The Case of the Wayward Professor Read Online Free
Author: Gareth P. Jones
what knocked him out. On the other end of the shelf was a semicircle of holes. There was no mistaking them. Dragon tooth marks. This was bad news. Once again, it meant that Dirk wasnât the only dragon in London.
Every type of dragon was different. Not just in colour, but in shape, strength, powers, and jaw shape. A grey-backed, blue-bellied Sea Dragon, for example, had a pointy nose, enabling it to cut through the water at great speed, while a Tree Dragonâs teeth were longer and sharp enough to cull the mightiest oak.
The jaw that had torn the shelf from the wall had left a more rounded imprint and belonged to a Shade-Hugger, an earth-dwelling dragon that couldnât bear sunlight and only ever surfaced at night, if then. It had been dark when he had arrived at the hospital, so the Shade-Hugger that had knocked him out had probably been there before he arrived. Dirk knew of only one local Shade-Hugger.
âKarnataka,â he growled, running up the stairs to the roof. The air was cold and sharp. He took a moment to consider his route then leapt to the next building, then the next, heading south to the river, able to move quickly with darkness as his cover.
He darted up a block of flats, built like a giant staircase in the sky, and looked down. By the river, in a small park next to a childrenâs playground, was a large cylindrical red-stone building. To the locals who used the park it was an air vent for one of the car tunnels that ran beneath the Thames. To Dirk, it was an entrance.
It was a long jump from the building and Dirk would never have risked it in daylight, but it was dark and he didnât want to waste any more time. He spread his wings, stood on his hind legs and jumped, gliding silently through the night sky, across the road, landing safely inside the vent. He found a door, opened it and stepped into the darkness. He felt along the wall and found a second door. He pushed it open and slid into a small stone room, not much bigger than a cupboard.
He said a few words in Dragonspeak and the small room plummeted into the depths of the earth.
When it finally stopped moving, Dirk saw in front of him a large ornate door carved into the shape of a dragonâs head, with blood-red jewels set into its eyes and a ring through its nose. He jumped up, took the ring in his mouth, pulled it back and let it go. The bang echoed around the chamber and the door creaked open.
The hall behind was even more impressive than the door itself, lined with great stone pillars carved into the shapes of various creatures. There was a Vibria, a Wyvern, a Gogmagog, breeds of creatures that humans had branded mythological, each one sitting upright with its head tilted back and mouth wide open. Red flames burnt tirelessly from each mouth, illuminating the rock ceiling.
This was Karnatakaâs home, deep beneath the surface of London, far from the sunlight. The impressive hall was a stark contrast to Karnataka himself, a miserable no-good cowering coward with the morals of a Two-Toothed Fire Toad.
Dirk stopped by a giant stone snake with a large head and a long mane. It was an Amphiptere, like the one he and Holly had rescued from the Thames. He wondered again why Holly hadnât been in touch. In befriending a human, he had breached the forbidden divide, risking banishment if he was found out, but Dirk didnât care much for rules and regulations. Holly was his friend.
A thunderous voice boomed, âStop. Who enters this hall?â
First-time visitors might have been scared by the impressive sound, but Dirk knew it was nothing more than a cone-shaped voice projector, that transformedKarnatakaâs thin nasal whine into the huge voice that filled the hall.
âIâm in no mood for the whole big-ego greeting, Karny,â yelled Dirk threateningly.
There was a brief pause and then the voice spoke again: âPlease leave! You are trespassing.â
The flames from the statues died down and two
Every type of dragon was different. Not just in colour, but in shape, strength, powers, and jaw shape. A grey-backed, blue-bellied Sea Dragon, for example, had a pointy nose, enabling it to cut through the water at great speed, while a Tree Dragonâs teeth were longer and sharp enough to cull the mightiest oak.
The jaw that had torn the shelf from the wall had left a more rounded imprint and belonged to a Shade-Hugger, an earth-dwelling dragon that couldnât bear sunlight and only ever surfaced at night, if then. It had been dark when he had arrived at the hospital, so the Shade-Hugger that had knocked him out had probably been there before he arrived. Dirk knew of only one local Shade-Hugger.
âKarnataka,â he growled, running up the stairs to the roof. The air was cold and sharp. He took a moment to consider his route then leapt to the next building, then the next, heading south to the river, able to move quickly with darkness as his cover.
He darted up a block of flats, built like a giant staircase in the sky, and looked down. By the river, in a small park next to a childrenâs playground, was a large cylindrical red-stone building. To the locals who used the park it was an air vent for one of the car tunnels that ran beneath the Thames. To Dirk, it was an entrance.
It was a long jump from the building and Dirk would never have risked it in daylight, but it was dark and he didnât want to waste any more time. He spread his wings, stood on his hind legs and jumped, gliding silently through the night sky, across the road, landing safely inside the vent. He found a door, opened it and stepped into the darkness. He felt along the wall and found a second door. He pushed it open and slid into a small stone room, not much bigger than a cupboard.
He said a few words in Dragonspeak and the small room plummeted into the depths of the earth.
When it finally stopped moving, Dirk saw in front of him a large ornate door carved into the shape of a dragonâs head, with blood-red jewels set into its eyes and a ring through its nose. He jumped up, took the ring in his mouth, pulled it back and let it go. The bang echoed around the chamber and the door creaked open.
The hall behind was even more impressive than the door itself, lined with great stone pillars carved into the shapes of various creatures. There was a Vibria, a Wyvern, a Gogmagog, breeds of creatures that humans had branded mythological, each one sitting upright with its head tilted back and mouth wide open. Red flames burnt tirelessly from each mouth, illuminating the rock ceiling.
This was Karnatakaâs home, deep beneath the surface of London, far from the sunlight. The impressive hall was a stark contrast to Karnataka himself, a miserable no-good cowering coward with the morals of a Two-Toothed Fire Toad.
Dirk stopped by a giant stone snake with a large head and a long mane. It was an Amphiptere, like the one he and Holly had rescued from the Thames. He wondered again why Holly hadnât been in touch. In befriending a human, he had breached the forbidden divide, risking banishment if he was found out, but Dirk didnât care much for rules and regulations. Holly was his friend.
A thunderous voice boomed, âStop. Who enters this hall?â
First-time visitors might have been scared by the impressive sound, but Dirk knew it was nothing more than a cone-shaped voice projector, that transformedKarnatakaâs thin nasal whine into the huge voice that filled the hall.
âIâm in no mood for the whole big-ego greeting, Karny,â yelled Dirk threateningly.
There was a brief pause and then the voice spoke again: âPlease leave! You are trespassing.â
The flames from the statues died down and two
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