Once upon a time, there was a great mountain range. Nestled within that mountain range was a village and in that village was a tiny cottage where there lived an ordinary teenage boy. His name was Liam, also known as ‘Pyro Maniac’, as he could create sparks in the worst of conditions. One stormy and gloomy night, Liam heard many shrieks and screams from afar while reading a book beside his oil lamp. Full of curiosity, he leaped out of his cottage and sprinted towards the town square, only to find several villagers as still as stone.
Word went around the village that some kind of alien monstrosity had petrified the villagers to stone. Liam sprang to action as he thought of the wizard, Neero. Neero was the local magician who could cure anything and knew everything that could be known.
“He must know what petrified the villagers,” Liam thought to himself.
Liam did not stop running until he saw a door with several runic markings on it. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a husky ancient voice mutter, “Come in.”
Liam turned the rusty knob slowly and hesitantly, and in one step into the room, the atmosphere instantly changed. The room was mysterious and murky at first glance, but as Liam’s eyes went into focus, he witnessed shelves of dust collecting books and Neero’s hunched back in the midst of them. Candles were the only source of light as Neero’s wrinkled and spectacle-bearing face turned around to face Liam.
“I have not seen you for a long time, Liam,” said Neero, with the gravest of faces.
“You must know why I am here,” Liam replied.
“Yes I do. It is a very ancient creature that petrified those villagers. It is the Demon of Wrath. Whoever sets their eyes on the ghastly thing is immediately petrified and turned to stone,” whispered the magician.
“So will the villagers remain as stone forever?” Liam asked in anxiety.
“There is only one cure for this…it is dragon blood,” answered Neero.
“Someone one has to retrieve the dragon blood!” Liam exlaimed.
“Exactly…you will,” Neero stated.
Liam’s heart skipped a beat as this looming challenge lay in front of him.
“Ultimately, someone has to do this, and it was fate that chose me,” Liam thought in a positive manner.
The nearest dragon lived in the Firetower, an extremely high structure that was visible from the watchtowers in the village where Liam lived. It was not very far, “just follow the mountain range”, according to Neero. Not long after Liam finished packing everything he needed for the journey, he started having second thoughts on this adventure. However, before he could step out of his cottage or make up his mind, Neero strode inside, dressed as if he was too, going on a journey.
“I will lead you on your journey, Liam. I am coming with you,” Neero stated with authority.
* * *
Liam and Neero were buffeted by the icy wind on the mountain ranges. It was a terrible experience for Liam. Each step brought about a sharp pain in Liam’s leg while his body was struggling under subzero temperatures. But as Liam and Neero ventured on, a giant came out of the blue and started hurdling ice boulders at them. Without hesitation, Liam cast a fire spell on the ice giant. The giant flinched. When Neero got the chance, he summoned the strongest wind to blow the giant off the mountain.
* * *
Through many days of enduring the relentless wind and giants, Liam and Neero made it to the Firetower. It was incredibly high, with fire and steam gushing furiously out from the top.
“Well, we made it,” said Liam.
“It has only just begun,” replied Neero ominously.
Liam and Neero entered a vast, great hall lighted by bright orange flames, which led them to a strange chamber littered with charred bones as well as an awful stench of rotting flesh. And there it was; dead centre of the chamber. The dragon.
The two travellers did not dare speak as the dragon had its back towards them. Neero silently drew his sword and crept towards the dragon. The blade of the sword then made a swift stab into the dragon’s belly. The massive creature flapped its wings and shrieked in agony until it fell.
“Hurry Liam, get the blood!” Neero exclaimed anxiously. Liam obeyed with haste and stealth, catching the blood as it gushed from the dragon’s belly.
Suddenly without warning, a dark black shadow glided across the tiles of the floor as a large creature flew into the chamber.
“It is the Demon of Wrath!” warned Neero, “Hide yourself behind the dragon and close your eyes Liam!”
Liam had just filled a glass flask with blood when he jumped behind the dragon’s massive legs and hid himself, as Neero instructed. Meanwhile, Neero raised his staff and uttered a silent spell. A shield of intense, dazzling light materialised as Neero looked at the demon. In an instant, Neero froze and turned to stone. But the light acted as a mirror and reflected the demon’s ghastly reflection into its own eyes. The demon turned to stone and fell onto the hard, tiled floor, shattering into a million pieces. The demon was defeated.
As he heard the stoned demon crash to the ground, Liam opened his eyes and ran to Neero. Without hesitation, Liam dripped some of the dragon blood onto the petrified Neero. Liam watched as the thick blood slowly flowed through the cracks of the cold stone. Not long afterwards, Neero miraculously came back to life.
“We did it!” shouted Liam, jumping and celebrating in joy.
“Yes, it is over now,” puffed Neero.
And so after their arduous and eventful journey, the two heroes set back to their village. Their return trip was in haste as Liam and Neero knew they had one last job to do back in the village.
Once back at the village, the dragon blood was used on the Demon of Wrath’s many victims who all recovered and were restored to full health. Liam and Neero were greatly praised and became heroes of the village. They were remembered for many years as their tale was told from generation to generation.
