~
The forum was still silent, but now the forum was full. Every eye trained on the prostrate figure of the dragon below. No one dared utter a word. The crescendo of quiet echoed off of every wall in the city, it was as if the dragon had devoured every last citizen, as if he had flown over and decimated every building. But the people were alive, yet the people were still scared.
The sun had dipped away behind a cloud and one of the few open spaces in the city was now cast into shadow as if the doubt of the people were shutting off its light. George was still praying, asking for a way to convert these heathens. He would make them wait till he had worshiped his lord before rising and addressing them.
Slowly he rose and took in his audience, he could smell confusion, he could feel the unrest. But this, he felt, was from the fact that the dragon now sat before them, it was not a fear of him, it was a fear of it. He would use this fear to show them the true path. Standing near the beast’s head, he did not know exactly he would say, he would just allowed the words to come.
He drew his sword from its scabbard and thrust it above his head, “friends, I am here to tell you of your fate.” At this point the sun decided to appear from behind the cloud and bathed him in warm sunlight. To the transfixed audience he seemed to glow and take on a new power. They were stunned, they wanted to listen to him, they wanted to follow him to the ends of the earth and back. He pulled the sword down and used it to point towards the dragon. Moving in front he continued his speech, “this dragon, this beast, this abomination has been sent to show you the error of your ways. This city worships false idols, there is only one true God and today I bring his message. Believe in him, trust in him, give yourself to him and I will protect you. If you wish me to rid you of this creature then lay down your life in service to the Lord and save your souls in the process.” He feel the mood, he was losing them. The idea of servitude and giving up their lives sounded too severe, the dragon was a threat but this man was offering them a life of imprisonment.
George needed to change tact, he needed to make them realise that loving God was about freedom. “All the one true God asks is that you love him, that you follow his rules, that you labour for six days then rest on the seventh. On this day, the Sabbath day, you must also worship him.” This seemed to appease them, it was now appear to be easy to be one with God and be protected from his wrath. “Those who do this will have a seat in heaven where they shall live by his side in eternal bliss. So, my friends, what say you? Do you follow the rightful path? As a sign of his power, I, one of God’s vessels on this Earth will strike down this beast and forever rid you of its plague. Praise be to God.” He stopped, waiting for the uproar, willing them to turn towards Christianity but they faltered. The silence descended again, their mortal souls may be at risk but they were unsure. They wanted to join him but did not really understand the price. Was there a trick in this deal? Were they being taken for fools?
The Princess stepped forward, “praise be to God,” she stated loudly.
In a moment a muffled voice in the crowd stated, “praise be to God.” Then another, louder, repeated, “praise be to God.” Then another and another until the noise rose in decibels and the whole chorus in front of George were chanting.
“Praise be to God.”
“Praise be to God.”
With steely determination in his eyes his moved back to the head of the dragon and drew his sword upwards. Mouthing the words, “deo duce, ferro comitante,” he thrust the sword deep into its neck, blood splatted back over his face and armour. The dragon gave a small cry, laid its head down and closed its eyes. George simply pulled the sword free and walked away.
The chorus died down as realisation of what had just happened hit. The citizens of Lasia felt joyousness in their hearts. The beast was dead, the torment ended. The people flooded out, the streets filled with noise once again and food and wine were brought from every corner of the city. The parties lasted well into the night. Princess Sadra had watched as George exited the stage, rather than feeling saddened she simply made the sign of the cross and left, knowing what she needed to do next.
The following day the beast was quartered and carted out of the city. Princess Sadra spent the rest of her life building a church on the spot where the dragon was killed. The Church of the Virgin Mary and Saint George. It is said that a spring leapt from the altar and anyone who drank this was cured of any illness. The news of the Knight and the dragon spread and missionaries went forth, converting other towns and cities to the way of the one true God.
George was never seen again in Lasia and to the people this was a sign. A sign that he was their guardian angel, that he would appear whenever trouble arose and strike it down with the power of God. Therefore, they believe, or rather hoped, hence forth, that God was watching over them.
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