Pupandaka 2

Chapter 3 - Garden of Dragons

As Drele leaned onto the frame on the boat headed for the Garden of Dragons, he couldn't stop his mind from running through everything the queen said. Should he go to Hverki and find out the primary cause of all that hatred, or rather stay and monitor the conditions on Sapta? He figured Pupandaka came first and he wouldn't let it get destroyed. Tanark often stopped by in the Garden of Dragons because.. Well.. Dracoterram was merged with Pupandaka, so obviously, the dragons needed a place to stay. Queen Tearlach decreed that all dragons in Pupandaka will be required to stay in the Garden of Dragons for shelter and rest. The dragons can come out whenever they want, and citizens are allowed onto the island in certain hours.

Drele shook away his thoughts when the boat began docking on the island. "Here's our stop, son", the driver signaled. Drele was just mesmerized by the island's beauty. From mainland Pupandaka, the island was just a blue streak. Blue and red leaves danced in the trees as the cool wind blew through the Garden of Dragons, along with the pink grass that grew on what seemed like nourished soil. "Son?", the driver signaled again, waving his hand in front of Drele's face. "Huh? What?", Drele said as he pulled his eyes away from the island. "Here's our stop," the driver said again. "Oh... right. Sorry, thank you", Drele said as he stepped out of the boat onto the docks. The boat began to leave.

The Garden of Dragons was so filled with beauty that Drele could hardly avert his eyes from the scenery. Dragons flew the skies and color dominated the island. Bluni sat in the shadows, staring out. Drele excitedly walked up to her. "Bluni, is that you?" Drele asked. "I don't know, is it? I have the obvious colors," Bluni said as she came out of the shadows. Drele gasped in amazement. "Your colors are amazing!" Drele exclaimed. "Thank you, little one. What is your name?" Bluni asked as she sat down close to a giant tree. "Drele, Drele Kindera, pleased to meet you," Drele said, looking at Bluni. She smiled.

Bluni got up and started walking. "Want to walk with me, take a feel of this island?" Bluni stopped and waited for an answer. "Sure, this is my first time here," Drele said, running up to her as they walked. "You do possess water, right? Can you show me something cool?" Drele jumped up. "Well, I suppose so," Bluni lifted her head to the air and her wings to the breeze. She closed her eyes. Drele looked down, seeing water droplets coming out from the ground. He was merely amazed. They didn't look like they just materialized, but were sucked from the soil. They came together and formed one giant water ball directly in front of Bluni.

"That's very cool!" Drele laughed. "I know right? Wanna see something even cooler?" Bluni got up and pointed her head towards Drele. The large ball of water shot towards him and knocked him off his feet. Drele got up and coughed. "That... was amazing! You really do have an ability to possess water!" Drele once again jumped up with great excitement. He immediately wondered if Tanark, the dragon of life, was here. "Hey, is Tanark here?" Drele asked. "I'm afraid not, dear. She's off in Pupandaka running some errands. She should be here by sundown. You can wait," Bluni explained as she sat under a tree. "Can we, like, explore the rest of the island? Together?" Drele looked around. Bluni laughed, "You really like it here do you?" Drele pondered that. Sure, the island is beautiful, but why would the dragons be restricted to only one island? "Yeah, I guess so," Drele said as they got up and continued on.

Drele spotted an orange dragon on top of a cliff. He waved at Bluni, "Who's that?" Bluni looked up and smiled. "That's Jerxian, our new fire dragon." She bent down to Drele's ear, "he's also my boyfriend." Drele was once again having thoughts. Dragons can have boyfriends? I can tell they're very much like us, but less civilized. Drele and Bluni talked all day until sundown. "Sorry, I have to go to sleep. It was a pleasure meeting you, Drele Kindera. May we meet again," Bluni said quietly as she flew away. Drele smiled. He had fun hanging out with Bluni, and for the best part, he got to meet an elemental dragon for the first time.

Drele's boat pulled up to the docks. "Come on, son, it's time to go," the driver signaled. "Can I stay here for a while longer? I want to meet Tanark," Drele said to the driver. "Sorry, sonny, but rules are rules. You are slightly off the schedule. The island is closed to tourism at 10 and it's nearly 11. Come on," the driver explained. "I have been here for 12 hours? Crazy how time flies..." Drele said as he stepped onto the boat. "You had an amazing time, I presume?" the driver asked. "Sure did! I met Bluni, she was so fun and so nice," Drele smiled. The driver started the boat and they headed home.

Back home, Drele sat on the sofa. He wondered if he would be allowed on the island after hours with Queen Tearlach as company. She knows much more about the dragons than he did, and would be able to teach him. More importantly, he wanted to meet Tanark. Of course, everyone wants to meet Tanark! First thing in the morning, he would go to Queen Tearlach and ask to be accompanied on the island after hours. Yes, that's it! He would meet Tanark! He quietly went upstairs and opened the door to his room. He fell face-first onto his bed and soon was fast asleep.