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!”

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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.