The Gift of Charms Read Online Free PDF Page B

something thick and dark.
    Taking a deep breath Yoshiko tried to shake the feeling away, but it stayed rooted inside him.
    ‘See the river below?’ asked Ketu, pointing down with his wing. ‘This keeps you safe. It looks like a long way down, but the distance is helpful. You will need to get plenty of air under your wings.’
    He noticed his son’s anxious face. ‘Don’t worry, the worst thing that can happen is you will hit the water!’
    Yoshiko looked over to Igorr and saw the purple dragon was staring at him mockingly. Then suddenly, Igorr dropped like a stone over the edge of the rock. The beating of air could be heard and a few seconds later Igorr crested triumphantly up into the sky. He flapped low over the rock for a moment, and then sank back to his elder’s side.
    ‘Did you see?’ crowed Gandar. ‘My point has been proved to you. We Alanas are the best! Yoshiko will never fly as well as Igorr.’ He turned back to his son. ‘Show them again,’ he said. ‘Take another flight.’
    Igorr looked scared for a moment. ‘My wings need a rest,’ he said. ‘I don’t know if I can make it a second time so soon.’
    Gandar looked angrily at him. ‘Do it again, Igorr. Do it now!’ he ordered. ‘Stop complaining.’ And with that he pushed Igorr back towards the edge. The look of triumph had gone from his son’s face as he spread his wings again and threw himself from the edge.
    This time there was a much longer pause before he rose, and when finally Igorr’s purple wings drew him above the rock his face had paled from its deep violet shade. He barely managed to rise above the edge of the rock, and then dropped, throwing a single wing on to the ledge to save himself before hauling his large body over.
    Gandar’s expression was stony as his son tried to right himself panting and sweating with the exhaustion. He turned away from him in disgust. ‘Useless,’ he hissed. ‘You are simply not trying, Igorr. I could do so much better at your age.’
    The intense feelings that Yoshiko had been fighting now grew to a peak. He unfurled his own wings and charged towards the end of the rock, flinging into the empty air.
    He descended, feeling the rush of cool water racing up to meet him, his wings beat without him thinking about it, and in a moment he was rising into the air. It almost felt too easy. Yoshiko flapped again, and themotion sent him spiralling up far higher than Igorr had done.
    Feeling free and joyous he let the natural shape of his body lean against the sky, with the breeze billowing beneath him he coasted on the air as he’d watched Ketu do so many times before. He stretched them out as wide as he could and made a large and graceful circle over the rock.
    Yoshiko took a quick look below, expecting to see Ketu looking up proudly at him, but to his surprise all the figures on the rock were staring with horror.
    Disconcerted he brought his wings inwards, wheeling unsteadily down, and landing in a clumsy tumble on the floor.
    Ketu ran towards him and caught him up in his wings.
    ‘Yoshiko, what’s wrong with you?’ he asked. ‘What’s happened to your scales?’
    Yoshiko shook his head in confusion, seeing that both Igorr and Gandar were also looking over at him in alarm.
    ‘What is wrong with your son, Ketu?’ asked Gandar, sounding frightened. ‘He has turned Alana.’
    Yoshiko looked down to see to his horror that it had happened again. He had changed colour. This time he was glowing purple, from head to toe.

6
The Herb Doctor
    ‘ Y oshiko, is it?’ said the dark blue dragon with huge silver spectacles hanging from his pointy snout. ‘Come inside.’
    Kiara and Yoshiko stood up to enter the doctor’s cave.
    The Herb Doctors had the huge task of keeping the dragons of Dragor healthy, treating ailments like sore throats, backache and broken claws. Many dragons were given specially prescribed herb potions to cure their illnesses.
    As they followed the doctor, Yoshiko stared at the hundreds