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Welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax, and we get sleepy.
I'm your host, Thomas.
Thank you so much for joining me tonight.
We have an extra-long fictional story for you all to enjoy this evening.
It was written by Shauna Marie, and I have the pleasure of reading it for you.
We'll be travelling to the city of Hal, a wonderfully unusual place.
And it's here that we'll meet our Laura as she sets off on a quest to restore power to her beloved city.
Luckily, she doesn't have to do it alone.
She'll get some help along the way from friends, family, and even a dragon.
First though, if you love listening to Get Sleepy and would like to support the ongoing production of the show, the very best way to do so is by becoming a Get Sleepy Premium member.
There are all sorts of great perks that our team works hard to bring your way, making it the very best way to listen to the show and get a good night's sleep.
One of the favorite perks for our premium members is that every week we release a brand new bonus episode exclusive to the premium feed.
Tomorrow night, Jessica will be reading a mystical story set in the Welsh countryside, where a sculptor goes on a journey to find inspiration which comes in the most unexpected of ways.
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It would mean the world to have your support.
Thanks so much my friends.
Now, let's prepare for a good night's rest by giving ourselves a bit of care and compassion.
I do hope today has been a bright and enjoyable one for you, with plenty of moments that made you smile.
But even if today was more of a challenging and difficult experience on the whole, just know that you're still another day stronger and another day wiser.
As each day goes by in our lives, it can be easy to overlook the little teachings and character building experiences that come our way.
We're often drawn towards the discomfort and negative aspects of the challenging moments in life.
And that can be where our focus remains and what we consciously hold on to, even after the moments pass.
But collectively.
Every day of our lives and each experience within them all shape who we are, how we choose to live and the ways in which we understand the world and other people within it.
So, however you felt about today good bad, somewhere in between just know that it's made you another day stronger and another day wiser.
Perhaps you've developed more empathy and understanding for others.
Maybe you've realized certain worries or problems aren't quite as bad as you once thought.
Maybe you learned something completely new.
Or the way you grew and evolved today might be too subtle to pinpoint right now.
But I assure you that you're another day stronger and wiser.
And tomorrow is another opportunity where you can learn and grow, no matter your age, circumstances or any other factors.
Let's help you get a beautiful night's rest, so you can be ready for whatever tomorrow brings.
If your eyes are still open, let them gently close now.
Relax your body completely and entirely.
And simply listen to the sound of my voice as we travel to the city of HAL.
This is where our story begins.
As Elora looked down on her city, she witnessed the kinetic churn of men and gears, a harmonious and continuous sound that echoed up towards her.
Her ginger hair, work clothes and cape whipped against her body in the warm breeze.
She perched on a steel beam, which hung on a crane attached to a building.
Within the powerful gusts of wind, there was the lingering scent of varnish and paint.
Ellora scanned the city that had grown upwards around her since she was a child, never ceasing to stop.
It was always climbing higher towards some exquisite climax and never quite reaching it.
The city of Hal was constantly changing and always in motion.
Years ago, when Ellora was a young child, the mayor of Hal had been forced to introduce a decree.
You see, there was a small problem.
The volume of tourists and people moving there from abroad had reached astounding numbers.
This quaint yet absurd city had attracted people from neighboring towns, cities, and countries.
Hordes of them flocked to howl.
The mayor realized that the inns had no more rooms left and people were being put up in restaurants and bakeries.
Hau's borders were already pressing against nearby cities, and still more needed to be built.
One night the mayor was brushing his teeth in front of his bathroom window and he looked up into the night sky.
That's it, he thought.
We'll build upwards.
In the following months, foundations were fortified and building bots introduced.
And years later, this was the result.
A city still under construction. a city that needed workers.
So here was Ellora, having her lunch break on a steel beam high above Helm.
She tossed the last morsel of her sandwich into her mouth and chewed it as she stood up on the beam.
How you, Elora admonished.
The little robot, Hauyu, withdrew from her rucksack and hung his head in shame.
This makes absolutely no sense, Ellora continued.
Robots don't need to eat food.
And yet half the time I find you poking around my lunch bag.
How you spoke in beeps and whirs of different tones and octaves.
This time, he let out a long, low whir and raised his shoulders in an attempt to shrug.
Ellora chuckled, dug her hand deep into the pockets of her overalls and then tossed a handful of nuts and bolts into Hallyu's mouth.
After swallowing, he spun around on the beam and let out a long, continuous beep.
For Allura, there was always work to do.
New floors of restaurants, bakeries and inns were constantly being erected to keep up with the regular influx of new customers.
And Elora's job was to paint.
This was no small task.
The city had a long beloved aesthetic.
In fact, the aesthetic was so unique that not even robots could replicate it.
As Elora swirled her paintbrush in her bucket, she examined the wall she had painted earlier that day.
There were greens and blues and yellows, stripes and lines, and splatters and polka dots.
At night, the paint glowed. lighting up the entire city.
To Allura, the city was alive, and though it was taxing work, she loved her job.
She ran her paintbrush down the side of the building in one long, satisfying swipe.
She could feel her cape twisting and turning behind her in the wind.
Her father would always ask why she wore a cape each time she fastened it around her neck before heading to work.
And she would always give him the same response.
She would tell him that occasionally, when the sky was blue and the altitude was high on her sturdy beam, it felt like she was flying.
Hal was an amalgam of steel, smoke, and wood.
It was vivacious and peculiar, a gathering of houses made from an assortment of materials.
It was, in many ways, at odds with itself.
The city married the brilliance of technology with the familiarity of wooden homes, smoke chimneys and cobblestone streets.
During the day, the sun shone down on the buildings that were painted an infinite variety of colors.
But at night, the city was drenched in neon signs and paint.
When it rained, the wet streets radiated oddly, like lights in an oil painting.
Perhaps the best way to describe the city would be makeshift.
It was beautiful in a dilapidated sort of way, and it was made all the more gorgeous in the knowledge that thousands of hands, hearts and minds had made this city home.
The days turned to night and back to day, and the city of Hal continued to climb to extraordinary heights and its inhabitants continued on.
The day the power shut off, Bokun was sitting on a high stool eating ramen in the brightest quarter of the city.
Tender noodles, a healthy portion of braised pork belly and a delectable orange egg bathed in a flavorful broth.
Bokun admired his meal, as he had so many times before.
The restaurant smelled of toasted bean sprouts and tangy spicy kimchi and was set out so that the kitchen was on open display.
Ichigo, the only chef in the kitchen, believed in the spectacle of preparing food as much as he believed in the very act of consuming it.
In his tall white chef hat, Ichigo chatted about the ingredients in his food.
Something about how he couldn't procure the rice he would typically buy.
Bokken nodded occasionally to signal to Ichigo that he was in fact listening.
At this point in their exchange, Ichigo began to complain that his grill was not working.
The gas wouldn't light.
Boken looked out the window onto the cobblestone.
His eyes fixated on a neon sign that was being reflected in a large puddle on the ground.
The sign was bright orange with black characters.
Bokan looked down into his ramen bowl, took a small mouthful of the food and returned his gaze to the puddle.
The sign was gone.
Bokun placed his chopsticks in his bowl and leaned over the table.
He witnessed sign by sign, streetlamp by streetlamp, beginning to dim.
The city was in darkness.
Ellora swiped her paintbrush along the final building of the day.
She sat on her steel beam and admired the way the paint glowed in its luminescent beauty.
It was like a rainbow of light, a bouquet of color.
Hallyu sat beside her and made a series of metallic sounds.
Ellora patted him on the head.
I know, she said, it's beautiful.
Ellora tossed a few belongings into her rucksack and began to lower the beam in hopes of making it home before supper.
The rope held taut as she released the sack bit by bit to descend gradually.
But suddenly, the city went dim.
And to Elora's greater surprise, so did the paint.
In her shock, she let go of the rope.
Her bag toppled over and fell a decent height, landing next to a young man with dark floppy hair.
From Elora's point of view, the entire world was a dark assortment of shapes.
She hopped off the beam onto the ground and tried to gather her belongings.
At the same time, the man attempted to help.
Ellora paused and tried to look into the eyes of the young man who was now standing over her, without much success.
Wondering if Ellora may have been hurt, the young man asked her how many fingers he was holding up.
Ellora shrugged and said she couldn't see anything in the darkness.
And anyway, she was more concerned with her companion, Hallyu.
The little bot was quite alright, except for that.
He was the slightest bit disoriented, most probably because he couldn't see anything either.
Still quite in shock, Ellora patted herself down to make sure she was all right.
The young man did the same.
He chuckled shyly and reached out a hand.
Remembering that they were in darkness, he told Ellora that he was going to shake her hand.
He told her his name was Boken.
Ellora felt for Hallyu and picked him up.
Whispering into the robot's ear, she asked him to turn on his torch.
A bright light shot out of the little machine's eyes.
Bokken sighed.
Ellora asked what was the matter, and Boken explained that his home was on the other side of the city.
There was no way he could navigate the streets in such a thick darkness.
Chatter, wonderment and confusion could be heard emanating from nearby homes and passers-by.
For as long as HAL had existed, power had coursed through the veins of the city.
Now that its citizens had come to think of it, they hadn't the faintest idea where the power came from or how to turn it back on.
Ellora smiled at Boken and told him he needn't worry.
She was sure her family would be happy to make him comfortable for the night.
Bokken smiled right back and walked beside Allura as she weaved through the city, holding Hallyu to her chest like a beacon of some sort.
The grit on the soles of their shoes crunched against the cobblestone.
With their senses heightened, water could be heard trailing down the various pipes of the buildings.
Their path glistened under Hallyu's light.
And eventually the three came upon a house like no other part machine, part brick and mortar and a plethora of neon signs that had shut off just like the others in the city.
Ellora pushed her key in the front door and swung it open.
Boken, Allura, and her family ate supper by candlelight, and Hallyu's torch on a dim setting.
Of course, the main topic of conversation was the state of the city.
Ellora's mother and father were beside themselves with confusion.
Her grandfather sat with his eyes closed as Ellora's grandmother told her that it was high time she brought a friend home.
Boken and Ellora both laughed.
The two small children, Rumi and Tahiro, pushed the leafy greens around in their broth until it went cold.
They had already picked out her meat and dumplings.
Despite the circumstances, Ellora's family did their best to keep the conversation light.
After much defiance and many attempts at bartering, The little ones were put to bed and in no time at all they found themselves fast asleep.
The adults were left to mull over the day's events until the late hours of the evening.
Tea was poured, and conversation flowed naturally.
Bokan explained his dilemma, with his home being all the way on the other side of the city.
Ellora's parents told Bokan it was no trouble at all.
He was welcome to stay.
And then, just as their children had done, they went to bed, and they too found themselves fast asleep.
Grandma patted Bokun and Allura on their heads and also retired to bed.
Meanwhile, Bokun sipped his tea and looked at Allura's grandfather.
Ellora explained that her grandfather was a man of few words.
Ocum mouthed a question, and Ellora chuckled, then nodded.
Yes, her grandfather was still awake.
The conversation returned once again to the matter of the darkened city.
Grandfather opened an eye, and Boken stiffened slightly.
Breathing deeply, Grandfather opened his other eye.
My family tells of an ancient legend," he began.
His voice was low and slow.
It was so deeply magnificent that you could hear the way its grumble resonated in his chest.
Ellora chuckled and sipped her broth.
Feeling Boken's gaze, Grandfather continued.
There was rumor, he said, of a great dragon with immeasurable power.
The power of breath and life.
It roamed the land with its kind.
The family of dragons worked in harmony with humans.
And so it went.
The humans built, and the dragons breathed life into all they made.
This was long, long ago.
Although a dragon had not been seen for many years, finding one was the key to solving the issue of the darkness.
The old man closed his eyes and sighed deeply.
He said that it was quite a shame that there weren't two brave young people who could venture beyond the wilderness and find a dragon.
Ellora looked at Boken, Boken looked at Ellora, and they both shrugged.
Ellora gazed at Grandfather, whose eyes were shut and arms folded.
Boken wanted him to elaborate, but he seemed to be closed for business.
So, Ellora and Boken left the old man to meditate.
They moved quietly and swiftly, picking up what remained on the table.
Oaken dutifully rolled up his sleeves to assist in washing the dishes.
Now, the world was asleep.
The city of hell had spent its energy pondering the pressing issue of no power.
With nothing more to do.
The inhabitants of the city left their worries at the foot of their bets and gave themselves over to rest.
Ellora and Boken lie next to each other in the spare bedroom with the sliding doors.
As they spoke, they found themselves traversing the full gamut of all things human and magic.
In the cool moonlight.
They looked out through the sliding door and saw the city lit up by candlelight.
Boken asked Ellora what existed beyond the lightless, dilapidated signs, beyond the boards and buildings and beyond the homes that housed lovers, friends and children.
I don't know, said Allura.
And as if possessed by the notion of adventure, the two began to wonder, what if?
What if we were brave enough to embark on this quest?
There were maybes, questions of what lay beyond the city that the two had known all their lives.
But there was also a sense of excitement.
Soon, they grew tired from the events of the day, and without much awareness, Ellora drifted off.
Boken whispered goodnight. and he too succumbed to blissful sleep.
All that could be heard in Allura's home were the shuffle of sheets and deep, slow breaths.
The night passed, and the darkness gave way to the sweet light of dawn.
Ellora was perplexed.
She rose, as she did every other morning, to the smell of rice and kimchi and perfectly fried eggs.
Bokom was no longer in the room and the sliding doors were wide open, the layers of the shutters gently tapping against the window.
Ellora rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her thick ginger hair.
Yawning, she examined the few belongings Spoken had brought with him from the night before.
From her observations, he was a reserved man of simple taste.
He didn't wear much jewelry.
There was simply a plaited iron chain that never left his neck.
Next to the mattress on the floor were two smooth bands of some sort, made of leather, with a button-like clasp at their ends.
And there was a bit of paper that said Ichigo's Noodle Bar and a leather, pocket-sized notebook that Elora felt apprehensive about reading.
There was a flurry of laughter from another room.
Drawn to the warmth of the sound, Ellora rose to her feet and stumbled to the door.
As sleepy as she was, she still noticed two of her father's brown backpacks stuffed with essentials.
Elora walked down the hallway and stumbled upon a picturesque view.
The living room, shutters were wide open and her younger siblings were giggling at a story Bokom was telling.
Sunlight streamed in with its bright golden fullness.
Her parents were sipping tea from quaint cups.
And if Allura looked closely enough, she could see that, though her grandfather's eyes were closed, the corners of his mouth were turned upward in a smile.
Grandma ate her food at a glacial pace, occasionally picking rice grains from her family's bowls.
Ellora's mother gestured to her to come and eat.
Smiling, she walked over to them.
Bokom presented her with a bowl of fluffy white rice, kimchi, and two fried eggs.
He smiled in a shy kind of way and said that he had made it himself.
Elora tucked in, grain by grain.
And all the while, she listened to Boken tell tales of his time spent in Ichigo's noodle bar.
He was there at the restaurant's beginning years ago, when it was merely wooden beams and the walls that were to be built were nothing more than bags of bricks.
Little Boken was adamant that he could build the shop on his own.
Ichigo sat him on one of the stools that had arrived that day and told him that magic was the product of time, hard work and love.
All three were needed.
Boken told her family that as the walls of Ichigo's noodle bar were erected and orders came flooding in, he himself grew from toddler to child, to teen.
And now he had come of age.
Ellora could feel Grandfather's eyes on her face.
But whenever she looked at him, he was gravely still, arms folded and eyes closed.
Boken's eyes seemed to frequently wander over to Grandfather's.
And when Ellora attempted to catch the young man's gaze, he would divert it away from her.
Ellora picked up the final few grains of rice with her chopsticks.
What are these two plotting, she thought.
The room fell silent.
All eyes seemed to be on Grandfather.
The old man, in his aura of reverence and peace, began to speak, not once opening his eyes.
Elora.
Boken.
You must travel to the edge of our land, the place named the unknown, and you must seek out a dragon.
Ellora started speaking, but Grandfather simply raised his palm.
Yes, he said, it has to be you, and it is for reasons that will become clear.
Ellora's father began to gently rub her mother's shoulders.
They didn't want to say goodbye.
Boken and Ellora returned to the bedroom in silence.
When Boken slid the door shut, Ellora picked up a pillow and threw it at him.
He couldn't help but chuckle.
Ellora asked if Boken had spoken to Grandfather before she'd woken up.
The young man nodded and told her that it was her grandfather's wish and that he was merely her aid.
Feeling a surge of bravery wash over him.
He took Ellora's hands and told her that this was the opportunity of a lifetime.
I realize I barely know you, he said, but I also know you want to go.
Elora looked at the two bags on the floor and smiled.
We'd better get ready then, she said.
And so, they embarked on their journey.
The noonday sun was at its peak.
It hung at the highest point in the sky and shone down on the power-drained city of Hal.
Before leaving, Boken and Allura took turns in the steaming bathroom.
Boxes upon boxes of food were prepared and pushed into their rucksacks as many as could.
Ellora wanted to take Hallyu with them, but he had run out of charge and there would be no way to power him in the current circumstances.
Ellora and Bocan were barely a minute down the road when Grandfather came after them.
He lifted the chain and pendant from around his neck and placed it around Ellora's.
Grandfather told her that her strength was her ability to love, and that love as strong as hers was the key to boundless magic.
Ellora wrapped her arms around the grandfather she loved so fervently.
Watching the two embrace, Bokom was sure he felt something deep inside himself.
But what it was, he couldn't name.
Grandfather turned and walked away, gradually becoming a shrinking silhouette.
Ellora and Bocan absorbed the city that had grown around them.
It was different now, with faded color and confused citizens.
Just as the city had done many times before, it pressed on opting for the ancient use of coal, fire and steam.
Yet, despite this, it seemed the city the two loved so much was at a standstill.
There was an aimlessness in the air.
A dazed wish for things to return to normal.
Boken and Allura chatted all day, learning all about each other.
As the sun lowered in the sky, it felt like they'd known one another for an eternity.
Elora laughed when Boken said his favorite color was brown. brown?"
Ellora asked.
He explained that chocolate was brown and that the earth that perpetually holds root to all things is brown too.
Although they were hardly aware of it, the scenery of cobblestone streets and smoking chimneys was transforming into greenery, dense thickets and crumbling dirt.
Soon, the afternoon brightness turned to evening sunset.
The two walked until their feet became tired, and they could only talk of sleep.
Boken spotted a dry cave that was lit up by torches.
Its opening was wide and jagged around the edges.
The inside was quite welcoming.
The floor was thickly lined with moss, and in the corner of the cave was a bundled up blanket.
Oaken and Ellora pulled meals out of their respective bags and ate slowly.
The food was still slightly warm And to Ellora, it felt like home with something extra.
She commented that it seemed especially good, and Boken nodded shyly.
Ellora simply smiled and whispered, thank you.
In return, the young man also smiled and whispered back, you're welcome.
After she had finished her meal, Ellora looked up into the deepest part of the night sky.
The moon was at its fullest, big, round, with a soft brightness.
There were stars, too, small and flickering in the cool night air.
So far away, just like home felt right now.
Made lazy by their full stomachs, the two settled down to rest.
In sleepy, drawn-out voices, they began to share nursery rhymes and mythic tales from their childhoods.
Ellora listened to Bokun's voice.
He told of a tale of a soldier who was conscripted into an army.
In the middle of battle training, he left his base and traveled miles away from the village.
He was in search of something that would make him strong enough, brave enough, to fight in a war.
On his travels, he met a wise man in simple clothing who gifted him the only thing in his possession a magical sword.
Fearless, the young man returned to his camp.
When it came time to strike down evil ogres, he managed to do so, but he was sure it was only because of the sword.
Not wanting to claim medals for something that he didn't do, the young soldier went in search of the wise man.
But when he found him, the wise man explained that he was not wise at all and he was not gifted with the ability to share magic.
Confused, the young soldier said that the sword he'd given him had done its work and that he had been glorified because of this.
The other man chuckled and told him that it was an ordinary sword.
Whatever strength and swiftness the young man had wielded was of his own doing.
At this point, Elora softly asked a question.
So all the power he needed was inside him all along.
Bocan nodded, then asked Ellora to tell him a story in return.
She searched her mind for an epic tale, a story of wits and charm.
But it seemed the drawers and boxes in her mind were empty.
She felt the cool moss beneath her and the weight of the blanket across her body.
But then she remembered.
There was a story, one her grandfather used to tell her when she was a child.
She told Boken to close his eyes, and her voice seemed to transform, becoming like her grandfather's.
My family tells of an ancient legend, she began.
Once upon a time, there was a family of dragons.
They were creatures born of magic.
Their fire was not just a weapon, it was a tool.
A dragon's breath could do great wonders.
And so it went.
The family of dragons roamed their stretch of land at peace with the other magical creatures of their realms.
The land was green, as far as the eye could see.
They lived, and they hatched their own, and the family of dragons grew one hundredfold.
Being ancient creatures of wisdom, they would often prophesy to humans who had travelled in the pursuit of knowledge.
There was a prophecy among the dragons that seemed to be a riddle.
A dragon not of its original form will forge a land far from here.
There were two dragon brothers.
They grew in likeness and love, learning the history of their kind.
One day, the dragons woke to find the others gone.
The brothers flew from one corner of the land to the next in search of their family, but they were not to be found.
Finally, the two dragons sat on a hill that overlooked their land.
The older brother said to the younger, We must forge a legacy.
Go far away from here.
Build a new land and know that whatever trials you meet, You are brave enough to overcome them.
The younger brother asked his sibling what he would do.
The elder replied that the very land they were on was sacred and that there must be someone left to help the travelers who seek knowledge.
Don't worry, brother, he said.
I will always love you.
And who knows, in time we may come together again.
Then he turned to his younger brother and transformed his siblings.
Now, he said, I grant you the gift of being two-legged to walk the earth as humans do.
The younger one went on his way, assured by the love of his brother and instilled with the hope that they would meet again.
Ellora said she couldn't remember the rest of the story.
She lifted her head to look at Boken and saw that the young man was very nearly asleep.
His eyes still closed, he gently placed his hand on the side of Elora's face.
Your grandfather tells good stories, he said.
And without another word, the two drifted off to sleep.
The night passed slowly and there was barely a sound.
It seemed that even the crickets were asleep.
Far out on the edges of the forest, the wildlife rested.
Bears snored, squirrels murmured, and deer yawned.
And Bokun and Allura were none the wiser.
There was one steady breath before the next. and dreams of heroes and dragons.
The sun was a welcome visitor.
Ellora stretched, not yet opening her eyes, and felt something poke her leg.
She and Boken woke to see two men, sticks in hand, looking down at them in wonderment.
The men said they could tell from Bocan and Elora's clothes that they were not from their land, but they wanted to make sure.
Quite baffled, Bokun and Allura simply gazed up at the two men.
The strangers said they were looking for the city of Hau.
Boken sat up, coming to his senses, and said that perhaps they could help each other.
He explained that he and Allura were looking for a place called the Unknown.
Ah, the taller man replied, the unknown is quite a place if you know which way to go.
We do.
If you come out of this cave, it's on your left if you just walk straight.
Lovely, Ellora responded.
If you walk straight for a couple of weeks, the man continued.
Bokan and Ellora groaned.
They explained to the men that the City of HAL was in quite the predicament.
With no power, it would eventually cease to function.
The shorter man turned to his friend and asked if they could tell Bokun and Ellora about the well.
After a moment of pause, the taller man nodded.
The two men told a tale of a magical well that possessed ancient power.
It could transport a person wherever they wished, provided they had noble intentions.
The well was only a day's walk from the cave.
Ellora then told the two men how to get to Hau, and in exchange for their kindness, Bokun offered to feed them.
At first the men refused, not wishing to impose.
But soon they came around to the idea.
As the four sat around their campfire, they exchanged stories and customs from their respective lands.
Chen, the younger one, and Kai, the taller, told Allura that their families were friends of the dragons.
But they themselves were travelers, and they had not seen a dragon for some time.
Spoken told Chen and Kai about the noodle bar, and how he'd met Allura.
And she, in turn, told the men about her job, painting the new portions of the city.
There was plenty of food to go around.
They all ate till they were full.
And after much laughter, the two pairs went their separate ways.
Oaken and Allura's pathway through the forest was thickly lined with twisted hedges bearing fruit.
As she walked, Elora searched her mind for the ending to Grandfather's tale of the Dragon Brothers.
But her train of thought was interrupted by Boken, who playfully nudged her in the ribs and asked her if she was the champion of blackberries.
Ellora laughed, bemused.
The young man picked about three or four blackberries off of the hedges and flung them in the air in a sorry attempt to get every berry in his mouth.
Of course, it was an epic failure.
Elora laughed at his attempt and accepted his challenge.
She picked three or four blackberries and launched them into the air, and two landed in her mouth.
Thoroughly impressed, Boken slowly applauded.
The two occasionally stopped to eat or bathe or gather water from the stream.
And just like the current of the water, the scenery around them changed.
There were always new and unusual animals to point out.
The trees changed from birch to oak and finally to blossom.
The trail of hedges stopped abruptly.
Here, there were no animals in sight.
Water cascaded through the forest in the near distance.
And looking ahead, Bokun and Allura realized where they were.
What lie before them were a couple of yards of pale grey stone and, in its centre, a patch of lush green grass and a colourful array of flowers.
In the middle, a pink blossom tree stood over the very thing the two had been searching for the wishing well.
As Ellora and Bocan approached the well, they were overcome by a great sense of peace.
It was as if the bedtime stories they had heard concerning light magic were true.
And it was as if light magic, the brightest of light magic, had forged this place.
The grass was thicker than plush carpet.
And out of respect, the two friends did their best to avoid stepping on any of the flowers.
The wishing well had a plaque that read, introduce yourself.
Perplexed, Ellora and Boken awkwardly said their names and their favorite foods.
And from the deepest part of the well came a cheery voice.
Hello there.
The two were so surprised they hopped back slightly.
But then the well introduced itself.
I am the wishing well and I am at your service.
I can tell that your hearts are pure and your cause is noble.
I shall take you wherever you wish to go.
Just say the word.
Ellora nodded at Boken and said clearly that they wished to go beyond the wilderness, to the land called the Unknown.
The wishing well said it would transport them there.
But it told him that they were not the first to travel in search of a dragon and it hoped that they would be successful.
Bokun and Ellora held hands as they were instructed.
And then, poof, they were transported to the edge of the land of the unknown.
Almost instinctively, the two held their hands longer than necessary, hoping to draw on one another's bravery.
The land was green and lush, and shrouded in some sort of thick vapor.
It was quite hilly, with mountains in the far distance and vegetation that was not of any kind the two brave humans had ever seen.
Beads of moisture clung to the blades of grass beneath their feet.
And soon, Ellora and Boken found themselves removing their coats and cardigans.
There was some light-hearted chatter as they wandered.
And after traveling a great distance, Boken turned to Ellora.
He took off one of his leather bracelet bands, wrapped it around one of her wrists and pressed the clasps together until there was a small click.
Ellora wanted to ask why. but the words did not come to her.
Instead, they both moved towards one another like statues coming to life, gently enveloping each other in a hug.
Ellora was quite a bit shorter than Boken, and he told her that he could feel her nose poking his chest.
She chuckled and pulled away slightly.
Bokun's eyes widened.
Your pendant, he said.
It's glowing.
Ellora looked down at her chest, and sure enough, her pendant was glowing white.
More determined than ever to find answers to their questions.
They resumed their journey hand in hand.
Deeper they walked into the unknown.
They would pass the occasional traveller who also sought to find answers from a mythical dragon.
The others came and went, appearing and disappearing into the dense fog.
Ellora could feel Boken's fingers in between her own, and it was reassuring.
As they walked, the two returned to their familiar back-and-forth of sharing stories.
Every now and again, Ellora remembered fragments of the story Grandfather told her as a child.
And before long the two stumbled upon a wasteland, a desert of sorts, part rock, part sand and part desolation.
But something large and maroon seemed to move.
It was jagged and scaly.
Could it be a sleeping dragon?
Bokun looked at Ellora, his hand tightly gripping hers.
And all Elora could think about was her grandfather and a memory from long ago.
Little Elora was refusing to go to bed.
She wanted to stay up all night, like the adults in the house.
Grandfather attempted to pull the covers over her, but she simply flailed her legs and kicked the blanket to the end of the bed.
Now, now, Grandfather said.
Enough of that.
It's time to go to bed.
Elora huffed, finally submitting to Grandfather's gentle ways.
This time, when he pulled the covers over her, she didn't protest.
Grandfather had put a pillow on the floor so he could kneel over her bed and gently stroke her forehead.
Ellora huffed again, and claimed that she was not tired.
Smiling, Grandfather offered to tell a story.
The story of the two dragon brothers.
Ellora nodded eagerly.
He began.
My family tells of an ancient legend.
At first, Ellora watched Grandfather's face as he told the story.
But soon, she grew so tired that she yawned once or twice and shifted to her side.
Grandfather continued.
He told her the story all the way through.
And when he was done, he tucked a strand of Ellora's hair behind her ear, switched off her nightlight and closed her bedroom door.
Grandfather had told her story so well that she dreamed every detail immaculately, just as he hoped she would.
And he told little Ellora the very same story, night after night.
But now, in the present day, this was no story.
Bokan and Allura found themselves in front of a real, live dragon.
Who are you? breathed the fiery dragon.
The plan had been to gently wake him, But unfortunately Bokun had a sneezing fit, abruptly stirring the dragon.
Bokun winced and apologized, and the dragon rolled his eyes.
You'd think an ancient creature would be allowed some peace and quiet, but no.
I cannot help you, he said, explaining that he was hiding from all the travelers who sought him out.
Boken shook his head in disbelief.
Hiding, he asked.
The dragon began to chuckle.
Not as brave as you thought, I suppose.
Ellora looked into the dragon's eyes.
Behind his scaly maroon skin, dragon tail and sharp white teeth, there was something familiar about him, something almost lovable.
Ellora said that perhaps they could help.
The dragon curled up as if he was about to go to sleep and groaned.
Bokun approached the dragon timidly and gently placed his hand on the enormous creature's tail, while Ellora sat on the sand next to the dragon's head and patted him.
She asked the creature for his name.
Okori, he replied.
Ellora introduced herself and Boken, explaining that they had come in search of a way to bring back power to their city.
Pokori sighed and said that he couldn't help.
There is no magic left in me, he said.
I long for my brother.
Ellora instinctively took off her necklace and lifted it above her head.
The pendant began to glow intensely, and with a blast of magic, the dragon was at once transformed.
He was made human.
The words Elora had so desperately searched for now rose to the surface of her mind.
She spoke gently to Hokori, who now had the form of an old man.
With the aid of the magical pendant, said Allura, the weary dragon was granted the same gift as his brother to be made two-legged and to walk the earth as humans do.
Okori wrapped his arms around his great-niece.
You are proof that my brother found the love he deserved.
Boken shook Hakori's hand and after a long bout of laughter, they walked to the nearest stream to quench their thirst.
The three drank until they were no longer thirsty.
Bokun remarked that it was unlike any water he had ever tasted cool and crisp and somehow light in flavor.
This place was indeed formed from the lightest magic.
After they'd had their fill, they sat on a spot of grass and listened to Hokori.
I gave my brother a stone crafted from the shell that hatched him, he said, and told him that it would hold power as long as I did.
All dragons share a life force.
And it is regrettable that our separation has affected the power in your city.
Allow me to make it right.
The three talked their way through the wilderness, the subsequent mountains and valleys and the thick greenery of the forest.
And despite how Bokun and Allura explained, Okori couldn't quite fathom how wonderful a place the City of Hell was.
After covering a long stretch on foot, the night gradually approached.
The tiny flickering embers of stars could be seen across the night sky.
The three found a cave to nestle into.
Ellora collected moss, Bokom prepared some food, and her quarry started a fire.
Once they'd eaten, they propped up their backs on the slanted walls of the cave.
Okori made finger shadows that moved across the wall.
Wearied by the events of the day, Bokun and Ellora shut their eyes listening to the sound of her quarry's voice.
My family tells of an ancient legend, he began.
Ellora smiled as she sank into a thick blanket of moss.
After telling story after story, Okori soon grew tired.
He let his limbs go heavy, and his mind drifted to the land of dreams.
For miles around, all that could be heard was the gentle crackle of the fire that the three had built together.
The trio dreamed long, colorful dreams of dragons and heroes, and of food and family.
The night passed and gave way to morning.
Just as she had done many times before, Ellora woke to the smell of kimchi, rice, and fried eggs.
Bokun had found a way to heat the leftovers from the previous night over the fire.
And thankfully, the eggs in their rucksack had not cracked.
Ellora and Bokun watched Hakori eat his meal with great expectation.
The old man groaned in delight.
As a dragon, Okori had eaten the vegetation of the land.
And now, he enjoyed the warmth and comfort of a cooked meal with human taste buds.
The three ate slowly in deep gratitude for their meal, for finding one another and for being so very close to home.
It turned out that Hakori knew of a shortcut, a way out of the Land of the Unknown.
And so, just a few hours later, the three approached a trail on the outskirts of Hell which was lined with long hedges bearing blackberries.
Okori attempted Bokken's game of tossing blackberries into his mouth, but only once or twice.
Overtaken by his new sense of taste.
He gathered handfuls at a time, gently placed the berries on his tongue one by one, and allowed the fruit to burst between his teeth.
Smoke from coal fires burnt in the near distance, and soon they were home.
The streets were not especially busy.
And just as when they had left, the noonday sun lit up the city of Hel.
Even so, the city remained drained of colour.
Powered-down building bots lined the street, and it seemed that in these times, the citizens much preferred to stay inside.
Closer and closer.
They came to Ellora's home, and all the while, Bokom pointed out inns and restaurants.
There were stories in those streets, stories that Boken and Allura knew inside out.
They spoke of their childhoods, roaming a place so huge and simultaneously so intimate.
The city of Hal had weathered seasons and, just like a person, it grew while still maintaining a certain essence.
As they rounded a corner, Boken's voice trailed off.
Ellora's grandfather sat on the bench outside their home, hands on knees, eyes closed, breathing deeply.
He opened an eye and looked in the direction of the three travelers.
As soon as he saw his younger brother, Okori rushed towards him, holding him in a warm embrace.
Grandfather instantly knew who it was.
And as the brothers held one another, power surged through the city of Hal.
Every building that Allura had ever painted glowed in brilliant hues.
Ikori said his younger brother's name out loud, Ren.
Holding him tightly.
Ikori said that he had been granted the same gift by his great niece to be humbled and to walk on two legs, as humans do.
Bokun wrapped his arm around Ellora, who, in turn, put her arm around his waist.
Taoyu came bouncing out the front door and danced around Boken and Allura.
Allura patted the little robot on the head, and he released a low whirr in satisfaction.
The evening of Ellora's safe return and Hikori's welcome to the family, they all went to visit Ichigo's noodle bar, including the little ones, Rumi and Tahira, who had their fill of meat dumplings.
Ellora ate enough rice, fried eggs and kimchi to last her a long while, and Boken had a bowl of ramen.
The others sampled a wide variety of foods, from sushi to rice bowls and all the smaller dishes they could manage.
And at last...
The sun set and the sky darkened.
During this process, Ellora's handiwork was made all the more visible.
The family peered out her window at the neon signs and glowing paint, and the city served as a hub of life, love and electricity evermore.
