Pulling on the stopper, he sprinkled the contents over Dan who, after blinking once, collapsed in a heap amongst the roots of the ancient tree.
“Enjoy your nap”, sniggered Simon, who reached into his other pocket and produced a stone. It was the size of a tennis ball, which glittered with a golden hue. He crouched down and opened his palm to expose the stone to the entrance of the hole. Within a few seconds a rustling could be heard and in no time at all, the dragon appeared. Its eyes were glazed and seemed to be floating toward the stone. When the dragon was in reach, Simon scooped it under his arm and began to walk off into the woods.
Simon stomped through the wood, marveling at his luck. After a while the trees thinned and the beginning of the churchyard was visible. Simon puffed heavily. Although the stone made the dragon light, it was still an effort to carry it all the way to the churchyard.
At the centre of the churchyard was the crypt. A large stone monument built to house someone important who had died centuries earlier and at the far side of the crypt stood a small iron gate. Simon unlocked it with the key he had and began to descend the steps on the other side. Deeper and deeper Simon went underground. In his excitement he forgot to lock the gate behind him. But then who else would come around here? No one came here anyway!
Simon lit the candles around the room and opened the cage door. Big enough to store his catch, just! He locked the cage and sat on an old wooden chair in the centre of the room. He smiled. Then he grinned. Then he laughed a big belly laugh. Oh yes! He was pleased with himself. Dragon bones were oh so useful. There were so many potions to make with them. Simon placed the dragon stone on the floor in front of the cage and stood at the end of a low table. On it were various potions, test tubes and other indescribable instruments. Now he would wait for midnight. Oh yes, Simon had all the time in the world!
SHAKY AWAKENINGS
Zzzzz........
Blurred images of greens, blacks and blues flooded into Dan’s vision as he groggily sat up amidst the roots of the old tree. What had happened? He recalled talking to the dragon, crawling out from the dark hole and then Simon! Dan groaned out loud and slowly got to his feet. He staggered to the hole and shouted.
“Dragon, are you in there?”
No answer. As he crouched there, waiting for a response he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and was so surprised that he fell headfirst into the hole, his legs kicking out in alarm.
“Dan, it’s me. It’s only me!”
Lucy heaved Dan backward and ended up sitting on her bottom looking at the bewildered boy.
“What has happened Dan? I called at your house as you hadn't come round to mine as we planned, but you weren’t in so I guess you’d be looking for the dragon. Any luck?”
Dan sat back down and slowly recited to Lucy his adventure. When he got to the part about Simon, Lucy shuddered.
“So now he’s got the dragon and I don’t know where they are. What are we going to do?”
“I’ve just come along the path and didn’t see Simon or the dragon so he hasn’t gone back to the village.”
Lucy and Dan sat in silence looking at each other, when suddenly Dan’s eyes widened.
“I bet he’s gone to the churchyard.”
Lucy nodded in agreement and together they set off. Dan with a grim determination on his face!
CRYPT
The day was drawing to its conclusion as they entered the churchyard. Long shadows stretched over the graves and night creatures were beginning to stir and awaken. An owl hooted long and low in the depths of the wood. Lucy glanced nervously at Dan.
“Maybe they didn’t come this way after all? Come on Dan, there’s nothing here. Let’s go back”
Dan was just about to agree when, suddenly, they heard laughter emanating from the old crypt in the middle of the gravestones. Simon!
Cautiously, they crept to the entrance and peered inside. It was dark, dingy, and Dan wished he had brought the green dragon stone with him so they could bring a little light to this decidedly dreary place. A soft light emerged from behind an old iron gate.
“It’s not locked!” whispered Lucy to Dan who nodded and slowly opened the gate. It creaked on rusty hinges and Dan cursed the noise, wishing it wasn’t quite so loud in the dusk. When the gate was ajar, they both slipped through and slowly descended the stone stairway. They could hear a voice and at last could look in at the room below.
The dragon was in a cage, a very small cage, and Simon was busy preparing something in an old bottle, muttering to himself as he went about his business.
“It will be Soon dragon, soon. This potion will shrink you until you are so small I can put you in the pot. Then your bones will be boiled and their magic in my possession!”
Dan looked at Lucy in alarm. He stole stealthily down the remaining steps and crept up to the dragon’s cage. Taking care not to be seen, Simon was too busy with his potion to notice much, Dan poked the dragon through the bars of the cage. After much prodding the dragon opened its mouth and hissed.
“Dragon stone”
ESCAPE!
Dan looked to the front of the cage and saw the stone. It had to be destroyed. Slowly, Dan crept to the front of the cage and, reaching out, grabbed the stone.
A mighty roar rose up which seemed to fill the small room. Simon had seen him!
“You put that back boy. You put that back right now. I think it’s about time I taught you a lesson you meddling brat!”
Simon made a move toward Dan when a scream rang out suddenly from the stairwell.
Simon spun round in alarm and Dan saw his chance. Dan lifted the stone high above his head and sent it crashing down to the stone floor. The stone bounced once, twice and thrice, before smashing into four pieces. Simon screamed in anger and ran toward Dan. Lucy ran to the table and grabbed the potion just as Simon seized Dan in his claw like grasp.
“Give me the potion girl and I may let the boy live!”
“Release him first. Then we’ll see.”
Lucy gulped in fright as Simon threw Dan down and ran toward Lucy. In her haste she threw the bottle to Dan, meaning for him to catch it. Her aim, however, was poor and all she did was succeed in throwing it at Simon, who, moving so fast couldn’t dodge in time. The bottle broke, spilling its contents all over Simon who shrieked out in pain. Lucy dodged him and ran to Dan. In an instant, Simon had stopped screaming and stood stock still, gently swaying from side to side.
“What’s happening to him Dan? Gosh! Look!”
All at once, Simon began to shrink. He shrank until he was no bigger than a mouse. He suddenly sprang to life and ran as fast as he could round the room. Round and round he went until, spying a small hole in the wall, jumped into it and disappeared. Lucy and Dan ran to the cage, picking up the keys off the floor where Simon had dropped them. They unlocked the cage and the dragon walked out.
“Twice you’ve saved me Dan. I owe you so much. Maybe one day I will repay you. But for now I must go. This isn’t the end Dan; it’s only the beginning. Dragon hunters are massing in the world once more. I must tell others. But I will return, I promise.
The dragon patted Dan’s head, held Lucy’s hand and with a flash was running up the stairs and out into the woods.
HOMEWARD BOUND
The woods felt alive as Dan and Lucy walked home. They both knew their parents would be angry with them for being late home, but they didn’t care.
“I wonder if we will ever see the dragon again?” inquired Dan softly.
“Yes, I believe we will”, smiled Lucy as they took each other’s hand and ran the rest of the way home. And you know Lucy was right!
The table was so big it took him an age to climb up it. The bottle was so big it took him an age to push it over. He bathed in the potion, the enlarging potion, until the morning awoke and birds sang merrily in the treetops.
Simon stood in the bright sunshine and smiled. He smiled a big, long smile. It was only the beginning, he thought to himself. It was only the beginning.
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