The Relio Trulio Dragon

By Archisha Paul

Look at them sitting there , all dark and scary by the fireplace , staring at me . Never again.

I don’t know if you have heard about me or my family so it would only make sense that I introduce them . Belinda, my master lives in a little white house . She looks old , but is more fierce than a roaring tiger on a hunt . She found us in an abandoned shed outside the village . Me and my siblings, Ink , Blink and Mustard . We were left all alone to fend for ourselves by our old master , a wicked wizard . But Belinda took us in ,when she first saw us she did not hesitate to adopt a little black kitten , a little gray mouse , a little yellow dog in the little red wagon and of course me a realio trulio little scared dragon !

Belinda loved us and taught us to be the bravest warriors . All of my siblings were strong , brave and fast on the training field. And I ?I was always jealous of them for I could never be anything they were . I was too big to be fast , to little to be strong and oh so scared to be brave. How could I be brave ? I was the youngest one, I needed protection all the time . They didn’t understand me at all , all they ever did was make fun of me . Telling me that ,being a dragon I should be more scary . But I didn’t want to be scary I was too sacred to be scary , I just wanted to stay in my cage . Safe , loved and protected by my strong family .

Then one rainy day it all changed , they say it changed for good , I say nothing could have been worse … It was the day he came . We all recognized him , there was no change in his smell , the stench of rum and the putrid odor of rotten fish wafted in from the window with a cold gust of wind Mustard became alert . He growled and I shivered , then he climbed in from the window and we were surprised by his new look . He no longer adorned the heavy cloak that weighed down his shoulders giving him a hunched look . He stood tall and ominous . He wore a hat with feathers sticking out , his leather boots squeaked as he walked and water dripped down his scraggly locks . The Wicked Wizard that had once abandoned us was now a Terrifying Pirate .

He scowled at Belinda with that wrinkled face that had not changed and for the first time ever I saw fear in her eyes , it looked like she did not know she was brave or that it was all a show . He raised his pistol towards her ,” Ya stole me pets , lassie. Gotta pay.” He said in a gravely voice . I looked around for my siblings to protect her but they were gone , all of them hiding in the corners . I was stunned , how could they ? they were brave and strong , they should have fought , now Belinda and I would die here . I gave Belinda one more look to see if she had regained her courage but she had escaped , or more like the Pirate had lost interest in her. He now pointed the pistol towards me ,” Wanna act the hero eh ? ya overgrown lizard ?” I panicked , I did not want to die ,but I did not know what to do or where to hide ? I did not realize I was breathing fire till I heard Ink’s squeal . But the little distraction was all that the pirate needed he lunged at me with his sword and I instinctively opened my mouth to scream , maybe he judged the distance incorrectly , or maybe I moved ,because the next thing I know he fell into my mouth and I on instinct swallowed him .

There was silence in the house for a few seconds , only the fire on the curtains crackled . I cringed and looked at Belinda thinking she would now scold me for burning her curtains , but what came next scared me more than the pirate . My family surrounded and applauded me , Ink rubbed against my paw , Mustard growled in approval , Blink danced on the table , and Belinda stroked my head . They were so happy that I finally found my courage , little did they know it was all an accident .

Belinda and my siblings still live in that little white house with the red wagon , not me though I have moved to the mountains to become a Buddhist dragon , the pirate was too much for me .

By Archisha Paul