The Gathering

It was growing dark. I looked around nervously. Maybe they had forgotten me?

Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them. Five enormous shapes, gliding silently toward me, coming fast. I sighed with relief. The dragons were coming. Fire, Water, Earth, Smoke, and Star.

Ever since I had befriended Fireo, Oceana, Terra, Smoky, and Stella three years ago, they had been promising. “This year,” they told me, “you can go. We think being ten will mask your human smell. No dragon has ever befriended a human before. If the other dragons found out, we would all be in great danger.”

Fireo landed first and gently nudged me up onto his snout, taking care not to set my cloak on fire. I patted Oceana, who was nearest, and we were off.

Soon, we reached the Lair, the place where dragons gather. There were millions of dragons, and Terra glided in front of me so I wouldn’t be seen.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the dragons. The Draconis Grande, the leader of all dragons, flew out of his tower. He began to speak in a deep, rasping voice. Suddenly he lifted his great head, sniffed, and growled: “Human.”

I bit my lip. Now my friends were all in danger.

The Draconis Grande hissed, “I think I know who brought the human. If you will admit it, the traitors may leave unharmed. If not . . . ,” he cackled, savoring the thought.

For what seemed like forever, nobody moved. Then Stella stared at him and said, “It was me.”

After a moment the other four said, “And I.”

I bit back a cheer. All of us were safe!

“Now,” the Draconis Grande rasped, “if there are no more unwise things, the traitors may leave.”

“Actually, sire,” Fireo said, “I wish to challenge you.”

A terrifying trouncing began, with the dragon's hissing and splashing with claws and teeth. Finally, the ex-Draconis Grande wobbled off, his broken wing hanging limply at his side.

The dragons cheered for their new Draconis Grande, Fireo, until he said, quieting them, “Now, let The Gathering begin. Again.”