Previously… A bogatyr (heroic knight) named Dobrynya Nikitich had fought the dragon, Zmey Gorynych, and forced her to plead for mercy. The two of them agreed never to fight again. All was well, or so Dobrynya thought.
When he returned to the court of his patron, Vladimir the Great, Dobrynya was greeted by terrible news — none other than Zmey Gorynych had descended from the sky and snatched away Vladimir’s niece, Zabava Putyatishna! The king was furious when he learned that Dobrynya had encountered this dragon and allowed her to live. He ordered the bogatyr to rescue his niece or die trying.
Dobrynya went home to his mother and complained bitterly that he had neither horse nor weapons suited to such a task. (Never mind that he had already defeated Zmey Gorynych with nothing but a hat…) Mama Dobrynya gifted her boy with a fine horse named Burko, a spear, and a magical whip from Shamakhi (modern-day Azerbaijan) that would heal any wound.
Thus equipped, Dobrynya Nikitich set off on his quest. He followed Zmey Gorynych’s trail to the Saracen Mountains. There he rescued several Russian captives, but was unable to find the missing princess. He did locate the Zmey’s nest, where he trampled and crushed her young. Before dying, one of the dragonlings bit Burko’s leg and paralyzed the poor horse. Fortunately, Dobrynya remembered his magical whip and was able to restore his faithful steed.
Just then, Zmey Gorynych rushed from her lair in a rage over the loss of her brood. She swore that she would never release Zabava until Dobrynya had fallen before her. The battle was joined, and what a battle it was! Combat raged all over the Saracen Mountains for days on end. By the third day, the bogatyr was exhausted and had nearly decided to abandon his mission. But a voice came from the Heavens urging him to fight just three hours longer. Dobrynya Nikitich gathered his courage and fought on.
Just as the voice had promised, Zmey Gorynych lay dead less than three hours later. But Dobrynya was still in trouble. The dragon was so evil that the earth would not allow her blood to sink in. A great pool of blood collected there, and Dobrynya was at risk of drowning in it. Again a voice called down from the Heavens, telling him to speak an incantation and jab his spear into the ground. At this, the blood finally soaked into the ground. Dobrynya was able to save the Princess Zabava. (One assumes he washed the blood away before returning her to her uncle’s court, however.)
Wyrmflight: A Hoard of Dragon Lore — $4.99 e-book or $17.99 trade paperback. Available at Amazon or Draft2Digital.
This one gives me an interesting thought for a future story.
I look forward to seeing it at some point.