‘The Squashbuckler Diaries’ are the daily tales of Joy Shelley’s Life in the Dream. The ‘Lost in Dreams’ books will tell the story of what happens to her at ages 6, 9, 12, 15, and so on. The diaries tell us what happens before, after, and between the books.

#368: Life and Death, Part 1

This story about my sweet Dragon Little ist a hard story to tell. It begins badly and it gets… Well… I will just tell it to you.

Dragon Little was getting older. It was almost her sixth birthday and I knew that sooner or later, in the next year or two, she will find out the truth about where she ist and that there ist a way out of her father’s dream. And then… Anything may happen. And sooner or later, she will die. Or, worse, she will be found by those who look for her.

I do not know how it ist that Dragon Father came to have Dragon Little, for she does not come from his dream. I do not know how much Dragon Father knows of what there ist outside his dream. I do not know how much Dragon Father knows of those who search for his daughter, those awful monsters who enslave dragons. 

And yet… 

Something in me believed that he did know that he would have to prepare Dragon Little for a life far harsher than a simple life of daily adventure.

This ist the story of how he taught Dragon Little to kill. 

It began like any other day. 

Dragon Father appeared on the deck of Bonny’s Revenge, and came into Dragon Little’s cabin to wake her up. After he sang to her in a horrible voice, she got dressed, brushed her teeth, and ate her healthy breakfast. 

“You’re not going to believe this,” he told her. “I just got news from the goblin kingdom that a horde of evil goblins are taking over the country. We have to save them!” 

Dragon Little nodded and spoke with certainty, “We have to save them!” 

Dragon Father ran to the wheel and Bonny’s Revenge rose out of the ocean and into the air. Within seconds, it was in space. Within minutes, it reached the goblin planet which was not there a few seconds before they arrived. 

“Arm yourself,” he said. 

She nodded. She didn’t need special weapons for this. She went to her cabin and pulled the laser pistol out from underneath her pillow and the small sword from under the bed. She holstered the pistol and sheathed the sword. 

“Let’s go,” she told Dragon Father who in the meantime armed himself with a long sword and a laser gun. 

Bonny’s Revenge entered the planet’s atmosphere and coasted above the trees of the goblin kingdom. 

A giant rock appeared just above the ship - it appeared out of nowhere as if it had flown quite a bit - and landed on the deck just in front of the wheel. 

“Hooooooold onnnnn!” Dragon Father yelled as Bonny’s Revenge flipped and he and Dragon Little were hurled into the air. 

In the air, he caught her hand and they landed in a muddy marsh, Dragon Father’s body landing first while hugging her, bearing the brunt of the fall. 

Dragon Father and Dragon Little emerged from the marsh dripping mud from every piece of their body and clothing. 

“This is going to be a tough one,” Dragon Father said. 

“This is going to be fun!” Dragon Little said through a smile. 

This adventure would not be fun.

I must steel my weak mind and heart for the telling of this story. Tomorrow I will continue.

—Told by The Red Dragon

#369: Life and Death, Part 2: Pain and Worry

#367: A Good Father