Galin was breathing heavily while Lily held him up. His wounds were numerous, and he worried about bleeding to death. But Lily was in his arms, well, he was in Lily’s arms, and she was safe. . . What was he thinking? What was he doing? Galin never accepted defeat. Old age would be the only thing that got him in the end, though he knew it was only a matter of time till he overcame even that obstacle.
“Let’s go.”
“But you are in no condition to move,” she pleaded, as he walked away from her.
“We have to leave,” he argued. He couldn’t do anything, though. He had to admit defeat. He was too tired and injured to be of any use.
Lily then took out the salve she hadn’t used and began to gently spread it on his wounds. There wasn’t enough for all of them, but she did the ones that would be the most hampering for him, while Rishk pointed to ones she didn’t think about, or away from ones she did. This helped, but Galin was still too exhausted to move any further.
“Drink this,” said Rishk in his raspy voice, holding out a glass bottle filled with a creamy, blue liquid. “This will reinvigorate you.”
Galin accepted the offer bottle gratefully, draining the miniscule vial in one gulp. After a moment, he no longer felt tired in any way. The salve that Lily had administered had already taken effect too. Those wounds were gone, and the skin now looked as if it had never been marred.
He got up, a smile creeping along his lips, “let’s go.” Then a thought struck hit him like a lightning bolt. “How did you know it was me?”
“I didn’t at first, until you called me Anya. Then I knew. You were the only one that I told my name was Anya.”
“Well, Lily my love, let us leave this place in peace. Then we can talk.” Taking her arm in his, he led them out.
“I have heard that this place makes it difficult to leave,” Rishk said as he and the other goblins, carrying their fallen brother, fell into step behind him.
“Never fear,” Galin said. “I shall lead us out. Do not forget, I am the Galin of legends. I do what no one can do.”
Having waited for a reply, Galin left with the others in train. They passed through room where the ghouls had been without any trouble, Galin had well and truly dealt with them. Nor did they run into any trouble in the tunnels beyond. When they had reached the beginning of the library, they found the bodies of the servant and her mistress where he had left them, now pale and lifeless.
“Did you kill them?” Lily asked, her voice trembling.
“Of course not,” Galin answered, not turning his head. “I left them bound . . . It must have been the other servant.” He frowned, trying to figure out what happened. In the end he decided it didn’t matter, they had to get out. Getting out was more important than where a servant had gone.
Running along the way he had come before, they reached the courtyard where the dragon was sleeping. Only there was one problem now: the dragon was awake. It roared upon seeing them, and Galin noticed a strip of black cloth in its teeth. He shook his head sadly, correctly guessing why the dragon wasn’t asleep. Then, it charged.
Galin yelped and ran. Lily ran too. In the opposite direction. The goblins were torn between protecting Lily and following Galin. Still deciding, they stood there stupidly, looking both ways, indecision and fear written on their little faces. Only Rishk took action, running after Lily.
Galin was glad Rishk had gone to protect the princess, but that couldn’t change the fact they were fighting a dragon which was most definitely ancient. He knew he could not hope to kill this beast, Galin or not. He wondered how many thousands of years it had lived, and how many thousands of lives it had devoured.
He dived out of the way as one of it massive claws smashed the ground where he had been standing. The claw was drawn back from the crater, but Galin was nowhere near. He was several dozen yards away and turning to see if he was in danger.
What he saw at that moment made him cry out. The dragon had decided to ignore Galin and chase after Lily and Rishk. The princess screamed and stumbled, falling to the ground and bloodying her hands and elbows. Roaring in triumph, the dragon closed in on Lily even quicker, maw wide.
Rishk stood his ground bravely, and drew his bow. He loosed two arrows at the dragon before it realized he was there. Galin was struggling to draw his bow and string it. By the time he had an arrow nocked, it was too late. The dragon had already viciously swatted Rishk away. His minute body slammed into a wall, and his brothers who were halfway to the princess cried out in dismay.
Galin let his arrow fly before any damage could be done. His distraction was successful. The dragon’s attention was now diverged yet again from Lily. This time to Galin. He shot three more arrows before the dragon was upon him, all of which merely glanced off of the dragon’s ashy scales. He narrowly avoided becoming jelly by the incoming leg, but was unable to avoid being thrown painfully to the rocky ground.
Getting up, something didn’t feel quite right. Shaking his head to bring himself back to the present, Galin looked at his hands and saw to his great dismay that his bow was broken in two. It was only then that he remembered the arrow Michael had given him. Retrieving the dragon slayer’s arrow, he chuckled despite himself. It was very useful indeed, now that his bow was broken. Lily and the others must have thought him insane for laughing as he did in that moment.
Hearing his named called, he saw one of the two remaining goblins running towards him. The other goblin and Lily had run to Rishk’s limp form. “Use this one,” the goblin shouted in a voice that was almost clear, unusual for a goblin.
Catching the goblin’s bow and drawing the arrow back in one motion, Galin breathed. It was a good bow, as good as any for this. He had one try. If he missed, everything would end right here, and all of it would be for naught. He let out the air in his chest, then let the arrow fly. It flew straight and true, burying itself deep in the dragon’s chest.
The dragon did not die quietly. Roaring and thrashing, it tore great gauges in the walls and floor before finally collapsing in a twitching heap. After taking three huge breaths, the dragon lay still, slain by Michael’s arrow.
Not only was Galin going to make the lad a king, he’d find a queen to be his wife.
He ran to Lily who was helping the now conscious Rishk up. “Thank you for saving me,” she was saying. Goblins really were hardy creatures, and Galin was thankful for that. He had grown fond of Rishk, and was sorrowful upon seeing what he thought had been the goblin’s death.
“I’m glad both of you are alive,” Galin said, looking around for the right door. He saw the door he had entered this courtyard from earlier, but it did not look the same. His brow furrowed in a not so happy way. He knew it was the right way, that was the one he had come out of when he had first got here, he was sure of it. Then why did it look different? There was another a couple doors to the left of it that looked right, but it was in the wrong spot. He stroked his beard deep in thought.
“Which door do we go through?” Lily asked, joining Galin. The three goblins were not long in following, having recovered their brother’s body.
Galin was still thinking. “That one.” He pointed to the one he knew to be the right door.
“I don’t think it is,” said one of the other goblins.
“I heard the mistress speaking one time,” Rishk said frowning. “She said this place had a curse on it to keep people from leaving.”
By now, Galin was not quite sure what was the real reason people never came out alive. Was it this curse? Was it the dragon, which he had thought most likely? Or was it the labyrinth of tunnels, passages, and chambers? It was probably some mixture of all three.
“We are going though it anyway,” Galin said, striding towards the door, and ignoring any protests.
“Are you sure?” Rishk asked. Galin did not need everyone doubting him and worrying Lily. However, the princess appeared to have no doubts that he would lead them the right way.
They exited the chamber through the door and went up the curling passages. He wasn’t even sure if he was going the right way because nothing looked right. However, he trusted his memory more than his eyes. If he remembered coming this way, then this was the way he should go. If Galin’s memory had not been what it was, then they would never have gotten out.
Eventually, they came to the surface right as the sun was rising. Galin had no idea how long they had been down there. The potion was wearing off now, but really, that didn’t matter anymore. Lily was finally safe, and he, Galin, had done what no one else had ever done. He had gone into The Mines, and had come out safely. And he had slain a dragon to boot.
“That’s another story to tell around and embellish,” he boasted with a well earned smirk.
“I don’t think it needs embellishing,” Lily said, putting her arms around Galin. “It seems just unbelievable enough.”
“I agree with the princess on this one,” Rishk said.
“Not so!” cried Galin. “All my stories have embellishments and exaggerations. And even then, the rumors and tales that tell of my exploits, and ones I haven’t done, never do me full justice. I am greater than them, all! I am Galin!”
Smiling his roguish smile, carrying the princess Lily, and sheathing the green dagger one of Rishk’s brothers had retrieved, Galin Dragon Slayer surveyed the lands around him for miles. These lands would make a fine home for a grand palace. Laughing, he took the first steps back to Goldwood.
The End, God bless Word count, 1777. Total word count with Alone in the Graveyard 12,540.