Edgar and the Dragon 2

By Joseph Davis

The birthday feast for the Dragon Princess is magnificent, but disaster strikes as an old enemy appears, wielding an ancient power. The Kingdom is plunged into confusion and despair. Brave young Edgar and his resourceful companion, Lucretia, are sent on a perilous journey in search of hope. Armed with a green piece of paper, an unopenable bag and a handful of Bible verses, they brave the dangers of the mysterious Unicorn Forest and the enemy fortress beyond. Will the two young heroes make it through before it is too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joseph Davis
• Release date: Apr 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463973547

Joseph Davis

I am an American fantasy author living in Sweden's most beautiful province. I enjoy writing stories in both Swedish and English for children, youth, and the young at heart. Check out my website trolyrien.com or facebook.com/trolyrien for more of my work in both languages.

Book preview

Edgar and the Dragon 2

By Joseph Davis

Cover Illustration by Therése Larsson

Scripture verses taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

I.

Edgar, wake up! You are needed in the Dragon Kingdom.

Edgar recognized his scaly friend’s hissing whisper, but her voice sounded oddly distant. He opened his eyes and blinked in the darkness. His bed felt unusually hard. Oh yes, he was sleeping in a tent. With the rest of his scout patrol.

I don’t want to get up, his friend Jamie groaned, shifting in his sleeping bag beside Edgar.

Edgar turned toward Jamie’s voice and saw the pale yellow glow of the dragon’s eyes widening in alarm. She had woken the wrong boy!

Anyway, who are you? Jamie continued, a note of panic creeping into his voice. Edgar heard him shifting more frantically. Then Jamie’s flashlight came on, and once Edgar had blinked the momentary blindness out of his eyes, he saw the white beam of light shining directly on the silvery scales of the dragon’s face. The pupils of her catlike yellow eyes narrowed as she squinted. Jamie drew a deep breath, preparing to let out a scream that was sure to wake not only everyone in the tent, but probably every single scout in the whole camp.

Edgar leaped into action. He threw himself over Jamie, clamping a hand over the boy’s mouth and using his other hand to grab the flashlight and turn it off. Jamie, he said, calmly and quietly, you know there’s no such thing as dragons, don’t you? A nod will do.

Edgar felt his friend’s slight nod.

Good, he continued. So, since you know that dragons don’t exist, you know that this must be a nightmare. Right? Another nod. And you don’t like nightmares, do you? No, why would you? So, I suggest that you curl back up in your sleeping bag, gently and quietly, and just let all of this go away so you can start dreaming something else. Doesn’t that sound like a good plan?

After waiting for a final nod from his friend, Edgar helped him back down onto his bedroll and pulled the sleeping bag up over his face. He pocketed Jamie’s flashlight – better not to take any risks. A sliver of moonlight appeared at the far side of the tent as the dragon slithered backwards out into the night. Edgar grabbed his backpack and followed her, trying not to step on any of his friends on the way out. He found his boots by the entrance of the tent and managed to get his feet into them without stumbling.

So, do we all look alike to you or something? he asked, stepping out into the moonlight.

Smell alike, the dragon replied. You all smell like wood smoke, grass, sweat and little boy.

Little boy? said Edgar. Really, I’m surprised that you can smell anything at all over that breath of yours.

Ha ha, said the dragon. Be careful with your words. We wouldn’t want any more Shadow Edgars running around, now would we?

No, I suppose not. Edgar shuddered. Anyway, speaking of trouble, why did you come to get me this time? What danger am I supposed to rescue the Dragon Kingdom from?

No danger this time, said the dragon. I’ve come to invite you to the great feast.

Feast? Edgar said suspiciously. What kind of feast? The kind where the fireberry trees are all dead, and the feast can’t begin until the Dragon King has sent me to World’s End Peak to fetch new ones?

The dragon heaved a great sigh. Just climb up on my back, she said. We don’t want to be late. I can explain along the way.

Edgar adjusted his backpack and climbed up onto the dragon’s back. Well, at least I’m not in my pajamas this time, he thought. He buttoned up the front of his scout shirt as his scaly friend beat her great, silvery wings and took off.

II.

As they flew away over the forest, the dragon told Edgar all about the feast. Her royal highness, the princess of the Dragon Kingdom, is turning thirteen, she explained.

Wasn’t she only ten or so just a few months ago? Edgar asked.

Well, as you know, time works a bit differently in our world, the dragon replied. And anyway, she skipped a year.

Skipped a year?

Yes. On her eleventh birthday, the king promised to give her anything within his power.

Edgar gaped. That sounds like a dangerous promise to make to one of the royal dragonlets!

Well, the king has always been a bit of an indulgent father. Anyway, the princess wished to be one year older.

Edgar thought about it. Well, that’s easily granted, I suppose, he said after a moment. If you wished the same thing right now, I could just tell you to wait a year.

Yes, the queen thought of that, said the dragon. But the princess, as you know, has many endearing qualities besides patience. And the king had made his promise in front of some visiting ambassadors from the Fairy Kingdom.

Ambassadors? said Edgar. From the Fairy Kingdom? But aren’t they…

Yes, said the dragon. And no. I can try to explain. But first, the feast. So the king decreed right then and there that his daughter was, henceforth, to be counted as twelve years old. And as you know, the King’s word is the dragons’ law. So this year we are celebrating the princess’ thirteenth birthday, and all the most illustrious guests from every kingdom are to attend. It is a matter of pride for the king that visitors come from far and wide to celebrate the day that his daughter grows from a Stage Two Dragonlet to a Stage Three Dragonlet.

Stage Three Dragonlet? Edgar shook his head. Anyway, do you mean to say that you’ve come all the way to my world just to bring me to the palace so that the Dragon King can boast about how far I traveled to get there?

It is a great honor to be invited to the princess’ birthday party, the dragon pointed out. And there will be free food.

Will there be fireberry ice cream? Edgar asked. Oh, never mind – tell me about the fairies. What are the dangerous, sworn enemies of the Dragon Kingdom doing sending ambassadors to the king? What kind of mischief are they trying to make?

I suppose you could ask them that yourself, the dragon answered, gesturing behind her left shoulder with a flick of her snout.

Edgar turned to look. At first he saw nothing but clouds in the moonlight. Then he noticed what looked like a swarm of bats flapping through the night behind them. The bats seemed to