Chapter 9
The dragon put Ben down on the dusty, gravelly road, a few metres from the entrance to the city. The boy set off queasily towards the gate.
Maya and Ilvy rushed out to meet him, interrupting each other with their questions.
“Are you alright? Does anything hurt?” Ilvy felt the boy’s shoulders and face, which was flushed from the wind.
“Where did it take you? To its lair?” Maya blurted out, unable to contain her curiosity.
The dragon withdrew to the shade of the trees at the edge of the forest. With its massive talons it peeled strips of the black bark from the trees and started chewing on them contentedly, paying no attention to the three astonished humans.
“I’m fine,” Ben finally grunted. “And, as you can see, it didn’t eat me. I think it wanted to show me something.”
“Wha
