Aisha the Sapphire Treasure Dragon

  Contents

  Title Page

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Sneak Peek

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  Aisha and her grandmother pushed open the wooden door of the antique store. It creaked loudly. Aisha loved coming here. The store was filled with very old, very interesting things: rich tapestries, heavy chests, fancy vases, paintings with thick golden frames. There was even a suit of armor near the door. It was the kind of place where you might find something special in a dusty corner.

  The days Aisha spent with her grandmother were the best. They always had lunch, and then visited the antique store. Looking at treasures from the past was their all-time favorite thing to do together.

  “Let’s look at the jewelry,” Aisha’s grandmother suggested.

  The jewelry was displayed in a glass cabinet at the back of the store. Aisha and her grandmother loved trying on all the old pieces. Now that Aisha was doing a jewelry-making course, she liked looking at the old rings and necklaces to get ideas for her own creations.

  “I’ll be there in a moment,” Aisha replied. “I’ll just take a quick look around first.”

  Aisha had a quivery, excited feeling in her stomach. The moment she stepped inside the store today, she knew something was going to happen. Something magical. Recently, Aisha had been to a very special place with her friends Mei and Quinn called the Magic Forest. There, the three girls had discovered they were Treasure Dragon Girls! This meant that they could do all kinds of cool things like fly and roar powerful, magical roars. They were also good at finding treasure and protecting it. Aisha couldn’t wait to go back.

  Aisha looked down at the friendship bracelet on her wrist. She, Mei, and Quinn had made matching bracelets in jewelry class. Each had chosen a different color. Mei had picked ruby-red, and Quinn jade green. Aisha’s favorite gemstone was sapphire, so in the center of Aisha’s bracelet was a gorgeous blue bead. She picked blue whenever she could—for her clothes, her pencil case, even her hair ties.

  As Aisha looked at the bracelet, something strange began to happen. Was she imagining it, or was the bead glowing like real sapphire? Aisha rushed to the window so she could inspect the bead more clearly. Outside the antique store, snow covered the ground. The light was already starting to fade even though it was still afternoon. Aisha made a face. She hated winter. This was another reason why she longed to go back to the Magic Forest. It was so warm and bright there. She stared curiously at the bead in her bracelet again. It was definitely glowing.

  Then Aisha heard someone singing. It wasn’t her grandmother or the shopkeeper. They were busy talking together. Aisha listened more carefully to the words:

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  Aisha spun around. Hanging on a nearby wall was a large tapestry. She had always loved tapestries. From a distance they looked like paintings, but up close you could see every single perfect stitch. Aisha gazed at the scene in the tapestry. A snow-covered landscape of trees and mountains glistened like a diamond.

  Aisha leaned in. The singing seemed to be coming from the tapestry itself! Aisha felt her heart beating. Was she imagining it, or were the woven trees in the tapestry swaying, just a little? She took a step closer. She could almost smell the dark, smoky scent of pine cones in winter. Aisha was certain she could even hear the woven leaves on the tapestry trees rustling!

  There was a sudden warmth on Aisha’s wrist. The bead in her friendship bracelet was glowing even more brightly now. A sudden blue beam of light shot out from it, lighting up the tapestry, as though the sun had broken through the clouds. A snowy white path seemed to open up between the trees. Aisha could hear birdsong. The singing was getting louder and closer:

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore …

  The moment Aisha heard the words, she knew what was going on. It was time to visit the Magic Forest again! Aisha glanced over at her grandmother. She was still deep in conversation with the shop owner. Luckily, her grandmother could talk forever! With a thumping heart, Aisha turned back to the tapestry. She reached out to touch it, expecting to feel the ancient cloth beneath her fingers. But instead, her hand passed straight through the tapestry … and touched the rough bark of a tree trunk! A little creature darted through the undergrowth. The blue of Aisha’s bracelet glowed ever brighter.

  Stepping into a tapestry seemed like an impossible idea. But then again, being a Dragon Girl also seemed impossible. And yet that was definitely true! Taking a deep breath, Aisha chanted the words that were swirling around in her head:

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, come explore.

  Magic Forest, Magic Forest, hear my roar!

  Aisha stepped forward. With a whooshing sound and a gust of cold air, the dusty antique shop faded away. Instead of being surrounded by old vases and brass lamps, Aisha was surrounded by tall trees. Yes! She was back in the Magic Forest!

  Aisha was so excited to be back in the forest that it took her a moment to notice that something strange was going on. The last time she had been here, it had been warm and summery. But now the air was frosty, and thick snow blanketed the ground, just like at home. Maybe she wasn’t in the Magic Forest after all?

  As she looked down, Aisha caught sight of her reflection in a frozen puddle at her feet. Normally when she looked in the mirror, Aisha saw a girl with short dark hair, deep brown eyes, and a friendly smile. But now instead she saw something very different!

  She looked down to see the strong, blue-scaled dragon body that was her incredible form in this magical place. I must be in the Magic Forest after all, thought Aisha. She turned her long neck to admire the huge and powerful wings on her back. They were sapphire blue, like the rest of her, and were decorated with silver and gold. Aisha thought her wings were the very best thing about being a Dragon Girl. And just because it was so fun, Aisha gave a loud roar. Bright blue flames flared from her mouth. Aisha ginned in satisfaction. There was no doubt her roar was working!

  “But why it is so cold and snowy?” Aisha wondered out loud.

  “You’re here! You’re here!” cried an excited voice from nearby.

  Aisha turned to see a fluffy puppy leaping joyfully through the snow. He had gold markings around his face and his fur was a rich, dark blue. But that wasn’t the strangest thing about this happy, talking canine. He also had wings! The puppy skidded to a stop at Aisha’s feet, flipped over, and fell with a gleeful splat into the snow.

  “Here, little guy. Let me help you up.” Aisha laughed. She gently lifted the tiny creature from the snow and set him down on his paws.

  “Thanks!” he said, shaking himself and sending snow flying. “I’m PlushyPup. I’m here to take you to the Tree Queen. We must hurry! The Shadow Sprites are getting stronger and stronger.”

  A thought struck Aisha. “Is that why it’s snowing?” she asked.

  PlushyPup nodded. “In the Magic Forest, it normally only snows high in the mountains, where I live with my family. But ever since the Shadow Sprites stole the treasure from the forest’s vaults, the snow has been spreading. Now it’s almost everywhere!”

  “Why would the Shadow Sprites want to make the forest all snowy?” Aisha asked.

  “The Shadow Queen and her sprites are most powerful in winter. And winter is when the forest is at its weakest. Also, it’s easier for the Shadow Sprites to sneak around,” explained PlushyPup. “They love the cold and can move really quickly over snow.”

  Aish
a shivered. If the snow is everywhere, then the Shadow Sprites are everywhere, too.

  Aisha had noticed that when the sprites were nearby, she felt unsure of herself. That was how she felt right now. Nervously, Aisha glanced around. All she could see were the long shadows of the trees. But as she watched, the shadows started growing. They slipped across the ground toward her and PlushyPup.

  “Quick, let’s go!” Aisha called.

  She gave her broad and powerful wings a mighty flap and rose into the air. PlushyPup shot up beside her, his stumpy little wings fluttering so fast they were just blue blurs.

  The Shadow Sprites leapt at Aisha and PlushyPup.

  “You won’t get away!” they whispered. “You may as well give up now.”

  But there was no way Aisha was going to give up. She hadn’t even gotten started! She kicked away the grasping sprites with her strong legs.

  “Leave us alone,” she roared fiercely.

  Her roar glowed blue in the air, creating a bubble of warmth around her and PlushyPup. Aisha felt very determined. Those sprites will not beat us, she promised herself.

  Aisha rose higher into the air. “Come on, PlushyPup,” she called to the little puppy. “Let’s get to the Tree Queen.”

  Immediately, PlushyPup zoomed ahead. “This way!” he barked.

  As they sped away from the Shadow Sprites, Aisha looked down at the Magic Forest laid out below her. The landscape was so different from the last time she’d been here. Winter had taken hold of the entire forest. Aisha could see that the rivers had frozen over. Icicles hung like candle wax from tree branches. It was beautiful but strange. The Magic Forest wasn’t meant to be like this!

  It wasn’t just how the forest looked, either. The last time Aisha had been here, the air had been heavy with the scent of tropical fruit, like mango, pineapple, and coconut. Now it smelled blank and cold. The worst part was that Aisha could see shadowy shapes slithering across the snow down below.

  We’ve got work to do, thought Aisha. But with Mei and Quinn’s help, we will fix this!

  “We’re almost there,” called PlushyPup in his gruff little voice.

  Sure enough, up ahead Aisha spotted the glade where the Tree Queen lived. This was the glowing heart of the Magic Forest. Protected by a force field, the glade shimmered like a magical snow globe. Even from up here, Aisha could see a tall and elegant tree at its center. Her leaves sparkled and shone in the sunlight.

  Aisha felt a smile creep across her face. She could not WAIT to get this adventure started.

  Aisha landed gently in the snow beside the force field.

  PlushyPup hovered by her face, pushing his fuzzy snout against her cheek. “I can’t go in the glade,” he explained, “but I’ll see you again soon.”

  With his fluffy tail wagging at full speed, the puppy flew off. Aisha was sad to see him go, but she was thrilled to be going into the glade. It looked so lovely and warm in there, for one thing!

  She pushed one paw through the force field. Instantly, warmth covered it like a glove. She pulled her paw out again and it was wrapped in cold once more. The glade formed an unchanging bubble of perfect spring weather. Aisha poked her head through the dancing air of the force field. It was strange to have her face so warm while the rest of her was so cold.

  Two dragons already hovered in the glade, just above the lush grass, watching Aisha closely. One dragon was the bright color of rubies, and the other was a rich jade green.

  Mei, the ruby dragon, and Quinn, the jade dragon, were Aisha’s friends from jewelry class. You could tell they were Treasure Dragons because they had silver and gold on their wings, like Aisha.

  “Is the rest of you coming in, too?” Mei asked, looking like she was trying very hard not to laugh. “We have a quest to go on, you know.”

  “Oops! Sorry,” said Aisha, stepping completely into the glade and warming up her whole body.

  As she did, the majestic tree in the center began to sway. The wooden branches softened into long arms, the leaves of the tree turned into flowing hair, and a kind, ageless face appeared. Within moments, the tall tree had transformed into the Tree Queen! Her warm brown eyes greeted each of them in turn.

  “Welcome back, Treasure Dragons! I’m relieved you’re here. As I am sure you’ve noticed, the Magic Forest is not as it should be. A strange winter has arrived. The snow is spreading far and wide.”

  “I’ve heard that the Shadow Sprites are stronger in winter,” said Aisha.

  “It’s true,” agreed the Tree Queen. “But that’s not all. The snow makes it easier for the sprites to hide the objects they have stolen from the forest’s vault. As you know, the longer the treasure is out of the vault, the more problems it causes for the forest. You three have already found the Forest Book, thank goodness. But now you must find the Magic Mirror. If it isn’t returned to the vault soon, the Magic Forest may be wintry forever.”

  The Treasure Dragons looked at one another in dismay. Snow could be fun, but the Magic Forest was supposed to be warm and springlike!

  Aisha shivered even though the air in the glade was warm. “We’ll find that Magic Mirror,” she vowed. “Come on, let’s head off right now!”

  “I love your enthusiasm, Aisha.” The Tree Queen smiled. “But first there are some things you need to know.” The queen’s wavy hair billowed in the glade’s gentle breeze. “As the name suggests, this is no normal mirror. You will know when you’ve found it. It feels … different.”

  “Like the Forest Book was no normal book,” said Mei.

  The Tree Queen nodded. In their last quest, the Treasure Dragons had recovered the Forest Book, an ancient and magical text that held all the secrets of the forest.

  “You must be on your guard at all times,” continued the Tree Queen, “for the Magic Mirror is very powerful.”

  “What does it actually do?” Quinn asked softly. She was the shy one of the group.

  “Good question. If you look into the mirror, you will see yourself. But you won’t see how you really look. Instead, you will see all the things you worry about. If you sometimes think you have a funny nose, you will have a VERY funny nose. If you worry about not feeling brave, fear will show on your face,” explained the Tree Queen. “This is why the Magic Mirror belongs in the vault. There it is safe, and useful. It reflects all the things that are starting to go wrong in the forest and shows us what will happen if we don’t step in and fix them. This means we can keep an eye on whether the glow bees have enough glow honey, for instance, or if the Rainberries are growing properly. Even if the golden sunflowers are not bright enough, the mirror can warn us about it. So you can see that the Magic Mirror is a very important tool. But it is dangerous when animals—even dragons!—look into it.”

  “So it’s kind of like a magnifying glass for your worries?” Aisha asked.

  “Exactly,” the Tree Queen said. “To make it worse, things go very wrong in the forest when the mirror is not in the vault. That’s why there is suddenly so much snow. The forest is out of balance.”

  It was a lot to take in. This was a very important quest!

  “Aisha, you’re in charge this time, so these are for you,” said the Tree Queen. She held out the compass and the bag that the Treasure Dragons had used during their last quest.

  Aisha slipped on the bag. It fit neatly against her body. When Mei had worn the bag on their last quest, it had been covered with glittering rubies. Now that Aisha was wearing it, the rubies had transformed into beautiful sapphires to match her scales.

  She put the compass over her neck like a long necklace. “I know we can only ask the compass one question, but it’s good to have such a powerful tool to help us.”

  “The compass is powerful,” agreed the Tree Queen. “But the most powerful thing you have is the bond between you three. The Shadow Sprites will try to divide you. It’s important that you watch out for one another. Stick together, no matter what.”

  Aisha looked at Mei and Quinn. The three friends smiled.

/>   “We will!” Aisha promised.

  Going to jewelry class with Mei and Quinn was the best. But since discovering she was a Dragon Girl, Aisha had to admit that flying with her friends was even better! She loved the way her huge blue, silver, and gold wings cruised the air currents. Using her wings had taken a bit of getting used to, but now she felt strong and sure when she flew high above the forest. She would never grow tired of feeling the breeze on her face and the drop in her stomach when she swooped low and then surged higher into the sky. Flying was better than any roller coaster in the world! And she loved being up so high that the forest stretched out like a lush carpet down below.

  But today the forest didn’t look like a lush carpet at all. The forest colors were all gone. Everything was covered in thick white snow. There were no birds hopping from branch to branch, no butterflies flitting around bright flowers.

  The only movement Aisha could see were gray shadows gliding silently across the snow. She frowned. She wasn’t crazy about snow, and she definitely didn’t like Shadow Sprites!

  So let’s get that Magic Mirror back into the vault, as fast as we can! Aisha told herself.

  She looked across at Mei and Quinn and saw that the determination on her friends’ faces matched hers.

  As they flew over a clearing, Aisha saw a huge pink fluffy … thing. What was it? The object looked like a cloud at sunset, except the sun wasn’t setting, and the cloudlike thing was on the ground. Mei and Quinn had spotted the pink thing, too.

  “Is it a swarm of Shadow Sprites in disguise?” Quinn suggested.

  Mei looked doubtful. “I don’t think so. It’s too puffy. It looks more like a giant blob of cotton candy. Should we check it out?”

  “Okay,” said Aisha. “But let’s get ready to roar if it turns out to be a pack of Shadow Sprites.”

  In a triangle formation, the Treasure Dragons flew lower and lower. As they landed softly on the snow, Aisha saw that the pink cloud thing was actually a herd of pink sheep, all pressed together. Up close, their fleeces looked more like spun sugar than ever. They even smelled sweet!