Every year that I have known them, Dragon Father would take Dragon Little to the weapons shop on the small asteroid in the asteroid belt.
When Dragon Little was five, he took her there again.
The shop and the meteor were already there, waiting, empty. But as he approached, the shop filled with weapons, customers, clerks, and the parking lot with customers.
Dragon Father parked a few meters above the ground.
“We have to prepare for a big battle, Joy,” Dragon Father told her, jumping off Bonny’s Revenge.
Dragon Little who was never able to make jumps or flip-flops in the air like her father, climbed down the rope ladder.
They made their way in, past the wooden sign ‘Ye Olde Weapons Shoppe’, and out of my eyesight.
My sharp dragon ears still heard everything that happened.
“I want this,” Dragon Father picked up something. “And this. And this. And this….”
“Dad?” This time, it was Dragon Father who seemed to pick up everything and want everything. It seemed that Dragon Littled was concerned.
“Oh, what’s this?!” He picked something else up. “My god, yes! We’ll take this! Hey,” he called out to someone. “We’re going to need a bigger trolley.”
“Dad. Dad. What do you need so many weapons for?”
“There’s a big battle coming, Joy. A big battle. We have to be prepared.”
“What big battle? With who?”
“I don't’ know yet. Big battle. Huge battle. Big, big battle. Yes, thank you,” This last thing he said to receiving a big trolley - I heard its heavy wheels. “We’ll take the guided missile, too. The laser cannon… This big gun, what does it do?”
“Dad! Dad! Why do we need all this? We have swords and laser pistols!”
“Joy. A big battle is coming. You’ve never seen such a big battle!”
And so it was. Dragon Father would not listen to his daughter. Dragon Father filled one big trolley, then another big trolley, then a third big trolley - all with special weapons.
He paid for them all, then came out of the shop pushing the three trolleys.
“Dad, you didn’t even ask me if I wanted anything,” Dragon Little said.
“No time, no time. We’ll come back another day. We have to go prepare! Oh, dear.” This last thing he said, as he looked up at the ship and it was clear that he had more weapons that would fit on the deck of the ship.
He quickly tied the weapons with rope to the end of the ship, and they flew towards the big battle.
Dragon Little stood aside and was mostly silent. She had seen him like this before, each time about something dreamer. When he was obsessed, she had learned to stand aside and let him weather the storm alone.
What happened of the big battle? I will tell you that tomorrow.
—Told by The Red Dragon