The Dragons — R.L. Toalson

A dangerous crossing. An arid wasteland. A smattering of footprints. The children of Fairendale, still fleeing for their lives, cross the border between the Weeping Woods and the dragon lands of Morad-a boundary line that has not been crossed since the people of Fairendale and the dragons of Morad agreed to keep to their own lands or suffer the consequences of death. And now the people, in the form of Arthur, Maude and the children, have violated the agreement. When the king's men discover footprints that can only be seen by the light of the moon-which means they have remained inside the Weeping Woods for far too long-and that lead directly to the lands of Morad, the soldiers are faced with a decision: continue pursuit at the risk of angering an army of dragons, thereby risking the lives of every person in the realm, or give up the pursuit and face the ire of their king? Which would you do, reader? The Dragons is the fourth episode in Season 1 of Fairendale, a magical middle grade series that explores the world of fairy tales, dragons, wizards, and other magical creatures. The world of Fairendale revolves around villains and heroes-all on a quest for what they believe is right. But one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero. Throughout the series, the story of King Willis and his determination to keep the throne is woven into the story of his son, Prince Virgil, heir to the throne and friend to the village children, and the story of fairy tale children fleeing for their lives-children who become what we know as fairy tale villains, for one good reason or another. But, remember, one cannot always know, at first glance, who is the villain and who is the hero.