Ch3-Dragons Everywhere

CHAPTER THREE Dragons Everywhere

"Oh, wow…a secret garden," whispered Annie. She put Oki down and unhooked his leash, and the puppy dashed into the lush greenery. Guinevere led Jack and Annie through the doorway and into the walled garden. As they followed her down a stone path, they passed tangles of cream-colored lilies, butter-yellow daffodils, blue periwinkles, and pale-pink roses. "From her plants, Morgan makes inks and paints for the books of our scribes," explained Guinevere, "and dyes for the wool of the castle weavers." "Cool," said Annie. Guinevere pointed to raised earth beds in the center of the garden. "She grows flowers and herbs for healing everyday illnesses and injuries," she said. "Like what?" asked Jack. "Nettles for a cold," said Guinevere, "and mint for headaches." She pointed to a fishpond surrounded by yellow-green grasses and white flowers. "Lemon-grass for fever, and yarrow to stop bleeding."

Jack shivered. The air felt tingly and alive. Why did he imagine they were being watched? Did he hear breathing? Whispering? The flutter of wings? Or was it just the wind blowing through the garden? Oki started barking. He bounced up and down, yelping at something in the shrubbery. When Jack and Annie hurried to him, they found a small bronze statue of a dragon. Jack laughed. "It's not a real dragon, Oki," he said. "It's just a statue." Annie started to pick up the puppy. But Oki dashed to a patch of pink roses and barked again. Jack and Annie followed him and found a statue carved from pink granite. "Another dragon!" said Annie. Oki kept bounding around the garden, yelping at more and more hidden dragon statues: a clay dragon tucked behind clay pots, an emerald dragon hidden among the ivy, a marble dragon between white stones, a silver dragon in tall silvery grass, a glass dragon and a dragon made from seashells in the shadows of the rock wall.

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"Dragons everywhere!" said Jack. Annie picked up the puppy and tried to calm him. "Don't worry, Oki," she said, "they're just garden decorations." "No," the queen said. "These dragons are far more than garden decorations." She looked very serious. "Perhaps you have heard of King Arthur's father, Uther Pendragon?" "I've read about him," said Jack. "Doesn't Pendragon mean 'Chief Dragon'?" The queen nodded. "Indeed, it does," she said. "The emblem on King Uther's flag and shield was a dragon. And now a dragon adorns Arthur's flag and shield as well. The dragon is the symbol of the ruler of Camelot." "Got it," said Annie. "Before he died, Uther Pendragon ordered his craftsmen to create nine dragon statues. Each statue was to be made from a different material," said the queen. "And those statues are the ones here in the garden?" said Jack.

"Yes," said the queen. "Merlin placed a spell on each of them. As long as the dragons are here in Morgan's garden, the kingdom's enchanters can unlock the portals to any of the nine mythical realms of Camelot." "Wow," said Annie. "What are the nine mythical realms?" asked Jack. "We've never heard of them." "They are lands that cannot be traveled to directly from mortal worlds," said the queen. "And actually, you do know about some of them. With Merlin's help, you have made journeys to four of the mythical realms." She pointed to the silver dragon in the grass. "That dragon opens the portal to the realm of Timeless Treasures. I believe Merlin sent you there one Christmas." "He did," said Annie. "That was our mission to find the Water of Memory and Imagination." "And the marble dragon opens the portal to the Land-Behind-the-Clouds," said Guinevere. "Where we met the Ice Wizard!" said Jack. "The bronze dragon is the gateway to the realm of the Raven King," said the queen. "And the sea-