The Dragon Master Evan was sweating; he swept his auburn hair out of his eyes.

He was tall, handsome and had a strong build from all the work he had done. He had been in the sun for 5 hours now, working non-stop. He liked his life as a farmers hand, cleaning the barns and feeding the pigs and horses. He grimaced, straightening up; but still if only his parents hadnt died 3 years ago, his life could have been much better. He let his mind wander for a moment, and then realized it was time to go back to his barn where he lived, on the other side of the forest. The forest was as beautiful as always and on some days, he sat there and thought about his parents. It always calmed him to think that he was being protected by the trees and the animals. However, today it felt different. There was no sense of calmness in him, only the feeling of being watched. Suddenly with a snarl, a huge wolf burst out of the woods. It was the size of 10 normal wolves combined. Evan started running with all his might, tripping over branches and stumbling over logs. He had only one thought in his mind escape. Out of the blue, an arrow flew right in front of him and pierced the wolf in the breast and with a final growl, it was dead. Evan slowly crept forward, curious to see who had killed it. What he saw amazed him. It was a knight in shining armor, astride a great horse. This couldnt be possible! It looked just like someone out of a medieval play. W-ho are you? I am a knight on a mission Sir Lancelot. I am not from this world. What I am about to say will shock you, but you must hear it your king is evil. He wants to have war against the king of my world. If this comes to pass, this world and everything as you know it will be destroyed. Will you help me negotiate with him? I do not think I am worthy of this task, but I will try my best. Together they rode to the castle of the evil king. Evan looked around, amazed. From his barn, he had always seen the castle as bright and glorious. But now, he could see that it was an illusion. The castle was dark with cracked windows and cobwebs everywhere. Prisoners could be heard screaming from the dungeons. Evan shuddered; this would stay in his mind for a while. A hideous, disfigured servant met him at the door.

King Scipio will see you now in the throne room. The king looked unlike anything Evan had seen before. He was short and fat with evil eyes and an overgrown beard. What in the world are you staring at, peasant? N-no-thing, sir. We are here to convince you to stop you war against the king of Avalon. Get out. I dont want to hear you or your friend over there. My decision is made and nothing not even my sons death, will stop me. I will fight to the death. Now, leave! As they were escorted out the castle, Evan couldnt help but notice the sad expression on Lancelots face. He seemed to have gotten older already, just after speaking to the king. The journey back to the forest was silent and before leaving, the knight gave him a horn. Whenever you are in trouble, just blow this horn a few times and I will come. Evan felt like crying. It seemed as if he had known this knight for ages and he wished he could go back with him to Avalon. Suddenly, he felt something very queer. It felt as if energy was coursing through his veins and out his fingertips. The knight gasped in surprise, recalling a tale of his childhood. It had been an unusually cold winter in Avalon and as he was eating his supper, someone knocked on the door. His mother had opened it and invited the hungry bard in to supper and it was then that the extraordinary tale had been told. He closed his eyes and remembered the exact words. In the time when the worlds collide, Nothing will be able to abide The great destruction due to the worlds. But at the hands of a mortal boy, Controlling the forces of nature And the egg of the Dragon Lord. The two must become one, The one that can save all. This could be the boy the bard was talking about! If he was, then he would be able to save Avalon. Will you come with me back to Avalon? I think you might be the only one that can save both of the worlds! he said.

Evan felt giddy at the possibility of going to Avalon, but could he really save both of the worlds? He didnt think so. Just earlier today, he had just been a common farmers boy feeding pigs and tending to the animals and now he was expected to save the world? I would be very glad to return to Avalon with you Sir Lancelot, but I do not think I would be up to saving the world. Even so, I will go, he replied. Then, his eyes widened with surprise the knight had created a portal. It was a large, swirling vortex and he could stare at it for hours without getting bored. Evan shook his head; he didnt have that much time to waste staring at a portal. The wonders of Avalon lay just a step ahead and he couldnt wait. As he stepped into the portal, he could not help but gasp, awestruck. Below him lay a vast world, much larger than he had expected. He was surrounded by a sparkling blue lake and a castle rose up in the distance. There were all sorts of people everywhere some on winged horses. That would be a real pity to destroy wouldnt it? asked Lancelot. Evan gave a start; the knight had magically appeared beside him. But we have no time to waste. I must take you to the great wizard Merlin. Lancelot had created yet another portal and when Evan was caught staring, informed Portals are in style nowadays. Almost everyone uses them to travel and stepped in; dragging him along. Ahhhh, Lancelot. How good it is to see you after all these years. Now what do we have here? Am I mistaken or is that a mortal boy? No old man, you are not mistaken. Sadly, I failed to convince the king to stop the war but I believe that this boy can save us all. You see, he created a flood of water from his fingertips! Remember this line? But at the hands of a mortal boy, controlling the forces of nature For the first time, Evan was able to look at Merlin carefully for he had been jumping around with excitement right after Lancelot told him about how he could control water. Though Merlin was old and very wrinkly, he still had the eyes of a teenager, which were full of enthusiasm at the thought of having someone to train. Young man, what is your name? Evan. Evan, will you accept me as your master to train you to control the forces of nature? If you accept, I will train you to control wind, water, fire and ice. Yes, sir.

Good. We will begin with water and Lancelot, could you please step out? Im sorry but what I am teaching Evan now is to be kept secret. For the next few weeks, Merlin trained Evan to command the forces, one at a time. It was difficult to get a hand of at first, but after lots of training and practicing, he was always rewarded. Soon after, Merlin decided that it was time to meet the queen and king of Avalon. They slowly walked down the long hallway of the castle together, where they were greeted by the kings steward. Go on in. The king and queen are waiting for you. he said. Evan was nervous. This was the moment of truth and if he didnt display his skills well enough, he would never have a chance to save Avalon. He pushed open the huge iron doors and staring at his feet, stepped into the bright room lit by candles. Your majesties, I am pleased to have the opportunity to meet you. He looked up as he said this and what he saw was beyond imagination. The queen and king were both so bright that Evan couldnt look directly at them. The glow surrounding them pulsated like a heartbeat and when the king spoke, his voice shook the entire room. Welcome, mortal. I have heard about your magical skill and hopefully, today in front of us, you can display this. I will give you a few minutes to decide on what you are going to do. Evans head was beaded with sweat. He had come so far already and he would not give up. But what could he do to display his skill? Suddenly, he knew what to do. He would re-enact one of the most famous myths. I am ready, he told the king and queen. Almost instantly, a hush fell over the assembled crowd. First, created some wind to blow out all the candles. He always loved the feeling of energy rising up from within him and the feeling of exhilaration when he saw what he could do. There was once a time when the God of Fire and the God of Water were at war. Both of them wanted to rule the world, and neither of them wanted to give it up to the other. So, recruiting their allies, a great battle was ensued. The God of Fire called for help from his close friend, the God of Wind and the God of Water called upon the God of Ice. At this, Evan created a four foot wall of flame across from another wall of water. The audience gasped, entranced. While the Gods fought above the earth, down below, the ice soldiers were bravely fighting the wind soldiers.

Chariots drawn by horses made of ice and wind appeared, as well as troops of marching soldiers, carrying shields and long spears. The Gods were so busy fighting that they did not realize the damage they were doing to the people on earth. Forest fires raged across the continents and fierce storms and tornados unlike anyone had ever seen raced through all the small towns and villages, leaving trails of destruction in their wakes. Hundreds of sailors were lost at sea and sharp hailstones pierced the backs of the people. Evan created storms and sent tornadoes spinning and sent sharp hailstones flying around the room. The audience hid under the tables for protection. Soon, the Gods realized what they had done and immediately called for a truce, deciding to share the earth. Bit by bit the world began to recover; the trees started growing again, the seas calmed and the wind stopped blowing. A few years later, the earth had completely recovered and the Gods never fought again. Thank You. The crowd erupted into cheers and whoops, giving him a standing ovation. The king cleared his throat and waited for everyone to calm down. You have made great progress Evan, and I think you are ready to claim the dragons egg now. he said. The next day, riding on the horse the king had chosen for him, Evan set out to the Cave of the Dragons Egg. At about midday, he stopped in front of a vast desert. How was he going to cross that? He decided that he would just have to ride on like before and hope he would survive. A few hours later, he had made it across safely, but discovered that he had no clue where he was. Spotting a cave, he urged his horse toward it, hoping that it was the cave that contained the egg. As he peeked inside, he was disappointed to see that the only thing in the cave was an old hermit. Welcome, young man. I have been waiting for you for a long time. he said. You have? But why? asked Evan. I was sent here to give you a message. In order to reach your destination, you must use your powers and in order to defeat the evil king, you and the dragon must become one. replied the Hermit. What do you mean? Who told you this message? Where is my desti- Evan asked and abruptly stopped as the hermit had disappeared. Hermit, where are you? Confused, he rode out of the cave wondering what he would have to do to get to his destination. Why didnt anyone try to help him? And when they did, why did they disappear without giving him a second thought? Angrily, he called the energy to his hands and

started throwing fireballs all around. Then, before his eyes, a fireball struck the face of the rock, revealing a hidden passageway. This could be what the hermit was talking about! Excited, Evan scanned for a route, but a gorge separated him and the mouth of the passage. Abruptly, he remembered that he had powers and knew how to use them. Grinning, he created a path out of ice and crossed over it and entered the passage. What he saw inside astounded him. There was a beautiful golden egg covered in intricate patterns and surrounded by a golden glow. As he reached out and touched it, he had a wondrous feeling. He felt energy from the egg flow into him and fill him. Then, he heard a voice. Who are you? It was the dragon speaking in his mind. I am Evan the dragon master. Your world will die if we dont work together to fight the evil king Scipio. The next day, the young dragon taught about Evan more about his powers and how to control all the forces with only his mind, without having to speak out loud. It is done. You are well trained enough to battle the king. said the dragon. But how will we get into the palace? asked Evan. They decided to sneak in with Evan dressed up as a servant pushing a wheelbarrow with the dragon inside, underneath all the supplies. The king would think that he was just a servant and if they were lucky, invite them to watch the battle. The dragon teleported them to the door of King Scipios palace where the king, thinking Evan was a servant immediately invited him to watch the battle. Oh you will really enjoy watching the battle, my dear boy. Perhaps if I win, I will invite you to dinner! Ha! he exclaimed. As Evan was pondering on what to do, there was a flare of trumpets and he saw the army of Avalon appear. He crossed his fingers and prayed, hoping for victory. Dont worry. You will win the battle as long as you remember the hermits words. soothed the dragon. He gave a start, remembering what the hermit said: In order to defeat the evil king, you and the dragon must become one. Hey! How did you know about the hermit and what he told me? Evan narrowed his eyes. Just then, there was a shout and the battle began. There was no time for suspicion and he immediately reached out with his mind, merging it with the dragons. He felt an overwhelming sense of power and together, they sent a great burst of energy forward, killing all the kings troops. The general though, escaped unnoticed and when Evan travelled back to Avalon, he jumped into the portal at the last second. Back at the castle in Avalon, the king and queen congratulated Evan on a job well done and invited

him to a feast. What would you like as a reward? Would you like to be the court magician after Merlin? asked the queen. Evan snuck a glance at Merlin. He was as expressionless as always. I would love to he replied, but I need to return to my own world. Im very sorry. The king gave him a forgiving smile and told him it was alright. You can leave whenever you want, but please keep in mind that you can always return. The next day, Evan decided that it was time to leave. Merlin insisted on a last dinner to commemorate about the good times they had together. I will teach you how to make your own portal so that you can pass from world to world even after I have passed away. he informed. It was a hard thing to master, even harder than the things Merlin had taught him earlier, but by the end of the meal, he finally got it right. A knock sounded at the door and as the magician went over to open it, it burst open and Merlin was stabbed with a spear. When Evan caught a glimpse of the face of the killer, he realized with a shock that it was the general of the evil king. He should have been dead! Quickly, he rubbed grime and soot from the fireplace on his face, pretending to be a house servant. The general asked him Where is the Dragon Boy? I must take my revenge on him. Pretending to be scared, he stuttered H-e is in the stor-age shed. Over there! Walking at a brisk pace, the general hurried into the storage shed. Coming up with an idea, Evan created an exact copy of himself using wind to stir up the dust on the ground. With a battle cry, the general rushed in, holding his spear out and shut the door of the shed. This part of the plan was critical. If Evan made a mistake, he would surely be killed. Calling upon fire once again, he set the whole shed alight, burning and killing the general in the process. He heaved a sigh of relief. He was safe for now. People would surely wonder what happened to Merlin and would suspect that Evan had killed him, so he should escape back to his own world when he had the chance. Taking on last look at the world of Avalon, he created a portal and walked through. He was greeted by cheering as the citizens of the town lifted him up and placed a crown on his head. Now that he had saved the world, Evan felt up to doing just about anything, including being king.