The Dragon Amulet...
This mountain disappearing into the earth buisness had to be stopped. But what could a young, little dragon like himself do? Everyother dragon already thought he was weird because he wasn´t light blue with firery red highlights that looked like flames, like every other Cloudseeker dragon on the island, even though his mother was a Cloudseeker. He looked different. He was dark blue like the night sky and had lots of silver specks that looked like stars in the evening. He, himself was okay with the way he looked, but the other dragons thought he was an outcast! And if he told them that he was going to stop their homes from disappearing into the ground, they would think he was insane!!! “The other dragons are probably right about me.” He thought.
The earth rumbled again and as a big falling rock only missed Starshine by inches, he bolted out of the cave and flew down to the safety of the earth where the other dragons were. There were some dragonets that were about Starshines age that were playing hide and seek a little further off from the other dragons. Starshine was about to ask them if he could play with them when… “Hey! You are the outcast dragon, right?” sneered one of the dragonets. His name was Fireclaws, remembered Starshine. “He looks like it.” Laughed another dragonet. “We don’t want to play with you.” Said Fireclaws. “You are an outcast. You can´t play with us.” Starshine took a step backwards. He felt deep sadness about what they had said. He felt like he didn’t belong here anymore. Fireclaw was about to make another rude comment but Starshine had already darted into the forest, away from all the dragons that can´t accept the way he is.
He ran on and on until he collapsed on the mossy ground and was too tired to do anything else but just lay there, under the trees, not knowing what to do next when…
Sddenly, he heard a branch crack! Exhausted, he lifted his head to see where the noise was coming from. But when he looked around, he saw nothing. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep for a while and had a dream about a golden amulet that had a blue stone in the centre where a small dragon was crafted into it. It had a golde chain linked to it like a necklace and enchanted every last piece of Starshine. He had a feeling that there was something magical about this amulet…
Suddenly, he woke up. He was still laying in the beautiful forest. He looked up into the trees only to see the stars peeking out between the branches and winking at him. The forest was peaceful. No rude dragons, just him and he forest. “If I could just rescue the mountain.” He sighed. “Why?” asked an old, creaky voice behind him. “Why do you want to help somebody who is so mean to you and calls you an outcast?” Starshine whirled around. There, in front of him stood a dragon. She looked very old but strong and brave at the same time. Her scales looked like an old tree trunk that had grown big spots of moss on it. She looked strange. He had never seen a dragon like her before. But her necklace reminded him of something… Her eyes were wise and awake. “So, you are Starshine the Nightclaw.” She spoke with a voice that made her sound like she knew everything. “My name is Treekeeper. Follow me, and I will help you on your quest.” Starshine did without protesting. Inside him, questions were forming. Questions that he desperately needed answers to.
Treekeeper led him through starlit valleys and past giantic trees. Starshine had never been so far in a forest. But it was just breath taking. They walked on and on until Treekeeper finally stopped. They had reached a eourmous tree. It was gigantic! But especially the thickness of the trunk surprised him. At the roots of the tree was a door. Treekeeper motioned for him to follow her, and he did. She opened the door and let him inside.
As soon as he entered through the door, a cozy warmth seeped through his body. He looked around. The tree trunk was fairly hollow and there were little windows. All around the room were candles, pillows and blankets. There was a small table with a tea pot and two cups on it. “It´s like she had been waiting for me!” thought Starshine. “But how did she know of me?” Treekeeper closed the door and filledthe two cups with tea. She gave on cup to Starshine and he accepted it greatfully.
“Primrose! Come down. We have a guest who needs our help.” Shouted Treekeeper. “Who is she talking about?” thought Starshine. Suddenly, a dragonet appeared out of the sky and landed beside him. She was about his age, looked kind and smart. Her scales were the color of fresh green leaves but there were a few scales where different colors made little, funny spots all over. “Hi! I´m Primrose.” Said the dragon. “Hello.” Said Starshine hesitantly. “I am Starshine. I am here because I am looking for somebody who can help me save the claws of the cloud mountains.” Primrose thought for a moment, then she said: “I know! Tell him the prophecy, Treekeeper!”
“What prophecy?” thought Starshine. “What prophecy, you ask.” Said Treekeeper. “Well, there are many prophecies. Follow me.” She went to the other side of the tree home. Starshine noticed wooden stairs that went further up the tree. But Treekeeper didn’t go up the stairs, she stopped at the wall. The only thing on the wall was a little lantern. “This makes no sense.” Thought Starshine. Until…
Treekeeper reached out a claw to the lantern and turned it around once, twice, three times! Instantly, the part of the tree trunk slid to the side, only to reveal a dark tunnel that led into the ground. “I will lead the way and if you follow me, you will seek what you need.” Whispered Treekeeper. Starshine treaded after her, ancious to see what would await him at the bottom of the tunnel.
They walked on and on through the darkness of the underground, leaving the comfy warmth of the tree home behind them. Finally, (Starshine had already been wondering how long this walk would go on.) he saw a golden glow ahead. At last, Treekeeper stopped and stepped aside to reveal a long tree stump with a glass box on top. Treekeeper pulled out a key and opened the glass box. Inside it was a scroll. “Read it!” whispered Treekeeper anciously. Starshine did as he was told. The scroll read:
There is a dragon upon us,
A dragon that conquers the bad.
He will save the home of our dreams,
With only his mind and his heart.
An amulet shall guide him on his journey,
Him and his star speckled scales.
Because he will bring friendship upon us,
Friendship, wiseness and tales…
“Wow!” breathed Starshine. “What a beautiful prophecy.” “Yes, I agree.” Said Treekeeper. “Especially because it is about you.” “About me?” asked Starshine astonished. “That’s impossible!!! I can’t be in a prophecy! Especially because I am so different from every other dragon.” “But because you are so different is just why you are in a prophecy.” Said Treekeeper wisely. Then she lay the scroll with the prophecy back into the glass box and locked it. Together, they walked back up into the cozy, bright lit tree trunk house.
Primrose was already waiting for them, a cup of tea in her claws. Treekeeper motioned Starshine to have a seat in all the pillows and blankets, so he sat down on a big pillow with little roses stiched on top of it. “Now, to your questions.” Exclaimed Treekeeper. Yes, right! The questions!!! Starshine didn’t think long on what to ask first. “What is a Nightclaw?” he asked. “You mentioned it earlier in the forest.” Treekeeper smiled and said: “You are a Nightclaw. A Nightclaw is a dragon that has midnight black scales with stars on them, just like in the prophecy. The Nightclaws come from a far away island which they call Star Rise Island.” Starshine thought about this for a second. But if his mother was a Cloudseeker, then how was he a Nightclaw? He told Treekeeper his second question and she only said: “This, my young dragonet, you will have to find out alone. But first, you need to save the mountain.”
“But how?!?!?” Thought Starshine. Like she had read his mind, Treekeeper said: “There is only one way to do this. Here!” She carefully lifted the golden chain necklace around her throat and lay it in Starshines open claws. Now he remembered what it had reminded him of as he had first seen it. It was the amulet he had seen in his dreams when he had slept in this forest. This amulet was supposed to save a mountain! “Thank you!” he whispered.
“But how can I use it?” Treekeeper smiled and said: “I will teach you, my young dragonet. Just listen, watch and learn…” So, Treekeeper told him that she was an old amulet keeper that kept the amulet safe until a new keeper would claim it. She told him that all the magic of the amulet was contained within the heart of the little dragon in the stone, and to release the magic, you had to softly sing to it. Treekeeper also taught him the three rules of the amulet:
1. It can´t bring back the dead.
2. It can´t make anyone live forever.
3. You are strictly forbidden to cause harm with it.
Starshine told her that these rules were very reasonable and that she should teach him how to do magic with it now. Treekeeper was the keeper of the amulet and knew how to awake and use its magic. She sang a sweet song to the amulet that made the dragon glow and sparkle. Treekeeper closed her eyes and all of a sudden, Starshines tea cup flew out of his claws and flew around his head a few times until it safely landed back in his claws. Treekeeper opened her eyes and the beautiful glow in the amulet vanished. “Wow!” breathed Starshine. “That was amazing!!!”
After a long night of practicing and learning, Starshine had finally understood everything Treekeeper had taught him. He knew how to sing to the amulet and how he could use the magic to rescue the mountain. “I should probably go now.” Said Starshine. “Thank you for everything!” Treekeeper smiled proudly and said: “Starshine, if you want to come back after you have helped the mountain, you could learn more from us.” “I will come back.” Said Starshine. “I promise!”
Then he scurried off into the forest, to go back to the dragons that hated him, to save them. He ran and ran, the amulet thumping against his chest until he needed to take a break. But unexpectantly, he heard a rustle then someone whispered oops. Starshine looked up into the trees and saw Primrose crouching there, on a big branch. “Hello!” smiled Primrose. “Why are you following me?” asked Starshine suspiciously. “Because you need help!!!” exclaimed Primrose. Starshine wondered why he would need help but said she could accompany him on his way to the mountain. So, they walked on together and Primrose told him secrets about the forest. She showed him edible plants, and taught him the names of the common flowers in the forest. Finally, through the thick, green branches of the trees, Starshine could see the mountain. (Or at least what was left of it.)
“Oh no!” whispered Starshine. They raced to the edge of the mountain and circled around it. The only thing left of it was the tip. It was barely as big as a young tree. Primrose must have seen the fear in Starshines eyes, because she lay her wing around his shoulders and whispered him encouragements.
Starshine took a deep breath. It was still morning, but there were already dragons gathered in front of the mountain. He could feel them staring at him, wondering what he was up to. He was about to sing to the amulet, to awake it’s magic when…
A tiny voice in his head asked: “Is he the one?”
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