Chapter One
Amelia was panting hard. Her breath was heavy against the silence. Her bare feet pounded on the ground, and the tattered reamains of her pink evening ball gown dragged on the hard earth. She winced whenever she hit a sharp rock or stone, but kept on running.
When she got to the cliff, she stopped, circling her arms back and forth to keep her balance. She heard the roar of the dragon behind her. A wave of heat splashed over her, and she knew that it had just spit out its fire. She was trapped, except for one escape.
Down.
She waited and waited. Finally, when the dragon's face was right behind her, about to emmit more fire, she threw herself over the edge of the cliff.
And then woke up.
In a startled jerk, she sat upright in her bed. The same dream every night. Running away from a dragon, coming to a cliff, jumping over, then waking up. Monika, a maid, came to Amelia's side. "Mistress, are you all right?" she asked. "You were sweating in your sleep, you were." Amelia felt her clammy forhead, beaded with sweat. "My breakfast, where is it?" asked Amelia.
"Right here, miss, we took the liberty of adding a vase of flowers if you'd like," said Monika. A small, pale maid named Rachel walked up to Amelia with a tray in her hands. Scrambled eggs, french toast and pancakes with syrup, chocolate-covered strawberries, orange juice and hot chocolate. Amelia smiled. She loved being a princess.
Later that day, Amelia was walking in the gardens when she heard a noise. It was a roar, so big and so strong, that she knew it had to be that of a dragon's. But dragons don't exist, she thought. Then she remembered her dream the night before. And she knew this had to be the same dragon. In the old stories, dragons always wanted someone or something because of revenge. Or maybe that something was just a treasure they wanted that they did not possess. Amelia had no idea what the dragon wanted. But she was determined to find out. So she set out across the maze of hedges in the garden, closer to the dragon, to see what he wanted.
Usually Amelia’s walks in the garden were fun but short because it was so small. But this maze of hedges seemed so…endless. And all of a sudden, she gasped.
In front of her was a huge monster, part lion, part cat, part human. A female human. Amelia knew, from the old stories her grandfather used to tell her when she was a little girl, that this had to be a Sphinx.
“What are you doing here?” asked Amelia, frightened. She took a step back, afraid the Sphinx might be dangerous.
“Young one, I am the Sphinx, here to help you and to warn you. I am the guardian of all those who choose to cross the Great Dragon’s path. In other words, I protect people from him. Why would you want to see him?” asked the Sphinx, her voice deep and booming, neither man nor woman’s.
“He has been in my dreams many times, and I want to know what he wants, because obviously he wants something,” said Amelia, stepping a little closer.
“He does, that is correct. And the fact that he has been in your dreams must say that he want whatever he does even more.” said the Sphinx.
“Do you know what he wants?” asked Amelia.
“He wants a sacrifice. Your great-great-great-grandfather angered him so long ago many thought he had forgotten, but the Great Dragon never forgets his sacrifices. Once he smells your blood and sees that you are one of his descendants, he will hesitate not to eat you whole,” said the Sphinx. “You must send someone who is willing to risk their life for you to find out what else will be a good sacrifice instead. I hear you are a princess and cannot die for then the kingdom will not prosper without a queen. You are too valuable.”
Amelia slowly turned away, staring at the Sphinx all the while. After walking for what seemed like forever, she, by what seemed like magic, arrived at the front entrance of the palace, left there to scratch her head and wonder about the Sphinx’s words.
Chapter 2
Amelia was taking a walk through the gardens again. She was simply strolling, but secretly, she wanted to see if the hedges were back to normal and hadn’t stretched again like last time.
She wandered through them a little bit and decided they were safe. She pretended she was a fluttery fairy, light on her toes, quick on her feet. She twirled and skipped through the garden until she saw something that made her stop and twirl around to see better.
In front of her was a stray dog. He looked perfectly harmless, though, so the princess extended her hand for the dog to sniff.
“Hello,” she replied to the dog, trying to use her softest voice.
The dog licked and sniffed her hand a couple times, then said, “Come with me,” in a gruff, hardy voice.
The princess was shocked, but, scared, she followed the dog through the mazes of hedges in the garden. After what seemed like an hour, Amelia sat down on a large rock she had never seen before. They had to be lost.
“I’m so tired,” said Amelia, who, being a princess, had never walked quite so far before in her life. “We’re almost there,” said the dog, the only other thing he had said since they had started walking.
And indeed they were. In less than ten minutes the dog and Amelia approached a cave. A rock cave with a black center and a weird blue light at the other side.
“Is this a tunnel?” Amelia asked the dog.
“Yes, but it’s not a sideways tunnel. It’s a down tunnel,” replied the dog. “You jump down it and pray that Wamatash has remembered to put out the mattress today.” The dog’s reply startled Amelia, but all she could say was, “So like a downwards tunnel, like Alice in Wonderland?”
“Sort of,” said the dog, “Although my answer could be more precise if I knew what you were talking about. Now come, you must see Abugadi.” And with that, he curled himself up and jumped down into the depths of the dark tunnel. Not knowing what else to do, Amelia followed him.
She landed on a soft mattress after what seemed like a few minutes of falling and screaming and shutting her eyes back and forth at the same time.
“UGH.” said Amelia when she landed. The mattress had certainly softened her fall, but it had knocked the wind out of her still. She regained her breath as she looked around, mainly for the dog, mainly at her surroundings.
It was the strangest place she had ever seen. A forest, full of odd looking plants and trees that almost looked like--
“Candy,” breathed Amelia, standing up slowly. All of a sudden, a little man in a red suit with hair gelled up into a little curl tugged on the hem of her dress. Next to him was the dog.
“Felix here tells me you are needing of Abugadi’s service,” said the little man. Amelia nodded. “I suppose,” she said.
“Follow me,” said the man. “I work for Abugadi. My name is Frenklin.” And with that he led the princess away from the mattress, the hole in the sky she had just come through, and down a path to a huge castle made entirely of what looked like chocolate.
“Wow,” said Amelia. Her surroundings were magnificent. Everything was made of chocolate, and yet, it seemed like an exact palace of the castle at home. All of a sudden she knew where her bedroom was. She flew up the staircase. Inside was not a bedroom, though, but a storage closet. It doesn’t matter, she thought. I don’t need to see what my bedroom looks like with a chocolate interior.
At the top of the stairs she saw another short man dressed in red velvet with a cape and a gold staff. He had a crown circling his gelled, curly-cued hair. “Amelia, of the Kingdom of Beckett. Here to receive information about the Sacrifice of the Great Dragon. I can help,” he promised. “I am Abugadi,” he said, “the Leader.
“I need help with something,” said Amelia in the throne room a few minutes later. “A dragon wants my soul and I can’t give him that. What will it mean for the future of my kingdom? Mere subjects who don’t even know what they’re doing will be elected and I don’t want that. And, I expect, sacrifice is painful,” said Amelia, sweating towards the last part. “But I don’t want to make the dragon angry. What do I do?”
Abugadi clapped his hands twice and two little red men with the curly hair brought up a gold case with letters on it.
“This is the Black Sword, passed down from generation to generation of Watookies. (That is the type of people we are.) What the dragon wants most of all is the Sword, but he’s searched all over the globe and cannot find it. He has not looked in the land of Watookies, though, and that is where it is. The Black Sword has a power like no other. If you give him the Sword, it will either kill him or give him immortality. The only way to get rid of him is to pierce his heart with the thing he’s desired all his life, and that is the Sword. Take it, trick him into taking it, then trick him into blindness, henceforth destroying him. It can only be done by the chosen sacrifice, which is you,” said Abugadi. Felix looked up at Amelia. The case was in her hands now. She looked down at the little dog pleadingly. “Take me home,” she said. Felix did.
But just then, in front of them dropped the dragon, green and scaly. He had fangs longer than Amelia's arms, and his breath stunk! He roared and spit out fire through his nose. Felix, barking, ran off and Amelia ducked out of the way of the billowing flames.
Amelia started running. But as she did, the dragon decided to run after her. The ground shook with every step he took. "Come back, you foolish girl!" he bellowed with a deep, loud, raspy voice. Amelia didn't stop, though, until she tripped on a root. She fell to the ground, flat on her face. The wind was knocked out of her stomach, and her long, billowing, dirty pink satin dress was caught on a sharp stone. Tugging at her dress did nothing, and as the dragon advanced, she knew she was going to be his supper. But just then, Felix jumped in front of the dragon's flames. When the fire cleared, all that was left was a solid gold statue of a dog identical to Felix.
It was Felix.
Amelia cried out. It seemed she was hopeless now. The dragon roared, angry he had missed his target. Frustrated, he spit out some mor fire, but this time, it circled around him like a glass case and he disappeared with a gray poof of smoke.
Amelia started at the little gold dog. She was so sure Felix would be able to help her--it seemed as if he knew everything. But just then, Abugadi spoke up: "I can help you bring Felix back to life," he promised.
Amelia blinked. "You can?"
Abugadi almost laughed. "Of course! You have a lot to learn, young one. Come. I will teach you the ways of the Ancient Beings and how I will help you accomplish the many tasks that lie ahead of you." Abugadi walked off, deep into the palace. And, once again feeling hopeless and lost and without any other choice, Amelia followed Abugadi deep into the palace.
Chapter Three
Once Abugadi and Amelia were in the palace again, Abugadi invited Amelia into an elegant parlor with couches and a beautiful coffee table standing on an ornate rug--all out of chocolate. "Come, child, and sit with me," said Abugadi. "I promise that by the time you go home everything will be explained and clear," promised the old cheif. Hestitant, but desperate to help her friend, Amelia sat down, hoping Felix would be alright.
"I must confess to you that I am not a normal Watookie. I was chosen as cheif for my magical abilities. I still have those abilities and use them every day. I have invented many spells before, but this one has been passed on for generations. Watookies all over the world haveused this spell countless times to escape the wrath of the Dragon. But for this spell to work, you need to very specific ingredients--the blood of the dragon, and the Blue Flower of Life. In order to get the blood of the Dragon, the most important ingredient, you must slay the Dragon. Again, this can only be done by his chosen sacrifice--you. Do you understand so far?" said Abugadi.
Amelia stood up from her couch, enfuriated. "There you go again! Yes, of course I understand! But now I think YOU need to understand something-- I'm not slaying any dragon! I can't! I couldn't if I tried, because I just don't know how!" Amelia shouted.
"I don't think you understand," said Abugadi, obviously confused. "You have to, to save your kingdom, Beckett, to save Felix, to save everyone. It is vital you carry out your mission." Amelia was getting angrier and angrier by the minute. No way she was going to do something as stupid as to try and kill a dragon.
But then she looked out the window, at the little statue of Felix, the golden dog, and felt so bad. He had saved her, and she wasn't even willing to same him. She swallowed all her fears. "Okay, tell me the spell," she said bravely, staring Abugadi straight in the eye.
"Okay, here it is," Abugadi said. "Mind you, you're being very brave. Okay: 'Puppy of gold, whose ever so bold, come join me.'"
"That's it?!" said Amelia. "Why didn't you tell me it would be so easy?!"
"It's not," responded Abugadi. "Remember? The Blue Flower of Life? The Dragon's blood? You must do that all by yourself, but I'll tell you where to look."
"Okay, shoot," said Amelia.
Abugadi's eyes widened.
"Okay, okay, just tell me where to look for your stupid flower and your stupid dragon!" Amelia shouted.
"The flower will be found in the Valley of Life, which is not in the Land of Watookies, but beyond it. There are millions of flowers there, but if you get to the Valley on time and before the dragon slaying, all the other flowers will be orange. The Blue Flower of Life is, well, blue. That would be the easy part," Abugadi explained.
"And the dragon?" Amelia asked, cringing, hoping he would change his mind and tell her not to slay the dragon, the spell would work without it, please, please, PLEASE--
"The dragon lives in his cave in the Hushkan Mountains, completely on the other side of this world, the world you are in right now," Abugadi explained, but it made no sense.
"So you mean...it's different from where I live?" asked Amelia.
"Yes, completely. Anyway, one more thing: the dragon's cave--it moves around wherever it wants, and the dragon is not always in it. Sometimes he escapes to your world, the world of your palace. If he is up there too long, he will start on maybe the others of the royal court--your family, friends, everyone you love. So you must hurry! Time speeds up when you're down here, so while you may be gone for days down here, it may be weeks up there. Good luck," he said
"Wait--no! You can't just leave me like that! I need to know where everything is! I need someone to help me!" Amelia cried out in frustration.
"Of course. That is why Max is here," said Abugadi, smiling kindly.
A little man younger than Abugadi by a lot staggered in, smiling. "You said my name, your majesty," the little man said. He bowed down in front of the cheif.
"Ah, Max. Rise, young one," said Abugadi. Max obeyed.
"Accompany Amelia on her quest for the Blue Flower of Life, Max. Help her find and slay the dragon. You two have so much in common, you'll be great companions," said Abugadi.
"Great, you know something, Max? You're probably the only one in this place with a name I can actually pronounce, now let's go," said Amelia hurriedly.
"Oh, and one more thing," said Abugadi. He snapped his fingers, and out of thin air there appeared a backpack, full of first aid, food, water, and everything else the two needed. "Take it. Store the things you collect along the way in here. it will help," said Abugadi. Amelia took it. She and Max left the palace, and, on her way out, Amelia carefully pushed the little gold Scottie into her bag, ready to go and help her friend, ready for anything.
Almost.
