Dragon Mountain

by Katie Tsang

  Directly on the other side of the translucent red surface was a solid limestone wall.

  ‘You’re right,’ Billy said. ‘We’ll have to walk round the edge until we find an opening.’

  ‘Wait, look here!’ said Ling-Fei, darting to the left and crouching low. ‘There’s a small gap in the wall that we could crawl through.’

  ‘And we should have enough of those needles to knock out a dragon if we need to,’ said Charlotte.

  ‘This feels like a deeply flawed plan,’ said Dylan dubiously. ‘We’re just going to sneak around and try to get more information? With nothing to defend ourselves against the nox-wings except needles?’

  ‘It’s the only plan we’ve got,’ said Billy. ‘Look, at least we’ve got the element of surprise this time. If Spark hadn’t sacrificed herself to save us we’d already be in there as prisoners, and what help would we have been then? Come on, I’ll go first.’

  Billy got down on his belly and army-crawled through the hole in the wall. The others followed. The air had a different quality inside the red dome. It was crackling as if it had a static charge.

  The tunnel was longer than Billy expected. His whole body was now snuggled into the crevice, and he couldn’t see out the other side. He held his breath, trying to work out if he could hear anything. Nothing. But he knew Spark was close. For the first time since they’d been separated, the bond felt stronger than a mere flicker.

  After a few more minutes of wiggling through the tunnel, Billy saw a dim glow ahead. ‘We’re almost there,’ he whispered over his shoulder. The closer he got to the inside of the dome, the more he felt the bond with Spark. But his joy at sensing his dragon quickly turned to fear. She was in pain. Billy wasn’t sure if she was close enough to hear his thoughts, but he tried anyway. We’re coming, Spark. Just hold on.

  There was no response. Billy gritted his teeth and continued wriggling with new determination.

  When he reached the end of the tunnel, he paused and listened again. Still nothing. He slowly emerged into the back of an enormous cavern. Charlotte, Ling-Fei and Dylan came out behind him. There was a large pile of gold in front of them.

  Billy held a finger to his lips, and silently started to walk towards the cavern entrance.

  Suddenly, something rumbled up ahead and a huge shape appeared from behind the pile of gold. It was an enormous maroon-coloured dragon.

  The four friends froze.

  ‘Oh, no,’ moaned Dylan.

  ‘Maybe it can’t see us,’ whispered Charlotte.

  The dragon whipped its head round and stared straight at them.

  ‘Get the spikes out! Now!’ said Billy, hoping his idea would work. If it didn’t, they were dead.

  Dylan fumbled with his backpack as smoke started to come out of the dragon’s nostrils.

  ‘You!’ it roared, fire shooting out of its nostrils. ‘How did you get in here?’ It flashed its teeth. ‘What a treat this is. I will feast on your small bones and my fellow nox-wings will be pleased with me for getting rid of you bothersome children.’

  Billy knew they only had one chance. ‘Now, Dylan!’

  Dylan quickly handed a fistful of poisonous spines to Billy, careful not to prick either of their hands. Charlotte and Ling-Fei grabbed some too.

  ‘Throw!’ said Billy.

  A shower of poisonous needles fell on the maroon dragon and bounced off its scales.

  ‘What is this?’ said the dragon, amused. It picked up one of the needles and let out a laugh. ‘Silly humans! This mere plant cannot pierce my armour.’

  Billy’s heart sank into his stomach.

  ‘Don’t eat us!’ yelled Dylan, making eye contact with the dragon.

  ‘And why would I not eat four delicious humans?’

  ‘Oh, well, we are highly poisonous beings. Didn’t you know?’

  The dragon blinked at Dylan a few times, clearly rolling what he’d just said around in its head.

  Billy had an idea. He took the chance and dashed up to the dragon.

  ‘Humans are not poisonous,’ the dragon finally said. ‘Do not try to fool me.’

  Billy swept up a handful of needles from the floor before leaping towards the dragon’s face. As Billy went to jab the spines into the dragon’s eye, the dragon turned towards him, breaking free of Dylan’s charm and swatting Billy out of the air. Billy flew into the dragon’s hoard, sending gold coins in every direction.

  The dragon roared and charged at Billy, its mouth wide. Billy fumbled around in the coins, trying to get away, but he couldn’t move quickly enough. The dragon’s jaws came closer and closer, and suddenly snapped shut just short of Billy’s face.

  ‘I’ve got it!’ cried Charlotte, holding the dragon back by its tail.

  The dragon let out another frustrated roar and, as it did, Billy jabbed a handful of spines straight into its tongue and pulled away.

  The dragon’s roar turned to a sputtering cough, and then its head slumped to the side and it collapsed on the ground with a thump.

  ‘Let’s go! Now!’ said Billy. ‘We don’t know how long that nox-wing will be out for!’

  The group ran past the dragon and out of the other side of the cavern where the forest foliage continued under the dome. They raced to a line of trees and ducked low in the high grass.

  ‘That was madness!’ Dylan whisper-shouted. ‘I can’t believe it worked!’

  ‘But now we’re out of weapons,’ said Charlotte. ‘We used all the needles!’

  ‘Let’s worry about that after we find Spark and the others,’ said Billy. ‘I know they’re close. I can feel it. Can you guys?’

  They all nodded.

  ‘Look,’ said Billy, pointing through the trees towards the centre of the dome. Up ahead was a clearing that crackled and flashed with electricity. ‘Let’s get a better look. Stay quiet.’

  Billy led the way through the trees. Then he stopped suddenly, unable to believe what he saw.

  There were hundreds of dragons. But that wasn’t the shocking part.

  The dragons were in cages.

  Dragon Hearts

  The sight of the caged dragons made Billy feel sick. They weren’t ordinary cages either. The bars buzzed and sizzled, seemingly made of electricity. Each cage was a different size, made to fit the dragon inside it – and around each dragon’s neck was a tight collar made of the same electric material. The cages were positioned in a circle around a pulsing black hole that was swirling with electricity. Eight purple fires floated at various heights above the clearing, each giving off a plume of smoke.

  Billy couldn’t see Spark and the other dragons, but he knew they must be in there somewhere, having their life force drained. When they had first arrived in the Dragon Realm and seen the dragon bones in the cave, he’d thought that was the worst thing that could happen to him and his friends. But now, feeling flashes of Spark’s pain as her energy was sucked away, he wondered if the dragons in the cave had died merciful and quick deaths.

  ‘Can you see that?’ whispered Charlotte. ‘We have to release them! All of them! These must be the good dragons – the ones on our side who survived.’

  Ling-Fei looked as though she might cry. Billy thought that he might. Seeing such majestic creatures confined like this, and knowing how much pain they must be in, was unnatural. It made his skin crawl. He still couldn’t see Spark, but he could feel her agony through their bond even more now. It pulsed through him, strong enough to make him gasp.

  ‘We are so out of our depth,’ said Dylan.

  ‘This must be the portal they’re creating to bring back the Dragon of Death,’ whispered Ling-Fei.

  ‘I think you’re right,’ said Billy, trying to focus as another wave of pain came rolling in from his dragon bond. ‘We have to find our dragons. They’re close, I can feel it.’

  ‘Look!’ said Dylan, pointing. ‘They are in those cages over there!’

  Billy looked up and his heart jumped. Spark was staring right at him. With a sickening jolt, he realiz
ed how weak she had become since they’d been separated. Her eyes weren’t the bright gold they had been when he last saw her. They were dimmer, faded. But, as she kept her gaze on him, her eyes started to clear.

  ‘We need to get closer,’ said Billy, but as he took his first step the ground began to rumble. The portal in the centre of the dome turned a dark, swirling violet. Then a crackling purple beam shot out from the portal up into the sky. Dark clouds formed around it, throwing everything in shadow.

  There was the sound of beating wings up above. ‘Quick,’ said Billy. ‘Behind the trees!’

  A moment later, Dimitrius and dozens of other nox-wings landed in a circle around the portal. Dimitrius roared triumphantly, waving his head from side to side and throwing a column of fire into the sky. ‘Nox-wings! We have done it! The portal is finally ready! We have enough life force to summon the Great One! Right at this very moment, she is making her journey back to our current time! Let it be known that we are the future of both the Dragon and the Human Realms, and, with the power that the Great One grants us, all shall fall under our rule.’

  Dimitrius and the nox-wings turned and gazed into the swirling portal, anticipating the Dragon of Death’s imminent arrival.

  ‘We need to get to our dragons!’ Billy said. ‘Maybe they know how we can open their cages. And then we can fight the nox-wings and figure out a way to close the portal.’ He cut through the bushes towards Spark, with Charlotte, Dylan and Ling-Fei following close behind. The nox-wings were so focused on the portal they didn’t notice Billy and his friends sneaking by.

  ‘Billy,’ said Spark quietly, as they approached. ‘You came.’

  ‘Of course,’ said Billy. Spark’s eyes glowed bright and Billy was filled with peace. Now that he was with Spark again, he felt as if he could achieve anything.

  ‘Thank you,’ said Spark. ‘We must act fast. Listen carefully, children. We are weak from having our life force drained and we need you to be stronger than ever. Do you see those floating flames above us? Inside each one is a dragon’s heart that has been possessed by dark magic, and that is what is sucking away our life energy. Take the hearts out of the fire and the cages will open. Once we are free, the portal won’t have enough life force—’

  A bolt of purple electricity shot towards them and wrapped round Spark’s snout, sealing her mouth.

  ‘Who are you talking to?’ asked Dimitrius, thundering over.

  Spark looked directly at Billy. Jump, Billy, she told him and, as soon as he did, blue frost shot out of Spark’s nostrils, forming an ice board that slid right under him and latched onto his feet. You can control the board, Spark told him. Use our bond.

  Billy understood instantly. The ice board felt as if it was part of him. Billy squatted down, as if riding his surfboard, and he flew up towards the closest flame.

  ‘Get the human children!’ Dimitrius yelled and he hurled a ball of fire at Billy.

  Billy dodged to the left, the flame just missing him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw more nox-wings coming towards him. He dipped and dived as he flew into the air, dodging fireballs and ice boulders. As he approached the first purple flame, Billy thrust his arms in as fast as he could. Electricity buzzed through him, and then his hands closed on a wet, throbbing mass. He grabbed it and pulled. The fire immediately vanished, and the black beating heart in his hand burst into a cloud of ash.

  ‘Nooooo!’ yelled Dimitrius. ‘GET THAT BOY! And catch the escaped dragons!’

  Billy looked down at Spark, and saw that her cage and collar had vanished, as had the rope of electricity around her snout. She leaped into battle. Stay focused, Billy, she thought. I’ve got to help the others. With your power, you can manoeuvre better than any of us to destroy the hearts. Our bond is strong. It will keep you afloat. You can do this. Spark’s trust in Billy filled him with renewed energy.

  The cages holding Buttons, Xing and Tank disappeared too, the bolts of electricity sizzling as they went out. Charlotte, Ling-Fei and Dylan ran to their dragons and jumped on their backs.

  ‘Get all the dragon hearts!’ Billy yelled to his friends. ‘The faster we get rid of the hearts, the more dragons we’ll have on our side!’

  Several of the nox-wings chasing Billy dived towards the ground to fight the newly released dragons. Billy raced to a second heart and ripped it from the flames, destroying more cages. Below him, the portal began to shrink.

  The previously caged dragons and the nox-wings were fighting all around Billy now. Streams of fire and ice slashed through the air. Billy dipped and dodged on his floating ice board as he flew towards another heart.

  ‘GET HIM!’ yelled Dimitrius.

  Billy zipped over a flying ice boulder and under a bolt of electricity, grabbing a third dragon heart.

  ‘I’ve got one!’ shouted Charlotte.

  ‘Me too!’ yelled Dylan, looking triumphant as the black heart in his hands turned to ash.

  ‘Take that!’ cried Ling-Fei, grabbing a sixth heart.

  Only two hearts remained.

  Billy flew towards the next closest heart, dodging the fire coming at him from all directions. He could feel Spark through their bond, helping him guide the ice board.

  ‘You will not succeed!’ Dimitrius screamed from behind him.

  Billy reached for the heart, but as he did something struck the back of his ice board, smashing it to pieces. His momentum carried him through the air and he tore the heart from the flames as he flew. But Dimitrius caught up to Billy as he fell and clutched him in his paw – his claws piercing through his protective suit.

  Billy screamed. The pain was excruciating, and he was terrified. He was going to die. He would never see his parents or his brother again. He wished they could somehow know he died trying to save them, trying to save everyone.

  ‘You shall pay for what you have done,’ said Dimitrius as he swooped towards the ground, holding Billy out in front of him. ‘You have no idea what you almost ruined.’

  Billy slammed into the earth with a thud, and pain shot through his whole body. It felt as if every one of his bones had shattered. His vision blurred. He never knew he could feel such agony.

  ‘Spark,’ Billy whimpered.

  ‘Pitiful,’ said Dimitrius, his front leg pinning Billy to the ground.

  Tank charged from the other side of the clearing, headbutting nox-wings out of the way, as Charlotte held onto his horns and screamed like a warrior queen, trying to get to Billy. Buttons and Dylan flew high above with Xing and Ling-Fei, dodging fire and ice and pelting the nox-wings with their own attacks.

  Dimitrius reached up and plucked a star from the sky. ‘I am going to enjoy this,’ he said as he threw the star up towards his open jaws.

  Billy saw a flash of blue and gold and a familiar electricity buzzed through the air.

  It was Spark! She had eaten the star. Within moments, she had grown bigger than Dimitrius.

  ‘Let him go!’ she shouted and she shot a jet of electricity at Dimitrius. He dodged the attack and fled upwards, leaving Billy on the ground.

  ‘Buttons! Come quickly!’ Spark shouted, pulling Billy out of the fray. Billy heard a familiar hum as Buttons placed a giant paw gently on Billy’s chest.

  ‘This might hurt,’ said Buttons. ‘Your body is very broken.’ As he spoke, a searing pain shot through Billy, making him feel as if he was being melted from the inside out. His body went numb, and a moment later feeling slowly flowed back to his limbs.

  ‘Billy, are you okay? You did great up there,’ said Dylan, kneeling next to him. Charlotte and Ling-Fei were there as well.

  A single purple flame remained, burning high above. Dragons continued to fight all around them.

  Billy sat up gradually and looked at Dylan. ‘I… I think I’m fine.’ His voice shook. He couldn’t quite comprehend that he had survived, but then his incredulity gave way to a fierce determination. He wasn’t going to give up. He was going to keep fighting alongside his friends.

  Dylan stood and offe
red a hand to help Billy up.

  As Billy reached for Dylan’s hand, a figure dashed out of the forest and grabbed Dylan. Dylan yelled as he was pulled away towards the centre of the dome.

  Billy flung himself to his feet, adrenaline rushing through him, and chased after Dylan. He thought at first it must be a rock troll or another Dragon Realm monster, but as he came closer he realized it was a human.

  And not just any human.

  ‘Old Gold!’ Billy shouted, still running after them. ‘Get back! It’s dangerous.’ Billy’s brain went into overdrive as he tried to work out what was happening. What was Old Gold doing here? How had he even found his way into the Dragon Realm? He must have read their notes and somehow followed them. But why had he grabbed Dylan? If Old Gold was trying to protect Dylan, he should be going back into the forest.

  ‘Yeye!’ shouted Ling-Fei. ‘What are you doing?’

  Old Gold moved with intent, hurrying towards the closing portal.

  But then he turned and gave Ling-Fei a nasty smile. It transformed his entire face, and Billy felt as if he was looking at a stranger. A terrifying stranger. In one arm Old Gold lifted a ball of purple electricity up to Dylan’s face. His other arm held Dylan tightly in front of him like a shield. ‘Leave me be or the child dies!’

  Billy halted immediately, horror spreading through him.

  Old Gold looked back at Ling-Fei and sneered. ‘I’m not your yeye, you silly girl. How dare you keep that pearl from me? I killed your grandparents for the Lightning Pearl and I would have killed you for the Jade Pearl! What a fool I was not to know you had it hidden in your necklace.’ Old Gold let out an unfamiliar laugh, his face barely recognizable.

  Billy was so shocked, he couldn’t move. He just stared at the man he thought he knew. The man he’d trusted. The man he’d thought was supposed to keep them safe. Next to Billy, Charlotte stared open-mouthed, and Ling-Fei was trembling like a leaf in the wind. Billy wanted to do something, anything, but it felt as if his whole body was made of lead. He was frozen to the spot.