Sapphire Kingdom: Quest Two (Dragon Quest Series Book 2) by S.R. Gibbs Page B

here for the Sapphire Dragon.” I muttered trying to peel my eyes away for the treasure in his hands.
    “Come on there must be something that you would rather obtain.”
    The feel of something around my ankle made me look down to see a tentacle of water wrapping around it. I didn’t know how, but I knew that the water was being controlled by the man in it.
    “What are you doing?”
    “You are a complicated one, even you do not know what you truly want. Interesting.”
    “Who are you?” I managed to say, after the water released me.
    “How rude of me to not introduce myself.” He said dropping the jewels to rake his hair back with his hands. “My apologies my name is Drystan, and welcome to my pool.”
    “Drystan, are you able to give me the Sapphire Dragon?”
    “There is not much I am not able to obtain and trade.” Drystan said still wearing the same grin he has had plastered on his face since he opened his eyes.
    “What do you mean by trade?”
    “Haven’t you heard of the tales of Drystan’s Pool? With one wish I can make anyone’s dreams come true, with a fee of course.”
    Great, I don’t have any money on me, I don’t know how I am going to get the Sapphire Dragon now.
    “Don’t fret little one, I do not desire anything of monetary value. You see I get very lonely here, what I desire is the souls of the people who wish upon my waters.”
    Souls? I knew Nerissa was hiding something, this must be why my parents were prolonging telling me the location of my dragon. Nerissa must have wanted my soul to be taken away, and to think I actually wanted to become friends with her.
    “I sense some dark thoughts coming from you.” He closed his eyes and inhale as if he could smell my thoughts.
    “Do you take the soul of everyone who comes to you for something?”
    “What’s wrong little one, have you changed your mind already?” He said suddenly leaning at the bank about a foot away from me. “Since, I sense something in you I like, I will go easy on you. If you can solve my riddle I will give you anything you ask me for.”
    “You promise?” I asked feeling a little bit more hopeful.
    “You have my word, I never break a deal. Listen carefully for I will only say this once.” His eyes never left mine as he spoke the riddle. “If you solve this riddle then you will go free. If you fail, you become my slave for all eternity. What is my true name? You will have to look within for the answer.”
    “That’s not a riddle, you have already told me that your name is Drystan.”
    “Is that your answer?” He sighed, as if he was a little disappointed in my logic.
    That made me reevaluate the entire way I was approaching the riddle. It is true that if I do solve the riddle I get to keep my soul and obtain the dragon. On the other hand he will have my soul, if I guess wrongly. What is his true name?
    “I forgot to tell you that you have only three minutes to answer.”
    Three minutes! How am I supposed to figure out his true name in three minutes?
    I had to turn away from him, I just couldn’t think seeing his piercing gray eyes mocking my every thought. Could everything be a ruse, a diversion to protect the Sapphire Dragon and keep people away? If I look within my heart tells me that he is not evil, and if he is not here to grant wishes, but to guard the Sapphire Dragon. Then that would make him not evil, but a…”
    “Time is running out little one, have you figured out my true name yet?”
    “I believe so, you are the protector of the Sapphire Dragon.”
    The wind seemed to cease as I waited for him to tell me whether or not if I had solved the riddle. My heart begun to do a happy dance when he looked up at me with the biggest smile.
    “Did I get it? Was that the correct answer?”
    His bright smile slowly faded as his voice came out barely above a whisper, but I heard it as if he had yelled it.
    “You have failed, prepare to be my slave for all