Dragon Father flew Bonny’s Revenge all alone. The deck was empty. Dragon Little’s cabin was empty.
Even to me, afar in my hiding place, knowing and seeing that 4-year-old Dragon Little was safe on the small island - even to me it felt strange.
Dragon Father landed the flying pirate ship they call home in the port of another island.
“Hello, my good man,” he addressed the armored elf guarding the entrance to the island. “I am Justin Shelley, pirate extraordinaire, and I come at the request of the King of the Elves.”
The guard looked behind Dragon Father.
“I have been informed of your coming,” he said. “But I was told you would not come alone.”
Dragon Father smiled. “Yeah, I’m all alone. I’m sure I can handle whatever the King has in mind.”
The guard stepped aside. “Welcome to our kingdom!”
Dragon Father stepped past the guard, then stopped.
He took a few steps back.
“Uh… Do you know?” he asked the guard. “Is it urgent?”
“Is what urgent?”
“Uh… the quest. The quest the king has in mind for me. Is it urgent? Can it wait a couple of hours?”
“What… What do you mean?”
“I mean…” he leaned closer and whispered to the guard. But my sharp dragon ears caught the words clearly, “I’m all alone for the first time that I can remember since Joy was born. I don’t think I’ve actually had time for myself in years.”
“And…” the guard was slightly confused. “You want to do something else for two hours?”
“Yes. Very much. Can the quest wait?”
“It has waited thirty years. It can wait two more hours.”
“Great!” Dragon Father started running back towards Bonny’s Revenge. “See you later!”
He boarded the ship and flew away.
Tomorrow I will tell you how he spent his time, all alone.
—Told by The Red Dragon