The Evil Magic of the Blue Dragon Tree

By Lyn D. Jackson

The Blue Dragon was evil, and the other dragons cast a spell on him and turned him into a small blue tree, but with the help of a Goblin he began to grow and so did his evil magic. The tree has large heart shaped leaves covered with fine poisonous stinging hairs. Any small creature that ventured close to the tree was sucked down and devoured by the roots that sprang out of the earth when they felt the vibration of movement above. The tree's blue roses had an intoxicating perfume and birds that alighted on the branches were soon overcome and fell unconscious to the ground and suffering the same fate as the other creatures. His evilspread throughout the realms and a band of friends went on a dangerous journey to destroy the tree before it could find a way to break the spell, and change back into an immortal evil dragon that could not be killed.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Aug 10, 2007
• ISBN: 9781456791537

Lyn D. Jackson

Lyn D Jackson was born in the Medway Valley in Kent and was brought up there during the war years. She still lives in Kent with her husband in the old medieval town of Faversham. She came to writing late in life after the children had married and left home and she had retired. This is her fifth book but the first one she has put forward for publication. Most of her stories are written for children and young adults and those of us who are still mentally nine years old and enjoy stories about dragons and dwarves and wizards. Her stories have the element of fantasy and adventure as she feels that we all need a little magic in our lives.

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Forward

This is to thank all those who supported and encouraged me during the writing of this book especially my husband Ken who got me started. My small band of readers some willing and some press-ganged that read it on the way to work and in their lunch hours. To our friends Colin and Mark, at Tasca Maco’s in the Canary Islands, who gave me the inspiration for the Great Pretender and the Master Gardener. To all those who said stick with it I thank you.

Lyn D Jackson

Chapter One The Time Before

In the time before long, long ago when the many realms of the world lived in harmony there were many mystical beasts roaming the heavens and earth that we don’t see now. Among these were dragons. There were dragons of the air, sea, and land. Fire Dragons, Ice Dragons, Dragons of the Sun and Stars and many more. They all had their realm and place and watched over each of their realms to see that all was well.

For a long time all was well and the twelve principal dragons met once a month in a castle half way up a mountain to dine and discuss the happenings in their various realms. There were twelve seats, six each side of a long table so no dragon was above another. This suited them all very well except the Blue Dragon who thought he was best and should be at the head of the table. There was a large throne at the head of the table but was only used when someone had a birthday or if they wanted to specially honour someone.

Down one side of the table was the Fire Dragon he lived in a large cave on the side of a volcano. He had bright shiny red scales and golden sparks flew out of him when he laughed as he did often. Next to him was the Crystal Ice Dragon who lived in a tall blue iceberg in the land of ice and snow. He was like a piece of shimmering crystal. A very cool laid back dragon. Then there was the Desert Dragon, he was yellow in colour and very relaxed, he lived in an oasis in the middle of a large desert and spent most of his time asleep under a palm tree unlike the dragon next to him who was the Storm Dragon, he lived in the clouds and charged about creating huge yellow and black clouds, throwing lightening spears and thunder bolts and soaking the earth with violent rain storms. He was the colour of storm clouds dark purple and grey with yellow streaks. He was very noisy and cheerful laughing and slapping the other dragons on their backs.

His neighbour was the Silver Dragon, the dragon of the night and stars. He was a blue velvet colour and his silver scales twinkled like stars at night and on the end of this side of the table was the Sun Dragon. He was pure gold in colour tinged with bright orange on his back and tail and lived on top of the highest mountain and his warm nature was a calming influence on the world below and the more excitable dragons.

One the other side of the table was the Wind Dragon and he lived in the tops of the oldest tallest trees. He brought warm breezes of summer and cold winds of winter. Winds that heated the deserts and winds that made the waves dance, making the foam looking like thousands of seahorses prancing. He was very colourful his scales were gold, green, red orange and brown like the colours of the falling autumn leaves which he loved to blow in every direction. Altogether he was a very nice dragon. Sitting next to him was the Earth Dragon he was a very down to earth, solid and dependable, he kept an eye on the land and watched over the crops and all growing things, which he loved. He was brown in colour and looked like a huge rock but he was a favourite among the other dragons. The dragon next to him was the Sea Dragon he lived most of his time under water looking after the creatures of the deep. He was blue and green in colour and his scales always shimmered in the light as though they were wet. He was a very quiet dragon but the dragon next to him was a very different kettle of fish he was the Green Dragon and he lived in the tallest of the pines in the quiet of the forest. He flew over forests and glens, woods and copses even the lone trees in gardens and out on the moors came under his protection. He was every shade of green and his wings were like huge branches covered with feathery green scales that resembled leaves. He was jolly and was always laughing mostly at his own jokes, which he made all the time.

The dragon on his right was the Temple Dragon he was so called because he lived in a temple or pagoda on top of a very large flat plateau. He was bronze in colour with streaks of gold and silver he looked like a very large bronze statue. He was a most impressive dragon. All metals that came from the earth were under his domain. In his temple were singing bowls and giant temple bells, which could be heard right across the valley below. Under his wings he carried Ting-Sha, small symbols, which made a delicate tinkling sound as he moved.

And now we come to the Blue Dragon right at the end of this side of the table. He was indeed blue the colour of the sky. His domain was everything that reflected the sky with the exception of the sea. His domain covered ponds in gardens, woodland pools, rock pools, lakes in the high mountains and cool running streams. He was supposed to look after the small creatures that lived in the waters and all the creatures that came to drink at the waterside but he spent all his time admiring his reflection in the water. He was supposed to live in the clouds, but he lived in a deep dark cave by a lake in the mountains far away from anyone. He was not a happy dragon.

One meeting in the winter just before Christmas the Blue Dragon was not present and the other dragons could not remember seeing him since their last meeting even then he had been withdrawn and sulky and could not wait to leave. They decided they must find out what had happened to him and report back their findings at the next meeting in a month’s time.

The following month the news was grim. Nobody had seen him but reports were coming in from all over his realm, he had turned to evil. He had an obsession with precious jewels and was stealing and killing. He was filling his dark cave with them and would lie on top of them letting them drip through his claws and telling them how beautiful they were. What he wasn’t given he took and would think nothing of killing to feed his desire. The more he killed the more powerful and maniacal he became. This was because each death made the Blue Dragon stronger because he stole their life force and energy.

One evening he killed a beautiful unicorn that had come down to drink at the lake outside his cave. He stole his horn and was seen wearing it tied to his head. This was the vilest of crimes possibly. Unicorns are magical good creatures and were beloved by all. They were looked upon as sacred. The dragons decided something must be done. They could not kill him, that wasn’t allowed but they decided to put a spell on him. They would take away his magic and turn him into a very slow growing seedling tree. They would keep him locked in the castle and keep vigil over him. There would always be a dragon in the castle with him.

They planned a big banquet in his honour and sent out invitations, but only to him and themselves, as it would be dangerous to invite outsiders with magic flying about. When he received his invitation he was delighted. Imagine that a banquet in his honour and not before time hadn’t he always said he was the greatest of all dragons.

The banquet was prepared and the dragons arrived one by one and the last to arrive was of course the Blue Dragon. He wanted to make an entrance, he was bedecked in jewels and wearing the unicorn’s beautiful horn. His claws and teeth were covered with blood and all present knew he had killed some poor innocent creature. They also knew he was getting too powerful and were more determined to carry out their spell. Any doubts were brushed away when they saw him. His eyes shone red with the evil inside him.

Oh, all for me in my honour, he cried, seeing the table laden with all sorts of wonderful food. Great golden pitchers of wine stood all down the centre of the table. The gold plates and wine goblets shone in the warm glow of a hundred candles.

About time too, he shrilled and sat himself in the throne at the head of the table. He wasted no time in tearing the food apart and cramming it into his mouth as fast as he could, and there was always a dragon to fill his goblet with wine as soon as it was empty. The party became very merry all the dragons laughing and joking and telling the Blue Dragon what a hell of a fellow he was and admiring his jewels. The dragons made a big show but ate very little and only drank water in the pitchers at the bottom end of the table as they did not they did not want to diminish their powers.

This is more like it, shouted the Blue Dragon, who was by now very drunk,

I’d have come more often if you’d have shown proper respect.

At midnight all the dragon’s stood around his throne and sang, ‘for he’s a jolly good fellow’ and on the stroke of twelve they all took out their wands and circled around him and started to chant the spell. It took a few seconds for the Blue Dragon to realise what was happening and he tried to transport himself out of the castle but their magic was stronger. Unfortunately the two spells intertwined. He was turned into a seedling tree but he was also transported, although he had no control as to where, and a very small amount of magic went with him.

The dragons were dismayed when he disappeared but fortunately they had changed him into a very small seedling so any magic he had would be too small to use until the tree grew larger. They knew it was a slow growing tree and it would be many hundreds of years for it to grow into an appreciable size before the magic was strong enough to use.

They took it in turns to fly over the many lands to see if they could find the tree but never could. There were so many distant lands with forests and deserts and jungles and mountains that it was an impossible task. They kept looking for five hundred years and then stopped and waited always watchful in case he found a way to come back.

Chapter Two The Now Time

The Great Pretender sighed, since he had taken charge of this realm no major disasters had happened. There were of course the odd problems with people and animals but nothing that could not be easily solved. A great many of the problems caused were by people from the outside. He was called the Great Pretender because he often travelled in disguise to keep an eye on the realm. He felt his disguises would not serve him well for what he knew was coming. Evil was afoot and he had better prepare.

He lived in a great stone mansion in a quiet place on the edge of a wood with his dog Grinwald an Irish wolfhound. Grinwald spent a good deal of his day sleeping on a large fur rug in front of the fire but he had become aware of a change in the atmosphere, something unpleasant was happening. He was listening all the time, waiting. The Great Pretender slid his hand along the mantelpiece above the huge fireplace until his fingers touched a large iron key. He took it down and blew off the dust and said,

Come Grinwald, we have work to do. The dog got up silently and padded after his master as he climbed up a wide curved stone stairway. At the top he turned into one of the two corridors that led off from it. He went to the end of the corridor and unlocked a large oak door. He and Grinwald went inside and the door closed behind them. It was a large bedchamber and had dark oak furniture and tapestries of brilliant colours on the walls. There was a large freestanding mirror to one side of the room next to the bed and at the foot of the bed was a large oak chest.

The Great Pretender opened the chest and took out a black silk suit and shirt, which he placed on the bed. He unwrapped a long floor length flowing black cloak and wide brimmed soft hat, which he laid very carefully on the bed. He also took out a long walking staff, which had a large round blue crystal at the top encased in a silver dragon. The top half of the dragon clasped the crystal in its claws and the tail and back legs were wrapped around the staff. He slowly and carefully dressed and looked in the mirror.

It’s a long time since we’ve worn these, he said to Grinwald and the dog grunted. Out of a large box he took a wide collar and placed it around Grinwald’s neck. The collar had long spikes all around it to protect Grinwald, and stop anything from grabbing him by the throat. He took a large crystal ring from the dressing table and as he slipped it on his finger the stone began to glow blue, as did the crystal on the staff.

Come Grinwald, he said and stretched his hand towards the door and it opened. When they were back outside the door closed behind them but the Great Pretender locked it like any of the other doors as though it was not magic at all. They went to the kitchen to have the last meal they would be having in this house for some time.

Meanwhile Kenny a small weasel was wandering down the forest path going to visit an old friend when he saw a monk sitting on a rock, overlooking a lily-pool. At first he thought he thought it was the Great Pretender but he could see there was a much squatter and broader man inside the robe and the cowl was pulled well over the head and forehead so you couldn’t see the face of the person who wore it. Kenny thought it best to get behind a tree to hide but the monk’s head turned slightly and in a deep menacing voice said,

Step forward weasel. Kenny felt afraid but took two steps forward, not too near.

Who are you? said the monk.

Me? said Kenny, I’m Kenny sir, nobody important just a carpenter.

Is that so, said the monk and although Kenny craned his head forward he could not see the face of the monk.

Do you know the Great Pretender? he asked.

Oh yes sir, yes, said Kenny shaking all over.

Then tell him I’m here, said the monk turning away.

What name shall I give sir? asked Kenny.

Just tell him you saw the Black Abbott. Now be off with you before I turn you into something even nastier than a weasel. Now weasels have short legs but they can move really fast when the need arises and Kenny thought this was the time and ran like the wind. He would have to tell the Master Gardener, the man he worked for and he in turn would tell the Great Pretender, as Kenny did not know where the Great Pretender lived.

The Master Gardener said they must go and see the Great Pretender at once.

We! Said Kenny, you want me to go as well?

Yes you too Kenny, you’re part of it now. Kenny wasn’t sure he wanted to be a part of anything to do with that old black monk.

O.K. said Kenny reluctantly, Shall we have a brew up first?

I think not, said the Master Gardener, Time is of the essence, so they set off for the Great Pretender’s mansion.

Oh my Gawd! said Kenny when they arrived at the Great Pretenders mansion, What’s that a castle?

No just a mansion, said the Master Gardener, What would you expect the Great Pretender to live in?

The door was ajar, as they were expected and the Master Gardener and Kenny entered and closed the door behind them.

Look at that fireplace, said Kenny in amazement, It’s as big as an ‘ouse.

Ah, said the Great Pretender, coming down the staircase to greet them, glad to see you, what news have you brought? As the Master Gardener told him about Kenny and the Black Abbott they heard a loud thud. Kenny had fainted. He had caught sight of Grinwald who was three times his height and his fierce expression and spiked collar was just too much.

Come, come Kenny, said the Great Pretender fanning Kenny with his wide brimmed hat, Its only Grinwald my dog.

Not like no dog I’ve ever seen, said Kenny, "he’s the size of an elephant. Grinwald came over and licked Kenny on the head to show his goodwill.

There, now, said the Great Pretender helping Kenny to his feet, he likes you.

Well don’t let him like me any more, said Kenny feeling uncomfortable with dog spit all over his face.

You look right ‘andsome, he said admiring the Great Pretender in his swirling cloak.

Thank-you Kenny, said the Great Pretender, one does try, and now I think we’d all better get back to your place Master Gardener and get ready for the off. I think we will have to leave the realm this time.

Leave the realm! said Kenny suspiciously, this time? ‘ere I don’t want no trouble.

It’s not a question of what we want Kenny, it’s a question of what we have to face up to, said the Master Gardener. The Great Pretender picked up a round leather basket with two long straps attached and placed it on Grinwald’s back. He fastened the straps under Grinwald’s stomach. Tested it to make sure it was safe and secure and lifted up Kenny and placed him in the basket.

You might as well ride while you can Kenny you will probably have to share later on.

They set off to the Master Gardener’s cottage but it was