The Topaz Quest
Authors: Gill Vickery
To Alex, a true DragonChild.
Chapter Four: The Saffron Fields
Chapter Seven: Luona the High Witch
Chapter Eight: Loki in Trouble
Chapter Ten: Stealing the Topaz
Tulay was a peaceful land until a family of High Witches stole the DragonQueen's necklace set with six jewels of power. The High Witches divided the jewels between them and used their power to drive the dragons away.
In revenge, a dragon kidnapped the youngest witch's child, a girl called Tia. Raised by dragons, Tia wants to prove she is a true DragonChild by recovering the jewels and returning them to the DragonQueen. Her DragonBrother, Finn, is with her on the quest.
Tia and Finn first stole back the emerald, which grants the power to talk to animals, from High Witch Malindra who ruled the town of Drangur. Next they went to Kulafoss and stole the opal from High Witch Yordis. The opal lets its possessor change into whatever creature they wish.
Now they are on their way to recover the topaz which controls the weather. High Witch Luona has it and she lives in the town of Stoplar.
The Ice Storm
Tia stared in horror at the shrieking ice-storm blocking the pass into Stoplar. She had walked a long way to reach the town and its lands hidden deep in the forbidding Eldkeiler Mountains and now the way was barred by the storm. Raging wind threw splinters of ice like broken sword blades against the towering, frost-coated sides of the pass.
The screaming storm made it impossible to talk to her friends so she pointed to a grove of stunted trees huddling by the river flowing past the foot of the mountainside. The little dragon and the jackdaw nodded in understanding and flew into the thicket.
Tia stumbled after them over the rocky ground, the bitter wind pushing her along like a cold hand. âIt's not fair,' she grumbled. âIf they'd let me be a falcon again I could move as fast as they can.'
When she reached the trees she found that her DragonBrother, Finn, had started a campfire and pushed a mossy log close to it. She sat on it and warmed her hands at the fire.
âDragonTeacher warned us that High Witch Luona uses the topaz to control the weather and rule Stoplar, but he didn't tell us about that ice-storm,' Finn said. He nudged Tia anxiously with his nose. âWe need to find another way to get you in.'
Tia patted him. âDon't worry so much, Finn.' She turned to the jackdaw perched on a rock next to her. âAs we can't use the pass, what do you think we should do, Loki?'
âI think I'm going to find myself some food,' he said, and flew off.
Tia realised she was hungry too and rummaged in her bag. âI've only got stale bread and a lump of cheese.' She skewered the food on a stick and toasted it over the flames.
When she'd finished, she licked melted cheese off her fingers. âThat was good but I wish I'd brought some sweet pies from Kulafoss before we left.'
âYou were too busy turning yourself into a bird and showing off,' Finn said.
Tia touched a large opal set into a collar round her neck. She'd used the jewel to turn into a falcon.
âDon't change now!' Finn said.
âI'm not going to. I was just thinking, I could become a falcon again and fly over the mountains.'
Little puffs of smoke burst from Finn's nostrils. âIt's far too high for a small bird. And you mustn't use the opal in Stoplar â what if you were seen changing?'
âI wouldn't be,' Tia said indignantly. âBut I won't use it.'
Leaves rustled above their heads and Loki flew down.
âYou're talking about the opal aren't you?' he said.
Tia nodded. Though Loki didn't understand Finn Tia could speak to the jackdaw because she kept the magic emerald with her. It gave her the power to speak to any animal.
âAfter you'd been a bird in Kulafoss,' Loki said, âyou wanted to be one all the time. If you change into a falcon to get into Stoplar you won't be able to resist doing it again once you're there. Remember how Yordis ended up more like a bear than a woman? It was because she couldn't stop using the opal, and you won't be able to either.'
Her friends didn't understand, Tia thought. It wasn't turning into another creature that was tempting â it was being able to fly!
âWhat do you two think I should do, then?' she asked.
âI'll disguise myself and carry you over the mountains,' Finn said.
Tia flung her arms round the little dragon's muzzle. âNo! That's too dangerous. I know you've practised camouflaging yourself but if you make a mistake, even for a second, the spell will catch you.'
She knew the power of the spell cast by the High Witches around each of the lands of the six towns. The dragon who'd snatched her from her parents when she was very small had been caught up in it and tossed through the air like a rag. He'd dropped her and only just managed to scoop her up again before she crashed to the ground. She shivered at the memory and hugged her DragonBrother even harder. He shook her off.
âIt'll be quite safe,' he insisted. âI'm very good at disguising myself now.'
It was true. Finn could change his colour to match his surroundings perfectly. Not even the spell could âsee' him when he did that.
Finn stubbornly stuck to his plan and finally Tia agreed.
âAll right, that's what we'll do. When shall we go into Stoplar?'
âAt night time â it's easy to make myself the colour of shadows,' Finn said.
Tia looked up at the dusky sky. âShall we spy out the lie of the land by daylight first, to find the best way in?'
Her friends agreed and they settled down for the night.
By the time the stars were out Finn and Loki were sound asleep but Tia was wide awake. Thoughts of flying drifted through her mind: how she hadn't been afraid high in the sky and how the wind whistled and blew around her; how warm drafts of air lifted her up as easily as a dry leaf and how much she could see looking down from the sky.
She saw herself as a dragon. She couldn't help it; it was what she wanted more than anything else in the world. When she was very little she'd used a piece of old rope as a tail and flapped her arms pretending they were wings. The dragonets had laughed at her, especially the bully, Torkil. âYou'll never be a dragon â witch brat!' he'd jeered.
Tia snuggled closer to the comfort of her DragonBrother's warm, soft hide.
When she was in Kulafoss she'd discovered that Torkil was right â she was a witch child. She could raise fire and see spells sparkling in the air. It wasn't
fair! She didn't want to be a witch â she wanted to be a dragon.
She touched the opal lightly and made up her mind. She'd sneak away before dawn while Finn and Loki were still asleep and turn herself into a dragon. They would never know because she
wouldn't
start using the opal all the time as they feared. She could stop whenever she wanted. And anyway, it was all right for them to talk â they could fly.
Dragonchild
Tia crept out of the clump of trees, taking care not to wake her friends, and scrambled quickly up the lower slopes of the mountain to a big, flat-topped shelf of rock. It was harder to reach than she'd thought and by the time she clambered onto it the moon had disappeared and a few rays of amber and gold light were spreading over the horizon.
She walked as close to the edge of the big rock as she dared and looked down. At once her head swam and she began to tremble and sweat. Being a falcon hadn't got rid of her fear of heights: human-Tia was just as afraid as ever.
She stumbled backwards and leaned against the wall of the mountain where she waited until the trembling steadied and her heart stopped pounding like horses' hooves.
As soon as she was calm she touched the opal and thought of dragons. Images flashed through her mind â red, blue and green dragons, roaring, flying, snorting smoke and breathing fire. In an instant she changed. Her skin became scaly, her nails grew into claws and wings sprouted from her back. She was a dragon.
She roared in excitement and smoke poured from her nostrils, fire from her mouth. It was hot! She hiccupped and the smoke went backwards into her throat, making her cough until her eyes ran.
When she could breathe properly again she strode towards the edge of the rock. It didn't seem at all strange to be walking on four limbs. And when she looked down to the land below, her dragon self wasn't in the least bit afraid.
She shook out her wings and flapped them gently. She felt a press of air beneath them lift her slightly. At that moment the sun slid over the horizon and bathed her in full sunlight. It glittered off her scaly hide and to her astonishment she saw that she was a golden-red colour. She'd turned to the colour of human-Tia's hair. Without another thought, she dived from the rock and soared into the sky.
Being a dragon was wonderful. She slipped through the air as easily as a fish slips through water.
She dived and twirled and swooped. She flew fast, she flew slowly. She flew upside down and ran into a skein of geese making its way towards the far-away lakes of Holmurholt. They honked in alarm and their V-shape formation broke up.
âI'm sorry,' Tia called to them but they took no notice, just re-formed and flapped away.
Stupid geese
, Tia thought a bit guiltily. She really should've looked where she was going. And that reminded her; she had a job to do â finding the best way over the mountains and into Stoplar. She wheeled round and found herself flying dangerously close to the spell she could see shimmering like spider silk in the sun. She thought of the warning chant all dragons knew by heart:
