Dragon's Lair

This is my first attempt to translate a story into English that I have drafted and published in German. As I am not a native speaker, I am a little unsure how successful this will be. Therefore, any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I published this story for the first time on New Year's Eve 2010, almost 13 years ago.

The story adopts the classic motif of virgins being sacrificed to an evil dragon and noble knights rushing to their rescue.

Instead of following the theme in a straight line, the story takes a few twists and turns that are hopefully surprising, perhaps even amusing.

The basic tenor is sacrifice and corruption.

Have fun reading!

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Konrad got back in the saddle and rode up the hill to leave the devastated valley. From here, the figure he had left behind, dressed in all white, looked even smaller and more lost. The young woman stayed silent and decided not to fight. He tied her to a pole that was covered in soot. She had been a real feast for the eyes. He realized this when he helped her get off her horse and took off her warm coat. Her full, feminine body was barely concealed by the silk shirt, which was almost transparent. She had large, round breasts that pressed against the thin fabric, even though she had only come of age this month. A dark triangle loomed between her legs. A serious temptation for the rough mercenary.

Konrad had briefly realized that there wasn't a soul within twenty miles of him, the burly, armed warrior and the helpless maiden. No one would be able to stop him from taking advantage of the opportunity. But he resisted the urge because the dragon's instructions were clear. Each Solstice day, the creature expected a real virgin to be sacrificed.

A REAL virgin. The humans attempted to deceive him in this regard only once many years ago. Before the people could fulfill his demand, two whole villages were reduced to ashes. Real virgins were becoming more and more rare throughout the country. Every family wanted their daughters to get married as soon as possible to avoid a horrible blood sacrifice. Fathers sometimes took even more drastic measures to save their daughters from a gruesome as Solstice day approached.

The girl he brought here today had dark hair that showed that her family came from the south. They might not have known about the dangers for teenage girls in this area. It was their loving care for the child that sealed its fate.

An eye-catching silver glint caught Konrads attention. He covered his eyes with the flat of his hand against the setting sun to see better. There was, indeed, a knight in gleaming armor approaching the place of sacrifice. His lance was raised high towards the sky, and his visor was closed. The shield was on his left arm. A madman, indeed.

Konrad had not the slightest desire to be around when the dragon discovered this challenge. It was a powerful fire-breathing beast at its peak of power. No human would have a chance of defeating it in battle. Possibly, the knight could injure him, but it would certainly anger him. Konrad was not looking forward to meeting an angry dragon. He promptly put the spurs on his horse and hurried back to the secure confines of the castle.