The Dragon's Gift

Part 7

After that experience, I was really tired. My mom told me to go take a nap. After she said that, I knew I needed one. I walked upstairs to my room and turned off the light. I closed my window and blinds and closed my door. I laid down on my bed and pulled to covers over my head. I sighed. I was nice and warm in my bed. It felt like I wasn't even a Nogard. I felt normal again. Like I did the day before, before I went for that walk. I laid there with my eyes open, trying not to think about dragons and that walk. After it felt like I wasn't going to fall asleep, I did.

I dreamed that I was on a boat. Great, I thought. I get seasick a lot, and I didn't want that to happen then. I ran to the edge of the boat and looked out to sea. There was nothing there.

"Hello?" I yelled. "Is anyone there?"

No one answered. Suddenly, I saw a light turn on in the cabin. I walked quietly and slowly towards the light. I heard footsteps coming from the room.

"Get her off," a very deep, yet jolly voice.

"I can't just throw her off the ship!" another voice said. This voice was shaky and nervous. "We will get questioned!"

I stopped right beside the door. It was open, but only a crack.

"Well, then what do we do?" the deep and jolly voice said.

"I don't know, sir," said the shaky nervous voice.

I looked through the crack in the door and saw two men standing in the middle of the room. One was short and very skinny. The other was tall and fat. They were both wearing traditional sailor suites. So, with the hats and suit and tie.

"But she's on the ship right now!" said the short and skinny man who, which I didn't except, had the deep and jolly voice. But, I laughed a little bit too loud. The men's heads turned. I turned and hid around the corner.

"It's her," the deep voice said.

I woke with a jolt. I looked around and I was in my bed in my room. I looked at the clock and it was five o'clock. I could hear my mom in the kitchen. I got out of bed and turned on the light. I stretched and opened my curtains. I looked out the window. It was cloudy. I opened my door and walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Tam," Mom said. "You feeling okay?" I sat on one of the bar stools. Mom was cutting up some weird blue thing I had never seen before.

"Yeah," I said. "Glad I had that nap."

"Good!" Mom said. She handed me a bowl of soup and a spoon.

"Thanks," I said. Mom nodded. I sipped some soup. A warm feeling went through my body. But, it didn't taste like my mom's regular chicken noodle soup.

"Mom," I said. "Why doesn't this taste like your regular soup?"

"Oh!" Mom said. "I put something extra special in there for you!"

"Well what is it?" I asked.

"It's a special type of vegetable that only Nogards can eat. It's also very healthy!"

I rolled my eyes. My mom was always going on how healthy or unhealthy something is.

"Here's what it looks like," she said and held up a long stick on celery.

"Celery?" I asked.

Mom looked at the celery.

"Oops, not this," she said and put down the stick. "Here," she said and held up the long blue thing.

"What is that?" I asked. I looked at my soup. Good, I thought. It isn't blue.

"This is a tanga. They grow all over the world but only Nogards can see them and eat them!"

"What else don't I know about Nogards?" I asked.

"Oh, well, let's just say I don't know everything yet."

I nodded and sipped some more of my soup.

"How do you like it?" Mom asked.

"It's good," I said. I had some more soup. Mom looked at me in a sympathetic way. She smiled.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, you look sad."

"Well I'm fine," I said. "I just woke up so I look tired and sad, I guess." I smiled, weakly.

"Okay," she said. "Finish your soup, we don't have very much tanga left. I don't want to waste. It isn't tanga season."

I giggled at 'tanga season'.

"Can we do some more training tonight?" I asked.

"Maybe a little bit," she said. "What do you want to do?"

"Can you tell me how you know all this stuff about Nogards, Gards and dragons?"

Mom bit her lip. "Tomorrow, okay?" she said.

I frowned. "Why?" I asked.

"Just, tomorrow."

"Okay."

I finished my soup and handed my bowl to Mom.

"Can you teach me about the different types of dragons?" I asked.

"Sure," she said.

She put my bowl into the dishwasher and closed it.

"Come," she said and walked into the living room. I followed. I sat on the couch and Mom sat across from me.

"Okay, well, um, let's start at the beginning of the dragon food chain. First, come the smaller dragons. The smallest, besides babies, are the Jersey Devils. Man, those guys are the troublemakers. Most of them are small and red, with really long and pointy tails. They are the ones that the bigger dragons hunt. And, make sure you never fly into one of them."

I nodded.

"Hey, what about flying dragons?" I asked. "Is there anyway I could start that training today or tomorrow?"

Mom pursed her lips.

"Let's do that tomorrow, okay Tam?"

"Okay," I said.