So, I somehow totally forgot about the Storytime collab. I am stupid, I know. But I made a short story for it. If someone is willing to become a narrator for it, It'd be cool. I understand there isn't much time left and the story is unpolished, like most of my things are, but I'm still posting it.

A boy who dreamed of fighting the dragon

A long time ago, in a distant kingdom lived a boy named Daniel. His father was the most renowned and bravest knight in the entire kingdom. His deeds were great and many - he warded off the vicious goblins horde, stopped the cunning Necromancer from unleashing the undead army at the kingdom, but greatest of all, he defeated a ferocious Dragon that threatened to scorch all the lands with its fiery breath.

Daniel always dreamed that one day he would become a famous hero, like his father. He spent days practicing with sword or reading about dreadful creatures and ways of fighting them. Daniel enjoyed listening to the stories and rumors that merchants and travelers brought to their hometown, hoping that if not a dragon, then at least a manticore or a minotaur appeared in nearby forest and attacked a passing caravan.

However, as months and years passed, nothing troubled the kingdom. Goblins never dared to set their foot in the kingdom again, evil wizards stayed away from its borders, and not even a single monster threatened the peace and quiet of the land. Yet Daniel never lost hope, and the reason for that was his father’s sword. The God-Blacksmith himself forged this sword and made a prophecy, claiming, “Nothing will break this sword until it faces the most terrifying flame”. Daniel knew that this sword remained intact during his father’s battle with a dragon, and he believed this means that even stronger monster will appear, and, surely, Daniel will be the one to stand against this threat.

One day, Daniel’s family visited his father’s friend in another town. During their visit, Daniel took part in practice fights that the castle guards had, and surprised everyone with his skill at such a young age. At dinner, he sat next to Elisa, the town ruler’s daughter, a girl his age. She complimented his performance too. “Thank you.” Daniel responded. “But I still need to train more, if I am to be like my father and fulfill the prophecy of his sword”.

Elisa frowned. “The prophecy? This sounds mysterious! What prophecy?”

“Let’s sneak away and I will show you”.

They both asked the permission to leave the table, and Daniel entered the room given to his father. He took his father’s sword and showed it to Elisa.

“See this inscription? Only the most terrible fire can break this sword. And my father slayed a dragon with it! That means that some even worse monster will appear, and I will fight it!”

“So, are you going to go hunt monsters all over the world?” Elisa asked

“No, of course not!” Daniel felt offended. “I will be a knight, not a monster hunter.”

“Are you going to just wait then? Always training and waiting for that dragon or something to appear? That’s boring!”

Elisa giggled and ran away, not interested in her new friend’s dreams.

“Silly girl! She understands nothing!” Annoyed and angry, Daniel decided against returning to the dining room and instead went to his own room, placed his father’s sword next to his bed, laid down and soon fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, loud sounds woke him up. Daniel heard people running and screaming, he grabbed his father’s sword and ran out of his room. He assumed the castle was under attack, and he was anticipating to finally demonstrating his skills in a real battle. As he stepped out, a wave of heat hit him, and clouds of smoke covered his eyes. He coughed, covering his mouth and nose. Silhouettes were running back and forth in the smoke, but they were no bandits or monsters – only servants, some with buckets of water, some carrying children or items of value. Daniel ran with them to the big castle hall.

“Has anyone seen Lady Elisa?!” Somebody shouted. “She was not in her room!”

“Oh no! She often plays in the library, and southern wing is all caught in fire!”

Daniel looked at the southern corridor. The smoke there was especially heavy. Clutching his father’s sword, he sprinted into the corridor. As he ran forward, one of the side doors fell in front of him, letting out tongues of flame and flying sparks. Daniel jumped, and pointed his sword towards the room, but there weren’t anyone there – only fire dancing on walls and floor. The ceiling over the boy’s head started creaking from the heat and fire crawling somewhere above. Daniel gulped and coughed, his throat was sore from the smoke and ashes floating around. His legs shook, but he went on further in the southern wing.

The library door was open, and the inside was roaring flame. “Elisa! You here?!” Daniel shouted. He had to shout twice before he heard a faint voice. He stepped inside, and had to cover his face from the heat. He found Elisa barely conscious, lying under a fallen bookshelf that already began smoking. He tried to lift the shelf, but it was too heavy for him. Daniel felt fear and despair rising inside him, and tears rising to his eyes. He looked at the sword in his trembling hands. He expected to find a dragon trying to steal Elisa, like in the stories. But there was neither dragon nor any other creature to strike with the sword, only mindless fire crawling closer and closer, threatening to take away their lives for no reason. All his training meant nothing. He could not save Elisa. “Useless thing!” He whispered angrily, to the sword or maybe to himself. And then he remembered that this sword was supposed to be unbreakable! He pushed it under the shelf and tried lifting it with all his strength. The shelf moved ever so slightly. The sword held it. “Elisa, crawl out, fast!” The girl obeyed and managed to pull herself from under the shelf. The next moment Daniel let the shelf fall and pulled the sword out. But all that was left in his hands was a small part of the broken blade above the handle.

“Come on! Let’s get out!” Elisa tagged his sleeve, coughing and breathing heavily, and he followed her. In the corridor, they ran into grown-ups, who immediately covered them with wet blankets and carried them to their parents, outside of the castle.

“I’m sorry, father.” Daniel apologized. “I… broke your sword. I… Thought there was some monster or something, and then I had to pull Elisa out, and it… it just broke. I’m sorry… I only wanted to defeat a monster, to be a hero, like you.”

“My son.” His father held him tightly. “Fighting someone is not necessary to be a hero.” He looked at Elisa, crying in her mother’s arms. “Giving all you’ve got to protect and save others – this is what makes you a true hero.”