Quest of Six Short - Ali In Trouble

Ali's POV

I kicked irritably at the cage bars. It wasn’t like I had done anything particularly wrong… it’s just that Tyshow doesn’t share my sense of humour – and she’s the one in charge. I don’t know how she didn’t find it funny.

Yesterday morning, I set up a little prank. I put a bow around a block of diamond, and attached a tag saying ‘Happy Birthday, Tyshow!’ After all, who’d be suspicious of a birthday present on their birthday? But when she tried to mine the block… hehe. The trap sprang into action, dropping her into a pit. Don’t worry, it was a soft landing. However, the pit was also full of horse sized spiders. No problem, spiders only attack at night. But you should have heard the scream. I couldn’t help laughing, hearing Ty in the pit, trying to get out. Finally I skipped over and dropped a rope ladder down. She climbed out, growling.

“When I find out who did that, they’re going to be in so much trouble,” she grumbled, staring disgustedly at the spider pit. That was when I worked out I’d made a mistake, and tried not to look guilty. I shuffled backwards, then whipped round and sprinted away, laughing hysterically, Tyshow bellowing after me. Running flat out, I heard hooves behind me. Uh-oh. A hand closed on my shoulder and I was jerked to a halt. The look of fury on Tyshow’s face made me double up laughing again. I can’t remember the journey to the town centre – I think I may have passed out from laughing too much.

So now I’m in a cage. I sulked in the corner, glaring at the occasional curious person who passed by.

There was a sudden scream. I knew that scream. That was Calla’s scream. Tyshow’s little sister was in trouble. Calla skidded around the corner, one leg trailing on the floor, useless. She had no armour, and no weapon. A pack of zombies ambled after her, trying to grab her. Calla scrambled into a corner. Bad move. The zombies surrounded her, and started to slowly inch in, as she curled into a ball and yelled desperately for help. I felt anger rising in my chest. It was like boiling water, scorching my insides, and I knew what was coming. My body started to shake, and I exploded out of my skin, cracking the cage open as I expanded into a dragon. I leaped across the square, folding one wide blue wing over Calla to protect her, incinerating the zombies in a scorching arc of blue flame streaming from my jaws. The fire died, the zombies nothing more than ash. I lowered my head to look at Calla. She was staring at me, apparently terrified, but I crooned soothingly.

“Ali?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. I nodded, and she relaxed. Ice suddenly crashed over me, and I crumpled, folding back into human form. I felt like a sack of potatoes – heavy and limp. My head rolled sideways and I passed out.

When I finally opened my eyes again, I saw Tyshow, arms wrapped around her sister, both of them watching me.

“Thank you, Ali,” smiled Tyshow.

“You weren’t supposed to come out of that cage yet, but as you’ve just demolished it…” she trailed off. I smiled weakly. Calla elbowed her sister in the ribs. Tyshow laughed.

“I’m joking. You just saved my little sister, so-”

“I’m not little!” protested Calla indignantly.

“So I think you deserve this,” continued Tyshow, ignoring her sister. She pulled a bow from nowhere and threw it to me. It was lightweight, flexible birch wood, with gold inlay spelling out my name. I beamed at Tyshow, suddenly feeling back to normal. She smiled back.

“Don’t ever prank me again,” she half-growled, deadly serious. I smirked, jumped to my feet, and headed home, still admiring my new bow, and wondering who to prank next.