A Dragon in the Family by Jackie French Koller

Author:Jackie French Koller [Koller, Jackie French]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781534400665
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2018-07-03T07:00:00+00:00

8

DAREK’S FATHER WAS GRABBED BY a guard as soon as he and Darek emerged from the barn. His arms were shackled behind his back, and he was pushed over to where Bodak stood, shackled as well. A great crowd of villagers had assembled in the paddock, and the Circle of Elders stood at its center.

“What’s wrong?” Darek cried. “What are you going to do with my father?”

“Silence!” the Chief Elder boomed. “Where are you hiding the beast?”

“The beast?” said Darek, so frightened that for a moment he couldn’t think what the Chief Elder meant.

“Don’t play the fool!” the Chief bellowed. “We know . . .”

He never had to finish his sentence, for at that moment a zok strutted out of the barn, and right behind it strutted Zantor, doing the silliest zok imitation Darek had ever seen.

No one was amused.

“He’s there!” came a panicky cry. “Watch out! Seize him!”

Shrieks of fear rang out on all sides, and before Darek knew what was happening, Zantor was snagged in a chain-mail net. A zitanium cage was rolled up, and the little creature was tossed inside.

“Rrronk! Rrronk!” he cried out.

Now that the dragonling was safely locked up, a group of children began to tease and taunt him, poking him with sticks and tossing stones into the cage. Zantor’s rrronks! became shrill grrrawks! He unsheathed his claws and began charging at the bars, arrows of flame shooting from his mouth.

“Do you see?” screamed a hysterical mother to the elders. “Is it not as I said?”

The Chief Elder nodded slowly. His face was stern, but it was obvious that he was well pleased with the events that were taking place before him.

At that moment Darek’s mother burst out of the house, followed by Clep.

“What’s going on?” she cried, staring wildly at the scene before her. “What’s happened?”

“I fear, Madam,” said the Chief Elder, “that the beast has attacked a group of boys unprovoked. Friends of your son, I believe.”

Darek’s eyes widened. “That’s a lie!” he shouted.

“A lie?” The Chief Elder turned toward Darek. He smiled slowly and snapped his fingers. “Bring the boys here,” he called over his shoulder. Two mothers came forward with two boys Darek knew, but not well.

“See for yourself,” said the Chief.

The boys turned, and Darek saw that their clothes were scorched and their hair singed. The chief gave Darek a smug look.

“They’re not friends!” Darek cried. “They tried to hurt me and Clep. Zantor was just defending us.”

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