{"product_id":"dragonlight-isbn-9781400073788","title":"DragonLight","description":"The fantastic land of Amara is recovering from years of war inflicted on its citizens by outside forces–as well as from the spiritual apathy corroding the Amarans’ hearts. With Kale and her father serving as dragon keepers for Paladin, the dragon populace has exploded. It’s a peaceful, exciting time of rebuilding. And yet, an insidious, unseen evil lurks just beneath the surface of the idyllic countryside. \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTruth has never been more important, nor so difficult to discern.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eAs Kale and her father are busy hatching, bonding, and releasing the younger generation of dragons as helpers throughout the kingdom, the light wizard has little time to develop her skills. Her husband, Sir Bardon–despite physical limitations resulting from his bout with the stakes disease–has become a leader, serving on the governing board under Paladin. When Kale and Bardon set aside their daily responsibilities to join meech dragons Regidor and Gilda on a quest to find a hidden meech colony, they encounter sinister forces. Their world is under attack by a secret enemy… can they overcome the ominous peril they can’t even see?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrepare to experience breathtaking adventure and mind-blowing fantasy as never before in this dazzling, beautifully-crafted conclusion to Donita K. Paul’s popular DragonKeeper Chronicles fantasy series.\u003cb\u003eDonita K. Paul\u003c\/b\u003e is a retired teacher and award-winning author of\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003eseven novels, including \u003ci\u003eDragonSpell, DragonQuest,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eDragonKnight, \u003c\/i\u003eand\u003ci\u003e DragonFire. \u003c\/i\u003eWhen not writing, she is often engaged in mentoring writers of all ages. Donita lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado where she is learning to paint–walls and furniture! Visit her website at www.dragonkeeper.us.\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eChapter 1: Castle Passages\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/b\u003eKale wrinkled her nose at the dank air drifting up from  the stone staircase.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Below, utter darkness created a formidable barrier. Toopka  stood close to her knee. Sparks skittered across the doneel child’s furry hand where  she clasped the flowing, soft material of Kale’s wizard robe. Kale frowned down at  her ward. The little doneel spent too much time attached to her skirts to be captivated  by the light show.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Instead, Toopka glowered into the forbidding corridor. “What’ s down there?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale sighed. “I’m not sure.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Is it the dungeon?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t think  we have a dungeon.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Toopka furrowed her brow in confusion. “Don’t you know? It’s  your castle.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “A castle built by committee.” Kale’s face grimaced at the memory  of weeks of creative chaos. She put her hand on Toopka’s soft head.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The doneel dragged  her gaze away from the stairway, tilted her head back, and frowned at her guardian.  “What’s ‘by committee’?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “You remember, don’t you? It was just five years ago.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I remember the wizards coming and the pretty tents in the meadow.” Toopka pursed  her lips. “And shouting. I remember shouting.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “They were shouting because no one  was listening. Twenty-one wizards came for the castle raising. Each had their own  idea about what we needed. So they each constructed their fragment of the castle  structure according to their whims.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Toopka giggled.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t think it’s funny.  The chunks of castle were erected, juxtaposed with the others, but not as a whole  unit. I thank Wulder that at least my parents had some sense. My mother and father  connected the tads, bits, and smidgens together with steps and short halls. When  nothing else would work, they formed gateways from one portion to another.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The  little doneel laughed out loud and hid her face in Kale’s silky wizard’s robe. Miniature  lightning flashes enveloped Toopka’s head and cascaded down her neck, over her back,  and onto the floor like a waterfall of sparks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale cut off the flow of energy and  placed a hand on the doneel’s shoulder. “Surely you remember this, Toopka.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She  looked up, her face growing serious. “I was very young then.” \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale narrowed her  eyes and examined the child’s innocent face. “As long as I have known you, you’ve  appeared to be the same age. Are you ever going to grow up?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Toopka shrugged, then  the typical smile of a doneel spread across her face. Her thin black lips stretched,  almost reaching from ear to ear.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I’m growing up as fast as I can, but I don’t think  I’m the one in charge. If I were in charge, I would be big enough to have my own  dragon, instead of searching for yours.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The statement pulled Kale back to her original  purpose. No doubt she had been manipulated yet again by the tiny doneel, but dropping  the subject of Toopka’s age for the time being seemed prudent. Kale rubbed the top  of Toopka’s head. The shorter fur between her ears felt softer than the hair on the  child’s arms. Kale always found it soothing to stroke Toopka’s head, and the doneel  liked it as well.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale let her hand fall to her side and pursued their mission.  “Gally and Mince have been missing for a day and a half. We must find them. Taylaminkadot  said she heard an odd noise when she came down to the storeroom.” Kale squared her  shoulders and took a step down into the dark, dank stairwell. “Gally and Mince may  be down here, and they may be in trouble.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “How can you know who’s missing?” Toopka  tugged on Kale’s robe, letting loose a spray of sparkles. “You have hundreds of minor  dragons in the castle and more big dragons in the fields.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I know.” Kale put her  hand in front of her, and a globe of light appeared, resting on her palm. “I’m a  Dragon Keeper. I know when any of my dragons have missed a meal or two.” She stepped  through the doorway.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Toopka tugged on Kale’s gown. “May I have a light too?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Of  course.” She handed the globe to the doneel. The light flickered. Kale tapped it,  and the glow steadied. She produced another light to sit in her own hand and proceeded  down the steps.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Toopka followed, clutching the sparkling cloth of Kale’s robe in  one hand and the light in the other. “I think we should take a dozen guards with  us.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t think there’s anything scary down here, Toopka. After all, as you  reminded me, this is our castle, and we certainly haven’t invited anything nasty  to live with us.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “It’s the things that come uninvited that worry me.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “All right.  Just a moment.” Kale turned to face the archway at the top of the stairs, a few steps  up from where they stood. She reached with her mind to the nearest band of minor  dragons. Soon chittering dragon voices, a rainbow vision of soft, flapping, leathery  wings, and a ripple of excitement swept through her senses. She heard Artross, the  leader of this watch, call for his band to mind their manners, listen to orders,  and calm themselves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale smiled her greeting as they entered the stairway and circled  above her. She turned to Toopka, pleased with her solution, but Toopka scowled. Obviously,  the doneel was not impressed with the arrival of a courageous escort.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale opened  her mouth to inform Toopka that a watch of dragons provides sentries, scouts, and  fighters. And Bardon had seen to their training. But the doneel child knew this.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Each watch formed without a Dragon Keeper’s instigation. Usually eleven to fifteen  minor dragons developed camaraderie, and a leader emerged. A social structure developed  within each watch. Kale marveled at the process. Even though she didn’t always understand  the choices, she did nothing to alter the natural way of establishing the hierarchy  and respectfully worked with what was in place.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Artross, a milky white dragon who  glowed in the dark, had caught Kale’s affections. She sent a warm greeting to the  serious-minded leader and received a curt acknowledgment. The straight-laced young  dragon with his tiny, mottled white body tickled her. Although they didn’t look alike  in the least, Artross’s behavior reminded Kale of her husband’s personality.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale  nodded at Toopka and winked. “Now we have defenders.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I think,” said the doneel,  letting go of Kale’s robe and stepping down a stair, “it would be better if they  were bigger and carried swords.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale smiled as one of the younger dragons landed  on her shoulder. He pushed his violet head against her chin, rubbing with soft scales  circling between small bumps that looked like stunted horns. Toopka skipped ahead  with the other minor dragons flying just above her head.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Hello, Crain,” said Kale,  using a fingertip to stroke his pink belly. She’d been at his hatching a week before.  The little dragon chirred his contentment. “With your love of learning, I’m surprised  you’re not in the library with Librettowit.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A scene emerged in Kale’s mind from  the small dragon’s thoughts. She hid a smile. “I’m sorry you got thrown out, but  you must not bring your snacks into Librettowit’s reading rooms. A tumanhofer usually  likes a morsel of food to tide him over, but not when the treat threatens to smudge  the pages of his precious books.” She felt the small beast shudder at the memory  of the librarian’s angry voice. “It’s all right, Crain. He’ll forgive you and let  you come back into his bookish sanctum.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And he’ll delight in helping you find all  sorts of wonderful facts.” Toopka came scurrying back. She’d deserted her lead position  in the company of intrepid dragons. The tiny doneel dodged behind Kale and once more  clutched the sparkling robe. Kale shifted her attention to a commotion ahead and  sought out the thoughts of the leader Artross.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “What’s wrong?” asked Kale, but her  answer came as she tuned in to the leader of the dragon watch.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Artross trilled orders  to his subordinates. Kale saw the enemy through the eyes of this friend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e An anvilhead  snake slid over the stone floor of a room stacked high with large kegs. His long  black body stretched out from a nook between two barrels. With the tail of the serpent  hidden, she had no way of knowing its size. These reptiles’ heads outweighed their  bodies. The muscled section behind the base of the jaws could be as much as six inches  wide.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But the length of the snake could be from three feet to thirty. Kale shuddered  but took another step down the passage. Artross looked around the room and spotted  another section of ropelike body against the opposite wall. Kegs hid most of the  snake.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale grimaced. \u003ci\u003eAnother snake? Or the end of the one threatening my\u003cbr\u003e dragons?\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The viper’s heavy head advanced, and the distant portion moved with the same speed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eOne snake.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Toopka, stay here,” she ordered and ran down the remaining steps. She  tossed the globe from her right hand to her left and pulled her sword from its hiding  place beneath her robe. Nothing appeared to be in her hand, but Kale felt the leather-bound  hilt secure in her grip.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The old sword had been given to her by her mother, and  Kale knew how to use the invisible blade with deadly precision. “Don’t let him get  away,” she called as she increased her speed through the narrow corridor.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The wizard  robe dissolved as she rushed to join her guard. Her long dress of azure and plum  reformed itself into leggings and a tunic. The color drained away and returned as  a pink that would rival a stunning sunset. When she reached the cold, dark room,  she cast her globe into the air. Floating in the middle of the room, it tripled in  size and gave off a brighter light.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The dragons circled above the snake, spitting  their caustic saliva with great accuracy. Kale’s skin crawled at the sight of the  coiling reptile. More and more of the serpentine body emerged from the shadowy protection  of the stacked kegs. Obviously, the snake did not fear these intruders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Even covered  with splotches of brightly colored spit, the creature looked like the loathsome killer  it was. Kale’s two missing dragons could have been dinner for the serpent. She searched  the room with the talent Wulder had bestowed upon her and concluded the little ones  still lived.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The reptile hissed at her, raised its massive head, and swayed in a  threatening posture. The creature slithered toward her, propelled by the elongated  body still on the floor. Just out of reach of Kale’s sword, the beast stopped, pulled  its head back for the strike, and let out a slow, menacing hiss. The snake lunged,  and Kale swung her invisible weapon.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The severed head sailed across the room and  slammed against the stone wall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale eyed the writhing body for a moment. “You won’ t be eating any more small animals.” She turned her attention to the missing dragons  and pointed her sword hand at a barrel at the top of one stack. “There. Gally and  Mince are in that keg.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Several dragons landed on the wooden staves, and a brown  dragon examined the cask to determine how best to open it. Toopka ran into the room  and over to the barrel. “I’ll help.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale tilted her head. “There is also a nest  of snake eggs.” She consulted the dragon most likely to know facts about anvilhead  vipers. Crain landed on her shoulder and poured out all he knew in a combination  of chittering and thoughts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The odd reptiles preferred eating young farm animals,  grain, and feed. They did nothing to combat the population of rats, insects, and  vermin. No farmer allowed the snakes on his property if he could help it. “Find the  nest,” Kale ordered. “Destroy them all.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The watch of dragons took flight again,  zooming into lightrockilluminated passages leading off from this central room. Kale  waited until a small group raised an alarm. Four minor dragons had found the nest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She plunged down a dim passage, sending a plume of light ahead and calling for the  dispersed dragons to join her. Eleven came from the other corridors, and nine flew  in a V formation in front of her. Gally and Mince landed on her shoulders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “You’ re all right. I’m so glad.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They scooted next to her neck, shivering. From their  minds she deciphered the details of their ordeal. A game of hide-and-seek had led  them into the depths of the castle. When the snake surprised them, they’d flown under  the off-center lid of the barrel. As Mince dove into the narrow opening, he knocked  the top just enough for it to rattle down into place. This successfully kept the  serpent out, but also trapped them within.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Kale offered sympathy, and they cuddled  against her, rubbing their heads on her chin as she whisked through the underground  tunnel in pursuit of the other dragons. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Numerous rooms jutted off the main hallway,  each stacked with boxes, crates, barrels, and huge burlap bags. Kale had no idea  this vast amount of storage lay beneath the castle. Taylaminkadot, their efficient  housekeeper and wife to Librettowit, probably had a tally sheet listing each item.  Kale and the dragons passed rooms that contained fewer and fewer supplies until the  stores dwindled to nothing.\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e How long does this hallway continue on? \u003c\/i\u003eShe slowed to  creep along and tiptoed over the stone floor, noticing the rougher texture under  her feet. Approaching a corner, she detected the four minor dragons destroying the  snake’s nest in the next room. Her escort of flying dragons veered off into the room,  and she followed. The small dragons swooped over the nest, grabbed an egg, then flew  to the beamed roof of the storage room. They hurled the eggs to the floor, and most  broke open on contact. Some had more rubbery shells, a sign that they would soon  hatch. The minor dragons attacked these eggs with tooth and claw. Once the shell  gave way, the content was pulled out and examined.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e No hatchling snake survived.  The smell alone halted Kale in her tracks and sent her back a pace. She screwed up  her face, but no amount of pinching her nose muscles cut off the odor of raw eggs  and the bodies of unborn snakes. She produced a square of moonbeam material from  her pocket and covered the lower half of her face. The properties of the handkerchief  filtered the unpleasant aroma.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her gaze fell on the scene of annihilation. Usually,  Kale found infant animals to be endearing, attractive in a gangly way. But the small  snake bodies looked more like huge blackened worms than babies. Toopka raced up behind  her and came to a skidding stop when she reached the doorway. “Ew!” She buried her  face in the hem of Kale’s tunic, then peeked out with her nose still covered. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The  minor dragons continued to destroy the huge nest. Kale estimated over a hundred snake  eggs must have been deposited in the old shallow basket. The woven edges sagged where  the weight of the female snake had broken the reeds. Kale shuddered at the thought  of all those snakes hatching and occupying the lowest level of the castle, her home.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The urge to be above ground, in the light, and with her loved ones compelled her  out of the room. \u003ci\u003eGood work, \u003c\/i\u003eshe commended the dragons as she backed into the passage.  \u003ci\u003eArtross, be sure that no egg is left unshattered. \u003c\/i\u003eShe received his assurance, thanked  him, then turned about and ran. She must find Bardon.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Wait for me!” Toopka called.  Her tiny, booted feet pounded the stone floor in a frantic effort to catch up.A Fantastic Journey of Discovery for All Ages","brand":"WaterBrook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300901114085,"sku":"NP9781400073788","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781400073788.jpg?v=1767725648","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/dragonlight-isbn-9781400073788","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}