《Reborn as a Dragonslayer in a New World》


 Chapter 1

    "Hey, Evan! We need a cleanup on Aisle 5!" The walkie-talkie screeched from Evan''s hip. He was stocking the shelves and still had so many bins to go through. His head was covered in sweat and his shirt was starting to cling to him as it was becoming drenched in his sweat. Since his shift had started at Mikey''s Store of Everything, Evan had been working non-stop. He even had to work through his lunch because there was so much to do! Two of his co-workers had called out and he was tasked with doing their duties and it was grueling.


    Evan let out a sigh as he placed the bottles of water on the shelf. He had an idea of what was waiting for him when he got to Aisle 5. That aisle had all of the tomato sauces and other sauces for pasta. He had cleaned up that aisle countless times since working at the store. It was such a pain as it always cut into his time from finishing up his other duties. Since Evan was the most recent hire, he was always told to clean up the aisles as no one else would do it.


    He grabbed the walkie-talkie from his hip and pressed the button on the side of it to speak. "Copy." He walked toward Aisle 5 to get an idea of what he was going to have to deal with. As soon as he stepped into the aisle, Evan let out a groan of despair. There was tomato sauce all over the floor and what was worst was that there was a small child who was standing in it and laughing. The little boy''s shoes were covered in the sauce and he was stomping in it. Next to him was his mother who was talking to Evan''s co-worker Grace in an apologetic voice. Grace saw Evan and gave him a sympathetic look.


    The little boy laughed with glee as he kept stomping in the tomato sauce. He was having the time of his life as the sauce splattered on the other products and even on his clothes. The boy looked up at Evan and giggled before running up the aisle. His footsteps left a trail of tomato sauce prints on the floor.


    "Bobby! Stop that this instance!" The little boy''s mother shouted at him. "Look at the mess you are making!"


    The boy laughed and kept running around. Evan sighed and retreated to the breakroom to grab the mop and bucket. When he stepped into the breakroom, he saw several of his co-workers lounging about and laughing. His manager was with them and laughing the loudest. Evan''s manager was chubby with short brown hair and always wore suits. He was in his early 30s and had been working at the store since he was 16. He acted like he was a big shot and would talk down to those he deemed inferior to him including Evan. His name was Todd and he had several favorite employees like the shift supervisors that he gave special privileges to. One of the shift supervisors was sitting across from him and grinning from ear to ear. Her name was Maura and she was in her mid-20s and she was tall and very skinny. She micromanaged everyone. She did not do any work at all but would make sure everyone that she was in charge of was working their butts off.


    Maura saw Evan and looked at him with that grin still on her face. "Did you hear about the cleanup on Aisle 5, Evan?"


    Evan nodded. "Yes. I am going to go clean it up now."


    "Make sure that the aisle is spotless and that you put the signs out to prevent anyone from slipping and falling," Maura said.


    Evan grumbled under his breath. "I know."


    "What was that?" Maura asked him.


    "I''ll do that, Maura," Evan said in a fake chipper voice.


    "We don''t want anyone suing us for a slippery floor. If that happens, we are taking that money out of your paycheck!" Maura laughed which caused other people in the break room to laugh too.


    Todd guffawed. "Better make sure those signs are out, Evan, my boy!"


    Evan grit his teeth and did not reply. He walked to the closet where the cleaning supplies were and grabbed the mop, bucket, and signs. There was already dirty water in the bucket which no one wanted to change. He wheeled it out and still heard Maura and Todd laughing. Evan wondered why he was still working at this horrible place. He had been at Mikey''s Store of Everything for about two and a half years and it was absolutely terrible. He liked only a few of his co-workers and that was it. He knew that he needed the job as he was trying to save up to get out of town.


    As long as Evan could remember, he had wanted to leave his small town of Sedona Ridge. It was a sleepy town and was incredibly boring to Evan. Nothing ever happened there! He lived with his unhappy parents in a small dilapidated house. His family was poor but his father had been born into a wealthy family but he had squandered all of his inheritance before Evan was even born. His mother would always mention that to his father during the heat of the many arguments that they would have when they were home.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Both of his parents were always gone as they were either working in an adjoining town or hanging out with their other unhappy friends. They didn''t have time for him. If Evan was being honest with himself, they neglected him. Weeks would go by without him even seeing or speaking to them. He practically raised himself.


    Evan had a variety of jobs since he started working at the age of 16. He mowed lawns in the better areas of his town, helped pick up trash, shoveled snow, and also had a paper route for some time before working at Mikey''s Store of Everything. The money was never enough as he had to buy food to feed himself, pay for the bus ride to school when he was in high school but now for work, and to also try and save as much of it as he could. His dreams of leaving Sedona Ridge always felt out of reach.


    While in high school, Evan had hoped to get scholarships to go to a school far away from Sedona Ridge but juggling working and going to school was difficult. He had always been a star pupil but once he started working more, his grades slipped and the only school that accepted him was the local community college that accepted everyone. Evan chose to pick up more shifts at Mikey''s Store and that was his life.


    Evan wheeled the bucket to the aisle and groaned again as he looked at the mess. A cart had even gone through the tomato sauce on the floor and wheel marks were all over the floor. Evan began to mop the floor. It took a while before he was able to get all of the floor cleaned up and the signs put out at the ends of the aisle. His shirt was drenched with sweat in the hot store. He was wheeling the bucket back to the breakroom when he walked into Grace. She was leaving for the day as her shift had ended. Evan had a crush on Grace ever since high school. She was Mexican with very pretty with light brown eyes that always made Evan feel warm inside when she looked at him. She had long brown hair that she kept in a bun and was short and petite. She had a beautiful laugh that always made Evan want to hear it often.


    She was two years older than him as she was 21 and had always been kind to him since he started working at the store. She gave him a sympathetic smile now as she saw him drenched in sweat and pushing the bucket. "How are you doing, Evan?" She asked him in a soft voice.


    "Okay. You''re done for the day?" He asked her. He was suddenly so aware of himself and wondered if he smelt from sweating through his shirt.


    "Yeah. Are you getting off soon?"


    Evan shook his head. "No, I''m closing tonight."


    "But didn''t you start work at 8 am?" She asked him in surprise.


    "yeah, but since Wallace and Bryant called out, I am going to stay later," Evan said.


    "Damn, that sucks!" Grace said and shook her head.


    Evan chuckled. "It''s okay. I get some overtime pay which is nice."


    "Don''t kill yourself working here, Evan," Grace said. She touched his arm with her soft hand and it made Evan feel so good inside. "Take a break when you can. Don''t let Maura and Todd work you to death, okay?"


    "Okay," Evan was touched by Grace''s concern. Her light brown eyes looked at him with so much warmth. "I''ll keep that in mind."


    "I''ll see you tomorrow, k?" She said. Her hand was still on his arm.


    "Okay. Have a good night."


    Grace smiled at Evan. "You too." She then walked away to the exit. Evan watched her go and felt a strong urge to call out to her. But what was he going to say? He couldn''t tell her that he had a crush on her. She had a boyfriend that she had been dating for several years! He watched her step through the doors of the store and then he let out a sigh and wheeled the bucket back to the breakroom. Todd was in his office and had his feet up on his desk with his cell phone in his hand. He was grinning as Evan passed by him. There was loud laughter from Todd''s cell phone and he began to laugh too. Todd''s laugh was loud and obnoxious. Evan tried to ignore the sound of it. He poured out the dirty water in the drain and then put the mop and bucket away.


    For the rest of his shift, Evan worked to put away all of the products from out of the bins. There was so much remaining that he was exhausted by the time the store was closing. He couldn''t wait to get home and fall into his bed. He helped Maura close the store as Todd had left already and then he walked toward the bus stop. Maura walked to the parking lot and got into her car and peeled out of it.


    It was dark, cold, and dreary outside. It had snowed the previous night with an accumulation of about three inches on the ground. Evan had to be careful as he walked but kept sliding on the ice patches on the ground. His thin coat could barely keep the cold at bay. He shivered as he walked. He was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. Several times, his vision would get blurry with sleep as he walked. The bus stop was two blocks away and it felt like a real trudge.


    He was crossing the main intersection when a car slid on a patch of ice on the street. The car was speeding and it caused it to spin rapidly toward Evan who was several feet away from the opposite sidewalk. Evan stared in fear with his heart pounding so hard in his chest as the car spun toward him. There was the sound of the brakes which was deafening to Evan''s ears but the car would not stop. It slammed into Evan and he shouted as he was lifted into the air. There was immediate pain that shot out through his body as he flew several feet. He landed on the hard ground and slid on a patch of ice before coming to a stop. Evan heard screams and loud voices as everything went black.

 Chapter 2

    The light was blinding Evan''s closed eyes. What is this? He thought. What is this light? He slowly opened his eyes and saw a clear sunny sky above him. Huh? Wasn''t it cloudy and supposed to be cloudy for days to come? He thought. His head was spinning a little as he looked up at the sky. Several birds flew by at a leisurely pace. Evan noticed that he was lying down so he sat up. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he stared before him.


    He was in a grassy field with the grass moving constantly from the slight warm breeze. The field went on for many yards in each direction and he could see cows grazing in them. In the distance to the right of his vision, he saw wooden houses and people walking about. He could see that they were wearing strange clothing. Their clothes looked like Medieval clothing! He saw women in long dresses and men walking around in tunics and long trousers.


    "What is this?" Evan said out loud as he looked at the people in the distance. "Where the hell am I?" He moved to stand up and that was when his right hand brushed against something hard. He turned and looked at it and he saw that there was a bronze oval shield next to him. It had many dents and seemed like it had seen lots of use. Next to the shield was a longsword in a scabbard.


    "What?!" Evan said as he looked at the sword and shield in surprise. When he turned to look at himself, he saw that he had on similar trousers and a tunic like the people in the distance! His trousers were brown and his shirt was a light grey color. On his feet were black boots that were dirty and well-worn. "What is going on?!" He said out loud.


    He tried to make sense of where he was. His mind raced to make sense of everything. The last thing he remembered was leaving work and walking toward the bus stop. I was hit by a car! His eyes widened and his heart started to pound in his chest. He remembered the feeling of the car slamming into him and his body flying through the air. He also remembered hitting the ground hard and people screaming in the distance.


    Am I dead?! He thought. It sure did not feel like it at all. He could feel the breeze against him as well as the hard ground beneath him. Maybe this is a dream? Or maybe I am in a coma?! He sat there for a moment trying to make sense of it all but he knew that the best way to find out was to get up and head toward that strange village to figure out where he was.


    Evan slowly got to his feet. His head spun for a moment but then everything centered. He looked down at the shield and sword. Do I take these? He thought. Evan looked around him to see if maybe there was someone out here in this expansive field with him but there was no one else except for him and the cows. He shrugged his shoulders and picked them up. He saw that inside of the shield was a strap and he put it on his back with the strap across his chest. It fit perfectly and felt surprisingly light. He then picked up the sword and with the strap on the scabbard, he put it around his waist and it stayed put.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Evan then began to walk to the village. The sun was beaming down from above and it felt so good on his skin. The sun had not shone in months in Sedona Ridge and this was a cherished sight. He stopped walking for a moment and frowned. He knew that this place was not Sedona Ridge and that there was no nearby town that looked anything like this. Surely, the car did not hit me so hard that I flew into another part of the country! He laughed out loud at that dark thought but then he felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of possibly being dead or in some sort of purgatory. This couldn''t be hell, right? He began to quicken his pace toward the village as he needed answers!


    As he got closer to the village, Evan noticed something strange about the people who were walking about. Several of them had long pointy ears! His eyes widened in shock and he stared openly at the ears of these people. When he entered the village, a woman who was tending to a small sheep looked at him with the most beautiful green eyes that made his eyes widen with awe. She was dressed in a long green dress. She was dark-skinned as the color of her skin was bronze and also smooth. Her black hair was tied into a single braid that went down her back. She was tall and slim in figure. Her lips were full and looked so soft from where he was standing. Her nose was small and those green eyes were a wonder to behold! She was gorgeous!


    At first, she gave Evan a warm welcoming smile that melted his heart and then her face became one of complete shock. Evan froze in fear from her reaction. She got to her feet and her jaw dropped as she looked at him. Evan wondered if his face was strange or misshapen. He also wondered if I had done something wrong.


    "You...you..." She fumbled as she tried to find the words. Evan started to notice that it was not fear she was showing toward him but excitement. "You...you''re the dragonslayer!"


    Evan did not know what to say and thought maybe that he had heard her wrong. "What?" He asked her in a confused voice.


    "You''re Evan Pearson, the dragonslayer!" She shouted in excitement. There was now a big smile on her face and her green eyes got wider as she stared at him. Evan was shocked that she knew his name even though he had noticed that she had pronounced it as "E-von Peersan". But what was this about a dragonslayer?!


    "I...I..." He was not able to ask her how she knew his name or about this dragonslayer business as many people suddenly ran up to him in excitement.


    "It''s the dragonslayer!" An excited man shouted. He had gray hair and did not have long ears like several of the other people. "He has come to our village!"


    "Oh, gods!!!! It''s E-von Peersan!" A chubby woman with long ears who was holding the hands of two small children shouted in glee. The two children were looking at him with astonishment.


    "The dragonslayer!!!!" Someone seemed to bark from right beside Evan. It made him jump and when he looked down he saw that it was a dwarf! The dwarf had a very long beard that was braided. He had a pudgy nose with a small stud in the right nostril. His eyes were brown and looked at Evan with so much excitement.


    So many people were calling Evan this dragonslayer and saying his name in that weird way. He did not know what to say as he was surrounded by these strange people who somehow knew him!

 Chapter 3

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it is the dragonslayer!¡±


    ¡°Ev-on Peersan is here!¡±


    ¡°I am going to faint! I can¡¯t believe it!¡±


    ¡°The gods have blessed us! They have sent the dragonslayer to help with our woes!¡±


    All of these voices kept shouting in excitement around Evan. He felt so awkward and all he could do was give everyone a confused grin. The pretty elf who had been the first to see him was beaming at him and looking at him with such hope. There were some people who were even crying with joy.


    An old woman rushed up to Evan and grabbed his hands. There were tears running down her cheeks as she looked at him. ¡°The gods have favored us when we have much needed it! You have come to slay the beast!¡±


    Evan tensed up. The old woman¡¯s hands held him in a surprisingly strong grip. She was so moved by his presence that her frail body had garnered strength from what she believed. ¡°What?¡± Evan whispered.


    The old woman looked at him with teary eyes. ¡°There is a beast that has been terrorizing our village for the past few weeks, great dragonslayer. It has taken our cows, sheep, and horses in the middle of the night. We have spotted it several times but have not been able to rid it from here due to its speed. It is a crafty beast and always runs away when we rush after it.¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Evan said. He noticed that the excited voices had all died down to listen to the old woman. There were now solemn expressions on faces as well.


    ¡°We cannot afford to lose any more of our animals or it will lead to a very hard winter,¡± The old woman said. ¡°We have sent word to the Knight¡¯s Council but they have yet to respond. It has been weeks!¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t care about us!¡± A young woman shouted with an angry frown on her face. ¡°They are quick to collect taxes from us but when we need help they do nothing!¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°They are so greedy!¡± Another voice piped up. It was a short old man who was bent over with a cane in his left hand. He looked at Evan and gave him a toothless smile. ¡®But, you are here! You have come to help us, great dragonslayer!¡±


    Everyone was now looking at him and awaiting his words. Evan had no idea what to say. He started to sweat and fumble with his words. Who did they think he was?! Who was this great dragonslayer that they kept referring to? It was not him! He was a store clerk at Mikey¡¯s Store of Everything! He had not slain anything in his entire life! Surely, these people were mistaken! But, how did they know his name even if they were pronouncing it wrong?


    ¡°Well¡­you see¡­.I¡­¡± Evan stumbled over his words. His eyes moved from one happy and excited face to the other. Everyone was smiling and some were even still crying with joy at his presence among them. There had to be about 20 people in total that surrounded him. The ages ranged from what appeared to Evan to be the mid-80s to 3 years old. Half of the people had long ears and the other half did not.


    ¡°Let¡¯s calm down, everyone! Surely, we can see that the dragonslayer has been traveling for a while and needs to eat and rest before he can slay the beast,¡± The elf that had first seen Evan spoke up. She turned and looked at a young woman who was standing to the back of the group. ¡°Sonia, please get a room ready for the dragonslayer.¡± The woman nodded and rushed off as if not wanting to waste a second to let Evan quickly get to slaying the beast. Her dress flowed out behind her as she ran to a wooden building.


    ¡°Ryor and Fyten, please cook a meal befitting the great dragonslayer. I am sure that he is very hungry.¡±


    Evan¡¯s stomach growled in response to her words. It was a loud sound that he was sure that many of the villagers had heard but no one said anything.


    Two elves perked up who were close to Evan. One was a fat man with short black hair and the other was a thin woman with short black hair as well. The two elves looked alike and Evan had a moment to wonder if they were siblings. ¡°Yes, Avlara!¡± The woman said and turned to the other elf. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ryor! I am sure that we still have the Edo steak available. I know the dragonslayer would love it!¡± The two elves dashed toward the same building where Sonia had entered.


    ¡°Please, come with me, dragonslayer,¡± Avlara said. ¡°Everyone, please give the dragonslayer some room!¡±


    People started to step back from Evan as they listened to Avlara. They were still smiling and crying. A small child actually ran up to Evan and touched his shirt before giggling and running back to a group of other children.


    ¡°Whoa, you touched the dragonslayer!¡± One child exclaimed. There was admiration from the children as they looked at the one who had done it.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you here, dragonslayer!¡± A man who appeared to be in his mid-40s said as he took a step back. He had a rake in his hand. ¡°We have tried to get this beast but it has constantly alluded us. I know that you will be able to slay it as soon as you see it!¡±


    Evan gave the man an awkward smile. Avlara came up to Evan and stood before him. Her green eyes were filled with so much warmth. ¡°We welcome you to Selwyn Village, dragonslayer.¡± She said and took a small bow. Everyone else bowed behind her even the small children.


    Evan gaped at the people and then swallowed hard. This was getting out of hand! He needed to tell these people that he was not this great dragonslayer that they thought he was!

 Chapter 4

    ¡°Eh, thank you,¡± Evan said. He looked at all of the people who were bowing before him. He felt terrible that they believed he was someone he was not. He had to say something. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Come this way, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara said before Evan could continue. She took him by the arm and began to walk toward the inn. Evan liked how soft her hand felt on his arm. He also noticed that she was wearing a fragrant perfume that was quite intoxicating. ¡°Everyone, please go back to work. The dragonslayer will let us all know when he will set out to slay the beast. But for now, he will eat and rest!¡±


    The crowd began to disperse but slowly. Everyone was still looking at Evan with awe and joy. Some people even hooted and clapped. The older woman who had taken hold of Evan was bawling with happiness. She was being comforted by two women who were crying and beaming at Evan.


    Evan walked with Avlara into the inn. He was greeted by the smell of food that made his stomach growl even more. The sound was louder than before and Avlara giggled as she had heard it.


    ¡°I was right! You are quite hungry, dragonslayer,¡± she said with those lovely green eyes of hers.


    Evan smiled sheepishly. ¡°Yeah. I guess I am. But, I need to tell you that I am not this dra¡­.¡±


    ¡°Come and sit down, right here, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara interruped him. She led him to a wooden table with a wooden chair in front of it.


    ¡°Oh, there he is!¡± A woman shouted from the banister above as she looked down at Evan. Her eyes were large in her head as she stared at Evan in shock. ¡°The dragonslayer!¡±


    Evan looked up and saw that there were rooms above and that people who weren¡¯t outside when he arrived were now gawking at him. There were mostly elderly people and they all had long ears. Evan was starting to believe that these people were elves. It was a crazy thought but all of this had been crazy since he got up from that field! Nothing seemed out of possibility now!


    ¡°Who is it?¡± A dark-skinned elderly man said in a loud voice. He was bent over and had an elderly woman holding onto his arm. Evan could see that the man was blind. He had to be the oldest person he had seen yet in this village.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Evan Pearson! The great dragonslayer is here!¡± The woman who was holding onto his arm said in a very loud voice.


    The elderly man¡¯s face became one of awe and hope. ¡°Really?! The warrior who slayed the dragon Howanjan?! He¡¯s here?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is here, Lord Brenwa,¡± Avlara shouted. She was standing near Evan and was smiling from ear to ear. ¡°Evan Pearson, the great dragonslayer, had blessed us with his appearance in our village!¡±


    ¡°This is unbelievable! I must approach him! Gretwin, please help me down the stairs to him,¡± Lord Brenwa said in a very excited voice. Evan noticed that an energetic fervor seemed to come over the elderly man as he stood up a little taller and began to move toward the stairs before Gretwin who had to rush toward him to help him down them.


    Evan watched uncomfortably as the blind elderly man smiled with joy as he made his way down the stairs with the help of the woman. He wanted to disappear and be whisked away from this place. He did not want to go back to Sedona Ridge but at least far away from this madness. What is this about Howanjan? He thought. Was that the dragon he had supposedly slain?


    Lord Brenwa walked toward Evan with the help of Gretwin. They were both smiling with delight as they neared him.


    Avlara turned to Evan. ¡°Dragonslayer, this is Lord Brenwa. He is the lord of this village and has been for the past 50 years. He is my grandfather.¡±


    Evan looked at Lord Brenwa. He cleared his throat and tried to gather his words. ¡°Hello, Lord Brenwa. I am Evan Pearson but I am not¡­¡±


    ¡°He has quite a youthful voice!¡± Lord Brenwa said. ¡°I have heard that he is the youngest ever to slay a dragon! 19 years of age, am I right?¡±


    Evan was not surprised that the elderly man knew his age. ¡°Yes, I am 19. But¡­¡±


    ¡°What I would give to be 19 years old again?!¡± Lord Brenwa chuckled. ¡°And to slay a dragon no less! What a feat!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­yes¡­but¡­¡± Evan started to say.


    ¡°Please, tell me great dragonslayer what brings you to our village?¡± Lord Brenwa asked Evan. ¡°I am sure that it can¡¯t be about this terrible beast that has been attacking our livestock. You are an important young man and can¡¯t be bothered with such matters. Are you just traveling? I know that the world has been at peace since you slayed Howanjan. Surely, there are no new foes that have arisen?!¡±


    Everyone was looking at Evan expectantly. Some had scared expressions on their faces. ¡°I¡­think¡­I¡­just-¡±


    ¡°Oh gods! Is there a new dragon?!¡± A woman shouted in fear from the balcony.


    ¡°Please, no!¡± Another woman shouted.


    Evan noticed that Lord Brenwa was waiting for his answer as he stood there silently with a grim look on his face. ¡°I¡­I¡­No¡­no new dragon.¡± Evan hoped he was speaking truthfully. ¡°I am just traveling.¡± Evan did not know why he said this but it felt like the right thing to say in the moment.


    Happy exclamations and cheers suddenly rose about in the inn from Evan¡¯s words. The old man beamed in his direction. Evan glanced at Avlara and saw that she was smiling with happiness again. Evan felt encouraged by that smile as if he were indeed this great dragonslayer!

 Chapter 5

    ¡°The meal is complete!¡± Ryor shouted as she suddenly entered the room. In her hands was a tray and on top of that was a plate of food. Smoke was rising from the food as it was very hot. Behind her was her brother Fyten with a small tray with several cakes on top of it.


    ¡°Here is your meal, great dragonslayer! I hope it pleases you.¡± Ryor set the food down in front of Evan. He looked at it with amazement. There was a big piece of meat on the plate that had smoke rising off of it. It was seasoned with different spices that he could immediately smell. Next to the meat was rice and green vegetables.


    ¡°For dessert, here are a few Milkwan cakes, dragonslayer.¡± Fyten set the tray down next to the plate. ¡°They are my specialty as everyone loves them, if I may say so myself.¡± The baker grinned as he looked at Evan. ¡°Please let me know what you think of them.¡±


    Evan¡¯s stomach started to growl even more as he looked at the food before him. He was ravenous with hunger. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    ¡°No, thank you, dragonslayer!¡± Ryor said. ¡°This is the best day of my life! I can die today and to know that I cooked for the great dragonslayer is my life¡¯s accomplishment!¡±


    ¡°I agree! These are the best Milkwan cakes that I have ever baked in my life! My masterpiece!¡± Fyten said. ¡°Nothing will be better than this!¡±


    ¡°You are in for quite a treat, dragonslayer! Ryor and Fyten are the best cooks in all of our village and surrounding areas!¡± Lord Brenwa said. The elderly man was grinning with pride. ¡°Many travelers have ventured here just to have a taste of their dishes. They have never left disappointed! I can smell the Edo beef and that meat is like no other! Plus, the Milkwan cakes will leave you wanting to have many more before the evening! I have gained much weight from their dishes as you can see!¡± Lord Brenwa laughed and put his hand on his pudgy stomach.


    Avlara laughed as she looked at her grandfather. ¡°Yes, my grandfather can¡¯t get enough of both Ryor and Fyten¡¯s dishes. They are truly incredible!¡±


    Evan felt so unworthy of this and turned to look at everyone who was beaming at him and waiting for him to dig into the food. ¡°I am honored by this food but I must say that¡­¡±


    ¡°Please eat, dragonslayer!¡± Lord Brenwa cut Evan off. ¡°Regain your strength. There is plenty of time for talking after.¡± Lord Brenwa motioned to a nearby table. Gretwin helped him to a seat and sat down beside him. Alvara pulled up a chair and sat next to her grandfather. She was looking at Evan with awe once again. It was like she could not believe that he was truly there in the flesh. Evan felt the exact same way!You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Yes, please eat our food, dragonslayer!¡± Ryor said in an excited voice.


    Evan felt uncomfortable with everyone waiting for him to eat. He knew that they were not going anywhere and were going to watch him eat the food! ¡°Okay.¡± He picked up the fork and knife and cut into the meat. He put a piece into his mouth and almost fell out of his chair from how delicious it was!


    ¡°My god! This is amazing!¡± Evan exclaimed. It was the best meat that he had ever had in his entire life! Evan took another bite and moaned at how great the food tasted.


    Ryor shouted with joy and clapped her hands. ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer! I am so happy to hear that!¡±


    Evan dug into the food with a hunger he had never experienced before. He dug into the meat quickly and ate the rice and vegetables which were just as delicious. He no longer cared that everyone was watching him eat. When he was done, he turned to the Milkwan cakes and grabbed one. It smelled amazing. He bit into one and his eyes grew large.


    ¡°Wow! This is great!¡± Evan said in a loud voice.


    Fyen laughed with happiness. ¡°I am honored, dragonslayer! Thank you! Please have more!¡±


    Evan ate several of the cakes just as quickly as he ate the food. The cakes had a nice sweet cream inside of them that caused the cake to literally melt in his mouth. There had been a total of six Milkwan cakes on the tray and Evan had wolfed down three of them. He wiped at his mouth and looked at Avlara and her grandfather and Gretwin.


    ¡°Please have one,¡± Evan said. He handed the tray toward Avlara.


    Avlara and Gretwin looked at him in surprise. ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara said.


    ¡°Thank you!¡± Gretwin said.


    ¡°Oh, you did not finish all the Milkwan cakes?!¡± Lord Brenwa asked him with a grin. ¡°If it was me, I would have eaten twenty of them before sharing any with others!¡± He let out a hearty laugh. It was such a loud sound from such a frail body. Avlara chuckled and shook her head at her grandfather. Evan could not help but grin at the elderly man.


    Avlara handed one of the Milkwan cakes to her grandfather and he held it like it was the most precious thing in the world. He then bit into it and let out a moan of pleasure. ¡°Gods, this is the best thing I have ever tasted!¡±


    Fyten grinned. ¡°Thank you, my lord!¡±


    Avlara and Gretwin also ate the cakes with delight. Evan smiled and then he patted his trousers and even reached into the pocket of his tunic.


    ¡°What is the matter, dragonslayer?¡± Ryor asked him with concern.


    Evan felt suddenly uncomfortable again. ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t seem to have any money on me. What can I do to pay for the food?¡±


    ¡°We are honored to feed you, dragonslayer! Your money is never welcome here!¡± Lord Brenwa said as he finished his Milkwan cake.


    ¡°Yes! All we wish is that you slay the beast for us, dragonslayer!¡± Ryor said.


    ¡°Yes, please stop this beast!¡± Fyten said. ¡°That is all that we want!¡±

 Chapter 6

    This darn beast?! Evan thought with frustration. There was no getting out of this. These people believed he was this mighty dragonslayer and he was going to have to prove it! He looked at Ryor and Fyten who were both still pleased that he had enjoyed their food. His hand brushed against his scabbard and he felt invigorated by it.


    ¡°Tell me more about this beast,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°We are unsure of what it is, dragonslayer,¡± Avlara spoke up. Her green eyes showed a little fear as well as annoyance. ¡°We do know that it is brown in color and is covered in spike-like fur. It is about the size of a horse with bulging black eyes and a mouth that expands. We saw it eat one of our cows with its mouth expanding to fit it all in!¡±


    Evan nodded as he listened. A serious look came to his face as he tried to let this information sink in. ¡°Has any human or¡­elf been attacked by this creature?¡±


    ¡°No, dragonslayer,¡± Avlara said. ¡°It runs at the sight of humans and elves. It may see our livestock as easy prey.¡±


    ¡°Have you heard of such a creature before, dragonslayer?¡± Lord Brenwa asked him. ¡°Among your travels have you encountered a beast like this?¡±


    Evan had no idea what beasts he had encountered in this life! He had surely encountered a dragon named Howanjan! ¡°It does not sound familiar,¡± Evan said. ¡°You say that it only comes out at night?¡±


    ¡°Yes, dragonslayer¡± Avlara nodded. ¡°We have tried to set traps for it but they have not worked to ensnare the beast. Several men have set up watch in shifts to see if we could stop it but it somehow always slips through and grabs one of our animals.¡±


    ¡°We know that this is a silly matter to you, dragonslayer. You have slayed the terrible Howanjan!,¡± Lord Brenwa said.


    There were scared and solemn looks that returned to the faces of everyone in the inn including those that were still above on the balcony. Evan wondered what this dragon looked like and how terrible it was that could strike fear into everyone¡¯s hearts.


    Evan felt a strong urge to help these people and even though he had never swung a sword in his life, he wanted to at least try and face the beast. ¡°I will help to remove this beast from your village.¡±


    ¡°Yay!!!¡± Ryor shouted with happiness. ¡°Thank you so much, dragonslayer!¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Thank the gods! The great dragonslayer is going to help us!¡± Fyten said and clapped his hands together. He was grinning with exhilaration.


    There were shouts of joy from the balcony as the people heard what Evan had said. Many of them were looking at him with pure hope in their eyes. Evan looked at Avlara who was smiling at him. Her green eyes were filled with admiration as she looked at him. Evan felt unworthy of this admiration but he was going to at least try.


    ¡°Thank you, great dragonslayer,¡± Avlara said. ¡°We are so humbled by your wanting to help us.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, dragonslayer,¡± Lord Brenwa said. ¡°The night has not yet fallen has it?¡± He asked his granddaughter.


    ¡°No, not for another two hours or so, my lord,¡± Avlara said.


    ¡°Okay. Is there anything that you will need in order to slay the beast, great dragonslayer?¡± Lord Brenwa asked him.


    A miracle! Evan thought but did not say this. His fingers wrapped around his scabbard and it made him feel a surge of bravery within his body. ¡°No, my lord. I would caution everyone to stay indoors when night falls. I, alone, will hunt down this beast.¡± Evan said this with a conviction that he was surprised came to his voice. He knew that a part of what he said was to be alone if the beast slayed him! He did not want the people to see this great dragonslayer that they thought he was fumbling about and perish from this beast!


    ¡°Yes, that is a great idea, dragonslayer!¡± Lord Brenwa said. He turned to his granddaughter. ¡°Avlara, please alert the entire village of the great dragonslayer¡¯s plan. No one is to be outside after the sun sets! We can¡¯t afford to have anyone get in the way or to make the dragonslayer¡¯s job harder due to their presence. He must not worry about saving a carless life while attempting to subdue the beast.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandfather,¡± Avlar said. ¡°I will notify everyone at once.¡±


    ¡°Would you like to retire to a room for a while, dragonslayer? Rest before the night falls,¡± Lord Brenwa asked him.


    ¡°Yes that would be great,¡± Evan said. He wanted time to himself to make sense of this world that he was suddenly in and to try and come up with some sort of game plan for fighting a beast! This was no video game that he was playing. It was as real as it gets!


    ¡°Gretwin, please show the dragonslayer to a room. Gretwin is my wife, great dragonslayer. She runs this inn,¡± Lord Brenwa said. A happy smile came to his lips as he touched his wife¡¯s arm. ¡°She has been a true blessing as she came into my life after the loss of Avlara¡¯s parents. My son and his wife.¡±


    Evan glanced at Avlara and saw a look of sadness as well as anger on her face. He wondered what was the story of the loss of her parents.


    ¡°Please, come with me, dragonslayer,¡± Gretwin said. She stood up and placed a hand on Lord Brenwa¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I will be right back, my love.¡±


    Lord Brenwa touched her hand and nodded. ¡°Okay, my dear.¡±


    Evan got up and followed behind Gretwin. They walked up the stairs and Evan passed by the people who had come out from their rooms to see him. He nodded and smiled awkwardly at them. He glanced down at the tables below and saw Lord Brenwa touch Avlara¡¯s arm and then whisper in her ear. She nodded with a serious expression on her face as she listened.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Here is your room, great dragonslayer,¡± Gretwin said as she led Evan to a door. Evan opened it and saw that the room was quite large. There was a small bed, a wooden desk and chair, and a bathtub. Next to the bathtub was a wooden bucket. There was a large window that was opposite the bed which faced out onto the road below.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°You are welcome, dragonslayer. Please let me know if there is anything that you may need.¡± Gretwin did a small bow and then closed the door behind her as she left.


    Evan let out a long sigh and then took off his shield and scabbard. He set them down next to the bed and walked to the window. Below people were walking about. One young boy was chasing a sheep that was dashing about. He was laughing as he ran after it. A woman was carrying a bucket of water in one hand and holding the hand of a small child in the other. As Evan looked out at the people below, he could see that everyone was smiling and looked happy. Was this because of him?!


    ¡°What is going on? How did I get here?!¡± Evan whispered. He walked to the bed and sat down and began to think. Yesterday, he had finished a long shift at his job and as he was walking toward the bus stop, a car had spun out of control. He remember the car spinning toward him and he did not have time to get out of the way. The feeling of the car hitting him reverberated now throughout his body.


    He remembered his feet leaving the ground and suddenly being in the air. He was sure that he had to be screaming as he flew and then landed with a hard thud on the ground. His eyes were closed when he hit the ground but he heard people screaming. There was even the sound of running feet.


    But, what next?! Evan thought. What happened after that?! He tried to think hard about what could have happened between the time that he had hit the ground and waking up in this strange place. There was nothing that came to mind. All that he remembered was that everything had gone black and then when he opened his eyes he was staring up at the sky in this new world!


    ¡°But, why?¡± Evan whispered. ¡°Have I been reincarnated?!¡± But that couldn¡¯t be true because he was the same person as far as he could tell! Everyone was calling him by his name even though it was pronounced differently.


    Evan¡¯s head snapped to the bucket and he quickly went to it. There was water in it and Evan peered at his reflection. He appeared to look the same. His almond-colored skin was just as shiny as it ever was. His eyes were still brown and his short curly black hair was a little longer. His face was clean shaven as it always was. He frowned as he saw something that was slightly different. In his eyes, he saw a gravitas and even a hardness set in them. This was the eyes and face of someone who had been through a lot of challenges!This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Evan looked at himself in surprise for a moment. He had seen these kinds of eyes before but only in movies and documentaries about war heroes. They all had this look in their eyes of facing a great adversity and coming through the other side of it but never forgetting it. Evan walked back to the bed and sat down.


    ¡°Okay, I am here now,¡± He said to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s figure out what I do know. Lord Brenwa had said that this world is called Yenway. The name of this village is Selwyn Village. There are elves in this world. I have slain a dragon named Howanjan.¡±


    Evan wanted to laugh at how ludicrous it all sounded as he listed off these things. He knew that he needed to know more answers to the millions of questions that were swirling around in his head. He could not wait until sunset especially if he had to face a beast that sounded quite terrible.


    Evan sprang to his feet and grabbed his shield and sword. He then walked to the door and exited it. The inn was quiet now and everyone was back in their rooms. He walked down the stairs and then outside. The warmth of the sun hit him as he began to walk.


    ¡°Oh, look, it''s the dragonslayer!¡± A woman who had been cleaning some pots shouted as he walked by. Several people stopped walking and doing whatever they were working on to look at him. Evan smiled sheepishly. A beautiful woman who was knitting a blanket waved at him. Evan awkwardly waved back.


    ¡°Gods, he is so handsome!¡±


    Evan heard someone shout this behind him. He turned and saw several elven women who were standing together. They were all about his age if not a little older. They were all wearing the same long dress but in different colors. Each woman was different in skin color, facial features, and body shape. They were all smiling at Evan with open admiration. Some were even giving him flirty looks.


    ¡°He is beautiful!¡± One dark-skinned elf said. She was short with silver rings on all of her fingers. She was staring at Evan as if he was the equivalent of an Adonis in their world.


    ¡°The gods must have taken care to design him!¡± A tall elf with thin blue eyes and light brown skin said.


    ¡°Do you have a girlfriend, great dragonslayer? Or are you married?¡± An elf with almond-colored skin and long flowing black hair asked him.


    Evan chuckled at these questions. He had to admit that he was enjoying this attention. ¡°No, I don¡¯t have a girlfriend and I am not married.¡±


    Several of the girls giggled at his response. To his right, he saw Avlara approaching with a knowing smile on her lips. Her green eyes looked at Evan which made all of his attention go to her.


    ¡°Run along, ladies. Leave the dragonslayer alone,¡± Avlara said in a warm voice. ¡°He has important matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Aw, come on, Avlara!¡± The elf who had asked Evan if he was married said in an annoyed voice. ¡°We are just talking to the great dragonslayer! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she is probably just jealous and wants him all to herself!¡± The blue-eyed elf said with a jealous look on her face.


    Evan noticed that Avlara¡¯s cheeks flushed red. He was both surprised and pleased to see this!

 Chapter 8

    ¡°Yeah! I think she has a crush on the dragonslayer!¡± The tall elf with blue eyes chimed in. She was grinning as she teased Avalara. The other girls all began to giggle too.


    ¡°No, I do not!¡± Avlara said as her cheeks got even redder. Evan could tell that she was not speaking the truth as she was not looking at anyone in the eye. It made him smile to know that this gorgeous elf had a crush on him. He liked her a lot as well. ¡°Stop this nonsense and go inside. The sun will be setting soon.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, Avlara! We know you want the dragonslayer all to yourself!¡± The elf with the silver rings on her fingers said with a giggle. The girls all laughed and walked away toward the wooden houses.


    Evan turned and looked at Avlara who was still blushing. She glanced at him and her cheeks turned even redder. ¡°Those girls are so silly. They were talking nothing but nonsense,¡± Avlara said quickly. It was the first time that Evan had seen her flustered or talking so fast. She was always composed and spoke with confidence.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so,¡± Evan said and smiled at her. Avlara caught his eye and quickly looked away. Her cheeks got even redder.


    ¡°So, did you rest, dragonslayer?¡± Avlara quickly changed the conversation. She even coughed to regain her composure.


    ¡°No. I wanted to go for a walk,¡± Evan said.


    ¡°But, you must have been walking for days to get here, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara said in surprise. ¡°Our village is so far from everything. The nearest village is over ten miles away. Did you have a horse for part of your journey? Surely, you haven¡¯t been walking this entire time! Where did you come from?!¡±


    Evan didn¡¯t know what to say to all of these questions and fumbled around with his words for a bit. ¡°Eh¡­well¡­eh¡­¡±


    Avlara suddenly laughed. ¡°How foolish of me! I am sorry, dragonslayer. My grandfather always said that I ask too many questions but said that my inquisitive mind would make me a great leader in this village. But, I don¡¯t want that role.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Oh, what is it that you do want?¡± Evan asked her. They were walking slowly through the village. People stared at Evan and others waved at him. He would wave back and smile as he walked. Everyone was slowly making their way inside of the night on Evan¡¯s orders. It amazed him to see that everyone was following what he had said.


    ¡°I want to leave here and see the world!¡± Avlara said with a strong conviction in her voice. Evan looked at her and saw the want for more as well as determination on her face. She was staring off into the distance as if dwelling on a memory.


    ¡°Have you always been here? Have you ever left?¡±


    Avlara shook her head. ¡°Nope. I have stayed to help my grandfather run the village but I feel like it is time for me to go. There are days when I long to see all of Yenway!¡±


    Evan completely understood what she was saying because he had felt that longing in Sedona Ridge.


    ¡°I have never seen the ocean! Or even a city!¡± Avlara said. She turned and looked at Evan with awe. ¡°You have seen so many wonderful things, haven¡¯t you, dragonslayer?! I mean you saved all of Yenway from Howanjan! A dragon! I can only imagine what one looks like!¡±


    You and me both! Evan thought. He nodded as if he knew what a real dragon looked like. ¡°Tell me. How long ago did I slay the dragon? I get my dates mixed up.¡± Evan gave a hearty laugh that he hoped would hide the seriousness behind the question.


    Avlara giggled. ¡°How can you forget such a date, dragonslayer?! It has been celebrated every year since you defeated Howanjan. Eternally etched into the calendar!¡±


    Evan nervously chuckled. ¡°Oh!¡±


    Avlara smiled at him. ¡°It was two years ago that you fought Howanjan when he first appeared! Many warriors, knights, and mages went to battle with the dragon but none were successful. Only you! A human male of the age of 17! Absolutely incredible!¡±


    Evan¡¯s jaw dropped as he let what she told him to sink in. Avlara saw it and a curious expression came to her face. ¡°Is everything okay, dragonslayer? You look as if this is all new information to you?!¡±


    Evan looked at her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He did not know what to say and quickly tried to think. Avlara continued to look at him with curiosity. He gave another hearty chuckle. ¡°Oh, of course, I know that but I wanted to learn about what you have heard, Avlara. All of my questions are to gather what you and this village know since you are so isolated.¡±


    Avlara nodded as she now understood why Evan was asking her these questions. He felt like a jerk for not simply telling her the truth but he needed to know more about himself and Yenway before he did so.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Well, I know that for many years Howanjan caused so much destruction, especially during the Great War between Queen Freita¡¯s army and the dragon and its followers. That war went on for about fifty years,¡± Avlara said in a solemn voice. ¡°My grandfather told me that many people believed that Howanjan was a god and chose to follow him into annihilating all of mankind! There were thousands of men, elves, and dwarves, and dozens of mages that joined the dragon. The war was scattered throughout all of Yenway. Mankind battled against mankind with many casualties. The dragon¡¯s followers burned and destroyed many of the great cities throughout Yenway and they have never been the same. The mages made it easy for the dragon¡¯s followers to travel quickly throughout the world with the portals they were able to conjure. ¡±


    Evan nodded and tried to think of this great army and the mages that she kept talking about. He did have a question that he wanted to ask Avlara without appearing to be completely stupid. ¡°These mages. Have you seen or met any of them?¡±


    ¡°My grandfather has fought alongside them and also against them. He is very mistrustful of them because¡­¡± Avlara paused for a moment. ¡°Yes, several of them have traveled through our village en route to cities in the greater south. They are always so serious and very mysterious. My grandfather is always wary of mages due to the dark magic that he has seen them do.¡±


    ¡°Dark magic, you say?¡± Evan said with a curious look at her.


    ¡°Yeah. Many mages practice dark magic usually in secret but this magic is so powerful that it causes catastrophic events. Many small towns have been completely wiped out by dark magic. It also warps the soul and causes many mages that practice it to become ruthlessly evil, ¡± Avlara said with a solemn expression on her face.


    She looked off into the distance and Evan saw sorrow play across her face. He waited to speak as he felt that she had something stirring in her that she wanted to say. ¡°It was dark magic that killed my parents.¡±


    Evan looked at her in surprise. He could see the pain that she was experiencing. He suddenly reached out and put a hand on her arm. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    Avlara turned and looked at him and gave him a sad smile. ¡°That is kind of you to say, dragonslayer.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pry but may I ask what happened?¡± Evan asked her in a soft voice. His hand was still on her arm and he could feel how soft her skin was. It was also so smooth to the touch.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°My father has always been skilled at archery like my grandfather and his father before him,¡± Avlara said. A small smile came to her lips. ¡°It has been passed down from son to son until my parents had me and was then passed onto me. My grandfather fought in several battles between men, elves, mages, and dwarves. He was an archer during these battles and has told me his tales of glory and also loss. He has never fought or seen Howanjan but has fought against his followers. My father joined King Ritan¡¯s army like many young men when he was told that Howanjan was gathering even more followers. He was an archer and left my mother here with me. I think I was five the last time that I saw my father.¡±


    Her eyes were staring off in the distance as she continued. ¡°One day, there had been a message of a battle taking place in Trendon. It is about a two-day ride from here and my father was among the many that were fighting the followers of Howanjan. My mother was so frantic to see him that she left me with my grandfather and rode off in the middle of the night. My grandfather had to send several people out to find her. Weeks went by with my grandfather worrying about both his son and my mother. We finally received word that the entire village of Trendon had been completely razed to the ground due to a dark spell that caused a black fire to burn everything in sight. It was believed that my father and mother both perished in this black fire including the people that my grandfather had sent out after my mother.¡±


    Evan listened to this with anxiety growing inside of him. Dark magic that could create black fire that could burn everything in sight?! ¡°I am so sorry, Avlara.¡±


    She nodded and continued. ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer. My grandfather personally went out to Trendon and it was there among the remains of that poor city that he found my father¡¯s bow which was badly burnt as well as the amber earrings of my mother near one another. He believed that my parents died together.¡±


    Evan felt a pang of sadness for Avlara and gave her arm another sympathetic squeeze. Several people were retiring into their homes when they saw the two of them and Evan¡¯s hand on her arm. A knowing smile came to the lips of those people which caused Evan to quickly move his hand as he became self-conscious.


    ¡°My grandfather brought my father¡¯s bow and my mother¡¯s earrings back with him. He worked tirelessly on repairing my father¡¯s bow back to its initial condition and then gave me the bow and my mother¡¯s earrings when I turned sixteen,¡± Avlara said. ¡°Those are my dearest possessions. I use my father¡¯s bow every day to practice and to hunt.¡±


    Avlara paused for a moment. ¡°There had been many nights where I have heard my grandfather weeping for my father and mother. He thinks I do not hear him as he tries to do it without me knowing but I have. He is wary of mages as I told you and anytime he hears about black magic, he is reminded of my father and mother.¡±

 Chapter 10

    Evan looked at Avlara who was deep in thought. Her eyes had a faraway expression. ¡°Howanjan and his followers brought about so much destruction and chaos throughout Yenway. But, your heroic battle against Howanjan led to the fall of the dragon and his followers. You restored an everlasting peace throughout Yenway!¡±


    Evan was speechless as he looked at Avlara who was smiling at him. Her green eyes were dazzling from awe. He cleared his throat. ¡°The followers are all gone,¡± Evan said this as if it was a fact but it was actually a question.


    ¡°Yes. Once the dragon fell, all of his followers surrendered. They were either sent into exile or they chose to live a life atoning for their past evil deeds.¡±


    ¡°So, Yenway is at peace. No new dragons or any kind of evil foes?¡± Evan asked with a nervous grin. He was hoping that the question came out as sarcastic.


    Avlara giggled. ¡°Yes, you have brought about eternal peace to Yenway!¡±


    Evan let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried that there may have been another dragon or some dark mage that had taken Howanjan¡¯s place. It seemed like the beast that was causing havoc in this village was his greater worry. ¡°That is great to hear!¡±


    ¡°It is all due to you, dragonslayer! You are Yenway¡¯s greatest hero!¡± Avlara exclaimed. A big happy smile came to her face as she looked at him. Evan felt so warm inside as he looked at her beautiful face. He did not know what to say but it felt great to hear.


    ¡°I believe that it is truly fortunate that you have arrived here, dragonslayer! I spoke to my grandfather while you were in your room and I have a question that I want to ask you.¡± Avlara asked him in an excited voice.


    ¡°Yes, please tell me.¡±


    A big excited smile came to Avlara¡¯s face and once again Evan was stunned by her beauty. ¡°I want to come along with you on your travels! I want to see the world and there is no one greater or better than to do it with the great dragonslayer! May I please join you?! I promise that I will not be a burden or get in your way!¡±


    ¡°Yes! You may join me and I don¡¯t think you could ever be a burden or get in my way¡± Evan said as he did not hesitate at all from Avlara¡¯s question. He wanted her by his side even in this strange world.


    Avlara¡¯s eyes grew so wide in surprise. ¡°Really?!¡±


    Evan smiled at her and nodded. ¡°Yes. I would love to have you by my side, Avlara. Together we will explore all of Yenway and help all of those in need!¡± Evan felt like that last statement was what a great dragonslayer should say. He even felt it himself!


    ¡°Yes!¡± Avlara suddenly ran toward Evan and gave him a big hug. Evan laughed in surprise. Her body pressed against his and he could feel the lovely warmth of it. Her perfume filled his nostrils and made him heady with desire for her. Evan hugged her back and smiled.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Avlara suddenly broke the hug. Her entire face was flushed with embarrassment and her head was bent a little as her eyes did not meet his. ¡°Oh, I am so sorry, dragonslayer! I was overcome with emotion!¡±


    Evan felt a sudden urge to lift her head and have those beautiful green eyes gaze upon him. His hand reached out and he gently tilted her head up with his fingers. Avlara¡¯s eyes met his. Evan smiled at her. ¡°It is okay, Avlara. I am just as happy to have you come along with me.¡±


    Avlara¡¯s face flushed even more and she smiled at Evan. There were sudden giggles and Evan saw several young women looking at them. Avlara¡¯s face turned even redder. ¡°Please head inside, ladies,¡± Avlara said in her best leader voice.


    ¡°Sure thing, Avlara. We¡¯ll give you and the dragonslayer some privacy,¡± One woman said with a grin.


    ¡°Yeah. It looks like the dragonslayer will be doing more than slaying the beast tonight!¡± Another woman said and this caused all of the women to laugh and giggle.


    ¡°You are all ridiculous!¡± Avlara said in a voice that betrayed her. All Evan could do was smile.


    The women eventually walked to the wooden house and were still giggling. The door closed behind them once they all entered. Avlara glanced at the dragonslayer as if to say that the women were all silly but her face was still so red.


    The sun was just beginning to go down with red streaks all across the sky. Evan saw several houses start to light up from the candlelights and lanterns that were inside. He started to feel anxious about having to find this beast and slay it. Was he really going to do this? The greater question was could he do this? A thought popped into his head suddenly. He could just quickly hurry away without doing anything at all! But, Evan felt a strong aversion to that. These people needed his help. They all looked at him with such hope and he could not run away like a coward! He had to try even if it meant making an absolute fool of himself or even possibly dying!


    Would I be transported to another world if I die? Evan thought with a sudden sad feeling. He was just starting to find a little footing in this world and he had to admit that the thought of having Avlara along with him in discovering more of this world and himself was very exciting.


    Another thought pooped into Evan¡¯s head. What if he perished from fighting the beast and was sent back to Sedona Ridge?! The thought was even worse! Evan felt such a strong abhorrence to that happening. He was going to do everything in his power to not be transported anywhere if he could. His hand went to his scabbard and he gripped it.


    Evan turned and looked at Avlara as it was starting to get quite dark. ¡°Do you think you should go inside too?¡± He hated having to ask this question as he was enjoying her company.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Avlara said with disappointment too. Her green eyes looked at him. ¡°But¡­¡±


    Evan perked up. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If you like I could come along with you, dragonslayer. I could help you hunt for the beast and provide any assistance that you may need. Not that you would need any at all! But, I can help!¡± Avlara said in a quick excited voice. Her words tumbled out of her mouth and was like a run-on sentence.


    Evan smiled with relief, gratitude, and happiness. ¡°Yes, I would love for you to help me hunt this beast.¡±


    Avlara¡¯s eyes grew large again with surprise. ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer! I will run and grab my bow and arrows!¡±


    She ran off so fast that Evan chuckled as he was sure that a part of it was that she was afraid that he would change his mind. He had no intention of doing that at all.

 Chapter 11

    Evan watched Avlara dash to the inn with a smile. He was so happy that she wanted to join him in traveling this world. He had no idea where he was going and figured it would be best to have the company of a beautiful elf with him! Avlara had told him so much about this world and what the great dragonslayer had done as well. Evan could not believe that he had stopped a dragon at the age of 17 and that he had brought about everlasting peace to this world! It was going to take a long time for that to sink in!


    The sun had completely descended now and it was quite dark. The temperature had also dropped and Evan felt a cold breeze blowing. He wished he had been transported to Yenway with his winter coat. He smiled at the thought of what everyone in this village would have thought about him in it. He put his hands in his pockets and hunched his shoulders to keep warm.


    What Avlara had told him about the dark magic that mages were able to conjure made him feel wary and sad for her. Her poor parents, he thought. He could only imagine the amount of pain that it had caused her to hear how her parents died as well as the only possessions she had of them. There was joy in having them he was sure but also knew that it had to be quite painful.


    Evan thought about his own parents for a moment and wondered how they were taking what happened to him. Were they even aware of the car accident? Were they even sad? Did they care? It was a sad question to think of but Evan had always felt like a burden to his parents. There had never been any kind of love that they showed to him during his entire life. He couldn¡¯t remember when his parents had said a gentle loving word to him. His father always talked to him in a brisk way as if he was in a rush to be away from Evan. His mother would hardly look him in the eye as her eyes were always on her cell phone where she always had an important email to attend to.


    There was a small pang of hurt that he felt as he thought about his parents. He had always felt so unwanted and invisible. But here in this world, he was seen and celebrated! A happy smile came to Evan¡¯s lips and the feeling of hurt disappeared. He was someone here and someone that others thought was great!


    Avlara opened the inn¡¯s doors and came running toward him. He saw the bow and the quiver of arrows over her shoulders. She also had on a dark blue cloak and had one in her hands. She hurried toward him and smiled at him. ¡°Here, I know you must be cold, dragonslayer.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Avlara!¡± Evan took the black cloak. He set down his shield, wrapped the cloak around his shoulders, and tied the leather cords together. He instantly felt warmer now that the cloak was on him. ¡°This is great! Thank you again!¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Avlara was pleased by his words. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, dragonslayer.¡±


    Evan noticed that the village was so quiet now that it had gone dark. He could hear the occasional sound from a cow or horse but other than that it was silent. He wondered if everyone had gone to sleep.


    Avlara must have read his mind. ¡°Usually when night falls, everyone turns in for the night. We are all early sleepers and risers.¡±


    Evan nodded. ¡°I wish I was like that. It¡¯s always so hard to get up to go to work at Mikey¡¯s Store.¡±


    Avlara looked at him with confusion. ¡°Mikey¡¯s Store? What¡¯s that?¡±


    Evan chuckled. ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± He then coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°So, where do you think this beast is hiding tonight?¡±


    Avlara perked up with adventure. ¡°It has usually been spotted near the hills in that direction.¡± She pointed in the distance that was past the village¡¯s limits. ¡°It runs off so quickly when it is seen.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let us tread carefully in that area,¡± Evan found himself saying. He was surprised by the courage in his voice. ¡°If it tries to attack us, I want you to stand behind me. I will use my shield and sword to stop it.¡± Evan sure hoped that he could use his shield and sword. ¡°But, if you do get a good shot at it, I want you to hit it with an arrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara said in a very excited voice. Evan could see that she was so excited to be joining him in looking for the beast. Her entire face was radiant with exhilaration which Evan could see even in the dim light of the moon above. He smiled as she looked even more gorgeous. His eyes remained on her face and this caused Avlara to blush.


    Evan looked away and nervously coughed. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Evan walked slowly to the outskirts of the village with Avlara beside him. His hand would nervously go to his scabbard as his eyes looked everywhere at once. Every small sound made him turn and look in the direction that it came from with alarm. Avlara was also jumpy too. She had unslung her bow from her shoulder and put an arrow in it. She walked with the bow and arrow pointed to the ground but would quickly raise it when she heard a sound too.


    They kept walking and entered the large field. The wind had increased a little and the cold air tried to penetrate the cloak that Evan was wearing but he found that he was still quite warm. He was so glad that Avlara had given it to him. He was sure that he would be shivering with his teeth chattering. They walked toward the hill with both of them looking around for the beast.


    There was the sound of sheep nearby. Evan¡¯s hand was still on his scabbard. He heard a rustling sound and quick movement out of the corner of his eye.


    ¡°There it is, dragonslayer!¡± Avlara whispered beside him.

 Chapter 12

    Evan looked in the direction where Avlara was referring to. He could see a dark figure moving slowly on the hill. He motioned for Avlara to crouch down and then he looked at the figure. It was quite round in size and Evan could see that its long fur was slightly blowing in the cold breeze. The creature was standing on four legs and had its head bent toward the ground. Evan watched as the creature slowly raised its head and he saw its big wide eyes. Those eyes looked in various directions as the creature stood there.


    ¡°Jeez, its eyes are huge!¡± Evan whispered to Avlara.


    ¡°Yes, dragonslayer. Its eyesight is quite keen,¡± Avlara whispered back. She had her arrow in the bow and it was pointed to the ground. Evan could sense her eagerness in wanting to let loose an arrow at the beast.


    ¡°Have you tried hitting it with an arrow before?¡± Evan whispered. The creature was still looking about with its head swiveling from left to right.


    ¡°No. The men including my grandfather think that it is up to them to deal with the creature.¡± Avlara rolled her eyes. ¡°So silly and dumb.¡±


    Evan nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can get close without spooking it.¡± He looked at Avlara and she nodded. They slowly crouched even more and moved very slowly across the field and up the hill. They made sure to stop every so often when the creature¡¯s head would turn toward their direction. Those big eyes would stare and then blink before its head would turn again.


    Evan¡¯s hand was on his scabbard and he figured it was no better time than now to get the sword out. He slowly pulled it by the hilt and he could feel how perfectly the sword felt in his hand. It was a long sword with a silver blade. Evan wondered if this sword had slain the dragon Howanjan. His fingers gripped the hilt tightly as he walked up the hill toward the beast.


    The beast kept looking around and then it suddenly bolted to the right. Evan looked at Avlara and they hurried up the hill.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Evan whispered as they got to the top. The beast was slowly walking in the direction where several sheep were. Avlara stopped beside him and raised her bow. ¡°I want to box it in so that it does not run away.¡± Evan was surprised at the ease he was feeling from preparing to stop the beast. He wondered if it was him or the dragonslayer within him that was prepared for battle with this beast.


    ¡°Okay. I can go to the left, dragonslayer,¡± Avlara said. She was looking at the beast with a determination to finally put a stop to it.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Yes. I will go to the right. We must go slowly though. We can¡¯t spook it and have it run off again,¡± Evan whispered.


    Avlara nodded. Evan began to walk to the right very slowly as Avlara walked to the left. The beast was still taking its time moving toward the sheep. It had to be a few yards in front of them. Evan made sure not to make a sound as he walked. His sword was in his hand and he was ready for whatever may come with the beast.


    Avlara had her bow and arrow pointed at the beast now. Evan was amazed at how she was able to walk so effortlessly with the bow in her hands. The bow did not move at all as her hands were steady.


    The beast was getting closer to the sheep and they were now starting to make nervous sounds. Evan walked a little faster now and noticed out of the corner of his eye that Avlara was doing the same. Several of the sheep started to run away and the beast suddenly charged toward one.


    ¡°Shoot it with the arrow!¡± Evan whispered to Avlara.


    The elf did not hesitate as she unleashed the arrow from the bow. Evan watched the arrow soar through the air and hit the beast. The beast let out a cry of pain and surprise. It turned around quickly as the sheep ran away. Its large eyes fixed upon Evan and then its mouth opened wide to reveal sharp teeth.


    Evan kept walking to the beast as he was not going to allow it to get away. Avlara had another arrow in her bow. Evan had not even noticed that she had grabbed one from her quiver.


    The beast¡¯s mouth opened so very wide and then it let out a roar. The sound was deafening and it caused Evan to feel a tremor of fear. His hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. The beast suddenly charged toward him. Evan lifted his shield to protect himself and held his sword above to strike the beast.


    As the beast rushed toward him, Avlara let loose several arrows that hit the beast in its side. Evan was amazed at how quick she was to load the bow and release an arrow. By the time the beast got to Evan, it had five arrows in its side.


    The beast was growling in anger and pain as it kept moving fast toward Evan. When the beast was within striking distance, Evan raised his sword and swung it at the beast. The sword hit the beast but its momentum caused it to slam into Evan¡¯s shield. The impact was so hard that Evan fell to the ground. The beast growled and snapped its teeth at Evan who protected himself with his shield.


    He was both scared and feeling prepared for this. He swung his sword constantly at the beast as he hacked at it. The beast would roar even louder and tried its best to get around the shield.


    ¡°Dragonslayer!¡± Avlara shouted as she rushed toward him. She fired another arrow at the beast which hit the creature¡¯s side. The beast roared and then turned to Avlara. It was preparing to charge at her!


    A look of fear came to Avlara¡¯s face and she quickly grabbed another arrow from her quiver. Evan jumped to his feet as the beast rushed toward her. He let out a loud roar himself which was shocking as he had never made a sound like that before in his life! The beast paused and was in the process of turning around when Evan jumped into the air and came down with the sword toward the beast.


    The sword plunged into the beast and it let out a final cry before it slunked to the ground.

 Chapter 13

    Adrenaline was coursing throughout Evan¡¯s body as she stood on the beast with his sword plunged into its back. He was surprised at what he had done but also there was a weird feeling of familiarity. It had been instinctual to roar and to jump onto the beast to slay it! He looked down at the beast and saw that it was dead. Blood was coming out from around the wound.


    Evan looked up and saw Avlara staring at him with awe. Her bow was in her hand and it was shaking a little. He knew that she was probably still feeling the terror of the beast rushing toward her. Evan pulled his sword out of the beast¡¯s back and then he jumped off of it.


    ¡°Gods, I thought I was done for!¡± Avlara said. She let out a long sigh of relief and then looked at Evan with that same awestruck expression on her face. ¡°You moved so fast, dragonslayer! I have never seen anyone move that fast before! One moment you were on the ground and the next, you were on its back!¡±


    Evan nodded slowly as he had felt the same thing too. He had watched the beast turn to Avlara and then begin to rush her in slow motion. He had been lying on the ground with his shield before him to stop the beast from attacking him and then he was jumping into the air and landing on its back. He knew that a big part of that quick action was to prevent Avlara from being harmed. There was no way that he was going to let that beast hurt her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve slain the beast! And you also saved my life!¡± Avlara said with happiness. She looked at Evan and a big happy smile spread out on her face. ¡°You are incredible, dragonslayer! Thank you! Thank you so much!¡±


    Evan felt a smile come to his lips too. He could not help it as Sophia¡¯s beautiful smile and her happiness made him feel good. He was still in a state of disbelief that he had been able to slay the beast. ¡°It was nothing,¡± Evan said in the best dragonslayer-like voice he could muster. ¡°I am just happy that you are okay.¡±


    ¡°You saved me, dragonslayer! Thank you!¡± Avlara said. She suddenly blushed with shame. ¡°It was so stupid of me to come close to the beast but I was so worried when I saw it gnashing its teeth at you while you were on the ground! I know that you would not have fallen to such a creature but I was worried.¡±


    Evan smiled. ¡°It is okay. I must admit that I was worried too.¡±


    Avlara looked at him and giggled. ¡°You are making fun of me now, dragonslayer. I know that you are never worried about anything! You ran into battle with Howanjan without a second thought and fought the dragon even as it released a towering inferno of fire toward you!¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Evan was once again amazed at this dragonslayer that he was. He had to hear the whole story soon about his battle with Howanjan because it was beginning to sound extraordinary! He nodded as if Avlara was right about the battle with the dragon. ¡°Yes, but even a brave dragonslayer can be worried.¡±


    Avlara nodded and seemed to contemplate that for a moment as if it was still hard to believe. ¡°Hm¡­I guess you are right, dragonslayer.¡±


    Evan had a sudden urge to hear her speak his first name. ¡°Please, call me Evan.¡±


    A surprised look came to Avlara¡¯s face. ¡°Oh, it is Evan and not E-von?¡±


    ¡°Well, that is how I say my name.¡±


    Avlara brightened. ¡°Evan.¡± She said his name several times as if testing out the strangeness of it. ¡°Okay, thank you, Evan. I will try to remember to call you that.¡±


    Evan looked at the beast. ¡°What should we do with the beast?¡± The beast¡¯s big eyes were open wide and part of its huge mouth was open to reveal its sharp teeth.


    ¡°We can carry it back with us and show everyone that you have slain it,¡± Avlara said. ¡°It will make everyone happy and feel safe. They will all thank you, dragonslay¡­Evan.¡±


    Evan nodded as if carrying a dead creature that he had no name for back to the village. He put his sword back in its scabbard and walked toward the dead beast. He reached out and touched its fur. It was rough and caked with dirt. Evan tried to get a good grip of it and when he did, he was very surprised to discover that the creature was light! He frowned because when the beast was upon his shield and gnashing its teeth at him, it had felt quite heavy.


    ¡°Is it quite heavy, Evan? Will we not be able to move it?¡± Avlara came close to the beast and looked at it. She had seen the frown on his face and figured that the beast must be very heavy.


    ¡°No, I think I can carry it by myself.¡± Evan lifted the beast and slung it over his shoulder. He almost exclaimed in surprise at the lightness of it. How is this possible?! Evan thought. He wondered for a moment if he was stronger in this world. It would make sense if he was able to slay a dragon!


    ¡°It is not too heavy, dragonslayer¡­I mean, Evan,¡± Avlara said quickly. She was looking at the beast slung over Evan¡¯s shoulder with curiosity and what Evan could also guess was that she was impressed with his strength.


    Evan shook his head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not heavy at all. It is very light!¡±


    ¡°Okay. Let us hurry back so that the blood from the wound does not drench your tunic. There is already blood on your trousers,¡± Avlara said. Evan looked down and saw that there was a splatter of blood on them. ¡° I will make sure that Junia washes your clothes while you rest tonight.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way, dragonslayer¡­I mean, Evan,¡± Avlara said with a large smile.

 Chapter 14

    It felt weird to Evan to have a dead animal slung over his shoulder. This was a beast that he had never seen in his life and he did not even know what it was called. But, yet, he had slain it! It was quite a surreal experience! He kept looking at it as he walked as if expecting it to suddenly come back to life. It just seemed too easy that he had been able to stop it. The villagers had been struggling for a while to get rid of it and yet he had done it in under an hour. It just felt too good to be true.


    He looked at the beast with its large bulging eyes. The life was gone from it as he could not feel it breathing on his shoulder. But, Evan still felt uneasy. He could not place why he kept feeling that but it was so strong within him that his hand grasped the hilt of his sword as he walked.


    Avlara was in front of him and walking fast back to the village. Evan could see just how excited and happy she was that he had slain the beast terrorizing their village. Evan was happy that she was happy. That wonderful smile of hers had made him feel so good inside. No one had ever thanked him like that before!


    They arrived in the village and it was so quiet and dark. Evan was amazed at how quiet a place could be as there was always noise back in Sedona Ridge. In his neighborhood, car alarms always went off throughout the day and night. There were even the voices of loud drunks as well as the constant hum from the electric poles that had not had any work done on them in years. This quiet was different to Evan but also quite calming.


    Avlara turned to him and gave him that happy smile again. ¡°I am going to alert everyone!¡±


    Evan smiled sheepishly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. It¡¯s so late and they must be asleep.¡±


    ¡°Oh, they will wake up for this, dragonslayer¡­I mean Evan,¡± Avlara said in an excited voice. ¡°They have all been anxious for this beast to be stopped and the great dragonslayer has done it! They must see the dead beast! I¡¯ll be right back, Evan!¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± Evan did not have a chance to stop her as Avlara quickly ran off. She ran so fast across the open square and entered a building. Evan chuckled to himself as he stood in the road with the beast slung over his shoulder. He looked at it again and that same uneasy feeling came up inside of him. Had its eyes slowly moved? Evan thought as he looked at it with a frown.


    ¡°No, I am just imagining this,¡± Evan said with a nervous chuckle. But his own eyes did not look away from the dead beast¡¯s bulging eyes. They were glassy as it appeared to be dead but that uneasy feeling inside of Evan would not leave.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    There was the sudden sound of a bell being rung. It was so very loud and Evan saw many candelights and lanterns turn on in the homes of the villagers. There was also the sound of voices as people began to hurry out of their homes.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± A man shouted in confusion and worry.


    ¡°The bell is going off! Is it the beast?!¡± A woman shouted in fear. Another woman beside her held her to comfort her.


    No one saw Evan standing in the shadows with the beast on his shoulder. He was even hesitant to step forward as he felt bad that the villagers had been roused from their sleep. He watched as the square filled with people. Some of them were looking around in worry. Evan saw Lord Brenwa come out of the inn with Gretwin at his side. He was dressed in what Evan could only discern as pajamas.


    Avlara suddenly ran into the square and was breathing hard. The villagers looked at her in confusion and worry.


    ¡°What is it, Avlara? Has the beast hurt someone?¡± A frightened woman asked.


    ¡°Are there more beasts?!¡± A man asked in a worried voice.


    Avalara shook her head. ¡°No! I have great news!¡± She grinned at everyone. ¡°The dragonslayer has slain the beast!¡± She pointed in the direction where Evan was standing. Everyone slowly turned and looked at Evan.


    A sheepish smile came to his lips and he stepped forward. Many eyes opened wide in awe as the villagers could see the beast slung over his shoulder. There were loud shouts of surprise at the dead body of the beast.


    ¡°Oh my god! Look at it!¡± A woman shouted and put a hand to her mouth in fear.


    ¡°The dragonslayer has done it!¡± A man shouted in happiness.


    ¡°Oh thank you, great dragonslayer!¡± A woman said as she looked at him with a big happy smile.


    ¡°Gods, he is so incredible!¡± The tall blue-eyed elf that Evan had encountered before said. She was looking at him with an awestruck expression. Her eyes were not even on the beast as she stared at him. The other girls that she had been with earlier that day were also looking at him in the same way.


    ¡°Wow! There is no one like him! He is so magnificent!¡± The beautiful dark-skinned elf with the silver rings exclaimed as she looked at Evan. Her eyes were flickering with amazement as she looked at him.


    ¡°What is it that he can¡¯t do?! He is like a god!¡± The elf with almond-colored skin and long flowing black hair shouted.


    ¡°Thank the gods! The great dragonslayer has slain the beast!¡± A woman shouted and clapped her hands in joy. There were tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at him.


    ¡°He has helped us!¡± Another person shouted. There were now countless cheers and loud happy shouts as everyone was excited that Evan had slain the beast.


    Evan smiled and walked into the center of the village near the people. He was filled with happiness at being able to help these people. He looked at Avlara and saw her beaming with joy. Lord Brenwa was even beaming as he listened to his villagers.


    Evan was just about to say something when suddenly, the beast stirred on his shoulder and it lept down on the ground and ran toward the villagers!

 Chapter 15

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±


    ¡°Noooo!¡±


    There were screams as the beast suddenly came back to life and rushed toward the villagers. There was a series of responses as many people quickly ran away while others stood frozen in shock and fear. Greta grabbed Lord Brenwa and hurried away as best as she could.


    ¡°What is it? What is going on?¡± Lord Brenwa asked his wife with concern.


    Avlara had quickly raised her bow and an arrow was in it. There was a fearful look on her face but there was also a desire to prevent her people from being attacked. She pointed it at the beast and hit it with the arrow in the shoulder but the beast kept rushing forward.


    Evan felt a change come over him as he sprang into action. His sword leaped into his hand as he drew rapidly from the scabbard. The shield sprung into his other hand and he dashed across the ground in a flash. The beast must have sensed Evan behind it because it suddenly stopped and turned around to face him.


    The beast let out a deafening roar that caused many of the villagers to scream in fear and run away. The beast¡¯s large bulging eyes were red and staring at Evan with rage. It opened its mouth and let out another roar that seemed to be even louder than the previous one. Evan grit his teeth and stared at those sharp rows of teeth in the beast¡¯s mouth.


    I knew something was off! I had sensed it! Evan thought as he looked at the beast. He was not surprised at all that the beast had come back to life. He stared at the beast with a calm and readiness inside of him. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.


    The beast then rushed toward him. Evan raised his shield before him to protect himself from what he knew was going to be a hard blow from the beast. This time, he made sure to stand in a way that would help to prevent him from falling. The beast rammed into Evan¡¯s shield and the sound of it was quite loud in the square. The force of it made Evan move back two steps but this time he did not fall to the ground.


    There were screams and cries of fright from the villagers. Many of them were standing out of the way and watching from a distance. There were also several of them who had run into the safety of their houses and were watching from the door or windows. Avlara was a small distance away and had her bow with an arrow in it. She was watching with an expression of absolute confidence in Evan. There was not a sliver of fear on her face.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The beast retreated a few paces and then roared again. There were more screams and shouts of fear from the villagers. Evan braced himself again and the beast came at him. It slammed into his shield and tried to slash him with its claws. Evan was able to protect himself and swung his sword out and caught the beast in the side. The beast did not even react to the blow. It barreled into his shield again and kept trying to swipe at him with its claws. Its mouth was also open as it tried to bite him too.


    Evan held the beast back with his shield and slashed at it with his sword. He could see blood oozing out of the wounds on the beast but it was not reacting at all to the attacks. What is going on here? Why won¡¯t this thing die?! Evan thought as he kept swinging his sword at it. He had no idea what was going on and wondered if this beast was somehow incapable of dying! But that did not seem right to Evan. He could somehow feel and sense that this beast could be killed.


    The beast rammed into him again and tried to feast its teeth on his shield but could not make a purchase. Evan swung his sword even harder and faster at the beast. Chunks of its flesh were now flying off of it. The beast did not seem to feel any of this as it kept slashing and gnashing its teeth at Evan.


    Its head! Cut off its head! This thought suddenly popped into Evan¡¯s mind as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He somehow knew that this would stop the beast and put a complete end to it.


    The beast retreated a few yards away with blood pouring from the wounds that were all over its body. The blood was a pitch-black color and it stained the ground. Evan watched the beast and saw that its eyes were now even redder than before! It was looking at him in a crazed way. Evan geared himself up to deliver the final blow to this creature as he knew that cutting off its head would stop it.


    The beast roared even louder and it mouth went as wide as it could. Evan watched in disbelief as its mouth seemed to get as wide as its body. The beast then charged toward Evan and clamped it jaws down on his shield. Evan let out a roar of his own that came from the depths of his being. It was louder than the roar that he had yelled out when he stabbed the beast in the back to stop it from attacking Avlara.


    His sword came up high into the air and he brought it down on the back of the beast¡¯s neck. The blade sunk into the creature¡¯s flesh with the black blood spraying out everywhere. The creature roared again with its mouth on Evan¡¯s shield. Evan raised the sword again and brought it down on the exact same spot as before and this time the sword went all the way through the creature¡¯s neck and spine. Its body collapsed on the ground with black blood spraying everywhere. Its head was on Evan¡¯s shield and its eyes closed as it truly perished.

 Chapter 16

    Evan stared at the beast¡¯s head which had its teeth clamped onto his shield. The pupils of the creature had turned a dark black color and Evan had a feeling that it was truly dead. He was not sensing that the creature was still alive. He glanced over at the severed body of the beast and saw that there was a pool of blood under the headless body. The blood was so very black and was constantly pouring out from the open wound.


    ¡°Oh my gods!¡± A woman shouted as she looked at the body of the creature. Her eyes were so big and her mouth was open in shock. Her hands were shaking so much from fear.


    ¡°Did the beast pretend to be dead?¡± A man asked in confusion as he took several hesitant steps toward the beast. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°It moved so fast! I thought it was going to attack me!¡± Another man said. He looked at the headless dead beast as if expecting it to jump to its feet and wreak even more havoc.


    Avlara had her bow in her hand with an arrow in it and it had been pointing at the dead beast. She lowered her bow and looked at Evan with a smile. She had never doubted that he would stop it from attacking the villagers.


    All of the villagers'' eyes were looking at the dead beast and then they slowly looked at Evan. He knew that he had to say something. They were expecting him to confirm that the beast was indeed dead and that it was not lying in wait to attack even without a head.


    Evan took his sword and cut the head from his shield. The beast¡¯s head fell with a thud to the ground and then rolled several times before coming to a complete stop in the black blood. Evan put his sword in his scabbard and with a loud voice he spoke. ¡°I am sorry, everyone. I thought that the beast was dead but it was not. It appeared that the only way to truly kill it was to cut off its head. I discovered that way too late. But it is now completely dead. There is nothing to fear.¡±


    A wave of cheers and clapping met Evan¡¯s words. He watched as the villagers relaxed and became overcome by happiness and relief. Several people ran up to him and ignored the dead beast. They shook his hand and thanked him. Several people even bowed before him which made Evan uncomfortable. He looked at Avlara who was watching this with a smile. She put her arrow in her quiver and then slung her bow over her shoulder.


    ¡°The great dragonslayer has slain the beast twice! It was no match for him!¡± Avlara said. ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, dragonslayer!¡± Everyone said after Avlara. It was a loud joining of voices that seemed to echo in the village.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Evan smiled as best as he could and nodded. ¡°You are welcome.¡± He then looked at the beast and even though he knew that it was truly dead, he wanted it gone. ¡°I think we should burn the remains of the beast.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ryor shouted. She was standing at the back and suddenly came forward. The chef was dressed in a long blue gown which Evan figured was her sleeping attire. ¡°Fyten and I could throw it in the fire pit, great dragonslayer!¡±


    Evan nodded. ¡°Thank you, Ryor!¡±


    The chef beamed with pride and then turned to her brother who was standing close to the inn. He had dashed away as soon as the beast had lept from Evan¡¯s shoulder. Fyten was still looking at the beast with a fearful expression on his face.


    ¡°Fyten! Let¡¯s grab this beast and throw it in the fire pit!¡± Ryor shouted at her brother.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Fyten said. His eyes left the beast and he looked at his sister. He could see that a lot of the villagers were looking at him. He hastily cleared his throat. ¡°Oh, yes. Let¡¯s do that.¡± He walked slowly toward the beast as his sister moved quickly toward it.


    Ryor walked toward the head and picked it up. She looked at the black bulging eyes for a second. ¡°What kind of creature is this?! I wonder what it is called!¡±


    Fyten was still walking slowly toward the dead beast as he was in no rush to do this job. He finally got to it and he carefully lifted it up. He made a disgusted sound as more blood poured from the severed neck.


    ¡°Gods, this thing is heavy!¡± Fyten shouted. He was struggling to lift the beast as his legs were buckling. Evan was surprised because the beast had been so light when he lifted it and he had hardly felt it on his shoulder when he had it slung over it.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get rid of it!¡± Ryors said then moved quickly to the inn. Fyten stumbled behind her with the weight of the beast causing him to move slowly. Blood trickled from the wound onto the ground.


    Lord Brenwa walked up to Evan with Gretwin guiding him. There was a joyous smile on the chief¡¯s face. ¡°Great dragonslayer, you have done us all a great fortune by slaying the beast! Not only once but twice as my granddaughter said! We thank you and are forever in your debt! How can we repay you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, what can we do for you, dragonslayer?!¡± A man said as he looked at Evan with happiness.


    ¡°You can have one of my horses!¡± A woman shouted near him. She looked at him with pride as she said this. ¡°My horses are the fastest breed and will help you along your journey, great dragonslayer!¡±


    ¡°You can have my house!¡± Another woman said. ¡°If you wished to stay!¡±


    There was some laughter from this and Evan even joined in on this. He did not know what to say as he was overcome by emotion but he did know that a horse would be great to help him with his travels through this strange world.


    ¡°I would only like a horse, please. Two to be exact,¡± He said and glanced at Avlara who beamed with happiness. He then thought about what else he may want. ¡°And some food for my travels ahead.¡±


    ¡°You will have all of that, great dragonslayer!¡± Lord Brenwa said. He seemed to sense that his granddaughter was near and with a knowing smile he cast it in her direction.

 Chapter 17

    ¡°I think the great dragonslayer needs to rest now,¡± Lord Brenwa said to the villagers. ¡°It has been quite an eventful night and I think we should all turn in as well.¡±


    The villagers nodded as they listened to their leader. They were all so happy and not ready to head into their homes just yet. Evan shook the hands of many of the villagers as they thanked him. Some even hugged him which made him chuckle with surprise. He felt good inside to be able to help these people. Many of the villagers told him that they were going to give him food for his travels and he thanked them as he made his way to the inn.


    ¡°Do you plan to depart tomorrow morning, great dragonslayer?¡± Lord Brenwa asked Evan. Gretwin was helping him as they walked toward the inn.


    Evan thought about that for a moment and then nodded. He had to explore this world and figure out more about himself and why he was here. There had to be some sort of reason. ¡°Yes, I will be departing in the morning.¡±


    Lord Brenwa nodded. ¡°Jentar has the best horses in our village and as she said you are welcome to them. You mentioned that you wanted two horses. May I ask why?¡±


    Evan looked at Lord Brenwa and he saw a smile on his face. Gretwin looked at him and also had that similar small smile on her lips. Evan sensed that they both knew the answer to that question. However, Evan wasn¡¯t sure if Avlara had told her grandfather that she intended to leave the village and come along with him on his travels. He glanced over at Avlara who was talking to several people who were eager to hear about what had happened with the beast before returning to the village. Evan decided to be direct when answering Lord Brenwa¡¯s question.


    ¡°I would like Avlara to join me in my travels. She helped me tonight with the beast. She is a great archer and I will need her skills if I encounter any foes along the way.¡±


    Lord Brenwa nodded. ¡°My granddaughter is very skilled with her bow. I have heard of her quickness with drawing an arrow and her ability to hit her target effectively.¡± Lord Brenwa paused for a moment. ¡°I had plans for her to lead this village once I stepped down. She is a great leader and everyone respects her and heeds her words. However, I know that she dreams of leaving this place and more of the world. I can hear it in her voice and I know she has stayed here as long as she has because of me. I have kept her from leaving because of what happened to her parents.¡±


    Lord Brenwa paused again and a sad expression came to his face. Evan was quiet and waited for him to speak again. Lord Brenwa leaned close to Evan and his voice dropped as he whispered to him. ¡°Yenway has been at peace since you slayed Howanjan, great dragonslayer but I have heard stirrings of black magic incidents occurring throughout Yenway. We had several mages travel through our village and they told me that they were investigating a black magic event that had resulted in the deaths of many elves and humans. I am not sure if you are aware of this but I have not told anyone because I wish not to cause any panic, especially my granddaughter because of what happened to her parents.¡± A worried look came to the elderly man¡¯s face and then that sad expression returned. ¡°My son and his wife both perished due to black magic, great dragonslayer. I have seen it on the battlefield and the effects of it are catastrophic. It is an uncontrollable dark magic that only those who have lost their souls and humanity can conjure. I am worried that I will lose Avlara to black magic as well.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Lord Brenwa was quiet as he stared ahead with his eyes seeming to be remembering the pain of the loss of his son and daughter-in-law. Evan felt a strong will and determination flood him. ¡°I will not allow Avlara to perish to black magic, Lord Brenwa. I will protect her and keep her safe. Also, from what I have learned about your granddaughter in the short amount of time that I have been in your village is that she can take care of herself.¡±


    Lord Brenwa smiled and nodded. ¡°That is very true, great dragonslayer. But, she can be quick to charge into action with risk of her own life.¡± Lord Brenwa turned and grasped Evan by the arm. The elderly man¡¯s grip was quite strong. ¡°I believe that she will be safe with you, great dragonslayer, and that she will be able to experience more of this world that she will never be able to if she stayed here. Her desire for adventure is too strong and I can no longer keep her from that. But, please promise me that you will keep her safe.¡±


    Evan grasped the elderly man¡¯s arm in a firm but gentle way. ¡°I promise, Lord Brenwa, I will keep her safe. I am also sure that she will probably be keeping me safe.¡±


    Lord Brenwa chuckled. ¡°Yes.¡± He released Evan¡¯s arm and Evan took his arm off the elderly man as well. They entered the inn and Evan was thanked by the people who were staying there. He nodded and shook their hands.


    ¡°Please rest, dragonslayer. You have done our village a great deed that we will be eternally grateful for,¡± Lord Brenwa said. He gave a slight bow to Evan and then Gretwin helped him to his room.


    Evan saw Avlara enter the inn and she walked up to him. There was a curious expression on her face. Evan knew that she was wondering what he and her grandfather had been talking about. He decided to alleviate any worries that she may have.


    ¡°I spoke with your grandfather and told him that I would like for you to join me in my travels. He has agreed,¡± Evan said with a smile.


    Avlara¡¯s eyes grew large and she clapped her hands with excitement. A large joyous smile spread out on her beautiful face. ¡°Thank you, great dragonslayer! Thank you so much!¡± Avlara suddenly hugged him and Evan hugged her back. He was grinning at her excitement. She then broke the hug and hurried to her grandfather who was about to enter his room with Gretwin. Avlara hugged him from behind and Lord Brenwa smiled and held her arm with acceptance of her upcoming departure from her home.