The Dragon Queen Read online

  The trainer shook his head. “The school isn’t safe for those eggs. The witch is going to be looking for them.” He touched each egg gently. “These contain baby dragons of each element: fire, wind, water, and earth.”

  “Oh.” Emily nodded. “If the witch has the eggs, she doesn’t need to come back here for the dragons. She’ll just use the babies for power instead. I get it.”

  Naida pulled the basket closer, as if to protect it, while Farran took a quick look out the window.

  “Pass me that hourglass, would you?” the trainer said.

  The dusty, sand-filled hourglass was on a shelf next to empty bottles and unused textbooks. Farran handed it to the trainer.

  “The eggs look almost ready to hatch, and once the babies are out, they can’t survive long without their mother,” he said. Holding up the hourglass, he continued. “When the first one hatches, you must turn this over. When each additional egg hatches, flip the hourglass again, and it will magically keep track of time for all of them. The babies must get to their mother before the sand runs out.”

  Emily’s pulse quickened. So much depended on her and her friends!

  The trainer seemed to sense her thoughts, and looked right at her. “I have faith in you.”

  Emily took a deep breath. “We can do this,” she said. “I know we’ll do our best to care for these babies, no matter how hard that might be!”

  Farran still looked uneasy. “We’re going up against the evil elf witch,” he said. “We might not be able to do this on our own.”

  “I can provide a little help,” the trainer said. “I have to stay here right now, but I’ll send a message to my friend, the Sky Captain. Go to her inn, and she can take you to a rare book about black magic and dragons that will help guide you to the witch’s castle.”

  “We don’t need a book!” Azari proclaimed. “If you know where the elf witch is, just point us in that direction. We’re going to set those dragons free!” She grabbed the hourglass and headed for the door. “We’ve got this, right, Em?”

  “Wait, Azari,” the trainer called. “You aren’t the first one to try to rescue the fire dragon. I tried—and failed.” He rolled up his sleeve so she could see the scars on his arm. “I never even made it to the castle before I had to turn back.”

  “Oh, fine,” Azari huffed. “We can do it your way.”

  While the trainer explained the route to the Sky Captain’s inn, Farran daydreamed, staring out the window. Suddenly, he spotted a dragon peering around the stables!

  Glancing at his friends, he quietly slipped out of the classroom and across the field. It was an earth dragon! Not wanting to show the dragon that he was nervous, Farran approached with his hand outstretched, glowing green with earth magic. Up close, he could see that the dragon had a thorn in his paw.

  “Here we go, that’s a good boy,” Farran said quietly. He and the dragon were the same element—could they connect magically in a mind-link?

  But the dragon refused to bond. He roared and reared up before taking off into the sky.

  Frustrated, Farran jogged back to the classroom.

  “Hey, where were you?” Aira asked as he came in.

  “I just saw an earth dragon out there!” Farran said.

  “Are you sure?” the trainer asked. “There haven’t been any dragons besides Miku around for a while.”

  “Of course I’m sure!” Farran retorted. But he could tell the trainer didn’t totally believe him.

  The trainer shrugged. “Well, I hope you can do this! If you can defeat the elf witch, we’ll have harmony once again.” He sounded more optimistic than he had all afternoon. And when he noticed Emily’s medallion, he even smiled.

  “Emily, your amulet!” It was glowing, and she held it up. The trainer looked deep into her eyes, and said, “You have a very important role in reuniting elves and dragons. I’m certain of it.” She nodded, feeling the warmth of the medallion in her hand.

  “Now, good luck, friends!” the trainer cried.

  They walked away, waving.

  “We can do this!” Aira announced.

  “It’s not just about the dragon queen and the fire dragon anymore,” Azari said.

  “Or even just about the eggs,” Naida said. “Not entirely.”

  “We’re on a mission to save Elvendale from the elf witch,” Farran added.

  “Yes …” Emily thought about what the trainer had said. “And we’ll restore balance between the elves and dragons!”

  Their mission was now bigger than any of them had anticipated. They walked on in silence as the weight of their task settled between them.

  High above the school, the path was steep. As they paused to catch their breath, Emily looked down. She could still see the Dragon Trainer in the schoolyard—he was the size of an ant from this distance. A tiny Miku went soaring across the yard, shrieking with joy.

  Farran told his friends about the thorn in the earth dragon’s paw. “I felt so bad that I wasn’t able to help him,” he said. Emily was sad that the dragons didn’t trust elves enough to even get a splinter out. She remembered when a friend at school had told another girl one of Emily’s secrets, breaking her trust, and how much that had hurt. But they had made up. She hoped that the elves and dragons could, too.

  “Let’s keep moving toward the inn!” Azari urged them.

  They started walking again. Aira and Azari were in the lead, with Farran and Naida close behind, and Emily in the rear. She was watching her step carefully on the uneven ground. Suddenly, Aira shouted. “Aaaaagh!”

  She’d just taken the first step onto a crumbling staircase built into the side of the mountain when chunks of the stairs gave way. Next to the stairs was just a steep, long drop to a canyon below.

  Farran grabbed Aira’s hand to steady her, then refused to let go even after she’d caught her breath and had firmly planted her feet. “It’s safer this way,” he told her.

  Emily thought that was a good idea, and suggested they all hold hands in a chain. Everyone was happy to comply. Aira calmed the wind around them with her magic, and Farran magically called up roots in the mountainside to form a safety net around them as they slowly moved forward.

  They’d gone about halfway up the stairs when they encountered a small boulder blocking the path. One by one, they stepped over it, but then Naida tripped.

  “Oh no!” Her voice echoed. One of the dragon’s eggs flew out of the basket and tumbled through the air toward a cliff edge. “The egg!”

  Emily gasped as Farran made an amazing dive for it, the roots magically helping support him. He slid down a few decaying steps, reaching out precariously over the edge of the cliff—and grabbed it.

  “No sweat,” Farran joked as they tugged him to safety. Everyone caught their breath for a moment.

  “Whew!” Emily said, trying not to dwell on what had just happened. “C’mon, it can’t be much further …” They just had to keep moving. If she thought too much about the danger, she’d probably give up and find a portal home.

  One foot in front of the other. Breathe in and out. Don’t look at the edge, Emily told herself. They continued upward.

  As the sun went down, Azari pulled out some matches, lit a fire, and manipulated it into a bright orb to lead them.

  One foot … Breathe …

  Emily was so caught up in taking each step safely, she didn’t notice when they’d finally reached the top.

  “Look!” Farran pointed at lights on the crest of the next hill.

  “That’s it! We’re here, guys!” Azari called. Emily laughed at herself for being nervous. Of course they’d made it … and except for the parts where Aira nearly fell off a cliff and Naida nearly lost an egg, it had been easy!

  Naida held the basket close as they all broke into a run toward the warm lights of the inn.

  The sign above the door said, “Starlight Inn.”

  “It sure looks starlit to me!” Azari said as they entered the large stone building.

  The fi
rst thing Emily noticed were the stars twinkling through the windows.

  “It’s so cozy in here, just like my cave!” Naida gushed.

  Aira took a deep breath and said, “I’m just glad I can’t fall off a cliff in here. There are chairs with cushions!” She plopped down on the couch and propped her feet up on a small table.

  Farran was gazing around and let out a yelp as he bumped into something. It was a girl elf. He raised his hands in a defensive stance as he turned to face her. “Friend or foe?” he asked.

  “Somebody should really look where he’s going,” she said, hands on hips.

  “Oh! Uh, hey. I’m sorry,” he said, embarrassed. “I mean, I’m Farran. You’re … You look nice. Thank you!”

  Emily reached out her hand toward the elf. “You must be the Sky Captain. Thank you for hosting us here.”

  The Sky Captain shook Emily’s hand, then gave Farran a hearty slap on the back. “Welcome to my home, and the best inn around!” she said. Farran gave a weak chuckle.

  “This place is so impressive,” Naida said, voice filled with awe.

  Azari stepped forward and gestured toward Naida’s basket. “We actually are in a big hurry. Once these eggs hatch, our mission becomes life or death!”

  Emily nodded. Azari was right. They didn’t have any time to waste.

  “The Dragon Trainer told me what was up.” The Sky Captain looked out the window and pointed at twinkling lights in the far distance. “That’s your next stop. Too bad you can’t fly!”

  “I can!” Aira said. “I made these mechanical wings that allow me to—”

  The Sky Captain interrupted, continuing her own train of thought. “I mean, wouldn’t that be amazing? Who made up the rule that earth elves had to stay on land? Booorriiing! Right, Farran?”

  Farran, usually a big talker, didn’t have a response. “Uh, well, ha … I say that all the time, too!” he said.

  “No, you don’t!” Azari said, eyebrow raised.

  “Well … whatever,” Farran replied.

  The Sky Captain turned to Aira. “Mechanical wings are okay, but they won’t get you far. I have an airship.”

  Naida’s eyes grew big. “Wow, an airship and your own inn?”

  “So what? You have a boat,” Aira told Naida. “That’s amazing, too. And you live in a cave. And have water powers. We all have things that—”

  The Sky Captain continued, “My airship’s pretty sweet. It has …” She went on and on.

  Emily held back a chuckle and looked around as Farran kept trying to interrupt the Sky Captain. On the other side of the inn’s reception area, two elves passed through. Emily could hear them talking to each other.

  “Yeah,” the shorter one was saying. “Two dragons, huge. One was in chains, and the other was in a helmet. Poor things.”

  The other asked, “And you say a witch had them?!”

  The first elf straightened his work hat. “Yeah! She was leading them into the Shadow Lands.”

  That was all Emily caught before they left the room. A knot formed in her stomach. She asked the others, “Did you hear that?!”

  None of them had. Emily relayed the conversation, and the Sky Captain said, “So … the hidden castle must be in the Shadow Lands. Guess we know where we’re headed after we get that book, huh?”

  “We?” Farran asked.

  “Yep! I’m coming along,” she said. “I promised the Dragon Trainer I’d help you, and so I will!”

  “Yippee!” Farran exclaimed, blushing when Aira rolled her eyes.

  “So, where is this book?” Naida asked.

  “It’s in the ancient library at the Secret Marketplace, which is beyond the mountains of Diamond Peaks and somewhere near the Forgotten Valley—”

  “Whoa, hang on! Look!” Naida exclaimed as one of the eggs in her basket began to wobble. She took out the egg and tenderly set it on the floor. They all gathered around, and for the first time since they’d arrived at the inn, the Sky Captain was speechless.

  The egg rolled around to the left, then circled to the right. A crack appeared in the shell. It was small at first, but grew bigger, and a claw popped out. The claw stretched out and chunks of eggshell fell aside until a whole foot emerged. Then another foot. Finally, with a mighty CRACK, the egg burst open.

  Emily’s heart swelled. A dragon egg was hatching right in front of her!

  “Awww! She’s a baby fire dragon!” Azari exclaimed. She leaned in and tried to mind-link, but it didn’t work. Then Azari reached out and stroked the dragon’s little back scales, but she began to make sad-sounding squeaks, and wouldn’t stop.

  Emily watched Azari grow frustrated. She wished she knew how to comfort a baby dragon. Did they make dragon pacifiers?

  Azari turned back toward them. “What do I do?!”

  “I could sing,” Aira suggested. She started to hum, and the baby dragon made even louder noises.

  “Stop!” everyone said at once. Aira was a terrible singer!

  “Let me try,” Emily said, approaching the baby tenderly. She shrieked, emitting smoke and little sparks.

  “Don’t let that thing burn down the inn!” the Sky Captain warned.

  “Hey, little girl.” Emily leaned over the dragon, smiling. Her medallion swung down in front of the dragon, calming the creature. Moving slowly, Emily was able to pick up the dragon and cradle her in her arms.

  “Somebody’s got the magic touch,” the Sky Captain said.

  Farran said, “Thanks!” Then he blushed. “Oh, you mean Emily. Yeah.”

  “It wasn’t me,” Emily said. “It’s the medallion that calmed her. I think she’s able to somehow sense her mother through it.”

  “We’ve got to get her to her mother in real life!” Azari handed the hourglass to Naida, who flipped it over. The grains of gray sand began to trickle down to the bottom half.

  The countdown had begun.

  As the sun rose above them, the Sky Captain led Emily and the elves through rugged mountains and valleys. Emily had the baby dragon in her arms. Naida had the basket of eggs, and kept nervously glancing at the hourglass. It was perched in the basket, a constant reminder for them to move quickly. As the path grew steeper, Emily was glad they had a guide who knew the route.

  Aira slowed to walk with Emily and Naida.

  “Check out Farran, blah-blah-blah-ing away to the Sky Captain,” Aira complained. “Will he ever stop talking?!”

  “It must be an earth elf thing,” Emily said, giggling. “It’s nice that Farran found someone who—”

  “Guys, careful on this next passage!” the Sky Captain called back at them.

  “Okay,” Azari said. “You don’t have to warn us. We’re always caref—” She swallowed her words when they turned a sharp corner. “Whoa.” The only way to continue was to climb tall ladders extending up the steep mountain face.

  The Sky Captain easily scrambled up one ladder, then jumped and grabbed the rock face with her bare hands. “See, no trouble at all!” she called as she pulled herself from rock to rock, using earth magic to help her on particularly tricky spots. Emily’s heart was in her throat as she watched, knowing that a single misstep would be terrible. But soon the Sky Captain was up on a flat area above them all. “Come on up!” she said. “It’s awesome—feels like I’m flying!”

  Farran was frozen at the base of the ladders.

  “Are you going first?” Aira asked.

  “Nope,” he said, edging backward. “I’m going back to the inn.”

  “Come on, Farran,” the Sky Captain called from the top. “Show them all what an earth elf can do!”

  “Bah …” Farran groaned as placed his foot onto the first ladder rung.

  “Nothing more to say, Farran?” Aira teased.

  Lips pressed tightly together, he silently worked his way up the sheer rock face. Aira followed close behind.

  Emily gulped as she looked up. She was still holding the fire dragon baby, and she was nervous about climbing the ladder with her. But she
knew she had to do it. Rung by rung, she climbed. Her arms tired quickly and her legs felt rubbery. It was much more difficult than any of the tough drills she’d done in her school PE class back at home!

  Home. It seemed so far from where she was right now. She missed her mom and dad, but was glad to be with her friends in Elvendale. Even though she was struggling right now, she knew what they were doing was important.

  The dragon baby in her arms gave a little squawk as Emily finally reached the top. “We’ll get you to your mom,” she promised.

  Azari was the last one up, and they all cheered as she came over the ledge.

  But soon they reached a rickety bridge over a deep ravine.

  “No way!” Farran shook his head. “This is my limit. I climbed the ladder, but I cannot cross that bridge. I can’t even see the bottom down there!” The rotten planks swayed when the wind blew, and Emily felt uneasy, too.

  “Is this how an earth elf behaves?” Aira mocked him.

  “Yes,” he said. “I want my feet on the ground—flat, solid ground.”

  “You can’t back out now!” the Sky Captain said. “We’re almost there.” She skittered across the bridge without glancing back. “Hold steady, guys. Don’t step on any loose planks, and whatever you do, don’t look down. Come on, Farran.”

  “After you,” Aira said, stepping out of his way.

  With a frown, he started out after the Sky Captain.

  Inch by inch, the whole group tensely made their way across. When a quick breeze rattled the bridge, Emily looked down at the baby dragon. “You okay, little one?” The dragon grunted back at her.

  Soon they’d all reached the other side.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” Farran said. He was about to sit down to rest when Azari called, “Look!” Not so far in the distance were brightly colored tents and flags that billowed in the breeze. “The Secret Marketplace!”

  Emily couldn’t stop turning her head as they walked into the Secret Marketplace. There were so many sights and sounds—and the entire market was run by animals! She jumped aside as a deer wheeled a cart of pumpkins past her.