Free Tiny Dragons 2: The Bear and Scepter by Bernard Schaffer Page A

mystic shook the totem and said, "I am your master."
    "You are my…master," Lord Sun droned.
    The mystic rattled his totem and the rest of the tribe whooped and shouted in victory, crying out in praise of the Angakkuq's great magic that had entranced the dragon and brought it under his command. "Now," the mystic bellowed, "I shall ride this golden beast against our enemies in the West and they shall know terror such they have never−"
    A bright green light flared behind the tribe that stretched from the sea to the sky, so fierce they had to look away and shield their eyes. The Angakkuq turned toward the green light and cried out in despair, seeing that it was growing bigger and coming closer to them. There was an explosion that sent huge chunks of ice flying into the air, hurtling toward the tribesmen like glistening daggers.
    A voice boomed across the tundra, "BEGONE, MEN OF THE NORTH! LEAVE MY DRAGON ALONE, OR I WILL STEAL ALL OF YOUR FISH AND SEND MY MIGHTY WOLVES TO EAT YOU!" This was followed by another explosion, much closer to the group of tribesmen, and they instantly reared back and scattered in fear.
    "Wait!" the Angakkuq cried. He spun nervously back and forth between the dragon and the bright light and said, "This dragon is mine! He is under my spell!"
    The light grew smaller, drawing inward until it was no more than the size of the mystic himself, taking the shape and form of a man who was now walking toward the astonished Angakkuq. The figure raised its hands threateningly toward the mystic, and the costumed man cried out in terror and began to run away. "STOP!" his deafening voice sounded. "LEAVE YOUR TRINKET SO THAT YOU ARE NOT TEMPTED TO MAKE SUCH MISCHIEF AGAIN."
    The Angakkuq threw the wooden totem down on the ground and scrambled across the tundra, yelling for the rest of his tribe to wait for him to catch up. As the group vanished into the fog and icy hills, the light emanating from the figure diminished and slowly went out.
    Lord Sun was still lying flat on his stomach, keeping his eyes mainly closed, just enough so he could see who it was that approached, and what he intended to do. The moment the mystic's concentration had broken, the spell of the totem broke as well, and it would have been easy for a dragon as large and powerful as Lord Sun to break free of his leashes and fly into the sky … but he decided to wait. He was curious to see who or what would come to the aid of a defenseless dragon.
    Lord Sun could now see the man standing in front of him on the ice, turning a strange-looking dial that dangled from a chain around his neck. It glowed green as it faded, and the man lowered a mechanical device from his mouth, something that looked no bigger than the kind of wand humanlings used to blow bubbles with, except this one was metal and lined with circuitry and wiring. This trickery was the reason the man's voice was so loud, Lord Sun reasoned. This was no wizard at all.
    The man tucked the device into a pouch on his belt, and walked over to where the totem lay.
    So, Lord Sun thought. You would attempt to use the totem to ensnare me as well. Greedy humans. All alike.
    But just as the dragon prepared to leap up from the ground, he watched in amazement as the man bent down to the totem and began wrenching the rubies out of the carved jade head. He reached into another pouch on his belt and brought out a different device, this one fitted with a large magnifying glass, and he raised one of the rubies into the light to inspect it more carefully. "Strange," the man muttered. He turned and looked at the still-motionless form of Lord Sun and said, "These appear as nothing more than ordinary rubies. Can you think of any reason they would be able to hypnotize you?"
    Lord Sun did not open his eyes or move at all.
    The human chuckled and said, "I know you're awake, my friend. I deduced that you regained full awareness the moment I distracted the Angakkuq." He waited for the dragon to respond, and when it