The pair approached the cave apprehensively. They were unsure what fate they would meet. Neither Penelope nor Halifax had ever seen a dragon. And they weren’t sure how to defeat one. But they rode on.

They reached the mouth of the cave.

“Do you hear that?” Penelope asked Halifax. Her voice echoed in the cave’s cavity.

Halifax stopped to listen. A loud breathing sound could be heard coming from inside the cave.

“I think that’s the dragon’s breathing pattern,” said Penelope. “He sounds big.”

All of a sudden the rhythmic breathing stopped. Stirrings could be heard. A deep grumble sounded. The light of fire flickered on the cave’s walls.

“Oo. That doesn’t sound or look good, Halifax,” Penelope said nervously.

Halifax shook his head.

The light of fire emanated again. But this time there was enough light created to see the dragon’s face. Penelope took a deep breath and grabbed the hilt/handle of her sword to withdraw it from its sheath. Penelope’s grip on her sword tightened. Her legs’ grip on Halifax’s back tightened. Her heart raced. And her jaw clenched.

Fire blasted from the dragon’s nostrils as it awoke. With its light the entire dragon and cave could be seen. Penelope’s eyebrows stiffened with anticipation. Halifax’s leg muscles flexed with anticipation. The dragon lowered its head and began charging at Penelope and Halifax. Both of their breaths stopped as their fast-beating hearts pumped adrenaline into their bodies.

Just before the dragon reached Penelope and Halifax it launched into flight. It flew closely over the two’s heads. As it passed, Penelope remembered the man-who-couldn’t-speak’s only words. ‘The dragon has an oddly growing toenail.’ She looked and saw an oddly growing toenail on one of the dragon’s feet. Like lightning she thrust her sword into the soft part underneath the oddly growing toenail.

The dragon screeched and shot like a rocket into the air outside the cave. Penelope and Halifax turned to watch the dragon’s path. A trail of smoke could be seen approaching the moon. Once the smoke reached the moon, an explosion erupted on the moon’s surface. The dragon had exploded upon hitting the moon.

“Wow. That was easy,” Penelope said, smiling.

Image of Penelope and Halifax watching as dragon explodes on the moon

The Adventures of Princess Penelope