Hadley's Dragon Drama: Hadley's Dragon Drama

By Dave Powell

Dragons are real – and they need her help.

 

When 12-year-old Hadley Morgan stumbles upon a magical rift in the mountain next to her hometown, she makes an amazing discovery: dragons are real. The dragon Qi'ola crashed there, and she needs Hadley's help. The dragons' minds have been enslaved by the evil Noma Deeve.

Determined to help Qi'ola, Hadley and her brother Brody venture through the rift – and they're quickly catapulted into a fantastical adventure in a strange new world. From roving bands of ogres and winged darrow to shimmering forests and a cranky dwarf named Calamus, Hadley soon finds out that this land has no shortage of surprises.

 

But Noma Deeve won't let go of the dragons without a fight... and back in her home world, Hadley learns how difficult it is to keep a secret as big as a dragon. Can she protect Qi'ola while finding a way to free the dragons from Noma Deeve's mind control? And what will happen once the scientists in her hometown learn about the magical rift?

 

As a fun and fantastical middle-grade adventure that's perfect for boys and girls ages 10 and up, Hadley's Dragon Drama is an exciting and memorable story that will help imbue kids with a lifelong love of reading. Grab your copy today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dave Powell
• Release date: May 27, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201609153

Book preview

Chapter 1

O h holy heck.

Hadley Morgan spread out her arms to keep her balance. An earthquake? The twelve-year-old had never been in one before, but she realized a specific thing immediately. Up on a small mountain? Probably not the best place to be during one. This could go bad.

But just as quickly as it had started, the shake seemed to end. So quickly, in fact, that except for two different clues, Hadley might have second-guessed that it had happened at all.

Her first clue, a nearby flock of birds, had obviously felt the jolt. The birds burst off in unison from one of the many trees on the side of the mountain path. Hadley’s gaze followed the flock as it swooped around the mountainside, her eyes only turning back when the second clue grabbed her attention.

Hadley barely caught the last remnants of a small rockslide a little ways up the mountain near Echo Ledge. A dust cloud drifted away from the ledge as the final rumbles of the slide quickly died out. Nothing to be nervous about now that it had stopped, but still proof that she had not imagined the ground shaking.

To some, a rockslide might have been a valid enough reason to turn back, especially since Hadley could not remember hearing about an earthquake ever occurring near her small town. She had a job to do this morning, though. So, taking a last, long moment to make sure there were no more surprises waiting for her, she fixed her ponytail of brown hair, nodded once, and started back up the trail.

Baker Mountain rose up above the surrounding hills just enough to boast the highest elevation of the area. And although steep enough to house a small ski resort on one side of it, the mountain and its gentle slope made it easy to get up to its peak if you had a couple of hours for the trip. Being the middle of summer, this part of the mountain now consisted of several hiking paths that held some wonderful sightseeing spots along the way.

Hadley’s job? To get to the top of the mountain, taking as many cool pics along the way as possible. It was the least she could do to lift the spirits of her best friend, Allison Thatcher.

Allison’s summer had ended early. Her leg was now casted up for the next two months, and the rest of her summer vacation confined to crutches. And Hadley blamed the neighborhood bully, Melanie Jacobs.

Hadley would never be able to prove that Melanie had deliberately swerved her bike into Allison’s. Accidents happen, especially going as fast as they were. But Hadley was never going to be able to forget that shriek of frustration Melanie had let out as she tried to push past everyone and take the lead. Although Melanie seemed to always be making fun of or knocking into or yelling at one of them, it had never led to an actual injury before.

Now, Hadley and Allison’s plan to hike up Baker Mountain before the summer ended had been ruined because of Allison’s injury. So Hadley’s new plan would be to bring Baker Mountain to Allison.

She set out to tag all the great stops along the way to the top that had amazing views of the valley: Cottontail Rock, Echo Ledge, Emmitt’s Fall to name a few. And, she could not have asked for a better morning either. Not a cloud in the sky. Not too hot yet. No wind. The tree line gave way every so often to allow a glimpse of the valley below. Easy hiking so far.

Soon, Hadley came to Cottontail Rock, a large boulder jutting out from the mountain wall, creating the narrowest part of this particular trail. A short wooden railing situated on the opposite, valley side of the path served as a reminder to hikers about the long drop waiting if one was careless. Hadley paused to take in the view.

Definitely worth it, she said while pulling a phone out of her backpack. And click. Selfie at Cottontail Rock? Check.

She smiled. Thoughts of her older brother, Brody, giving her that stern, stern lecture about foolish people doing foolish things trying to get selfies flashed in her head. No worries, Brody, she thought. She had this.

Hadley returned the phone to the backpack and carefully made her way by the boulder. She made sure to hug the big rock closely as she could to the tail part of the landmark—the extra nub of boulder that resembled a bushy rabbit tail. Once past the nub, she knew it was safe to walk normally again. The path opened back up to a comfortable width.

It could have been just the anticipation of Allison’s face when seeing her pictures later on this afternoon, but Hadley sensed a stronger determination than usual to reach the top. Although she would have liked this hike much more if Allison had been able to join her, nonetheless, she strode on with satisfaction. Her purpose was noble.

She would be coming up to Echo Ledge soon. The ginormous ledge opened away from the mountain into a perfect spot for taking a breather. It was as if the mountain itself had picked the exact middle of her town to show off, keeping the surrounding tree line clear so as not to disturb the picturesque sight that unfolded from the ledge.

The Echo part? Hadley had heard all of the stories whenever this subject of this particular mountain trail came up. Such stories had nothing to do with yelling from the ledge into the air and expecting to hear your voice coming back. No, the stories actually told of hearing soft sounds, even whispers, coming from the mountain itself if you sat near the wall where the ledge began to protrude. Echoes from ghosts of long ago perhaps? That was always the final question to the stories. Seemed kind of touristy to her.

Hadley had tried it once, like probably everyone else who had hiked the trail before her. She had found a comfortable spot along the wall and hunkered down, determined to prove the stories true. Nothing. After fifteen minutes she had gotten bored and headed back on her way. That had been awhile back. She had never given it a second thought since.

Just one more small turn in the path and...

Hadley stopped.

Echo Ledge had changed.

It took just a moment for her to remember the earlier rockslide. It had certainly done quite a number on Echo Ledge. A pile of boulders and smaller rocks had fallen into a line perpendicular to the path, almost blocking the trail completely. To get by, Hadley was going to have to carefully work her way around, a lot like at Cottontail Rock. But this had become a different situation entirely. Even though she considered herself a brave girl, Hadley realized the danger of what she saw before her. Flashes of her brother, Brody, stressing about foolish people doing foolish things popped into her head. She needed to be careful.

Stay away from the rockslide. That would be her motto going forward. Get by and move on.

So much for the awesome selfie at Echo Ledge.

As she inched her way along the path, Hadley eyed the rocks and boulders as if at any moment they could suddenly continue their rocksliding down the mountain and trap her along with them. She got to the point where the pile pushed into the trail. Hadley noticed the different colors of the boulders, especially the really big one smack in the middle. Most of the other stones had a grayish or brownish tone to them. The huge one, about the size of her parents’ RV, seemed a dull, dark green.

Hadley made it to the brand-new narrowest part of the trail, the tip of the rockslide. She knew that if she wanted to she could lean over the side of the ledge and look down upon the mountain face below. She even shook her head No to emphasize how dangerous that would be. No need to tempt fate with foolish acts.

All of a sudden, though... at that very moment... Echo Ledge decided that right then would be the perfect time to earn its name.

A deep, low noise reverberated from the rocks near her.

Hadley’s eyes went wide. She clamored around the narrow edge and bolted for the one tree on the far side of Echo Ledge, whipping around and planting her back to the tree’s trunk. Nervous, she glanced for anything out of the ordinary about the rockslide. Everything seemed normal still, except maybe the greenish tint of the large central boulder. Her heart started to settle. She couldn’t readily explain what she had just heard, but now there seemed to be nothing out of...

Another noise. Deep and low again, and this time longer than before.

It kind of sounded like... a groan?

The rock pile gave a sudden, violent shake, sending smaller rocks through the air. Hadley slid behind the tree to protect herself, but still chanced a look at what was happening. Without warning, the huge greenish boulder shifted several feet back down the path, away from her and her protective tree.

Then, the end of the boulder tilted upward and lifted into the air.

Hadley sucked in her breath. The dark green boulder slowly twisted back and forth in the air, the other end still set on the ground and in the mountain wall. Dirt and smaller stones fell from each side of the boulder as it twisted. Another violent shake came and the boulder became clear of rubble.

Hadley’s jaw dropped at what happened next.

Two slits cracked open near the top of the boulder, revealing large globes of gold with black centers. Eyes. Huge, golden eyes.

Hadley whipped her head back behind the tree. She could not help but smile. Wow. Wow. Wow. But she also had the good sense to stay hidden from whatever this beast might be. The creature’s head and neck took up the entire middle of Echo Ledge. Who knew how big the rest of it could turn out to be.

Not daring to take another look just yet, Hadley could only hear what might be happening on the other side of the tree.

A sudden blast of air startled her. She turned her head out to the view of the valley and noticed a cloud of dust rushing away from Echo Ledge. There then came a sudden rumble of earth, which quickly died back down into the silence of the morning. Another rumble. And then another silence. The temptation to know what was going on compelled her to ever so carefully peek her head around the tree.

Scales. She noticed immediately that the head and exposed neck were covered in scales—textured scales that could have been mistaken for feathers if not for the definite reptilian texture. Now she could fully make out the snout of the beast—a long, thin snout with two nostrils that Hadley watched work hard to breathe. The bottom of the snout developed into the top of the mouth, also long, reaching back to the eyes. Hadley would have guessed it was a lizard, if not for the actual size of the creature. The mouth remained closed for the moment, and she hoped it intended on staying that way. At least until her shock wore off.

She pulled her own head back behind the tree. Nervous but excited, she began thinking about her options.

Then came a voice.

I can smell you.

The voice sounded female, so full and powerful Hadley found herself frozen stiff because of it. The words it spoke had not been loud, not more than the volume of a normal conversation, but something about the voice gripped her. There seemed an added tone to it, as if the noise of the voice hit on more levels than what a person could physically hear. This voice possessed a weight to it. Hadley had not only heard it speak, but had also felt it speak also.

Behind the tree, came the voice again. I can smell you.

Hadley closed her eyes. Any hope of her remaining unnoticed had vanished.

Chapter 2

I know you are there , the voice said calmly.

Hadley pushed her fingers into the bark of the tree so hard that the tips hurt. She could not sense any malice from the creature behind her, but she obviously didn’t want to take any chances. She tried her best to hold her breath as long as she could.

Not in the mood to talk, I see, the voice continued. That is fine. I just need you to listen anyway... Just moments ago, we were trying to kill each other...

Hadley crinkled her brow. What? She thought.

Since then, something has happened. For some reason, I no longer feel the desire to slaughter you.

Well that’s certainly comforting, Hadley said. Gah!!! she slapped a hand over her mouth but the damage had already been done.

I doubt you would be able to possibly imagine how comforting. My mind feels... clear. Clear for the first time in ages.

Hadley could definitely chalk this up as the strangest conversation she had ever had. The looming problem still remained though that this creature she was having the conversation with could easily harm her if Hadley was not careful. It suddenly dawned on her that even though she would not be able to backtrack because of the green scaled being behind her, she could still head up the mountain and, more importantly, away from talk of killing and slaughtering.

She took a quick peek to the direction where the path continued up the mountain. The quick peek ended up not being enough. She needed to look again because of the gravity of what she saw.

The trail up the mountain had been covered by the recent events. Enough of the debris had been tossed to the edge of Echo Ledge to effectively block the trail for an easy escape. She would never be able to climb the boulders fast enough to avoid an encounter with the creature behind her.

Perhaps we can come to an understanding, the creature said. Let bygones be bygones...

Sure, Hadley answered quickly. Bygones are bygones. Done. You probably want to move along now. See you later.

Well, unfortunately... The words died into a desperate grunt of effort that hurt Hadley’s ears. She used her hands to try and muffle the groaning of the beast until it ended with a defeated gasp. After a few deep breaths, the voice finished, I do not believe that is an option.

Hadley frowned. This just got serious. If this beast could not leave Echo Ledge, neither could she.

Okay, Hadley, she thought, let’s turn this around. You are in a conversation with a crazy big creature with a magnificent voice. This creature may very well eat you if it gets a chance, but for now just relax... The voice... This thing was talking.

You. Hadley had to clear her throat. You speak English.

No, the beast said. I speak Eashon. Just like you.

But you’re speaking English right now.

No I am not. I am speaking Eashon right now. Just. Like. You.

Hadley shook her head. This was getting confusing.

I can’t be speaking Eashon because I don’t know what that is. I only know English and that is what we are speaking now.

Well I only know Eashon. Do you understand what I am saying?

Yes. Obviously.

Then you are speaking Eashon.

But I don’t know Eashon, Hadley snapped back.

It certainly sounds like you do. You speak it very well.

No. You speak English very well.

But I don’t know English.

Hadley growled in frustration.

She heard a sound, a sound so fascinating, that she cocked her ear to try and fathom the extent of it. It took her a moment, but Hadley realized what the sound was. The beast was laughing. Hadley broke out a wide smile just because she got to hear such a sound. That same weight of the beast’s voice existed throughout its laugh, and because of that weight the emotion became emphasized somehow. Hadley felt lucky to have heard it.

What is your name? the beast asked once its laugh ended.

Hadley Morgan, she said tentatively.

Well, Hadley Morgan, it is a genuine please to meet you. My name is Qi’ola.

Qi’ola, Hadley repeated softly.

For an instant, she began to relax. She let the palms of her hands fall from being stuck to the trunk of the tree. She even, almost, took a full two steps towards coming out from behind that tree. Once her eyes rested on Qi’ola though, and the enormity of the situation met her fully in the face again, she came back to her senses and returned to the safest spot.

Nope nope nope, she said, shaking her head. Voluntarily walking into the clutches of this giant creature seemed like a very foolish thing to do. A quick flash of her brother scolding her entered her mind.

I understand your apprehension, little one, Qi’ola said, her wonderful voice unexpectedly falling into sadness. Now that my mind is clear, the atrocities done by my kind set in even more grimly. I am not surprised by your fear.

Hadley raised her eyebrows. Okie dokie then. She gripped the tree again, and now just a little tighter. Is this your way of telling me I’m about to have a very bad day?

No. No. I am sorry. It’s just... why is my mind clear?

I can’t help you there, Qi’ola. I don’t even know what you are, let alone why you keep saying your mind is clear.

What do you mean you don’t know what I am? I am a dragon of course. Qi’ola’s matter-of-fact tone surprised Hadley just as much as her statement.

Well you are the first dragon I have ever seen then.

Qi’ola stayed silent for several moments. For so long, in fact, Hadley began to wonder if that was going to be the end of their conversation entirely.

This doesn’t make sense, the dragon finally said. Where in Eashia would you not know of dragons?

Hadley had her own question to this. Eashia? What is that?

Where I live. Qi’ola’s confusion grew more and more evident. Where are we now?

Even though Qi’ola would not be able to see it, Hadley shrugged. Pittsfield.

Pittsfield?

Yup.

I know of no Pittsfield in all of Eashia.

I have never heard of Eashia either.

Strange... How did I get here? the dragon asked, her voice now totally awestruck.

Hadley sensed Qi’ola’s growing bewilderment, and although she still understood she was essentially trapped behind this tree, she began to think hard on how she could help this dragon somehow. Hadley forced down her nervousness and focused on figuring all of this out. Anyways, anything to get her out of her own predicament would be convenient.

All I know is that when I got up here to Echo Ledge, you were buried in rubble. And then you woke up or something and shook all the rocks away.

I see... the dragon trailed off. Again, as before, she did not speak for long moments. Hadley could sympathize with the contemplation Qi’ola must have been going through, but it still did not help her antsy mood.

Then, suddenly, Qi’ola called out loudly and enthusiastically, Hadley Morgan?

Whoah. Hadley shook her head. Just call me Hadley, okay?

Hadley. Whatever you say, the dragon said, then regained her enthusiasm. Please, Hadley. Come out from behind the tree and look into my eyes.

Ha, Hadley answered. Have you seen me, Qi’ola?

No. As I said earlier, I can smell that you are there, but that is all.

Well I have seen you, and you are a lot, LOT bigger than I am. Way too big for my comfort zone.

I will not hurt you.

I wish I could believe that, Qi’ola, but you were spouting off stuff about killing and slaughtering not too long ago. All I can hear now is my brother lecturing me about foolish people doing foolish things. By far not the greatest of pep talks, but at the moment I find it very appropriate. Me walking out into the open to look into your eyes sounds like a very foolish thing at this point.

As Qi’ola responded, Hadley could definitely detect a growing frustration in the dragon’s voice, Ah, but to have you confirm my hope...

Hadley did not relent. Not going to happen. Sorry.

I understand, the dragon said with such a growing despair that Hadley actually began to feel sorry for her.

A dragon. It again awed Hadley that she was actually in a conversation with a real dragon.

And suddenly it dawned on her. She had her brother’s phone. She should be taking pictures. She should be taking video. She had been missing out on prime proof of a truly amazing encounter.

The phone.

Qi’ola. She broke the silence. Why do you need me to look into your eyes?

My mind is clear, Hadley. Free. I have not felt this way in as long as I can remember. The voice is gone. The pressure forcing me to obey... gone. My eyes. The glow. Among dragons, we have always dreaded the glow. When we are young, we do not have the glow in our eyes. But when the glow starts... the voice takes control. Hadley?

Yes?

I no longer sense that voice.

Qi’ola’s words were obviously lost on Hadley. A glow? A voice? She had no idea about any of that. But she could sense the gravity of Qi’ola’s mood. She pulled the phone out of her backpack.

I have a way to help you, Qi’ola. Just stay still for a couple of moments.

I will.

Hadley opened up the camera app and held the phone out just past the protection of the tree. She took several pictures, moving the phone a bit each time to hopefully get the best picture possible. Then she pulled back her hand and inspected what she had taken.

She had taken a couple good shots of Qi’ola. Never a full headshot because the dragon’s head was massive at this distance, but she did have a group of pics that she could piece together if she wanted to make a nice collage. And yes, she had gotten a shot of Qi’ola’s eyes.

The dragon’s eyes had two parts to them. The outer part was a deep golden color, and the inner part, the pupil, was just as black as a human’s. The size of her eyes, though, loomed even through the picture, accentuating to Hadley the reality of Qi’ola’s size.

Most importantly, though, Hadley saw no trace of anything regarding a glow to them. They just looked like normal, gigantic eyes.

No glow here, Qi’ola, she said.

Hadley realized she could have never been prepared for the reaction her statement caused because she had no knowledge of dragons other than in the books and movies she had seen. She also understood the dire situation she still found herself in because of this dragon. But if she had to guess about what she had heard, she would say that this dragon was crying. Not a crying of sadness, though, but of relief and joy.

Curious and just plain touched by what she was hearing, Hadley moved halfway into the open in view of Qi’ola, inching out so slowly behind the tree. She had to chance to see what was going on. The movement apparently alerted the dragon to her new presence.

Hadley, Qi’ola said with a peace in her voice. Thank you. You cannot imagine how much that means. This is truly a wonderful day.

Hadley had emerged so far from the tree that she was able to see the smile on Qi’ola’s face, a smile that almost ran the length of Echo Ledge. When the dragon locked eyes with her, she could not help but freeze up.

Ah, Hadley Morgan, Qi’ola started. Then, she tilted her head around as if studying Hadley.

Just Hadley... she corrected, feeling her left foot push back a bit to the safety of the tree.

Right. Hadley. The dragon nodded to emphasize the lesson. Now, Hadley, I have a question for you.

Hadley fought the urge to scream and run. That nod from the dragon had overpowered all of her senses. She eventually kept her cool, though. Shoot.

What are you?

What an odd question.

An elf maybe? You are definitely too tall and skinny to be a dwarf.

Hadley could not help but shake her head a bit at what she was hearing. I’m a girl, Qi’ola. A human girl.

A human?

Yes.

I have never heard of a human before. So strange... Qi’ola’s voice drifted off. She looked away from Hadley and scanned across the valley, taking it all in.

Never heard of a human before? Hadley asked, now her turn to be confused. We’re all over the place, Qi’ola. Where exactly are you from again that you have never heard of humans?

Eashia. As I have said before.

Is that like way up north or something? I mean, humans are everywhere.

Qi’ola looked back to Hadley, again tilting her head, and Hadley could tell the dragon was trying to process everything. They locked eyes on each other, Qi’ola even squinting a little as if straining to solve the questions they each had just by focusing really hard. The two of them stayed so deep in mutual thought for so long that the rustling by the mountain’s wall, next to the dragon’s neck, went unnoticed for several moments.

Hadley blinked back to full awareness.

As did Qi’ola, and when the dragon acknowledged the noise by her shoulder, she let out a curt, Interesting.

Because of the area of the commotion, Qi’ola would never be able to see what was happening. Hadley doubted that even a dragon’s neck could turn to that extreme. But Hadley herself? She had full view of the spot. She gave in to her curiosity and took a small step forward. Then, almost immediately, she second-guessed herself and grabbed for the tree and her solace again.

It was then she could have sworn she heard a deep voice growl in the direction of the rustling.

Suddenly, a short, thick arm burst through the small pile of rocks right where the dragon’s neck met the mountain wall.

Instinctively, Hadley