Everything in sight looked as if it had been scorched by fire. Despite the flowing rivers, there was almost no plant life, except for one type of tree with green leaves and pink flowers that dotted the landscape.
Spark slowly approached the edge of the plateau. ‘Things look far worse than I expected,’ she said, her eyes narrow. ‘This land was lush and dotted with fruit when we left the Dragon Realm over a hundred years ago.’
Billy felt a shiver run down his spine. He didn’t know what he had been expecting, but it wasn’t this. Were they really the ones to stop whatever had caused all this devastation? His elation at defeating the tiger and riding Spark faded as he realized the magnitude of what he and his friends were taking on – and how unprepared the dragons suddenly seemed to be. He couldn’t let himself follow that train of thought, otherwise he’d run straight back home.
‘Hey, look! At least there’s still fruit growing here,’ said Dylan, distracting Billy from his thoughts. Dylan hopped off Buttons’s back and plucked a round, fuzzy fruit from a nearby tree. Then he held it further away from him, and looked up nervously. ‘This isn’t going to explode or anything, is it?’
‘It looks like a peach,’ said Charlotte, coming up behind him. ‘I should know, being from the peach state and all. I doubt it will explode.’
Dylan shrugged. ‘I also doubted the existence of dragons, and here we are. Besides, surely there aren’t things as normal as peaches in the Dragon Realm?’
‘I like how you think, Dylan,’ said Buttons. ‘You are right that things in our realm are not always what they seem. These fruits are one of those things. You see, peaches are very special in the Dragon Realm. Once every few thousand years, a peach will grow that grants the one who eats it immortality.’
Dylan eyed the ripe peach in his hand. ‘You mean, one of these could make me immortal?’
Buttons gave Dylan a smile. ‘Well, it could,’ he said as he reached out his paw and slapped it from Dylan’s hand. The peach popped up into the air and fell right into Buttons’s open mouth. ‘Or it could be just another ordinary peach. Hard to tell.’
‘Cool,’ said Dylan, plucking more peaches from the branches and taking a bite from each one. ‘I love peaches. Maybe one of these is a peach of immortality!’
‘Enough,’ said Tank, his voice harsh. ‘We must focus.’
‘Sorry,’ said Dylan, his face red and his mouth still full. He plucked a few more peaches from the tree and stuffed them into his bag, before getting on Buttons’s back again.
‘There will be plenty of time for peaches,’ said Buttons. ‘The trees grow everywhere in the Dragon Realm. And, unlike the peach trees in your realm, these ones are almost indestructible.’
‘It must be why they are the only things that have survived… whatever happened here,’ said Spark, her voice serious. ‘The Dragon of Death’s followers, the Noxious, must be using dark magic to bring their leader back. It would explain why everything we see is dead or dying.’
‘I fear you are right,’ said Xing. ‘A very dark magic has taken over our land. The nox-wings must have grown more powerful in our absence. I worry that our clan might be in danger.’
‘What exactly is dark magic?’ asked Ling-Fei.
Spark turned to face the children. ‘Everything in our universe is made of energy. Each of us standing here on this plateau. The plants in your forests, the fish in your seas. The moon and the stars you see in the sky. Everything. It is this energy that makes each of us special. It makes us who we are. It is the source of your inner powers; the source of your inspiration.’ Spark gazed back towards the scorched earth below. ‘It is a sacred and powerful energy, and it can be taken to create a dark and powerful magic.’
A chill passed through Billy as he imagined what it would be like to have his energy taken from him. He felt as if he was being hollowed out from the inside. He tried to gasp for air, but nothing came.
‘Billy,’ said Spark, interrupting his thoughts. She nuzzled Billy gently on the cheek and Billy turned to look at her.
She didn’t speak, but Billy heard Spark’s voice in his head. Do not fear, Billy.
The chill loosened its grip. He could feel Spark’s strength and determination through their bond, and he felt comforted. He smiled at her. How am I hearing your voice? he thought.
Spark returned his smile and Billy heard her voice in his head again. Every bond is unique, and it seems that we share an inner voice. When we are close, we can share our thoughts. I sensed it when we first bonded, but here in the Dragon Realm our connection is stronger.
I’m glad we’re in this together, Billy thought back, filled with relief that, no matter what happened, he’d have his dragon by his side.
‘Billy,’ said Charlotte, concern on her face. ‘Are you okay?’
‘I think so,’ Billy replied. ‘This is all a bit overwhelming, you know?’
Charlotte nodded.
‘The Dragon of Death and the Noxious are strong and this is a whole new world for you. It makes sense that you feel uncertain,’ said Spark. ‘But take comfort in knowing that we are stronger. We have our bonds and we have the pearls – we will win this fight.’
‘Spark is right,’ said Tank. ‘We are strong. Our bonds will overpower the evil that has consumed this land. We will defeat the Noxious. Our clan’s lair is about a day’s journey away. Let us fly there and tell Dimitrius and the others that we have returned.’
Tank dashed to the edge of the plateau
