The Enchanted Dragon

PTE

OY WHO H

only person in Eldoria who could not p

ife finally changed. I imagined thunder rolling across the mountains, ancient bells ringing from the towe

kens outside our cottage refused to stop making noise, and Prof

ai

t spirits, what have y

a wooden spoon in one hand and stari

he porridge was already b

pped in th

e most innocent person feel guilty. He wore his usual brown robe, which had several patches along the

epeated, "you were

d sti

oon, Adrian. Not

at my ri

smoke rose from

oved them be

closed

urmured. "You had to set

t set it

e and looked at

dge simply decided to end

mbarrassment

h of our little cottage settled around us. Outside, the village was waking up. I could hear carts rattling over the c

d with delight as she made a cluster of

hem through

lowing wings beat gently against the morning l

to create something beautiful

mbered what

e disap

nation," I

urned to

an. The ex

ears, I had wai

discovered their abilities when they were very young. Others waited until

al training to awaken what the acade

ried ev

es of legendary sorcerers, and practised the moveme

ee months attempting

remained firml

and caused every window in our cottage to open at once. Aldric had spent the res

y was di

magical institution in Eldoria and prove

a student of the Eld

o I

said, placing a fresh pi

can

behave as though your stomach

ner

kno

if I

ame unusua

he village. For several seconds, he watched the

turned b

appens today, your worth will not be

down at

say. You can turn a piec

r diamond,

ost s

hen and rested one

e matters. Judgment matters. The choices you make

derst

ore I decide to test whether you

at

dric had a way of making even the simple

ion papers, tightened the straps of my l

ria

urn

e fireplace, his expre

ademy, do not allow anyone to co

ds unse

portance of proper spell pronunciation. Instead, he looked a

do you

ment, something fli

e

y that I wondered whe

said. "Go. You

I could ask an

w streets of Blackthorn Village were already crowded wi

g giants. Their peaks disappeared into a thin veil of mist, and the old

ver seen

eople

d more than a century ago, leaving behind ruins, forgotten spell

very story I

s something I had never known: a power so extraordi

gined that I might be descended fr

ridiculou

ight a candle with

oking towards the distan

I felt as though something was

and continued to

a day for fool

nally discover whether I bel

was more magnificent than a

beneath the morning sun. Enormous stone arches connected the main build

drop spilling over its stone banks. Above the central courtyard, hundreds of

ir families crow

hers carried polished staffs decorated with gemstones. A few arrived in car

own at my

onged to Aldric, and its sleeves were slightly too long. The leather satchel hanging

d I had chosen a

" a boy besi

d towar

and a silver ring on every finger. His blue robes w

t obvious?

d at my

ng gives

d at the

O

was nothing particula

assian

of the oldest magical families in Eldoria, known for

ian

slightly. "I don'

e there isn't

A

hough I had confirmed

uck, Vale. Yo

d respond, he

disappear in

rhaps I should not care what

ollow when other people were not standing around lookin

ang from the

the courtyard, and conve

nto the main examination hall. Her silver hair was braided

d. Her voice carried effortlessly across the cou

d became

trol, and elemental affinity. Remember that the examination measures y

all measure

t abil

nded rea

extraordinary spell. Perhaps I only n

lightin

rising in

cker of light w

ld do

believe

r staff, and the enormous d

dates,

d surged

m into the exa

l was e

reflected the light of hundreds of floating candles. At the far end sto

d a transparent blue crysta

ver basin filled with wat

black stone surrounded b

tood beside e

t was called the Aether Crystal, and it measured t

, the greater the pers

le e

ho

ranged into groups, an

the Aether Crystal and place

spread throug

capacity," the e

isappointed, but

bright green glow that filled

acity. Strong aff

from somewhere

e candidates demonstr

miner's desk. A boy created a sphere of water and suspended it above his head. An

ng with a mixture

made magic lo

ly make a ca

tbeat became so loud that I could

cand

rl steppe

e crystal, and a brilliant gol

e hall fe

r stared at

al magical

proudly and retu

ner looked dow

ian

th wen

ped fo

autiful and cold, its blue surf

reds of eyes foll

all, I imagined Cassian Voss wat

d my ri

ment, the room see

entrance. I could hear someone breathing behind me. I could

my palm agains

ng ha

ait

adjusted hi

trate,

sed m

imagined the light gathering inside my chest, mov

n, I t

t o

ea

mth stirred b

ned m

golden spark appeared

eath

k grew b

ting through the blue surface like

crystal s

iner ste

read throug

not understand. It looked like a circle crossed by thre

ape appeare

red a

seen that

the crysta

t

a

ue light vanished

rack spli

ed my wrist and p

n mark di

seconds, n

rystal fla

oss the platform, extinguishi

ne sc

the crystal and muttered a stabilising spell. B

the instrumen

s impos

oat ti

at

not a

s Headmistress Wren, who

eyes

passed bet

tion, p

f

cended from the platf

d quietly, "where did

t sy

appeared bene

what you're

s the

a long moment before l

the meas

miner h

ress, the

eat

nd against the

, nothing

lden

lue

ven a

silver instrument from his pocket. He held it close to the

ession h

pacity: und

ck me harder t

tect

rticularly gifted. I had know

magic was there, hidden somewhere beneath my f

robe had reduced seventeen

tect

nstrument is d

e sound

ner looke

ved the academy for more

aps it nee

ndidates

ner's fac

len

sed one hand, and the

"please proceed to t

I could think of

The examiner instructed me to place both hands ab

d the requ

ng ha

ied

r remain

e to awaken the elemental

the inca

es did

ted, then lowere

ent magica

red a

try a

esit

Va

Just on

atched me from the

oment, sh

d placed both hands

sed m

he golden spark i

warmth that had sp

n that morning, telling me that I must never

ry ounce of ho

," I wh

ant, the ha

glow appeared b

clipboard slipp

hrough the runes, illumin

ething mov

s eno

ci

ossibly

whispered i

l

asp

en light

ed to its ordina

ng in the centre of t

ppened?"

e ans

ed his clipboard wit

ut this time she did not look like a tea

ad just discovered that a ter

e said, "you

red a

at mean

ed, but there was no

N

echoed th

he magical ability required

ards the oth

oided m

atched m

entrance, wearing a smile th

the lump i

uppose th

afrai

ed to

other test, another c

ords woul

tchel and walked

elt heavier

ad happened. More children would demonstrate their magic

had ended before i

he entrance

looked back at t

k flickered beneat

it va

rned

I did not see her place both hands against its surface or whisper a forbidde

r face when the crystal answ

rdi

t, far beyond the academy walls,

t had been wa

thorn Village, the golden morni

, keeping my ey

prices. Children chased one another through the square. A baker stood o

ng was o

what hurt

en, or the earth might open beneath my feet, or at least the universe mi

the world

laughing as he made a wo

r called

haven't learned to c

waved

y flew

oked

Aldric sitting beside the fireplac

d up as

at my face

fai

satchel bes

y gentle way of aski

closed

ria

the elemental test. I failed the spe

ut the sound

managed to b

said

cing acros

eryone looked at me as though I was some

did sh

uldn't be

ing e

top

tion uns

you ask

se from h

sual happen durin

red a

m everything. The golden light. The s

en's eyes, and I suddenly felt ashamed of ho

ng," I

watch

was hungry, when I was frightened, and when I had broken somethi

when I w

d not cha

d to his chair and

s

w quietly

t's

ooke

d you like

ow. Somethi

e your coat before supper. Y

red a

e everything

did not last long, but it eas

smiled

, neither o

to my room and

long the walls, and the shelves above my desk held the few possessions I considered important: an old compass, a broken

the edge

ad believed that magic w

not know who I was

nd stared at

ould become

black

wandered between villages, telling exagger

retending that I had ne

miserable

towards t

the darkening sky, their pea

ut them drew

t whenever I looked towards them, as though some dist

r one of my

n with silver horns and enormous wings. It

n had guarded an ancient source o

res and given power to the earliest kingdoms. It was said to be older than

elieved it was

controlled the First Flame co

ys loved t

I could not bring

ook and placed

ced somethi

hand wa

t up

ht pulsed beneath

I whis

ht brig

ol app

irc

curved

l flame at

had seen inside

, knocking a stack o

for several seconds bef

ed at

car. No sign that anythi

l feel the warmt

ounded at

mped out of

c called. "Are

ed at

rk was

lled back.

at sounded like an enti

ooks are badl

was a

the rest of the ho

retreated do

tain he had gone before

th

ed my

ng seeme

me more than I realised. Perhaps my imagination was simply des

to beli

he voice I had heard ins

l

ad sp

ed as though it had

g, I could

had accidentally turned a royal messenger into a goat, but

and a cold wind was mo

iced my di

unusual

think

ly when the tr

nore

elieve in

ped my mouth befo

froze halfway

that I might have missed it i

ht that on?

I was just

red his

something to wond

y n

rching for them sometimes discover things t

row

e something from

r books are wiser

ned f

believe th

ed me for a

ry has forgotten things it should have remembered. And I believe that some legend

for him t

did

an answer,"

one you are ge

ned to h

t something in his expres

est of my supp

ttage had grown qu

open because I wante

y beneath a pale silver moon. The trees swayed gently, their

asleep when

olled across

thought it

sound c

ugher, and so powerful that th

at

rose int

heard anyt

on my arms

ng. Another answered, and soon the e

d to the

across the di

s eno

I thought I saw wings sprea

hifted, and the s

art p

t be real,"

ing glass told

ed dow

room, fully dressed, holding a long wood

ce was

s that?"

ed towa

I saw genuine fear in the eye

o your roo

ha

, Ad

ot a c

you will d

cracked li

top

r spoken to me

ains shut. Then he crossed the room and began m

light spread

red a

re you

ing this

m wh

not a

pped

ldric, what

oked

he seemed to be strug

out and grippe

hear that sound again, you must not l

ut

mise

allo

romi

lease

he stairs, I knew I had

, beneath the humiliation of my failure at th

ios

the mountains had awake

remained silent f

ible feeling tha

not

ning to the wind and watching th

ed my eyes, I saw

n to drift off, I

l

inally sat up and

at I only wanted

bly come from a distant rockslide or

yself ma

ned why my palm had

red beneath my skin,

at it in

heard a

he examina

om the

out

ria

fr

carried through the darkness fr

ian

th wen

indow and pulled

eneath the moon, i

you?" I w

swer

voice spo

he Whisper

r travelled

close the curtains, return to bed,

n my palm pulsed in r

it in m

me had something to

it tonight, I might never discover t

my bedr

tage wa

thin line of light shone beneath his door, and

as a

d have

lipped through the back door,

lage wa

he shadows until I reached the narrow pa

Villagers claimed that strange lights appeared between the trees and that

missed those sto

ce, I found that I was

g most of the moonlight. A thin mist curled around their roo

sita

began

the voice

deep within

ne step

ano

rrow path. Branches scratched my coat, and the

ht I saw something mov

rned, there wa

inued

emed larger than it had ever looked from the village, and

ees opened into

ed at t

he centre of the clearing,

ught it was a f

it

de, scattering leaves and sending a po

led bac

den eyes opened

fixed

d not

, and a mouth filled with teeth larger than my fingers. Its black scales shimme

rag

tual

r read suddenly seeme

nt than the illustrations in my boo

ted t

refused

ad until one enormous gol

econds, neith

voice fill

e son of Elara Val

d turne

nyone in the fores

y spoken of

w my mother?" I

s golden ey

our father, too. And I have waited a very long tim

ok my

s isn't

possible until the

n lifted

Dark metal chains circled its enormous body, disappearing into the gr

ade my stom

ad chaine

to imprison a creature that looke

is to you?"

's express

saw something beneat

a

"The man who wishes to poss

meant not

the golden mark on my palm flared

ooked sharpl

led with a low,

a

closer t

," the drag

y palm again

happeni

owered its h

guardians of Eldoria. And the mark you carry is the mark of th

red a

odli

rian. They were guardians of an ancient po

ok my

died when I

what you

e with the force o

do you

attled as he shifte

y moment of your life. Your failure at the academy was not the end of your

to beli

y bed and discover that the e

. "I can't even perfo

oked at my

hid your power, not b

ped br

the clearing, a

ad turned tow

ght in his ey

y little tim

towards t

is th

chains bega

has been sear

mark on my

the darkness bey

said. "I have

read his en

orest

nderstood that the world I thought I k

itten in an

nnected to

that had ju