Xing stared at Charlotte a long moment, and then grinned, showing her diamond teeth. ‘I understand wanting a bit of aesthetic appeal,’ she said.
‘And pockets are very useful,’ said Charlotte.
After Xing and Spark were done with Charlotte’s suit, it looked almost like Dylan’s, but in bright red and gold to match Tank’s scales and with a skirt over the trousers. And pockets. Charlotte twirled in delight, hands stuck deep in her pockets, and the skirt flared out.
Ling-Fei’s suit was shimmering silver and gold, with a high collar and a hood draped down her back. ‘I gave you pockets too,’ said Xing with a wink.
‘Now it’s your turn,’ Spark said to Billy.
Billy let himself be encased in blue shimmering fabric. It pinched a bit, and he felt small shocks as Spark’s electric power morphed the material round him. When his head emerged out of the top, he gasped.
His suit ran from his ankles to his wrists and, even though it was snug, he could still move freely in it. It was like the most amazing wetsuit he had ever dreamed of. A magical wetsuit.
‘We look amazing!’ cried Charlotte. ‘I feel ready for anything.’
‘Well, that is good,’ said Spark. ‘Because we need to be ready for anything.’
The joyful mood that had filled the cavern while they were being fitted for their clothes evaporated.
‘We will do everything we can to protect you, but we can’t deny how dangerous it will be,’ said Spark.
‘We know,’ said Billy.
Before yesterday he hadn’t even known dragons existed. And now he knew there was an entire world of them. A world at war. A world at war that needed their help.
The Keeper Of The Curse
‘We’re ready,’ said Billy, clenching his fists at his side. Adrenaline coursed through him.
‘Before we go, you must get some rest,’ said Tank.
‘I don’t think I can sleep,’ said Billy. ‘I’m way too pumped up.’
‘And no offence, but the rock floor doesn’t look very comfortable,’ said Dylan.
‘There will be far fewer comforts ahead,’ said Xing.
‘I will sing you to sleep,’ announced Buttons.
‘That sounds nice,’ said Ling-Fei, lying down.
‘What?’ asked Charlotte, incredulous.
‘Lie down,’ said Spark. ‘You will see.’
Billy, Charlotte and Dylan joined Ling-Fei on the hard stone ground.
This won’t work, Billy thought. Then Buttons let out a low hum that sounded like a cello and, before Billy could think anything else, he was fast asleep.
Billy woke to the smell of grilled fish. He blinked, trying to make sense of his surroundings. Yes, he was still in a cavern with dragons. Yes, his friends were right next to him.
And so was a giant grilled fish. It was bigger than he was.
‘Where did that come from?’ he asked, running his hand through his hair.
‘How do you think we survived all this time? There’s an underground lake in this mountain. We’ve been eating fish for years,’ said Buttons.
‘I am so sick of eating fish,’ added Xing. ‘I cannot wait to get back home.’
‘Enough talking,’ said Tank. ‘Eat quickly. Spark has had another vision. The Dragon of Death is closer than ever. We need to hurry.’
And then it was time. ‘This is your chance to turn back,’ said Spark. ‘Once we enter our realm, you will be in greater danger than you have ever experienced.’
Billy looked at his friends. At their dragons. And he knew that no matter what lay ahead of them, he was ready to face it. His friends nodded back at him, and he realized they felt the same.
‘We’re ready,’ he said.
‘Good,’ said Tank. ‘Follow us.’
The dragons led them down a long dark corridor until they reached a wall of dark purple fog. As they approached, Billy saw lightning flash from within it. He swallowed and shifted closer to Spark.
‘Wait!’ said Tank, motioning for the group to stop.
The kids came to a halt and stared at the swirling wall of fog.
‘Is this the entrance to the Dragon Realm?’ Dylan asked.
‘It is,’ said Xing, narrowing her eyes. ‘Though the dark magic cast by the Dragon of Death is still sealing the entrance.’
‘Does that mean what I think it means?’ Buttons said, exchanging a look with the other dragons.
‘Let us find out,’ said Xing. She lowered her head and plucked a scale from her body with her teeth. With a flick of her neck, she tossed the silver scale towards the wall.
A bolt of light shot out and struck the scale in mid-air. Billy heard a soft pop as the scale disintegrated into a puff of ash.
‘What was that?’ asked Dylan, taking a few steps backwards.
‘Children,’ said Tank, the scar across his face turning a deep crimson red as he spoke. ‘I am afraid you will be tested sooner than we would have wished. The curse will not let us dragons get any closer. The four of you will have to pass through this fog to reopen the entrance to the Dragon Realm. Your four hearts together opened the path to the Human Realm, and it will have to be you four again to open the entrance to the Dragon Realm.’
Billy felt light-headed and he took a deep breath to calm himself. This was it. This might be the last thing that he ever did. He thought about his life at home, his life before dragons. And he realized that even if this was the end it would be worth it. To get a chance to experience magic in the world. To be a part of something epic.
‘Whoa, whoa, whoa,’ said Dylan, holding up his hands. ‘You’re telling me that we have to walk through this lightning-shooting wall by ourselves? Did you see what it did to that scale? Surely there’s another way? A back entrance we could use that isn’t cursed quite as much as this one? One that shoots, I don’t know, water balloons instead of lightning?’
Billy turned to Dylan and gripped him by the shoulders. ‘Dylan, you know the answers to these questions.
