INTRODUCTION
ILLUSTRATED BY CHARLES BURNS
A lot of my story ideas start with the question: What if…?
This story began with the question: What if dragons were real?
I have always been fascinated by the giant winged creatures. In stories and movies and drawings, dragons have always seemed very real and alive to me. They are fierce and majestic at the same time. Ugly and beautiful. And so much more intelligent than dinosaurs.
I know they are mythical. I know that dragons never existed.
But what if they did?
This is a story about a boy on a terrifying mission. Ned is about to face the fiercest dragon of them all—and he will soon learn the answer to that awesome question.
On a summer day long ago, when birds as big as clouds flew the skies, a boy named Ned journeyed through leafy forests and over green, grassy hills. Ned carried only an apple in his knapsack and a crude, hand-drawn map of the kingdom.
His peasant smock was sweat stained and wrinkled. His long brown hair fell in damp tangles from under the red cap tilted over his suntanned forehead. His brown laced boots were scuffed and scratched, the soles as thin as paper.
As he walked, Ned whistled to keep himself company. The journey was long, and he had no idea of what terrible dangers he faced at journey’s end.
As he neared his destination, Ned’s legs began to tremble, and chill after chill tightened the back of his neck. His mouth became too dry for whistling. He knew that soon he would be meeting Sir Darkwind, the greatest Dragon Master in the kingdom.
Ned had long dreamed of this day. But now, through the trees, he heard the groans and bleats of the dragons in Sir Darkwind’s stable. And Ned wondered which would prove more fierce and menacing—the dragons or the Dragon Master?
He pulled off his cap and mopped his forehead with the sleeve of his smock. “Courage,” he murmured to himself. “Be strong and brave. Or you will never reach your goal.”
Taking a deep breath, Ned stepped out of the forest and stared at the Dragon Master’s house across a field of dirt and stones.
Was it a house or a fortress?
Built of white stone, it rose up like a gleaming mountain in the afternoon sun. Ned saw a narrow door at one end—the only opening. There were no windows!
To the left of the house stretched a tall stone wall at least four times as tall as Ned. Ned gazed in amazement at the faces staring back at him from above the top of the wall.
Broad creature faces on long, scaly, sun-wrinkled necks. Black eyes as big as plums, staring from deep sockets. Ancient, long-toothed faces, craggy and lined with wisdom—and sadness.
Dragons.
Up till now Ned had seen them only in the Sorcerer’s ancient books. Gazing at the amazing creatures, Ned remembered the Sorcerer’s stories of how the dragons had once moved freely around the kingdom.
“The dragons are a proud and wonderful species,” Margolin had said. “They have their own customs, their own habits. Do not be fooled into thinking they are like other animals. Their wisdom is as big as their size. Why are their eyes so sad? Because they have seen everything.”
Now the old dragons curled their long necks over the stone wall and gazed at Ned in silence. He could hear the heavy thud of their feet as they shifted their weight. A pale-yellow dragon on the end coughed, a wet cough from deep in its throat.
Their eyes are not welcoming, Ned thought. They gaze at me as if I’m their next meal. But dragons are not meat eaters—are they?
Ned struggled to remember what the Sorcerer had told him. The old dragon coughed again, spewing yellow liquid over its craggy snout. Another dragon, slender faced with bulging black eyes, let out a long, menacing growl.
Ned took a few timid steps closer to the stone fortress. The dragons tensed as he approached the wall.
And then two dragons shot out their huge heads at him, roaring furiously. The sound was like thunder in his ears. The wall appeared to shake.
With a frightened cry Ned fell onto his back. The dragons’ hot breath swept over him. He turned on his stomach and frantically crawled away.
The dragons’ heads swung low over the wall, stretching toward him, snapping furiously.
When he was at a safe distance, Ned scrambled to his feet. He brushed the dust off his clothes and straightened his cap.
The dragons stared at him in silence now. Waiting to see if he would approach again.
But Ned kept his distance. The boy cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “Sir Darkwind! Sir Darkwind, a humble peasant boy wishes to speak with you.”
To Ned’s surprise the door creaked open. A dark-robed figure stood half hidden in the doorway. He did not step out.
“What do you want?” he called. He had a high, boyish voice.
“I have come to see the great Dragon Master,” Ned said. “To ask a favor.”
“I am Gregory, Sir Darkwind’s servant,” came the reply. “Sir Darkwind does no favors.”
Ned swallowed, his mouth as dry as straw. Had he come all this way for nothing?
“I bring the best wishes of the great Sorcerer Margolin,” he called. “Perhaps if Sir Darkwind would come outside and give me a moment—”
“We don’t know any sorcerers,” Gregory sneered. “And Sir Darkwind seldom comes out of his house. Only to whip the dragons to keep them in their place.”
Ned squinted at the figure of the servant, still hidden in the shadow of the doorway. “He never leaves his house?”
“No,” came the reply. “He has too many enemies.”
Behind the stone wall the dragons growled and groaned. A fierce-looking creature with curled horns on its gnarled head lowered its head and battered the wall.
“Go away! You are upsetting the dragons!” a deep voice bellowed from inside the house.
Ned saw another figure move into the doorway, shoving the servant aside. Even from a distance Ned could see that this man was tall and wide, his white robe billowing around him.
The sight of him sent shivers down Ned’s back. It was known far and wide that Sir Darkwind was the cruelest man in the kingdom. Even the Sorcerer Margolin, with all his powerful magic, had feared him.
“Are you the great Dragon Master?” Ned asked. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “I am a humble peasant boy, grand sir. I come to beg for work.”
“You want to work for me, boy?” Sir Darkwind roared. “What do you know about these beasts?”
They are not beasts, Ned thought. Yes, they are fierce creatures. But they have the wisdom of the ages. Even I know that.
But he did not correct the Dragon Master. Instead, he said, “I am a fast learner, sir. I need work badly. I have five brothers and sisters, and my family is poor. My father’s foot was crushed under a wagon wheel. Now they all depend on me for their bread.”
“Tsk tsk,” the Dragon Master replied sarcastically. “Am I supposed to cry for your ill fortune?”
Dragons grunted and growled. High clouds rolled over the sun. Inside the house Sir Darkwind appeared to go deeper into shadow.
“Have you worked before, boy?” the Dragon Master asked.
“Yes, Sir Darkwind. I was apprenticed to the Sorcerer Margolin,” Ned replied, still on his knees. “But I was forced to leave that job. After Margolin had a terrible argument with another sorcerer, they both suddenly vanished.”
“Good riddance,” Sir Darkwind said. “The world doesn’t need sorcerers. A good strong whip is the only magic I need!”
Ned climbed to his feet, brushing dirt off the hem of his smock. “It would be an honor to work for you, Sir Darkwind. Everyone knows you are the greatest Dragon Master in the world!”
A sharp laugh escaped Sir Darkwind, more like the bark of a dog. “I am the only Dragon Master!” he bellowed from the darkness of his doorway. “These are the last dragons to survive. The last in the world.”
“I would be honored to help tend to them,” Ned offered.
Sir Darkwind laughed again. “You would swing the whip to help teach them their manners?”
“No, sir. But—”
“What then would you do?” the Dragon Master shouted. “What is your bargain? All of life is a bargain. That is the one truth that I have learned. So what is your bargain, boy? What bargain do you wish to make with me?”
Ned stared openmouthed into the dark doorway. “I have no answer,” he said finally. “I offer myself as a humble worker.”
He saw Gregory, the black-robed servant, return to the doorway. He and the Dragon Master had a hushed conversation. As they talked, the clouds rolled away from the sun. Behind the wall several dragons raised their heads to the sunlight.
“Come a bit closer, boy,” Sir Darkwind ordered. “I have a bargain for you.”
Ned took a few steps toward the house. He still couldn’t see the man clearly. He could see only the wide expanse of his white robe.
“There is one dragon still roaming free,” Sir Darkwind announced. “One dragon not in my collection. And I want them all! All! Here is the bargain I will make with you. Bring the last free dragon to me, and I will make you my apprentice.”
Ned uttered a startled gasp. “Capture a dragon?” he cried. “But how? It will breathe fire on me, and I will perish.”
From inside the house Gregory laughed.
“Fool! Dragons don’t breathe fire,” Sir Darkwind boomed. “That is a fairy tale.”
“But—I have no weapon to use against a mighty dragon!” Ned cried.
“And I have none to give you. You must use your wits, boy,” the Dragon Master said.
“How did you capture all these dragons?” Ned asked, pointing to the fierce creatures watching from the stone wall.
“I made a simple bargain with them,” Sir Darkwind replied. “I told them if they came to stay here, I wouldn’t kill them and use their meat for dragon stew.”
Some bargain, Ned thought.
“Listen to me carefully, boy,” the Dragon Master called from the darkness of his doorway. “The last free dragon is called Ulrick. It lives in a cave on top of Stone Hill. If you capture this dragon and bring it to me, my collection will be complete. I will give you a job so that your family can eat.”
“But—but—” Ned sputtered.
Sir Darkwind disappeared into his house. The door slammed hard.
Behind the wall the dragons all began to shriek. Several of them snapped their jaws at Ned. A very young one, still green and slender, raised its head and uttered a high wail that sounded like crying.
The afternoon sun was high in the sky as Ned began to walk back through the forest. Waves of heat rose up from the ground, making the trees appear to bend and shimmer.
Stone Hill, a steep-sloped mountain of smooth gray rock, led to a high cliff. Ned knew that deep caves were cut into the sides of the hill.
No one ever explored those caves. People were afraid of the fierce creatures that lived inside.
What weapon can I use to battle a dragon? Ned asked himself. The dragon will have talons a foot long and teeth the size of tree stumps. How can I make a bargain with a dragon like that?
The sun beat down on him, making him feel as if he were melting. He stopped in the shadow of tall ferns to catch his breath.
He thought of the cruelty of the Dragon Master. How he whipped the old dragons. How he kept them prisoners in that walled pen.
Imagine, thought Ned, having so many enemies that he cannot leave his house!
After several hours’ walking, Ned reached the bottom of Stone Hill. He mopped his forehead with his sleeve and took a deep breath.
He could see black holes all along the side of the smooth rock hill. He shuddered, wondering what kinds of creatures made their homes in those caves.
He leaned forward, lowered his head, and began to climb. His boots slid on the smooth stone. He kept his arms stretched out at his sides to keep his balance.
Halfway up the steep slope his leg muscles began to cramp. With a troubled sigh Ned slipped into the dark opening of a cave. He dropped to the dusty cave floor and rubbed his aching leg muscles.
Despite the heat of the day, the cave felt cool and damp. Ned leaned his head against the wall and shut his eyes.
I have been walking for two days. Perhaps a short nap will refresh me, he thought. Then I shall continue my journey to the top.
He didn’t sleep long. A shrill whistling awoke him. It sounded like a thousand flies droning in his ear.
Ned’s eyes shot open—and he let out a cry.
Giant albino cave rats!
They had dragged a goat into the cave and were eating it alive!
The goat kicked and squealed. But the rats swarmed over it—dozens of them. They held it down with their fat, white-furred bodies and buried their fangs in its belly, ripping away chunk after chunk of red flesh.
I’m next! Ned thought. As soon as they discover me…
Too late to run. Whistling and chattering, the cave rats turned from the now-silent goat—and scurried around Ned.
They were as big as dogs, with long fangs still dripping with goat blood. They had round red eyes that glowed like burning embers.
Their fat pink tails slapped the stone cave floor, beating a terrifying rhythm of attack. The circle tightened, and the ugly creatures began to shriek as they closed in on Ned.
“Eeeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee!”
Their shrill cries sliced through Ned’s head, so loud he covered both ears.
And jumped to his feet.
The albino rats were as tall as his waist! Their snapping jaws competed with the thumpthumpthumpthump of their battering tails.
“I’LL MAKE YOU A BARGAIN!” Ned yelled.
Startled by his shout, the rats stopped their shrieks. The glowing red eyes burned like fires against the blackness of the cave.
“Here is my bargain,” Ned announced. “If you give me half a chance, I’ll run away and never come back!”
He didn’t give them time to decide. He jammed his hands onto the tops of the heads of the two nearest cave rats—and leapfrogged over them.
Then he took off, racing out of the cave and up the steep, rocky side of Stone Hill. From below came the albino rats’ shrieking and whistling. But he knew the rats wouldn’t chase after him. They couldn’t survive in sunlight for long.
By the time Ned reached the top of the hill, his heart was thudding and his legs felt heavy as lead. The sun was a red ball sinking behind the hill, giving everything a rosy glow.
Ned struggled to catch his breath. He gazed at the cave opening in front of him. It rose like a giant triangle. Enormous bones, dry and bleached white by the sun, were strewn at the entrance.
Those are too big to be human bones, Ned told himself. But the ugly sight made his chest feel fluttery and his stomach lurch.
“Oh!” Ned cried out as a low grunt echoed from the cave. He heard rumbling footsteps. Another grunt. A sour odor floated out and washed over him. Holding his breath, he took a step back.
The dragon is in there, he knew. He suddenly realized his whole body was shaking.
A bellowing roar from deep in the cave made the stones shake beneath the peasant boy’s feet. I have no choice, he told himself. I have to go through with this. But I am terrified. Will I be able to speak?
He sucked in a long, deep breath. The air tasted foul and damp.
“Ulrick!” he called. “Ulrick—my name is Ned, and I have come to see you!”
He didn’t have to wait long. He heard another grunt. And then more heavy, plodding footsteps. The ground shook again, and the cave appeared to explode, as a giant brown creature burst out and rose over Ned. A dragon bigger and more fierce than any in Sir Darkwind’s collection.
Its roar made the tree limbs shake. The dragon snapped its jaws, revealing rows of jagged yellow teeth. It clicked its long talons as if preparing to pounce.
Leathery wings flapped furiously on its back. Its huge round eyes gaped at Ned like two cold, dark suns. As it lowered its massive head over him, hot yellow drool splashed from its open maw and sizzled on the ground.
It—it’s going to swallow me! Ned realized. He dropped to the ground, trying to shield himself with both hands.
The dragon lowered its huge head…lower…lower…until Ned felt its burning hot breath on the back of his neck.
Then the creature opened its jaws wide, wide enough to swallow Ned whole.
“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” the dragon bellowed.
Ned dropped flat on his back, nearly smothered by the creature’s hot breath. “You—you talk?” he choked out.
“Of course!” Ulrick boomed. The dragon’s round eyes flashed like solid black marbles, reflecting nothing. “All dragons speak when there is something to say!”
The boy and the dragon held a long staring match. Finally Ned’s terror faded enough for him to stand and find his voice.
“Ulrick, why do you stay by yourself up here?” he asked. “Are you not lonely? Why don’t you join the other dragons down below?”
The dragon tossed back its head and roared. It arched its leathery back and raised sharp talons as if ready to attack. Again, it lowered its head inches from Ned’s.
“Live with the Dragon Master?” Ulrick bellowed. “Do you know anything about the Dragon Master, Ned?”
Ned swallowed hard—and waited for the pain of having his head bitten off. He opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out.
“All my brothers and sisters used to roam free, in peace,” Ulrick boomed. “We are no threat to humans. We do not hunt for animal flesh. We eat only the Gorsel bushes and the red berries that grow on them.”
Ulrick bumped Ned’s shoulder with its snout. “Do you know how the great Dragon Master captured all his dragons?”
Ned rubbed his shoulder. “Uh…no.”
“HE DESTROYED ALL THE GORSEL BUSHES EXCEPT HIS OWN!” Ulrick bellowed. “The dragons had a choice—starve or be captured. As soon as the dragons followed him home, Sir Darkwind clipped their wings. He whips them and keeps them penned up. He charges a fee to see them. And he forces the dragons to roar and battle each other for the crowds.”
Ulrick’s chest heaved up and down. In a roar of fury the dragon snapped open its jaws.
The wave of hot breath sent Ned onto his back once again. He stared up helplessly as, wings flapping, the mighty dragon roared and raged.
“And now you want to capture ME and add ME to Sir Darkwind’s sad collection?” it boomed. “NEVER! NEVER!”
A shadow swept over Ned. The shadow of the dragon’s giant head.
“Noooo!” Ned let out a scream as the jaws closed around him. The pointed teeth dug into Ned’s chest and back.
And then the dragon lifted him, lifted him easily off the ground.
Ned thrashed and squirmed like a worm caught in a bird’s beak.
The dragon tilted its head back to swallow him.
“NO! WAIT!” Ned wailed. “WAIT! NO! PLEASE! NO! NOOOOOO!”
The next morning the servant Gregory arose early and went out to check on the dragons. The sun, still low over the trees, hadn’t burned through the morning fog.
Gregory carried the water bucket to the trough where the dragons drank. Around the pen the dragons groaned and stretched sleepily.
Staring into the damp gray mist, Gregory let out a startled cry. The water bucket fell from his hands. “D-dragon!” he exclaimed.
Was it just a shadow in the fog?
No. An enormous dragon was lumbering toward Sir Darkwind’s house, swinging its head from side to side, wings fluttering on its back.
In his excitement Gregory tripped over the water bucket as he ran to the house. “Sir Darkwind! Sir Darkwind!” he shouted. “A dragon approaches!”
The Dragon Master was just finishing his breakfast. He jumped up from the table, egg running down his bearded chin, and hurried to the door. Squinting into the fog, he clapped his hands joyfully.
“It is Ulrick!” he declared. “My collection is complete. Ulrick is coming to join the others.”
“But where is the boy?” Gregory asked. “The boy is nowhere to be seen.”
The Dragon Master peered out from the doorway. “You are right, Gregory. The dragon comes alone.” He tossed his head back in a cruel laugh. “Ulrick probably had the boy for breakfast!”
“But then why has the dragon come here?” Gregory asked.
“Go see,” Sir Darkwind said. He gave Gregory a hard push out the door. “Go see at once—while I wait in the safety of the house.”
His legs trembling, his heart fluttering in his chest, Gregory obeyed his master. He stepped up to the dragon, took a deep breath, and shouted up to it: “Ulrick—the Dragon Master demands to know: Why have you come?”
Ulrick gazed down at the trembling servant. The dragon’s eyes were cold and blank, like two black rocks. It snorted loudly, a sound that made Gregory quiver all the more.
In the pen beside the house all the other dragons had lined up. They stood very still, watching the newcomer.
Gregory glanced back and saw the Dragon Master waving his hands impatiently.
“Sir Darkwind desires to know why you have come,” the servant repeated, unable to stop his voice from cracking with fear.
With a sudden motion the huge dragon swung down its head and almost bumped Gregory to the ground. Gregory gasped and leaped back.
And then slowly, very slowly, the dragon opened its massive jaws.
“Oh nooooo,” Gregory moaned. He saw the boy’s head inside the dragon’s mouth. The head, eyes shut, rested on the creature’s fat red tongue.
“You have eaten him!” the servant shouted. “You have eaten the boy!”
Gregory couldn’t bear the awful sight. He spun around wildly. “Sir Darkwind! Horrors! Horrors! The dragon—it—it…”
“What is it?” the Dragon Master called from the house. “What are you trying to say?”
“The d-dragon—” Gregory stammered. “Sir Darkwind! Sir Darkwind! You must come and see this! You must come at once!” And then he fainted to the ground in a heap.
What must I see? Sir Darkwind wondered. Why is the dragon standing there with its mouth open like that?
The Dragon Master cautiously stepped out of the house. As he strode up to the dragon, the dragon turned and opened its jaws wider.
And Sir Darkwind saw the boy’s head, resting so comfortably on the fat tongue.
He saw the boy’s dark hair matted wetly to his forehead. And saw the boy’s peacefully shut eyes.
Sir Darkwind scowled up at the dragon. “Did you think that would shock me? You have wasted your time, Ulrick!”
“I do not think so,” Ned said, opening his eyes. “I knew this would get you out of the house!”
He freed his arms from the dragon’s throat, then grabbed hold of the massive teeth and pulled himself out. Lowering himself to the ground, he brushed back his hair and wiped dragon drool off the front of his smock.
Sir Darkwind’s eyes bulged in surprise. “How—how have you done this, boy?”
“I made a bargain with the dragon,” Ned said. “Just as you instructed me.”
The Dragon Master’s face filled with confusion. “And now the dragon is mine?” he asked.
“Not quite,” Ned replied. “That isn’t the bargain.”
He rubbed his hands dry on the side of his smock. “You see, before the Sorcerer Margolin disappeared, he taught me many of his spells,” Ned said. “And now I’m going to show you one of my favorites.”
Ned waved his hands, mumbled several strange-sounding words—and the Dragon Master began to change.
His body appeared to melt. His face sank into his body. Leafy limbs sprouted all around him. And bright-red berries popped out around the leaves.
Ned mumbled a few more words. And then he smiled. The spell had worked. He had turned Sir Darkwind into a Gorsel bush.
The dragons all roared happily. Tears the size of raindrops, tears of joy, poured from their ancient eyes.
“My mission was to destroy the Dragon Master and free the dragons,” Ned said. “But first I had to trick him into leaving the house! As you can see, I have succeeded.”
“You have kept your bargain with me,” Ulrick said. It gazed down at the Gorsel bush. “How long will your spell last?”
“I don’t know,” Ned replied. “It doesn’t really matter—does it?”
“No. Not really,” Ulrick replied.
And then Ulrick bent its head low and began to devour the bush and its tasty berries.