How was Hero, her self-proclaimed god son, faring without his mother’s protection? She knew him since his toddler days, running around with his baby dragon he knew nothing about. Hero was such an odd child. He didn’t act the way a child ought to. His mother didn’t help the situation, it was even possible she was the source of his abnormal behaviors. She loved him (in her own way) so it probably had nothing to do with him no being her son. Yes, that’s right; they were neither related by blood or name. It was just accepted. Everyone knew Hero was not her real son but they kept quiet, minding their own business. He grew up believing a lie though it would have hardly made a difference if they told him the truth. It was painfully obvious and yet he never questioned it… not even when he was different from her in every way.

One day, he’ll find out who his real parents are. Tiara was certain of it. But how and when… She couldn’t take it anymore. Hero and Cyndi desperately needed a push in the right direction and she was going to give it to them. Screw the rules. Screw the great cosmic balance. Tiara wanted her dearest Jaeling to win.

Hero rolled onto his side. He was half awake and things were still fuzzy but he knew for sure there was someone else in the room with him. Was it his mother? Did she sneak into his room to watch him sleep? Hero felt someone’s warm breath on his cheek and that was when all the events from yesterday came flooding back. He wasn’t in the castle… it couldn’t be his mother next to him right now… it could only be…

Hero opened his eyes and found himself staring at a scaly face. It was only the dragon. Hero exhaled. He was holding his breath this whole time without knowing. Hero propped himself up with one arm and looked around.

She was nowhere in sight.

He turned back to the dragon, “Where did she go?”

“Don’t know. Said she will come back.” It replied.

“Well… we better get started before she returns.”

“Start what?”

“Making it up to her by helping with the plant growing stuff…”

“We grow stuff?”

“Do you know anything about growing plants?”

“Why you ask me? I don’t know.”

“Let’s go outside and take a look around. Maybe that will give us some idea what to do first.”

Hero waited until the dragon pulled back its head before he followed it out through the cave opening. Hero look around but he couldn’t remember which direction they had come from. It was dark last night and he wasn’t particularly good with directions. His growling stomach wasn’t much help either.

“Do you remember where the pond is?”

“Pond yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

“Follow me. I know.”

It took a while but they found it. The dragon had to constantly fly up and check where the pond was. Why couldn’t they just fly there? But nooooooo, Hero insist that they walk all the way there. He said it was good exercise in the morning.

Yeah… like the dragon believed that.

Hero was actually hoping that they would bump into Cyndi on their way there but that didn’t happen. They reached the pond without Cyndi.

“What do you think of her?”

“Who?”

“Cyndi?”

“Fire girl?”

“Yeah.”

“Annoying.”

“Really?”

“She said no to flying… you said no to flying… you annoying like fire girl.”

“You’re just easily annoyed.” Hero had forgotten all the bad things that happened yesterday. He only saw the good. Why not start with a clean slate. It’s a new day after all.

“Not!” the dragon stomped its foot.

“Let’s try and figure this out instead of arguing.”

The dragon sat down with a loud thud making the earth shake.

“That’s it. We probably need to loosen the ground so it will make a nice soft home for the grass.”

“You want me to sit a hundred times?”

“No…” Hero laughed. “Just stomp your feet a few times. That’ll do the job.”

“Whatever.” The dragon started stomping away. It seemed to be enjoying itself.

A few minutes later, Cyndi appeared out from behind the trees. She was holding a brown sack in one hand and a basket full of food in the other.

“What do you two think you’re doing?!? Should have waited for me back at the cave…” She continued walking towards them despite the “dragon earthquake.”

Hero motioned for the dragon to stop. The dragon stopped… but only after one last stomp.

This wasn’t just any stomp… it was the biggest, heaviest one the dragon could muster up.

“Why have to ruin fun time…” It puffed.

That big stomp did it… the earth loosened up all right, but not in the way Hero wanted. A whole section of the ground gave way to a gigantic hole. Unfortunate for Cyndi, she was stand right in the middle of it all when the earth decided to swallow her up.

Hero freaked out as he rushed to the edge of the hole.

“The earth ate fire girl.”

“I can see that… we have to find a way to get down there… we have to save her.”

“Easy.” The dragon snatched Hero up with its jaws and jumped into the hole.