The Dragon’s Quest for Hopper starts off as any other low brow elf seeking a real place in life. He didn’t think the real place would be babysitter to a dragon. Part of him wishes the dragon mother decided on eating him instead of shoving him into this new role. What was he thinking getting involved with Linda or Hartliebe or thinking he deserved more in life than running a beer company. Beer is his life. Or it was. His life now seems a lot different. And scary.
Genres: Adventure, fantasy
Tyger and Dominik
Seeing the cave is nothing like I expect. Where is the protector? Or something, right? This key is dangerous and draws the strongest right? I guess I expected too much considering there is just a cave. Inside the cave is a stone table with a tablet and the arm long key. The marks are obvious. And the signs of fire give me a slight grief. I will be the one taking it back.
“You don’t need to sigh. I can grab that too.” Cyro fiddles with his stick. The fiddling causes a flash of lightning to come for me. I duck, but it has more to do with his lack of aim and good fortune. “Sorry.”
“You missed.” I walk to the tablet eyeing the piece on the table. I cannot ‘eat’ the magic it holds. What can I do to stop it from acting up?
While I stare at it, the key flickers and sends out a burst of flame. It almost hits me. “Now what?”
“If we leave it here, we won’t be able to reach Kristen’s house.” Cyro looks at his thunder stick then at the item on the tablet. “Well, I think that one would be easier for you to control. All dragons deal with fire.”
“Just a dragon blood, though.” I cross my arms staring down at the piece in question. It responds by flickering flames again. I need to figure out the whys of that. Or how to not be hurt by fire.
“True.” Cyro leans against the wall watching the entrance. “You didn’t even stop my fire breath, although you didn’t die like some have.”
“I’m not sure if that is a compliment or an insult.”
“You are such a nice friend.” I glare at him for the cruel comment. He grins back looking innocent in his wordless response. “I just need to bring it back to Kristen. That’s all. A few hours flying and bam, we’re done.”
“You’re done. I have to handle this thing until we reach the Isle. And then bring it somewhere safe.” Cyro moves from the wall to the tablet and me. “I would touch it, but I think it might be worse if I carry both keys.”
I can hear him add in his mind, since I’m just a baby dragon. Wow, to think he considers himself that lowly. I should be careful of how I treat him. He is still a dragon, even if a baby. He could kill me with little more than a flick of his wrist. All I really have protecting me is Hartliebe’s wand. I stare at the wand. I cannot let go of it. It can be used for normal things like nothing. It should help me create a spell that would solve my problem. “How did you stop your key from acting out?”
“Well, I claimed it as mine and starting absorbing the magic, why?” He frowns walking back to his spot by the entrance. “You cannot do the same for that key. You cannot absorb magic, being mostly elf, and you cannot claim it.”
Yeah, that’s true. I click my tongue. The key flames out at me again. “But I can cast magic. What type of spells do dragons use?”
“Didn’t you have basic spell casting?”
“Elfin magic is way different than dragon magic. I couldn’t even use an elf’s wand. Dragon Hartliebe’s wand came so naturally, I…”
“It’s the same magic.” Cyro blinks at me. I stare back. “Elf magic, dragon magic. It’s just magic. Dragons use a higher grade, more power in their attacks, that’s why it hurts more. Plus we can claim items and absorb magic. We build hordes. Well older dragons do.” He coughs a little. At least no black smoke comes with the cough.
“So it’s the same. Then why couldn’t I use magic before her wand?” I stare at the wand and then the key. Can I use the key as a wand? Hartliebe’s wand contains an insane amount of magic and I wield it easily.
“Dragon mark?” Cyro shrugs. “I’ll meet you outside. I don’t want the keys messing with each other until after you grab it.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” With Cyro gone, all I have is the key. It seems alive by the fact it shoots flame at me again since I ignored it a while, but it cannot talk or move on its own. How will I do this? “Now what?” Yet I still talk out loud. I’m an idiot.
Well maybe… I scratch my chin. I have to be able to come up with a solution. What does not die from fire? Even dragon fire breath? Besides me. I chuckle at my own remark. “Well, I will be hurt if I touch it.” I look it over. “It sits on the table without too much concern. The stone has no negatives from it anyway. Maybe it can be carted away?” The wand comes out. “Stone cart.”
The creation of cart reminds me the task back to Kristen’s will be much tougher now. However tough is better than impossible. “Now to get it into the cart.” I frown glancing at the key and then at the cart. “Well, a little injury will heal. And I probably will not look worse than I already do.”
Given a short time lapse, I end up unconscious on the ground. So I really cannot touch it. When I glance at the table again, I notice something I didn’t while standing: the cart already has wheels. I just need to unlock them.
Laughing insanely, I might have hit my head, I take the table out of the place and where Cyro is standing waiting for me. “I got it.”
He turns to look me over frowning at the cart. “There is no other way?”
“Well, I touched it and ended up on the ground. The place seems calmer with it out of the cave.”
“Well Tyger Cave is an echoing location. It makes items such as these worse and make trouble further.” He holds his stick out. “Just like the top of mountain.”
“Let’s just get off Mount Nugget. I am tired of the nonsense about keys.” Trudging down the mountain will be much tougher than going up. The number of monsters drawn to the keys does not realize what we are. Good thing Cyro is a dragon and I have Hartliebe’s wand. But it makes what should be half a day’s walk into four.
And during each night Tait does not show himself. I am starting to fear for him. Okay, not really. But the ghost bothered us so much my nights have almost become boring.