Read Festival of Shadows Online
Authors: Michael La Ronn
“Completely useless,” Andersen said, landing on Wheelie. He threw the propeller away.
“It’s so hard to find good help anymore. I’ll have to get rid of you myself.”
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Gasket flew down, but it was too late—Wheelie grabbed Theo with its claws.
Verona hit Gasket in the eye with a stone and the dragon fell into free fall.
Wheelie let go of Theo, and he and Gasket crashed into a meadow.
Andersen flew over them and laughed. “You can keep your stupid dragon. Just remember that we’re the best!”
He and Verona flew away.
“Ouch . . .” Theo sat up and shook his head.
Gasket struggled to stand up, but Theo patted his neck. “It’s okay. We did the best we could.”
It was a while before Gasket could fly again, but they took to the sky and flew toward the caravan grounds at a slow pace.
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He turned the Whatsamadoozle into a baseball bat, and he smacked the rock back at Verona; it hit her propeller and broke the blade, and she fell, screaming and crying all the way down.
Andersen and Wheelie pulled up alongside Gasket, and Andersen swiped at Theo, but Theo ducked and Gasket rolled away.
“It’s so hard to find good help anymore,” Andersen said, pulling at Wheelie’s reins. “I’ll have to get rid of you myself.”
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Gasket blew fire, but it wasn’t enough to stop the impending ice crystals. He and Theo and were imprisoned in a block of ice, and it plummeted to the ground and shattered in a meadow, injuring them both.
Andersen flew over them and laughed. “You can keep your stupid dragon. Just remember that we’re the best!”
He and Verona flew away.
“Ouch . . .” Theo sat up and shook his head.
Gasket struggled to stand up, but Theo patted his neck. “It’s okay. We did the best we could.”
It was a while before Gasket could fly again, but they took to the sky and flew toward the caravan grounds at a slow pace.
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Andersen tapped on Wheelie’s neck. “Freeze them.”
Wheelie blew a shot of icy breath toward Theo and Gasket.
Gasket looked back and blew fire. It met with the ice, creating a sparkling, spiky sculpture that hung in the sky for a moment.
Wheelie smacked the ice ball with his tail, sending it flying toward Theo and Gasket.
POW! Gasket sent the ice ball back toward Andersen with his tail.
POW! Wheelie sent the ball back toward Gasket.
The ball shot back and forth between them, growing smaller with each hit until it was the size of a volleyball. Theo caught the ball and threw it at Andersen’s head.
Andersen fell off Wheelie and landed in a meadow below.
“Ugh . . .”
Wheelie landed and licked him, but he pushed the dragon away.
“Leave the caravan alone,” Theo yelled. “Or you’ll regret it.”
Theo aimed Gasket toward the caravan grounds and they flew away.
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“Get ’em!” Andersen shouted.
Ludwig flew forward and caught up to Theo and Gasket.
“You’re mine,” the clown said, reaching for Gasket’s tail.
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Gasket flapped his wings and ascended, barely missing Ludwig’s hands.
In the distance, Theo saw Verona with a slingshot; she plugged a stone into it and aimed at him.
In the meantime, Ludwig reached for Gasket’s tail again.
They approached a low-floating gray cloud.
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Gasket fanned into the cloud, but it was too late.
SMACK! A stone hit Gasket in the back. He whimpered and lost control, falling into a tailspin, with Ludwig holding onto his tail.
“Come on, flap your wings,” Theo said.
Gasket flapped, but they kept falling.
Ludwig screamed as well.
“You’re dead weight,” Theo said to the clown. “Let go!”
“Never!”
Theo punched Ludwig’s hand, and he screamed, letting go of Gasket’s tail, flying upward.
Gasket righted himself, and Ludwig fell toward them.
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POW! Gasket smashed into Ludwig, knocking the screaming clown higher into the air. When he came down again, Gasket prepared to head-butt him again, but Ludwig kicked the dragon’s eye, sending Gasket and Theo into another tailspin.
“Gasket, flap your wings!”
But Gasket couldn’t see out of one eye, and they fell faster and faster. Ludwig regained his balance and laughed as they crashed into a meadow.
Andersen flew over them. “You can keep your stupid dragon. Just remember that we’re the best!”
Andersen and Ludwig flew away.
“Ouch . . .” Theo sat up and shook his head.
Gasket struggled to stand up, but Theo patted his neck. “It’s okay. We did the best we could.”
It was a while before Gasket could fly again, but they took to the sky and flew toward the caravan grounds at a slow pace.
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Ludwig screamed as flames engulfed him. He turned into a burning ball and shot toward the ground like a comet.
Gasket entered a jet stream and flew faster. Andersen and Verona followed.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Andersen said.
Verona shot a stone, but Gasket rolled out of the way.
“We’ve got to take her out,” Theo said, turning Gasket in her direction.
Wheelie and Andersen hung back, and when Verona saw them heading at her, she shrieked and began to fly away.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked, smirking.
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The stone hit Ludwig on the head.
“Ow!”
“Sorry, Ludwig!” Verona shouted.
Ludwig rubbed his head, and when he looked up, Gasket smacked him with his tail, sending him into free fall.
“Mommy . . .”
Gasket entered a jet stream, and he and Theo flew faster. Andersen and Verona followed.
Wheelie roared.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Andersen said.
Verona shot a stone, but Gasket rolled out of the way.
“We’ve got to take her out,” Theo said, turning Gasket in her direction.
Wheelie and Andersen hung back, and when Verona saw them heading at her, she shrieked and began to fly away.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked, smirking.
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POW! Ludwig flew backward, but he balanced himself just before entering free fall. He flew at Theo and Gasket faster than before, brandishing a knife.
Theo slanted his eyes and jumped off Gasket. He grabbed Ludwig, dragging him downward, and knocked the knife out of the clown’s hand.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Ludwig said, trying to fly upward. “You’re going to kill us both!”
~ Theo punched Ludwig in the face.
~ He grabbed Ludwig’s propeller stick.
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Theo’s paw bounced off the clown’s face.
POW! Ludwig punched Theo back, and the blow stung.
In the distance, Verona set a hot stone into her slingshot and aimed it at Theo.
Ludwig reared back to punch again.
~ He climbed onto Ludwig’s shoulder.
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POW! The punch connected, and Theo fell but grabbed onto Ludwig’s enormous clown shoes. The clown tried to kick him off but couldn’t.
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Gasket roared and barreled straight for Ludwig.
“Yikes!” Ludwig tried to kick Theo off again, but he couldn’t.
Gasket crashed into Ludwig, dashing his propeller to pieces; Theo grabbed onto Gasket’s tail as the clown plummeted toward the ground.
But then—POW! A hot stone hit Theo on the face, sending him into free fall.
Gasket flew down and caught him, but they crashed into a meadow.
Andersen flew over them and laughed. “You can keep your stupid dragon. Just remember that we’re the best!”
Andersen and Verona flew away, but Ludwig lay passed out in the meadow with Theo and Gasket.
“Ouch . . .” Theo sat up and shook his head.
Gasket struggled to stand up, but Theo patted his neck. “It’s okay. We did the best we could.”
It was a while before Gasket could fly again, but they took to the sky and flew toward the caravan grounds at a slow pace.
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Theo fell just as Verona’s stone hit Ludwig in the face.
“Ow!”
Verona blushed. “Sorry!”
Ludwig passed out, and he plummeted.
Theo landed on Gasket’s back, and the dragon looked at him eagerly.
“Good job, boy!”
Gasket entered a jet stream, and he and Theo flew faster. Andersen and Verona followed.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Andersen said.
Verona shot a stone, but Gasket rolled out of the way.
“We’ve got to take her out,” Theo said, turning Gasket in her direction.
Wheelie and Andersen hung back, and when Verona saw them heading at her, she shrieked and began to fly away.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked, smirking.
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POW! Verona’s stone hit Ludwig in the face, sending him and Theo plummeting toward the ground.
Theo landed on Gasket’s back, but Ludwig crashed into a meadow below.
“Good job, boy!” Theo said, patting Gasket on the back.
Gasket entered a jet stream, and flapped once, and the wind took him. Andersen and Verona followed.
“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Andersen said.
Verona shot a stone, but Gasket rolled out of the way.
“We’ve got to take her out,” Theo said, turning Gasket in her direction.
Wheelie and Andersen hung back, and when Verona saw them heading at her, she shrieked and began to fly away.
“Where are you going?” Theo asked, smirking.
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Theo shook the propeller stick. The blades sputtered and stopped, and he and Ludwig entered free fall, punching at each other on the way down.
“You idiot,” Ludwig said. His propeller started again and he flew upward, but Theo kept falling.
Gasket swooped down and caught Theo just in time, but they crashed into a meadow below.
Andersen flew over them and laughed. “You can keep your stupid dragon. Just remember that we’re the best!”
Andersen flew away, but Ludwig lay passed out in the meadow with Theo and Gasket.