How to Slay a Dragon - Bill Allen [64]
Besides, he didn’t like the thought of Melvin armed with a stick.
Greg wasn’t even sure why he cared. After all, Melvin clearly hated him. And then there was the whole plotting Greg’s death thing. Still, Greg could almost understand. Melvin had probably spent his whole life thinking he was going to be the next great dragonslayer of Myrth. But if people started looking to Greg to handle their dragon issues, what was Melvin now but a has-been’s baby brother?
Besides, in much the same way Rake appeared to vouch for Bart, the shadowcat rested in Melvin’s lap now, affectionately banging its whiskers into Melvin’s leg. Obviously Rake must sense some good in the boy.
If only Melvin would show Greg a bit of his good side as well.
That night Greg slept little, drifting off only after Rake curled up next to him and began his incessant purring. In contrast, Melvin seemed to sleep quite peacefully, a fact that helped calm Greg, since up until the moment Melvin started snoring, Greg had been afraid to close his eyes for fear the boy might try to kill him.
Morning came slowly, but it did eventually come. Greg paced nervously while the others finished wolfing down breakfast, and then finally they were off. They entered a new section of forest Lucky referred to as the Weird Weald, and while Greg felt a little better
knowing he was at least taking action, he still felt they needed to hurry more.
“Oh, no,” Lucky said a few miles into their journey.
“What’s wrong?” asked Greg.
“We forgot the whole reason we came back, remember? You were supposed to lead the Army of the Crown to the Infinite Spire.”
“He’s right,” said Bart. “According to the prophecy, Greg will ‘lead the Army of the Crown through the Weird Weald, over the Smoky Mountains and past the White Cliffs of Darius to the base of the Infinite Spire.’”
“We can’t go back,” Greg insisted. “There’s no time.”
For once Lucky seemed even more upset than Greg. “But Simon said you needed the army.”
“Yes,” admitted Nathan, “but it doesn’t mean we have to go back for them. King Peter knows the prophecy as well as anyone. I’m sure he’ll send them along.”
“But Greg’s supposed to lead them,” insisted Lucky.
“Yes, well, we’ll be going first, and they’ll be following after. In a sense Greg will be leading them.”
“Look,” Greg said, “we don’t have time to go back. We don’t have time to argue about it either. We need to keep moving.” He picked up his pace.
Greg tried not to think about what Lucky had said. Having the Army of the Crown behind him when he faced Ruuan sounded like a good idea, but not half a day’s march behind. How could he hope to defeat the dragon now?
“What’s the matter, Greghart?” Melvin taunted. “You look pale. You’re not nervous about fighting Ruuan, are you?”
“Shut up, Melvin,” said Lucky. “You’d be nervous, too.”
“Would not,” said Melvin. “I’ve fought lots of dragons.”
“When did you ever?”
“Last summer,” the boy boasted. “Marvin took me hunting, and a dragon surprised us on the trail.”
“Really?” Greg said. Perhaps the boy could be useful after all. “What did you do?”
“I walloped him with a stick. And then Marvin finished him off with his sword.”
“You walloped a dragon with a stick?” Lucky said doubtfully. “Are you sure this wasn’t a wyvern?”
“Wyvern, dragon, what’s the difference?”
Lucky chuckled. “About two or three hundred feet, depending on the dragon.”
“I still walloped him with a stick,” Melvin insisted.
“I’ll bet it was a baby wyvern at that,” said Lucky.
“Was not!”
“Look,” said Greg, “if you want to be the one to slay Ruuan when we get there, that’s fine. Just so we rescue Priscilla and