‘That is the Dragon’s Heart,’ said Old Gold.
‘I’ve never heard of that one,’ said Dylan with a slight frown. ‘Is it like the North Star?’
Old Gold smiled. ‘Not exactly. Everyone knows the North Star. But this star… this star is special to this mountain. We are in the perfect place to see it. I’m sure that other men have seen it—’
‘And women,’ Charlotte interrupted.
Old Gold smiled. ‘Yes, Charlotte. I’m sure others have seen it, but I am sure they have different names for it. This is a name that has been passed down in my family for generations. We believe it is called the Dragon’s Heart because of a great battle that happened right here, on this very mountain, many years ago.’
‘Who was battling?’ asked Billy, his interest bubbling out of him as he looked away from the sky and towards Old Gold through the flickering orange flames.
‘It was a battle between legends. A battle between dragons,’ said Old Gold, a bit breathless with excitement. In the shifting shadows of the firelight Billy thought Old Gold looked like an ancient sorcerer about to cast a spell. And Billy found himself leaning forward, eager to hear more about the battle. About the dragons.
‘I thought it was a real battle,’ someone said, sounding a little disappointed.
‘And it was!’ said Old Gold, affronted. ‘Why do you think this mountain is called Dragon Mountain? This used to be where dragons roamed. Only the truly worthy could walk beside them. Legend says that sometimes the dragons bestowed their powers on the humans that they bonded with.’
‘What kind of powers?’ asked Billy. He was curious despite himself. It had been years since he’d believed in things like dragons or any kind of magic at all, but sometimes, when he was surfing, he’d imagine he was riding not a wave, but a mythical beast. And, he had to admit, sitting around a roaring fire in the shadow of the towering mountain with stars shooting overhead and a yearning for adventure fluttering in his heart, this felt like a place where dragons might really have existed.
Old Gold’s eyes widened. ‘Too many powers to name! Dragons are like sorcerers. They have all kinds of magic.’ He said this as if it was a fact, like tigers having stripes.
‘Well, what happened to them?’ said Dylan, leaning closer to the fire.
‘For a long time, they lived in peace, alongside the humans they befriended. But then one dragon became more powerful than all the rest. The other dragons didn’t like that. And so they fought. The battle was so fierce and brutal that a river of dragon blood ran from the mountain itself.’
In the smoke from the fire Billy could have sworn he saw the shape of dragons emerge. He could practically hear their roars in the crackling of the flames.
‘I don’t believe that a river of blood ran from the mountain,’ said Dylan flatly.
‘Dylan,’ said Charlotte, throwing a stone at him. ‘Stop ruining the story.’
‘I’m just saying,’ said Dylan. ‘A river of dragon blood sounds a little far-fetched.’ He paused. ‘What happened next?’
‘Oh, not if you aren’t interested,’ said Old Gold. He gave an exaggerated yawn. ‘I’m getting tired myself.’
‘Tell us the rest of the story, Yeye,’ said Ling-Fei. Old Gold wasn’t really her grandfather, but she’d told them earlier he’d been good friends with her grandparents, and she’d always called him that.
‘Does anyone else want to hear the rest?’ said Old Gold, glancing around. ‘I don’t want to bore you on your first night.’
Around the circle there were nods and cries of, ‘Yes, keep going!’
‘Very well,’ said Old Gold, settling back against the tree he was leaning on. ‘The river of dragon blood ran and still the battle raged. Even the stars couldn’t help but watch. And then, when the battle was finally done, as even the worst battles must come to an end, the stars were so impressed with what they had seen, they took the heart of one of the slain and put it in the sky – as a reminder to all other dragons, and humans too, of how even the mighty can fall.’
‘What happened after that?’ said Dylan. ‘That doesn’t sound like the end of the story. Who won?’
‘That is not for us humans to know. But, after this battle, dragons were never seen here again. Perhaps they battled until all were dead. Perhaps they joined the stars in the sky. Or perhaps…’ Old Gold paused.
‘Perhaps what?’ asked Billy, unable to contain himself. All this talk of dragons had brought back a memory from when he was little – he and Eddie would go to the hill behind their house and lie in the grass for hours, staring up at the sky, hoping for a glimpse of a dragon.
They hadn’t done that in a long time.
‘Perhaps the dragons are just biding their time, waiting for the right moment to return,’ said Old Gold. He yawned, a real yawn this time. ‘I can’t stay awake another minute. I’m heading to bed, and –’ he looked at all of them with his sternest expression, which really wasn’t that stern at all – ‘I expect all of you to do the same within the next five minutes.’
‘Yes, Old Gold,’ they chorused.
‘Goodnight,’ said Old Gold, and with a groan he pulled himself to his feet and walked back towards his cabin.
Later, Billy lay in bed, staring up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
‘Dylan?’ he whispered, but the only reply was Dylan’s deep breathing and an occasional snore. He hadn’t been kidding about that.
Billy had thought he’d fall asleep right away, but his mind was buzzing. He’d enjoyed tonight. More than he’d expected. And the story Old Gold had told about the dragons swam around in his brain, making him remember how much he really did love legends and magic.
He realized that if he had stayed at home this summer, he knew exactly what
