The Decoy
Edelweiss was wandering the Ice Realm in her dragon form. She was keeping her eyes open for Buzzsaw. She kept finding dragons caught in traps, and cutting them loose. So far, there was no sign of the hunter. Suddenly she heard a dragon calling out of help, but it sounded unfamiliar. She took off in the direction the call came from and landed near by. She was about to call back, when she felt something snap shut around her hind leg and yank her upwards. Edelweiss snorted in irritation and was about cut herself free, when Buzzsaw approached. He sneered down at her.
"Well, you'll make up nicely for all those dragons you cut free," he said. Edelweiss glared at him. She didn't dare shift in front of him. Buzzsaw held a small wooded whistle, that he'd clearly carved himself. He blew it, and it made a high dragon-like screech. The sound irritated Edelweiss's sensitive years, and it kept her from from attacking. "Impressive hug." Buzzsaw continued. "Sounds just like the real thing." Suddenly they heard another dragon approaching them.
Up in Rekketown; the riders had just finished a field trip of the ICARIS labs, courtesy of Dr. Kullersen. But once they were released for the day, Alex got an alert on her tablet from the Ice Realm. They all headed for the sleep cave and got their dragons. They headed for the Ice Realm.
When they reached it; they found a Tiny Terror stuck in rope trap. D'Angelo freed it.
"This is the third dragon we've freed from Buzzsaw's traps this week alone," D'Angelo said.
"As long that guy's running loose out here it's too dangerous for dragons," said Tom. "We've got to find him and get him out of here."
"Need I remind you that he's a nut, with a hatchet," Alex pointed out.
"Yeah, but we have dragons and Buzzsaw doesn't," said Tom. "So I'd say advantage; dragon riders."
"But we also have you Tommy," sneered Eugene. "Which I'd say levels the advantages." Just then their came a wailing cry from somewhere yonder.
"That sounds like another dragon," said D'Angelo. They all got on their dragons and head out.
They reached the area the cry had come from. The dragons landed and the riders dismounted. They searched around.
"Is it a dragon?" Jun asked.
"No," said Tom. "It's Buzzsaw's camp." They looked out a small campsite that still had a fire going. They all searched it, but found no sign of Buzzsaw.
"Where is he?" Alex asked, looking under a shelter made of tree branches.
"He probably split," Eugene said, chucking. "Went back to his old pathetic life."
"Remember, that's always an option for you too," said Jun. Eugene frowned.
"He's out trapping more dragons," said Tom. "I'm sure of it."
"Guys, over here," said Alex. She led the way over to a cage carved out of ice. Edelweiss was coiled up inside, clearly the cage was way too small for her. Her legs were bound and she was muzzled, to keep her from burning her way out. She looked relieved when she saw the riders and their dragons.
"Buzzsaw trapped Edel?" Eugene almost laughed. Edelweiss banged her snout angrily against the bars, glaring. D'Angelo removed the muzzle.
"Thank you," Edelweiss said, flexing her jaw.
"What happened?" Jun asked. "And why don't you shift and get out?"
"Buzzsaw lured me in some how, and trapped me to stop me from freeing the other trapped dragons," Edelweiss explained, she pointed to a few other small cages with dragons in them. "And I can't shift back until I know for sure he isn't watching."
"But he's not even here," Eugene pointed out.
"Tommy and pals," came a voice behind them. They turned to see Buzzsaw coming out from behind a tree. "Good of you to come when I called." He held up his small wooden whistle. He blew it and it made a loud screeching sound. All the dragons flinched.
"He's been luring dragons in with that whistle," said D'Angelo. Edelweiss tried to bite the ropes that bound her legs, but she was squeezed so tightly into the cage that she couldn't move. Thunder growled and was ready to attack Buzzsaw.
"Easy Thunder, we got him," Tom said.
"No, what you've all got is very little time to write your wills," Buzzsaw said. He blew the whistle again, and a loud roar answered. A tree behind them was sliced down to reveal a large purple dragon with a very slender body and large sharp wings. It had a triangular head and long horns. It was tethered to the ground via rope.
"Forgot to mention," Buzzsaw boasted. "I invited another friend. Now hand over the lightning dragon, and all the others. Or instead of cutting down trees, my friend here will turn you all into sashimi."
"Timberjack," Edelweiss whispered to the riders under her breath. The Timberjack reared back and flared its wings and roared. Buzzsaw blew the whistle and the dragon charged. The riders scattered and the Timberjack chased them. Every time the riders tried to get to their dragons, the Timberjack blocked them. It was about bite Tom in half when Edelweiss managed to block it with a blast of fire. The Timberjack turned on her, but Buzzsaw blasted the whistle and it turned back to chasing the riders. Buzzsaw took the opportunity to put Edelweiss's muzzle back on her. He kept blasting the whistle, urging the Timberjack on. But the riders soon managed to reach their dragons, mounted up, and flew away. The Timberjack tried to fly after them, but the rope around it neck prevented him from getting to far.
The riders landed nearby, and dismounted. Tom pulled out his binoculars and looked through them at Buzzsaw and the Timberjack. Buzzsaw seemed to be controlling the dragon with the whistle.
"Did Buzzsaw actually bond with a dragon?" Eugene asked. "If so that's one dysfunctional relationship."
"If he were bonded to that dragon he wouldn't need to keep it tied up," D'Angelo pointed out.
"D'Angelo's right," said Tom. "He's using that whistle to control it. Hi notes to rile it up, and low notes to calm it down. We need to get that whistle."
"Ok, leave it to me," Eugene said, confidently. But the others ignored him, and looked at Tom.
"Here's the plan," Tom said. "Thunder and I will sneak into Buzzsaw's camp and get that whistle. When I give the signal, you guys go in and free those captive dragons." Eugene blew a raspberry.
"That's a dumb idea," he said. "I should lead this mission. I've got the most Buzzsaw experience, I know how this guy ticks. And Tom's last plan lead us all into Buzzsaw's trap." The other riders exchanged a glance.
"Yeah, I think we're going to go with Tom's plan," said D'Angelo.
"What!?" Eugene exclaimed. "But Tom gets himself into trouble all the time. Right Gonzo?" He looked at Alex, who rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
"You make some great points," she said. "But I want to live, so I'm going to go with the group." Eugene glared. Tom mounted Thunder.
"You guys stay here and wait for my signal," Tom said. The then steered his dragon towards the camp.
Tom and Thunder watched Buzzsaw stroll about his camp boasting to himself. He didn't appear to notice them. Tom lead the way over to Edelweiss's cage, and they hid behind it. Edelweiss spotted them, but stayed quiet.
"Don't worry, we're going to get you out," Tom whispered to her. Edelweiss just nodded, and they all went back to watching Buzzsaw. He seemed a bit suspicious.
"I'm going to find my hatchet," he said, he looked up at the Timberjack. "You stay." He set the whistle down on a small block of ice, then walked off.
"This might be easier than I thought," said Tom. He and Thunder went over to the whistle, but then Tom paused. "Maybe too easy." Thunder picked up the whistle in his teeth. "Thunder no!" But his warning came too late, and another ice cage came down trapping the two of them. Buzzsaw came out of hiding and looked so proud of himself.
"Not so smart now are you," he sneered.
"It's over Buzzsaw," Tom said. "I've got the whistle." He held it up.
"Oh?" Buzzsaw said, knowingly. Tom tried blowing the whistle, but no sound came out. "What you've got there is a decoy." Buzzsaw held up the real whistle. He blew it and the Timberjack snapped its jacks. Buzzsaw then laughed. "No one's a match for Buzzsaw, king of dragons." He then turned and walked off again. Tom slouched against Thunder's side. He looked over at Edelweiss, who was watching him.
"Please tell me you have a back up plan," she said out the side of her mouth.
"Well, hopefully the others will come when they don't hear from me," Tom said. Edelweiss, sighed.
The rest of the riders and their dragons were lounging around, waiting for Tom's signal. But so far nothing happened. Eugene was browsing on his phone, he suddenly sat up and groaned.
"What's taking so long?" He complained. "Something should have happened by now. Tom probably blew it, I knew he would."
"Eugene," Jun scolded.
"Come on, that kid screws up half the time and I get passed over?" Eugene said, frustrated.
"We have a plan," D'Angelo said. "Tom will signal us when he needs us."
"Maybe Eugene's right," said Alex. They all turned to stare at her. "I mean Tom has gotten himself into a lot pickles. Maybe we should go check it out."
"No," D'Angelo said. "We wait for Tom's signal. Right Jun?" They all turned to Jun. She didn't answer right away. "Jun?" Again Jun took a moment to answer.
"Yeah, we wait," she said after a few minuets. Eugene sat back down, and pulled out his phone again.
Tom, Thunder, and Edelweiss watched Buzzsaw sharpening his hatchet.
"Can't believe I got fooled by Buzzsaw, twice," Tom muttered. "Eugene's going to eat this one up. No wonder he caught you so easily Edel."
"Good to know I'm not the only one who's feeling embarrassed," Edelweiss said through clenched teeth. Just then Buzzsaw got to his feet, hatchet in hand.
"Okay lightening bird," he hissed. "Time to pay the price to the king of dragons." He barged up to the cage. Tom held onto Thunder. But then Tom suddenly started laughing. Thunder, Buzzsaw, and Edelweiss all stared at him, puzzled.
"What are you laughing at?" Buzzsaw demanded.
"Oh, nothing," Tom said, still laughing. "But you call yourself the king of dragons, but you can't even ride a dragon." Buzzsaw narrowed his eyes. "You say you're a king that can control dragons, yet you can't even do the most basic thing." Buzzsaw lowered his hatchet.
"All right Tom, you're going to teach me," he said. "And no funny business from your dragon." Tom turned to Thunder and patted him reassuringly on the head. Buzzsaw opened the cage and Tom stepped out.
"Okay, you've got a lot to learn," he said. He and Buzzsaw went over to the Timberjack. Tom shoved Buzzsaw right in front the dragon's face. "First thing you'll want to do is keep eye contact. Let him know who's boss." Buzzsaw stared down the Timberjack. Tom went to grab the whistle. But then the Timberjack head butted Buzzsaw, sending him flying.
Next they tried leading the Timberjack with the rope. Thunder and Edelweiss watched both anxious and entertained. Tom tried to get the whistle, but then Buzzsaw and the Timberjack slipped on the ice. Buzzsaw fell onto his stomach. Tom tried again to get the whistle, but failed when Buzzsaw got to his feet.
Then they tried feeding the dragon. It accepted a fish from Tom. But when Buzzsaw tried, the Timberjack almost bit his hand off and tossed him aside. Tom failed yet again to get the whistle. Buzzsaw landed hard on his back. He jumped to his feet, red with anger.
"Okay, time for the lightening dragon to get it," he said, as he picked up his hatches. He stormed in the direction of Thunder. Tom ran after him.
"Wait I think I know what we're doing wrong," he said, putting a hand on Buzzsaw's shoulder. "I need to fly with you like a flight instructor." He spun Buzzsaw around to look to face the Timberjack. "Just imagine how majestic you'll look on the back of the mighty beast. The wind blowing in your hair." Buzzsaw got a dreamy look on his face.
"I would look pretty majestic wouldn't I?" He agreed. They went back over to the Timberjack. The dragon looked down at them. Tom calmly approached it.
"It's okay, we're just going for a little ride that's all," he said reassuringly. "Then you'll be free." The Timberjack lowered itself to the ground. Tom got on it back. Buzzsaw mounted up in front of him. Tom went to tie the other end of the rope around Buzzsaw's waist.
"What are you doing?" Buzzsaw asked.
"Safety first," Tom explained. "You don't want fall off hundreds of feet above the ground." Buzzsaw tied the rope himself. The Timberjack launched itself into the air. Thunder and Edelweiss watched them fly off.
The other riders and their dragons were still waiting for Tom's signal. But he was now way overdue. Jun got on her dragon.
"Guys we need to go help Tom," she said. The riders all got to their feet.
"Tom will signal us when he's ready," said D'Angelo. "That's the plan."
"I'm changing the plan," Jun explained. "Something's wrong." The riders all got on their dragons and took off.
They arrived at Buzzsaw's camp, just to find it deserted. Except for the trapped dragons, there was no a soul in sight.
"No sign of Tom or Buzzsaw," said Jun, worried. "We should get a closer look."
"Over there," said Alex. They looked to what she was pointing at. Thunder was alone inside one of the cages.
"Thunder!" Jun exclaimed. They all headed over to him, except Eugene.
"All right you guys free Thunder, I'll free the smaller dragons," he said. Jun ran to Thunder's cage, the Nightlight looked relieved to see her.
"Hey Thunder," Jun said, scratching his chin. "We'll get you out of here." Just then Eugene pulled out one of the Tiny Terrors. The little dragon started screeching at high volume.
High above on the Timberjack; Buzzsaw heard the commotion below. He whirled around at Tom.
"You set me up!" He roared. "I think this is where you get off." And he threw Tom off the dragon. The other riders had just lifted the cage off of Thunder. The Nightlight saw Tom falling from the sky. Thunder took off at high speed. Luckily Tom landed safely in his saddle. Tom sat up to see where he was. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Cut that one a bit close there pal," he joked, hugging Thunder.
Meanwhile; the Timberjack was thrashing around in the air, trying to get Buzzsaw off its back. It sped towards the ground at high speed. It landed so abruptly that Buzzsaw was flung to the ground at the feet of the riders. He jumped up and glared at him. He pulled out his whistle and sneered.
"No, Buzzsaw don't," Jun protested. But Buzzsaw ignored her and blew the whistle; it made no sound. Buzzsaw tried again, and got the same result. Everyone was puzzled, including the Timberjack. Buzzsaw looked closer at the whistle.
"The decoy," he realized.
"Looks just like the real one," said Tom as he landed Thunder beside his friends. He held up the real whistle. They all gaped at him. "While you were up there freaking out and shoved me off, I made the switch. A real dragon rider never looses his cool." All the riders and dragon beamed at Tom and Thunder. Tom looked up at the Timberjack. "Go, be free." The dragon didn't need telling twice, and flew off again dragging Buzzsaw with it. Tom dismounted and put the whistle in his pocket. Just then they heard Edelweiss bashing around in her cage.
The riders freed all the caged dragons. Wu, Wei, and Plowhorn lifted the cage off Edelweiss. She uncoiled her body and wings. Tom and D'Angelo got her ropes off, and she slowly got to her feet.
"Oh, I've got pins and needles everywhere," she said, as she stretched her numb limbs. "Thank you guys." Tom looked up at the sky where Buzzsaw had vanished yet again.
"We lost Buzzsaw, again," he said.
"We'll get another shot at Buzzsaw," said Jun. "But we should finish freeing these dragons and head home."
"You're right," said Tom. "I'm about late as it is." They freed the rest of the dragons. Edelweiss and Plowhorn destroyed all the cages. Then the riders got on their dragons and headed for home, Edelweiss followed happy to stretch her wings again.