What was once supposed to be a vacation from the dull and stressful mundane life quickly turns into an adventure as a man and his family are slowly enraptured into the fictional world the theme park is meant to represent.


Family into young dragons




The kids were the first to dart out of the bus, each leading their parents forward with a strength and enthusiasm that children only get when something was truly magical ahead of them. “DRAGON’S LAND!” was written in big red letters, each of the D’s shaped like a dragon’s head.

Each was eager to get to the ticket booths, to be the first to go into a world of imagination and adventure. But there was one pair of children that was eager for everything.

“Daddy! Come on!” said Tanya. She was a young girl who was still in the pink and pigtails phase at about 7 years.

“Dad! We’ve been waiting for this all school year!” said Tommy. He was her not-exact twin, but a boy. He was a bit taller, but still missing those few teeth that children often had.

“In a minute!” cried out their father, Anthony Althaus. He was relatively skinny man, meekly dressed and in an outfit that clearly shown he was in a blue collar job and lived it even outside of work. He adjusted his glasses to let them shift to suit the new son. “... My legs are a bit tired…”

His wife, the children’s mother, Mrs. Karren Althaus, smiled at the man as he stumbled out of the bus. “Well, at least you could join us this time; you wouldn’t come last year when we went to the local amusement park.”

“Yeah, wouldn’t miss this for the world...It was my favorite show growing up...” Said the man as he moved off and made a detour over to a sign/statue of a cartoonish dragon. “I just… want to remember something… Been here before and all when I was a kid.”

His wife, grin and gave him a kiss. “Don’t keep us waiting for long.”

Mr. Althaus stepped over to the sign and knelt down. He really didn’t know if he could go on and enter the park, but he couldn’t just tell his family that things were going wrong in the office. Simply speaking, he was being downsized from his job; his employer was at least generous enough to give him a non-negotiable paid vacation as part of the severance package, but Mr. Althaus didn’t know if he could find a job after this. He didn’t want to ruin things for his kids, so, he resolved to just kept his mouth shut. He looked up at the dragon statue and remembered fondly the days when he was his children’s age, when he used to watch episodes of dragons exploring the wonderful world around them. “I thought life was supposed to be more of an adventure you know...” He sighed and walked towards the ticket booth.

The line was relatively short all things considered; this was an old theme park that had a very…unique theme built around an incredibly old cartoon from way back when about a strange fantasy setting centered around the adventures of young dragons. The park was built in the franchises heyday, and despite the show being canceled and rebooted a few times, the park more or less remained unchanged, if a bit dated. As a result, no lines. By the time Mr. Althaus rejoined his family, the kids were already holding onto the tickets.

“We got tickets!” chirped the kids.

Mr. Althaus smiled and took his. It listed the size of outfit he had, something just about right for “Okay, so… remember to get dressed!”

The children giggled. “I’ll be pink! Or maybe red” said Tanya.

“Blue for me!”

And his wife put on a smile. “It’s a silly gimmick, you had to admit,” she said as they moved from the ticket counters and into the costume shop.

“Yeah, well, makes you go to another world, I guess,” said Mr. Althaus.

One of the biggest gimmicks about the park. The show, maybe to avoid real world questions, about the people depicted on it, decided that on the outset that it would make sure that there would be no humans of any sort in the show’s original run. The park, had a similar rule; everyone had to be dressed in an costume at all times, even if it was just a mask. That ended up being part of the reason why the park never really took off, but in a way, that just added to the escapism.

The kids ran into the costume shop and picked their own outfits, full body costumes that would perfectly conceal everything but their faces.

“So, what about you then?” asked Mrs. Althaus as she went into select a costume.

Mr. Althaus thought about it for a moment and then made his choice. He really didn’t want to be himself. So, a full body outfit for him too was in order. “Well, if the kids are doing it....” He opted for a costume that was green with a lime belly.

“Oh, so it’s a family theme?” laughed Mrs. Althaus as she moved over and selected hers, a purple outfit.

The family got dressed in short order, each stepping in and out of the bustling dressing rooms to get into their outfits. These cheap and rubbery dragon costumes were form fitting and were stretchy enough to accommodate most body types of their size; wearers of these costumes would have their faces openly displayed in the mouths, for ease of vision and identification. The foam wings, tails, and horns were going to be annoying, but thankfully, the park made sure to keep the costumes from getting stuck in doors.

The park’s rules mandated that many of the guests normal clothes be left behind, though certain pre-approved props sold at the store were available for use. They especially helped for making you your own character in the park.

Tanya went for a crown of rubies to match her red costume and some silver braceless, all to enhance the idea she would be a princess or royalty. Tommy opted for a styrofoam sword and a nice big adventurer’s bag. Mrs. Althaus, the mother decided to go for something simpler and opted for a nice magic staff. Mr. Althaus didn’t opt much anything however and simply just went with something plain.

“Okay, so where do we go first?” the father brought up.

“The maze!” cried Tommy.

“Maze Adventure!” said Tanya!”

Ah, yes. The Maze of Adventure. Mr. Althaus remembered this place. It was basically a giant hedge maze full of traps and treasures, all themed in the way of a dark forest. Adventurers would find monsters, see secret paths, find treasures, all on a monthly rotating basis so it was slightly different monsters. All of it either in costumes or using cardboard cut out.

The line seemed strangely nonexistent as the family headed closer.

The kids led the way forward, each trying to get to the exit first, but the parents made sure that the children were always close by. Cardboard and styrofoam monsters lurked in every dead end, with occasionally, the average costumed worker wandering the labyrinth. The children swung their weapons or pretended to breath fire and cast spells, and foes were slain. Tokens, coins, and gems were handed out at every opportunity.

“I slain 5 monsters!” cried Tommy.

“I killed seven!” argued Tanya.

“Nuhuh!” replied Tommy.

“How sweet!” said Mrs. Althaus.

Mr. Althaus shrugged as the kids trailed slightly behind him. The adventure had slowly sapped them of their strength and they needed to rest a bit before resuming. Which meant that it was probably a good idea for him to lead the party to the exit. It was a rather trivial maze all things considered.

Then an inflatable monster came popped up from the walls, blocking the entrance with its cartoonish looking appearance. “I AM THE SHADOW FIEND! SLAY ME LITTLE ONE!” blared speakers. “OR YOU WILL NEVER ESCAPE!”

“Eep!” the children ran and hid behind their parents.

Even Mr. Althaus had to be taken aback before he realized it was just a fake monster, an animatronic balloon using loudspeakers.

“Go and fight it Daddy!” said Tommy, half-laughing as he cried.

“Alright alright!” said Mr. Althaus as he moved forward.

“SLAY ME LITTLE ONE!” The attraction blared. It was obviously designed for children and didn’t have any way of sorting for adults, likely because the park managers assumed correctly most attendants would be escorting kids through the Maze of Adventure.

Mr. Althaus did a mock roar and swung his body to make a frightening lunge. You got more points based on how… fearsome you were or how you bested encounters, so he gave it his all. He pretended for a moment he was a dragon who wanted to fight a monster shadow and as he made his way forward, the balloon delated.

“YOU HAVE BEATEN ME!” roared the speakers. “I WILL GET YOU LITTLE WHELP!”

“My hero!” laughed Mrs. Althaus as she kissed his husband.

The two children stepped forward.

Mr. Althaus felt a little bit dizzy as he went after them- the roar took out a lot more of them than he thought. He rubbed his eyes and realized for a moment that there was something in front of his face, taking up some of his vision. Did the costume close itself when he did he stunt? He didn’t see the need for concern though as he still had perfect functionality with his mouth. And it wasn’t like he was struggling to breathe.

The kids also for some reason shut themselves in their costumes, so well in fact that it was hard to see where their actual faces were.

Mr. Althaus simply shrugged and went on his way.


At the end of this ride, the children each got their own treasure chests for completing the adventure. They were empty, but it served as a good place to keep the various fake gems and gold the children amassed. “Here have some!” said an attendant as Mrs. Althaus and Anthony Althaus forward.

Mr. Althaus shook his head. “No, I mean… it’s kind for kids!”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with that!” said the attendant. He was an older man, easily someone’s grandpa. “You’re only as old as you feel!”

Mr. Althaus shrugged, but Mrs. Althaus relented and so the pair ended up taking their own chest boxes.

“Over here!” said Tommy. “We should cash out!”

Another gimmick of the park. At the end of all of the major “DUNGEONS!” was a special gift shop, often with special rewards and prizes specific to that place. It was only accessible from the end of the dungeon, with the goal being that it basically represented the act of finding treasures at the end. Prizes could only be bought with treasure… or cash. The prices were fixed such that you couldn’t get everything for free, but in a way that was part of the theme. Aside from that, Dungeon Treasures came with magical bonuses that apparently did things, such as make certain encounters easier.

Tanya was already talking an attendee about getting more plastic jewelry for herself, with Mrs. Althaus selecting shades for her daughter.

Tommy of course wanted to make himself look more like he was some sort of warrior, so he bought himself a green scarf with a leafy pattern.

Mr. Althaus shrugged and kept his treasures. He didn’t see anything of value, and it wasn’t like he could share his treasures with his kids without them getting into a bidding war… again.

As the family stepped out from the forests, they wandered into a snowy biome, a place where ice and crystals littered the scenery. They were planning to do this order, in the manner that was recommended by the guide, so this was the Winterlands, a place of snow and magic, mirrors and dreams, nightmares and panic.

The biggest attraction here was the Halls of Truth, a funhouse like attraction full of hidden rooms and light tricks, but also mirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors.

Mr. Althaus took his kids inside with him, with Mrs. Althaus deciding to sit this one out. There were no monsters here, but this was a place not suited for the weak constitutions due to its light effects being harmful to some. Often, the light would blind or cast illusions or create images of things that aren’t there. And the rooms would change as you moved. Things that were terrifying popped into existence all of the time. All of this meant nausea, and for Mrs. Althaus, this was a no-go.

The children lead the way again, laughing and screaming at every intersection. Glowing lights signified dangers and traps, but that’s also where the best treasures were found. Well, second only to the puzzles that changed themselves every time they were solved.

“In the mirrors!”

“No silly! Try the barrels!” they would say.

“No, it’s math, silly! You haven’t learned multiplication yet!” said Tommy for one puzzle.

“No fair! Daddy, Tommy’s cheating!”

“Am not!” said Tommy.

Mr. Althaus laughed. Oh, to be young and naive. “Alright, alright, Tommy. Just help your sister get a prize too!”

Tommy shook his head.

“Tommy!”

“Fine!” said the older brother.

Mr. Althaus sighed as the kids went off to do another puzzle.

But in the mirrors, he caught his reflection. As he moved forward, he noticed something was off about his reflection. He couldn’t quite place it. The costume’s eyes… seemed to blink as he himself did. And come to think of it, his eyes were now a shade of bright yellow with an eerie glow to them. He pulled on his mouth to try to separate the costume from his skin, but all that did was make himself feel like he was pulling off his own face. “Ow!” His costume felt stuck, so he tried to probe himself out but… no, his mouth felt all wrong.

Mr. Althaus felt himself again and noticed that the rubbery exterior of his costume felt warm, but it wasn’t melting like rubber was prone to do. Instead, it was replaced by this… scale, like it had transformed into a reptile carapice. His horns had stopped being plastic and were now the real thing, and his wings and tail practically felt alive. He really doubted this was something the Hall of Truths added as part of the attractions.

“Uh kids!” said Mr. Althaus. “We gotta hurry!”

“Aw! I was just about to solve the puzzle!”

Mr. Althaus gritted his… now sharpened teeth. Which resulted on him jerking back as he felt like he was stabbing his own mouth. “Oh uh...just we can’t keep your mother waiting!” He really didn’t have the heart to tell his kids something was going on. And they seemed to be having fun.

The next part of the ride was a spinning turntable room with a dozen doors. The kids ran and darted into the room, all in search of more treasure and frights.

“Over here!” said Tanya. “I caught something!”

“Good work dear!” said Mr. Althaus. He scanned quickly for an escape. He opened a door, It was the way out. “Over here!”

The children dashed into the room and into a hallway. It darkened drastically as the family explored deeper.

“What’s going on!?” said Tanya, afraid of the dark still.

But then she had her answer. Glow in the dark skeletons in inhuman shapes appeared overhead, some of them animatronics animated.

“LITTLE DRAGONS!”

“GET THEM!”

“HAHA!”

It was just a cacophony of noise.

“Monster attack!” said the kids, giggling and laughing all of the way as they ran to the exit. The “monsters” pretended to give chase despite being completely bolted the walls and ceiling, but the kids were frightened and loved it.

For Mr. Althaus, things were slightly different. He afraid, but not of the animatronics. He moved towards the exit eagerly and into the Dungeon Shop.

“Yippie!” laughed Tanya. “That was fun!”

“Yeah, I so totally got lots of treasure!” laughed Tommy.

But Mr. Althaus wasn’t quite focused on his kid’s cheers. Instead, he was noticing the odd motions of their supposedly styrofoam tails… were their tails wagging or something? And their wings, they were moving and twitching as they were excited. He wasn’t quite sure. But he knew that something had definitely changed.

Were he and his kids turning into dragons? In fact, he looked around and noticed that… the same things he was paying attention applied to not only himself and his family, but also seemingly everyone else around him.

“Uh, just buy something nice for yourselves and we’ll go see mom, okay!”

“Okay!” said the kids with practice pitch. Tanya had a snowflake tipped magic wand. While Tommy gone for the reflective shield. And once again Mr. Althaus was saving up.

On the way out, Mr. Althaus met up with Mrs. Althaus, who was simply just idly passing the time by. “Oh, you’re back already!” said the missus.

“Uh, dear, isn’t something wrong?” Mr. Althaus said.

“No, what could be wrong?” said Mrs. Althaus, her tone not as concerned.

“Uh, the kids and their… skin?”

“Oh, Anthony, you know we don’t need sunscreen!” said the Missus. “I mean, what were you expecting.

“Hey Ma! We should get some grub!” declared Tommy.

“Yeah!” said Tanya. “I need something to eat!”

“Alright!” said Mrs. Althaus. “Let’s go to the Desert Market!”

“Yay!” declared the twins.

Mr. Althaus felt painfully aware that somehow, someway. And it seemed like his costume became his new skin and now he was basically a walking dragon. No one but him cared about it though, which led him to stewing as his family took him to the center of the park.

The Desert Market was based on, a mishmash of various cultures, most of them east of Italy, all combined to form some sort of shopping area where visitors could partake of activities of a more commercial nature. It was small compared to the other places, as well, but that’s largely because it had no need to make a large theme ride.

What it did have was a large food court.

Mrs. Althaus led the kids to sit in around this strange table that has very low to the ground. As part of the theme, there apparently no chairs and instead, guests would sit on cushioned mats while they ate.

“I guess I’ll get something...” Mr. Althaus said as he went over to the line. It still bothered him how all of the other guests were turning into… dragons. This didn’t happen when he was a kid.

The guests didn’t seem to care and the line rapidly diminished. It was fast food after all.


It wasn’t long before Mr. Althaus was right in front of the food vendor. He found it odd all of the choices were all some various type of meat cuts. Everything from fish to poultry with sides of fries other things.

“Uh just give me several of those combo meals…” he said as he paid almost instinctively.

It took only a second to make and by the time he was done paying, the vendor had already put it out.

Mr. Althaus paused and was unsure of how he was supposed to… pick it up, like he had forgotten.

“Well, take it!” said the dragon food vendor. He slapped his tail and flicked the food trays away.

Mr. Althaus froze and then suddenly he found himself on all fours, the food landing on his back in a neat pile. “Uh…”

“I got a line here!” said the vendor.

Mr. Althaus went back to his family and almost reflexively slapped the food onto the table like it was some sort of cartoon gag. This was weird.

“Yay!” cried the kids.

Mr. Althaus sat on his mat and found it odd that his new… posture of sitting on his rear was perfectly suited to the table’s height… like it was practically made for someone like him, but that can’t be possible.

The children dug in and started eating from their plates. Unlike before, they didn’t seem to bother using their hands and just lapped everything in their mouths.

Mr. Althaus felt like he should reprimand them, but his wife really wasn’t eating much better. He had no idea how to eat otherwise, so he gave in.

“Uh, this is all very strange...”

“Don’t worry about it!” cheered Mrs. Althaus. She brought a napkin to her face and wiped off the gunk that had piled up from her eating. The children complained about getting wiped when she came to greet them.

Mr. Althaus felt a nervous. Yet, he didn’t know how his family would react, considering all of the weird things going on.

After mealtime, the children led their parents to the next stop of their voyage: Pirate-Treasure Bay was a simple place everything considered. The story goes that there’s two pirate fleet all trying to scour an island for a buried treasure and the adventuring dragons, the guests, are all in a race to get to it first. For all practical purposes, it is basically a place to get hammered by water cannons and showers on every angle.

As the children led their parents forward, both Mr. and Mrs. Althaus had to get moving or else get showered by more water than they knew what to do with. They had to duck, move sneakily, , and run through water hazards. All the while, the kids fought down pirates and looted gold coins.

For Mr. Althaus, things felt a bit weird. Getting used to walking on all fours as his default was exceptionally strange. It was like he was a grown up version of those dragons in the old show, but way smaller; maybe he was like a teen version of one of the dragons if he had to go by size alone?

“Where next?” said Tommy. He still could brandish a sword in combat when facing pirates, one of the many consistencies of being in world based on a kid’s TV show.

Tanya pointed out an entryway in a tree. “That one! It should lead to the inside of the pirate cove!”

“It’s a water slide!” cried Tommy. “We should use it!”

As Mr. Althaus approached, he noticed that the was basically this tube leading downwards into somewhere bright, even through the dark tunnel. All one had to do was slide into the tree and you’d be down there.

“Hey Anthony!”

Mr. Althaus blinked. His kids never referred to him like that before. “Uh, Tommy…?”

“Come on, you should lead the way!” said Mrs. Althaus. “You know how he is.”

“Uh… After you guys!” Mr. Althaus said.

Mrs. Althaus then did something she didn’t often do and stuck her tongue out. “Oh well, chicken!” She then slid down the tree and into the next area.


Tanya and Tommy both looked at their father with giggling grins. “Yeah, you’re a chicken!” teased Tanya.

“Bawk! Bawk!” Tommy cried.

And they slid in next.

Mr. Althaus felt like that he should scold them for their insubordination. They were turning into lizards and yet… none of them even seemed to know or care. It made him steam just a bit, but he reigned himself in. He had to regain control of this, but first he had to slide right in.

Mr. Althaus dove in head first. Darkness surrounded him for only a few moments before he found himself landing into a pool of water. He climbed out of the water and the water dripped off of his body; he wasn’t going to shake himself dry.

“Haha! You made it!” cried Mrs. Althaus, brighter and cheerier than before. She hopped and jumped, like someone far younger than her should. “Take a look at this!”

Mr. Althaus blinked the water out from his eyes and noticed… that the production values of the park had to be very high. He and his family were in this underground cavern that was brimming with glowing blue crystals. The room was clearly some sort of natural tunnel, maybe like some sort of mines… or a treasure hoard.

Something glinted in the darkness, causing Mr. Althaus to approach. Gemstones and shining metal appeared in his view, the faint light coming from the crystals. “Is that gold?”

“Gold!” cried the children. “Found the treasure!”

But then the glint shifted and moved. It rose and then several other glints popped into being.

“I… don’t think that’s gold!” cried Mrs. Althaus.

Mr. Althaus reeled back, instinctively aware of something in the dark he couldn’t fully see. The shing glints followed him, as if to press themselves against his face. He stumbled and looked them in the eyes and realized it was the face of some many eyed horror that howled in his face.

Mr. Althaus screamed and fled in panic. He dashed behind a rock and tried to pretend it wasn’t there. The sounds of fighting bothered him as he heard his family shouting and brawling, but he was too panicked to try to lift his head. He wasn’t a young dragon and he was too terrified to come and aid them.

Then the sounds of fighting stopped.

Mr. Althaus raised his head, just as Tanya and Tommy looked at him. “Don’t worry Anthony, it’s gone now!!” Tanya said.

Tommy laughed. “You ran away again, Anthony! You gotta shape up or you won’t get treasure!”

“It’s gone…” Mr. Althaus squeaked. He rose from his position on the ground and suddenly realized he was… looking at them eye level at two supposedly younger children.

“Yup!” cried Mrs. Althaus. She was also eye level. “Don’t worry, Anthony! We’ll keep you safe! A quick zap from my sceptre will do most things in.”

Mr. Althaus found a shiver run through his spine and dashed towards the nearby lake to catch a look at himself. What he saw was not a man, or even a grown dragon, but a young whelpling, a green yellow-bellied whelpling no different from any of his children.

He suddenly felt dizzy, as he realized that he couldn’t really consider his kids… his kids. Wasn’t he too young for that.

Tommy and Tanya led the way towards the next area, apparently having found a secret passage way there from here.

Mr. Althaus rose his head and tried to head of his … wife? His head spun, but he managed. “Uh… Karren, we need to talk….”

Karren stuck her tongue out. And fiddled with her magical wand, now changed from a toy prop into something that looked expensive. “Why, what about?”

“We’ve been shrinking! Haven’t you noticed?”

Karren giggled. “Kinda yeah!”

“So you know we’re supposed to be grown ups, yeah?” Anthony said, his tone worried. “I can’t… we can’t be children, let alone dragons!”

“Sure you can!” said Karren, giddy. “Besides, how are you supposed to be a grown up looking like that?” she then hopped and skipped, trying to catch up to her former children, now friends and playmates.

Anthony felt bewildered at how nonchalant at how his… friend… sibling- it was so hard to tell now- how she acted. Did she know the whole time? Was this a prank? Or was it something more?

As the darkness crept in, Anthony ran after the others. He met them in a strange locale, one that looked like the inside of a dormant volcano. He wondered why he hadn’t burned to death, just as he followed the others to the edge of this cliff above a lake of molten lava… or was it magma? On the other side of the volcano, sat this strange building that looked like a library more than anything.

“Hey, glad you could make it, Anthony!” cried Karren.

“Uh, yeah!’ replied Anthony.

“We gotta fly!” said Tommy. His sword seemed real, like it was made of shining metal that glowed with a faint magic.

“Yeah!” cheered Tanya. Her tiara obviously had turned into pure platinum but it didn’t melt in this heat.

“What?” Anthony replied.

“Gotta get to the other side somehow!” said Karren. She flapped her wings and bounced in a gesture but didn’t move. “Come on, it’s easy, Zaid!”

“I dunno… wait what did call me?” Anthony -or maybe it was now Zaid?- called out.

But it was too late. Karren dashed off the cliff and flew over the raging pit of molten rocks below.

“Catch me of you can, Deld!” cried out Tanya as she dashed off towards the other.

Deld/Tommy dashed after her and flew along with the girls. “Nevy! You can’t leave me back here!”

Anthony blinked as his family all flew effortlessly towards the building on the other end of the volcano… without him. He peered across the edge and felt like he was looking into the abyss. The heat didn’t bother him, the fall though that was another story. Could he swim through lava? He wasn’t sure. He looked at his family and wondered what it was he was supposed to do? Could he get them out of here and back to the park? Should he?

Anthony gulped. He was supposed to be a white collar worker who was out of a job and enjoying his time in a vacation park, not… this. He wasn’t a kid, he wasn’t a dragon, and almost certainly, he wasn’t an adventurer. Then again, he didn’t exactly have much to lose, not when everything he valued was right in front of him and flying away.

He took a jump. His wings caught the burning wind and he felt himself soar. It felt almost natural to him, more so than walking ever was. He cheered with a joy and energy that he had long since forgotten.

“Finally!” Karren called out as Anthony came to level with them. “What took you so long?”

“Just… had to set something down, Elry!” said Zaid. Of course he knew her name, it just came naturally to him. What else could it be?

Elry snickered. “We at least you’re finally here!”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Zaid replied.

“Hey, we’re coming in!” cried Deld.

“Brace for landing!” said Nevy.

The four whelps barged through the front door, as there was nowhere else to land. They pushed through and landed and tumbled into a scattered heap. They laughed at their own expense as they dusted themselves off.

“That was close!” cried Zaid. He brought his head into view and examined the surroundings; there were loads of bookshelves and full of books. “Hey is this a library?”

“Ugh! That means no loot for me!” complained Deld.

Elry laughed. “Well, you’ve gotten loads already!”

“Yeah! You keep getting stuff all adventure! It’s our turn now!” replied Nevy. She moved over to one of the books and searched. “Nothing major here. Just old cooking recipes!”

Zaid shrugged. He didn’t care much about treasure, though maybe that had to do with him not collecting all that much today. The library seemed like a good place for him to get all sorts of loot!

He followed his nose and found a treasure chest, much bigger than himself. “NO ADULTS!” the sign on the chest read.

Zaid laughed. He wasn’t an adult. Not anymore. He opened it and found a nice robe patterned with stars on its mantle. It levitated and attached itself on his back. “Ooh, this is amazing!”

“Ooh, you found something already!” cried Elry. She bounced over to Zaid over a pile of books.

“Yeah!” Zaid swung his robe around. He then managed to pull out a book, just to complement the ensamble. A small self conscious part of him wondered if he should have been self conscious, but then again, it just seemingly fit him.

But before more could be done, the earth shook. Several of the shelves tumbled down, with the dragonlings heading for cover in every direction. “Boss battle!” cried Deld. “I am so ready for this!” He drew his sword and shield, both gleaming in the red firelight of the magma outside.

“Not me! I haven’t found anything yet!” replied Nevy. She fastened her tiara and got out her snowflake wand, both gleaming of platinum and crystal.

“We get treasure after, remember?” called out Elry. She brought her staff up, this gnarled charcoal colored rod and pointed at it with its green glowing tip.

The rumbling subsided then, as the creature that was the culprit stepped into view. It was this giant red skinned cyclops and it looked ready to fight.

Zaid squeaked. He wasn’t expected a boss fight so soon, but then again, it felt kind of exhilarating to realize that he was in one. And it was going to be fun. He took a look at his book and realized it was a book of spells. He had a weapon, and he could fight and win this! “Here we come!”

END