The Day We Stole A Dragon

The morning after Oliver and Max's extraordinary adventure, everything seemed perfectly normal.

The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and Grandma was standing in her kitchen wearing her favorite flowered apron while attempting to convince a stubborn toaster to release a piece of burnt toast.

"Honestly," she muttered, poking it with a wooden spoon. "I have never met an appliance with such an attitude."

Oliver sat at the breakfast table, staring out the window.

Max was busy eating his third pancake.

"Do you think they're really gone?" Oliver whispered.

Max swallowed. "Who?"

"The dragons, Max!"

"Oh, them." Max shrugged. "I certainly hope so. I still haven't recovered from watching my baseball cap become a toasted snack."

Oliver grinned.

Their adventure from the previous day had been unbelievable. They had discovered a mysterious golden egg in Grandma's vegetable garden, watched a tiny green dragon hatch from it, and accidentally attracted the attention of an enormous mother dragon who had chased them through the forest.

They had survived, somehow, and even received magical gifts.

Oliver could now fly, and Max possessed a golden pizza box that magically refilled itself whenever he opened it.

Not bad for a Saturday.

But something was bothering Oliver.

The golden egg.

It had started cracking again just before the dragons disappeared into the clouds.

"Max," Oliver said slowly. "What if there was another egg?"

Max stopped chewing.

"Don't."

"What?"

"Whatever you're thinking, don't."

Oliver pointed toward the garden.

Something was moving behind Grandma's enormous tomato plants.

Something green.

Something with wings.

Max slowly put down his fork.

"Oh, crumbs."

Chapter One: Something in the Flower Bed

Oliver was the first to reach the garden.

Max followed several steps behind, carrying a pancake in one hand and the golden pizza box in the other.

"Why do I always follow you?" Max complained.

"Because you're my best friend."

"That is a terrible reason."

They crept past the strawberry patch and around Grandma's enormous sunflower.

Then Oliver stopped.

There, nestled between a collection of purple petunias and a rather suspicious-looking cabbage, was a tiny creature.

It had four little legs, a long curling tail, two delicate wings, and scales that shimmered like polished silver.

Unlike the first dragon, which had been green, this one was a beautiful pale blue.

It was sleeping.

Oliver crouched.

"Max, look!"

Max leaned over his shoulder.

"Oh, wonderful. Another dragon. Exactly what this garden needed."

The little dragon opened one enormous golden eye.

Then the other.

It blinked at them.

Oliver smiled.

"Hello, little fellow."

The dragon tilted its head.

Then it sneezed.

A shower of sparkling blue bubbles erupted from its nostrils.

One landed on Oliver's nose.

Another landed on Max's pancake.

The pancake immediately floated three feet into the air.

Max stared at it.

"My breakfast has escaped."

The dragon gave a delighted squeak.

Oliver began laughing.

"Perhaps it likes you!"

"I don't want it to like me. I want it to respect my personal space."

Suddenly, the dragon stood up, stretched its tiny wings, and began making a peculiar humming sound.

The flowers around it started glowing.

Then the cabbage exploded.

Not into pieces, thankfully.

It simply transformed into a large, round, purple balloon.

Max stared.

"Grandma is going to be absolutely furious."

Chapter Two: The Dragon Has a Name

The little dragon fluttered toward Oliver and landed on his shoulder.

It was surprisingly warm.

Oliver gently stroked its head.

"What should we call you?"

The dragon chirped.

"Blueberry!" Max suggested.

Oliver frowned.

"Why Blueberry?"

"Because it's blue, and because I'm hungry."

"That's ridiculous."

"Fine. You name it."

Oliver considered the dragon's shimmering scales.

"How about Sapphire?"

The dragon gave a happy squeak and curled its tail around Oliver's neck.

"Sapphire it is!"

Suddenly, a strange voice echoed through the garden.

"WHO HAS AWAKENED THE SECOND HEIR?"

The boys froze.

Max looked at Oliver.

"Please tell me that was your stomach."

The voice came again.

"THE SECOND HEIR MUST BE RETURNED TO THE ROYAL GARDEN!"

A large patch of earth began trembling.

Grandma's garden gnome tipped sideways.

Then the enormous stone statue of a rabbit near the garden gate began to move.

Its eyes glowed bright green.

Its ears twitched.

And then, to the boys' astonishment, it spoke.

"At last! Someone has found the little prince!"

Max dropped his pancake.

"THE RABBIT TALKS!"

The rabbit sighed.

"Of course I talk. I have been guarding this garden for approximately one hundred and forty-seven years."

Oliver blinked.

"You're a magical rabbit?"

"I am Sir Hoppington, Royal Guardian of the Dragon Kingdom."

Max looked at the stone rabbit.

"You look like something Grandma bought at a garden sale."

Sir Hoppington narrowed his glowing eyes.

"Your lack of respect is deeply disappointing."

"Sorry," Max replied. "I didn't realize we were speaking to royalty."

Chapter Three: Grandma Knows More Than She Says

Before anyone could say another word, Grandma appeared at the back door.

"Oliver! Max! What on earth have you done to my cabbage?"

The boys turned slowly.

Behind them, the purple balloon cabbage floated toward the clouds.

Grandma looked at it.

Then she looked at Sapphire.

Then she looked at Sir Hoppington.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Finally, Grandma sighed.

"Oh dear. Not another one."

Oliver's mouth fell open.

"Grandma? You know about dragons?"

Grandma folded her arms.

"Of course I know about dragons. Your great-grandfather used to keep one in the old greenhouse."

Max nearly swallowed his tongue.

"HE KEPT A DRAGON?"

"Only a little one," Grandma replied. "His name was Pickles. Terrible manners. Ate all the garden furniture."

Oliver stared at her.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Well, I thought you boys had enough excitement already."

Max looked at the floating cabbage.

"Grandma, with all due respect, I think we passed enough excitement yesterday."

Grandma walked toward the flower bed and gently picked up Sapphire.

The little dragon immediately curled into her arms.

"Oh, hello, sweetheart," she whispered. "I wondered when you would arrive."

Oliver looked confused.

"Arrive from where?"

Grandma smiled mysteriously.

"From the other side of the garden, of course."

She pointed toward the enormous old oak tree at the far end of the property.

Its roots twisted above the ground like giant sleeping snakes.

Between two of the roots was a small wooden door.

Oliver had lived with Grandma for years and had never noticed it before.

"What's that?" he asked.

Grandma smiled.

"That, my dear, is the entrance to the Dragon Kingdom."

Max slowly stepped backward.

"Nope. Absolutely not. I have had enough magical transportation for one lifetime."

Chapter Four: The Door Beneath the Oak

Naturally, Oliver opened the door.

Behind it was a staircase descending deep underground.

But it wasn't dark.

Thousands of tiny glowing crystals illuminated the walls, and somewhere below them came the sound of rushing waterfalls.

Sapphire wriggled out of Grandma's arms and fluttered down the stairs.

"Wait!" Oliver called.

He hurried after it.

Max stared at Grandma.

"Are you going to stop him?"

Grandma shook her head.

"Would it make any difference?"

Max sighed.

"Probably not."

He grabbed his magical pizza box and followed.

At the bottom of the staircase was an enormous underground kingdom.

There were sparkling rivers, crystal towers, enormous mushrooms, and hundreds of dragons flying overhead.

Some were red, some were gold, and others had scales that shimmered in every color imaginable.

A dragon wearing spectacles was reading a newspaper.

Another dragon was watering a garden of glowing blue roses.

One particularly enormous dragon was attempting to park a flying carriage between two crystal towers.

"Mind your wings!" someone shouted.

"I'M TRYING!" the dragon roared.

Max stared in amazement.

"This is the strangest place I have ever seen."

Oliver smiled.

"It's wonderful!"

Then a trumpet sounded.

A procession of tiny dragons marched toward them.

At the front stood an elegant silver dragon wearing a golden crown.

Its wings were enormous, its eyes were bright, and its voice was surprisingly gentle.

"Welcome, Oliver and Max. I am Queen Celestia, ruler of the Dragon Kingdom."

Oliver bowed awkwardly.

Max attempted to bow while holding his pizza box.

The result was not particularly graceful.

The queen smiled.

"You have returned our missing prince."

She gestured toward Sapphire.

Oliver looked at the little blue dragon.

"Prince?"

Queen Celestia nodded.

"Yes. Sapphire is the youngest member of our royal family. He escaped through the garden portal while exploring the upper world."

Max raised his hand.

"Just one question. Why does he make bubbles come out of his nose?"

The queen chuckled.

"Because he possesses the rare gift of dream magic. His bubbles can make impossible things appear possible."

Max looked interested.

"Could he make pizza?"

The queen blinked.

"Pizza?"

"Never mind," Oliver whispered.

Chapter Five: The Trouble with Wishes

Queen Celestia invited the boys to a magnificent royal banquet.

There were golden pastries, rainbow berries, floating cakes, and sparkling drinks that tasted different with every sip.

Max was delighted.

He had never eaten so much food without anyone telling him to slow down.

But just as the celebration began, a terrible noise shook the kingdom.

BOOOOOOOM!

The crystal towers trembled.

The waterfalls stopped flowing.

Every dragon turned toward the enormous mountain beyond the palace.

A thick cloud of purple smoke rose from its summit.

Queen Celestia's expression changed.

"The Shadow Goblin has returned."

Oliver frowned.

"Who's the Shadow Goblin?"

"A troublesome creature who steals magical objects and causes chaos wherever he goes."

Max looked at his pizza box.

"Does he steal food?"

The queen nodded solemnly.

"Especially enchanted food."

Max clutched the box against his chest.

"Then he is my sworn enemy."

Suddenly, a tiny black creature appeared in the middle of the banquet hall.

It had enormous ears, a crooked nose, and a mischievous grin.

In its hands was a glowing golden spoon.

"Greetings, foolish dragons!" it squeaked.

Queen Celestia rose.

"Return the Royal Star Spoon, Grizzle!"

The goblin laughed.

"Never! With this spoon, I shall steal the magic from every enchanted object in the kingdom!"

Oliver stepped forward.

"You can't just steal things!"

Grizzle looked at him.

"And who might you be?"

"Oliver."

"And I am Max," Max added. "I would advise you to put that spoon down."

Grizzle grinned.

"Or what?"

Max opened his golden pizza box.

A steaming pizza appeared.

Grizzle's eyes widened.

"Is that cheese?"

Max smiled.

"Extra cheese."

The goblin dropped the spoon and lunged toward the pizza.

Oliver seized the opportunity.

He grabbed the golden spoon while Sapphire flew overhead, releasing a shower of sparkling blue bubbles.

The bubbles surrounded Grizzle.

Suddenly, the goblin began floating upward.

"PUT ME DOWN!" he shrieked.

But the bubbles carried him higher and higher until he became stuck inside a giant crystal chandelier.

Max looked up.

"Well, that was surprisingly easy."

Queen Celestia laughed.

"You have saved the Dragon Kingdom!"

Chapter Six: The Greatest Secret

The kingdom erupted into celebration.

Queen Celestia rewarded Oliver and Max with two enchanted silver bracelets.

Oliver's bracelet allowed him to understand every dragon in the kingdom.

Max's bracelet allowed him to summon a pizza whenever he wished.

Max examined it carefully.

"Best. Bracelet. Ever."

Before they left, Queen Celestia led them to a magnificent garden filled with magical flowers.

At its center stood a golden fountain.

"This is where the royal dragon eggs are protected," she explained.

Oliver noticed something unusual.

Several golden eggs rested in a nest of silver leaves.

But one egg was missing.

He pointed toward the empty space.

"Was there another egg?"

The queen nodded slowly.

"Yes. The third royal heir disappeared many years ago."

Max frowned.

"Wait. You mean there are three baby dragons?"

"Three royal heirs," the queen corrected.

Sapphire chirped happily.

Oliver stared at the empty nest.

"Where could the third one be?"

Queen Celestia looked toward the ceiling.

Beyond the crystal dome, far above them, the familiar blue sky was visible.

Then she whispered something that made the boys' blood run cold.

"Somewhere in the human world."

Epilogue: Grandma's Garden Is Never Quite Normal

By sunset, Oliver and Max were back at Grandma's house.

Grandma was sitting on the porch, knitting a scarf.

"Have a nice afternoon?" she asked casually.

Oliver nodded.

"Yes, Grandma. We saved a kingdom."

"Wonderful. Wash your hands before dinner."

Max placed his pizza box on the table.

"Grandma, do you happen to know where the third dragon egg might be?"

Grandma stopped knitting.

Her expression became unusually serious.

Then she looked toward the garden.

"Well, now that you mention it..."

Oliver and Max turned.

Near the old apple tree, something was moving beneath a pile of fallen leaves.

A small golden tail appeared.

Then two tiny wings.

Then a pair of glowing purple eyes.

Max slowly closed his pizza box.

"Oh, no."

Oliver grinned.

"Another adventure?"

Max shook his head.

"No. Absolutely not. I am retiring from dragon-related activities."

The little creature emerged from the leaves.

It was bright orange, with purple wings and a tiny crown-shaped marking on its forehead.

It looked directly at Oliver.

Then it opened its mouth.

A tiny voice squeaked:

"Where's my brother?"

Oliver and Max stared at each other.

Grandma calmly put down her knitting.

"Well," she said, "I suppose I'll need a bigger garden."

And somewhere deep beneath the old oak tree, a mysterious door slowly creaked open.

The End... or perhaps just the beginning.

To be continued in Part Three: The Dragon Who Came Looking for Trouble.

Short Story Written By: Tonya R. Bennett