Once Upon a Time: New Fairy Tales Paperback(130)

Instead of going in by the front door, he went in through the hole

that the dragon had made in the side of the bank. He walked noise—

lessly, as he had done in the forest. It was easy to find the dragon: he was lying on a pile of gold coins in the great stone room that had once been the vault. Near the door of the vault, which had been smashed open, Ivan could see a suit of armor and a sword, blackened by flames.

He did not want to think about what had happened to Sir Albert.

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An arrow would not penetrate the dragon’s hide. He knew

that, because while he had been eating at the palace, he had asked

Professor Owl’s tail feather to write out the entire Encyclopedia

entry on dragons. He had a plan, and would get only one chance to

carry it out. It would depend as much on luck as skill.

But even if it worked, he knew how it would feel, slaying a dragon.

He remembered how it had felt, killing the troll. Could he survive the pain? Was there any way to avoid it? He had to try.

He stood in a narrow hallway off the vault. Keeping back in the

shadows, he called, “Dragon!”

The dragon lifted his head. “Another dragon slayer? How

considerate of the King to sent me dessert! Dragon slayer is my

favorite delicacy, although the policemen were delicious. I much

preferred them to farmers, who taste like dirt and leave grit between your teeth, or fishermen, who are too salty.”

“Dragon, you could fly north to the mountains. There are plenty

of sheep to eat there.”

“Sheep!” said the dragon. “Sheep are dull and stringy compared to

the delicious men I’ve eaten here. Just the other day, I ate a fat baker.

He tasted of sugar and cinnamon. There are plenty of teachers and

accountants to eat in this city. Why, I might eat the Princess herself!

I hear princess is even better than dragon slayer.”

The dragon swung his head around, as though trying to locate

Ivan. “But you don’t smell like a man, dragon slayer,” said the dragon.

“What are you, and are you good to eat?”

I must still smell like the wolves, thought Ivan.

He stepped out from the hallway and into the vault. “I’m an

Enigma, and I’m delicious.”

The dragon swung toward the sound of his voice. As his great

head came around, Ivan raised his bow and shot an arrow straight

up into the dragon’s eye.

The dragon screamed in pain and let out a long, fiery breath. He

swung his head to and fro. Ivan aimed again, but the dragon was

swinging his head too wildly: a second arrow would never hit its

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mark. Well, now he would find out if the Captain’s charm worked.

He ran across the floor of the vault, ignoring the dragon’s flames, and picked up Sir Albert’s sword. It was still warm, but had cooled down enough for him to raise it.

The pain had begun the moment the arrow entered the dragon’s

eye, but he tried not to pay attention. He did not want to think

about how bad it would get. Where was the dragon’s neck? It was still swinging wildly, but he brought the sword down just as it swung back toward him. The sword severed the dragon’s neck cleanly in two, and his head rolled over the floor.

Ivan screamed from the pain and collapsed. He lay next to

the dragon’s head, with his eyes closed, unable to rise. Then, he

felt something rough and wet on his cheek. He opened his eyes.

Blanchefleur was licking him.

”Blanchefleur,” he said weakly. “What are you doing here?”

“I followed you, of course,” she said.

“But I never saw you.”

“Of course not.” She sat on the floor next to him as he slowly sat

up. “Excellent shot, by the way. They’ll call you Ivan Dragonslayer now, you know.”

“Oh, I hope not,” he said.

“It’s inevitable.”

The King met him with an embrace that made Ivan uncomfortable.

“Welcome home, Ivan Dragonslayer! I shall have my attorney drawn

up the papers to make you my heir, and here of course is my lovely

Alethea, who will become your bride. A royal wedding will attract

tourists to the city, which will help with the rebuilding effort.”