Young Writers Society

I brought my dragon Kona out of her stall, Kona was a greenish Asian dragon.  Her lime green serpentine shape glistened, and her yellow whiskers shone,  her icy blue talons just added to her total beauty.  My sister was forever green with envy every time she saw Kona, we had fought over her for centuries, but eventually she hatched for me.  I had told my sister that if there were any more rumors to track down another dragon nest, I would do it for her.  She eventually forgave me, but she is still jealous.

"We have to go, now"  I told my sister in my most persuasive voice.  

She waved her hand-maids away, she wanted to talk to me alone.

"Cecilia,"  She said "Things...  Will be different from now on"

"I know"  I replied "he comes with us, we are all in danger."

She laughed and patted my shoulder.

"Cecilia, nice to know you finally found your sense of humor."

I pushed her away and stormed off, before I left there was something I had to take care of.

***

I took the spirit item from my room, a beaded box.  I returned to my sisters room, and put both spirit items together.  If she was to lose me, she should at least be able to talk to mom.  The spirit items, if together, would enable our mother enough freedom to talk to us.  She was not truly dead, she had only transferred her spirit from the tree, into the two items.  I mounted Kona, and as our minds became one, she took off.

We flew, my three day was coming, I would have to return to my tree, or I would become mortal.  I needed to make my tree safe, I needed to take it to what the normal-folk called a "preserve".   But I didn't have enough power to move my tree without killing it.  I had heard that humans had this power, So I landed outside the limits of the next logging town.  My stomach leaped into my throat as I passed dead trees, dead dryads homes.  I reached what they called the "main office"  and entered.  An elk head was mounted over the desk, only bringing me closer to puke.  I said in the bravest voice I could muster "excuse me, do you work here?"  The man turned around, black hair with grey streaks, a beard, and tanned skin were his most noticeable attributes.  "I need you to help me remove a tree"

"In how many pieces?"

I gulped, these loggers really were ruthless.

"One, I need all the roots intact, and It has to be alive."

He looked at me like I was crazy, he was the crazy one though.

"You'll need a tree hugger for that"  He said in a gruff voice.

"They're all dead!  You're killing them!  The third day is upon us, and we need our trees"  

"Let me say this simply, I chop up trees, not transport them.  And you tree huggers are in my way, so what do I do?  I sweep them away."

I stormed out of the office, this wasn't what I needed, and there wasn't much time.  The younger boy followed me out, I think humans call people like these "assistants".  I whirled around, and was face to face with the young man.  His blue eyes showed slight fear, also knowledge.  

"What do you want?"  I said almost sorrowfully though I didn't intend it.

"I want to save your tree."

"Do you know how I could move it?  It means a lot to me and my..."  I searched for the right word.

He shook his head, a childish grin adorned his face.

"I know what and who you are, your dragon kind of gave it away."

My shoulders drooped, there goes my cover.

"I know someone who specializes in digging up trees, going beyond the roots so it can still live.  There is still a chance it will die"

"It will definitely die if I leave it here."

He nodded, and handed me a piece of paper. I gulped, yet another dead tree.  

"See ya there, Cecilia."  His voice almost taunting at my name.

***

I went strait to the address, stated my worry, and they got right on it.  They required a sum of something I had never heard of, greenbacks.  I assumed that they could get whatever it was with gold, so I went to my saddlebags to retrieve some.  On second thought, I think a diamond would be more convenient for everyone involved.  

I saw the guy that had informed me about this place there, I strolled on over.

"You have me at a disadvantage.  You know pretty much everything about me, yet I know nothing about you."

He took a breather from his digging.

"The name's Grey, and I helped you with your dragon when I was but a li'l boy."

I remembered, barely an eight year old boy had pointed us in the right direction for a dragon nest, guiding us through the mountains.

"I remember now.  Thank you."

"Don't mention it.  Especially to my mother, she would still kill me if I went anywhere near the nest."

We both laughed.  He started digging again, it was nice to know that there were still people out there that would help me.

"So where's the talkative one, your sister?"

"Getting married.  She refused to come with me away from danger of human flight crafts."

"I never imagined you traveling alone, maybe her but not you."

"But I'll bet that you could have imagined her getting married first."

"I wasn't so sure about that."