Bentwhistle the Dragon Box

by Paul Cude

  For Peter the compulsion was just too great, and much to the surprise of his two cohorts, he poked his head above the railing and sneaked a peek down at the stone plinth. Luckily for him, Flash and Yoyo were facing the other way, and the king, although looking almost straight at him, didn't flinch at all. The sight of Flash lying on the stone tablet was almost too much for him to bear. Never before in his life had a seen a dragon in such a sorry state. Even from as far away as he was, he could tell just how much pain and despair the brave dragon was suffering. Following Peter's lead, Tank snuck a quick look, while Gee Tee's giant, scaly head slowly rose above the rail, much like a submarine surfacing.

  Nothing Yoyo did seemed to make any difference to the pain searing throughout Flash's body which writhed and flailed about, longing to embrace death now that he'd delivered his information to the king. With one last effort, Flash turned his head towards the king and whispered,

  "I'm sorry Majesty. I've failed you."

  Lowering himself so that he could look directly into Flash's steely blue eyes, the king spoke from his heart.

  "On the contrary Flash, it seems that I've failed you. But perhaps all is not quite lost." An expression that suggested he was very sorry for what he was about to do took hold of the king's face, as he got to his feet and craned his neck, all the time shaking his head.

  "Master Mantra Maker! I need your help once again," he shouted as loud as he could, startling Yoyo and even the semi lucid Flash.

  Standing up to their full height, revealing their presence to all down below, Peter, Tank and Gee Tee all made their way around to the staircase that led down towards the unexpected scene of tragedy. Yoyo wondered what was going on, while Flash just continued to wriggle about on the plinth, muttering gibberish as he did so.

  Following in Gee Tee's footsteps as they wove their way down the spiral stairs, Tank and Peter finally stopped in front of the king.

  "Can you help him?" the king asked Gee Tee.

  With the scroll still firmly tucked beneath his wing, the master mantra maker stepped over to the plinth and began examining Flash. Everyone else looked on.

  "Beg your pardon Majesty, but I've done everything that I can to help him. I really don't think any more can be done," prompted Yoyo, quietly.

  From beside Flash, Gee Tee scoffed and snorted on hearing the healer's words. Ignoring the shopkeeper, the king replied.

  "Your work in getting him here is beyond comparison, and I will try to reward your efforts when an opportunity arises. Until then, there may be... other ways. The bravery of this particular Crimson Guard has helped keep our domain safe from many a threat more times than I care to remember. I think if there's anything, anything at all that can be done to save him, then we should at least try it, don't you?"

  "Of course, Sire," replied Yoyo, bowing.

  Everyone stood back, watching Gee Tee examine Flash.

  "Well, Master Mantra Maker?" asked the king.

  Gee Tee straightened up, a thoughtful expression crossing his scaly face.

  "There's something that just might work, but... it's dangerous, very dangerous in fact."

  "Then do it," ordered the king. "I will take full responsibility."

  "Not so quickly. There's the small matter of my... fee," added the old shopkeeper, looking down at the scroll he hadn't let go of since finding it.

  Peter stood aghast at what Gee Tee had just said, watching as the king's face turned purple with rage.

  "You dare say that to me, here in this place?"

  Gee Tee didn't look phased at all, quite the opposite in fact.

  "Yes I dare," he announced, his eyes glinting mischievously through the square plastic glasses that sat on his leathery old nose. "As we've already discussed, I've helped to save your life on numerous occasions, and exactly how have you ever repaid me? Stopped the visits from the Guards that bitter old Councillor Rosebloom sends on a regular basis... ? No! Given my shop back its royal licence, so that maybe I might win back the custom of just a few of those customers that I lost when Rosebloom stabbed me in the back for not getting that job... ? No! Have I ever received payment of any sort, monetary or otherwise for all the potions, mantras and artefacts that I provided you with, on all your knightly adventures... ? No! That's not to mention the knowledge and advice I freely gave. During everything, you had this," the master mantra maker withdrew the scroll from within his wing and waved it in the air, "and all this time you knew that I've spent centuries looking for it. You didn't have the decency to tell me that you had it, but wouldn't give it to me. Well, it all stops here. If you want my help once again, then here's your price," he spluttered, repeatedly waving the scroll above his head. "And let me guess what's next. You can't possibly let a brave dragon die. You're the one chance he's got to live. Yes, I know all these things, but the price for my help is the scroll, full stop!"

  There and then, Peter wanted to leave. None of this was supposed to be happening. This was supposed to be such a special day, meeting the king with both his friends, having a great time learning some more about his grandfather and finding out exactly what had been left with the king for safe keeping. This just wasn't supposed to happen, he kept telling himself over and over in his mind.

  Tank felt thoroughly disgusted and ashamed at what he was seeing.

  'This monster,' he thought, 'is not the dragon that I work and care for day in and day out. Why on earth is he doing this? Aside from the morality of helping a brave and badly wounded dragon which if you have the ability and power to help, you just should. This should have been Peter's day. None of this should be happening. What have we got ourselves into?'

  The colour in the king's face started to return to normal, as the small group stood around the stone plinth watching Flash try and manage his pain with as much dignity as he could given the circumstances. Gee Tee and the king had clearly reached an impasse; how it was going to be resolved, nobody seemed to know.

  "You would watch this dragon die, knowing that you can prevent it?" roared the king, his voice filled to the brim with passion. Clearly he was trying to contain his anger and temper.

  "I've told you... it's your responsibility. You've done nothing for me after all I've done for you. It's time for a change. The cost of helping him, and you, is this scroll."

  Shaking his head as beads of sweat glistened around the sides of his long, grey hair, the king was finding it hard not to lose control.

  "YOU may be the only being on the planet with the ability to help him. Did you not hear everything that he's been through? Everything that he's given? Don't you think you should help him if you have the knowledge to do so?" stressed the king, trembling ever so slightly.

  The old shopkeeper didn't answer, preferring instead to cross his wings stubbornly in front of him and gaze dead ahead.

  'This is it,' thought Peter. 'We're all going to be sent to jail.'

  "Don't you understand?" declared the king more forcefully this time. "That scroll is not mine to give you. If it were, I would hand it over to you in a heartbeat, not to save Flash's life, but because I believe after all you've been through that you should have it. But I cannot, not even to save this brave dragon's life. Whatever you say, however much you plead, I cannot let you have that scroll. I'm sorry."

  Peter thought that this just might do the trick and persuade the stubborn old shopkeeper to change his mind. Tank, however, knew better. His boss was one of, if not the most, stubborn and pigheaded beings on the planet, and it wasn't in his nature to change his mind for anyone, not even the king.

  'What is needed,' thought Tank, 'is another way, a third option, something for... everyone.'

  As Gee Tee and the king stood glaring at each other, with Flash mumbling incoherently to himself on the plinth, inspiration suddenly struck Tank.

  "What if you were to... loan the scroll to Gee Tee, Your Majesty?" Tank blurted out, suddenly.

  Simultaneously, both the king and Gee Tee turned to gaze at Tank, making him feel about an inch tall un
der such scrutiny.

  "It wouldn't work I'm afraid youngster. I don't believe for a second that I'd ever get it back again." The master mantra maker nodded in agreement. Clearly the king was right, and the old shopkeeper had no plans to return it. Sudden optimism provided by Tank's outburst regressed back to tension and silence, until a cunning smile snaked its way across Tank's misshapen face.

  "How about loaning the scroll to me, Majesty? I would guarantee that you'd get it back, and could help Gee Tee work with it," offered Tank, knowing that it might just be enough to convince him.

  Scratching his chin, the king thought about the proposal.

  "Definitely not," raved Gee Tee.

  Before the king could open his mouth to respond, Tank jumped in.

  "It makes sense for everyone, and you know it. Clearly the king can't give you the scroll, otherwise he would. Can't you see how desperate he is to save that young dragon over there? You should be ashamed of yourself."

  "Watch your tongue, apprentice," threatened the master mantra maker.

  "No more watching tongues. I've had to do that for long enough," countered Tank, suddenly. "And we'll be having a little chat about the apprentice thing as well, quite soon, but back to the here and now. Clearly the only way you're going to get your talons on that scroll you so desperately want, is for the king to loan it to me, and for me to grant you access to it. What do you say?"

  While Gee Tee considered Tank's question, Peter and Yoyo held their breath, whilst Tank turned to look at the king. Sighing, and with no other option available to him, the king nodded in response to Tank's question.

  "So what will it be? Make up your mind now, for everyone's sake, but most of all for that brave dragon lying there, contorted with pain."

  Tank wasn't one to blow his own trumpet. Of course there were things that he just excelled at, plant and animal physiology, rugby and mantras amongst them, but here and now he knew beyond a doubt that he'd achieved his goal, realising that the old shopkeeper would accede to the deal and would therefore help Flash. He was in fact just playing for time, trying to keep some sort of dignity intact.

  With Peter and Yoyo still holding their breaths, Gee Tee threw the scroll to Tank, while at the same time saying,

  "Agreed."

  Releasing a long breath, Peter closed his eyes and thanked the heavens for his friend. If not for Tank, then he hated to even contemplate what might have happened. As he did so, the master mantra maker whirled into action, a mini tornado, completely unstoppable, with an unending supply of energy.

  "There are some things I'm going to need," stated the old shopkeeper to no one in particular. "Firstly I need two clownfish... alive. Secondly, a large quantity of bark from a silver birch, dragon bone, sea salt and a large pestle and mortar." Pointing to the king's hand, Gee Tee made his final request.

  "I'll also require that," he said nonchalantly.

  Peter and Tank's eyes nearly popped out. Gee Tee had just told the king that he needed the unique magical ring that he wore, the one that held a limitless supply of mana, or magic if you like.

  "I see," said the king gruffly. "Anything else?" he added sarcastically, before closing his eyes and telepathically sending the list of ingredients to the head of the guards on duty in the council building. "They know it's urgent, but it still may take a while. Is there anything we can do in the meantime?"

  "Hmmm... I suppose we really need to make him more comfortable, as this could all take some time. Do you have anywhere that we can use?"

  "There's a dragon sized sofa in the living room," replied the king.

  "Good, good, we'll move him there if that's okay."

  The king nodded in reply.

  "Come on then you two. Make yourselves useful instead of just standing there gawping. Bring young Flash over to the living room," Gee Tee ordered Peter and Tank.

  As carefully as possible, the two friends picked up the barely conscious Flash, with Tank taking his head, since he was by far the stronger, and Peter taking his legs. Following the king, Gee Tee and Yoyo into the living room, they carefully placed Flash down on a very bright red fabric sofa, pretty much the size of a tennis court, making sure he was as comfortable as possible.

  'It's amazing,' Peter thought, gobsmacked by not only the size of the room, about half a football pitch by the look of things, but also by the style of it. Well stocked shelves full of human literature littered most of two walls, with photos of various places and people/dragons scattered in front of the books. Fantastic works of art, both dragon and human alike, adorned the other couple of walls, while ancient looking tapestries fluttered slightly in the very light breeze that ran throughout the room. Peter turned to see Tank and Yoyo as astonished as he was with Gee Tee stroking his huge prehistoric jaw as he took in the entire room.

  "Not bad," admitted the old shopkeeper, blowing out a small jet of flame from his nose. "It's a bit ostentatious though."

  Shaking his head, Peter wondered how the king would react. To his surprise, the king just smiled at the old dragon and wandered off through a doorway to yet another part of this intriguing building. Gee Tee, in the meantime, had commandeered Yoyo and Tank and was busy dishing out instructions.

  "Apprentice, when the first items arrive I want you to start preparing everything," grunted the old shopkeeper, still gazing around the room they all found themselves in. Lacking the normally quick response from his apprentice that he was used to, the master mantra maker whirled round to face him. Tank stood, hands on hips, a defiant look scrawled across his face.

  'Things,' Peter thought, 'seem to have changed significantly between the two of them.'

  Tank and Gee Tee continued to stare at each other from eight feet away, Yoyo standing uncomfortably between them. Flash let out a low moan from the sofa, which was ignored by everyone.

  "Is there a problem... apprentice?" enquired Gee Tee, poking his plastic glasses as far up his nose as they would go.

  Tank just stood there in silence, refusing to budge or speak.

  'I've never seen him like this before,' thought Peter. 'I really hope he knows what he's doing.'

  Flash let out another groan, this time longer and much harsher. Slipping out from between the two colleagues, Yoyo rushed over to the sickly dragon with all the speed of someone much younger. Peter watched as Yoyo turned Flash onto his side, trying to ascertain the state of the lethal wound that ran diagonally across his back. Not sure whether to go and try and help, as it would mean getting in between Tank and Gee Tee, Peter hoped desperately for a quick resolution to whatever was going on. Surprisingly, he got his wish almost straight away.

  Squinting through his glasses, Gee Tee let out a short sigh.

  "Please would you start the preparations when things begin to arrive... Tank?"

  Peter's eyes widened like never before. Tank's stern look disappeared immediately.

  "I would be happy to... Gee Tee," replied Tank with a fondness in his voice that nobody in the room missed.

  Another moan from Flash grabbed everybody's attention.

  "You'd better come and take a look at this," Yoyo commanded from the sofa. "His wound is getting steadily worse."

  Gee Tee plodded over and, leaning down, inspected the wound that ran across Flash's back.

  "You're right," whispered the old shopkeeper quietly. "It's deteriorating at quite a rate. Unless we do something soon, he'll be dead before everything arrives."

  Looking to Gee Tee for guidance, Peter, Tank and Yoyo watched as the master mantra maker stood up straight, head to one side, apparently thinking about the next course of action. You could have heard a pin drop, the silence was so loud. However, it wasn't Gee Tee who interrupted it.

  "Got it!" exclaimed Tank. "At least, I think I have."

  The others turned to look at him inquisitively, particularly his employer.

  Gathering his thoughts, Tank started to pace back and forth on the lush carpet that covered the floor of the room, while his friends waited on. Turning to face Gee
Tee, he tried to explain what he had in mind.

  "About two years ago, a European dragon came into the shop to have a mantra repaired."

  His employer was about to interrupt, but Tank held up one of his huge fingers and stopped him.

  "He was a long, tall dragon, dark yellow all over, except for some red markings that looked like honeysuckle running down his back. He spoke with either a Spanish or Portuguese accent. The mantra he needed repairing was... was... ummmm... let me see. It was something to do with shipping something... plants or animals... or something. Ahh, that's it. Shipping giant squid... architeuthis, which I'm sure Peter knows, means dominant squid," he said, turning and smiling at his friend.

  Peter returned his smile, still after all this time marvelling at his friend's ability to know practically all there was to know about plants and animals.

  "So," interrupted Gee Tee softly, "what has this got to do with... ? Ahhh... I see. Good work appr... Tank. The mantra he brought in to be repaired froze the squid right down to the cellular level for a short period of time if I remember correctly."

  Tank nodded wholeheartedly.

  "So we freeze Flash with the mantra until everything we need arrives and then... bang, unfreeze him and hit him with the mantra that will cure him. Okay..." muttered Gee Tee to himself. "Let's see if I can remember that mantra. It was... it was... Sumerian if I'm not mistaken... um... yes, I think I have it. Right, let's give it a go. Stand back please Yoyo, there's a good dragon."

  Yoyo, ignoring the dripping condescension, and not knowing what to make of everything, did as he was told. In all his time he'd never met a dragon like Gee Tee, and guessed that he wasn't likely to again, anytime soon.

  Gee Tee leant over Flash, whose moaning continued at barely a whisper. The noise from the words the master mantra maker was uttering seemed seductive to Peter. He could only grasp a few out of context, random words: murgu he knew to be 'back,' lirum he knew was 'physical strength,' and the only other one he could get a handle on was mush, which he was pretty sure was either 'snake' or 'reptile.'