Knight of the Old Code
Sir Bowen, Knight of the Old Code, wanted to be joyous for the occasion but the death of his beloved dragon consumed his thoughts. The stars he turned to in times of trouble still shone bright, perhaps even brighter at the coming of the first free born child since Prince Einon’s death.
Kara enjoyed the festivities well enough. She danced and sang and drank to new life and better days to come. She was all smiles and hugs, but Bowen knew she felt it, too. The sorrow of a lost friend. The anger at Draco’s untimely but unavoidable demise at his own hands. It clutched at their hearts and bound them together at the soul. Some comfort was gained from the lessons learned from that old lizard lingered in their minds.
It annoyed Bowen to hear Draco’s voice in his head badgering him about how knights of the Old Code should never deceive. Yet the old fire breather agreed to his plan and died a thousand fake deaths to fill Bowen’s coin purse. Draco went along with the scheme to earn another day of life, and where did that get him?
The knight turned his frustrations into amusement at the dragon’s strange logic. Sir Bowen insisted the devious plans had been for pleasure, rather than profit, if only to imagine the Draco dying over and over for stealing his prince’s heart. In the beginning, Bowen wanted revenge and the reluctant partnership with the dragon had given his anger a place to call home. At first. After so long walking side by side, the rage in his heart had turned to admiration. Side by side, they had fought and won wars against a prince bent on destruction.
Prince Einon, once a close friend had become the monster, and the monster in turn had become a beloved friend. Einon broke promises made in exchange for half a dragon's heart, and for that, a friend had to die.
The last known dragon in existence gave his life to save the knight that aided in the affair that led to his death. Shackled and chained, Sir Bown raised his sword. To hesitate longer than Sir Bowen had with sword raise over Draco’s chained head, was to waste all that he offered in return. So, the knight turned to the stars and did as Draco asked. He struck down his beloved dragon to end a reign of terror.
Just as the last dragon's half-heart cease to beat, so too did the evil prince's life end. Einon fell dead, freeing his people from tyranny.
Battle weary and heartbroken, what else was a mere Knight of the Old Code to do but mourn?
"And now, Draco, without you, what do we do? Where do we turn?"
"To the stars, Bowen, to the stars." Draco's voice whispered as his body dissipated, and the shining light of his soul rose to take its place among the stars.
Reward came in the ladder years of Bowen's life. Praise be to Draco’s star for what he found hidden away from the world. A single egg became a shining ray of hope for Draco’s kind, and for all Mankind. Sir Bowen would not live to meet the dragon that hatched but he laid all his hopes in it just as Draco once had in the old knight that had so unexpectantly become his closest friend.
Kept safe and secret at Brother Gilbert’s monastery, the egg would one day hatch into a creature that embodied Sir Bowen’s lasting hope for all. A new generation of knights would be frustrated and amused by the lessons taught to them by a creature that seemed to be born with the wisdom of the ages. Sir Bowen pitied the poor fools that would one day live side by side with new dragon life. Still, when death came to call upon Kara and Sir Bowen’s old bones, their hearts yearned to be as foolish as they once had been in the days of their youth when devious deceptions kept them alive. Yet they rejoice at the anticipation that came with knowing they would be joined once again with their beloved dragon.
Lady Kara and Sir Bowen drew their last breaths, closing their eyes on the world and waking with souls reunited with the last known dragon in existence.
The last known dragon in existence?
Strange and devious words had never seemed so familiar a deception.
