Big Nate - Dragon Training Time

Pop N' Rock

Prodigy had told us his entire story. We'd listened willingly, and he told us much. Nate, he began. I'm your cosmic twin from the Skillverse, Multiverse No. 786. In the Skillverse, all of this Earth's fauna existed and dwellest, but we are much more skilful than thee. We all didn't understand those complicated words, but Francis nodded and mm-ed for nearly his entire story. But all those words you said were past tense, Francis frowned. Was the Skillverse only thriving at some point? Smarty-pants, Prodigy grinned. Almost as smart as our Francis, but he does have more knowledge, and I bet you were expecting that. Gina and Teddy were pushing the Hidden Wagon, eyeing each other suspiciously. Anyway, Gina cut in from the corner of the wagon. We need to get to the Eon Dragons, right? The dragons that used their unspeakable power to create Earth eons ago? She chuckled. That's why those "agen dragons" will give you the key. Or, Prodigy said. We can read the poem in the third and penultimate edition of Gems of Mystery. He pulled a book out of his packing, flipped to one of the first pages, and showed us.

While riding your transportation thus far

Find the ruins where once ruled the czar

Endless pits of tar

and other bone-chilling dangers

Await you along with ill-intentioned strangers

But push past the darkness and find the King Key

Then from the last danger you shall flee

In these ruins, thou shall perish unless blessed with heart

Or else you shall be torn apart

WHOA! Yelped Dee-Dee. DRAMATIC! I rolled my eyes, and looked at Prodigy. Where do we have to go to find the ruins? This actually seems easier than usual. Prodigy smiled. Right in front of you. A miracle for the history books. I turned my head and gasped. Why didn't I notice this? Towering ruins loomed over me as though taunting us, and little Bite Dragonets scurried around it. Be careful! Prodigy cried, just as I tried to step on the ground. Remember, there are many dangers. There could be booby traps, ancient murals that are real, and most of all, tar pits. In fact, where you're trying to step may be a trap. The czar guarded the King Key securely. But once again, more on the czar and the King Key later. I gulped, and looked at the ground in horror. I stepped on it anyway, and it was hot. Blistering hot. I screeched, and rushed into the entrance immediately, desperate to get into the cool, cobbled paths bathed in shade. But I forgot entirely about what Prodigy had told me. Before I knew it, I'd fallen into a pit. Not of tar. But filled with... Wait... Light Vishaps? They turned their heads to look at me, and shrugged it off almost too quickly. Light Vishaps were considered to be the most gentle and harmless dragons ever! Why would the czar put those not-one-bit-of-a-dangers here? They were useless guards! Suddenly, the shape-shifted. And I gasped. Darkmorphs! Shape-shifting on their will? The tendrils extended out of their maws, and wiggled towards me like worms. I screamed, and tried to back off, but I was in a finite-sized pit. I tried to climb it up, but I just fell and felt even more hopeless. No! I howled, as they were inches away from me. I tried to force them back with the most fierce punches I'd ever made in my life, but to no avail. And then I heard it. A soothing melody. Not Sing-Song, or any other one of her kind's... But something else. A white blur, dripping with purple liquid raced at out of nowhere, and balls of shining energy started at its rib cage and raced towards the Darkmorphs, completely incinerating them with the mere force of the impact. I gasped. Sing-Song? It shook the liquid off, which suspiciously looked like a sort of tar, and revealed a figure exactly like Sing-Song. She had spines, and was glowing with energy, and had a tail with poisonous quills on it. I realized that Sing-Song was a Melodixus by now. That's what happened to her kind when they matured. They were said to be the most beautiful but also deadly dragon in the world. Thanks, Sing-Song, I grinned. I thing I'll name you... Pop N' Rock! Yeah! Pop N' Rock actually maturely smirked, and turned its back. I frowned, but looked up, beckoned by my instincts. I saw nobody. They'd abandoned me. My face fell, and my concerns for them plummeted to null. I don't know how you ended up here, Pop N' Rock, I grunted. But we're getting out. Fly me outta this horrible place! Pop N' Rock looked relieved, and raised her body to the sky, flapping her tail to the ground, so it was easy for me to climb onto her. I smiled, but was still sad my friends had abandoned me. Why? Were they my friends? But soon, I was out of the Darkmorph pit anyway.