Dragon Little and Thank You the big sea turtle dove into the empty ocean.
I cannot see too deeply into the ocean, for its color and its murkiness make it hard for my dragon eyes. But I knew there was nothing in it - there should have been nothing in it - because Dragon Father was gone and the dream was empty of its dreamer.
The upside-down lifeboat protected Dragon Little underwater, allowing her to breathe.
“Oh, so cool!” I heard what only sharp dragon’s ears could hear: a soft, muted gurgle that climbs through the water to its surface and then up, kilometers into the air and into my hiding place.
“Look at that!” I heard her say.
“Not so deep! Not so deep!” and then her voice was full of water.
The upside-down lifeboat that was her air bubble floated upwards and she couldn’t hold it down. Her voice was underwater for a second, then breathing air again. Her hands were tied to the ship, so she no doubt floated up with it, her legs not strong enough to cling to Thank You.
Within seconds, the boat buoyed up to the surface, still upside-down.
Thank You appeared underneath her, swimming calmly.
He swam to one side, then pushed the boat upwards with his shell.
One time, two times, and the lifeboat overturned.
Dragon Little, wet and tied to the sides of the boat turned with it.
“Yeah, I think maybe we can just play on top of the water, okay?” she told Thank You.
Thank You nodded.
She untied herself, then held on to his shell and let him lead the boat.
They swam for hours. Dragon Little talked. They played in the water and enjoyed themselves until Dragon Little was too tired.
I believe this was Dragon Little’s first real friend, her only friend who wasn’t an incarcerated villain.
I believed that this would become a permanent friendship. But it would not be so.
Tomorrow I will tell you how they parted.
—Told by The Red Dragon