by D J DuMont
“But even though I can’t do magic myself, I can play a part in helping the CIA run its Dragon Heart Program. You see, I’m not just any old Headmaster. I’m a Headmaster with a top secret security clearance. I know much of what goes on with the Dragon Heart Academy, and I work with Anjali to make sure you students are integrated well into both schools.”
Willow reached for another piece of chocolate. It made sense that the Headmaster would need to be on board with this. Otherwise, he was bound to get suspicious about where the four of them went every afternoon.
“I am the only staff member at Birch Point Academy who knows about this magical place, though. So if you need to talk with someone at Birch Point about something happening over there, come talk to me, and only me. The other teachers don’t have a clue. And while I’m on the subject of the other teachers, please make sure you’re not doing anything to make them hate you. The last thing I need is you stirring up unnecessary trouble over at the regular school. You want to stay off everyone’s radar over there, you understand?”
“Yes sir,” all four of them murmured in unison.
“Other than that, you kids have fun. It’s an amazing thing you’re doing for your country. And it’s just plain amazing that you have the ability to do magic. Seeing you all in action gives this old man hope for the future. So cheers to that, and cheers to you.”
Headmaster Damon raised his glass of Snapdragon Sap into the air again, and the rest of them followed suit.
Anjali stood as Headmaster Damon sat down, and she beckoned to Sam, who had arrived sometime during the headmaster’s speech. Sam stepped forward holding a large golden tray that held a small wooden box along with a small, steaming cauldron. Anjali pointed to a small table on the stage, and Sam set the tray there before scurrying off. He did not seem interested in staying. In fact, from Willow’s two encounters with him thus far, she had to say he was quite skittish. It surprised her to know that he worked with dragons. She’d figured that anyone who worked with such large, powerful beasts would have to be pretty steady, but, then again, she didn’t actually know much about dragons. Maybe they weren’t bothered by skittishness as much as she thought they would be.
“This, my young Dragon Hearts, is the magic ring cauldron.” The sound of Anjali’s voice brought Willow’s attention back to the stage. Anjali was opening the wooden box and pulling out golden rings one by one, but none of the rings seemed to have any stones on the bands. Willow frowned. Anjali’s ring, as well as her father’s ring, had bright ruby stones. Shouldn’t all of the students’ rings have stones in them as well? Or did they only get plain bands as young trainees? She looked at Sylvie, trying to catch her eye and see if she had similar questions, but Sylvie was leaning forward in her seat, intent on getting a better look at the rings. Willow leaned forward, too.
“You may have heard stories of the wands of wizards of old, and of how special and personalized those wands were,” Anjali said as she reached down to pick up one of the golden bands. “Well, these rings are just as special and personalized as those wands were. You may notice that this ring doesn’t have a stone. That will change when you drop it into this cauldron.”
Willow leaned forward even further, enthralled by every word Anjali was speaking. “The cauldron is filled with a magic potion, and also with pieces of precious stones. Three kinds of precious stones, to be precise. After you touch the ring and speak the spell I am about to teach you, you will drop it into the cauldron. The potion will use the energy emanating from your fingerprints on the ring to decide what type of magic stone to attach to the ring for you.”
“I know all about this,” Cara interrupted proudly. “The three stones represent the three virtues of a Dragon Heart.”
Anjali looked mildly peeved at the interruption, but smiled graciously at Cara, anyway. “That’s right. The cauldron will choose the virtue with which your magic is most aligned, and give you a ring made of that stone.”
“What are the virtues?” Sylvie asked. Just like Cara, Sylvie seemed too excited to remain quiet. Anjali frowned again, but the frown didn’t last too long.
“Yes, I was getting to that,” she said, not unkindly. “The three main virtues of a Dragon Heart are intelligence, courage, and loyalty. The first stone, ruby, represents intelligence. Sapphire represents courage. And finally, amethyst represents loyalty. Intelligence, courage, and loyalty. These are the pillars you will live your lives by.”
Willow glanced at Anjali’s ring again. A ruby ring, just like her father’s. A ruby ring representing intelligence would be the most likely choice for Willow as well, then. Wouldn’t it? She chewed her lower lip as she looked up at the steaming cauldron. She wanted to be just like her father, and she hoped this cauldron would agree with that.
“So,” Anjali said. “Let’s begin, shall we? Locke, let’s start with you since you’ve taken the first seat at the table.”
Looking enormously proud of himself, Locke sauntered up to the stage. Anjali used a small black cloth to wipe her own fingerprints off the ring she’d just been holding, then set the ring back down on the golden tray.
“Pick any ring you like, Locke. They are all the same size, but will magically resize themselves to fit their owners’ fingers. Throw your chosen ring into the cauldron and say ‘eligo’. The cauldron will take care of the rest.”
Locke reached for a ring and said “Eligo.” Then he threw the ring into the cauldron with a flourish. Immediately, the smoke coming up from the cauldron turned green and became thicker. A hissing sound started and grew louder, followed by the sound of metal clanking. Willow held her breath as she watched.
A few moments later, the ring came flying out of the cauldron of its own accord, then landed with a melodic clink on the golden tray once again. Only now, the ring had a deep ruby stone set into the band.
“Ruby! Intelligence! I knew it,” Locke said.
“Too bad there’s not a stone for humility,” Sylvie whispered to Willow. “He could use a good dose of that.”
Willow held back a giggle as Locke slipped the ring onto his finger and held it high above his head. It sparkled in the late afternoon sunset, and sent glittering red reflections as far as the white tablecloth on the dining table.
“Congratulations, Locke,” Anjali said with a smile. “You’ve been found to possess a strong amount of intelligence in your Dragon Heart. Wear your ruby ring with pride, and always remember, there is magic inside of you. You can do anything.”
Locke managed to look humble just long enough to give Anjali a courteous bow, then he bounded back to his seat while the rest of the group clapped politely.
“Sylvie? Would you like to go next?” Anjali asked. Sylvie nodded and stood, giving Willow a nervous look as she headed toward the small stage. She performed the same ritual Locke had just done, grabbing her ring and throwing it into the cauldron after saying “Eligo.” Once again, the cauldron whirred and the smoke turned green. Finally, it spit the ring out again. Willow strained to see what stone it held, but before she could even catch a glimpse of it, Sylvie was squealing.
“A ruby!” she called out. “I got a ruby as well.”
“Congratulations, Sylvie,” Anjali said. “You’ve been found to possess a strong amount of intelligence in your Dragon Heart. Wear your ruby ring with pride, and always remember, there is magic inside of you. You can do anything.”
Sylvie hopped up and down in excitement, gave another squeal, and then remembered to bow respectfully to Anjali. “Thank you, Anjali. This is the best day of my life!”
Sylvie skipped back to her spot at the table, then held out her ring to show Willow. Willow’s eyes widened at the sight of it up close.
“It’s gorgeous, Sylvie!”
And it was. Willow had never seen anything quite so beautiful. The ruby was a deep red, and was surrounded by dozens of tiny crystals. The gold band itself had some sort of intricate engraving on it. The symbols on the engraving looked like they must mean something, but Willow had n
o idea what. It didn’t matter much at that moment. All that mattered was that the ring was beautiful, and that Sylvie, who Willow was liking more and more by the moment, had been chosen as having the exact same trait as Locke. Willow was tempted to stick her tongue out at him and tell him that he could shut it, since Sylvie was obviously just as qualified as him. But Willow didn’t think Anjali would take too kindly to that sort of childish behavior. Besides, Cara was being called up now.
“Eligo,” Cara cried out, then threw a gold band into the cauldron. The cauldron whirred to life again, spewing out green steam and then, moments later, spewing out a sapphire ring.
“Oh!” Cara said, then reached down to hold the ring. “Courage? Are you sure the cauldron doesn’t make mistakes? I don’t think of myself as a very courageous person.”
“The cauldron never makes mistakes,” Anjali said. “It can see things inside of you that you can’t see yourself. You may be surprised, in the years that follow, to see what sort of bravery lies within you. So congratulations, Cara. You’ve been found to possess a strong amount of courage in your Dragon Heart. Wear your sapphire ring with pride, and always remember, there is magic inside of you. You can do anything.”
Cara bowed, and then walked back to her seat, staring in wonder at her ring the whole time. “I can’t believe it,” she said, not speaking to anyone in particular. “I am courageous, after all. My parents are going to be so proud of me.”
“That’s a good one,” Locke said. “I do prefer intelligence myself, but then again, courage is important, too. The only real dud of a ring would be a loyalty one. I mean, really. Loyalty? What kind of a character trait is that? It isn’t loyalty that’s going to save the day when times are hard. It’s being brave, or being smart. Like us.”
Anjali frowned, but did not say anything to Locke. Instead, she turned to Willow. “Willow? Your turn.”
Willow stood slowly. Her legs felt like rubber beneath her as she shakily walked to the stage. There was only one golden band left on the tray now. Willow picked it up and held it up to her eyes for a moment, surprised to see that it was completely smooth. She had thought they would all be engraved, like Sylvie’s. For a moment, Willow felt angry that she hadn’t had a chance to choose first. Why did she have to go last, and get stuck with the one smooth band? But as soon as the thought crossed Willow’s mind, she pushed it away. Sylvie was her friend, and had treated her kindly since the start. Why would Willow wish anything but the best for her? And besides, the magic inside you supposedly guided you to choose which ring was right for you. That meant that this simple, smooth ring was the one intended for Willow.
With a deep breath, she picked it up, said the magic word, and tossed it into the cauldron. The now-familiar green steam and hissing sounds began. Willow chewed her lower lip and waited, hoping that she would get a ruby ring like her father. She wanted to be just like him, and, even though courage was a noble trait, she had to think that Locke’s pride over being awarded the ruby intelligence ring was not misplaced. What could be better than intelligence?
The cauldron continued steaming and hissing for much longer than it had with the other three rings. Willow turned to look at Anjali at one point, fearing that something was wrong. Was it possible that, after everything Willow had been through in the last few weeks, there had been some mistake? Was the cauldron going to find her unworthy of a magic ring? What would happen then? Would the Dragon Heart Agents insist on wiping her memory? Would Willow be sent home? How would she explain to her mother if she got kicked out of boarding school?
All these thoughts spun through Willow’s head as the liquid in the cauldron below her whirled around. Anjali did not look worried, however. She had a serene smile on her face as she watched the cauldron work, and Willow decided to follow her lead. With as calm an expression as she could muster, Willow watched the cauldron. And watched, and watched, and watched.
Willow glanced back at the others, and realized that they seemed to be noticing how long things were taking as well. Headmaster Damon coughed nervously. Sylvie had a worried frown on her face. Cara tapped her fingers impatiently on the table. And Locke sneered in Willow’s direction, his eyes saying that he clearly thought the length of time Willow’s ring was taking proved that Willow had some sort of deep flaw.
But just when Willow thought she couldn’t take it anymore, the hissing intensified and then stopped as the cauldron suddenly threw the ring back out. As the ring clanked against the golden tray, Willow was relieved to see that it did in fact contain a stone. But her heart sank when she saw the color of the stone.
Purple. Deep, dark purple. She’d been given an amethyst. The loyalty stone.
For a long moment, everything was silent. Anjali stared down at the stone. Willow stared down at the stone. And then, Locke must have caught a glimpse of its color. He let out a long, loud laugh.
“Ha! Look at that. Loyalty? Looks like the cauldron doesn’t think you have what it takes to run with the big dogs.”
“Enough, Locke!” Anjali yelled, her voice more menacing than Willow had ever heard it. Locke shut up right away, stunned into silence by the authority in their leader’s voice. Willow forced herself to look up and meet Anjali’s eyes.
“I…I thought I would get a ruby like my father.”
“No, Willow,” Anjali said, her voice reverent and hushed. “You’re even better than that.”
Willow bit back the tears that were trying to fall again. “What do you mean?” she picked up the ring, and was startled to see that it now contained engraved symbols as well. So it was the cauldron that added the engraving. In addition to the purple stone, which was admittedly quite beautiful, the ring now contained dozens of tiny crystals, just like Sylvie’s.
Anjali still hadn’t answered Willow, so Willow looked up at her and repeated the question. “What do you mean, I’m better than my father? No one is better than he was.”
“You’re wrong, Willow. You see, legend has it that the greatest Dragon Hearts are given the loyalty stone. Loyalty will keep your heart steady even when intelligence and courage fail you.”
Willow frowned. “Oh, come on. That’s just a folk tale to make people feel better when they’re disappointed with a loyalty ring. Don’t tell me that the agents who have received loyalty stones before were really that much better than any other agents.”
Anjali shrugged. “I could not tell you how agents with the loyalty ring perform, because you are, in fact, the only one out of the hundreds of living Dragon Heart Agents to receive the loyalty ring. You, my dear, are going to go far.”
Willow blinked at Anjali in disbelief, but Anjali smiled back confidently. “Your father was right. There is a great deal more magic in you than we have ever seen in one human before.”
And with that, Anjali bowed respectfully to Willow, instead of the other way around. Willow could only stare, looking back and forth between Anjali and the purple ring.
Willow knew she should be grateful for the ring, and for the chance to be a Dragon Heart. But despite what Anjali said about the loyalty ring being reserved for the greatest of the Dragon Hearts, Willow couldn’t keep herself from feeling like she was already lagging behind.
With a heavy heart, she walked back to her spot at the table, carefully avoiding Locke’s eyes. When she sat down, Sylvie reached over and patted her knee. “Don’t let Locke get to you,” she said. “Anjali knows what she’s talking about. Loyalty is important.”
Willow shrugged but didn’t say anything. All she wanted at that moment was to get through dinner and get back to her dorm to hide from the world under her pillow. But it would be a while before she could do that. After dinner, they were going to see the dragons.
And although Willow felt dejected at the moment, she had to admit that even receiving a loyalty ring couldn’t completely dampen the enthusiasm she felt at the idea of finally seeing for herself a real, live dragon.
Chapter Eleven
Despite Willow’s gloomy mood, dinner flew b
y. Headmaster Damon turned out to be quite entertaining, and he told them stories all evening about the great deeds accomplished by Dragon Heart Agents from Birch Point. He considered the Dragon Heart students to be like his “children,” and he took a great deal of pride in sending them out into the world to do good. Anjali remained silent through most of the meal, preferring to nod along to Headmaster Damon’s stories and sip at her Snapdragon Sap rather than speak herself. Willow and her fellow students didn’t speak much either. Headmaster Damon spoke too fast for most of them to get a word in, although Locke did his best to try.
When the dessert plates had finally been cleared away—a feat accomplished in seconds by a magic spell from Anjali—Sam the stable hand suddenly appeared again out of nowhere.
“Come with me,” he said, then turned to walk away without waiting for a response, or to see whether anyone was actually following him. Of course, Willow and the others scrambled to their feet and chased after him. Even Headmaster Damon came along, and Willow thought about how hard it must be for him to see dragons all the time but to never be able to tell any of his “normal” friends or family about it.
Sam started walking down a small trail that went into the deepest part of the forest. The sun had set by now, and inside the forest the dim gray of twilight quickly turned into pitch black. The darkness didn’t seem to bother Sam, who kept walking along at the same brisk pace. Willow realized with awe that he seemed to have memorized where every stone and tree root was along the path. He never stumbled or even hesitated. Willow, on the other hand, was stubbing her toe every other second. From the sound of the grunts and muttered complaints around her, Willow guessed that her fellow trainees were having trouble navigating the path as well. Then, suddenly, Anjali called out, “Lux.” Instantly, a flashlight-like beam of light sprang forth from her ring. Then, Anjali pointed the ring at Cara.
