Guaryntis sprang into the air once more and crossed the desert in a single bound, catching Kathy and Tristan as they tried to escape by running toward the beach. He scooped them up and, laughing evilly, threw them into the ocean. Then he twisted around and spotted little Janie, clinging to Frank as he raced beside the rocks and cliffs at the very edge of the desert.
Janie was the dragon’s first capture, and his favourite. He wasn’t about to let her escape. He lunged at her and plucked her from the saddle. Janie screamed. Guaryntis tossed her into the air, and as she fell back toward the earth, he swung his tail around to catch her. Janie grasped the very end of it and hung on tightly to keep from falling, as the dragon spun sideways and snatched up her pony in his big left claw.
With Janie clinging desperately to his tail and pony-Frank struggling to free himself from the cruel talons, Guaryntis shot skyward once more and discovered Christina and Steven running hard, almost to the forest of Paximus. He growled and snarled and beat the air with his mighty wings, and the sand rose up from the desert floor in a massive whirlwind that swept over the fleeing pony and blinded him. Steven stumbled but struggled on, unable to see, and Guaryntis laughed and dropped to earth right in front of him. Steven crashed into the dragon’s scaly side and fell unconscious, and Christina sprawled on the sand beside him.
Guaryntis then spotted Vanessa, standing up in her stirrups and straining forward. She was urging Alexander on as he raced for the safety of the forest. She was the only girl ever to escape from him, and he wanted to capture her most of all. He wanted revenge. He swooped down upon them, but Vanessa saw him coming.
“Quick, go left!” she shouted, and Alexander swerved hard and took off in the new direction. Guaryntis missed them and plunged heavily into the ground, but one claw raked the pony’s flank and drew blood. He bounded up for another try. Vanessa saw him leap to cut them off.
“Go right!” Vanessa yelled. “And STOP!”
Alexander planted his hooves and skidded to a halt. Guaryntis overshot them and ploughed head first into the sand. Alexander whirled and plunged off toward the trees once more.
The dragon shook himself and screeched in fury. Still clutching tiny Frank in one claw, and with Janie desperately hanging on to his tail, he planted his powerful hind feet and leapt after the fleeing pair. He opened his mouth wide.
Vanessa screamed, and Alexander whipped his head around to see the awful monster’s vicious yellow fangs flashing in the sunlight as he bore down upon them. Desperately he flung himself right and then left, his hooves scrabbling at the sand, and his back left foot dropped into a groundhog hole and tripped him. He heard an awful crack and felt a bone break. His leg collapsed beneath him, spilling Vanessa onto the sand.
Guaryntis roared out his victory. His powerful jaws gaped open and swept them up. He tossed his head in the air, and Vanessa and Alexander tumbled over his huge slimy tongue and slid toward that great open throat, plummeting down to certain death.
And behind the dragon’s back, brave little Evan, with Emma’s small arms wrapped tightly around his long pony neck, dashed out of the desert and into the beautiful green forest of Paximus.
Vanessa’s plan had worked!