Dragon Mountain

by Katie Tsang

  ‘Exactly,’ said Charlotte. ‘You heard the dragons. Together we can win.’ She smiled at them. ‘I’m so happy I met y’all. Not just because we broke a magic curse together. But that definitely helps.’

  * * *

  Back at camp, things looked normal. Some kids were playing on the grassy field, a few were lying in hammocks and a couple were heading into the canteen, all of them enjoying a morning of free time.

  In that moment Billy felt the full weight of what could happen, and not just to him, but to everyone. If they didn’t stop the Dragon of Death, this would all be gone. Everything. His parents, his brother. The dragons had made it clear that the Dragon of Death would destroy the world as they knew it.

  ‘It’s weird, isn’t it, that everything looks so normal?’ said Dylan as they went into the canteen. It was mostly empty, except for Shreya and Caroline in a far corner. ‘Nobody here knows there are dragons, like… right there. And that we’re all in imminent danger.’

  ‘Do you think we should tell someone?’ said Billy, the thought just occurring to him. ‘Maybe Old Gold? That way we don’t need to break into his office. We could just ask for the pearl.’

  ‘I don’t know,’ said Charlotte. ‘He wouldn’t believe us.’

  ‘He might,’ said Billy. ‘He’s the one who told us about the legend in the first place.’

  ‘Even if he did believe us, he wouldn’t let us go back to the mountain,’ said Ling-Fei as they approached the steamer and grabbed as many stuffed buns as they could carry. ‘He’d want to protect us. I know that. And… we can’t let the dragons down. You heard them. It has to be us.’

  ‘I guess you know Old Gold better than any of us,’ said Billy.

  They took their food to a table at the back of the canteen. Billy was ravenous and the buns were delicious. They were fluffy and hot and filled with tangy, sweet meat.

  ‘These are good,’ Dylan said with his mouth full. ‘What’s in them?’

  ‘Char siu,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘It’s a kind of barbecued pork.’

  ‘I like it,’ said Dylan, reaching for another bun. They chewed in silence for a few moments, letting the buns revive them. They were so focused on eating they didn’t notice Old Gold walk up to their table, JJ right behind him.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ said Old Gold.

  ‘Good afternoon,’ they chorused.

  ‘Do you mind if we join you?’ he said.

  There was only one answer to that.

  ‘Of course not,’ said Charlotte graciously. ‘Would you like a bun?’

  ‘I’ve already eaten, actually. I just wanted to have a little chat,’ said Old Gold, settling into a chair next to Billy. JJ stayed standing, his arms folded.

  ‘JJ said he saw something quite interesting this morning. Or rather what he didn’t see. Apparently, he couldn’t find any sign of you all over camp,’ said Old Gold. ‘I know you had free time, but it is strange for you four to be so hard to find.’

  Billy bristled. Why had JJ been looking for them? He glanced over at Dylan to roll his eyes, but Dylan was staring directly at JJ and Old Gold with a strange expression on his face.

  Ling-Fei’s eyes grew enormous. ‘Yeye, we can explain,’ she started, her voice beginning to rise in panic, before Dylan interrupted smoothly.

  ‘JJ,’ he said with a grin, ‘that is so kind of you to be looking out for us. But you know we were studying Mandarin in our cabins. Remember?’

  JJ stared back at Dylan and then blinked. ‘Oh, yeah,’ he said slowly. ‘I guess I forgot.’

  ‘You were all studying?’ asked Old Gold, sounding much more sceptical.

  ‘We were,’ said Dylan, turning his gaze on Old Gold. ‘We wanted to make up for our abysmal performance in the scavenger hunt.’

  Old Gold nodded. ‘Of course you were,’ he said.

  ‘Thank you for checking on us,’ Dylan went on. ‘Oh, and one more thing…’

  It suddenly hit Billy. Whatever was going on here had something to do with Dylan’s power. It had to.

  ‘Yes?’ said Old Gold, looking a bit dazed.

  Dylan stared directly into Old Gold’s eyes. ‘Tonight, you should leave your office door unlocked. Everyone here at camp is very trustworthy.’

  ‘Leave my office door unlocked?’ repeated Old Gold.

  ‘Yes,’ said Dylan. ‘Unlocked.’ Then he cleared his throat. ‘Was there anything else you wanted to ask us, Old Gold?’

  Old Gold shook his head, as if he was clearing it.

  ‘Glad to see you four getting along so well,’ he said. ‘Come along, JJ. I need your help organizing my files.’ He shuffled away.

  JJ stared at the table. ‘I don’t know what is happening, but something weird is going on with you guys,’ he said.

  ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ said Dylan, taking a big bite of pork bun.

  As soon as JJ had left the canteen, Dylan turned to the others with a grin.

  ‘I think I figured out my power.’

  ‘Lying?’ said Charlotte, eyebrows raised.

  ‘How insulting,’ said Dylan. ‘Not lying. Persuading.’

  ‘Whatever it was, it was impressive,’ said Billy. ‘I can’t believe you got Old Gold to leave his door unlocked.’

  ‘He hasn’t done it yet,’ said Dylan. ‘But I decided it was worth a shot. It was the strangest thing – when I saw them, I knew we were going to be in trouble, and I realized that if I started talking… well, they would believe me.’

  ‘It makes sense,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘You tell good stories. Charm would come naturally to you.’

  ‘It’s an awesome power,’ said Billy. ‘I wonder if it works on dragons.’

  ‘I hope so,’ said Dylan. ‘I’m just glad it worked on Old Gold and JJ.’

  ‘So am I,’ said Charlotte. ‘But, Dylan? If you ever try that on me, I will use my own power to pound you into the ground. Got it?’

  Dylan gulped. ‘Got it.’

  The Lightning Pearl

  They made a plan to meet at midnight outside Old Gold’s office.

  ‘What if Old Gold doesn’t leave his door unlocked after all?’ said Dylan as they left the canteen.

  ‘He will,’ said Charlotte.

  ‘And, if he doesn’t, we’ll have to break in the old-fashioned way,’ said Billy. ‘Through a window or something.’

  ‘Or I can bust the door down,’ said Charlotte.

  ‘I think we should avoid that if possible,’ said Ling-Fei. She paused. ‘And I think we should leave Old Gold a note. So he doesn’t worry.’

  ‘That’s a good idea,’ said Dylan. He swallowed. ‘I want to write a note for my family too. Just in case… we don’t come back.’

  They all looked at each other, suddenly aware that not returning home was a very real possibility.

  Charlotte broke the silence. ‘Well, aren’t you a bunch of pessimistic possums?’ she said, tossing her hair. ‘Obviously we’re coming back. Just after we defeat the Dragon of Death and save the world. Easy-peasy.’

  It was unclear if she was kidding or not. Charlotte sighed. ‘But if y’all are leaving notes for your families, I’ll do the same. Just so my daddy doesn’t panic when the camp calls to say we’ve run off.’

  ‘Ling-Fei,’ said Billy slowly. ‘You can’t tell Old Gold in the note where we’ve gone or what we’re doing.’

  ‘I won’t,’ she said. ‘I’ll just say we’ve gone…’

  ‘On an adventure,’ said Charlotte firmly. ‘And we’ll be back soon.’

  * * *

  Back in his cabin, Billy sat down at his small desk. Dylan sat next to him and passed him a piece of paper.

  ‘I’m not exactly sure what to write,’ Dylan admitted, pushing his glasses up on his nose. ‘We can’t explain much, can we?’

  Billy shook his head. ‘I guess not.’

  He looked down at his paper and started writing.

  Dear Mom, Dad and Eddie,

  He paused. His stomach was starting to hurt. What if he never
saw his parents again? Or his brother? He couldn’t imagine it.

  ‘Hey, Dylan,’ he said quietly.

  Dylan looked up. ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Are you scared?’

  Dylan laughed a little. ‘Petrified,’ he said. ‘But… I still think we should go. And what are our other options? Pretend we never discovered dragons? Talking dragons? Just go back to life as normal, even though we know that the Dragon of Death is coming?’

  Billy nodded. ‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘I just hope we can go home at the end of it all.’

  ‘Me too,’ said Dylan. ‘But, Billy?’

  ‘What?’

  ‘I really do think everything will be okay. I’ve got to think that, otherwise I’d never be able to go into something like this. And we’ll all be together. With dragons!’

  ‘You’re right,’ said Billy. He took a deep breath and thought about Spark. Deep inside himself, he could have sworn he felt an answering tug, like an invisible tether running back to the mountain – back to Spark. It made him feel calm and strong.

  He looked back at his paper. He knew what to say.

  Everything at camp is great. Mom and Dad, you were right. I’m glad I came. I just wanted to tell you guys that I love you. And I hope I can make you proud.

  * * *

  The rest of the day passed in a blur.

  They had dinner with the other campers, avoiding Old Gold and JJ. Afterwards, when they were all sitting by the campfire, Ling-Fei asked Old Gold to retell the legend of Dragon Mountain.

  And then, despite all the excitement, Billy slept until his alarm went off at midnight. He sat bolt upright. It was time.

  * * *

  The door to Old Gold’s office was unlocked.

  Dylan heaved a huge sigh of relief. ‘I guess my power really does work,’ he said, his hand on the pearl around his neck.

  ‘Stop congratulating yourself and get looking for the pearl,’ said Charlotte, slipping inside the office.

  Without the moon and stars overhead, darkness hung heavy in the office, and Billy let his eyes adjust, trying to make out the shapes.

  Charlotte turned on a torch. ‘Thought this might be useful,’ she said.

  ‘Careful,’ said Dylan, eyeing the windows. ‘We don’t want anyone to see we’re in here.’

  Charlotte nodded and pointed the light down towards the ground.

  ‘Where do we start?’ said Dylan. ‘Billy, do you remember where anything was?’

  Billy shook his head, feeling a bit useless. ‘It was really rainy,’ he said. ‘All I saw was the light flashing and the blue glow.’

  ‘Ah. A blue glow,’ said Dylan, glancing doubtfully round the decidedly normal-looking office.

  ‘Wait,’ said Ling-Fei. ‘I can sense something.’ She went to a cupboard and opened it, her hands trembling. Then she gasped.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Billy. ‘Have you found the pearl?’ He desperately hoped she had. He had been so sure the Lightning Pearl was here. He didn’t want to let the dragons down, and he didn’t want to be the only one without a pearl. He’d thought it would be obvious, but if the pearl was here he couldn’t see it.

  Ling-Fei held out her hands. In them were what looked like pieces of oblong ivory.

  ‘These are oracle bones,’ breathed Ling-Fei.

  ‘What’s an oracle bone?’ asked Dylan, leaving the desk drawer he was rummaging through to inspect Ling-Fei’s discovery.

  ‘They’re ancient fortune-telling devices,’ said Ling-Fei, turning the bones over in her hand. ‘I knew Old Gold collected ancient artefacts, but these… these are priceless and incredibly rare.’

  ‘As rare as a magic pearl?’ said Billy with a wry grin.

  ‘No, but they are very rare. And useful. I think we should show these to the dragons,’ said Ling-Fei, putting one in her pocket.

  ‘Ling-Fei, aren’t bones, by their very nature, a bit… dead?’ asked Dylan.

  ‘What do you mean?’ said Ling-Fei.

  ‘Doesn’t your power help you sense… living things? Isn’t it strange that you found the bones?’

  Ling-Fei nodded slowly. ‘That’s what I thought.’ She pulled out the oracle bone again. ‘But this is definitely calling to me. And it feels… alive.’

  They all stared at the ivory bone, as if waiting for it to jump up in the air. A shiver ran down Billy’s spine.

  ‘Maybe you can sense magic too, the way Xing can,’ said Charlotte to Ling-Fei. ‘If that is the case, maybe you could try to sense the Lightning Pearl.’

  ‘Good idea, Charlotte,’ said Billy, even though he wished that he was the one who could sense it.

  Ling-Fei closed her eyes and focused. Then her eyes flew open and she pointed to the top of a bookshelf. ‘There. There’s something there.’

  Billy looked up and saw a wink of flashing blue light. ‘I see something!’ he said. He clambered up the bookshelf as if it was a ladder. He could see the pearl now. It glowed blue and inside it tiny bolts of lightning danced around, as if trying to escape.

  ‘A storm trapped in a pearl,’ Billy said in wonder as he reached out and grabbed it. The pearl sparked in his hands, sending small jolts of electricity up his arms. ‘Whoa.’

  ‘Do you have it?’ said Charlotte from below.

  Billy turned to hop down from the bookshelf, but what started as a jump turned into a backflip. He landed on two feet, the pearl still clutched in his hand.

  His friends stared at him.

  ‘Have you… always been able to do that?’ said Dylan.

  Billy shook his head and then grinned. ‘I think my power has been activated.’

  Suit Up

  This time, the walk back to the mountain felt different. Purposeful. It was dark outside, but the Lightning Pearl lit up enough to show the path. They had decided to go straight to the mountain instead of waiting until morning. The sooner they returned to their dragons, the better. They marched in silence, excitement radiating off them like steam from a hot bowl of soup.

  They found the dragons in the main cavern. As soon as Billy saw Spark, he was filled with that same sense of strength and calm he’d had when he thought about her earlier. But now it was magnified. He felt invincible.

  ‘You came back,’ said Tank.

  ‘Of course we did,’ said Charlotte.

  ‘Humans are fickle creatures,’ said Xing. But she was smiling. ‘I’m hoping you succeeded in what we asked of you.’

  ‘We found the Lightning Pearl,’ said Billy, reaching into his pocket and holding it out.

  ‘And?’ said Spark, giving Billy her sharp-toothed smile.

  Billy leaped into the air and did two somersaults. ‘I think my power has something to do with balance and agility,’ he said, landing on silent feet.

  ‘My power showed itself too!’ said Dylan, telling them what had happened with Old Gold.

  Buttons applauded. ‘A delightful power! And so useful too.’

  ‘Intriguing, that a human would have a pearl and oracle bones,’ said Xing, inspecting the oracle bone that Ling-Fei had brought back. ‘This one is about us, the return of the dragons.’

  ‘Do you think Old Gold has read it?’ asked Ling-Fei.

  ‘Humans rarely know how to read them properly. Even if he did, he wouldn’t know what it meant,’ said Xing dismissively.

  ‘And now… now do we go into the Dragon Realm?’ asked Billy.

  Tank appraised them. ‘We will go soon. When we get there, the first thing we should do is find our old clan, alongside whom we battled the Dragon of Death and her nox-wings. Our old friend Dimitrius will have been in charge. And then we will find out why the Dragon of Death is growing in strength, even back in time when she should be unable to do anything.’

  ‘It has to be something to do with those wretched nox-wings,’ sniffed Buttons. ‘Odious creatures, really. Would do anything for a bit of ill-gotten power.’

  ‘Before we go, there’s one more thing,’ said Xing. ‘We need to get you properly clothed.’ She ma
de a derisive sound. ‘Humans, with their soft skin and weak bones. Such a liability.’

  ‘I quite like my skin,’ said Dylan.

  ‘Then you probably want to keep it on your body,’ said Xing. ‘Now come with me!’

  They followed Xing down the corridor to her hoard. She dived in, sniffing around, and then pushed out a jewelled trunk. She popped it open with her nose. Shining fabric spilled out.

  ‘Is that… living fabric?’ asked Ling-Fei, moving closer. ‘I can sense it.’

  ‘It’s magic, not living,’ said Xing. ‘But your power seems to already be growing.’ She shouted, ‘Spark! I need your help.’

  Spark flew in on silent wings.

  ‘Use your… electricity thing,’ said Xing.

  ‘These bolts of fabric are incredibly rare, and very valuable,’ Spark explained. ‘They will be able to protect you from almost anything.’ She smiled. ‘It is the closest thing to dragon skin we can give you.’

  ‘You,’ said Xing, pointing her snout at Dylan. ‘We will start with you. Come here.’

  A sheet of metallic green fabric rose up from the trunk, as if of its own accord, and swept over Dylan, covering him completely.

  Xing focused on Dylan. Her eyes glowed and a light emanated from them. Spark made a low buzzing sound, and bolts of electricity zapped from her wings towards Dylan. He giggled as one hit him.

  ‘That tickles,’ he said, squirming.

  ‘Hold still,’ said Xing.

  Billy stared in amazement as the fabric morphed round Dylan’s body, shaping itself to his figure. The neck hole stretched round his head, revealing Dylan’s shocked face. Then the two dragons exhaled. Dylan stood in front of them, wearing a full bodysuit of metallic green.