Fenglin Wu: Hero of a fairytale world (1)

Fenglin (Alina) Wu  

Taming an ice dragon

Have you ever defeated a dragon before? I bet not. Let me tell you how I bested one!

---- A fifth grader's Diary

 Day 1 

        After finishing dinner, I made my way upstairs to the bathroom. I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and took a quick shower. Changing into my pajamas, I turned off the lights and got comfortable in my slim bed. It wasn't long before I dozed off and drifted into a dream. In the dream, my eyes opened to find myself covered in snow, lying on icy ground.

        My body jolted upright as I tried to stand up, but the sudden movement startled me, and I found myself unable to move. I was in a snow-covered forest, surrounded by tall pine trees with distant mountains visible through the falling snow. My gaze landed on a small cottage made of wood, held up by sturdy stone pillars. With all my strength, I stumbled towards the warm light emanating from the cottage. I was in awe of the magical sight but couldn't comprehend how the light was present without any visible source, not even a fire that could light up the whole house. I brushed off the thought as I shivered from the cold.

         I entered the cottage with caution and opened the door, stepping inside. The temperature inside was just right, not too warm, not too cold - it felt like spring. I caught a whiff of freshly baked cookies, but there was no one in sight. I felt confused - was this magic too? My stomach grumbled, begging me to eat one of the cookies, and I gave in, reaching for one. I devoured it in a flash. Suddenly, I felt a force pulling me, and I grew very sleepy. My body felt like it was falling.

         I couldn't shake off the feeling that something was not right. My body ached all over, and I felt both hungry and full at the same time. It was all so confusing. Despite telling myself that it was just a dream, I couldn't shake off the strange feeling that lingered in the air. But for now, I decided to put those thoughts aside and enjoy myself in this mysterious dream world.

 Day 2 

          I spotted a jacket inside the cottage and decided to put it on to shield myself from the cold. As I was about to leave, my eyes caught sight of a sled resting on the right side of the small house. An idea dawned on me. Why not go sledding on a hill or mountain nearby? It was perfect! After a while, I finally came to terms with the fact that this was not a dream. Sleeping in a dream was just too unrealistic, and waking up in a dream only to realize you're still dreaming? Ridiculous! I grabbed the sled and searched for a hill in the vicinity. To my surprise, there was a clear hill right behind the cottage that I hadn't noticed before. I only wished for a hill, and it magically appeared. A hill is a hill, and I wasn't complaining.

         After a few hours had passed, I stumbled back into the cozy house to warm up. The next thing I knew, I was waking up on the couch next to the fireplace. It was already dark outside, and I realized that I had slept the rest of the day away after writing down everything that had happened to me. As I sat up, I couldn't help but wonder why I wasn't hungry. I had only eaten a single cookie the whole day. It was all so strange, but I couldn't deny the excitement that this magical world brought me.

Day 3 

        I stepped closer to the portal and examined it, but I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It was just a swirling vortex of colors, but it didn't seem like it would suck me in or harm me in any way. I took a deep breath and stepped inside.

As soon as I entered, I felt a rush of energy, and I was instantly transported to another world. It was a world full of vibrant colors and strange creatures that I had never seen before. It was like a dream come true, but at the same time, it was terrifying. I wondered if I would ever make it back to my world again.

Suddenly, I heard a voice calling out to me. It was a soft and melodic voice, and it seemed to be coming from a nearby cave. I walked towards the cave, and as I entered, the voice grew louder.

Inside the cave, I saw a small creature with a glowing body. It looked like a fairy, but it was unlike any fairy I had ever seen before. The creature introduced herself as Lumina and said that she was the guardian of this world. She explained that I had been brought here for a reason and that I had a role to play in their world.

I was skeptical at first, but as Lumina explained more about their world and the challenges they were facing, I started to feel a sense of responsibility. I decided to help Lumina and the other creatures in any way I could.

Together, we embarked on a journey to defeat the evil sorcerer who was causing chaos in their world. We faced many obstacles along the way, but with Lumina's guidance, we were able to overcome them all.

In the end, we defeated the sorcerer and brought peace to the world. Lumina thanked me for my help and told me that I would always be welcome in their world. As I stepped back through the portal, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness. I had grown attached to Lumina and her world, and I knew that I would miss them dearly.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in my own world, lying on my bed. I looked around, hoping to see a glimpse of Lumina's world, but there was nothing. It had all been a dream. Or was it?

         As I stepped inside, I looked around for any signs of adventure. Suddenly, I found myself falling from the sky at a rate of 10 feet per minute, for what seemed like 10 minutes. Miraculously, I landed safely on soft ground that felt like cotton. I couldn't help but think that the amazing jacket I found earlier had saved my life.

As I tried to make sense of what had just happened, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was all just some elaborate prank. But as I looked around, I realized that this was all too real. I had survived a fall from the sky, and I still had no idea what was going on.

         Options: The soft but thick snow; my jacket; this is all planned by some crazy person; all of the above; something else. 

 Day 4 

        As I tried to get up, I found myself lying on thick snow, at least a foot deep. I searched around and to my surprise, I had a bag with me, as if it had magically appeared. Inside the bag, I found a strange-looking book, a fancy purple rock, a regular notebook with a pencil, and a fancy dagger. However, there was no food in the bag. I realized that I had to find some food soon if I wanted to survive in this strange world.

          I hesitated, unsure of my magical abilities, and unsure if I wanted to take the risk. But then again, what choice did I have? I was hungry and there was no other way to get food. I decided to give it a try and recited the spell. To my surprise, it worked! I created a loaf of bread and a bottle of water. I felt empowered and amazed at what I had just done.

 Day 5 

         I did everything the book asked of me, and I opened my eyes to see that it worked! There was delicious food in front of me, and during the process, it seemed like it was glowing, but it stopped after the Spell was over. Even if it was the right size, I could not put all that food in a small bag because the food would rot quickly. It would just go bad. So, why not I use another spell to do just that? I liked making space in a parallel dimension and just putting the food there and making it so that I was the only one able to access it. It was perfect! 

        However, did I have enough magical power? That was what I thought then, and then another random genius idea popped into my head. I considered using the mighty magical-looking purple rock! I got it out of the bag and searched for a spell to do just what I wanted. 

         Here are the options: Space Distortion- I can distort space to make a gap big enough for the food; create Spell- I can create the Spell ideally for what I want; unlimited Storage - I can store whatever I want in there, not just-food. 

       But with great power comes great responsibility. I knew I couldn't rely solely on magic for survival, and I needed to learn how to navigate this world on my own. I picked up the fancy purple rock and examined it. Maybe it had some properties that could help me. I decided to keep it with me and set off on my adventure, eager to see what else this strange world had in store for me. 

Day 6 

        As I laid down on my makeshift bed, I couldn't help but wonder what tomorrow would bring. Would I find a way back home or would I be stuck in this strange world forever? The thought made me anxious, but I pushed it aside and closed my eyes, hoping for a peaceful sleep.

         But as I drifted off, I felt a strange sensation. It was like I was being pulled in a different direction, and then suddenly, I was falling again. This time, it wasn't as gentle as before. I hit the ground hard and pain shot through my body.

          When I opened my eyes, I was in a different place altogether. It was a forest, but it wasn't like any forest I had ever seen before. The trees were tall and twisted, and there was an eerie silence that hung in the air. I knew I had to be careful. Who knows what dangers lurked in this strange place?

  Day 7 

         My head was pounding from sleeping on a rock all night. I couldn't remember why I had rested my head on the rock instead of my bag, but I was exhausted. The fire I had made had gone out during the night, likely due to the wind. I felt the chill in the air and shivered.

        I used magic to create a fire to warm up, but this time I made it a blue fire, which lasted longer than a normal fire. It was called "Blue Flames," but the name seemed lazy and uninspired to me. If my teacher were here, she would say, "Take pride in your work!"

        I left the cave in search of a more secure shelter, perhaps a small village. Along the way, I stumbled upon a creepy cave that grew colder and colder as I went deeper inside. I could sense the source of the cold emanating from somewhere deep inside the cave.

        As I walked deeper into the cave, I noticed that the ice was getting thicker, and the air was getting colder. My breath was visible now, and my teeth started chattering. I knew that I had to be careful not to slip on the ice and fall.

As I made my way further, I saw a faint light in the distance. The light grew brighter as I approached it, and I saw that it was coming from a large crystal. The crystal was emitting a blue light, and it was so beautiful that I couldn't take my eyes off it.

I approached the crystal and touched it with my hand. It was freezing cold, and I felt a surge of power flowing through me. Suddenly, the crystal started to crack, and before I knew it, it shattered into a million pieces. The cold air dissipated, and the temperature returned to normal.

I stood there, stunned, wondering what just happened. Did I break the crystal? Was it a source of the cold air? I didn't know, but I felt different somehow. Stronger, more powerful. I wondered if there were more crystals like this in the world, and if they could give me even more power.

With that thought in mind, I left the cave, determined to find out more about these crystals and what they could do.

 Day 8 

       As I ventured deeper into the cave, I encountered denser and thicker layers of ice. After walking for at least 10 minutes, I took a break at a crossroad that led to two paths: one covered with snow and leading to a forest, and the other leading deeper into the cave, with even thicker ice.

      Determined to discover the source of the ice, I pressed on, my mind fixed on the goal. The walk felt like it lasted around 20 minutes, and I stopped for a quick snack break halfway through before continuing. Finally, I came face to face with the source of all the ice and snow: an ice dragon.

      The dragon was massive, and I felt dwarfed by its presence. As a ten-year-old, I was already one of the tallest kids in my 5th-grade class, but the dragon was easily over 100 years old. Fear consumed me, replacing my previous curiosity.

        I stood frozen in fear, unsure of what to do next. The dragon's icy breath made the air frigid, and icicles hung from the cave ceiling. It seemed like an eternity before the dragon spoke to me, and when it did, I was surprised to hear it speak in a language I understood.

       The dragon explained that it was the guardian of this land, and it controlled the temperature and weather to maintain the balance of nature. It also revealed that it was getting old and needed a successor to take its place. It offered to train me to become the next guardian, but I would have to prove myself worthy.

        I was hesitant at first, but the idea of having control over the weather and temperature intrigued me. I accepted the dragon's offer and began my training. The dragon taught me everything it knew about maintaining the balance of nature and controlling the elements.

       Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. I was determined to prove myself worthy of becoming the next guardian. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the dragon declared that my training was complete. It entrusted me with the responsibility of maintaining the balance of nature and controlling the elements.

       As I left the cave, I felt a sense of pride and responsibility. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I was ready to take on the challenge.

 Day 9 

         After observing the dragon for about five minutes, I noticed that it was gradually becoming slower and less alert. If I attacked now, it wouldn't be able to dodge my spells. However, I knew that I couldn't just launch an attack without a plan. I needed to wear out the dragon's energy first, but I didn't know how.

        I quickly grabbed my bag from the ground, took out the spellbook, and flipped through the pages to find the section on using gems. Thankfully, I had put a bookmark on the page, which helped me locate it quickly. However, I had forgotten some of the crucial details about how to add the gems to my spells.

        I recited the sacred incantation, "System activates Spell: Gluttony back to the fight." Almost immediately, I received a response: "System activated Spell: Gem!" As I held the gem in my hands, black mist began to seep out, engulfing the entire body of the ice dragon. The dragon appeared to be getting weaker and more paralyzed by the second. Did it get scared? I couldn't tell.

         I couldn't help but feel confused when the fierce look in the dragon's eyes vanished. The black mist seemed to have completely consumed the ice dragon, leaving behind only its treasures.

         Using such powerful magic took a toll on me, and I felt myself becoming dizzy once again. The last thing I remembered was collapsing to the ground before losing consciousness.