Secrets of the Dragon Sanctuary

"Sure. It isn’t even far: Especially flying."

Kendra glanced at the knapsack. "You said you have healing powers. My friend is hurt."

"Warren? A peryton gored him, right? I don’t know what it is with those antlers. They must be slightly poisonous. They make ugly wounds. Well, I could try. I mean, I’m better with plants. But why not? I could give it a shot. Can he get up here? I’m not the biggest dragon, but I doubt I could fit through the mouth of a knapsack."

"I’ll be right back," Kendra said. "You won’t leave?"

"I’m a coward, not impolite! Oh, did you mean would I run if trouble shows up? If I run away, I’ll take the knapsack with me. Not that I sense any danger. I’ve been paying attention. I think we’re good. So I’ll be here."

Kendra descended the ladder. Warren was asleep. She could not see Bubda. Kneeling beside Warren, she prodded his cheek. "Hey, you awake?"

He smacked his lips and his eyelids fluttered up. "Huh? We okay?" His voice sounded thick.

"Did you take more medicine?"

"Sorry, I’m a little loopy. The pain."

"It’s okay. That’s why you have medicine. I made friends with a dragon."

Warren blinked. He rubbed his eyes. "Sorry. Feels like my head is stuffed with cotton. I think I misheard you."

"No, really. A nice dragon. He was raised by fairies, and he might be able to heal you."

"This is my most messed-up dream yet."

"Do you think you could climb the ladder?"

"You’re serious?"

"He’s too big to fit down here. But he’s not super big. For a dragon, at least."

Warren leaned up on one elbow. "You really think he can heal me?"

"Worth a try."

"Unless he eats us." Warren winced as he sat up. "You’ll need to be my crutch."

"Can you make it up the ladder? Should we wait for the medicine to wear off?"

"This is the best time. The medicine numbs me. Up we go."

Kendra took his hand and helped him rise. He leaned on her as he hobbled over to the ladder. Clinging to a rung, he hesitated for a moment, gathering his strength, then started up. Kendra followed.

When Kendra emerged from the knapsack, Warren was on his back on the ground, sweating and panting. Shielding his eyes with one hand, he stared at Raxtus. "That has got to be the shiniest dragon I’ve ever seen."

"He doesn’t look very well," Raxtus commented.

"Thanks, Doc," Warren mumbled.

"Can you try to heal him?" Kendra asked.

"I can try." Craning his neck forward, Raxtus stared down at Warren. Squealing softly, the dragon exhaled over the length of his body, glittery sparks twinkling silver and gold. Warren squirmed and shivered, as if taken by a sudden chill. The hair on his head began to flutter, and the stubble on his jaw sprouted and lengthened. A moment later, Warren had long, flowing hair and a heavy beard.

Grimacing, Warren patted his injured chest. Then he raked his fingers through his hair. "You’ve got to be kidding. Who is this joker?"

"Sorry," Raxtus said. "It didn’t take."

"Oh, it took," Warren complained, sitting up. His beard reached halfway down his chest. His thick hair hung past his shoulders. "It just didn’t cure anything. On the bright side, I think I popped open some scabs."

"Thanks for trying," Kendra said.

Raxtus hung his head.

"Hey, don’t look down," Warren said. "I appreciate the effort. I do feel a little more lucid. And my breath tastes slightly mintier." He scooted toward the knapsack.

"I rarely work with humans," Raxtus apologized.

"He’s going to carry us to the fairy shrine," Kendra said.

Warren turned and placed a foot on the ladder. "Now, that would be a huge favor. Sorry to be a bear. Excruciating agony makes me cranky. Kendra, you know where to find me." Grunting and wincing, he disappeared into the bag.

"Humiliating," Raxtus muttered.

"You warned us it might not work," Kendra said.

"Did you notice how he wasn’t scared of me? At all?"

"I told him you were nice. Besides, he’s on pain medication."

"I’m about as intimidating as a puppy. Wearing diapers. With a pacifier in its mouth. Well, one thing I can do right is fly."

"How do we do this? Should I get on your back?"

"No. I’m too spiny and sharp. You’d need a saddle. Not that any dragon worth a nickel would wear a saddle. They would die of shame. But shame is where I live. I own the whole neighborhood. I’d wear a saddle if we had one. But we don’t. So I’ll have to carry you. Would you feel safer inside the knapsack?"

"Would I be safer?"

"I won’t drop you, if that’s what you’re implying. You can trust me on that."

"Okay," Kendra said, shouldering the knapsack. "Take me flying."

Chapter 23 Shrine

Raxtus really was quite adept at flying. He gripped Kendra snugly around the torso with a single foreclaw and ripped through the air with dizzying maneuverability. Because of the way he held her, Kendra was free to spread her arms and legs and pretend she was flying all alone. The speed, the cold wind in her face, the exhilaration of swift turns and sudden dives, all combined to fill Kendra with surprising joy. Soon she was laughing.

"I could set us down," Raxtus said, "but it seems like you’re having fun."

"I am!"

"Flying is one of my great escapes. How’s your stomach holding up? Want to try something fancy?"

Kendra had never been a daredevil. But she felt so secure in Raxtus’s grasp, and he flew with such smooth competence, that she found herself saying, "Go for it."

First Raxtus swooped into a huge loop. The sky became the ground and the ground became the sky, and then everything was right again. After verifying that Kendra was still enjoying herself, he climbed high, then plunged in a corkscrewing dive, spiraling through space at tremendous velocity. To the spirals he added more loops and lightning turns, tracing pretzels in the sky. Kendra lost all sense of up and down as everything blurred into a wild rush of motion.

When Raxtus landed and set Kendra on her feet, she held her hands out to balance herself, took a wobbling step, and fell sideways. The dragon caught her and laid her down. The ground seemed to tilt and spin.

"Are you sure you’re all right?" Raxtus asked.

"I’m great," she said. "I loved it. But you’ve ruined roller coasters for me. They’ll never impress me again! Aren’t you dizzy?"