Third Night of May

By Kate Sadeski

Grin is an average, adolescent dragon living with his grandmother in their miniature home on the small island country of Sabarski. One day, a new dragon, Salla, joins his school and turns his world upside down. She reveals herself to be a spy, working for another dragon, Rainy, in hopes that he can help save their population from the evil wolves. For the past hundreds of years, the wolves and dragons have been in a constant war, and theyve set the date for the final battle. Which creature will come out victorious? What will happen to the other species? And most importantly, who or what is coming after Grin and the others of his sort? Delve into this plot twisting fantasy to find out!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 9, 2009
• ISBN: 9781450002103

Kate Sadeski

Kate Sadeski resides in Georgia with her mother, father, arrogant cat, and stubborn dog.

Book preview

Chapter One

Sometime in September

The job of a reporter is not an easy one. You must make sure that the story is exactly as it happened, because if it’s not, the characters may get quite upset and throw you out of a six story window. Or, if you story is completely true, well, no one wants the world to know their entire life. Being a reporter for a story about dragons and wolves and magical fairies, now that’s entirely different. Not only do you have to get the facts as straight and polite as possible, you have to blend in with society. If I were to wander into a dragon’s home as a human, don’t you think it’d be a little awkward? Therefore, you must cope with whatever the job throws at you, as long as it isn’t the street below a sixth story window.

There was a knock at the door of Ra’iny’s house. The old dragon opened the door to see his friend from long ago. He ushered him in, looked outside for witnesses, then closed the door.

Ra’iny was an elder looking dragon. He is a dark powder blue with black on the ends of his wings as if they’ve been scorched. He has black scales all down his back, and his eyebrows are big and white. He is gentle when he wants to be, which isn’t during the time of battle.

What took so long, my friend?

His companion paused, then answered It took longer than we expected to find the right one.

Well, S’ward, what have you found?

My friends found him, not I.

This angered Ra’iny. I told you to find him! I paid you! And friends?! No, we discussed this! You are not to socialize! It’s dangerous! You don’t exist anymore! The dragon you once were is long gone! You are S’ward. You have no family, no friends, nothing! It’s the only way to stay safe!

S’ward, still peaceful, answered What is the loss with having friends? They don’t know anything! All I told them was that I needed to find a certain dragon with a rounded tail. Nothing of our plans was mentioned. And what if I don’t want to stay safe?

At that moment, Ga’liana stepped forward, out of the shadows of the living room.

Ra’iny glanced at her, then back at S’ward. Not a word to your friends. This is Ga’liana. She is going to keep the dragon safe. We don’t need anything to happen to this child.

S’ward looked at her. Why does he need a babysitter? He’s managed to live this long by himself. Why can’t he live any longer without her?

Ga’liana looked at him as if he had asked Why does she have four legs? instead of the reasonable question he did ask. Because when word gets out that he is the only one that can save us, boy, he’s gonna be up to his neck in ice water. Can you imagine being a simple dragon and then waking up and you’re the only one who can help us avoid extinction?

S’ward, understanding, replied No.

Ga’liana continued. Me neither. Now, would you mind telling me why you can’t tell others who you really are?

S’ward answered Because I’m on a secret mission. The dragon population is decreasing quickly. If we don’t act fast, all dragons will die. There is one dragon that can help us, but he’s still young. We can only wait so long, so he must be ready for battle on the third day in May. You have until then to teach him all he needs to know. Are you up for the challenge?

Just tell me who the dragon boy is, and I’ll do the best I can.

Ra’iny, speaking for S’ward, said All in good time, Ga’liana. But we can tell you this. You will be in charge of prepping the boy for battle against our worst enemy, the wolf.

Ga’liana was confused. The wolf, sir?

Ra’iny answered, Ah, the wolf. I hate ‘em. Don’t you agree, S’ward?

S’ward, now paying attention, replied, "What, oh, yes sir. Horrible creatures. They act brutally against any mortal in their territory. Just recently, the wolves have begun to take on new territories, and with their high hopes of taking over the world, nothing will stop them.

Ga’liana was still confused, but on a different topic now. Then how will a small dragon stop them, when the packs will devour our biggest and strongest warriors?

Ra’iny was waiting for this question, and he had an answer prepared. How does the moon shine, my dear?

Ga’liana was once more confused. The sun reflects off of it?

Yes! So what we are planning to do is-

S’ward, seeing where the conversation was going, interrupted Ra’iny. Take the boy to the equator, where the sun shines the hardest and hottest. There, he will reflect the sun off of his scales and onto a nearby forest. Once the trees catch fire, the wolves will be focused on putting out the disaster striking their headquarters, that they won’t notice that there are other dragons coming up behind them and eating them alive!

Ra’iny sighed, No, they won’t eat them alive. Thanks for interrupting, by the way. There will be dragons floating above the fire, adding more to it. After the fire dies, the wolves will have nowhere to go, and we’ll dominate.

So why can’t the dragons just set the headquarters on fire? Why do we need this other dragon? asked Ga’liana.

Because only the sun is strong enough. Ra’iny replied.

But why can’t any other dragon reflect the sun?

Once again, Ra’iny replied, Because only the boy is shiny enough. If I and every other dragon could reflect the sun, we’d be in huge trouble.

Alright, I see your point. But I don’t see why you can’t tell me the boy’s name! complained Ga’liana.

If you know the name, you can find him by yourself, and wouldn’t have to stick around here and listen to what we have to say. When you know the boy’s name, you are no longer Ga’liana. You are S’alla. And there is no mention of our names or our plans. You are to go to him, pretend like you are his friend, and teach him through friendship. He is not to learn of our plans until early April, when the moon is new. Understand?

Should I shape-shift? asked Ga’liana.

Shape-shift? Why would you need to shape-shift? asked Ra’ iny.

I dunno, in case he doesn’t want to be friends with an adult female!

Enough yelling. We need peace. That’s a good idea, why don’t we just talk to the wolves instead of setting fire to their homes? S’ward took to a meditating pose, as the others stared at him in disbelief.

Gee, why didn’t I think of that? Oh, I know, because I wanted to live! Don’t you know what will happen if we go up to the King Wolf and say ‘Sir, can we be friends?’ Well, let me tell you, it won’t be pretty, that’s for sure! Why, I ought to fire you for suggesting that! He was interrupted by Ga’liana.

He can’t hear you sir. Sure enough, S’ward was deep in a meditating pose, hovering above the ground. She was about to shape-shift into a snake when S’ward jolted out of position.

Good, now that you’re awake, would you mind telling me why you didn’t have to change your name? growled Ga’liana.

Shush … whispered S’ward. He was now hunkering down on the floor, motioning the others to follow. I did change my name; I used to be S’ring. What’s it to ya?

Just wondering. Why are we squatting? And why are we whispering?

S’ward replied quickly and quietly. Because they’re coming.

Now Ra’iny was confused. Who’s coming?

Them.

Them?

Ga’liana was starting to understand. I think he means the wolves. S’ward nodded his head. Then they heard footsteps outside. The house was dark, and the few windows it did have had curtains, so not much was seen by the wolves or the dragons. But it’s what was heard, not seen, that terrified them. The wolves seemed to be talking of plans. Plans to wipe out the dragon existence completely, and every trace of them. Ra’iny wouldn’t have it. He started to get up when S’ward pulled him back down and held his mouth. They could hear outside the house what sounded like a low laugh, followed by the crackling embers of fire.

Fire. They had to get out. Ra’iny was about to leave and give the wolves a little piece of his mind when he stopped. He looked back, and S’ward and Ga’liana were still on the ground, looking up at him. He ran and checked the two windows. Both were engulfed in flames. He also checked the door. The small window next to it showed wolves, waiting by every door of every house. There was no escape. He had to think quickly. The roof. Wolves can’t fly. He would come back and repair the house later. He grabbed Ga’liana and S’ward’s paws, and closed his eyes. Then, in a second or two, he was crashing through the roof of the house.

A few minutes after the take off, all three dragons were flying safely above the grounds. It appeared as everyone else in the village had done the same. Luckily, there were only about three other dragons in the area at the time of the attack. They slowed down some, and Ga’liana turned to Ra’iny.

Can you tell me the name now? she begged.

Ra’iny looked at her for a moment. What is your name?

Ga’liana took a minute to consider the question before answering S’alla.

Ra’iny nodded approvingly. And how old are you?

S’alla fluttered in the air for a second, then shape-shifted into a young female dragon.

Ra’iny glanced at her, then back at his flight path. Good. The child’s name is … He looked around at surrounding dragons, and decided to take out a piece of paper and a pencil. He wrote something down, gave it to S’alla, and bid farewell. Then he took S’ward to the right while he let her continue flying left. She read the paper.

12 Mulberry Drive. G’rin.

Chapter Two

Same time in September

Have you ever imagined yourself as a chicken? It’s not very easy. First you have to make sure that your legs are skinny enough and are able to hold you at the same time. Then you have to grow feathers. Good luck with that. Prior to gaining feathers, you must take the shape of a chicken: round body, long neck, delicious exterior, etc. Finally, if you’ve got the body of a chicken, you must learn how to cluck loud enough for a wolf in a dark cave to hear you. When my boss came and told me that I had to follow these steps to becoming a chicken in order to describe this scene, well, let’s just say I took a long, hard look at my life. No mommy! I don’t care what I might have to do! I want to be a reporter! Never say that again. Listen to your parents, kids. If you can become a doctor, by all means do.

A small chicken ran past the entrance to the cave. Suddenly, a swift paw reached out and took it in the grotto. The owner of the paw ate the chicken, and then called out.

You’re late, you know. called the voice. A wolf pup, probably teenaged, came out of the shadows. He was crawling, afraid of the punishment for being late.

Yes, sorry sir. he replied.

Well, you should be. The dragon’s probably nearing the house by now. We must hurry, War-e, for we could miss the discussion! cried the voice.

Discussion? Wait, what? And why does everyone call me ‘War-e’? I was sent here to help you. What are you anyway? responded War-e.

You were not taught well, my friend. There is a very important meeting tonight, and I intend to be there. And you will help me, child. He stepped out of the cave, revealing an old, battle-torn wolf. He had war scars all over his face. To a wolf, this was a sign of maturity. War-e’s mouth fell open in amazement. He shook it off and continued.

What of my name, sir?

Later. Now grab a torch and we’ll be off. He answered.

To where, leader?

Ashtonville, where there are dragons.

* * * * *

There was a knock at the door of Ra’iny’s house. The old dragon opened the door to see his friend from long ago. He ushered him in, looked outside for witnesses, then closed the door.

So, why am I here? questioned War-e.

Shush. He held a paw to his lips. You should be ‘War-q’ for question-asking-a-lot-er. You wanted to know your name, and I will tell you. But I’m afraid I’ll have to give you a shortened version due to our lack of time. You and twenty-four other wolves are our secret army. The War-riors each have a special ability. They’re named from A to Y for less confusion.

What about Z?

Z?

The letter after Y?

Oh, yes. His power was to burst into flames. The wolf got real quiet.

Oh, and sir? You never told me your name.

It’s … Wayne. But you are to call me Wind, understood?

Yes sir.

Good. confirmed Wind.

And sir? My name’s Walton. Could you call me that? And what’s my power, sir?

No, you’re War-e. Your power? You’re literally a fly on the wall. Only dragons can shape-shift, my boy, but you can turn into a fly. So go now, while the window’s open.

War-e tried, but failed to turn into a fly. How?

I don’t know, think ‘fly’.

There was a sound like a snapping twig, and War-e turned into a fly. He flew into the house, and positioned himself on the wall, right by the window for a quick escape. This is what he heard:

Gee, why didn’t I think of that? Oh, I know, because I wanted to live! Don’t you know what will happen if we go up to the King Wolf and say ‘Sir, can we be friends?’ Well, let me tell you, it won’t be pretty, that’s for sure! Why, I ought to fire you for suggesting that! He was interrupted by who War-e called Dragon One.

He can’t hear you sir. Sure enough, Dragon Two was deep in a meditating pose, hovering above the ground.

Good, now that you’re awake, would you mind telling me why you didn’t have to change your name? growled Dragon One.

Shush . . whispered Dragon Two. He was now hunkering down on the floor, motioning the others to follow. I did change my name; I used to be S’ring. What’s it to ya?

Just wondering. Why are we squatting? And why are we whispering?

Dragon Two replied quickly and quietly. Because they’re coming.

At that moment, War-e buzzed out of the house. Dragon Three glanced just long enough to see him leave. The dragon got up and closed the window and curtains behind him. War-e went back to report to Wind what he saw and heard.

So they know we’re here. whispered Wind.

Yes sir. What shall we do?

Yelling, Wind answered, We shall take the stone to the volcano. Then we will hold it up and chant the curse. The dragons will come running, abandoning everything that they were doing. While they’re distracted, we’ll come in and steal their supplies and burn whatever’s left. Then we will flee.

War-e was confused. Whispering, he asked Wind whatever questions were running through his mind. Stone? Sir, I don’t understand. And should you be yelling like that? They’re right over there.

Wind was now looking around, and he answered in a whisper. There is no stone. That’s not the plan. I was just pointing them in the wrong direction. But this is the plan. He took out some matches from his pack, and struck one. Then he laid it on the ground by the hut and motioned for War-e to follow him out of the town. They ran to a safe distance, then stopped to listen to the dragon’s flying above. They didn’t hear much.

Can you tell me the name now? Dragon One begged.

Dragon Three looked at her for a moment. What is your name?

Dragon One took a minute to consider the question before answering, S’alla.

Dragon Three nodded approvingly. And how old are you?

S’alla fluttered in the air for a second, then shape-shifted into a young female dragon.

Dragon Three glanced at her, then back at his flight path. Good. The child’s name is . . He looked around at surrounding dragons, making eye contact with the wolves down below, and decided to take out a piece of paper and a pencil. He wrote something down, gave it to S’alla, and bid farewell. Then he took Dragon Two to the right while he let her continue flying left. She read the paper.

Since the wolves weren’t up in the sky, it was hard to tell what the paper said. On the other hand, they did have a dragon to follow.

Chapter Three

Morning, Same Day in September

No, I didn’t die when the wolf ate me. He didn’t actually swallow, because he found out the hard way that I don’t taste good, which is good for me to know.

Also, if you’ve been wondering how I find out about these stories that occur at the same time, well, it helps to know that the wolves met well before the dragons, therefore I was able to go to Ashtonville with the wolves. And if you’re