Chapter 47: Jack and the Dragon:
Jack's POV:
Jill, Peter, and I were walking through a desert. Jill and Peter told me about the adventure they had in Nowhere. We were walking, but then we saw a man suffering. He fell and we assumed he was dead.
"Poor unfortunate creature," I said.
"I'm not poor. I might be unfortunate, but I'm not poor. Look at my necklace. That's genuine fox tooth, that is."
"You're alive," I said.
"Of course, I'm alive, but that's no reason to call me poor.
"What happened to you," asks Jill.
"There's this terrible smog that's poisoning my village," he says.
"We should take a look at that," says Peter.
. . .
We arrived at the village and the smog was terrible. Everyone was suffering. "We must go to the shelter," says a man as he and a crowd were running to this shelter. "The Shelter! It's full!" There was one cat.
"The smog is driving everyone mad," says Jill.
"Wait, look over there." Peter was pointing to a hut. There was a man inside.
. . .
We entered the hut. "How can you stand this smell..." Turns out the man had his nose blocked. "Never mind."
"What can I do for ya," asks the man, "just keep that door shut. No reason to bring that stench in."
"Where is that stench coming from," I asked.
"I got all kinds of things you might be interested. Never know when you need fire."
A bird then started squawking. "Fire rhymes with liar!"
"Quiet, you!"
"Your pet is adorable," says Jill.
"My pet? That's my wife. Never sell a wizard an expired fishing license. Ah, how'bout some pickled camel feet."
"We just want to know about the smog," says Peter.
"Oh, I can tell you, for a price."
"But the lives of your fellow villagers are at stake," I said.
"Come with me."
. . .
We were then outside. "Look up," says the salesman, "do you see the words 'free informagion' anywhere on that sign?"
"No," I said.
"Try using this magnifying glass."
Jill tries. "No, but you really need to clean this sign."
"That's because I don't give information for free... and I don't clean anything either."
"Enough of this foolishness," I said, "you will tell us where the stench comes from!"
"Alright, relax. I'll tell you... for a loaf of bread and a wagon."
"Wagon," says the Salesman's wife, "rhymes with dragon!"
"Quiet! You'll give it away!"
"Give what away," asks Jill.
"What dragon," asks Peter.
"Nothing. There's no dragon."
"The smell comes from a dragon!"
"Where does this dragon live," I asked.
"UUUUUUUUUhhhhhhhhh... nowhere."
"You're beginning to arouse my ire," I said.
"You mangy pigeon! I'll have you for dinner!"
"Tell us, wise crow," I said, "where might we find this spire?"
"You ungrateful beast, you better keep that beak shut!"
"Beast, Beast! The spire lies in the east!"
"You've squawked your last squawk!"
"We must go to the east," I said.
. . .
As we were walking...
"Wait, Warriors," says the salesman, "if you're really going to fight the dragon, then you'll need this. Sheep's bladder. I'll help you breathe up there in those fumes. There is one problem..."
"You only have one," asks Peter.
"Bingo."
"Jack, Peter and I can stay here and keep the people safe," says Jill.
"Then I will go alone," I said.
"Take care of that dragon! Years ago, I lost a daughter to that beast! At the fork in the road, follow the rocky path. It will take you to the dragon's lair!"
"Where will the other path take me?"
"To them," says the salesman.
Goofy Gophers: You like antiques, I like flea markets
You like cheese but I like chocolates
I know one way we can solve this
It's called fondue, it has both
I like ficus, you like ferns
We put them in matching urns
And the silly thing we learned
Is now they're friends
Those plants are friends
You like red and I like blue
You like me and I like you
There's nothing else to do
But be best friends
We're best friends
We're best friends
We're best friends
Our friendship will never end
If we were divers, we'd get the bends
We're such deep friends
Sometimes we disagree
We must monitor our chi
And realign our energy
We are best friends
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la li li li li
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la li li li li
Dance break!
Splendid, after you.
Oh, no I insist. You're a much better dancer.
Ooh, you flatter me.
Not at all.
Okay, dance breaks over.
Never mind!
You like toning up your lats
I like wearing my new spats
It don't get no better than that
When you're best friends
You're best friends
You like grey and I like beige
Luckily for us there's greige
Which is a lovely combination of grey & beige
You like designer boots
I like velvet warm-up suits
In that way we're in cahoots
We're best friends
We're best friends
You like red and I like blue
You like me and I like you
There's nothing else to do
But be best friends
Be best friends
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
We are best friends!
Peter, Jill, and I were confused.
. . .
I was crossing the rocky path, and I began to climb the spire. I then grabbed on to a bird and rode it to the top. I then saw the smog and I put on the sheep's bladder, but I regretted that. I then went through the smog, and I arrived and faced the dragon.
"Oh, the pain," says the dragon.
"You can talk," I said.
"Yes. You must help me."
"I will put you out of your misery."
"No, wait. You don't understand. There's something inside me that is causing this."
"Inside of you?"
I then thought about those poor... those unfortunate villagers. "I will help you."
"You have to enter and destroy whatever is causing this."
. . .
I am now in the dragon. This is where my life has led to so far. "Am I nearing the source of the problem," I asked.
"No, you must go lower," says the dragon.
. . .
I then made my way and I saw a large egg. "It is a baby," I said, "a baby dragon!"
"Please hurry, I cannot take much more!"
I then released the egg and made our way out.
. . .
The egg and I are outside now. "Thank you," says the dragon.
The egg hatches and the baby dragon help me back to the village.
"Awe," says Jill as she and Peter welcomed me back.
The people cheered as the baby dragon started cooking the village.
"At last, we can breathe," says the Salesman.
"Now we just need to get rid of the fire," says Peter.
"At the right price, I can tell you how to put out the fires."
"Fire rhymes with liar!"
The Salesman then chases his wife who is still a crow.
XLVII
In the next chapter, a scientist creates three incredible girls who have some Aku within them.