Quest of the Avatar 
                      By Josh Miller

     Avatar stood looking over the valley on the jagged
cliff.  The sun was beginning to set and the sky was a bright
red color.  It wouldn't be long before the moon would rise. 
The moon that would awaken the beast.  He watched the sun 
sink most of the way and turned around. 

     He unsheathed his sword.  The light reflected off it's 
smooth polished surface.  The wind blew and his cape twitched
a little around his ankles.  The beast had only one weak spot
and it was only venerable at night.  The sun finished it's 
descent. 

     He started running down the tunnel.  Time was of the 
essence now.  In the moon and sun light the beast was flesh 
and blood.  At this short time of complete darkness he was 
stone.  He had to travel down the cave and defeat the beast 
while it was still stone.  It would hear him coming if he 
started any earlier. 

     Finally, he arrived at the chamber of the beast.  In the
center there was a large hole in the ceiling.  Directly
underneath the hole was a large statue.  A statue of a
dragon.  This was what he had to fight.  It was only
venerable in one spot.  He could barely see anything in the
dark.  Suddenly he caught a glint of something green in the
dragon's mouth.  That was it.  That was where he had to hit
the beast.  Avatar looked around.  There wasn't any source of
light in the room.  He wondered what had caused the shimmer.
Then he realized it.  The moon was up.  It appeared on the
edge on the hole.  The beam it cast came down in front of the
dragon.  It quickly made it's way across the entire statue.
The rock began to crumble off the statue.

     Avatar turned to run.  The chamber entrance was close. 
He was stopped when a giant tail fell across his path.  He 
ran toward the dragon.  He jumped between it's legs.  It 
turned around to catch him.  Avatar jumped on to the dragon's
tail and started climbing up it's neck.  The dragon turned 
all over looking for it's lost prey.  Then it jumped out the 
hole in the ceiling.  It stuck it's head down inside and 
looked around.  Then it started inhaling. 

     Avatar was almost to the top.  He started pulling 
himself through the dragon's hair.  The dragon spewed a long 
blast of fire down into the hole.  Avatar climbed onto the 
top of the beast's head. 

     The dragon's eyes went wide.  It had realized where it's
prey had gone.  It saw Avatar standing on it's nose.  It let 
out a great roar then started inhaling again.  Avatar jumped
off the end of the dragon's nose and swung himself in the
beast's mouth by one of it's nostrils.  He swung his sword
back to strike.  He brought it down on the gem and stabbed it
through.  The dragon roared in pain.  At the same moment it
lost control if it's fire.  Avatar turned and saw the huge
fire ball coming from the dragon's throat.  He turned and
jumped.  The fire blasted out right behind him.  He landed
and rolled along the ground.

     The dragon stumbled around a bit then collapsed.  Avatar
walked up to the body.  He had vanquished the beast.  Now he
could retrieve what he'd come for.  He walked over to the
dragon's hand.  He stuck his sword in the crack where the
claw was held to it's finger.  He pulled the blade back to
pry the claw out.  Blood started coming from around the end
of the dragon's finger.  Finally it came loose.  He picked it
up.  It has about the size of his hand, maybe bigger.  Avatar
knelt next to the dragon's body.  Then he stood and started
walking away.  Now he could prove he was a great warrior and
become a knight.

*	*	*

     He had to travel for two days to reach the castle.  It
was old and worn from many battles.  It was the strongest
castle for miles.  He walked through the gate and toward the
center building.  He showed the dragon's claw to the lord of
the castle.

     He had passed the test and made a member of the army.
Now he would be known as one of the greatest warriors in the
world.  One of the best.  One of the few select warriors.

     And yet, one of a thousand others who had wanted the same
thing.