from school do early training so they have a better chance of being Guard Dragons.’
‘I remembered doing something similar at your age,’ Ketu replied smiling. ‘Don’t give yourself scale-ache, Yoshiko,’ he said, presuming he was off to the Fire Pit.
Having finished his breakfast, Yoshiko stretched his wings and launched off into the dark morning.
He had never been out of the cave this early, and the air of Dragor’s dawn was refreshing as it rushed over his wings. Already some of the Alana dragons were at fishing spots on the edge of the Great Waters, eager to bring in the best catch of the day.
Yoshiko wheeled in the sky, taking in the various scenes as he headed for Cattlewick Cave.
He landed to find that Guya was already waiting outside for him.
‘Good morning, Yoshiko. I have your three tasks to give to you.’
‘I am ready for them,’ Yoshiko replied, trying to sound braver than he felt.
To his surprise Guya started laughing. ‘They cannot be completed in a morning, little dragon,’ he said. ‘In fact there is a big chance that you will never achieve them!’
He beckoned with his gnarled claw.
‘Follow me,’ he said. ‘I will show you the first.’
Obediently, Yoshiko trotted after Guya to the right side of the cave.
Guya pointed to a large pot. It rested on the ground directly beneath the outer rock face.
‘This is a very special pot!’ Guya announced.
In front of Yoshiko was an enormous red clay vessel. It was almost as big as he was.
‘Into this pot comes rain straight from the sky, it pours in through a hole in the rock,’ explained Guya. ‘It is special water, very pure to make exceptional sorrel juice.’
Yoshiko eyed the big pot with concern.
‘Your first task,’ said Guya, ‘is to lift that pot. But that time will be long from now,’ he added, his gaze dropping.
‘Let me try!’ said Yoshiko.
Guya shrugged. ‘Then try.’
Yoshiko approached the pot curiously. The red clay was nothing he had ever seen before, the outer coating was as if it had formed its own scales.
Yoshiko bent down and flinging his arms around the pot, he made a loud heaving sound as he tried to stand. But the vessel didn’t even wobble.
He tried again, this time using every ounce of strength in his body, and a bead of sweat rolled down his face.
Again the pot didn’t move a bit.
Yoshiko looked up to see that Guya was grinning.
‘As I said, you are not strong enough, little dragon,’ he said. ‘That is called a Goadah Pot. I imagine you have never seen one before.’
‘No, I haven’t,’ Yoshiko replied. ‘Although I haveheard of them. Kiara told me a story when I was younger called “The Magic Goadah Pot”.’
Guya nodded. ‘Yes, a very popular tale. Now, as you see, the pots actually do exist in real life too, although their magical powers are doubted by many,’ he said. ‘There are only a few of these pots in Dragor; each one is unique and very precious, and as you witnessed they are even heavier than they look,’ he added. ‘This one was made just after the Battle of Surion. You are clearly far from ready to lift this pot. Maybe in three winters you will, little one.’
Yoshiko was outraged. ‘I’ll have been laughed out of Fire School by that time.’
Guya shrugged. ‘If you want to spend your days feeling sorry for yourself it could be ten winters.’
‘What are the other tasks?’ Yoshiko asked impatiently.
Guya smiled. ‘The other tasks are equally difficult.’
He extended a talon to count off on three claws. ‘First, the little dragon must be strong enough to lift the Goadah Pot. Second, the little dragon must have the wing strength to fly around Dragor seven times.’
‘Seven times?’
Guya nodded and Yoshiko felt his heart sink. Only the fittest Guard Dragon could do so much flying.
‘What is the third task?’ he asked, the dejection sounding in his voice.
‘For the third task, you must stand in a fire pit of my making for the time it takes a
‘I remembered doing something similar at your age,’ Ketu replied smiling. ‘Don’t give yourself scale-ache, Yoshiko,’ he said, presuming he was off to the Fire Pit.
Having finished his breakfast, Yoshiko stretched his wings and launched off into the dark morning.
He had never been out of the cave this early, and the air of Dragor’s dawn was refreshing as it rushed over his wings. Already some of the Alana dragons were at fishing spots on the edge of the Great Waters, eager to bring in the best catch of the day.
Yoshiko wheeled in the sky, taking in the various scenes as he headed for Cattlewick Cave.
He landed to find that Guya was already waiting outside for him.
‘Good morning, Yoshiko. I have your three tasks to give to you.’
‘I am ready for them,’ Yoshiko replied, trying to sound braver than he felt.
To his surprise Guya started laughing. ‘They cannot be completed in a morning, little dragon,’ he said. ‘In fact there is a big chance that you will never achieve them!’
He beckoned with his gnarled claw.
‘Follow me,’ he said. ‘I will show you the first.’
Obediently, Yoshiko trotted after Guya to the right side of the cave.
Guya pointed to a large pot. It rested on the ground directly beneath the outer rock face.
‘This is a very special pot!’ Guya announced.
In front of Yoshiko was an enormous red clay vessel. It was almost as big as he was.
‘Into this pot comes rain straight from the sky, it pours in through a hole in the rock,’ explained Guya. ‘It is special water, very pure to make exceptional sorrel juice.’
Yoshiko eyed the big pot with concern.
‘Your first task,’ said Guya, ‘is to lift that pot. But that time will be long from now,’ he added, his gaze dropping.
‘Let me try!’ said Yoshiko.
Guya shrugged. ‘Then try.’
Yoshiko approached the pot curiously. The red clay was nothing he had ever seen before, the outer coating was as if it had formed its own scales.
Yoshiko bent down and flinging his arms around the pot, he made a loud heaving sound as he tried to stand. But the vessel didn’t even wobble.
He tried again, this time using every ounce of strength in his body, and a bead of sweat rolled down his face.
Again the pot didn’t move a bit.
Yoshiko looked up to see that Guya was grinning.
‘As I said, you are not strong enough, little dragon,’ he said. ‘That is called a Goadah Pot. I imagine you have never seen one before.’
‘No, I haven’t,’ Yoshiko replied. ‘Although I haveheard of them. Kiara told me a story when I was younger called “The Magic Goadah Pot”.’
Guya nodded. ‘Yes, a very popular tale. Now, as you see, the pots actually do exist in real life too, although their magical powers are doubted by many,’ he said. ‘There are only a few of these pots in Dragor; each one is unique and very precious, and as you witnessed they are even heavier than they look,’ he added. ‘This one was made just after the Battle of Surion. You are clearly far from ready to lift this pot. Maybe in three winters you will, little one.’
Yoshiko was outraged. ‘I’ll have been laughed out of Fire School by that time.’
Guya shrugged. ‘If you want to spend your days feeling sorry for yourself it could be ten winters.’
‘What are the other tasks?’ Yoshiko asked impatiently.
Guya smiled. ‘The other tasks are equally difficult.’
He extended a talon to count off on three claws. ‘First, the little dragon must be strong enough to lift the Goadah Pot. Second, the little dragon must have the wing strength to fly around Dragor seven times.’
‘Seven times?’
Guya nodded and Yoshiko felt his heart sink. Only the fittest Guard Dragon could do so much flying.
‘What is the third task?’ he asked, the dejection sounding in his voice.
‘For the third task, you must stand in a fire pit of my making for the time it takes a
Similar Books
