Date: Sat, 9 Nov 1996 19:29:46 +0000 From: Christopher Vaughan Subject: INT: Lancomb's Adventure Reserved: Lancomb Aderyn Sanchez Raini Maddens: Lyriss Mathen Lancomb looked at the children who had awakened him. The girl was chubb y, though cute. She had a heart-shaped face, bright cheeks, and long curls of red hair that shone like copper in the bright, morning sun. He could feel the girl's loving nature and noble character. The boy, though younger, was taller. He was thin with short, brown hair and deep-set, intelligent eyes. Lancomb felt his courageous spirit, and his selfless loyalty. The dragon yawned, pulling the children and Sanchez into the barn. "Exc use me," he said, covering the tip of his snout with a red-and-green-scaled claw. Trickles of flame escaped about his digits. "Please, you must help us," the boy said, stepping past Sanches and look ing up at Lancomb. Lancomb raised his head into the air so that he towered above the childr en. The boy looked small from that perspective, but Lancomb could still feel the boy's spirit. "You should listen to your sister and leave," Lancomb said. "I need you to help me. I need you to help my sister." "How?" "You must take us to Kyreeter island so we can get her medicine." "What do I look like, an airline?" "Go away, keed. You 'ave already made our lives more deefeecult." Sanc hez had closed the left door to the barn and was motioning for the children to leave through the still-ajar right door. "Wee'll 'ave to find a new 'ome, now." "I'm sorry, Mr. - uh - Dragon," the girl said as she put her hand on her brother's shoulder. "We didn't mean to cause any trouble." Lancomb moved his head from side to side, trying to work out the stiffne ss in his neck. "How did you find me?" He spoke softly, lowering his head to be less threatening. The children wouldn't scare off, he decided, and he liked them too much to keep threatening them, anyway. "We were on a tour of the Mystery Caverns a few days ago. Some man said there was once a dragon who lived in the caves, there. We all laughed at first," the boy said. "Then he showed us old footprints in the cave floor." The girl stepped forward. "Most of the people thought they were dinosau r tracks, but Mathen knows all about dinosaurs, and he could tell the tracks weren't from any dinosaur that ever lived in North America." "That's when I asked what happened to the dragon," the boy said. "The guide said there were rumors that you lived in a barn near Russell." Lancomb moved his head so that he looked straight into Sanchez' eyes. " You see? I told you this would happen if you insisted on wearing that silly hat everywhere you went. They were able to track us down." "I am sorry, senor. The hat ees all I 'ave left." "Please don't be angry at him," the girl said touching his fore leg. Her hand was soft and warm. For a moment, Lancomb felt wanted, again. Then she moved her hand away and cold lonliness took the feeling's place. "Your brother is named 'Mathen'?" Lancomb spoke softly. "Yes, sir. I'm Lyriss." "What's wrong with you, Lyriss?" "I'm dying, sir." She looked away, sadly. "But there's a drug that'll help her," Mathan said, quickly. "Only, it' s made from a plant on Kyreeter island, and since that's part of the China, the US can't get any of the plants to make the drug." Lancomb sighed, sadly. "I can't help you." He turned to Sanches. "Giv e them a scale," he said. "Maybe it will help them." Sanchez looked ready to protest, then he nodded. "Yes, senor. Come on, " he said, motioning for the kids to follow him. The walked around Lancomb to the beginning of his tail. There was a bar e spot, there, in his scales, and pale skin showed through from beneath. Sanchez rubbed the bare flesh, then pulled a single scale free from around its edge. Lancomb jerked, slightly, and a black puff of smoke rose from his snout. "What's that for?" Lyriss looked at the scale, then gasped. It turned to gold before her eyes. "Thees ees worth a few thousand dollars," Sanchez said. "Eet may 'elp y ou eef you spend eet wisely." He pressed the coin into the girl's hand and then turned back to the bare spot, sadly. "Why are all of those scales missing? Because you've been spending them ?" Sanchez nodded, sadly. "Eet ees 'ow we survive. They used to grow back , but now..." He sniffed, then straightened. "Now you must go," Sanchez said. "I weell show you out." _____________________________ Chris Vaughan space.cowboy@worldnet.att.net