still dirtied, that he could not deny, but now there was some glint of silver shining through, the glimmer of the setting sun illuminating that which had been lost.

END