Angrily, Kylie threw her pencil on the floor. The red F glared at her from the test paper. It's not MY fault if I don't know the answers! She thought. It's the teacher's fault for not teaching me better! The rest of the day wasn't much of an improvement. But finally, it was time for her to go home. Kylie stomped out of the school, not even bothering to stop to talk to her friends. Even if she did, she didn't feel like saying anything nice. While she was walking, a small, shiny red ball began rolling down the street, straight toward the gutter. Kylie saw it and stopped. Realizing where it was headed, she quickly bent down and scooped it up. It looked as if a reddish mist was trapped in the ball, writhing and squirming as it tried to get out. "What the heck?" Kylie said out loud. "What IS this?"
The dragon's orb.
She froze. Had the ball just...talked to her!? "Um, hi?" Nothing. "How are you?"
Perfectly fine. Now, you know what would be nice-
Kylie stuffed it in her pocket with shaking hands before it could finish its thought. If it had thoughts. She hurried home, confusion masking her earlier anger. After dinner that night, she tried again.
"Who are you?"
I am the dragon's orb.
"What dragon?"
That is the ONE thing I am not allowed to tell you. But what I CAN say...
"So what CAN you do?"
I can answer questions about anything. Spelling, math, geography... Speaking of geography, you know where would be nice? Smukkull's Cavern has excellent weather this time of year. Nice and sunny.
"So..." Kylie tried, "where IS Smukkull's Cavern? I've never heard of it."
Oh! The ball seemed delighted. I can take you there now, if you want.
"Um, no. I just...wait. You can transport?"
Maybe.
Well, that was helpful, Kylie thought. Stuffing the ball under her bed, she laid down and tried to sleep- which was hard, with all her new...possibilities.
The next day, Kylie snuck the ball into school in her bag. If that thing could give answers, then she could definitely use that. There was a geography test in Social Studies, and a quiz in math... Those answers could come in handy. All through the day, she whizzed through tests, and the ones she got back were all graded with the special blue marker that the teachers used for really smart students. They were all A+s. The only problem was keeping her voice down so nobody thought she was cheating. One thing she did notice about the ball, that was very strange, was that when ever she asked a question, the conversation always came back to a free transportation to Smukkull's Cavern- where ever that was. But finally, at the end of the school day, Kylie's good mood and curiosity got the better of her.
"Okay," she said when they were in the middle of the woods behind the school. "Take me...to Smukkull's Cavern." The ball lit up, and the glow kept getting stronger. With a burst of light, they were gone. Kylie couldn't see anything, but she felt bright light burning her eyelids, and her feet weren't touching anything. With another flash, they were back on the ground. Looming before them was the yawning mouth of a cave. A cavern. With a deep breath, Kylie took a tentative step forward. The ball dropped from her hand and rolled, leading the way down the twisting caverns.
"J-j-just how BIG is this place?" she asked shakily, wanting to lean against something but not trusting the dusty, cobwebbed walls.
This cavern goes for about a mile more before turning and running into another route of pathways. In other words, without me you'd be lost.
"Okay, I did not need to know that."
You asked.
They walked- well, rolled- for a long time before Kylie stopped. A stench so bad it made sticking her head in a full garbage truck seem appealing was reaching her nose, and age gagged.
Oops, sorry. That's Smukkull's waste cave, if you know what I mean.
Kylie could only nod.
This here is Smukkull's main cave. Remember to be polite- you ARE a guest.
"Um, who exactly IS Smukkull?" Kylie asked, feeling she should have asked that a LONG time ago. She didn't have to wait for an answer, because a booming voice shook the cavern walls, deep and gravelly.
"Are you FINALLY here? I've been waiting FOREVER, so HUNGRY- er, happy, I mean. Come in."
Mutely, Kylie
The dragon's orb.
She froze. Had the ball just...talked to her!? "Um, hi?" Nothing. "How are you?"
Perfectly fine. Now, you know what would be nice-
Kylie stuffed it in her pocket with shaking hands before it could finish its thought. If it had thoughts. She hurried home, confusion masking her earlier anger. After dinner that night, she tried again.
"Who are you?"
I am the dragon's orb.
"What dragon?"
That is the ONE thing I am not allowed to tell you. But what I CAN say...
"So what CAN you do?"
I can answer questions about anything. Spelling, math, geography... Speaking of geography, you know where would be nice? Smukkull's Cavern has excellent weather this time of year. Nice and sunny.
"So..." Kylie tried, "where IS Smukkull's Cavern? I've never heard of it."
Oh! The ball seemed delighted. I can take you there now, if you want.
"Um, no. I just...wait. You can transport?"
Maybe.
Well, that was helpful, Kylie thought. Stuffing the ball under her bed, she laid down and tried to sleep- which was hard, with all her new...possibilities.
The next day, Kylie snuck the ball into school in her bag. If that thing could give answers, then she could definitely use that. There was a geography test in Social Studies, and a quiz in math... Those answers could come in handy. All through the day, she whizzed through tests, and the ones she got back were all graded with the special blue marker that the teachers used for really smart students. They were all A+s. The only problem was keeping her voice down so nobody thought she was cheating. One thing she did notice about the ball, that was very strange, was that when ever she asked a question, the conversation always came back to a free transportation to Smukkull's Cavern- where ever that was. But finally, at the end of the school day, Kylie's good mood and curiosity got the better of her.
"Okay," she said when they were in the middle of the woods behind the school. "Take me...to Smukkull's Cavern." The ball lit up, and the glow kept getting stronger. With a burst of light, they were gone. Kylie couldn't see anything, but she felt bright light burning her eyelids, and her feet weren't touching anything. With another flash, they were back on the ground. Looming before them was the yawning mouth of a cave. A cavern. With a deep breath, Kylie took a tentative step forward. The ball dropped from her hand and rolled, leading the way down the twisting caverns.
"J-j-just how BIG is this place?" she asked shakily, wanting to lean against something but not trusting the dusty, cobwebbed walls.
This cavern goes for about a mile more before turning and running into another route of pathways. In other words, without me you'd be lost.
"Okay, I did not need to know that."
You asked.
They walked- well, rolled- for a long time before Kylie stopped. A stench so bad it made sticking her head in a full garbage truck seem appealing was reaching her nose, and age gagged.
Oops, sorry. That's Smukkull's waste cave, if you know what I mean.
Kylie could only nod.
This here is Smukkull's main cave. Remember to be polite- you ARE a guest.
"Um, who exactly IS Smukkull?" Kylie asked, feeling she should have asked that a LONG time ago. She didn't have to wait for an answer, because a booming voice shook the cavern walls, deep and gravelly.
"Are you FINALLY here? I've been waiting FOREVER, so HUNGRY- er, happy, I mean. Come in."
Mutely, Kylie