Read Festival of Shadows Online
Authors: Michael La Ronn
“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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“You can’t get rid of us that easily,” Andersen said.
Verona shot a stone at Theo and Gasket, but they rolled out of the way.
“We’ve got to take her out,” Theo said, turning Gasket in Verona’s 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.
They chased Verona into a nearby cloud; she disappeared into the misty fog.
“Slow down, Gasket,” Theo said, and the dragon hovered in midair.
They heard Wheelie fly by the cloud on their right. The red dragon roared and they heard a freezing, crushing sound—the cloud was hardening around them.
“Wheelie blew ice into the cloud,” Theo said. “If we get trapped, it’ll be like being inside an ice cube,” Theo said.
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Gasket rolled out of the cloud just before it turned into a large ice cube and plummeted toward the ground.
Verona was waiting for them with her slingshot aimed at Theo. She released a stone and it hurtled for his head.
~ Theo slid down Gasket’s back to avoid the rock.
~ He activated the Whatsamadoozle.
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The rock bounced off Gasket’s scales and fell toward the ground.
“Darn,” Verona said as Theo and Gasket zoomed for her. She reached for another stone but she was didn’t have any more. “Uh oh.”
WHOOSH! Gasket engulfed Verona in flames, and she fell burning toward the ground.
“Sorry, boss . . .”
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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WHACK! The stone hit Theo in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
He fell off Gasket’s back, but Gasket caught him again.
Ahead, Andersen and Wheelie were flying directly at them.
“Heh heh.” Andersen flapped Wheelie’s reins, and the dragon roared.
He wants to play chicken.
Theo patted Gasket and stared at Andersen, scowling. “Straight on, Gasket. Don’t pull up.”
Gasket looked back at Theo and whimpered.
“Trust me, pal.”
As they neared each other, the clown’s smirk faded.
The two dragons were seconds from a collision.
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Andersen screamed and steered Wheelie up at the last moment, avoiding impact. Wheelie roared, flapped his wings frantically, and Andersen fell off.
“Darn . . .”
Verona caught him and held him under the armpits.
“See, boss? I won’t let you fall.”
But they
were
falling. Verona’s propeller couldn’t support both of them.
“You idiot! We’re falling!”
“Sorry, boss . . .”
Andersen reached up, grabbed Verona’s propeller and put it on his head. He kicked her away and she plummeted, screaming and crying the whole way down.
“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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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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Theo and Gasket landed in the middle of the clearing where the caravan was, and everyone looked up in surprise. It took Bethany a moment to realize what was happening, but when she finally did, she dropped her lasso and uppercut the sky. She was on top of Gasket in an instant. The dragon panted and licked her.
“I’m so glad you’re home, boy . . .”
“Thank ya so much,” Bethany said, hugging Theo. “Gasket’s home, everybody! We got our mascot back!”
Lucinda hovered over. “Impressive, Theo.”
“You should have been impressed with me from the beginning,” Theo said.
The caravan hollered, and they held Theo up and tossed him several times.
“No, stop, really—”
Gasket licked Theo.
“He likes you,” Bethany said. “And I’m eternally grateful. Feel free to use him whenever you want.”
“Perfect,” Theo said. He grabbed Lucinda and dragged her toward Gasket. “It’s your turn to help
me
, now.”
Lucinda shoved him away. “Yes, I’ll keep my end of the promise, Theo. But don’t touch me.”
“You’re not moving fast enough.”
They climbed on Gasket.
“Okay, boy,” Lucinda said, patting his neck. “We’re going to take a trip. Fly north!”
Gasket flapped his wings and they took off into the sky.
“Where are we going?” Theo asked.
“To see an old friend,” Lucinda said. “He and I have been through a lot together.”
“I don’t care about your history, as long as he can help me get into the castle—”
Lucinda steered Gasket and he rolled to the right, quieting Theo as he hung on tight.
“Can you stop talking about yourself for a few minutes?” Lucinda shouted over the wind. “I’m tired of listening to you.”
“And I’m tired of your inaction,” Theo said.
They didn’t talk for the rest of the flight.
CHAPTER COMPLETE!
The moon is hidden behind clouds and is not visible.
Remember
or
Highlight
the above sentence. It may come in handy . . .
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You didn’t make a selection. Go back to the previous page. Otherwise, you may get lost.
Theo and Gasket landed in the middle of the clearing where the caravan was, and everyone looked up in surprise. It took Bethany a moment to realize what was happening, but when she finally did, she dropped her lasso and uppercut the sky. She was on top of Gasket in an instant. The dragon panted and licked her.
“I’m so glad you’re home, boy . . .”
“Thank ya so much,” Bethany said, hugging Theo. “Gasket’s home, everybody! We got our mascot back!”
Lucinda hovered over. “Impressive, Theo.”
“You should have been impressed with me from the beginning,” Theo said.
The caravan hollered, and they held Theo up and tossed him several times.