Crusades_561
Legacy Name: Crusades_561

Crusades

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“Have at thee, foul creature!”

With a plunge of my sword, the cold metal entered the heart of the beast. It was terrible, a giant dragon with fierce claws and sharp teeth. The screech it let out pierced my ears, making me cringe, but I still held my ground. I pushed harder, making the sword slice deeper into the dragon. I could feel its blood splatter through my clothes, and I tried my best to ignore the intense heat that it gave off. I was determined to finish this. I could feel the sweat gather on my skin, seeping into the many flesh wounds that I had. I dug the sword deeper still into the dragon. With a roar, it swung its claws at me. I was expecting it, and I pulled the sword out just in time, dodging the attack. What I did not expect, however, was its tail. With a large, powerful swish, the spiked end was hurled at me. It hit me square in the chest, knocking me over. Pain surged terribly through my body. I could not move. I was tired, I was weak, and I was dying. With a last cry of pain, I fell to me knees, and blacked out.

Jade's eyes fluttered open at the first sign of the sun’s rising. Even the comforting rays refused to force the dream demons away. They passed through his mind, one rushing after the other. How many of these dreams did he have? It seemed like each night, that was all he could dream about. The fierce dragon, the heat from its blood, and the pain travelling through his body. It seemed so real. Though the dreams never went the same way, it would always end with a devastating blow from the beast. He refused to speak about his dreams, however. To speak to anyone would be to confess his own cowardice. He could not do such a thing, for he was chosen. He is the chosen warrior to slay the fierce beast.

He remembered when he was given his orders. The king himself chose Jade, and it was his task to bare alone. Why he would chose Jade, he shall never know. It is his own fault though, for he has proven himself worthy. Oh, how many fierce beasts he has already slain, protecting villages again and again. The townspeople viewed him as a man, on his way to knighthood. It has always been his goal, since he was old enough to have goals.They see him as strong, brave, and determined. They could not be more wrong. They see him as indestructible. He wondered if they knew just how easily he can break.

He wonder if they knew that he was already breaking.

Each time he wakes, he find himself in his own nightmare. He can no longer tell what is reality and what is fiction. People he once knew, no longer recognized him. He’d meet people over and over again, yet they hold no memory of him. Places he should not know are the ones that he can travel over easily. He remember things that he should not remember. Things that have never happened.With a shiver, he slipped out of bed. A glance at the calendar beside him bed told me that it was time. Today was the day that he was to set out to defeat the fierce dragon. As his heart pounded in his chest, He grabbed his items. His faithful sword was belted by his side, his shield clasped tightly onto his arm. A rucksack held firmly onto his back, carrying his most trusty items. Potions, bandages, and food waited there until his use. He stepped out of his front door before long. As much as he tried, he could not ignore the little voice in the back of his head. You have done this before Jade. The voice became louder even, as he met the townspeople waiting for him. Each held before them favours to be given to him. Without glancing, he knew what each person was going to give to him. He knew what they were going to say. He simply could not shake the horrifying sense of deja vu that surrounded himself. With his heart already pounding, he faked a smile, accepting each item with false appreciation. He found myself becoming more eager to leave with each person that begged him to stay. He was relieved when he could finally slip away. He was happy to leave the townspeople behind, and to leave his false memories with them.

It was not long before Jade met up with his team at the outskirts of town. Among him were some fellow warriors. The King’s knights. Though they had no recollection of him, he knew much about them. Benny, the small one, was surprisingly quiet. He turned out to be a great spy. Henry, a rounder, largely built man, was actually a good healer. He just needed to be given confidence in himself. Finally, there was Fredrick. He was new, but he came from a handsome family. They were nobles. Though Fredrick held himself in high regards, and flaunted his strength, he was a coward. He would leave when the going got tough. It was strange to know all this. He clearly had never had a chance to know these secrets about them, but he knew them to be true. In my dreams, we climbed the mountain and faced the beast many times. He had learned many things about them. He can see them to be true, as we hiked towards the mountain top. Normally, he would have hurried there, but instead, he wanted to take his time, and recollect on everything that’s happened. It was still very strange for him. Ever since he received the King’s quest, he had been having dreams that showed many different timelines. It seemed that every time he died in the dream, he woke up in a bed, or outside a cave, something very odd. He had all memory of his dreams, which would not normally bother him, but it seemed, though they were slightly different each time around, had come true. Many details always stayed the same, no matter how he approached it. It seemed inevitable to even try. He soon learned to just keep doing what he would normally do, and try and move on.

It took a whole day, with some resting, until they reached the mountaintop. The team could see the dreary entrance to the dragon’s cave nestled into the top. Jade paused, knowing what was about to happen. As Fredrick passed by a large tree, he stopped, and threw down his knapsack.

“A good a place as any to have a camp, is it not?” Fredrick’s voice boomed. Jade clenched his jaw. Knowing Fredrick’s true personality, he would have very much liked to punch him in his lying mouth. Yet, something stopped him from being able to do so. Jade shuddered. He couldn’t quite explain what it was that made him unable. He just could not seem to. Perhaps he simply could not work up the nerve. Regardless, he gave a grunt in reply as the others set up camp. He was getting impatient. He knew what was to come. He looked at his group cautiously. They all seemed pretty well rested, despite the long trek. Henry was busy applying ointment to Benny’s wounds. Good, Jade thought, there’s no need to waste time on Fredrick. Jade could not help but feel slightly bad for his thoughts. This was overpowered, however, by his impatience. He knew what was about to happen. He simply had to enter the beast’s lair, a large cave, and take the necklace that’s simply lying on the ground. He decided to go ahead and do just that.

“Are you men okay? I’m going to investigate the cave,” he spoke to the knights.

“Is that really a good idea Jade?” Benny seemed very worried.

“Of course, he’ll be fine Benny! Let him have at it,” Fredrick grinned brightly. Son of a…

Jade nodded and turned away from them, headed towards the big cave. He knew by now where he was going off by heart. He sighed. Why was this happening to him? Why did it seem like he was stuck in an eternal loop? For some strange reason, the question sent a shiver shooting down his spine. It was made even worse by his next thought. What happens when he finally runs into the dragon? Each time he faced it in his dreams, he met his end. He shook his head fiercly. No, he thought, this is not a dream. What was happening to him now was real.

His dreams helped him get this far. It was because of his dreams that he knew to avoid travelling under the trees. There hid a a giant snake, ready to pounce and strangle whomever it could get a hold of. It was because of his dreams that he knew to bring extra fruit, though it was expensive. When they crossed the river, there would be leeches; their sharp teeth searching for flesh and blood. The sugar in the fruits would help them recover quicker if any managed to latch onto them. It was because of his dreams that he knew what the future held for him. He already proved that he could change the ending of the dreams by using their knowledge. He had to trust in this fact.

It was not long before he saw a tiny glimmer on the cave floor. It was the necklace. He took a deep breath, and scooped it up. He was not surprised when he heard a bloodcurdling screech. He was surprised, however, at just how badly it made his body shake. It was just as fierce as in his dreams, but that did not stop it from echoing through the cave, making the very walls vibrate. Without any time to think,Jade turned towards the cave enterance, desperate to run from the foul beast. He knew he had to be fast. He wasn’t in one dream, and he quickly learned how painful it is to be burned alive.

As the light grew brighter, and his eyes adjusted, He could see his team standing at the mouth. They did not not need to ask what was going on however, for the screeching and howling answered that question for him. Jade bolted out of the cave, making sure to push his team with him. They just fell to the ground as the dragon threw itself out after them. Its large wings spread as it pushed itself into the air.

“Ye’ Gods!” Benny gasped. He would have cursed if he was no so surprised. Jade felt pity for the men. They had no idea what to expect. While Jade dreamed of the encounter every night, the men climbed the treacherous mountain with no knowledge of what it would turn out to be. If Jade had to guess, it turned out to be much worse than they could have imagined. Deep burgedny scales covered the monster. Sharp black claws were outstretched, ready to tear into whatever they could grab. The were second only to the ferocious fangs that bared themselves to the men.

“I… I can’t believe it,” Fredrick whimpered. Jade's mouth turned into a snarl. He knew what was about to happen, but he could not stop it. He could not spare Fredrick. No matter what he did, Fredrick’s fate was to end at that mountaintop. Exactly on que, Jade watched the scene unfold. Fredrick screamed, and flung himself off of the ground. “I refuse to stay here and die! Damn this!” He screamed. Throwing his head back, he tried to run back down the mountain. He did not make it very far before the dragon turned to him. With a screech, the dragon flung itself at Fredrick, and grabbed him with its massive claws. He was turned to a lifeless, bloody pulp in just moments.

Beside Jade , Henry retched. Now, Jade thought, now is the real test. This is the real battle. It was the last thing his dream showed. It was up to him now to defeat the beast.

“Come on men! It’s now or never! We can do this! Remember to watch for those claws,” Jade remembered one more thing’ “and for the love of God, watch out for that tail!”

From there on, it was like a blur. It was somehow fast and slow all at the same time. Jade allowed Benny and Henry to take care of themselves. He knew that they could handle themselves. It was his own body that he had to worry about. It was almost as though the dragon was fixated on him. With a plunge of his sword, the cold metal entered the heart of the beast. It was terrible, a giant dragon with fierce claws and sharp teeth. The screech it let out pierced his ears, making him cringe, but he still held his ground. He pushed harder, making the sword slice deeper into the dragon. He could feel its blood splatter through his clothes, and he tried his best to ignore the intense heat that it gave off. He was determined to finish this. He could feel the sweat gather on his skin, seeping into the many flesh wounds that he had. He dug the sword deeper still into the dragon. With a roar, it swung its claws at him. He was expecting it, and he pulled the sword out just in time, dodging the attack. Just like in his dream, the tail suddenly lashed out. This time, however, he was ready. He jumped above, missing the attack.

It was at this point that Jade began to feel goosebumps cover his body. That was it. That was the last thing Jade remembered from his dreams. It was up to his own instinct and strength from here on out. He heard a scream, as Benny slashed the dragon’s underbelly. The sound that the dragon let out was different from any that the team had heard. It was terrible. Jade knew that the dragon was in pain. Almost there, he thought. That was when he saw an opening. He avoided the thrashing the dragon was doing, and aimed for the belly. He plunged his sword in deep. The dragon screeched, another painful one. With a grin, Jade twisted the sword. It was done, it was finally- Jade was smug far too soon. The sword in his hand began to heat up quickly. Jade barely had time to react before liquid seeped and spurted from the dragon’s stomach. He let out his own cry of pain. It was a bright orange liquid, one that reminded him of lava.“Jade, watch out!“Henry cried. It was too late. Jade felt a familiar weakness. It was the same weakness that he felt at the very end of every dream. He was dying. It was too late for anyone to save him. He fell to the ground. The dragon was still screeching, but every second it seemed to be getting quieter. Jade could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears. If only he had another chance, just one more chance. He was sure he could finally defeat the dragon then. With a grunt, his eyes closed. Everything turned to blackness.



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