The Dragon Returns

            “Huskus will reward me greatly for bringing Jess the Journeyer to him.”

            Jess could read no emotion in his captor at all, almost as if he was not human.   

            “Stand up, but don’t make any sudden moves.”

            Because his back was to the soldier, Jess could move his hand ever so slightly until he reached into his canvas pouch and his fingers found the handle of the dagger.

            “You’re nothing but a child.”  The soldier laughed but there was no mirth in his laughter.  “I could squash you like a bug.”

            Jess’ anger flared.  He felt the same humiliation he felt at school when his tormentors picked on him.

            “I don’t know why Huskus”—

            What happened next was a blur, but somehow, Jess managed to grab the dagger, whirl around, and drive the blade straight through the man’s armor into his stomach.  His mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

            As long as he lived, Jess would not forget the way the man’s face looked at that exact moment.

            Both of them stood frozen.  Then, the soldier dropped his sword to the ground.  He looked down at the dragon-scale handle protruding from his stomach.  He started to reach for it, but instead, he dropped to his knees and then pitched forward.  Before he hit the ground, his body disappeared in a poof of smoke, and his armor clanged to the ground empty.  Jess backed away and stared; horror filled him.  Then, sounds of battle nearby brought him back.  He picked up his dagger but jammed it immediately into his canvas bag as if it were something evil.

            He loathed himself because he had killed someone and not thought twice about it.  Again, he stared at the pile of empty armor.  A laser zipped from the sky and struck a tree near him.  Its bark nearly blasted through, the tree toppled over and crashed down only feet from Jess.