Part 3:
A vicious, unpredictable menace stood dangerously close.
One that moved in delirious bursts.
The odds were not in our favor.
“There's three of us," Dale said with bravado. “You're outnumbered. Got it?"
I cringed.
We did not have the advantage, and everyone knew it.
The dragon looked at the lion with amusement.
“You’re a small, chattering thing.”
“Watch me talk you to death,” the lion answered.
“Death? Now there’s a fine subject.”
With stunning quickness, the beast spun sharply in a circle, thrashing its tail full bore.
Dale was swept off his feet, battered sideways, careening in a whirlwind of leaves.
He fell splayed on the ground, loose-limbed and unmoving.
It all happened with depraved speed.
The dragon laughed and hissed in our faces.
One that moved in delirious bursts.
The odds were not in our favor.
“There's three of us," Dale said with bravado. “You're outnumbered. Got it?"
I cringed.
We did not have the advantage, and everyone knew it.
The dragon looked at the lion with amusement.
“You’re a small, chattering thing.”
“Watch me talk you to death,” the lion answered.
“Death? Now there’s a fine subject.”
With stunning quickness, the beast spun sharply in a circle, thrashing its tail full bore.
Dale was swept off his feet, battered sideways, careening in a whirlwind of leaves.
He fell splayed on the ground, loose-limbed and unmoving.
It all happened with depraved speed.
The dragon laughed and hissed in our faces.
My brother stood unswayed, unflinching.
Seemingly indifferent to what had just happened.
He stared at the fearsome dragon.
“Wrist to fist," Rick said, spitting out the words.
Our foe looked back questioningly.
“Wrist to fist," came the words again.
“Are you mad with fear?"
“If I'm to die? It'll be with those words on my lips."
“Why?" I asked.
My brother looked unhinged.
“I got cut from the JV baseball team. Did you know that? I loved baseball."
The dragon seemed briefly put off by the exchange.
“Coach screamed it every day during tryouts. Yeah. I couldn't turn on the fastball."
We'd been lulled into conversation.
A tail lashed with wanton quickness.
The same ambush as before!
And as the dragon’s back half whipped toward him, Rick swung.
Wrist ... to fist.
The sword sliced through air. Through skin. Through flesh, muscle and bone.
A shriek pierced the air as a hunk of tail bounced away among leaves.
The dragon went wild!
Seemingly indifferent to what had just happened.
He stared at the fearsome dragon.
“Wrist to fist," Rick said, spitting out the words.
Our foe looked back questioningly.
“Wrist to fist," came the words again.
“Are you mad with fear?"
“If I'm to die? It'll be with those words on my lips."
“Why?" I asked.
My brother looked unhinged.
“I got cut from the JV baseball team. Did you know that? I loved baseball."
The dragon seemed briefly put off by the exchange.
“Coach screamed it every day during tryouts. Yeah. I couldn't turn on the fastball."
We'd been lulled into conversation.
A tail lashed with wanton quickness.
The same ambush as before!
And as the dragon’s back half whipped toward him, Rick swung.
Wrist ... to fist.
The sword sliced through air. Through skin. Through flesh, muscle and bone.
A shriek pierced the air as a hunk of tail bounced away among leaves.
The dragon went wild!
Crazed with anguish, pain shrieked from the dragon's lips.
It raced around in random circles.
Barreling into trees.
It ran into Rick!
The full force slammed him, and Rick’s right leg bent in a nasty angle.
My brother writhed on the ground and held his broken limb.
Howling and wailing, the dragon scrambled in a pitiful, lumbering gait.
I wondered if it would attack again.
But Rick had hurt it too badly.
My last glimpse was the dragon's angry face, hateful and wounded, before it dashed away in pain.
It raced around in random circles.
Barreling into trees.
It ran into Rick!
The full force slammed him, and Rick’s right leg bent in a nasty angle.
My brother writhed on the ground and held his broken limb.
Howling and wailing, the dragon scrambled in a pitiful, lumbering gait.
I wondered if it would attack again.
But Rick had hurt it too badly.
My last glimpse was the dragon's angry face, hateful and wounded, before it dashed away in pain.
“It’s fractured,” he winced. “My ankle. But I'll live. Go check on Dale.”
I found the lion in the dirt, all fallen blown away by his landing.
“Did Rick chop its head off?” he asked me.
“Lower. His tail is now painfully incomplete.”
“Good news," he mumbled.
“Are you in shock? You should probably stay awake.”
“I’m in pain,” he replied. “Tired and beaten. Probably with third-degree leaf burn.”
“OK, get some rest.”
Rick suddenly was right behind me, having limped himself over.
“Sit down!” I told. “How bad is it?”
“I can’t imagine I’ll enjoy the next few hours very much.”
“Then why do you look happy?”
“The smile? That’s for every ragged practice I ever suffered through.”
“I think you made the team," I told him.
Rick hobbled to the couch and flopped down, clutching the sword.
Dale remained were he'd landed, looking woozy but still with us.
I stood among my wounded, battered family, and wondered if I, too, would be able to fight off a dragon.
I found the lion in the dirt, all fallen blown away by his landing.
“Did Rick chop its head off?” he asked me.
“Lower. His tail is now painfully incomplete.”
“Good news," he mumbled.
“Are you in shock? You should probably stay awake.”
“I’m in pain,” he replied. “Tired and beaten. Probably with third-degree leaf burn.”
“OK, get some rest.”
Rick suddenly was right behind me, having limped himself over.
“Sit down!” I told. “How bad is it?”
“I can’t imagine I’ll enjoy the next few hours very much.”
“Then why do you look happy?”
“The smile? That’s for every ragged practice I ever suffered through.”
“I think you made the team," I told him.
Rick hobbled to the couch and flopped down, clutching the sword.
Dale remained were he'd landed, looking woozy but still with us.
I stood among my wounded, battered family, and wondered if I, too, would be able to fight off a dragon.