High wind battered The Dragonfly, slicing through the myriad gaps in the assembled junk and raising its voice in a whistling wail, as if the ship cried out against the storm’s assault.

“Reef the sails!” Meri called.

The crew scrambled to obey, even as the ship heeled back on the crest of a mountainous wave, forcing everybody to hold tight wherever they could. The patchwork sails rolled up to leave only a little material bulging gluttonously with wind.

“I really hope we did a good job rebuilding this ship!” Anil cried, clinging to the rail as The Dragonfly pitched forwards to careen down the other side of the wave.

“My dad led the work!” Zoey shouted back. “This ship can withstand anything!”

Alex hoped she was right. The storm wall loomed ahead. Through the telescope, it had seemed enormous. Up close, it was like the world coming to an end. Black cloud had tumbled from the sky to ride the roiling sea. Lightning crawled through it like insects, thunder rattling the bones of the ship. The sparking light cast fleeting silhouettes of the dragon inside the storm, its colossal body lifted from the ocean as if trying to escape the tainted water.

Rain lashed the deck. Alex barely noticed it soaking his clothes and skin. The immense power of the Water Dragon weighed on him far heavier. He was so small compared to its boundless strength, a blinking buoy tossed by a hurricane.

“I never thought I’d have to fight against the dragon,” he said.

Zoey and Anil each put a hand on his shoulders. “At least you don’t have to do it alone.”

Their support gave Alex the courage to catch Meri’s attention and nod. Instantly, she bellowed another order to her crew.

“Bring up the dragon!”

A heavy thunk resounded through the deck. A seam opened in the wood and wide hatch doors were cranked open. The crew dropped ropes inside before taking their places at levers and pullies. A signal was given from below and the ropes went taut as the crew heaved on them.

The baby dragon’s head appeared first, scaly brow furrowed and pearlescent eyes fixed as it endured the indignity. A cradling harness had been fitted around its middle, the dragon’s sinuous body sagging over it. The otters huddled on the dragon’s back.

Wind caught the apparatus and made the ropes creak and lurch. As soon as it was clear of the hatch, the ropes were fixed in place, suspending the dragon low enough for Alex to reach up and touch it when the time came. Plastic sheets were raised to protect it from sea spray.

“Sorry about this,” Alex said. “It’s the only way to use your power without you going in the ocean.”

The baby dragon huffed bitterly, before fixing its nervous gaze on the fury of the fast-approaching storm wall.

“I’ve come up with code names for this mission,” Zoey said.

Alex steeled himself. “How insulting are they?”

“You will be Invasive Invertebrate,” she informed him, before looking to Anil. “And you will be Trembling Tapeworm.”

Anil opened his mouth to protest before deciding it wasn’t worth it. “And what should we call you?”

Zoey brushed her fringe from her eyes and puffed out her chest. “You may refer to me as Doctor Dragon.”

A stinging squall of wind almost knocked her off her feet. A barrel bounced away along the deck, narrowly avoiding some crew, while pieces broke off the rigging and were whipped overboard.

“Make sure the rest of the barrels are properly secured!” Meri barked. “The last thing we need is oil leaking everywhere.”

The storm wall obliterated any distinction between sea and sky. Its supernatural force threatened to grind The Dragonfly to pieces. The ship peaked over another wave, slanting almost vertically before it hurtled down the other side like a roller coaster drop.

“Take in the last of the sails!” Meri ordered, lifting her voice over the ceaseless roar of the wind. She looked to Alex. “I think it’s time.”

Alex stood underneath the baby dragon. It watched the storm doubtfully, but its scales ignited all the same, a beacon of light in the rapidly descending darkness.

Everything around them was soaked, the relentless stinging spray deluging the deck, rain buffeting the ship with every squall. The plastic sheets kept the baby dragon dry, but Alex could simply be on deck and connect to the water. He stood as firmly as possible and pressed a hand to the belly of the dragon.

This time, their power combined easily. Channels forged during the crab attack allowed magic to flow freely. The baby dragon’s scales blazed green and the darkness of the storm retreated before the light.

Alex held the magic inside himself, crashing around his bones and muscle like a raucous wave. The wall of cloud and lightning would hit the ship at any moment. The tossing waves and scathing spray were difficult enough to grasp. But an unseen force weighed against him too, trying to push him away. It would block any attempt to dismantle the storm.

“Everything okay?” Meri asked tensely.

In seconds, The Dragonfly would be ripped to pieces. Alex squeezed his eyes shut. The baby dragon appeared in his mind, their thoughts and feelings colliding. It saw itself winding around its parent, infinitely smaller, its power nothing more than a fleeting spark against such a mighty force.

You’re not that strong yet, Alex thought, trusting the baby dragon would hear him. But you’re strong enough to save it.

“Hurry up!” shouted Zoey.

The clamour of the advancing storm and the panicked voices of the crew sounded far away. Alex held the baby dragon firmly in his mind and remembered rescuing the Water Dragon from the aquarium, fighting side by side to aid its escape, battling to save the dragon egg. The baby dragon still had so many memories to make with its parent.

It roared its longing and fury, and their magic surged in harmony. Power cascaded through Alex and he thrust his hand towards the storm wall.

Magic streamed from his fingers and punctured the storm wall just as the bow of The Dragonfly reached it. The cloud swirled open a portal to admit the ship.

The power came from deeper than Alex had ever reached, gushing as if an ancient well had been tapped, forcing his body rigid as it poured out. Magic bored through the cloud to clear a tunnel. Lightning licked around the ship, forking fingers feeling for the mast, but Alex and the baby dragon batted it away. Their magic twined together, strong enough to carve fleeting safety from the vengeful maelstrom.

See! Alex thought.

Above him, the baby dragon rumbled, scales flaring brighter as it revelled in these newly plumbed depths of power. The otters chirruped in celebration.

“We’re nearly through!” Anil shouted.

The entire crew had halted where they stood to marvel at their passage through the storm. Now their necks craned upwards as they emerged on the other side.

The Water Dragon rose from the ocean like a monumental spire of coiled rock. The armour plates across its back, pocked and scarred over centuries, looked like a chain of islands hoisted into the sky. The dragon’s proud head was high enough to be swathed in cloud, the long spines on its chin trailing like frozen rain. Next to it, The Dragonfly seemed little more than a toy.

Alex hardly believed that such tiny parasites could threaten such a mighty, majestic creature. But he saw the unnatural rigidity of the Water Dragon’s posture, its usually flexile coils locked tight, scales a ruddy, ashen white. Every last drop of its magic was being spent on keeping the parasites from fully taking over.

The baby dragon wailed at the sight, reaching for its parent with its magic. The connection was still there – enough for them both to feel the Water Dragon’s anguish, revulsion and despair at what ailed it. But the baby dragon’s desperate cry of love was blocked by the dark force of the parasites.

“Time to go,” Alex said, turning to Meri. “Get the dragon’s attention and keep it distracted for as long as you can.”

Meri reached inside her jacket and removed a bright red, snub-nosed flare gun. “I think I can manage that.”

“I remember the days when I got to use the cool flare gun.” Zoey pouted.

“You’re about to go inside an ancient sea monster,” Anil said. “If that’s not exciting enough, you might have a problem.”

Before he followed them to the stern of the ship, Alex reached up to touch the baby dragon again. “You can keep everybody safe without me,” he said aloud. “Show the Water Dragon how strong you are.”

The baby dragon’s undeveloped ruff inflated just enough to make it look like it had swallowed a volleyball. It fixed its eyes on its parent, scales glowing brighter as its magic swelled.

A rope ladder had been suspended from the back rail of the ship. The Dorothea tossed in The Dragonfly’s wake. Bridget and Gene were busy preparing to cast off, Grandpa holding on tight.

“Ready?” Alex called from above.

Bridget waved for them to board. One by one, they climbed down the ladder, practically falling into the boat as it rocked on the waves.

Zoey went straight to a heavy backpack already loaded into the boat, the contents tinkling and clanking as she checked through.

“Did you bring her?” Alex asked.

Bridget produced a small, clear bag filled with water. Kraken was furled inside, skin still flaming red, arms wrapped tightly about herself. “I gave her that natural sedative Meri made.” She wrinkled her nose. “It smelled like unwashed weightlifting gloves.”

“Yer sure it’s a good idea to take her with you?” asked Grandpa.

“This way we can cure her as soon as we have the zircongris.” Alex gently took the bag and passed it to Zoey, who fitted it securely into her backpack before shouldering it. The backpack was enormous and the outside bulged in strange shapes. Wires trailed from a frayed hole that looked like it had been deliberately picked open.

Alex, Zoey and Anil lined the rails, while Bridget and Gene finished preparing the Dorothea. The conditions had been rough on the much larger Dragonfly. The smaller boat reeled and see-sawed like it might capsize every time it met a wave.

“We won’t fire up the engine until we know the dragon is distracted.” Gene took their position at the wheel. “Do you remember your sailing lessons?”

Bridget reached for the rope that secured them to The Dragonfly. “I remember the bits that weren’t boring.”

“And which bits were those?”

“Mainly all the things you told me not to do.”

Bridget tugged the knot apart. The boat was seized instantly by a gust of wind that snapped them from behind The Dragonfly. A wave washed over the side and threatened to swamp them. Gene fought to turn the boat head on to the waves while Zoey and Anil started bailing.

The wind carried a cry from The Dragonfly. Moments later, its sails unfurled. Eager wind filled them and the ship swerved away on a path that would take it in front of the dragon. The flare shot up from the deck, fired into the face of the wind so its smoky trail held straight before it popped into pink fire.

In answer, a tremendous rumbling fell from the sky.

“Is that thunder?” asked Anil.

Alex peered upwards. “I don’t think so.”

The Water Dragon’s tremendous head dropped out of the clouds. The rumbling growl ran the entire length of its body, waves rippling where it broke the surface. Briefly, Alex recognized how the Haven Bay locals saw the dragon: a monster.

As soon as the dragon saw The Dragonfly, waves kicked up around it, herding the ship back towards the storm wall.

“We were right,” Alex said. “It was only ever trying to push people to a safe distance.”

He had known the Water Dragon wouldn’t hurt anybody unless it had completely lost control. There was still time to make sure that never happened.

“It’s looking the other way,” Gene said, gripping the wheel tightly.

Bridget fired up the engine and immediately pushed it to full throttle, sending them skipping wildly over the waves. Gene wrestled to aim the boat directly at where the dragon’s body emerged from the water.

“Now this is sailing!” Bridget cheered, wrapping her arms around Gene to stay upright.

Grandpa clung to the rail for dear life. “I’m startin’ to think I’ve failed in my role as responsible adult.”

“Get us as close as you can,” shouted Alex.

The Water Dragon’s tail was anchored in the swirling water. The first flattened coil was almost flush with the surface, providing a potential landing platform. Bridget and Gene worked in accidental balance to take them closer, Bridget using the engine to race recklessly forwards, Gene using the wheel to meet the waves and approach at an angle that wouldn’t dash them to pieces.

“It’s going to be too far to jump,” Alex said, watching the restless waves crash against the grey-and-green hump of the dragon’s back.

Bridget considered the gap between the boat and the dragon, glanced at each of her arms in turn and then ran her eyes over the boarding party.

“I can throw you,” she said.

“That seems to be your answer to everything these days,” Gene noted.

Zoey stepped up as first volunteer, fighting to keep a smile off her face. “It’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

Once the boat was as close as it could get, Gene held them steady against the fierce waves. Bridget gripped Zoey by a wrist and plucked an ankle to lift her off the ground as if she weighed nothing.

“You should eat more protein.”

Bridget swung the smaller girl back once, twice, and then let her go. Zoey flew through the air, arms and legs flailing, before landing on the dragon’s back.

“Doctor Dragon has landed!” she called.

Anil was launched next, landing hard on the armour plate, Zoey waiting to safely gather him up.

Bridget extended a burly arm. “Your turn, little bro.”

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Throwing my brother and his annoying friends at a dragon?” She shrugged. “I don’t hate it.”

Grandpa squeezed his shoulder. “Be careful.”

Bridget took Alex’s wrist and snatched a leg from under him. The world flipped as she wound up the swing, definitely a little harder than she had for the others.

“Just go limp!” Bridget shouted, which only made him tense up further.

He arced through the bottom of the final swing and felt his sister’s grip shift to release him. Before she could, a wild gust of wind tipped her off balance and Bridget stumbled, letting him go too late.

The throw sent him high into the air and the wind snatched him. It carried him towards where the dragon’s body coiled up and away from the water. Alex collided with unyielding scales and scrabbled for grip, water making them slick. The angle of the dragon’s body was steep and he tumbled down its back.

Head over heels, elbows and knees bashing against scales, the churning ocean rushing up fast from below. There was nothing Alex could do to stop the fall.

Hands caught his wrists and held tight. Pain lanced through his shoulders as he came to a halt, legs kicking in search of a foothold. Alex looked up to see Zoey and Anil reaching from beneath an armour plate, each holding one of his arms.

“We found the blowhole,” Anil shouted over the whistling wind.

“Ready to go inside the dragon?” asked Zoey.

Apparently, it was a rhetorical question. They wrenched him up, and this time he fell into darkness.