The warmth prickled across her skin.
She could feel the heat deeper than she had felt anything in the
past. This could only be a bad sign. The sweat began to run
down the nape of her neck, getting caught in the short, fluffy hairs
on her skin, causing a trail that ran away just as quickly as she
would have liked to run.
Her small frame caused shadows to
flicker along the walls of the dim cavern. A twelve-year-old in a younger girl's body, she held little hope for survival in such
circumstances. No one had been able to give her any useful advice,
but she supposed that made sense as no one had been able to defeat
this particular dragon. Hence, there she stood, trying not to shiver
and wondering if it was even possible to do so in this heat.
Sheida could hear the beast's tail
dragging across the rock-covered floor, as though it were announcing
its arrival like a herald at a royal ball. A less joyous entrance.
She noticed its scales were glistening and wondered where the light
was reflecting from. There must be a hole in the ceiling through
which she could escape. But first, she had to complete her task. She just
hadn't figured out how.
As she crouched in the dirty corner,
her feet cramping and her knees angry with a stabbing pain, she began to devise a plan. And suddenly, she
realized there could be no plan. There could be no success in a duel between a child and a dragon. The dragon would
always win.
And so she readied herself, and slowly
stood as tall as her tiny body would stretch. She made herself as
visible as could be, and presented herself to the dragon. The only
weapon she was able to grab as the villagers, her friends and
neighbors, had thrown her into the cave as this full moon's
sacrifice, was a bucket. It held a dingy mop covered with the fallen remnants of
last night's dinner, and the water sloshed precariously
around in it. The dragon raised itself from the floor in response.
Sheida thought she saw a smirk scuttle across its face as though it
realized that this one would be easy. Its magnificent eyes sparkled
with darkness, crowned with unexpectedly long lashes. Surprisingly
white teeth peeked out from behind a wide mouth of doom. As it made
its way closer, its nails scraped across the rough floor. Sheida
reflexively clenched her teeth.
As it opened its mouth to release the
fiery depth within, Sheida did the only thing she could think of. She
grabbed the bucket, careful not to lose any of its precious contents,
and aimed straight for the back of the dragon's throat. The water
within released itself of its wooden constraints and flew towards to
the dragon in defiance. The dragon had not yet begun the gutteral
reaction which would release its artillery, and the water slammed
into the back of its throat just as planned. Unexpectedly, the clash of water with the pre-fire's seeping chemicals seemed to be the dragon's demise. It swiftly crumpled to the floor,
each heavy limb dropping with a thud that echoed in Sheida's ears.
She looked at the creature in disbelief. Had she really just killed a
dragon with a bucket?
