They had hatched plenty of implausible plans before, but this was by far the most dangerous.

“Even I think this is ridiculous,” Zoey said. “And literally every idea I come up with is objectively hazardous.”

Anil nodded enthusiastically. “You’ve actually managed to outdo her.”

Thankfully, these comments were made as they began preparations to carry out the plan despite its extremely perilous nature. The Water Dragon was the biggest Alex had ever seen it. The storm wall reached from the clouds to the surf, the dragon looming like a skyscraper behind it. Big enough for them to go inside, harvest the zircongris needed to formulate a proper cure and then deliver it to the site of the infection before the parasites could hatch several million babies.

Easy.

The core group – including Meri, Bridget and Gene – returned to the chamber at the heart of The Dragonfly. The baby dragon remained confined to its isolation pool there. A patch filled the hole in the hull and the floor had been painstakingly mopped and dried. Seafire lanterns burned as protection against any parasites that might remain.

The baby dragon rested its chin on the edge of the pool, keening from somewhere deep in its throat. Magic prickled on Alex’s skin. The dragon was still calling for its parent, refusing to give up even though there was no answer.

“I managed to study the baby dragon a little while we were all hiding down here,” Meri said.

She climbed onto the edge of the pool and offered a flat hand to the dragon. It eyed her warily before nudging closer, seeking reassurance in her touch. Alex was surprised by a pang of jealousy. What if somebody else forged a bond with the baby dragon before him?

“I was examining how its armour plates hadn’t yet fully fused together,” Meri continued, reaching for the dragon’s back. The curved plates of armour formed a patchwork of grey and green scales waiting to harden. A narrow channel ran down their middle so the dragon could grow into their shape.

Anil whipped out his notepad and pen to scribble notes.

Meri stroked the length of the baby dragon’s serpentine back, making it close its eyes and bare its teeth in satisfaction. It reminded Alex of when he scratched the otters between their ears. Carefully, Meri slipped her fingers under the edge of one of the armour plates. It lifted easily as if on a hinge.

A pair of elongated, symmetrical holes twitched and flared underneath like nostrils.

“A blowhole!” Anil exclaimed.

Zoey pressed forwards for a closer look. “If the adult Water Dragon has one too…”

“Then it’s our way inside,” Alex finished.

Strangely, he had to stifle a laugh. The plan should have been shot down immediately as impossible. Instead, they might just have found a way to make it work.

That left them no choice but to give it a try.

“Any idea what we’ll find after we get in there?” he asked.

“The grossest holiday of all time.” Zoey chuckled, then glanced guiltily at the baby dragon. “No offence.”

“Based on what Argosy told us, the zircongris shouldn’t be too far from the point of entry,” Meri said. “The problem is, from studying Kraken and the crabs, I’ve worked out that the centre of infection is the brain. So after you’ve got the last ingredient for the cure from the dragon’s bowel you’ll have to travel all the way up its body to administer it.”

“The records suggest the cure should kill off all the parasite eggs,” said Anil. “Then the live parasites too, but that takes longer. And if the eggs hatch, there’ll be too many for the cure to be totally effective. So we have to get up to the brain in time to destroy the eggs before they hatch and spill out into the ocean.”

Zoey nodded. “Then get the heck out of there while the cure finishes off any live parasites.”

“And frees the Water Dragon from their power,” Alex concluded.

The baby dragon flicked its eyes between them as if following the conversation. Hopefully it understood enough to realize they would risk everything to save its parent.

Alex faced his friends. “I know I just made a big deal about us sticking together to fight against impossible odds and all the usual stuff, but I won’t force anybody to come with me.”

Zoey huffed indignantly. “Like I’m going to miss the opportunity to crawl around the disgusting guts of a giant sea monster.” She winced and bowed her head to the baby dragon. “Again, no offence.”

“And there’s no way I’m missing the chance to map the dragon’s anatomy.” Anil tapped the notes he’d already made. “Plus, imagine what kind of treasure the dragon must have swallowed in the last thousand years or so!”

Alex smiled and opened his mouth to thank them. A hand in his face from Zoey stopped him short.

“I know that look. You’re going to be all sappy and grateful.” She grimaced. “It makes it much harder to hold all of this against you later when things inevitably go wrong.”

“I’ll just take your support for granted instead.”

Zoey smiled serenely. “That’s all we ask.”

Meri hopped down from the pool edge and pulled a walkie-talkie from her braids. “I’ll stay on The Dragonfly and watch for any sign that the dragon is losing its fight against the parasites. Then we can pick you up when you come out.”

A scoff from behind reminded Alex that Bridget and Gene were with them. Now his sister stepped forwards.

“I stayed quiet in case you expected me to go inside the dragon.” She shivered at the prospect. “But you don’t seem to have even thought about how you’ll get there in the first place. You might have noticed the massive storm around it?”

“I was hoping you might recklessly pilot a boat to get us close enough,” Alex said.

Gene opened their mouth to protest at the same moment as Bridget said, “I’m listening.”

“Even working together, the baby dragon and me aren’t strong enough to stop that storm.”

Tentatively, Alex reached towards the dragon. It considered his hand for a moment before bowing to nuzzle against his fingers. The baby’s scales felt softer than its parent’s. The spines under its chin bent like reeds in a breeze. It was so young.

Still, magic crackled where they touched. Alex felt the potential of their combined power. There seemed to be an empty space inside him where he was sure a connection would form.

“We only need to be strong enough to punch through the storm,” Alex continued. “Together, we’ll protect The Dragonfly long enough to create a diversion so the landing party can sneak up on the Water Dragon in the Dorothea.”

Everybody looked to everybody else for objection, but there were none. Only Gene appeared appropriately horrified.

“Are your plans always this impulsive and half-baked?” they asked.

Zoey tilted her head in thought. “Yeah, pretty much.”

It would be a race to save the Water Dragon before the parasite eggs hatched. Everybody hurried off to get ready.

As Alex made his way up towards deck so he could relay the plan to Grandpa, Erasmus Argosy stepped from the shadows and pulled him into a quiet storage room.

“This is madness,” he hissed. “I’ve never heard such a preposterous plan in all my life.”

Alex crossed his arms firmly over his chest. The old man would only try and talk him into a less effective idea that would take too long. “Instead of eavesdropping, you could have offered a better plan.”

“I have one.” Argosy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You need a plan B. In case you’re not able to cure the Water Dragon.”

He reached inside his jacket and brought out a small glass vial. Pitch-black liquid brimmed inside. The vial’s stopper was secured in place by leather thongs.

Icy cold spread down Alex’s spine. “What is it?”

“Poison. A most deadly toxin.” Argosy pushed the bottle towards him. “You must administer it to the Water Dragon if it cannot be saved.”

Alex staggered backwards. “You want me to poison the dragon?”

“Only if you must!” Sweat beaded on Argosy’s forehead and misery dragged at his expression. “An infected Water Dragon is too dangerous. Not only will it spill enough parasites into the ocean to compromise it for ever, but the dragon’s powers will fall under the parasites’ control. It would be the most destructive force this planet has ever seen. Nobody – not even you – would be able to stand against it.”

Hundreds of years ago, the enraged Water Dragon had taken a bite out of the coastline. Alex had seen it summon storms and bend hundreds of sea creatures to its will. Now it was bigger and stronger than ever.

Alex stared at the vial and shook his head. It was unthinkable. There would be no way to forgive himself if he had to do it.

The thought stopped him cold. If he had to do it.

Argosy was right. He and the baby dragon stood no chance against its parent if the Water Dragon lost its battle against the parasites. But if the dragon was gone, there might still be a chance to retake control of the ocean.

“The dragon would become nothing more than a mindless monster,” Argosy said.

Alex squeezed his jaw. “We’ll do anything we can to prevent that happening. This would be the last resort.”

Argosy nodded sadly. “That’s all I ask.”

Slowly, fighting every urge in his body, Alex reached out and took the vial of poison.