Dragon Father had disappeared. Dragon Little was asleep. And I was alone, still in my hiding place, looking at what was left of the dream without its dreamer.

The ocean was vast underneath me, and Bonny’s Revenge floated silently on it, with the sleeping Dragon Little and the villains in its infinite prison. 

The moon hung above them. 

A few stars twinkled. 

The suns shone. 

There was no noise. 

There was just silence. 

I have been in my hiding place for four years. Dragon Little was almost six years old. And me, I’ve done nothing but recover, lick my wounds, and then lick my wounds again after the handful of times I have left my hiding place. 

My wings needed stretching and, for a change, I decided to stretch them. 

My hiding place felt my need and expanded. 

I looked behind me. The outside of the dream was there. Just there. With all its dangers. With all its possibilities. With all its dreams. 

Do I dare? Just take a few more steps and then… And then use my sharp dragon’s ears and listen? 

I would just listen, I told myself.

I did not even give myself time to think about it. I moved towards the outside of Dragon Father’s dream. 

Tomorrow I will tell you what happened then. 

—Told by The Red Dragon