The Gift of Charms by Julia Suzuki

I know about,’ he said, winking.
    ‘Can I try to lift it?’ asked Yoshiko.
    The dragon laughed. ‘You can try,’ he said. ‘But Iknow you won’t be able to. Many many dragons have tried and failed,’ he added.
    Yoshiko stepped towards the pot, flexing his wings out, with Romao watching on.
    He then threw both wings around the wide pot and heaved with all his might.
    ‘See, I told you so, it didn’t even budge,’ said the Saiga dragon with assurance.
    He then waved them both into the cave.
    The first eye-watering wave of heat hit Yoshiko full-force across the face.
    In the side areas of the pit were a few Guard Dragons, waiting out the hot temperatures in apparent comfort.
    ‘We’ll stay just here now,’ said Romao, gesturing they should remain very close to the entrance.
    Yoshiko sat down.
    With the dark heat of the pit, his mind whirred. How would it be possible to ever lift the Goadah Pot?
    He puzzled over the question as his body withstood more and more heat.

13
The Burial Ground
    O ver the next few months Yoshiko worked as hard as he could. In the mornings he rose early and trained with Romao and in the evenings straight after school he did the same. To his delight he noticed more differences in his body. Muscles started to swell under his scales. Local dragons from the Effram clan lined up to watch Yoshiko beat flames as well as one of their own dragons. Yoshiko could now work for a full day in front of the fires if he chose. Neither did he mind this work.
    There was something soothing about pumping the air, forward and continuously, and watching the fire heat the clay.
    Collecting the charcoal wood had now built up a stronger resistance to heat, and he had managed the outer areas of the Fire Pit for some length of time though he still pondered daily about the task of lifting Guya’s Goadah pot.
    * * *
    He resolved to ask Ketu if he knew more about Guya. So one day, when Yoshiko and his elder were flying back from the marketplace after gathering some supplies, Yoshiko began his questioning.
    ‘Do you know any more facts about Cattlewick Cave?’ he asked. His elder turned his head to him and thought for a moment. ‘Well, having sat on the Council, I do know more than most, Yoshiko, and I trust you are now old enough for this information to be kept to yourself. Stories often twist over time but the basics of it involves Kinga.’ Ketu paused to recall all the details.
    ‘Kinga and Guya were close friends as hatchlings,’ he continued. ‘Then they were the best of friends all through Fire School and trained hard together to develop their fire skills. Both of them were so talented that they became Guard Dragons at an early age. Thensome forty years ago the Council voted Kinga to rule the land and Guya was voted into the Council as representative of the Saiga clan.’
    Yoshiko listened attentively.
    ‘At first Guya sat happily by Kinga’s side on the Council,’ continued Ketu. ‘Guya believed in the Dragor rules and made sure that he upheld them,’ he said. ‘It was very important to him that the Commandments were never questioned. He did everything to ensure all dragons knew of them. Then, one day something happened to change all that.’
    Yoshiko leaned closer curiously. ‘What happened?’
    ‘In some distant corner of Dragor when he was alone, without any other dragon around, he saw something. It made him question everything and he came to look at our rules differently,’ replied Ketu. ‘After that he could no longer sit at Kinga’s side. He no longer believed in everything he stood for. Though he still believed Kinga a fair ruler.’
    Ketu turned slightly on the breeze. ‘Guya said that he had to go to some lonely spot and make his own path,’ he said. ‘At first Kinga tried to persuade him to stay. They argued, but eventually he saw that Guya could not be talked around. To this day Guya has not toldKinga or any dragon what happened to change him,’ continued Ketu. ‘Cattlewick Cave