How to Slay a Dragon - Bill Allen [68]
“Only as much as I need to be,” said Ryder. “It’s not wise for a man to know too much about his future.”
“So I’ve been told. Are your men going to help me fight Ruuan?”
Ryder looked surprised over the question. “Well, now I haven’t heard anything about that. It’s my understanding they will—how was it written?—’face hundreds of thousands of Canaraza warriors who would fight to the death to defend the dragon from harm’—but as to the actual battle against Ruuan, well, I guess I just always assumed that would be up to you. Don’t get me wrong. My men are brave as they come, seasoned soldiers to a man . . . but they’re not crazy. I doubt I could get a single one of them to agree to go up against a dragon.”
The boost in spirit Greg felt moments before abandoned him as quickly as Ryder’s men might if he told them he wanted their help in Ruuan’s lair. Before Greg could start feeling too sorry for himself, Melvin jogged up from behind.
“Ah, you must be Norman Greatheart’s youngest son,” said Ryder. “I haven’t seen you since you were just a little tyke, about knee high.”
Melvin flushed, which caused Greg to smirk in spite of his grim mood.
This of course made Melvin flush all the more. “Do you know my brother Marvin?” he asked the captain.
“Marvin Greatheart? Of course, I know him. A fine man, your brother. A braver fighter there never was. Why, give me a dozen Marvins, and I could just leave these other fellows back at Pendegrass Castle when it came time to patrol our borders.”
“See?” Melvin said, glowering at Greg. “Told you so.”
“I never said your brother wasn’t a good fighter.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because they brought me,” Greg said. “King Peter’s magicians. It’s not like I wanted to come. I didn’t even know this place existed. It’s all because of that stupid prophecy.”
“How can a prophecy be stupid?” said Ryder. “Why, prophecies just state facts, is all—and before they occur, I’ll remind you, which hardly sounds stupid at all.”
Greg quickly explained to the captain about how Marvin Greatheart should be slaying the dragon, not Greg, but no one would believe him.
“Marvin Greatheart?” said Ryder. “Well, I can see where you might think that . . . but if you don’t mind, I’d rather not consider the possibility of a prophecy being in error. To be honest, the whole matter sets my skin crawling.”
Melvin, who had been listening in silence, stared at Greg as if seeing him for the first time. When Ryder fell back to review his troops, leaving Greg alone to “lead” the army, Melvin cleared his throat experimentally.
“Got a cold?” Greg asked.
“Did you really mean what you said about the prophecy being about Marvin?”
“Of course. I’ve been trying to tell you that since the day we met.”
“Then you really don’t want the glory of slaying Ruuan all to yourself?”
“Glory? I’m going to be killed.”
“Not necessarily,” said Melvin.
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I know you don’t believe in prophecies, but I do. My brother Marvin relies on them a lot. You think he’d have the courage to fight a fire-breathing dragon if he didn’t have a prophecy saying he wouldn’t be burned to a crisp?”
“Are you telling me Marvin wouldn’t be slaying dragons if Simon hadn’t already foretold that he was going to win?”
Melvin scooped up a rock and used it to scare off a rabbit that looked about to challenge the entire army to a fight. “Heck no. What do you think he is, an idiot?”
“No, I just—”
“Don’t get me wrong. Marvin’s brave as they come—you’d have to be to march into a dragon’s lair on the word of that senile, old coot, Simon—but there’s more to it than that. He’s so sure of himself, I can’t imagine him losing. You better be, too, if you plan on surviving this thing.”
“Great,” said Greg, “then I am doomed. I’ve seen Ruuan. I don’t believe for an instant I can fight him.”
Melvin shrugged. “Then I’ll help you.”
“You’ll help?” said Greg. “What can you do?”
Any sign of humanity Melvin had shown disappeared in an instant. Greg quickly held up his hands. “Sorry. I mean, I know you’ll probably be a great dragonslayer