Dragons are not what you expect them to be by

Dragons are not what you expect them to be by

[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]


Ever dreamed that one day a dragon would come,

snatch you from school and transport you to a faraway land?

This is what might happen...


I flattened my back against the wall, feeling the rough

brick scratch and pull against my new cashmere jumper.

The sound of my breathing penetrated my ears as I watched

the mist appearing in the air with each breath.

Cautiously, I swivelled my head around the corner

and looked around. It wasn't clear. The dragon was still there,

prowling the school fields, its own territory now,

and no one was going to disagree.

That is, except me.

Because the dragon was there for me. I knew that its name

was Jewel, and it belonged to King Tyson of Ivyland.

The King had rescued me from my despair when I had been trapped

in a cold, damp cave, curled up between stalactites

and stalagmites, shivering and thinning with every second.

He had thought it was the right thing to send me back

to The Actual World, but he was wrong. I wasn't doing well here.

Not as good at English and Maths as I was at Potions and Gardening, I guess.

I climbed up onto the dragon's back, sitting between

its two horns on the back of it's neck. In The Actual World

people think dragons are boisterous creatures that

have big flapping wings, a long neck and are fire breathing.

Really, they are big creatures with no wings at all,

but which can controlledly defy gravity, scaly skin, a horn on

their nose and two on their necks, short stumpy legs

and they breathe wind. Jewel was an emerald colour,

turning scarlet around her horns. She was stubborn but kind,

and got scared easily.

One day I wished that King Tyson would give her to me,

as a birthday present or something. Jewel turned

her great head to look at me, and I nodded eagerly.

I had always loved flying on dragons. Not many people did.

It felt a bit like a rollercoaster, where you get those butterflies

in your stomach, or whatever people in The Actual World call them.

The creature rose into the air, and then gracefully

soared through the skies.

As we left, I caught a glimpse of my head-teacher staring,

open-mouthed, out of the window. I laughed, feeling

a wave of triumph and joy spread over me,

staining me with the exhilaration of going home.

I pulled out my beautiful brooch from inside my blazer,

and held it in the palm of my left hand for five seconds.

Then I whispered: "Open, vortex spread your wings.

I know Ivyland and I know it's King." Immediately a pool of blue

and pink mist swirled in the air ahead of us, and Jewel flew

into it with me. Soon we were flying through the blue skies

of Ivyland, and there was fresh air and flowers below us.

I could see Tyson's castle ahead, and the town where the

Ivy-people lived, over the hills a few miles on. There was

a landing arena in the castle, but I instructed Jewel to fly

to the village and land there,

as I sought their welcome and praise.

As the magnificent dragon hit the ground, I saw Queen Patrice.

She ran up to me, grinning, and helped me off Jewel's back.

We hugged, and I was enveloped in her flowing dress

with its embroidery and velvet. The Queen often spent her time

in the town, where she helped out at the Church and the school.

Part of the Queen's job was to collect the taxes,

so adults usually held a grudge against her.

There were a few who saw that she was reluctant to collect money,

including myself, but only a few; Patrice

spent most of her time with the children.

It was her who had instructed the King to rescue me

when I hadn't known where I was. When Jewel had come to

The Actual World by accident, snatched me off the ground,

brought me to Ivyland and dropped me off in a cave somewhere,

it was Patrice who had spotted me whilst flying, and who had

sent the search party to bring me to safety. I owed her everything.

Unfortunately, there was no way for me to thank her enough.

Whilst Jewel was lead back to the Dragon Home, I walked with

the Queen to the castle. I was curious to know what

had been going on, and how her relationship with the King was going.

I knew that Tyson and Patrice hadn't really been getting on

when I left. Tyson could be a very unforgiving man,

even if it was only over some forgotten taxes.

"Ah, he forgave me," Queen Patrice replied to my query,

in her silky and smooth voice. "He might get quite cross,

but I have knowledge that he cannot be angry forever."

"That's good news. It was horrid back in the Actual World!

I don't know why Tyson sent me there! I hated it,

and I was behind in all of my lessons..."

"Sorry. He sent you because he thought you were distracting

me from my duties. He also thought that although you

had spent a year here, and learnt our ways,

you belonged there, with your people."

"Look, they're not my people. I might have told a little lie

when I came, but I've admitted it now... I admitted it ages ago!

You know I'm not their ruler! Over there I'm just

a weird kid who rides off on strange scary things!"

Patrice sighed and turned around. We were approaching

the first portcullis now and I signalled to the guards to open it.

With a loud creak it was hoisted and we passed under.

Finally we arrived in the courtyard. With no expression on

his bearded face, King Tyson rode towards us on his horse.

His majestic crown was on top of his head,

and he had his best clothes on. It was obvious that he was preparing

to go to Carly's Town, Ivyland's rivals. Carly was Queen of her town,

and they had a settlement over the mountains.

It was a day journey there and back. Carly's Town was much stricter

than Ivyland. Carly had a set of rules that every Carly-person

had to follow, and if they broke them they were banished.

Many of them came here for help, and we were happy

to accept them, and give them accommodation,

for they could prove useful in battle. Sometimes the King went to

speak with Carly about issues, but it almost always

ended up with a proposal of battle.

"You are back," Tyson stated. I nodded and smiled.

His stately manner and plain face were two things

that I liked about him. He might act mean,

but he was really soft inside.

I knew that, because of the time when he had cried

about his tea not being prepared properly.

I had promised never to talk of that again.

"It is good to see you", he continued, "I apologise for sending you away.

Perhaps you would like to come with me to Carly's Town?

You have never been there and it is... in fact...

quite an orderly place..."

I giggled inside at the awkwardness of Tyson complementing

his enemy's home, and nodded at his offer.

"No!" Patrice cried, "The journey is too dangerous!

There are wild beasts out there, and, my dear, many a time

have you been injured. Marie would simply get herself killed!"

"Darling, Marie is a tough girl. She will be fine. Hop on, honey."

I climbed onto the horse, much to Queen Patrice's dismay.

She flicked her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder and ran off,

not able to bear any more. Tyson laughed and pulled

his equine's reigns. We rushed off and I felt my hair,

short as it may be, flying out behind me.

The wind was tugging at my face, making me numb.

I was entranced by the scenery and landscape flashing by,


and when I blinked it was like taking a picture.

We stopped only once, to eat a picnic that one of the castle

servants had prepared for us. It wasn't filling, but Tyson

explained that Carly held wonderful banquets and we were

due to attend one. I had heard of Carly's grand food,

with the boar's head, the salads, the lobster, the wine

and the juice freshly squeezed, from apples out of her orchards.

Tyson always weighed himself each night, and after a trip

to Carly's Town, he had always become a little bit heavier.

Finally, our duo arrived at Carly's castle. It was called

Castle Carly, which made me snigger; I had always

found it amusing how everything in Carly's Town was

named after Carly. Her elaborately dressed guards let us in,

staring at us with profound dislike on their faces.

They'd obviously been told some lies... unless there were

things that I didn't know about King Tyson.

Carly was stood ahead, waiting for us with a scowl on her face.

She was a tall, slim lady, maybe early thirties, with curly

white hair plaited down to her waist. She was wearing

a purple silk dress, finishing just under her knee,

and a pair of golden velvet slippers with little pink flowers

embroidered on them. Her face was heart-shaped,

and she had big emerald eyes with thick black lashes,

and the tiara on her head was shiny and silver, with red rubies.

I was amazed at her beauty and failed to see

how she could be such a cruel and spiteful

"At last," she exclaimed impatiently, "I have been stood here

for fifteen minutes, waiting for you. And... Who is this?"

"I told you on my last visit. This is Marie, from The Actual World.

I tried sending her back but she was so accustomed to it here."

Carly nodded and briskly walked inside her magnificent new castle.

She led us to a splendid dining room, with a great glass table

laden with every kind of food. There were great big jugs of juices


and bottles of the finest alcohol. There were savoury sausages,

and sweet sherbets of every flavour, with coinciding lollipops

to dip in them. I gasped. In the middle of the table was

a sculpture made from my favourite food of them all... raspberries.

Carly laughed at my expression and asked me to take one from

the sculpture. She told me to take one from the bottom

and see if I could do it without it falling down. Entranced,

I stepped forward and pulled a luxury from the monument,

popping it into my mouth and feeling the gorgeous juice spurt onto

my taste buds. I was quite absent to the fact that the rest

of the raspberries had tumbled onto the floor.

Only when I reached for another did I realise.

Carly clicked her fingers and a flurry of servants

ran in with dustpans and brooms.

"Oh, darling," she smirked, "You didn't manage to do it.

Those fruits will be dirty now. No more for you!"

I immediately disliked this pretty lady.

I certainly regretted coming with Tyson.

When we had finally finished dinner and my stomach was about

to burst, Carly took us to our rooms. Firstly, she led the King

to a regal bedroom, with a four poster bed and a polished

wooden wardrobe. There was an adjoining bathroom with

a marble bath and some luxurious soap. Without speaking,

I followed Carly down and down the stairs until she brought me

to the dungeons. Laughing, she told me that she was taking me

for a tour and I was led past people whom I had once know,

captured in battle and sat, bored and lonely in

cells with Carly's own traitors.

When we came to the end of the corridor, instead of turning back,

Carly took me into one of the empty cells. When I was looking

at the bunk bed in the corner, she left and locked the heavy

metal door behind her. Crying out, I rushed to the barred

window and watched her leave, chuckling to herself.

I sighed and sat down in the wooden chair, knowing that

I'd been tricked and I should sit here, shivering in the cold,

until I escaped from this horrible place.

I woke up to find some porridge and water on a tray next to me.

Gobbling it up greedily, I contemplated where Patrice would be now.

Probably helping at school, putting on a brave face, but inside

worrying about me. She always worried when

Tyson went to visit Carly. Now I knew why.

I closed my eyes and suddenly I saw my cell, with me in the middle

of it, and it was though I was somebody else, Carly maybe,

looking with amusement at the prisoner, myself.

My eyes caught a little trapdoor under the bed and a key in

a mouse hole in the corner. My eyes suddenly snapped open.

I peered under the bed, and sure enough the trapdoor was there.

I peered into the mouse hole, stuck my hand it and found the key.

Maybe it was a test? Either that or

Carly's security wasn't very good.

I unlocked the trapdoor and lowered myself onto the ladder.

It felt like I was there for hours. Finally, my feet touched the ground.

I was in a dimly lit corridor, filled with spider webs and dampness.

I followed it until I came to some tiled stairs. At the top of them

was a wooden door, with an iron lock which needed a key.

I didn't have the key, but I knew how to get one.

Closing my eyes, I saw myself again at the top of the stairs.

My vision drifted to a hook beside the corner, on it a big metal key.

I opened my eyes, grabbed the key and unlocked the door.

After using up all my energy pushing the door open,

I collapsed onto the floor. I was in another tunnel.

When I finally recovered from my exhaustion, I set off down

the passage. For half a day I walked, until I came to a familiar

shaft which looked like a vent. Pulling the grid off,

I shuffled through the claustrophobic vent until I saw a room

which I knew very well. It was the school room in Ivyland.

And Patrice was in the middle of it. I jumped into the room,

filled with relief and joy. My school uniform was dusty and

ripped, my hair was knotted and wet, but I was overwhelmed

with happiness as I ran into Patrice's arms.