by Bradley J. Alger

I
The knight dawns his helm
A helm of the finest steel 
With a crest that signals salvation to the oppressed.
Onward, he looks to the horizon
Standing watch for the great red dragon. 
His breastplate, a symbol of righteousness 
He wraps his belt around his waist, 
His blessed sword at his side.

II
He stands on a grassy hill, miles away from the city
He gazes at the horizon, the sound of the beating 
Cursed wings boom through the air.
It brings back past memories
Of fire, death, misery and pain.
Many men before him have came 
And have done battle with that wicked wyrm.
And they have all returned back to the city
Burned, scarred and crippled.
As the beast draws nearer, 
He unsheathes his sword
Clutched in his right hand with white knuckles.
He raises his shield with his left.
He sweats as the air heats up
As if a mouth to hell had opened up 
Right beneath him.

III
The knight leaves the smoldering carcass
Of the dragon on the ground
As he collapses against 
A mighty ash.
He gazes upwards towards the sky.
Behind him, the rescued city
But before him stands
The Holy City.

Bradley J. Alger is an aspiring writer and a Christian Counseling student at Northeastern Baptist College and he lives on campus in Bennington, Vermont.